This pastoral prayer is interspersed with the words of Psalm 23. It is especially powerful when read in two voices.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
Lord, we come in prayer because we trust you;
we trust you to supply our needs.
Because Lord, we do want;
we want some things that are good for us and our world,
and, if we are honest, some things that are not.
Help us to sift through our wants,
and give us what we truly need.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
Jesus, we come before you hungry and thirsty and hurting.
We have resisted your comfort, trying to do things our way;
and it has not worked. We surrender.
Lead us to those places where we are fed and rested,
in body, mind, and spirit.
More than that, help this church to be a place
where others are fed and rested,
in body, mind and spirit.
Restore our souls, that we might be part
of the restoration of the world.
He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
Lord, right paths are hard to find.
Sometimes we are too slow to move towards justice;
sometimes we are too quick to condemn paths other than ours.
Give us strength to choose the right paths you show us in scripture:
paths of forgiveness and mercy, of kindness and compassion,
of justice, welcome, inclusion, and embrace.
Give us the humility to not run away from you or even ahead of you,
but to be led where you want us to go.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil;
for you are with me; your rod and your staff–they comfort me.
Lord, some us come to this bright morning clouded over by darkness.
We are sick; we are frightened; we are angry; we are grieving.
There are raw places inside us we fear cannot be healed.
There are raw places in creation we fear cannot be healed.
There are raw places in society, among the nations, among neighbors,
that we fear cannot be healed.
Release us from our fears.
Remind us that you are our comforter, ever present.
That there is no darkness you have not seen yourself,
and no darkness you cannot lead us through.
Evil is not stronger than goodness.
Your gentle shepherd’s staff is stronger than any weapon.
You will see us through.
Especially this day we pray for…
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
Lord, we know that life with you does not promise us security,
and that we are called to risk even our own lives in following you.
Yet we also know that your will for us is not deprivation, but abundance.
You prepare a table before us, and for some reason, you invite enemies to sit down;
we trust in your wisdom, and in your powerful grace,
that one day enemies might become friends,
at the banquet of your peaceable kingdom.
For now, we simply ask for the strength to pray for our enemies,
and to enjoy the life you offer even when the world is not perfect.
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Lord God, we pray in unceasing gratitude
for all the gifts you have given us.
For the beauty of creation, the simplicity of rest,
the love of friends and family, the taste of our favorite food,
the unique passions that draw us on in life.
You have anointed us with your own love and your own salvation,
and our cup does overflow.
Especially we thank you for…
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
We look forward, saving Christ, to the day of our reuniting,
with all those we have ever loved,
and most of all, the day we shall see you face to face,
and realize that goodness and mercy have pursued us all along.
And now we share in the prayer that our Good Shepherd himself led us in, saying…
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 debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil,
for thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory forever. Amen.
Deep Well Worship 