God our Creator and sustainer of all things: A Pastoral Prayer

Sunday, June 28th

Sermon Text: Genesis 1-3

This Sunday, we began anew sermon series titled, “God’s Big Story” focusing on the Redemptive story of the Bible.

Almighty Father God in heaven, with confidence we draw near to your throne of grace this morning (Hebrews 4:16). We come to you as your children, brought into your family by the sufficient, substitutional, and atoning sacrifice of your only Son Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:14-15). We have been sealed with the promise of eternal life by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14). We stand before you now eternally thankful for the redeeming work of salvation and for the forgiveness of our sins. We come to you today to glorify your name and to find rest for our souls. (Matthew 11:28-29; Hebrews 4:11)

You, Oh Lord, have created all things and you have created all things good (Genesis 1). Your voice is powerful and it is full of majesty (Psalm 29:4). With your powerful voice, you spoke the sun and the moon into existence (Psalm 33:6). You made the stars also. When we look to the sky, we can see your beautiful handiwork. The heaven declare your glory (Psalm 19). You have set your glory above the heavens for all to see.

With your words you created the heavens and you gathered the waters. You established the ground that supports our feet. You created the fish of the sea and the birds of the air. You gave the roar to the lion and the meow to the kitten. The wind and the seas obey your voice and the rocks worship you (Matthew 8:23-27; Luke 19:40). You Lord are sovereign over all and we know that in your hands Jesus, you are holding all things together (Colossians 1:17

When we consider Your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained, who are we that you have thought of us? Who are we to be loved and cared for (Psalm 8:3-4). You have made everyone of us in your image (Genesis 1:226-7). We will give thanks to you for each of us are fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are your works (Psalm 139:14). Your hand has made each and every one of us (Job 10:8-9). We are the clay Father, and you are our potter and all of us are the work of Your hand (Isaiah 64:8). Before you formed us in the womb, you knew us. Before we were born, you gave us a purpose (Jeremiah 1:5). You have created us for your glory, to display your glory to the world (Isaiah 43:7).

But Father, in our sin we have made our lives about our glory, not yours. So we ask that you forgive us for seeking after worthless idols (Jonah 2:8). Forgive us for not beholding the splendors of your grace. We can clearly see your eternal power and your divine nature in your creation, in the things you have made, so we are without excuse. We claim to be wise but instead Lord, we are fools. We are fools for exchanging your glory, the glory of the immortal God, our wonderful counselor, our mighty God, our Everlasting Father, and our Prince of Peace. We are fools for chasing after worthless idols and for exchanging the your truth for a lie and for worshiping and serving your creation rather than you, our Creator (Romans 1:20-25). 

We ask you Father God to have mercy on us. We know that you are faithful, gracious, and forgiving. We repent of our sin and we ask you to wash us thoroughly from our iniquity and to cleanse us from our sin. We acknowledge that we have sinned against you. So today, we ask you the creator of all things, to create in us a clean heart and to renew a right spirit within us (Psalm 51). Restore in our hearts the joy of your salvation which we have because you sent your only Son to die for us and to rise again victorious. 

We believe that your words will revive our dead hearts (Psalm 19:7) and it will open our lips to declare how majestic is your name in all the heavens and earth (Psalm 51:15; Psalm 8:1). As you look down from heaven on us, we pray that you will find us seeking after you (Psalm 14:3). Give us a desire to hear your words from your Holy Word. Your words Lord, are more to be desired than anything else in this world. May the power of your voice, the same voice that created all things, change our hearts and may the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer (Psalm 19:14). We pray these words to the one who sits high on the throne of heaven, in the name of Jesus, we say together, amen and amen.