Pastoral Prayer: 15 September 2013
{I hope you are finding these beneficial. Feel free to use it in your church, and in your personal prayer time - Mike } Prayer Preparation: The wise man reminds us in Proverbs 15.8, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.” We hear a verse like this, and we want to cringe and cower in our pew. On the one hand, we rightly see ourselves – standing stripped down to just ourselves – as “the wicked”. But hear the second part through the ears of those who are united to The Upright One, “Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 Jn 2.2). We are not stripped down to just ourselves, but united to Jesus, we are clothed with his uprightness – and so this verse should rouse us in prayer – our prayers are – not might be, not could be, but are – acceptable to the LORD! Let us pray: Lord God, thank you that through faith you have made us all sons of God, and our baptism declares that we are united to Christ. And so, clothed, as i...