Feasting On the Pastoral Prayer
Ways We Benefit Spiritually From This Part of the Worship Service
Good Morning,
Just as an FYI this is the next-to-last Thursday lesson on the pastoral prayer. I’ve noted before that we’ve spent so much time on this part of the worship service because it plays such an integral role in what we are doing together on Sunday mornings. We do pray of course in the evening, but that leads to more of an “open mic” approach where I take requests. This prayer is not so much predetermined as it is more organized in focus. Knowing then what to expect when I am leading us through the movements of the pastoral prayer can help us then be more engaged in what is going on through the power of the Holy Spirit in the promise of Christ and the Father.
The section we are going to look at today has to do with worship itself and how centering our hearts on the Lord Jesus moves us to sanctifying grace as God works in and through the prayer.
Let’s read today’s portion together:
And, with confidence of his mercy to his whole church, and the acceptance of our persons, through the merits and mediation of our High Priest, the Lord Jesus, to profess that it is the desire of our souls to have fellowship with God in the reverend and conscionable use of his holy ordinances; and, to that purpose, to pray earnestly for his grace and effectual assistance to the sanctification of his holy sabbath, the Lord’s day, in all the duties thereof, publick and private, both to ourselves, and to all other congregations of his people, according to the riches and excellency of the gospel, this day celebrated and enjoyed.
And because we have been unprofitable hearers in times past, and now cannot of ourselves receive, as we should, the deep things of God, the mysteries of Jesus Christ, which require a spiritual discerning; to pray, that the Lord, who teacheth to profit, would graciously please to pour out the Spirit of grace, together with the outward means thereof, causing us to attain such a measure of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, and, in him, of the things which belong to our peace, that we may account all things but as dross in comparison of him; and that we, tasting the first-fruits of the glory that is to be revealed, may long for a more full and perfect communion with him, that where he is, we may be also, and enjoy the fulness of those joys and pleasures which are at his right hand for evermore.
That opening paragraph is so rich in the blessings of the Christian faith. We often short-change ourselves in not taking advantage of what is at offer in the worship of God. Most contemporary styles are heavy on puffed-up experience that engages the senses, leaving one emotionally, and maybe ear-tinglingly awake. Yet, like most endorphin-engaged activities the feeling only lasts for a moment. What the writers of the DPW are pointing to here is that the more we rest and grasp the work of the cross and the empty tomb seen in the sacrifice of Christ the more our souls are fed by this knowledge and as we bring our hearts to bear in praise the depth available will be with us in the week ahead. Concerts are fun and memorable, but they do not enrich the presence.
In the morning sermon last Sunday from Isaiah 66:22-24 I told a humorous story about a breakfast my Nannie prepared for me after I completed infantry training. In that I ate an inordinate amount of food. The point was of course that I had a hunger and the only answer was more bacon. When it comes to our relationship with the Lord Jesus the prophet Isaiah is talking to the elect of God and reminds them that if they are truly His then they will desire to come to the house prepared without hands and feast on the blessings of grace offered in Christ. When He is fixing to ascend He tells Peter two times to feed His sheep, and once to tend to them. What is Peter to feed them with? The gospel, and the word that proclaims it. The prayer advice in the DPW is saying the same thing. When we come to the worship and get on our metaphorical knees in the pastoral prayer we are not just listing things we’d like to have God do, but we are in the time of supplication communing with Him in the sure promise of the good news. There is a thing happening in that moment that fills us with peace and comfort. It is another reason why we must always remember that there are no empty moments in the hour or so we spend in church where the minister is doing a bit alone. They all have their purpose in witnessing Christ to our soul.
Not to belabor the point, but one of the reasons why we often find ourselves spiritually famished is because we have not because we ask not. In the second part of the above quotation we are being encouraged to do the work of first of all recognizing our weakness and seeking to have ourselves strengthened through the means of grace. In the musical Oliver! and especially in the film version the one scene we all remember is the title character coming up to the food line worker and asking for more porridge. Why does he do this? It’s not rocket science. It is for the simple reason that he is hungry, and he has the courage to do what needs done to have that itch scratched. The writers of the DPW again are inspiring us to ask some hard questions of our own spiritual life, and to use the pastoral prayers as a way to push us forward through the help of the blessed Holy Spirit. Christians should be desiring always a fuller communion with Jesus.
In closing, we’ve touched on several aspects of the activities within the Lord’s Prayer that are non-negotiables if we are going to Pastoral Prayer well. The more we are actively engaged in the work of worship, especially when we have been kind of conditioned to think we are to be passively experiencing something, the more we will be enlightened and strengthened through each movement of the service to be built up in faith and love through grace. When we come together this Sunday, and wherever you may be with brothers and sisters in Christ, bring this new understand with you that you may grow in all things through Jesus your Lord and Savior.
Last word:
https://www.challies.com/articles/the-pastoral-prayer-examples-and-inspirations/
Blessings in Christ,
Rev. Benjamin Glaser
Pastor, Bethany ARP Church