8 Inspiring and Uplifting Morning Prayers for Church

There are many types of morning prayers for church. Jesus called the Temple, the Jews’ place of worship, “the house of prayer.” Today, the place of worship for the Christian is the local church. The words “church” and “prayer” should be automatically linked in the minds of every Christian. Just as there are many things to pray about, so, too, there are different prayers for church. This article explores some types of morning prayers associated with the house of the Lord.

All prayers to God are to be addressed to God through His Son, Jesus Christ. Nowhere in Scripture does the Bible teach we are to pray to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we should not pray to the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit takes our prayers to God and assists us in our prayers, according to Romans 8:26, which says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (KJV)

Powerfully, but silently, the Holy Spirit helps us as we pray to God in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself taught this concept in John 16:24, when He said to His disciples, and by extension, to us today, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” (KJV)

The suggested prayers in this article for various parts of a Sunday church service are simply suggestions. They are not written for you to memorize and then repeat. Rather, these are presented for you to have an idea about all the things to pray about concerning your church service. May these examples of morning prayers for church inspire you to take praying for your church in private, and even publicly, more seriously.

Morning Prayers for Church ─ Throughout the Week

You should keep your church, your church leaders, and the people in your church in your prayers throughout the week. The service of prayer is something for every Christian to do. It is a good habit to have daily morning prayer. Pray for those who are part of your church during your daily morning prayer. Praying daily for those in your church is a good work. King David said regarding praying in the morning in Psalm 5:3, “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” (KJV)

Here is an example of a morning prayer that you can personalize and incorporate into your daily devotional time.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of this new day. Help me use this day for Your service and help me be a blessing to You today. Please encourage Your people also to serve You today so that others will be drawn closer to You. I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ, especially those who go to church with me (Name specific needs, and specific people as you know about them.).

Please, be with my pastor, especially, and others in church leadership, as You have called and equipped them to lead Your people in Your truth. Protect them from any attacks of Satan, and even from the temptation of becoming cold toward You. Help their family members and meet their personal needs as they live their lives in service to You. Please, protect all aspects of our church and all the families represented so that we, together, may continue to serve You in an even greater way than we have in the past. Thank You for the privilege of prayer and let me never take this for granted. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Morning Prayers for Church ─ Saturday Evening Prayer

Just as conscientious workers prepare for their work the night before by going to bed at an appropriate time and mentally preparing themselves to face the next workday, so should mental and spiritual preparation for church begin on Saturday night. Just as you think and plan to get up the next day and go to church, so are many others as well. The church workers have already, usually before Saturday night, prepared for their role in the upcoming Sunday morning service.

Whether or not you have an active role at your church, it is important to pray for your church’s service even as you plan on going on Sunday morning. As a Christian who is a part of your local church, it is important for you to cover your church and the people there in prayer, as this is part of your service to God. Here is a suggested prayer for a Saturday night:

O Lord God, tomorrow I intend to get up and to worship You in the house You have provided for this service. Thank You for a place where Your people can gather to pray, praise, and learn about You from Your holy Word. Please, be with my church’s leaders, all those who are a part of leadership in my church. Help them tonight to sleep peacefully and to wake up tomorrow refreshed.

Please, be with all the other people who are expecting to attend church tomorrow as well. Please, prevent anything from hindering them tomorrow. For those who are undecided about whether they should attend the service tomorrow morning, please, speak to them tonight and help them decide to go to Your house tomorrow morning. Please, prepare my heart, and the hearts of all those who will attend church tomorrow, both in my church and in houses of worship all over the world, to receive what You have for them to learn. I humbly ask this in Christ’s name. Amen.

Morning Prayers for Church ─ Sunday Morning Before Church

Just as you prepare and drive to church, so do many other people. Here is a suggested prayer that some may think is a powerful Sunday morning prayer. You can pray a prayer like this silently even as you leave your home to go to church.

O God, please, be with all the homes of Your people wherever they may be as they prepare to attend Your house today. Let their morning preparations go smoothly so that everyone will be on time for Sunday services. As Your people drive, keep them safe on the highways. Please, give them good spirits in their cars this morning, and help these families to be happy about going to Your house this morning. I ask this in Christ Jesus’ name. Amen.

Morning Prayers for Church ─ Personal Prayers at Church

Church is also a time of fellowship and friendship. It can also be a time to reach out to visitors to welcome them. If you see fresh faces or even familiar ones, it is good to say a silent prayer for those who you see and greet on Sunday morning. This type of prayer can be a short, silent, and simple prayer. Here is an example:

Dear God, help me be an extension of Your love to the people with whom I go to church. Help me be kind and welcoming to all the visitors and be a friendly encouragement to all the regular members. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Praying for the people you go to church with is vitally important. People have many problems, and some have very irritating personalities. Interpersonal clashes between Christians can be a source of many problems in a church. You don’t have to be “best friends” with everyone you go to church with, but it is an excellent habit, and a part of your Christian service, to prayer for your brothers and sisters in Christ with whom you attend church.

Striving to cultivate and maintain a good sprit among those with whom you go to church with helps God’s Word to be preached effectively. The pastor and others in church leadership do not have to deal with infighting among church members and they can concentrate on proclaiming God’s Word instead of breaking up fights! King David said, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”–Psalm 133:1 (KJV). The concept of brethren dwelling together in unity can apply to the local church today.

Morning Prayers for Church ─ Public Prayers During Church Service

You may or may not be asked to pray publicly and lead the congregation in prayer. If you do not lead publicly, then pay attention to the prayer of whoever is praying and pray silently along with them.

Those who pray publicly are leading others to communicate with God. Public prayers are to be brief and to the point. If you are asked to pray publicly, right after the initial address of your prayer, which is usually like “Dear God…” follow by asking for God’s blessing on the service that immediately follows your prayer.

Public prayers are NOT the time or place for:

• Confession of personal sins
• Preaching a sermon (under the guise of praying)
• Praying for all the needs of each individual church member
• “Showing off” your spirituality
• Exulting in “this beautiful day” ─ especially if the weather is horrible!
• Attempting to impress others with your great oration skills and/or large vocabulary
• Subtly referring to the sins/problems of other individuals
• Thanking God for specific, personal blessings ─ especially financial
• Praying about your own needs
• Praying about world or national news, unless it directly affects the service

Public prayers are simple and direct prayers focused on a specific part of the church service. They should not be long prayers.

When leading a congregation is public prayer, speak slowly, carefully, and loudly. Your job is to lead the listeners in praying for the part of the church service that immediately follows your prayer. If people cannot hear or understand what you say, they cannot agree with your prayer.

Morning Prayers for Church ─ Opening Prayer for Church Service

If you are asked to lead the prayer for opening a church service, then do so. Here is a suggested prayer to give you an idea.

Almighty God, thank You for providing us with this place and time of worship. Thank You for Your great love for us. Thank You for all the people Who are gathered here today. We are here because of You. We humbly ask that You would be with us today and that Thy name would be exalted. Please, bless all the aspects of worship, the music, the giving, the lessons for the children, the Scripture readings, and especially the message from God’s Word.

We ask that You would be with the pastor as he preaches, and that You would give all the listeners open and receptive hearts. May what is said today in Your house during this service be pleasing to You. We ask that the things that are done here today change both hearts and lives, both for Your glory and Your service. We ask that You bind the forces of Satan so that Your Word would go forth unhindered in this place today. Please, richly meet the spiritual needs of all who are gathered here today. We thank You for Your help and praise Your name. In Christ Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Morning Prayers for Church ─ Prayer for Food

It is common for some churches to have snacks between services. Other churches may occasionally host a full meal after the primary service. Before eating, it is common practice to pray over the food, both thanking God for it and asking for His blessing on the food being served.

Thanking God for food is both being humble and thankful. Food is a blessing of God, and it is only right to thank Him for His provision. The Bible tells us to receive our food with thanksgiving in 1 Timothy 4:4-5. “For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” (KJV) According to this verse, thanking God for our food “sanctifies” it. God takes our prayer of thanks for the food and purifies our food before we eat it. Not thanking God for the food He gives us, but eating it anyway, is eating “unsanctified,” that is, dirty food!

Food and water is connected with serving God. Exodus 23:25 says, “And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.” (KJV)

Physical food is necessary for spiritual work. As we thank God for the food, and the water, too, that He has given us to use in His service, He will bless it, As God blesses the food we eat, we, too, will get a blessing.

Here is a suggested prayer for praying before eating:

Dear Father God, thank You for giving us our daily bread, and especially the food before us now. Please, bless this food to our bodies and help us use our bodies to serve You. We ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Morning Prayers for Church ─ Prayer for Offering

Part of worship of God is collecting an offering. This money gathered is to be used for the church’s needs and to support other ministries. Like food, God should be thanked for the money collected. It is also correct to ask God to bless the money and ask for His help in making wise decisions about what to do with the money that is given.

The money from the offering is God’s money, and it is not to be wasted or used frivolously. It is important to thank God for the people who work and who realize God gave them the ability to earn the money. Thank God for the people who, out of a thankful heart, desire to give back to God some of what He has given them. Thanking God for the money collected is indirectly thanking the givers as well.

Here is a suggested prayer for the offering:

Most gracious God, You have done great things for us for which we are so thankful. Please, accept our thanks as we give back to You a small portion of Your great provision to us. May the money that is collected today be used for Your service, both in this area and even around the world as we help to support other ministries with our money.

Please, use what has been given to help others hear Your Word and then also receive the eternal life that You have purchased. Thank You for the generosity of Your people who realize the importance and the necessity of financial giving to Your service. Please, take this meager offering and multiply it for Your use even as You give wise direction for its use. We ask this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Morning Prayers for Church ─ Adult Small Groups

Leading an adult Bible study group at church is a great responsibility. But before beginning to teach, it is appropriate to begin with prayer. This is a humble act. You need God’s help to do His work. Praying before teaching is simply asking God to help you as you teach.

Here is a suggested public prayer:

Gracious Father God, as I teach Your Word today, help me do so to honor and glorify You. Please, help me remember what I have studied, give me wisdom to answer questions, and give these people listening ears and receptive hearts. I need Your help and Your great power to teach them what You have taught me. Thank You for this opportunity. I ask this in Christ’s name. Amen.

As with the public prayers in the main church service, this type of prayer and time of prayer should be focused on the event at hand, in this case, the small group Bible study.

Morning Prayers for Church ─ Children’s Sunday School Class

Teaching small children about God is a rewarding job. While small children may not understand or appreciate the main church service, Sunday school is adjusted to their level of understanding. Just like other morning prayers for church, the Sunday school class should also start with prayer.

Sunday school is an extension of the main church service. But in teaching and praying with children, they need to be involved. When praying at the beginning of Sunday school, name each of the children in your prayer, thanking God for them one by one. Also, teach children about the importance of prayer and how to pray for everything.

Before opening the Sunday school lesson in prayer, ask each child what they would like you to pray about and write their requests. In your opening prayer, as you mention each one by name, bring their requests to God. Children have all kinds of things they are concerned about. When you encourage them to share their prayer requests, and they hear you praying for what concerns them, you are teaching them both the importance of prayer and how to pray.

Here is a sample prayer for Sunday school:

Dear Heavenly Fathers, thank You for being here with us today and for each of the children present. Please, be with those who are usually here but are not today, and that you would give (name the children who are absent) a special blessing, and please, help them come back to Sunday school soon.

Thank You for bringing Sally to church this morning, and please, heal her doggie’s leg.

Thank You that Gavin is here. Keep him safe and allow him to be a witness for You this week as he goes to football practice.

Thank You for Eleanor, and please, help her Gram to feel better.

Dear Father, I am so thankful for Emma. Please, heal the mosquito bite on her arm. Thank You that she is concerned about all those in Tokyo who have been affected by the recent flooding there. Please, Lord, help those individuals.

Thank You for Scotty and help him reestablish communication with his aunt in Florida. Please, work in her life so that she will contact him since he misses her so much.

Help me teach Your Word today and use my words to touch eternity. I humbly ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Morning Prayers for Church ─ Closing Prayer for Church Service

After the church service has concluded, usually there is a closing prayer before the congregation is dismissed. This is the time to thank God for the service, ask for His help in remembering and practicing what was presented, praying for safety as the people return home, and even asking for God to bring people back to the next service.

Here is a suggested prayer for closing a church service:

Dear Lord God in Heaven, thank You for another time in Your house. Thank You for Your Word that was preached and taught this morning. Help us to both remember Your Word, and to put into practice what we have learned this morning. As we leave Your house today, may we do so with a desire to serve You better than when we arrived. Help us take what we have learned and use it in our lives to help ourselves be better followers of You.

Help us to be better ambassadors for You this coming week. Help us share with others about the eternal life that You alone offer. Please, keep us safe as we travel back to our homes, and bring us back to Your house for the next service as well. We humbly ask this of You in the holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Morning Prayers for Church ─ Private Prayers Come First

Prayer is part of our relationship with God. Public prayer is an extension of our private prayer life. Before praying in public in any capacity, it is needful to develop a personal, private prayer life. A Biblical example of a public prayer which, while not specifically recorded, must have come from hours of a close relationship with God, is the prophet Elijah and his showdown with 450 of the prophets of Baal.

This lone man rebuked the King of Israel for promoting idol worship in Isarel. To show the futility of idol worship, Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal. He also gave a challenge to the people of Israel in choosing between God and Baal. Whichever god answered the prayer with fire, that would be the winner. Here are his exact words recorded in 1 Kings 18:22-24. “Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

“Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:

“And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.” (KJV)

Elijah allowed the prophets, all 450 of them, to go first. They prayed publicly to Baal for hours, from the beginning of the day “until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice” (1 Kings 18:29). The 450 prophets of Baal not only called on their god, but they also leaped on the altar they made for him and cut themselves with knives until their own blood gushed out.

Then, after a whole day of futile public prayer, it was Elijah’s turn. He repaired the altar of God according to God’s instructions and prepared the sacrifice and laid it on the altar. Then, as an extra measure, he had 12 barrels of water poured over the sacrifice and the altar.

Then he calmly led a public prayer. This was his prayer, which is recorded in 1 Kings 18:36-37.

“LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.” (KJV)

Immediately, God answered his prayer by bringing fire down from heaven, which consumed the sacrifice, the water, and even the entire altar of twelve stones. Read the entire account in 1 Kings chapter 18. 

The answer to this short, calm, public prayer was the result of a close relationship through the vehicle of prayer between Elijah and his God.

So, too, should our morning prayers for church, especially those offered publicly, result from our daily, even hourly, personal and private relationship with God.

Using these suggestions about prayer as related to church, both you, and those who go to church with you, can agree with King David when he said in Psalm 122:1, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” (KJV)

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