Prayer for Pastors

March 17, 2019 No Comments

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Almighty Father,

All praise and honor to you

for you have called faithful pastors

who point us to you,

the source of all joy and consolation

in whose image we are created.

In their care, may we be quick to confess our sins

and grow closer to you

where all mercy and grace may be quickly found

and our sins forgiven.

We thank you for their service, their insight, and

concern for your church.

In the power of your Holy Spirit,

guide their thoughts, protect their families,

and maintain their fidelity to you.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Prayer for Pastors

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Prayer

Judgment Prayer

March 10, 2019 No Comments

Painting of the crucifixion — The Crucifixion

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Almighty Father,

All glory and honor to you for you have blessed us to be a blessing to others (Gen 12:1-3) and turned a day of judgment into a day of celebration through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Forgive our forgetfulness, our sloth in sharing this good news with others, even those closest to us and have even given us new opportunities to share with the foreigner, the widow, and the orphans among us. Do not condemn us for failing to witness to the Ninevites in our lives, but show us a better way.

Thank you for the many blessings of family, good health, and prosperity and for turning our tight-fistedness into generosity for your name’s sake.

Thank you especially for the saints among us that model the Christian life for our enlightenment and salvation in spite of original sin.

In the power of your Holy Spirit, draw us to yourself:

open our hearts, illumine our minds, and strengthen our hands in your service that we may rest with you today and every day.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Judgment Prayer

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Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net, Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/Lent_2019

Prayer

Lenten Petitions

March 3, 2019 No Comments

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Holy father,

All praise and honor be yours, for “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8)

How can we repay such a debt?

We confess that our sin defined who we were, yet you gave us a new identity in Christ.

How can we return such love?

Thank you for your example; thank you for your love.

How can we put off our shame to live in your love?

In the power of your Holy Spirit, come into our hearts; throw off our shame; heal our wounds.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lenten Petitions

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Prayer

Prayer of Presence

February 24, 2019 No Comments

PA Church — Photo by Stephen W. Hiemstra

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Almighty father,

You created us in your image and ushered us into your presence honoring us more than we could ever honor you. Teach us to honor you more every day!

Forgive our unwillingness to usher others into your presence and to honor them as you have honored us. Teach us to honor those around us more every day!

Thank you for the presence of your church in our lives. May it be a light to the world and inspire us in participating in this work. Teach us to love the light and spread it more every day!

In the power of your Holy Spirit, teach us to be a non-anxious presence in our families, church, and work that your name would be praised. May we learn the names of the silent people in our lives and cherish them as friends.

Bless us that we might bless those around us. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Prayer of Presence

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Prayer

Prayer for Healthy Limits

February 17, 2019 No Comments

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Merciful father,

May your praise be ever on my lips and may I honor you in all that I do.

I confess that I have frequently honored you with my lips and not honored you in my actions. Forgive me that I may live into the example of Jesus Christ and listen more keenly to your Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Thank you for the many blessings of this life and for the limits that you have set for us in your law and in fulfilling it in our attitudes and actions under Gospel.

In the power of your Holy Spirit,

be especially near to me when I am most vulnerable to temptation and cherish private sins that threaten my life and the lives of those around me. Set boundaries and remind me of them that I may live in your grace and be a witness of it to those around me.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Prayer for Healthy Limits

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Prayer

Decision Prayer

February 10, 2019 No Comments

Route 28, Manassas, Virginia — Route 28, Manassas, Virgina

by Stephen W. Hiemstra

Marvelous Counselor,

I come to you daily on my knees

creator of the universe

for who is like you–

you alone are worthy of all honor and praise.

Draw me into your presence,

though I am unworthy and sin beyond measure,

in the name of Jesus Christ,

who lived a sinless life and yet died on the cross

that we might be saved.

Thank you for another day

for health and family and blessings that I do not deserve,

but cherish greatly.

Grant me the blessing of your wisdom and the strength to act on it,

help me to travel your road when other roads beckon,

help me to share your blessings with others–even when I do not feel like it.

In the power of your Holy Spirit,

grant me grace and peace in the midst of anger and chaos,

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Decision Prayer

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Prayer

G328 Prayer

February 3, 2019 No Comments

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Almighty Father, Beloved Son, Spirit of Truth,

All honor and glory are yours

light of our world

in whose image we were created.

Thank you for sending your son, Jesus Christ,

into the world to reconcile us to you

that we might be reconciled to one another.

Forgive our divisions, our ruminations about the past hurts and

our speed in blaming each other for what we ourselves failed to do.

In the power of your Holy Spirit,

bring us together

help us to find unity in your community

where there is no ethnicity, no male or female, no class

to divide us any longer.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

G328 Prayer

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Prayer

Prayer of Faith

January 27, 2019 No Comments

Heavenly Father,

All praise and honor be to you

author of our faith,

the faith in which we find salvation from our sins and

in which we find peace and joy each and every day.

For while we were yet dead in our sin,

Christ died for our sins (Rom 5:8)

that we might have life eternal.

We confess that we have sinned against our neighbors and against you.

Forgive our sin–

turn our heart of stone into hearts of flesh

that we might forgive the sins of those around us.

In the power of your Holy Spirit,

open the eyes of our hearts

that we might grow in faith day by day and

confess to the world that Jesus is Lord in our life.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Prayer of Faith

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Prayer

Family Prayer

January 20, 2019 No Comments

Maryam and Stephen Wedding 1984 — Wedding 1984

Almighty Father,

We praise and honor you as the founder of our faith,

our protector and provisioner,

in whose image we were created.

Forgive us when we forget who we are and whose we are.

Thank you for our family.

Thank you for our time together and traveling mercies when we part.

In the power your Holy Spirit,

draw us together and to yourself

that we might find our rest in you—

now and always,

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Family Prayer

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Prayer

Prayer over Culture

January 13, 2019 No Comments

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Heavenly Father,

All praise and honor be to you our mighty role model who is merciful, gracious, patient, loving, and faithful (Exod 34:6) even when we are not.

We confess our sin too rarely, cling to our idols too tightly, and seldom make room in our lives for your divine intervention–forgive us.

We thank you for your willingness to accept us and blot out our sin in the name of Jesus Christ who lived a perfect life, died on a cross, and was raised from the dead.

Resurrect these dead bones again (Ezek 37) and breathe your breath of life into us again for winter is upon us and cannot save ourselves.

No music, no magic words, no technology can save us from our selves; only you can.

In the power of your Holy Spirit,

take pity on us from the depths of your mercy and raise up your church amid the fashions of death that grip us.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Prayer over Culture

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Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net, Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.

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