From time to time I like to share an example of a pastoral prayer that was prayed at Grace Fellowship Church. The pastoral prayer is a time for one of the pastors or elders to pray before the congregation and to intercede on their behalf. It’s a precious element of a service. I prayed this prayer earlier this month.


Our Father in heaven, we love you. We have freely proclaimed that here this morning. Yet we also acknowledge that we only love you because you first loved us. On our own, there was nothing in us that was inclined toward you. Our hearts were all turned inward toward ourselves—our own honor, our own glory, our own praise.

But then you acted. You moved. You took the initiative. Your Spirit called us, and drew us, and transformed us so we willingly bowed the knee to you. We willingly turned to you in repentance and faith and praise and worship. And we now gladly and joyfully live for you—your honor, your glory, your praise.

And we pray that we would do that well—that we would live lives that


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