During our Lord’s Day worship services, our Pastors rotate delivering the Scripture reading and Pastoral Prayer. The Pastoral Prayers focus on a particular subject of intercession. This one was for our faithful sister churches. I post this only because I regularly and faithfully personally intercede for a number of what I call “Kingdom Partners” – approximately 150 names of partnering pastors, preachers, missionaries, and churches. I at least name them before the Throne of Grace, asking God for His pleasures upon each one, and intercede especially for needs that I know of. This public Pastoral Prayer is specific to our own church and this occasion, but in its larger, personal context, it includes many of you also.

Buck Run Baptist Church | 5 May 2024

Scripture reading from Matthew 28

Pastoral Prayer: Intercession for our faithful sister churches

O Sovereign God, and Jesus Christ our Lord, and the Savior of the Body…

All Kingdom authority is yours: “Yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the Glory forever.”

You have sent us into the world as your lamps and lights to display your glory…and you have shown yourself in the visions of the Revelation to be with us always – you are walking among your golden lampstand churches. And as you know all the billions of stellar stars and call each one by name, so you also know, care about, and closely hold each of their angels/pastors as stars in your right hand … and call each one of them by their names.

And so, we recognize we are not alone. Not only have you promised us here “And, behold, I am with you always” … but there are all those other faithful sister churches who are serving you also. And as our Pastor Chris taught us last week, we are in a world-wide Kingdom partnership with them to fulfill your mission. While we are blessing you for your bountiful blessings on us, we want to pray for all of them also. There are numerous faithful sister churches with us here in our own city and county … and in the surrounding counties … in our state … in our nation … and all around the world. Some of them we know … many of them we don’t know. But you know each one. And you care for each one. And we should, too, and we do. And we bring them all before you this morning, asking you to establish your sovereign purposes and fulfill your faithful pleasures for each one.

We pray especially for our close partner sister churches and their pastors who are dearest to us: in Panama; Romania and the European Union; The United Kingdom and those surrounding regions; and here in Colorado, Fort Collins and Durango. Protect these precious churches and their pastors from the Evil One. Supply all their many needs according to your riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.

Many of our faithful sister churches are in trouble and distress: some of them are in conflict, even from within – heal them, and save them from themselves; many of them face seemingly insurmountable assaults from outside – strengthen and encourage them. May they know and trust that you are with them always. Many of them are without faithful pastors – give them godly shepherds according to your own heart; faithful pastors need your direction and provision for where you want them to serve. Many of them are discouraged. Some are contemplating giving up.

Our hearts stay heavy as we hear and know of their needs and share their burdens with them. We plead with you with Jehosphaphat of old, “O our God, …we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you” – and we know your eyes are upon all of us.

And as we labor and partner together in all the places where we serve: “May your Kingdom come … and may your gracious will be done in all these places on the earth – as it is done in Heaven.”

To the Glory…and by the merits of your Son, Jesus Christ we all pray.

Amen.