Here’s a pastoral prayer for the first Sunday of Lent, Year B (February 26, 2012). It was written by Nancy C. Townley.
Pastoral Prayer
Loving, Creating God, you are in covenant with your people. You have pledged to be our God and ask us to be your people, trusting in you in all our ways. But we find many excuses to prevent us from really trusting you. We erect barriers before our faith journey even begins. Our time, obligations, energy, all become part of the bricks and mortar which fashion this barrier. We can give lip service to the journey; we can daydream about what it would be like to truly place our hands in yours and follow you. But when it comes to actually making the journey, our time constraints and weak commitments loom largely before us. Help us to tear down this barrier. Make us ready for the journey by replacing the fear in our hearts with a sense of joy and challenge of self-discovery and discipleship. Remind us that in service to you, helping others, we will also find our selves made more fully whole. As we have spoken the names of our friends, and family members, and others situations in which healing and comfort are needed, let us remember that we, too, stand in need of prayer and healing. Make us ready to receive your good news and then to be witnesses to your love to all your people. AMEN.
— written by Nancy C. Townley, and posted on the Ministry Matters page of the United Methodist Publishing House.
For more worship resources for February 26, 2012 (the first Sunday of Lent), click on Lent 1 B in the list of “Labels” at the lower right side of the page.
For more prayer resources on this blog, see the Scriptural Index of Prayers at the upper right side of the page.
