Category: Prayer Page 4 of 5

Here is the pastoral prayer from Covenant Presbyterian Church in Oviedo, Florida for last Sunday, August 15, 2010, which ruling elder Jon Boardman has consented to share with us. Even if you do not know the stories of the people named, this prayer is a good reflection on our Father’s heart for us.
+++++
Pastoral Prayer
Covenant Presbyterian Church, Oviedo, Florida
8/15/2010
Jon Boardman

Jehovah-rapha – “The LORD who heals”

When Moses led Israel from the Red Sea into the wilderness, the people wandered the desert for three days without water. When they came to the waters of Marah, it was too bitter to drink.

However, God made the water sweet, and the LORD made a decree: “If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am Jehovah-rapha [the LORD who heals].”

God is in the business of turning the bitterness of life into the sweetness of redemption. Our souls are sick, yet God heals us. Sin casts its mortal wound on our souls, but Jesus, the Shepherd and Guardian of our soul, has restored us. He is the Great Physician, the Balm of Gilead, and our Great Redeemer.

Let us seek his mercy and healing hand this morning.

Jehovah-rapha, we come to You this morning in great need of Your healing touch.

With the psalmist we declare: “Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases; he redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion.” (Ps. 103:2-4).

It is to Your love and compassion we look.

We carry wounds with us that only Your loving, surgical hand can mend.

We have deep spiritual wounds, emotional and mental wounds, and physical wounds. Yet no wound is too great for You to heal.

This morning we pray for those with deep spiritual wounds.

Ours sins are many, but many of us carry sins and guilt that weigh us down and render us hopeless.

There are those in Your midst who live with secrets in their hearts that they even try to hide from You, but You know every area of their souls.

We pray for those who grapple with abiding sin or addictive behaviors.

We ask that you break the bonds of addiction, pornography, gambling, gossip, bitterness, unforgiveness, and hatred.

Often times our hearts are full of rage; they are overwhelmed with doubt; they are rebellious, blemished and lonely.

We fail to come to You because we feel shame for our sin and we feel contempt for ourselves or for You for not freeing us from it.

But You do have the power to free us from both our guilt and our condemnation.

Help us to know and trust the power of Christ and to know the truth that “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

We pray also for those with deep emotional and mental wounds.

There may exist bitterness due to unforgiveness, spite due to betrayal, hardness of heart due to ill-treatment, and deep anxiety due to abandonment.

Many of Your people have been deeply wounded by earthly relationships — by those who have abused rather than protected, by reckless fathers, by indifferent mothers, by jealous siblings, by prejudicial people, by malicious peers, or by careless friends.

We ask that You turn their sorrow into gladness and their fears into confidence.

We affirm the words of the psalmist who said that the LORD “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

We pray especially for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one.

Bind up their wounds and mend their hearts. We ask that as they walk through the valley of the shadow of death, they would find comfort and confidence in You.

We pray for those who have physical wounds. We know that not all physical illnesses are the consequences of personal sin, but some are.

If there is sin in our lives that brings illness, bring it to light, and help us to repent. Forgive us and heal us.

If the illness is due to other causes, we ask for Your mercy.

We ask for relief from the pain and anguish that disease and illnesses bring to our bodies.

Specifically, we pray for Lisa, Jim, Joseph, Rod’s grandson (Scott), and many of our loved ones who are wounded by such illness.

Turn their bitter diseases into the sweetness of life.

We also pray for our covenant children who face the prospect of being inflicted by so many wounds from sin, the world, and the devil.

As parents we cannot shield them from such wounds, but we trust in our Heavenly Father to protect them and heal them as they are confronted with the harshness of this side of heaven.

As our children return to school, public, private, or home, we ask that they would grow in faith and trust in You.

For all of us, we ask that You heal us and save us.

For You are our praise.

For it is in the name of Jesus we pray.

Amen.

We are behind in our posting in general, and specifically behind in posting the prayers from the morning worship service of Covenant Presbyterian Church. We hope you are blessed by these.

+++++

Pastoral Prayer
Covenant Presbyterian Church, Oviedo, Florida
8/8/2010
Jon Boardman

Jehovah-jireh = “The LORD will Provide”

This name is found in connection with a well-known Bible story: Genesis chapter 22, where Abraham is tested by God. As the story unfolds, we learn that Abraham has taken Isaac, the son who is to continue his legacy and covenant, to be sacrificed in the region of Moriah.

Just as Abraham is about to slay his son, the angel of the LORD calls out to him, stops him, and announces that he has passed the test. Then Abraham takes a ram, which he finds stuck in some thorns, and sacrifices it instead of Isaac.

Abraham was not only greatly relieved that day from having to sacrifice his son, but he was extremely grateful that God had provided a sacrificial substitute via the ram. Abraham was confident that God would fulfill His promises and provide for his needs.

The passage tells us that “Abraham called that place ‘The LORD will provide’ [Jehovah-jireh]. What a reassuring name and reality this was for Abraham. And this name continues to be a reassuring reality for us for we know that God still provides for His people today. So let us confidently pray to Jehovah-jireh this morning.

LORD, You are Jehovah-jireh,

and we are confident that You will provide for all our needs.

Forgive us when we confuse our needs with our wants.
Forgive us also for overemphasizing our material needs over our spiritual needs and vice versa OR for overemphasizing our emotional needs over our need for holiness and vice versa.

As Jehovah-jireh, You meet all our needs: for the Scriptures declare that “my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

So we recognize that You provide for us on every level because You care for our whole being.

We look to You to give us what we need to grow closer to You and to reflect Your glory to the world.

We give You praise and thanks for supplying all that we need in this life to live for You.

We thank you for fulfilling our need for salvation.

You have made ultimate provision for our sins by sending Your son to be sacrificed on our behalf.

Jesus did for us what we were unable to do for ourselves, and now we can know You and have access to You through Your Son. Thank you Jesus!

We thank you for fulfilling our daily needs.

You give us our daily bread and You provide us with shelter and clothes.

We pray for those who struggle to have their daily needs met.

Be merciful and may Your church be Your arm of mercy to them.

We thank you for the many blessings You have bestowed on our church.

You have given us a pastor who ministers the word, a place where we can worship You, elders who shepherd, deacons who serve, staff who manage the daily operations of the church, a worship team who direct our thoughts to You, and volunteers who encourage and care for our children.

We thank You, LORD, that the needs of Your people are neither too small nor too large and neither too mundane nor too spiritual.

You care for Your people collectively and individually, locally and globally.

So we turn our thoughts and prayers toward them.

We thank you for the birth of Aria Dumas and the health of both mother and child.

We pray for your continued growth and protection for the Dumas family and for all families in our church.

We pray for Your provisions to those we support on the missions field.

We ask that You continue to provide the necessary means for them to serve You and that You protect them from the enemy.

We pray for those who serve You here – our domestic missionaries and evangelists.

We ask that You would supply them with the resources to spread the gospel.

Grant them the blessing to see the fruit of their labor and multiply their efforts.

We pray for those who are in need of Your healing touch. We ask that you provide them with Your strength and mercy.

We pray for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. We ask that you provide them with Your comfort and grace.

We pray for all those in our midst who are enduring financial, marital, relational, psychological, spiritual, and emotional hardships. May they find in You rest for the weary and the grace to help them in their time of need.

Lord, You are Jehovah-jireh, and we place our trust in You.

We pray in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Each Sunday ruling elder Jon Boardman leads the congregation I pastor in a pastoral prayer, and has been doing so recently using the names of God as a guide. We have posted these so far here and here. This Sunday, his petition was directed by a consideration of God as our sovereign Lord.

+++++

Pastoral Prayer
Covenant Presbyterian Church, Oviedo, Florida
7/25/2010
Jon Boardman

Adonai – Sovereign or Lord (Master)

Another name used of God is Adonai. In fact the name Adonai is often paired with the name Yahweh, which Bible scholars translate Sovereign LORD.

The first time we come across Adonai is when the Sovereign LORD makes a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15 – God promises Abraham an heir, land, and many other blessings. Later on in the Scriptures, in Psalm 71 verses 5 and 6, the Psalmist declares: “You have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.” Here the Lord promises protection and deliverance.

Also in Isaiah 61 verse 1, Isaiah writes: “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” Here we have the promise of the Messiah. And, of course, Jesus read these words, as recorded in Luke 4:18, to initiate his ministry and to declare the fulfillment of these words in himself.

In all of these cases, God’s people acknowledged Adonai as the Master of their fates and of all areas of their lives. As God’s people, Jesus is our Lord and our Master. Let us humble ourselves before Him this morning in prayer.

O Sovereign LORD,

there are those who would have us to believe that we are masters of our own fate, and all too often we live as if this were the case.

Forgive us, Lord, for living as if we were lords over life.

We also confess that too often we accept You as Savior but fail to submit to You as Lord.

We acknowledge that You call us to submit every area of our lives to You.

We also acknowledge how difficult this is for us.

You want us to submit our finances, our marriages, our relationships, our employment, our materials, our children, our dreams, our entertainment, our desires, and our thoughts to You.

Help us to see that You have total possession of us and, therefore, we can have total submission to You; we know You are trustworthy.

We also know that you are a good master, one whose yoke is easy and burden is light. Thank you for giving rest to our souls.

So this morning, we submit to You, Lord.

We ask that your sovereign hand lead and direct us in our families, our church, our communities, and our country.

We pray for our families this morning.

For those who are grieving the loss of their loved ones like Anita Samuels and the Nuwayhids, give them comfort.

For those who are fighting various battles in life in the form of diseases, disorders, and cancers like Penni’s mother, Jim Fitzgerald, Lisa Whitener, Joseph Nuwayhid, and Rod Whited’s grandson, give them peace and endurance through this time.

We pray for Your mercy; give rest to the weary.

For those who are apart from us due to work or travel like Susan Culbreath, the Holts, Thomas McFadden, Josiah Katumu, Justin Frame, and others unnamed but known to you, give them and those who are apart from them Your protection and the assurance of Your presence and grace.

And for those in our midst with great expectations for children, for a spouse, for a job, for acceptance, and/or for material or spiritual blessings, we ask that, in Your sovereign mercy, You would grant the desires of their hearts so as to please You.

We also pray for our church family.

We pray for your direction as to a place of worship in the fall.

We pray for our pastors, elders, deacons, and staff that Your wisdom, through prayer, would govern all decisions made in the church.

We pray for our missionaries and evangelists seeking to lead others to You, so that every knee would bow to the name of Christ.

We pray for our volunteers, our worship team, and those involved in Christian education, and we ask that you draw them close to Your throne.

We also pray for Oviedo and the communities where You have placed us. Show us how to reach out to those in our midst and to transform these communities for the sake of Your kingdom.

Finally we pray for our country.

Despite the worries that many of us feel concerning environmental catastrophes, economic recessions, mounting debts, and wars overseas, we have the assurance of knowing that You are the Sovereign Lord and our hope comes from You.

We pray that our nation, along with all nations of the earth, would surrender to You and give You the honor due to Your Name. Lord,

You have the words of eternal life. For that we are at rest.

We pray in the name of Jesus, our Lord.

Amen.

The following showed up in my Facebook news feed this morning. And it made me sad:

For most of you, that means little. For me, it meant the passing of another one of those faithful models whose lives have kept mine true. I don’t know where I would be if God had not brought my life and his together some 35 years ago.

+ + + + +

I was a sophomore at Michigan State University and though a Christian, I had tried to live my Christian life without the support of others. It wasn’t working and so a fellow student drug me to some meetings of the campus ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, and my world began to expand.

During one of those meetings there was a special speaker, a visiting professor of geography named Reuben Brooks. Lee, my friend, and I were strangely moved by the prospect of having a professor who also served Jesus. I’m sure there were many on such a large campus. But we knew none.

Soon, Lee and I registered for a class with Dr. Brooks. We had no special interest in geography, no need to fill out our transcript with such a class, no vision of the class’s usefulness. We just wanted to take a class with a Christian professor.

The end of my sophomore year found me still wrestling with choosing a major, and so Lee and I scheduled a time to visit with Dr. Brooks in his office. The counsel received from him was wise and directive, and played a role in the choices eventually made, but that is not what made this visit so momentous.

In the course of that conversation, I asked Dr. Brooks what was the most significant book he had ever read. I don’t know what made me ask that question. I cannot remember ever asking that of anyone else. Dr. Brooks did not hesitate a moment with his answer: “Knowing God by J. I. Packer.” I soon bought it (at a bookstore – remember those?) and read it carefully. My view of God, my appreciation of His care, my comfort in Him, all were matured, strengthened, and deepened by this book.

This was significant in my life, but I never saw Dr. Brooks again. Subsequent to that, many years passed. I told a number of people of the significance of Knowing God in my life, and how I came to first be aware of it. But over time I even forgot the professor’s name. For thirty years.

Then, one day, for no apparent reason, his name came to mind. I did an internet search and found him at a university in Nashville, TN. I was able to email Dr. Brooks, and that initiated a regular correspondence. Eventually, we were able to meet again, have lunch, and catch up with one another. That was a delight, and we have stayed in touch for as long as he has been able.

+ + + + +

I’ve often said that the book was how Dr. Brooks changed my life forever. But as I’ve reflected on the nature of influence, I’m not sure I am correct.

Early in our correspondence, I was shocked and humbled to have Dr. Brooks tell me this:

“I’ve made it a habit, Randy, to pray for you every weekday, at least.”

This man whom I have not seen for thirty years was committed to praying for me EVERY WEEKDAY. Was it the book that changed my life? I can never measure the impact of those prayers.

What will I now do without those prayers? I must leave it to God to raise up others. For now, he has taken to Himself a man who delighted in serving Him. Delighted in that. I would be thrilled to have half the delight, faithfulness, and love for Jesus as Reuben Brooks. May he find joy in the Lord he loves.

Ruling elder Jon Boardman leads Covenant Presbyterian Church in prayer each Sunday morning. Upon request we are posting his prayers so that their devotional content may be useful to us days after the fact. We believe you will find these edifying.

+ + + + +

Pastoral Prayer
Covenant Presbyterian Church, Oviedo, Florida
7/18/2010
Jon Boardman

El Shaddai

Translated, “God Almighty” this probably means ‘mountain’ used symbolically of changelessness and enduring strength, contrasted to the helplessness of man. The idea is that God is the all-sufficient One [cf. Ps. 68:14, 91:1].

The first time we are introduced to the name, El Shaddai, is in Genesis 17:1-5: “When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘I am El Shaddai; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.’ Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.’”

For Abraham, God was the all-sufficient One, the One who would provide a child for Abraham and who would be faithful to Abraham for generations to come. By virtue of what Christ has done on our behalf and the faith we have in Him, we are descendants of Abraham, so we can pray in confidence to El Shaddai. Let us pray…

Lord,
we pray with the psalmist when he says, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High [El Elyon] will rest in the shadow of El Shaddai. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” (Psalm 91:1-2).

Almighty God, we declare our trust in You.

Indeed, You are our fortress, our refuge, our shelter, and our God.

We acknowledge our helplessness and our need to rest in Your shadow.

Like Abraham, we have no power to resolve hopeless situations.

We are in need of You in all areas of our lives.

Time and time again we have found You to be our all-sufficient God.

You have held us through a difficult time of transition and provided us with a pastor.

You have held us through times of great financial need.

You have held us through disease and death.

You have held the Nuwayhids through grief.

You have held Joseph through leukemia. We continue to pray for his strength and healing as he endures treatment.

We also pray for Jonathan and his upcoming surgery. May You hold him through it.

You have held Jim through his treatment with multiple-myeloma and through his bone marrow transplant.

You have held Carole as she cares for him.

You have held our missionaries on the field through financial and prayer support.

You have held our evangelists through their efforts to share the gospel.

You have held our church as we seek to follow you and find a place to worship.

You have held our children, our singles, our marriages, and our families through the trials and tribulations of this life.

You are our refuge, our rock, our very present help in a time of trouble.

Where can we run when we are hurting and afraid?

Where can we go when we become frantic, anxious, and overwhelmed?

We can run to You.

For our weaknesses and difficulties—all human impossibilities—present no problem to You, El Shaddai.

So we come before you this morning to find our rest in You.

Specifically, we pray for Penni’s mother as she continues to struggle with her health. Grant her rest and healing, and we pray too for Penni’s father that You would uphold him.

We lift up Anita Samuels and her family as they grieve the loss of Anita’s father. Be their refuge as they mourn his death.

And we pray for all those in our midst and in our circle of love who are struggling financially, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Grant them all rest as they trust You with each and every aspect of their lives.

We ask for your blessing on the Dumas family as they look forward to the arrival of their daughter.

We ask for your blessing for all of Your people so that they may return the blessing to You and be a blessing to others.

To You be all the glory and honor.

We pray in the name of Jesus who has secured our rest and given us the hope of heaven.

Amen.

Every Sunday, a ruling elder in the church I pastor prays the pastoral prayer. Recently, Jon Boardman (you can read a brief bio here) has been preparing his prayers as he meditates on some of the names of God. Some in the congregation have asked that these be transcribed and posted where they could be read and reflected upon later on. That is worthy request.

Jon has been doing something that every congregation needs: modeling scripture infused prayer. God has given us a gift in Jon and in the prayers he prays. I intend to get his recent prayers posted here, and then regularly hereafter as we are able.

Some of the names and requests will be unknown to many of you. That’s okay. There is still wealth here to be mined.

Thanks, Jon, for letting us do this!

+ + + + +

Pastoral Prayer
Covenant Presbyterian Church, Oviedo, Florida
7/11/2010
Jon Boardman

El Roi – The God Who Sees

When Hagar fled from the wrath of Sarai to a well in a strange land, she was pregnant, lonely, and desolate. In her moment of distress, the angel of the LORD came to her and comforted her with promises and assurances.

Genesis 16:13-14 describes Hagar’s response: “She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’ That is why the well was called Beer-lahai-roi [the well of the living one who sees me].”

God saw Hagar in her distress and came to her. He continues to watch over His children today. He never abandons His own.

Let’s pray to El Roi – the God who sees.

Lord,
in Psalm 11:4-5, 7, the psalmist declares:
“The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them. The LORD examines the righteous but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates. … For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.”

LORD, you see all things.
Nothing escapes Your watchful eye.
There is no where on earth we can hide from Your presence.
There is nothing so dark in our lives that can be hidden from You.
No matter how distressful our lives become, 
no matter what or who we try to run from, 
and no matter how lonely or abandoned we may feel, 
You are there watching over us.
Knowing that You see all, we can find great comfort and healing.
You do not allow us merely to hide our sins, our thoughts, our fears, or our pain from You.
Rather, You bring all these things to light, so that we can face our sin, our darkness, and our pain, and then we can find healing in You.
Thank you for the forgiveness of sin and the deliverance from darkness when we turn to You and repent.

We also thank You, O Sovereign God, who permits suffering, 
for using all things to bring about Your good.
This morning we pray for those who need to know that You have not abandoned them 
and that Your eyes are upon them every moment of every day.

We lift up those under distress due to physical pain 
like Jim Fitzgerald and Penni’s mother.
Lord, grant them relief and healing.
We pray for the Nuwayhids – grant them comfort.
Grant all those in grief and pain the knowledge of Your presence.
May You give them eyes to see You and Your hand at work in their lives.

Lord,
we pray also for those who are apart from loved ones.
Even though they may not know their whereabouts or they may worry about loved ones who might be in difficult situations where they have no ability to help them,
we take comfort in knowing that You are with them. You see their comings and goings.
We pray for the likes of Thomas McFadden and others who serve in the military. Grant them Your protection.
We pray for our brother Josiah as he spends time and ministers with his family in Kenya.
We thank you for Carol’s ministry at General Assembly and for returning her to us safe and sound.
And for many others from our church family who are traveling, we ask for your providential hand to sustain and protect them.

We also pray this morning for our church.
We take comfort in knowing that You see all that the future holds for us.
We need not be anxious, but rather we rest in the absolute trustworthiness of your nature.
We trust and ask that You would lead us to a meeting place to worship. Grant the facilities team discernment to find such a place.
We ask that you grow our body and the ministries of our church: the children and youth ministries, college ministry, small groups, our missionaries and evangelists.

We pray for the families, marriages, and singles in our church that you would encourage them and lead them.
For our pastor Randy and our elders and deacons, we ask that you give them wisdom to guide and serve Your people.

May we all have eyes to see the work you are doing in Oviedo and beyond.
Convict our hearts to participate in what You are doing and in reaching out to others with the hope that resides in our hearts.

And it is in the name of Jesus, our Everlasting Hope, we pray.

Amen.

Someone asked me about prayer the other day, making the common and necessary observation that we who pray forget that prayer is something more than asking for stuff.

Making such an observation tells me that this person has been reading all the right books. She is well informed of all the right cautions, cautions I’ve heard and tried to heed.

And yet, my prayer life is still heavily tilted toward asking for stuff. I can’t get away from that. And maybe I shouldn’t.

There is no question my prayer life, and perhaps yours, needs a greater measure of praise, of confession, of gratitude. But at the same time we have a God who tells us that to put our anxieties at ease, we need to let our requests be known. We have a God who tells us to lay our cares before him, because he cares for us. And though that which we know as “The Lord’s Prayer” has prayers of praise and confession, it is largely about asking for stuff.

I think God is honored and blessed the MORE stuff we ask him, for in asking, we acknowledge Him to be the only source of the good things we seek.

When I begin to think of the tremendous needs that are in the lives of the people I know and love, much less those of the missionaries we support, the leaders who rule over us, and the world in which tragedy (e.g. Haiti) strikes, I can’t deemphasize supplication. No, such realizations only make my prayer list burst its seams.

I think we need to be spending more and more time asking for things from the only One who is not hopeless and helpless in the face of such things. Not less. Somehow I don’t think God minds.