Pastoral Prayer for Heritage Presbyterian Church, September 15, 2019 (Based on Ps 1, Gen 15, Romans 8:18-30, Luke 10:18-20, BCP1928 Collect 13th Sunday after Trinity)

We come to you and thank you that this morning we have been able to consider your word, and we are happy that we get to hear it, because we know your law and your gospel are both gifts to us, they’re both good and they’re both good news. Holy Spirit help us to live in light of them both.

We thank you that by your mercy we who once were considered sinners and now considered the righteous. Would you bring many others sinner to come to know your love, just as you’ve done for us. Would you use us, or would you Holy Spirit let us, see many souls walk through these doors and the doors of other churches in Edmond and Oklahoma City, would you let us see many salvations, many baptisms of new believers. Would you grow Your Church, here at Heritage, at City Pres, at Christ the King Norman, and all the churches of many denominations around us.

Let many know the pleasures of being planted by your streams, watered and ministered to. And where there is wickedness, bring your mercy and your judgment, that your glory would be seen, that sinners would be forgiven, that justice would be done, that lives would be healed.

Lord, you have made promises to your people that you will redeem this world through the offspring of Abraham, your Church, by your grace. We thank you that even when we fail, you will not let your promises be undone! Wherever you will, please be at work in us preparing us for the work you have for us to do in our neighborhoods, use us to reach the places you call us: in our neighborhoods, which we lift up to you now: (pause), in our workplaces, which we lift up to you now: (pause).

We also bring to you our suffering and our groanings. We know that all of creation is groaning because of sin and brokenness. There is so much brokenness in our lives, broken relationships that we lift up to you now: (pause), sicknesses and other suffering that we lift up to you now (pause). Depressions, anxieties, uncertainties, and we ask you Holy Spirit to help us with all of these, which we lift up to you now (pause). We thank you that because of Jesus, who is the Christ, the Savior, the one who has done everything, that we can trust you to work even this stuff that we hate, that stinks, somehow for our good. We thank you that we can take comfort that you will bring all your people into glory and that all our suffering is only temporary. Oh come, soon, Jesus, end this soon, Jesus. We long for you.

In the meantime, ALMIGHTY and merciful God, it is only by your gift that there are any faithful people that do you true and commendable service; Grant, we beg you, that we may

so faithfully serve you in this life, that we will not finally fail to attain your heavenly promises; and even this is only through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, who on the first day of the week overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Amen.

(Based on Ps 1, Gen 15, Romans 8:18-30, Luke 10:18-20, BCP1928 Collect 13th Sunday after Trinity)