Today is our third sermon on stewardship. I invite you to turn to Matthew 6:1. That is on page 4 of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you. We are going to think about the Stewardship of Prayer. Jesus provides three overarching principles in Matthew 6:1 that are very important for us to understand and apply directly to the instructions he provides about prayer.
Gracious and loving God, you call us to be stewards of your Abundance, the caretakers of all you have entrusted to us. Help us always to use your gifts wisely and teach us to share them generously. Send the Holy Spirit to work through us, bringing your message to those we serve.
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Prayer For Stewardship
Gracious and Generous God
Gracious and generous God, Creator and Giver of all that is good, we thank you for our many blessings. We acknowledge that all that we have is from you. We offer you thanks and praise for the beauty of the earth, our work, our family, our loved ones, and all the gifts we have been given.
You are with us always. In each dark hour, you are here. In each bright hour, you are here. Blessed by your grace, may we show gratitude by sharing what we have been given.
By serving our brothers and sisters, we serve you.
We remain ever grateful for your constant love, the gift of your Son Jesus, and the presence of your Holy Spirit with us.
Protect and guide us on our journey, and guide those who are involved in Diocesan, and parish stewardship leadership.
We seek to be your faithful stewards.
Amen.
Generous and Loving God
Generous and loving God, we come to you in thanksgiving, knowing that all we are and all that we have is a gift from you. In faith and love, help us to do your will. We are listening. Speak your words into the depth of our souls, that we may hear you clearly.
We offer to you this day all the facets of our lives, whether it be at home, at work, or at school. We seek to be patient, to be merciful, to be generous, to be holy. Give us the wisdom and insight to understand your will for us and the fervor to carry out our good intentions.
We offer our gifts of time, talent and possessions to you as a true act of faith, to reflect our love for you and our neighbors. Help us to reach out to others as you have reached out to us.
Amen.
We Pray that We Will Make Stewardship a Way of Life
Eternal God, we pray that we will make stewardship a way of Life. We acknowledge you as the source of all we have and all we are.
Help us to place you, our loving Creator, first in our lives by becoming more prayerful, more focused on loving and caring for our families and our neighbors in need, and by becoming less preoccupied with material things.
Help us to hear your call to be good stewards, caretakers, and managers of all your gifts by sharing them for your purposes.
Help us make your priorities our priorities and to put our faith into action. Help us plan to “give back” the talents, treasures and time with which we have been blessed.
Help us plan to serve our church, our community, and our world with your gifts.
May we serve you and pray with a joyful spirit of mind and heart.
Amen.
O Lord, Giver of Life and Source of Freedom
O Lord, Giver of Life and Source of Freedom. We know that all we have is received from your hand. Gracious and loving God, you call us to be stewards of your Abundance, the caretakers of all you have entrusted to us. Help us always to use your gifts wisely and teach us to share them generously. Send the Holy Spirit to work through us, bringing your message to those we serve. May our faithful stewardship be a witness to the love of Jesus Christ in our lives. We pray with grateful hearts in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Abundant God
Abundant God, you made us in your image and breathed in us a spirit of generosity that is both gift and response. Move us, we pray, to give as we have received–abundantly, generously, and joyfully that our common ministry may ever bear witness to your unfailing grace. In the name of the Three in whom we are One,
Amen.
Bless Our Parish, Strengthen Our Faith
Oh God, our loving Creator and Giver of all good gifts, bless our parish, strengthen our faith and grant us the spirit of Christian stewardship so that we may give generously of our time, talent and treasure to spread Your kingdom here in our church and throughout the world. For this, we pray to the Lord.
Amen.
A Collect for Stewardship
Gracious God, giver of all we have and hold as stewards; grant the people of this church a deep and abiding awareness that all things come from you – our health, our incomes, our jobs, our talents and our generous impulse. Send your Holy Spirit to help us as we swim against the rising tides of materialism, envy, individualism and greed in our culture. When we are tempted to think of money as a private matter, remind us that you have asked for part of what we are given, to be returned to you as a symbol of our awareness that you give all we have. And further, help us to help each other in this grace of giving, for you are the lover of our souls and call us to nothing less than transformation in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer for Those Leading Stewardship Ministries
Lord Christ, you held your ground as you communicated a message amidst support and amidst the rejection of your message. Give to us who lead stewardship ministries the strength to help our church to discuss that which it would rather ignore. Help us to speak openly about money, time and land as gifts. Help us to respond to a culture for whom greed is nothing more than a scream of fear; so that our work is not merely fundraising, but is rather a pastoral ministry to a people weighed down by a spiritually deadly combination of abundance and fear.
Amen.
Prayer for Use by a Vestry Regarding Stewardship
Heavenly Father and Creator of all we enjoy, we give you thanks for the countless people who have gone before us in the leadership of this church. We know that the Holy Spirit inspired some as they longed for this church, others as they built this church and still others as they lovingly and boldly led this church through times of abundance and times of scarcity. Help us to be bold as we model giving of time and money to this parish. Make our bold and generous pledge a symbol of both our integrity and our gratitude. Then help us to encourage giving with one sixth of what we do and say, just as you did while physically teaching among your disciples.
Amen.
Prayer for Use by Children Regarding Stewardship
Jesus, we love you and we know you love us. Everything we have is a gift from you. Thank you for play time and for our growing bodies. Thank you for our laughter and our joy. Help us to give some of our time and some of our money back to you. When we think of giving something away to someone who needs it, help us to give two and not just one.
Amen.
A Prayer for Vision
Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves; when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little; when we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to shore. Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of the things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the water of life. Stir us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas, where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes and to push us into the future in strength, courage, hope and love. Amen. Open your hearts to the love God instills in them. God loves you tenderly. What he gives you is not to be kept under lock and key, but to be shared. The more you save the less you will be able to give. The less you have, the more you will now have to share. Let us ask God, when it comes to ask God for something, to help us to be generous.
Amen.
Stewardship Prayer – Thomas Merton
Almighty God, we thank you for all the gifts You have given us: our lives, our loved ones, all that we have and all that we are. Most of all, we thank You for Jesus, your Son and our Redeemer, who came among us to show us the way to eternal life. Jesus was the perfect steward of your gifts, showing that complete trust in You is necessary, and that giving of self is a most important part of following Him. May the offerings of our time, our talents, and our material resources be made in the same spirit of sacrifice that Jesus taught us by His life and death for us.
Amen.
Prayers Courtesy of Forward Movement
For the Church – Forward Movement
Quicken, O Lord, we pray you, all members of your church, that we may be alive to the opportunities and responsibilities of our times. Save us from complacency and from fear of new ways; inspire our minds with the hope of your kingdom; give us joy in what lies before us; and stir our wills to pray and to work until your will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen.
For the Annual Canvass – Forward Movement
O God, you have called us to be workers together with you: Make us now of one heart and mind to pray and work and give for the upbuilding and strengthening of your church at home and abroad. Bless our annual canvass, and stir up the wills of all our people to do according to their ability as good stewards in your service.
Amen.
For Good Stewardship – Forward Movement
O Lord, you have taught us that you will require much from those to whom much is given: Grant that we whom you have called to so goodly a heritage may share more abundantly with others what we so richly enjoy, and in serving them may know the glory of serving you.
Amen.
For the Right Use of Money – Forward Movement
Lord of our lives, teach us how to use our money and our possessions. Deliver us from stinginess and wasteful extravagance; inspire our giving with the spirit of true generosity. Help us always to remember your generous love for us, that we may be wise and faithful stewards of the good gifts you have given us.
Amen.
Stewardship Meeting Prayers
1 Peter 4:10
Heavenly Father I pray that Your Word will continue to remind us that our gifts and abilities are attributed to us so that they can be used to serve others. I pray that You touch my heart so that I may serve honestly. Help me to be a good steward of Your grace. Let the work that I do be a reflection of You and I pray that I will use my gift according to Your will and purpose, in Jesus Name I pray, Amen.
Colossians 3:23-24
Dear Lord, I pray that whatever I do I will do it heartily, as to You and not to men, because from You, I shall receive the reward of inheritance because I serve the Lord Jesus Christ. So, Father, help me to demonstrate excellent stewardship skills in line with Your Word, in turn obeying all things in sincerity of heart, fearing God. Lord teach me to serve as You served, Amen.
James 1:17
Heavenly Father, I thank You for who You are. I am grateful that everything that is good comes from You, the Father of light. I ask that You help me to do good deeds for Your people and for all that has been entrusted to me for Your Kingdom as this is what stewardship is all about. I pray that as a steward, I will take seriously the task I have been called to. Lord, help me to be a true reflection of You at all times, Amen.
Matthew 25:21
Dear Lord, I pray that we never forget that we are called to serve and not be served! Just like a servant is faithful to their master, I pray that we will be faithful to the call of good stewardship. Therefore, as a steward of Your Kingdom, I pray that we will hear, well done good and faithful servant, you were faithful over a few things; I ask Lord that You will make us ruler of many things so we can share in Your joy, Amen.
Genesis 2:15
Oh Father, You took man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. In the same manner You have called us to cultivate and keep the earth. I pray that You equip us to be good stewards so that we may grow Your kingdom and draw souls near to You by reflecting on who You are; this is the prayer of my heart, Amen.
1 Corinthians 4:1-2
Dear Lord, You have given us the responsibility of stewards for Your Kingdom here on earth. We pray that we will work purposefully under the directing of Your Holy Spirit. So, thank You for entrusting us with the task of being stewards and we do not take it lightly. I pray that we will be good stewards of the mysteries of God and in all things, we will be found faithful, Amen.
Closing Prayers to End a Meeting or Gathering
Closing prayers are a wonderful way to end a meeting, small group, church service, or any type of gathering! Here is a beautiful prayer to use in closing your time together. Use your departure as a time to thank God and ask for His protection and blessings.
“Make every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit has already created, with peace binding you together.” (Ephesians 4:3)
Father, praise You for the gift of unity that the Spirit creates in our relationships! You place others perfectly in our lives, and inspire us as Christians to work together with the gifts that we have been blessed with. When we look at this meeting through Your eyes, we see Your gifts fostered in us to further Your plans.
Forgive us, Father, for the control and the credit that we grasp for in these meetings while planning and accomplishing projects together. We confess that honoring You through our work is not always at the forefront of our minds as we strive for end goals. In the spaces of our hearts that harbor envy and ambition, we prayerfully ask You to make room for humility and shared credit.
The church doesn’t stand on any one person’s’ shoulders. Not one of us can further Your plans on our own. But together, we can complement each other’s strengths and cancel out our weaknesses. As a team, a unified body focused on the gospel of Christ, we can do great things in Your honor as we were purposed to do.
Thank You for the ideas that You spoke life into here today, and for the courage of each voice that stood to be heard. In each one of us lies a puzzle piece. One by one, as we stand and speak and work, we see our individual pieces moving into place. We continue to strive for Your will, piece by piece, until You call us home.
Bless all of us in this meeting today. Each of us have a life outside of these walls. There are very real hurts that some are coping with, and needs of others that we ache to help with and meet. Take that stirring of love that we feel for each other and guide our steps to be faithful friends and extensions of Your love to those that You have seated beside pf and across from us today. As we bow our heads and lift up our plans to You, we pray that You bless our hearts and minds to know we have done well in Your eyes. We pray for your assurance that we are operating within Your will.
Lord, we believe that You will provide for us. We look forward to the ways that You will surprise and amaze us with Your faithfulness. The lives that You will touch and the people in this room You will use to brighten dark spaces and lift sad hearts. Our passion for discussion today is fueled by You, our Father, who with the same note of passion created us to be light to the world… color to dullness… life to dead places… and love to lost faces. Bless our work and our time. Guide our steps and our progress. Grant us the power of Your Holy Spirit to work together because it’s impossible to see past our human stubbornness without You.
Bless us Lord, as we leave here today, to take Your passion with us. Fan its flame after we part and inspire our best contributions. Remind us always of Your love, as we see our plans unfold and accomplish the goals we set here today.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in us through our belief in Jesus, our Lord and Savior, inspire our hearts to seek You in Your Word daily. Grow us both individually and together, as we seek the peace of Your presence. Help us to walk faithfully and fiercely after Christ, reflecting His love. May we always lift our progress up to You, who holds the honor and glory for who we are and what we do. Use our lives, Lord, to reach those who desperately need to know You love them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Additional Closing Prayers
A Prayer for Those Seeking God’s Calling on Their Lives
Help us to know that we are on Your path for our lives. When we want to claim our achievements as our own, and our talents as abilities we’ve fostered and accomplished ourselves, by the power of Your Holy Spirit in us, remind us to hit our knees and raise our hands to You – Creator of all.
Thank You for the diversity in which You have equipped each of us, and help us each to grow closer to Your Son, Jesus, so that we may be able to experience the full glory of seeing the talents You have given us contribute to the growth of Your church and the steadfast planting and watering of the Gospel.
Jesus, take our hands and guide our feet. Bless our choices in education and profession. Guide our reactions through victory and defeat. May our hearts grow more like Yours each day, as we look around at the people You’ve placed in our lives to reach. Help us to love those people in Your honor, through our talents and gifts. Through the distractions of everyday life, allow us to hear Your call and follow You always.
A Prayer for Direction
Father, Praise You for Jesus’ sacrifice. His perfect love defeated sin on the cross. Your perfect love for us carries a theme of redemption. Thank You for loving us perfectly, and for layering our lives with unique purpose. When it’s hard to find direction, forgive us for choosing paths that lead us away from Your love. Bring us back time and again, as we strive to be strong, courageous, and obedient to You. Bless our hearts to know the direction that You have mapped out for us. Help us to drift through seasons of discouragement focused on Your Word and Your promises. When we lose our way, remind us of who we are …Whose we are. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Prayer of Thanks for God’s Love
Father, we praise You for Your consistency. Thank You that though we are incapable of being consistently good, loving and righteous, you are those things for us.. Forgive us for our inconsistency, and bless us, that we may know Your love for us never changes. You are always loving, and for that we give thanks. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Prayer for Deliverance
Grant us the courage to be brave and courageous as Jesus was when we walked this earth, yet kind and compassionate at the same time. Make the impossible possible in our lives as we seek Your will in our lives over our own vindication and defense mechanisms. Help us to remember this powerful truth: “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.” James 5:13
Deliver us, Father, from the everyday attacks on our conscious, health, relationships, and beyond. From what can see coming and would never expect, protect and deliver us from anything that threatens to throw us off Your course for our lives. Give us strength to love people that are seemingly unlovable without compromising our character as Christians. Build a confidence in us that is unstoppable and immovable but guard our hearts from pride. Deliver us from our distorted thoughts, sickness, debt, sadness, struggles, hunger, pain, fear, oppression, conflict, and unbelief, for we proclaim Your Peace over our lives through prayer, today. “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Ephesians 6:10 Help us to put on Your armor, daily, Father. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Prayer to Keep Doing Good
Father, This is the day you have made, so let us rejoice and be glad in it. You know what today will bring, and what tomorrow’s needs will be. If we awake to breathe today, we can be assured it is with great purpose, in order to bring glory and honor to You, the One True God. Jesus, our Savior, Friend, and Redeemer, it is through You we come to the Father, and spread the love of the Gospel. Remind us, through Your Spirit who convicts and comforts us, of your truth.
In moments when we find ourselves slumped into the places we land when things unravel, we know you meet us there in comfort and to supply the strength we need to stand again.
Use our lives as vessels of love and truth. Let us see ourselves through the lens of faith, and the Father’s purposeful perspective. The author of Hebrews reminds us not to neglect to do good and share what we have, because such sacrifices are pleasing to You, Father.
To Go Out and Embrace Life with Joy
Father, Help us to embrace and enjoy the life you’ve given us to live. We are not accidentally here on earth! Each day we awake to breathe, you faithfully meet us with purpose. We lift our anxiety and worry to you, today, as we seek to embrace your peace and promises. We confess our tendency to condemn, criticize, and compare instead of embracing the peace and blessings you have showered over our lives.
During trying seasons and relatively easy days, help us to see and remember you in all situations. We never know what our world is going to throw at us, but you do. You never change. Holy Spirit, faithfully nudge and reminds us that we are children of God, freed from the chains of sin by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and resurrection and assertion to heaven where He is seated by the Father. Bless our minds to remember and embrace the freedom, hope, joy and peace we have in Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
For Consistency in Character
Father, Your love for us in amazing. Only You know the number of our days, and the purpose You have for us. You teach us in the most amazing ways, through the most unexpected circumstances. Develop a consistency of character is us, an authentic honesty about who and Whose we are evident to those around us.
Spirit of God, thank You for equipping us with gifts You are ever-developing in us. God, protect us with Your armor as we walk through each day. Give us a wisdom to discern the whispering lies and manipulative tactics of our enemies, and take our thoughts captive to You, Author of life!
Jesus, our Savior, thank You for the sacrifice You made on the cross for us. By defeating death, You made it possible for us to experience forgiveness, grace and mercy. You died so we may live our lives to the full, and join You in heaven for eternity. It’s with this daily perspective we wish to walk through our days on earth, with a hope that cannot be crushed or thwarted. Help us embrace the peace we have in You, Jesus. Help us to be consistently bold in speaking of You, no matter what company we are in. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Prayer for Clarity
Father, You have made this day, and we will rejoice and be glad in it. Abba, Father. Savior, Jesus. Spirit, Comforter. All glory and honor we lift to You. We look to You for provision and healing. We stand in awe of the beauty and blessing You surround our lives with, even when we can’t see straight.
Help us to see ourselves, others, and creation through Your perspective, God. Help us see clearly, having eyes to see as you want us to see. We want Your will for our lives, Father, because Your promises are greater than anything we can ask for or imagine, and beyond our perspective sight.
Help us to remember You are our Creator, our Author, our compassionate and caring Father. Christ Jesus, may we follow You faithfully, and look to You before scrambling for our own solutions. Heal our eyes, and our insight, so we may truly see. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Prayer for Our Purpose
Father, Jesus, our Savior, may the moment we met You remain on the top of our minds. Soften our hearts to Your call more each day. Grow us in Your wisdom, and teach us to adopt Your perspective. Help us to submit our worries, comparison, jealousy, bitterness, and envy to You each and every day in exchange for a fresh vision of Your will for our lives.
Day by day, you are making us new. We struggle so much to live day by day! We want to know how the story ends, and if we will achieve what we set out to. Increase our trust in You, Christ Jesus, to lead us each day, giving us what we need to be prepared to love the other people You have placed in our lives.
Make us noticers of Your handiwork, God, of Your creation. Bless those called to care for the earth, working to protect and care for plants and protecting forests and grasslands.
Bless the ones You purpose to care for the seas and the life teaming in those waters. Every creature You have put on earth matters deeply to You, but none more than us. It’s hard to believe, sometimes, we have been created in Your image!
Thank You for the opportunity to live our lives within the love of Christ, where we wake each day to a fresh blessing of grace and forgiveness. Amplify Your voice above all others, God. We pray Your will over our lives …over what we want to be when we grow up. Let Your will reign paramount in our plans, today and always. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.