A Prayer For Hurting Churches

 

 

Holy God, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, through Your Son Jesus You established Your church that it might be the instrument through which the Gospel would be proclaimed to the entire world.   However, this week our hearts are hurting, our spirits are crushed and our heads hang low because of the number of churches which are going through trials and turmoil.    Churches of every denomination and no denomination are experiencing shrinking memberships, financial problems,  aging congregations, tired and burned out leaders and discouraged and disappointed pastors.  

 

We lift into Your holy presence each of these  congregations.  All are part of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We realize that in times past 90% of the pastors could adequately serve 90% of the churches, but today the challenges are such that the gifts and experiences of some pastors are not adequate to meet the needs of churches they are serving.  Some pastors have become unintentional interims because of the longevity of the former pastor or the love of the congregation for a pastor who has received a call to another church.  It has been said that the success of a pastor is often determined by whom he or she follows.  We pray that these churches and pastors may put Your kingdom first, then their churches and finally their own personal desires.  Grant, O God, that all involved may be high principled, honest and candid, always speaking the truth in love.  

 

We pray for those churches which are divided, whether it is over the pastor, or the direction the church is going or changes made or not made.  We realize that often the things that are happening in the world in which we live affect the harmony and love within the church.  Many times church members have wanted the church to satisfy their needs rather than be the instrument that proclaims the Gospel to a loveless world.   O God, may all who claim Your name, examine their hearts and souls and commit themselves too faithfully and humbly seek You and You alone.

 

O source of all wisdom, pour out Your Holy Spirit upon each and every congregation of Your people, every where.  May all be forgiving, seeking reconciliation and what is best for the Kingdom.   Let each and every church determine to be  Christ’s church, doing Christ’s mission in Your world.  May none give Satan opportunity to use his many schemes to bring dishonor, discord or division to Christ’s Body.

 

We pray, we beg of You, heal and empower Your church to be a mission: faithful to the commission to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations; obedient to the command to love You with  our hearts, minds, souls and strength; and our neighbors as ourselves.   

 

In Jesus name we ask it.      Amen