7/8/2026

Mid-Week Prayer Service

Psalm 23

I. The Lord Is My Shepherd (Psalm 23:1-3) II. The Shepherd Walks With Us (v. 4) III. The Shepherd Provides Peace (v. 5) IV. The Shepherd Brings Us Home (v. 6)

When you hear Psalm 23, what memory immediately comes to mind?

Do you think being busy has become a badge of honor?

Why is following our hearts such dangerous advice?

What does it practically look like to follow the Shepherd today?

What's the difference between honest questions and unbelief?

Prayer Service

Prayer isn't primarily about getting God to do what we want. Prayer is about drawing near to the Shepherd who already knows what we need.

As we always do, we'll pray in five directions: Upward, Downward, Inward, Outward, and Thanksgiving.

Let's begin by reading Psalm 23 together.

(Read Psalm 23.)

David's confidence wasn't in himself.

His confidence was in his Shepherd.

May that be true of us tonight.

Upward — Worship Our Shepherd

David begins with these words:

"The LORD is my shepherd."

Before he ever mentions green pastures...

Before he mentions valleys...

Before he mentions enemies...

He begins with God.

Church, that's where prayer should always begin.

Tonight let's worship God simply because of who He is.

Praise Him because He is holy.

Praise Him because He is faithful.

Praise Him because He never changes.

Praise Him because He is the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep by name.

Praise Him because He laid down His life for us.

Praise Him because He has never once abandoned His people.

Don't ask Him for anything yet.

Simply enjoy Him.

Let's spend the next several minutes praising our Shepherd.

(Allow 5–7 minutes of prayer.)

Downward — Confession

David says,

"He restores my soul."

Restoration reminds us that we're people who wander.

Like sheep, we drift.

Sometimes we drift into sin.

Sometimes we drift into worry.

Sometimes we drift into pride.

Sometimes we simply stop listening to the Shepherd's voice.

But the beautiful news of the gospel is this:

The Shepherd restores His sheep.

He doesn't cast them aside.

He lovingly brings them home.

Tonight ask the Lord to search your heart.

Confess anything that is grieving the Holy Spirit.

Confess sins of action.

Confess sins of attitude.

Confess sins of omission.

Receive His forgiveness with gratitude.

Let's quietly spend a few minutes before the Lord.

(Allow 4–5 minutes.)

Inward — Transformation

David writes,

"He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake."

God doesn't simply forgive us.

He changes us.

Tonight let's pray that God would continue making us more like Jesus.

Ask Him to increase your faith.

Ask Him to deepen your trust.

Ask Him to help you rest instead of worry.

Ask Him to make you quicker to forgive.

Ask Him to make you more faithful in His Word.

Ask Him to help you hear the Shepherd's voice above every other voice competing for your attention.

Pray that your life would reflect the character of Christ more clearly this week than it did last week.

Let's ask God to continue His sanctifying work within us.

(Allow 5–6 minutes.)

Outward — Others

One of my favorite verses in Psalm 23 says,

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me."

Many people around us are walking through valleys right now.

Some are grieving.

Some are sick.

Some are discouraged.

Some have children far from God.

Some have marriages under strain.

Some are carrying burdens no one else knows about.

Tonight let's intercede for them.

Pray for our church family.

Pray for our deacons.

Pray for our teachers as another school year approaches.

Pray for our students.

Pray for missionaries.

Pray for those who are serving every week here at Cedar Bay.

Pray for people in Jacksonville who have never trusted Christ.

Ask the Good Shepherd to continue drawing lost sheep to Himself.

Let's pray together.

(Allow 8–10 minutes.)

Thanksgiving

David ends this psalm by saying,

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."

What an incredible promise.

Not just on good days.

All the days.

Every day we've ever lived has been filled with God's goodness and mercy, even when we failed to recognize it.

So tonight we finish the same way David finishes—with gratitude.

Thank God for saving you.

Thank Him for pursuing you when you wandered.

Thank Him for His patience.

Thank Him for answered prayers.

Thank Him for His Word.

Thank Him for your church family.

Thank Him for His daily provision.

Thank Him that one day every valley will end, every tear will be wiped away, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Let's spend our final few minutes simply thanking our Shepherd.

(Allow 5–7 minutes.)

Closing Prayer

Father,

Thank You for reminding us tonight that You are our Shepherd.

You lead us.

You provide for us.

You restore us.

You protect us.

You walk with us through every valley.

Thank You that our confidence isn't found in ourselves, but in You.

Help us this week to stay close to the Shepherd's voice. May we trust You more, obey You more quickly, and reflect Your heart to the people You've placed in our lives.

And may Cedar Bay Baptist Church always be a church that follows the Good Shepherd wherever He leads.

We ask these things in the strong name of Jesus, our Good Shepherd.

Amen.