Sunday’s Congregational Prayer
Prayer guided by Psalm 103
Missionary: Today we will be praying for Michael Walker, who serves as an associate pastor at Trinity Church Central London, a church plant that is located strategically near several colleges with students coming from around the world to study. This is an exciting season for Michael as he will be getting married to Talitha next Sunday. The members of New Covenant Church have been invited to attend a reception for them and meet Talitha on July 31st at College Church in Wheaton. See Bob Badertscher if you need more information.
Now, please join me in prayer as we reflect the words of David from Psalm 103.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
O Father, noting your righteousness and our sinful nature redeemed from the pit, we come to you corporately to ask for your forgiveness and confess our own sins in this time of silence….
As David continues in the psalm, we praise you that “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.”
As we have confessed our sins, we thank you that “as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”
On this Father’s Day, we thank you that “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.” We thank you for being our perfect Heavenly Father and we thank you for our earthly fathers. We recognize that for some, their fathers have failed in their roles as providers, protectors, and nourishers, so we pray that you would show yourself to be sufficient to those individuals.
For those of us who are fathers, we ask for your help in parenting our children. Whether they are young or old, following you or not, may we have wisdom to care for them in a manner that reflects your sacrificial love and grace for us, not provoking them to anger. May we also love our wives well and so model your love for the church to our children. Forgive us when we have failed in our role as fathers and may we look to you for renewal and strength.
Today we pray for the Michael Walker.
- We pray that you will give the Trinity Church team wisdom as Malcolm, the Senior Pastor, returns from his sabbatical, and as they make plans for summer programs.
- We pray that through their ministry they would be able to spread the gospel and strengthen the church this summer.
- Finally, we pray that Michael and Talitha’s wedding next week would be a joyful celebration of the love of Christ for Michael and Talitha. Bless them as they begin their lives together living in London.
In Psalm 103, David continued to write, “But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.”
- We pray that your steadfast love would be real to church members with special needs right now.
- We pray for those struggling with sickness and other physical needs, for those with hurting marriages, for our prodigal children, those with mental health challenges and more. We pray that you would meet those needs and we as a church would be the hands and feet of Christ in caring for others.
- We pray for Bob, as he deals with the continuing complications of his cancer.
- We pray for Ed, who is contending with serious pneumonia.
- We pray for Elizabeth and her recurring back problems.
- And we pray for Keven’s mother, recovering from a stroke.
- We also pray for peace in this time of war and conflict around the world. We pray that you would “work righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.” And we pray for our political leaders, that they would be guided by truth and righteousness.
- We pray that you would bring revival to your people and your churches, in this nation and globally.
- We pray that we would love you, love one another, and love our enemies, as you have called us to do, seeking unity in the body, as you have called us to do.
Finally, as Pastor Daniel opens your word today, we pray that the Holy Spirit would guide his words. I pray all this in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen.