Pastors and Prayer (Contentment, Counseling Situations, and Leadership)

 

Years ago, in a situation long ago, in a different space and time continuum, I wrote these prayers. They were for me, as a pastor, in the midst of disappointment and feeling of deep defeat. I have drawn them back up out of the bowels of long unused files to dust them off and re-use them. I'm using them again not in the midst of disappointment and deep defeat, but because I think they are decent prayers, no matter my situation. I share them with you, fellow pastors, so you can use them, and hopefully find your heart lifted and the face of God smiling on you. He loves you, more than anyone else ever could, and he loves your congregation more than you ever can.


FOR CONTENTMENT: 

O Lord God - help!

·        Help me to flourish and fill out in faith, hope and love, as well as all other Christian virtues - here.

·        Help me to find satisfaction with where I am, with whom I am with, with what I am doing - here.

·        Help me to love you - here; to find my utmost joy in you - here; to become unstoppably secure in you - here!

·        Help me to be content - but not idle; to be content - but not lazy; to be content - but not resentful - here.

·        Help me to have a deep certainty that you have given me the victory in Christ Jesus our Lord; and so to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in your work, knowing - believing - confident - certain - assured that in Christ Jesus my labor here is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:57-58). 

O Lord God; hallowed be your name (here)! O Lord God; your Kingdom come (here)! O Lord God; your will be done on earth (here) as it is in heaven. Amen.

 

PRAYER FOR COUNSELING SITUATIONS (especially those that are baffling):

You who are the shoot from the stump of Jesse, the branch from his roots that bears fruit, upon whom the Spirit of the LORD rests, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD, whose delight is in the fear of the LORD; and who does not judge by what your eyes see, or decide disputes by what your ears hear, but with righteousness you shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth (Isaiah 11:1-4). We call upon you for help! We are finite and thus fallible, we do judge by what our eyes see and decide disputes by what our ears hear. Therefore some of our decisions have failed, and some of our counsels have fallen through. Lord, have mercy on us and give us your aid. Guide us in our counsels and lead us in our decisions. May your Spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and fear of the LORD rest on us and lead us into all truth. Amen.


LEADERSHIP PRAYER (Adapted from, “Prayers for Pastor & People,” 161):

O Lord Jesus Christ, who did come to seek and save that which was lost, and has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation; give us {...mention yourself, and the names of fellow elders and pastors...} a discerning spirit to judge and advise aright. Grant that we may never make sad the hearts that you would not have saddened, nor heal slightly the hurts of your people, speaking peace, peace, where there is no peace; but may faithfully and lovingly, firmly and considerately lead those who seek our help in the paths of truth and peace, for your mercies' sake. Amen.

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