I’m excited to share a special resource with you that may enrich your Sunday mornings. Each week, I write an opening prayer based on a specific psalm for my church’s Sunday morning worship service, using Don Whitney’s method from Praying the Bible. My goal is to provide a thoughtful, scriptural, Christ-centered prayer to start the worship service. Each prayer is typically around 500 words and includes adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. They highlight Christ’s redemptive work and our need for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. I trust these prayers will encourage you as you worship the LORD.
Psalm 74: A Prayer of Remembrance and Restoration
Psalm 74 (Christian Standard Bible)
Opening Invocation
Heavenly Father, we acknowledge Your eternal sovereignty. You created the heavens and the earth, upholding all things by the word of Your power. We’re grateful to gather in Your name, worshiping You in spirit and truth. You alone are worthy of our worship and adoration.
Confession and Redemption
As the psalmist declares in Psalm 74:1:
Why have you rejected us forever, God? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
Lord, we come before You, acknowledging our sins. We confess that we have often strayed from Your ways and have not lived according to Your holy standards. Forgive us, Lord, for our transgressions and cleanse us through the blood of Jesus Christ.
As stated in verse 2:
Remember your congregation, which you purchased long ago and redeemed as the tribe for your own possession.
Father, we thank You for the redemption we have in Christ Jesus. You have purchased us with His precious blood, and we are now Your people, called by Your name. We ask that You remember us and look upon us with favor as we seek to honor and glorify You.
Lamentation and Spiritual Warfare
In verse 3:
Make your way to the perpetual ruins, to all that the enemy has destroyed in the sanctuary.
God, we grieve the devastation that sin has wrought in our lives, in Your church, and in the world. Forgive us for the times we have contributed to this ruin by our disobedience. Restore what has been broken and rebuild Your sanctuary.
As stated in verse 4:
Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place; they set up their own signs for signs.
Lord, we recognize the spiritual battles we face in this world. The enemy seeks to destroy and deceive. Satan and his forces seek to disrupt our worship and fellowship. We pray for Your protection over this congregation and ask that You would guard our hearts and minds against the schemes of the evil one.
Guidance and Sovereignty
In verse 9:
We don’t see any signs for us. There is no longer a prophet. And none of us knows how long this will last.
Lord Jesus, we thank You that You are the final and ultimate Prophet, Priest, and King. Your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. When we feel lost or uncertain, remind us of Your promises and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
As written in verse 12:
God my King is from ancient times, performing saving acts on the earth.
Lord, You are our eternal King, sovereign over all. You are not distant or aloof from Your creation but actively at work accomplishing Your purposes. We praise You for the salvation You have provided through Jesus Christ. We thank You for His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, which give us hope and assurance of eternal life. We pray for those who do not know You, asking that they would see Your saving acts and be drawn to faith in Christ. Use us as witnesses to display Your salvation.
Trust in Providence
In verse 16:
The day is yours, the night is also yours; you established the moon and the sun.
You reign supreme over all the changing scenes and seasons of our lives. When shadows lengthen and the night seems long, help us to rest in the assurance that darkness and light are alike to You. May we praise You in the day and trust You in the night.
Intercession and Final Plea
As stated in verse 19:
Do not deliver the life of your dove to beasts; do not forget the lives of your oppressed people forever.
Protect Your church, both here and around the world. Strengthen our brothers and sisters who face persecution for Your name’s sake. May we be faithful witnesses to the gospel in a hostile world.
Finally, we cry out with verse 22:
Rise up, God, champion your cause! Remember the insults that fools bring against you all day long.
Lord, vindicate Your holy name and demonstrate Your glory in our midst. We ask that You would silence the scoffers and bring conviction to those who oppose Your truth. Use us, Your church, to proclaim the gospel boldly and to stand for righteousness in a world that often rejects You.
We ask this in the strong name of Jesus Christ, the Head and Redeemer of the church, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forevermore, Amen.
Note: All scripture references are from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
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