April 19, 2005
A Prayer for Benedict XVIPosted by Bryan
So Catholics have a new Pope (which is not at all to be confused with New Coke®. For him and the church he leads I pray:
Father, please bless this man as he leads the Catholic Church. Use him powerfully and through Your Holy Spirit, lead him to be liberal in grace and mercy, to pursue Truth without compromise, and to faithfully represent You as an ambassador to the fallen world. Under Benedict XVI's leadership, I ask for unity with fellow believers of all Christ-honoring denominations, and improved dialogue between all tenets of the Christian faith so that understanding may increase to result in improved and enlarged ministry.
I pray that You will bless this man with good health, with strong and wise counsel, and with discernment that surpasses human understanding. I praise You for how You can work perfectly through imperfect humans to anoint and appoint a man such as a time as this. I pray that he will be submissive to You in all his stewardship and that You use him to expand Your Kingdom on earth.
I pray for other denominations, Baptists in particular, to be grace-filled and graceful in regard to the appointment of the new Pope, and that we will seek to emphasize common doctrines for Kingdom blessing, without compromising those tenets of faith which divide us ecclesiastically. In those matters, I pray that we'd be humble in our discussion and discretionary about what to say, when, and to whom. May the words that come from our mouths be an overflow of the renewed heart that you have imparted unto us through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.
I pray that today would be a day of celebration for Catholics, and even for Christianity, and that good days would indeed be ahead for the commendable works for all those you have called, regardless of denominational affiliation, from what you have established before the dawn of time.
Thank you for all Your good gifts and Providence, through Jesus, who is Your Christ of the world.
Amen