By Kevin Guigou – Associate Pastor
Father, today we pray for Your unsung saints…
…for all of us little-guys in big shoes. There’ve been a few believers over the centuries that you’ve called to more high-profile assignments, but almost the entire body of Christ for 2000 years has been a messy mob of little-known folks like us.
Not much fame, fortune or fancy. We haven’t gone viral, finished our book or started a movement. We don’t live in the spotlight. Not many quote our words or chase our advice. We’re your unheralded heralds.
But Father, you measure value differently. You turn achievement inside out. Your kingdom rejoices every moment that we seek you first. Our simple efforts to walk in love get a standing ovation in the heavenlies.
When we share our childlike faith, you see a bit of yourself in us. You give a cheerful thumbs-up every day that we’ve tried to become a little more like the Master.
Where it counts, in your eyes, we’re superstars. Heroes of heaven. You’ve made each of us “a movement.”
Be With Us in the Mess
Lord, be with us in the messy trenches, inviting wandering souls to eternal belonging. Listening to a coworker’s struggles, volunteering at a food pantry, or sharing scripture at a fellowship where only three showed up.
Be with us when we pray with a plumber in our kitchen, help a child memorize a verse, or cry with a neighbor who’s lost their pet.
Your faithful children are famous in the kingdom. Angels brag about us at the water cooler. Cherubim applaud our simple efforts to walk in power.
Today, we pray for us believers whose names aren’t in Wikipedia, but are written in the Book of Life. Names not on the lips of many but are tattooed on your palms, always before your face.
From the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
We pray for us who privately wonder if we’ve made any difference in our world. We often feel we don’t pray enough. We talk about the Bible more than we read it. And sometimes we walk by a need that we should’ve helped with.
But You, Lord, have kept the true score – a diligent tally of rewards in glory. You’re proud to call us your very own.
Help us to evaluate ourselves the Word’s way. Remind us to measure our value by our cost. And we cost you your Son.
We pray for the far reaches of your family today, unrecognized in society, yet highly acclaimed in your kingdom. Your chosen gems. Humble brothers of King Jesus. Sisters of the Savior. The front-lines-faithful.
Sharing what truth we know; correcting as we go. We have big bold days of testimony and other days of distraction when our to-do list sits dormant. But, we dedicate both kinds of days to your glory.
Father, you’ve called us to live at the intersection of excellence and humility, in the tension of boldness and meekness. “Not many mighty; not many noble are called.”
You’ve made us more than conquerors even though we feel “less than the least of all saints.”
We reign as spiritual kings, while knowing that washing the saint’s feet is the highest position of royalty. You’ve empowered us to do all things through Christ while also finding his strength in our weakness.
Like Paul, we’ve come to know the power of Christ’s resurrection while also sharing in his sufferings (Philippians 3:10).
Lord, we “know that we know” your love, yet we “know in part.” We walk by revelation, yet see through a glass darkly.
And we’re OK with all that, because we’re learning to define our purpose and measure our value the way you do.
So Father, we pray for the quietly famous lives of all of us unsung saints as we sing your praises this day.
Amen.