Pastoral Prayer November 8, 2020

It’s been a long week Lord and we need You now more than ever. We ask that You direct our hearts and minds towards You, and fill us with Your Spirit, bringing refreshing, renewal, peace, and joy. You remind us in Your word that You are faithful to carry our burdens. You tell us that You will renew our strength, and You promise to give us rest as we come to You.
Forgive us for the times we have worked so hard to be self-sufficient, forgetting our need for You, living independently of Your Spirit. Forgive us for letting fear and worry control our minds and for allowing pride and selfishness to wreak havoc in our lives. Forgive us for not following Your ways and for living at a guilty distance from fellowship with Your Spirit.
Thank You that Your ways are greater than our ways and Your thoughts are deeper than our thoughts. Thank You for Your plan of redemption. Thank You for making all things new as You promised. Thank You that Your face is towards the righteous, You are close to the broken-hearted, You hear our prayers, and know our hearts. Thank You for Your daily, powerful presence in our lives, that we can be assured, no matter what we’re facing, Your heart is towards us, Your eyes are over us, and Your ears are open to our prayers. Thank You that You surround us with a ring of fire as with a shield and we are safe in Your care.
We offer You praise and honour for Your ways are righteous and true. We offer You worship for You are holy and just. We will declare that Your love stands firm forever, for Your lovingkindness endures forever. Help us never to take for granted the gift of unconditional love You have for Your children. Remind us Lord of what it has cost You. Forgive us for being too busy or distracted by the things of the world, for not fully recognizing what You’ve so freely given, and all that Christ has done for us. Help us to cease striving and to remember again that the battle is Yours. We choose to press in close to You today and to keep You first in our hearts and lives. We choose joy today over chaos and mayhem. We seek to walk in Your wisdom and purposes, and to stay strong and true to You.
We pray for Your protection over our lives, our families, and other believers. We ask for Your hand to cover us and keep us distanced from the evil intent of the enemy – that You would be a barrier about us and that we would find our refuge in You. We pray that You would give us discernment and insight to understand Your will, to hear Your voice, and know Your ways.
We pray that You would give us supernatural endurance to stay the course, not swerving to the right or the left, or being too easily distracted by other things that would seek to call us away from a close walk with You.
Shine Your light in us, through us, and over us. Empower us through Your Spirit to make a difference in this world for Your glory. Set Your way before us that we may reflect Your peace and hope to a desperate lost world that needs Your presence and healing. We praise You, and we bless You Lord. Thank You that You reign supreme and we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us!