Below is my prayer from last night's service at Escatawpa Baptist Church. I don't always use a manuscript and I certainly did not follow this "word for word."
National Day
of Prayer Service
Escatawpa
Baptist
Wednesday Evening, May 1,
2013
In the Bible, we find in one of his letters to the
Corinthians, Paul’s record of many of the problems he faced as a minister of
the Gospel. Paul suffered many hardships as he sought to establish churches.
In II Corinthians 11:27, we read the last segment of the list
of challenges. He stated that he served “in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness
often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— 28 besides
the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the
churches.
As the director of the Jackson County Baptist Association, I
can relate. My purpose as director is not to direct, but really to assist
churches make a difference in their communities. There are 47 sites in Jackson County where
Southern Baptist Churches meet. There are several other fine churches that meet
in this county. The churches serve as an incredible resource to the community. I
have been asked to pray for these churches.
As I thought about how I should pray for the churches, I was
reminded of what we call the “High Priestly prayer of Jesus Christ”. This is
the prayer Jesus prayed for believers. What a great model, I feel compelled to read a portion of
that prayer before I pray.
20 “I
do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe
in Me through their word; 21 that
they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they
also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22 And the glory which You gave
Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
23 I in them, and You in Me;
that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have
sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
Almighty God,
I pray for the churches in this
community, in this county, in our state, and nation, and throughout the world.
Father, as Jesus prayed, I ask that
there will be unity among the followers of Christ. I pray we will be unified in
the churches and that churches would be unified with one another in making a
difference for you.
In your word you told us that true religion is "to look after orphans and widows in
their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." May we unite in our churches and with
fellow believers to help hurting men, women, and children.
May we be unified so that people will
know that the Savior we serve is real and has made an eternal difference in our
lives. May the ministries of the churches in this area be focused on making a
difference in the communities. May the churches not be interested in the
comfort of their members but in the discomfort of troubled and struggling
people. Father we recognize that only through Jesus can the discomfort of sin be alleviated.
May all that we do model the love of
Christ.
I pray for the pastors of the churches
and all the church leaders in our area. May we not be distracted by activities that are good, but
not in your perfect will. May we always be pressing toward the goal for
the prize of the upward call of God.
In the name of Jesus I pray. AMEN.
