Sunday (September 21) Pastoral Prayer

September 21, 2025

Beulah & Oak Grove UMC

Lord, thank you for the Apostle Paul who reminded young Timothy to encourage his church to be a praying church, a church that regularly offers prayers of supplication for our own needs, intercession on behalf of the needs of others, and thanksgiving for all of your many blessings that we graciously receive from you and sometimes take for granted.

 

Lord, continue to lead us to be a praying church where we are always open to the power of prayer.

 

Just as Paul instructed Timothy to offer prayers of supplications, we also take time in this moment to offer to you our own prayer needs whatever they may be. Let’s spend a few moments in silence offering to God our personal joys and concerns. [PAUSE]

 

And now we offer to you our prayers of intercession where we spend time praying for the needs of others. Specifically, we pray for the people on our church’s prayer list as well as other people who are on our hearts and minds this day. We pray for your healing, your guiding, your comforting, and your loving presence would surround each of these needs. And part of our prayer for others is remembering to pray for our local, state, national and world leaders that they would make wise decisions in helping this world to experience peace and justice for all.

 

And last, but not least, we offer to you our personal prayers of thanksgiving where you have blessed us and have filled our lives with your joy and peace. In these next few moments, we offer these personal thanksgivings to you in silence and with grateful hearts. [PAUSE]

 

Lord, thank you for the holy privilege that it is to grow together in what it means to be a praying church even as we offer this incredible prayer that Jesus taught us to pray together…

 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.