The Pastor's Daily Prayer (Part 1 of 13)

The Pastor's Daily Prayer

(paragraph 1 of 13)

The following paragraph comes from the Pastor's Daily Prayer from The Lutheran Agenda (c) 1941.  It has been slightly edited (thee's and thou's to you and yours) to make it sound a bit less archaic; nonetheless, some archaic terms have been retained for the sake of endearment of the original version.

Full disclosure: I do not pray this every day, supplementing this with other prayers, but I do manage to pray through the entire Pastor's Daily Prayer at least once each week.

O Almighty God, merciful Father, I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto you all my sins and iniquities; especially do I acknowledge my indolence in prayer, my neglect of your word, and my seeking after good days and vainglory. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them; and I pray you, of your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of your beloved Son, forgive me all my sins, and be gracious and merciful to me.  Indeed, cleanse me through your Spirit by the blood of Jesus Christ, and give me more and more power and willingness to strive after holiness, for you have called me that I should be holy and blameless before you in love.

The Pastor's Daily Prayer begins with the pastor acknowledging his own sinfulness and failings.  Such acknowledgement is not limited to this paragraph, but it sets the correct tone for the entire prayer--humility and recognition that the pastor is in need of the Lord's mercy as much as anyone he serves or meets.  The prayer also pleads for divine mercy and aid for living a God-pleasing life, not as a pastor, but as a person.  The pastor is not to set himself above those whom he serves, but recognizes that Jesus is the Savior even of a "poor, miserable sinner" as him.