A Prayer for Guidance
I rarely offer such a personal prayer in view of anyone else. But somehow it seemed right to do this time.
Father, may the true and complete teaching of your Word be proclaimed once again in the churches and denominations who claim to be part of Your Church.
Father, you know I long to see, hear, and learn what You have to say and the promises You made, not what men see as correct and purposeful. Please give me the wisdom and courage and strength to speak up as I should, even though I will likely be called unpeaceful, unjust, exclusionary, divisive, unloving. I’ve already had a tiny taste of that. Maybe more than I realize?
Father, you know I will probably have to leave my church home and denomination. You know this won’t be easy for me. My family may not understand, resist, and be angry with me. Most of my church friends and fellow committee members will likewise not understand and be angry.
You know I’m torn between the responsibility of seeing that my child is raised in a Godly manner and my role as a teacher in the Sunday school. Those poor kids are learning so embarrassingly little about You. If I stay, my family will likely be stuck in this same rut, and learn ever so little about you, but my class can at least hear some of the stories from Your Word that I heard as a child. I wish the curriculum was better and I knew the stories better!
If we go, my family will be strengthened by a church focused on You, not man. But my Sunday school class may not hear Your Word and the true reason You sent Your Son. I know, it is the parents’ responsibility to see that their children learn about You. Still, it’s heartbreaking to know many will learn so very little.
Everyone in our church seems so content to learn so little. There are no real Bible studies any more. Everyone seems content to go through warm and fuzzy books with very little, if any, meat. No one wants to read what’s in Your Book.
Father, You also know I am not the Christian man I should be. I act as I shouldn’t, and I don’t act as I should. My faith seems so weak and so feeble. Please fill me with Your Spirit. Help me want to talk with you and read the Bible every day.
Forgive me for being so half-hearted during services. I know we should test everything against Your Word. But I seem to spend more time testing every prayer, hymn, scripture reading, and sermon that I don’t see how I can be anything but half-hearted every Sunday. Lord, I miss not testing everything and just being able to worship.
Father, even with many friends and acquaintances I am… Disconnected and walking alone in Your Church. I know this isn’t how it should be. Please send the Christian Brother who will walk with me, fellowship with me, encourage me, pray for me, build me up in Christ, and help me be brave enough to openly share Your Word, and for whom I would do the same.
Forgive me. I know You should be enough. But what about Jonathon and David? Paul and Timothy? Jesus, Peter, James, and John?
I also ask that you send a Christian Sister to my wife, so they can help each other as well. I thought women had an easier time with this sort of thing, and I am surprised to find she feels the same sense of disconnection.
Is our disconnection just another signal that we need to change churches? Please show us what to do.
In Your Son’s holy name, thank You and amen.