7 Prayers That Work

Lord Jesus,You have called many people I know into a holy and difficult calling: pastoring.They step into battle week after week against spiritual and physical enemies.They are called by you to lead my local church, which is part of the global church.I pray you will protect and nourish my pastors' souls and spirits today.I pray for their vision, clarity, compassion, and endurance.I pray a hedge around their families and their emotions; be a rear guard against anyone how wants to attack them and to go before them into battle.Because we are in a battle, all of us. But you have placed some special people on the front lines, and they are probably getting tired of it. Church is hard for everybody. I wonder why that is?I guess because we're all human. We're selfish, and we ruin every blessing that God gives us.I pray for my church, and I pray for my pastors. I especially ask you to protect them against attacks from believers because that discourages ministers more than anything …

Oh, Lord, 
You are the God of comfort.Teach me to grieve. It makes me uncomfortable, but it's so necessary for healing and perspective.Help me to trust your love and care enough to lean into pain and trauma andthe wild uncertainty of hard times,of personal and collective crisis.
You are a God of compassion.Teach me to grieve for others.give me perspective and empathy and sincerity that other people's experiences are differentand just as traumatic and difficult than my own.Maybe even more!I want to be kind and willing to sit with them in their pain without passing judgment, assuming I have the answers,or teaching them how to feel or act in their pain.
You are a God of forgiveness.Teach me to be forgiving when I feel that someone has wronged me, misunderstood me, or hurt me.You give us chances, over and over--a thousand million chances to change,to repent,to revive,to follow.Help me repent of my own sin and refuse to be the judge and jury for everyone else.I don't want to comp…

Oh, Lord,

There's not a lot of good news flying around these days.
Not a lot to make us joyful or optimistic.
Not a lot that is attracting the world to the church.

In fact, our news--and our handling of the news--
is probably pushing people away.
If we're going to bite and devour one another,
who wants that kind of religion?
What a terrible misrepresentation of who God is.

God, I'm asking you to change us.
Change me more every day.
I want my life, my words, and my testimony to spread good news about
God's love, Jesus' death, and the Church Jesus started.

And so I pray Colossians 1:3-6 over all of us:

Each time we pray for you, we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have heard of your faith in Christ and of your love for all God's people,
because what you hope for [not political victory] is kept safe for you in heaven.
You first heard about this hope when you believed the true message, which is the good news.
The good news is spreading all over the worl…