El Elyon

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Pastoral Prayer
Heavenly Father, God Most High, you are our good and gracious God.  Our comfort in times of need and trouble.  Our very help in time of need.  You lift us up when we are down.  You humble us when we ride too high.  You know all of us intimately and completely. 

We thank you for our fathers today.  We thank you for fathers who care for us with tenderness and love, and who protect and lead us and provide for us in so many ways.  We pray for those who experienced a difficult relationship with their father.  In your wisdom, you’ve also given us spiritual fathers to help us grow in our love and knowledge of you. 

Hear our prayers of gratitude for your loving care in our lives.
We thank you for the weekly rhythm of worship.  Every week you call us together to sing, pray, and hear from your Word.  As or years pass by, we see your faithfulness through worship as we learn of your goodness and purposes for our lives.   Fill us with your Spirit this morning, who reminds us of your great love for us each and every day. 

As we consider the movement of your Spirit in our lives, we can’t help but think of the place where we live, and move, and have our existence here on this earth in this time and place.  Knoxville is a beautiful place with many who follow you and have followed you for 70, 80, 90 years.  We also see many new lives growing up in your love and truth.  And still, we want more people to come to know your grace.  Not just in Knoxville but throughout the world.   

We pray for Neil Powell and the London Project in London, England.  Would you grant them increasing measures of humility, patience, and a deep reliance on the Holy Spirit.  Be with them as they mentor ministry leaders in the spread of gospel movements.  Grant them favor with other ministry leaders throughout the city as they partner for the sake of the gospel. 

We give thanks that in your created order you have created us in your image.  Our differences reflect your beauty and majesty.  We bring different ideas, backgrounds, tastes, and perspectives.  And yet, you have us all join one body, one church, one family to be called your children as we share in one faith and gospel through your Son, Jesus, Christ.  Acts 17:26 reminds us that the movement of people and the diversity we see today are part of your sovereign plan; and opportunities to welcome others with the love of Christ.
 

Hear our prayers for the gospel to go forth throughout the world.
Father, we continue to be reminded we live in a broken world affected by the fall and our sin.  We pray for those who are grieving and suffering in our midst. We express our love and sympathy to Don and Debbie Henson in the passing of Don’s mother, Iris Henson.  Comfort them, O Lord with your peace. We pray for those in need and pray for June Martin, Solomon McCroskey, Josh Schnieder, Russell DeVore, and Wanda Mooney, would you grant your healing power in their lives. 

Hear our prayers as we pray for those in need within our church.
We give thanks for the amazing sacrifice of your Son, Jesus, our Lord and Savior.  We pray all of this in His beautiful name.  Amen.