How to Pray for Sunday Service

Every Christian needs to be connected to a local church. Christianity is not a path that is meant to be walked alone. While indeed a Christian should always pray to God and read their Bible, and this is very crucial for one’s walk with God, those two practices alone are not enough. A Christian should be part of a church community to which they will choose to commit. 

There is just something different in being part of a church community that you don’t get when just being alone, listening to Christian podcasts, reading articles, etc. That is because God designed us for human relationships, whether a person is an introvert or an extrovert. Being in fellowship with other believers in the church community is a means of grace. This means we receive grace when we have fellowship with others. That is why we get edified, encouraged, corrected, and admonished in the context of a church community when we get sanctified.

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

[Acts 2:42]

Why is it important to pray for a Sunday service?

The Bible teaches us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of darkness. We are fighting not just human opposition but also spiritual enemies led by satan. These spiritual enemies will do everything they can to sabotage our Sunday services. But why do they want to sabotage our Sunday church services? It is because there are a lot of things in a Sunday service that a believer needs and receives. One of those things is preaching God’s Word, which convicts them of sin. It is also during Sunday services that believers are edified through corporate worship. Those are just some of the important reasons a believer should always attend a Sunday service and why the congregation is a target for spiritual enemies. Prayer is our weapon to fight against those spiritual enemies.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

[Ephesians 6:12]

We pray regarding our Sunday service because, in the end, we depend on God. We may be excellent with our preparations, but in the end, we don’t rely on ourselves but on God. Praying is an act of humility before God. We come before Him in prayer to ask Him for the graces and the mercies that we need as we prepare and run a Sunday service. Also, if there are things that we are worried about regarding our Sunday service, we do something to address them by praying to God about it and casting our cares to Him.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

[Philippians 4:6-7]

We also pray to God for our Sunday service because we are doing it for Him. Praying to God – not just asking for the help we need as we prepare and run the Sunday service but also by dedicating and ascribing that everything is for Him – is one way of committing to the work that we do for God. The Bible teaches us that in everything that we do, we are to do it for the glory of God. As we prepare and run a Sunday service, we are not doing it for our leader or pastor but heartily doing it for the LORD.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

[1 Corinthians 10:31]

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

[Colossians 3:23-24]

What are some prayer points that I can pray for a Sunday service?

One of the things that you can pray for believers is for them not to be late for the Sunday service. If a person has a job interview at 10 AM, that person will do his or her best to be there, wherever the location of the interview and long before 10 AM, because a job interview is important to the person. Our prayer is that it is also the same when it comes to how believers treat a Sunday service. Pray that they shall not only give great importance to the Sunday service but also be excited about it. That also means praying for the believers to never take a Sunday service for granted because God ordained corporate worship for us. This is necessary for a believer’s growth, and it’s important for them not to be lazy about it. 

The preaching of God’s Word is one of the main portions of a Sunday service. After all, a Sunday service wouldn’t be a Sunday service if there were no preaching of the Word of God. With that, pray that the Holy Spirit shall make ready the hearts of the congregation, that He shall soften their hearts so that the believers may be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is convicting them, and that their hearts shall not be left unchanged after the service. Pray that as the Word of God is being preached, it will transform them and renew their minds as it pierces their hearts and marrow.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

[Hebrews 4:12-13]

As the congregation listens to the Word of God, it is God’s mercy that allows them to see, learn, and understand the wonderful truths of God’s Word. Pray as well for the Holy Spirit to not just convict and transform them but to also open the eyes of the congregation so that they may behold the wondrous things of God’s Word and the truth they find and which they can find nowhere else.

Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

[Psalm 119:18]

While the preaching of God’s Word should convict the believers, it is not just about convicting believers. Sunday service is also where believers get edified, encouraged, and ministered. If there are believers who are suffering and going through hard circumstances in life, our prayer should be that the preaching of God’s Word shall bring comfort and encouragement to them.

We don’t just pray for the congregation that is the recipient of the preaching of God’s Word, but we should also pray for the pastor or minister who is going to preach God’s Word. Pray that as the preacher prepares his sermon, he shall correctly handle God’s Word of truth and prepare a biblical and Christ-exalting sermon. Pray for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding as he studies the things he needs to study to prepare his sermon. A biblical sermon is a sermon that always points to Christ, magnifies Christ, and glorifies Christ. It stays true to what the Bible says, is faithful to what it says, and does not adjust it to what believers want to hear.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[2 Timothy 2:15]

Believers sometimes get distracted while worshipping God. They might be thinking of their work this coming week instead of focusing on God during worship. Or sometimes they have problems and worries that consume them and distract them from fully worshipping God during the Sunday service. Let it be our prayer that believers shall not allow any distractions as they worship God, knowing that God, Who is majestic and holy, deserves our full attention. Also, even if we have worries, Jesus tells us that we ought not to be consumed with our anxieties. Rather, we are to seek first the kingdom of God.

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

[Psalm 29:2]

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

[Matthew 6:33]

Technical difficulties and other unforeseen problems that can occur during a Sunday service can sometimes hinder the effectiveness of the service. So, one of the things that you can pray for is that the technical equipment will work well and that no technical difficulties or problems will arise to cause the service to be disrupted. Also, pray for grace and wisdom for the volunteers who run the service to solve the problem whenever trouble arises.

Last, as mentioned before, we also battle against spiritual enemies. Surely, they will try to do something to disrupt the Sunday gatherings of believers. That is why we should also pray for their plans to be trampled and for spiritual covering or protection to be upon the church ministers, volunteers, congregation, and the Sunday service itself.

How do you pray for the Sunday worship service?

As you pray before or during the Sunday service of your church, you can take note of the points that we have mentioned above and address them in your prayers. They are not just prayer points but aspects that you can pray for Sunday service. To sum up, it is praying for the believers and their hearts, preaching God’s Word, the pastor/minister, the volunteers running the service, and spiritual covering upon the Sunday service. Keeping those aspects in mind will give you a structure that you can use as a guide as you pray for your church’s Sunday service. Here is an example of using these points as a guide as you pray for a church’s Sunday service:

Heavenly Father, You are holy and full of splendor. I pray that You would protect our Sunday service from whatever plans the enemy has. I pray that their schemes shall be trampled in the name of Jesus. I also pray that You would give wisdom and grace to the volunteers who are running the service so that they may serve excellently and know how to deal with whatever problems may arise. I also pray for a smooth service and that no serious problems shall disrupt the service. I pray for our preacher so that he shall prepare a biblical and Christ-exalting sermon. Use him as your mouthpiece to speak truth into the hearts of the congregation. Holy Spirit, I pray that You would convict the congregation, transform them, and renew their minds as they hear the preaching of God’s Word, and they shall also be encouraged and ministered by it. We lift everything in this Sunday service to You, Father. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Praying and interceding for a Sunday service is an important thing to do. That is why churches that have a prayer ministry always cover their Sunday services in prayers. Whether you are part of a prayer ministry or not, as a believer, praying for your church’s Sunday services is something that you should save time for. It doesn’t take more than five minutes to pray for this.