Prayer points with Scriptures · 19 points
Prayer Points for Sunday Service
These prayer points for Sunday service are for pastors, worship teams, prayer teams and church members who pray before the service begins: at a Saturday night prayer meeting, in a huddle before the doors open, or on the drive to church. They cover our own hearts, the worship, the preaching of God’s Word, the people in the room, and the giving and sending at the end.
A song of ascents. Of David. I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”
Psalm 122:1 (BSB)
Before a service, pick one or two points from each section; ten minutes is enough. Read the verse aloud, pray the short prayer, then pray by name for the preacher, the musicians and the people you expect. A prayer team can split the sections and pray in pairs around the building.
Preparing our hearts
1Clean hands and a pure heart
Holy God, who may stand in Your holy place? Only those You have cleansed through Jesus. Before we gather, wash away the sins of this week and give us clean hands and pure hearts that come to You with nothing to hide.
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully.
Psalm 24:3-4 (BSB)2Drawing near to God
Lord, as we draw near to You this Sunday, draw near to us. Quiet our rushed and scattered hearts on the way in, and let us come expecting to meet You, not just to attend a service.
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:8 (BSB)3An undivided heart
Teach us Your way, O LORD, and give us undivided hearts this morning. Keep our minds from wandering to phones, schedules and worries, so that we can worship and listen with all our attention.
Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.
Psalm 86:11 (BSB)
Worship
4Worship in spirit and in truth
Father, You are seeking true worshipers. Let our worship today be in spirit and in truth: not a performance and not empty words, but honest hearts singing true things about You.
But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”
John 4:23-24 (BSB)5Songs full of joy and thanks
Lord, Rock of our salvation, as we enter Your presence with thanksgiving, fill us with joy that sings out. Bless the musicians, singers and sound team; keep them focused on You, and lift the voices of the whole church in praise.
Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout to the Rock of our salvation! Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him in song.
Psalm 95:1-2 (BSB)6All the glory to God
Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things. Let everything in this service point to You, and keep every one of us from seeking glory for ourselves.
“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and were created.”
Revelation 4:11 (BSB)
The preaching of the Word
7An open door and a clear message
Lord, open a door for Your word this Sunday. Help our pastor proclaim the mystery of Christ clearly, as it should be proclaimed, with a rested mind, a ready heart and a steady voice.
as you pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may declare it clearly, as I should.
Colossians 4:3-4 (BSB)8Jesus at the center
Lord Jesus, let the sermon proclaim You as Lord, not the preacher and not our church. Keep the message centered on Your cross and resurrection, and humble every servant who speaks in Your name.
For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
2 Corinthians 4:5 (BSB)9Hearts like good soil
Father, make our hearts good soil this morning. Let us hear Your word, cling to it and, by persevering, produce a crop, long after the service ends and the parking lot empties.
But the seeds on good soil are those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering produce a crop.
Luke 8:15 (BSB)10Doers of the word
God, keep us from hearing a good sermon and walking away unchanged. Make us doers of the word and not hearers only, and show each of us one thing to obey this week.
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
James 1:22 (BSB)
The people in the room
11Open hearts for our guests
Lord, as You opened Lydia’s heart to respond to Paul’s message, open the hearts of the guests who come today. Help them feel welcome, hear the gospel plainly and meet Jesus.
Among those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
Acts 16:14 (BSB)12A warm welcome for everyone
Lord Jesus, You accepted us. Help us accept one another and every newcomer the same way: noticing the person sitting alone, learning names and making room, so that our welcome brings glory to God.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring glory to God.
Romans 15:7 (BSB)13Children and their teachers
Lord Jesus, You said, “Let the little children come to Me.” Bless our nursery and children’s classes today. Keep every child safe, give the teachers patience and joy, and let each child learn that You love them.
But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Mark 10:14 (BSB)14The brokenhearted among us
LORD, You are near to the brokenhearted. Someone will walk in today carrying grief, fear or hidden shame. Meet them in this service, save those who are contrite in spirit, and let them leave knowing You are near.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.
Psalm 34:18 (BSB)15Volunteers who serve
Father, bless everyone serving this morning: greeters, parking team, tech, coffee and kids’ teachers. Keep them steadfast when the work goes unseen, and remind them that their labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (BSB)
Giving and going out
16Cheerful givers
God, everything we have comes from You. As we give our offering today, free us from regret and pressure, and make us cheerful givers who trust You to provide.
Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (BSB)17Safety for all who gather
LORD, watch over our coming and going today, in the parking lot, in the building and on the roads home. Keep everyone who gathers safe, and give wisdom to those who look after our security.
The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.
Psalm 121:8 (BSB)18Light for the week ahead
Father, when the service ends, send us out. Let our light shine at work, at school and at home this week, so that people see our good deeds and glorify You.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 (BSB)19Equipped to do Your will
God of peace, who brought our Lord Jesus back from the dead, equip us with every good thing to do Your will this week, and work in us what is pleasing in Your sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever.
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21 (BSB)
A closing prayer
Lord, thank You for this day set apart to worship You together. Meet us in every song, speak to us through Your Word, and draw the weary and the searching to Jesus. Keep us safe, make us one, and when the service ends, send us out to love our neighbors and serve You all week long. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pray with a voice
Short prayers with a voice to pray along with, each drawn from one passage.
Questions
What should I pray before Sunday service?
Pray for your own heart first (Psalm 24:3-4; Psalm 86:11), then for the worship, the preacher, the guests, the children and the volunteers. Paul asked churches to pray that God would open a door for the word and that he would proclaim it clearly (Colossians 4:3-4), which is still a good prayer for every sermon. Finish by asking God to send the church out to live what it heard.
Why pray for the preacher before the sermon?
Paul repeatedly asked believers to pray for his preaching: for words to be given to him so he could boldly make known the gospel (Ephesians 6:19-20), and for an open door and a clear message (Colossians 4:3-4). Preachers depend on God to make His Word understood and fruitful, and praying for them is one way the whole church shares in the work.
Can we use these prayer points for a midweek or online service?
Yes. Nothing here is tied to Sunday morning except a few practical details. For an online service, pray for viewers watching alone, for a stable stream and for the team running it. For a midweek gathering, pick the sections on the Word and on the people in the room.
More prayer points
Every verse on this page is quoted word for word from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which its publishers dedicated to the public domain. Copy, print and share these prayer points freely with your church.