Pastor’s Prayers

Lord God, You have appointed me to be a pastor in Your Church.
You see how unfit I am to undertake this great and difficult office,
and were it not for Your help,
I would long since have ruined it all.
Therefore I cry unto You;
I will assuredly apply my mouth and my heart to Your service.
I desire to teach the people,
and I myself would learn ever more and diligently to meditate upon Your Word.
Use me as Your instrument,
only do not forsake me,
for if I am left alone I shall easily bring it all to destruction. Amen.

–Martin Luther

Far from us drive the foe we dread,

And grant us Thy peace instead;

So shall we not, with Thee for guide,

Turn from the path of life aside.

Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow

The Father and the Son to know;

And Thee, through endless times confessed,

Of both the eternal Spirit blest.

Now to the Father and the Son,

Who rose from death be glory given,

With Thou, O Holy Comforter,

Henceforth by all in earth and heaven.

—–Veni Creator Spiritus (“Come Holy Spirit, Creator Blest”)

O God, what will you do to conquer the fearful hardness of our hearts?

Lord, you must give us new hearts, tender hearts, sensitive hearts, to replace hearts that are made of marble and of bronze.  You must give us your own heart, Jesus.

Place your heart deep in the center of our hearts, and enkindle in each heart a flame of love as strong, as great, as the sum of all the reasons that I have for loving you, my God.

O holy heart of Jesus, dwell hidden in my heart,

So that I may live only in you and only for you, so that, in the end, I may live with you eternally in heaven.

Jesuit missionary St. Claude de la Colombiere (1641-1682)

I am a pastor.  Therefore, as I go through each new day Lord, hold me in your care, safe from harming and free from sin.

In my travels Lord, I will meet many people for a short time.  Not all will see you in my eyes the way I hoped they would.  Some may make me feel impatient, and some will find me irritating.  Lord help me to be a blessing, to minister with love and with consideration of all whom I meet.

Please be my guide as I forge new roads; be my light when the way forward seems uncertain.

Bless my church, my home, and those I love.  Watch between us when  we are apart, and bring me back when journeying is done.

Jesus traveled many miles, often weary and in danger, always healing, teaching, pardoning people as he passed by.

Lord, make my life a journey of pilgrimage to you;  as I go on my way, wherever that may be, cleanse me and make me a ‘pastor’ worthy of you.

Amen.

*Adapted from “A Pastoral Prayer Book” by Raymond Chapman

“I am strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his power. I put on the whole armor of God, so that I may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for my struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore I take up the whole armor of God, so that I may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. I stand therefore, and I fasten the belt of truth around my waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.  As shoes for my feet, I will put on whatever will make me ready to proclaim a gospel of peace.  With all of these, I take the shield of faith, with which I will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  I take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. I pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication.  To that end, I keep alert and always persevere in supplication for the saints.  I pray also for myself, that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. I pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.”  Amen.

From Ephesians 6:10-20 paraphrased by Leonard Sweet

“I pray for all those whom I have in any way grieved, vexed, oppressed, or scandalized, by word or deed, knowingly or unknowingly, that you may forgive all our sins and offences against each other.

Take away, O Lord, from our hearts all suspiciousness, indignation, anger, and contention, and whatever is calculated to wound charity or to lessen love of others.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, have mercy on all who seek your mercy; give grace to the needy, make us so to live that we may be found worthy to enjoy the fulfilment of your grace and attain to eternal life.”

Thomas a’Kempis