An Ordination Prayer

On September 3 2016, Rhodri Brady, the son of Gary and Eleri Brady, was ordained to follow his grandfather, Geoff Thomas, as the pastor of Alfred Place Baptist Church (Independent), Aberystwyth. Geoff Thomas gave this ordination prayer on that occasion, using some material from Valley of Vision¹.

O blessed Saviour, help us. Who are we to lay hands on any brother and set anyone apart for the work of the holy ministry of serving the Lord of the Word and the Word of the Lord? We ourselves have been so slow to learn, so prone to forget, so weak to climb; we are still in the foothills when we should be on the heights; we are in the Borth bog when we should be on the top of Cader Idris; we are pained by our graceless hearts, our prayerless days, the poverty of our love, our sloth in the heavenly race, our sullied consciences, our wasted hours, our unspent opportunities – and we are actual leaders in the church. God have mercy. We are blind while light shines around us: take the scales from our eyes, grind to dust these evil hearts of unbelief. Forgive us our sins. Help us to become better servants of the congregation.

We humbly pray for your servant newly set apart and ordained into the ministry of the new covenant. Make it his chiefest joy to study thee, meditate on thee, gaze on thee, sit like Mary at thy feet, lean like John on thy breast, appeal like Peter to thy love, may he count like Paul all things as dung compared to the excellency of knowing Christ as prophet, priest and king.

Though he is chosen of Thee and honoured by this high and holy calling, let him never forget that he is only a man of dust and ashes, a man with all the natural faults and passions that plague the race of men. We pray Thee, therefore, our Lord and Redeemer, save him from himself and from all the injuries he may do to himself while trying to be a blessing to others. Fill him day by day with Thy power by the Holy Spirit, and he will go in Thy strength and tell of Thy righteousness, even Thine only. May he spread through Aberystwyth and the vicinity the message of redeeming love while his creature powers endure.

Give him increase and progress in grace so that there may be more decision in his character, more vigour in his purposes, the best use of his time and gifts, more elevation in his life, more fervour in his personal devotions, more constancy in his zeal. May he be a loving and faithful husband, a patient and caring father never provoking his children to wrath but bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Jesus. May his dear wife be a constant support to him and a blessing to the congregation and her neighbours. May he never seek in we creatures what can be found only in the Creator; may he never cease from seeking thee and thy kingdom until it vanishes into sight. Then, dear Lord, when he is old and weary and too tired to go on, have a place ready for him above, and make him to be numbered with Thy saints in glory everlasting.

And now, O Lord of heaven and earth, we pray that Thou mayest consecrate his remaining days to Thee; let them be many or few, as Thou wilt. Let him stand before the great, or minister to the poor and lowly; that choice is not his, and may he not influence it even if he could. He is Thy servant to do thy will, and may that will be sweeter to him than any consciousness of success, or man’s appreciation but may he choose Thy will above all things on earth or in heaven.

O, ride forth in Rhodri, thou King of kings and Lord of lords, that he may be more than a mere conqueror, and in victory attain his end of glorifying Thee and enjoying Thee for ever. May he bring many others with him that he may cast his crown before thee and cry, ‘Behold here I am, my Father, and the children Thou hast given me.’

We pray for his predecessor that he may rejoice in all that yet will be done in this place, all the possible growth, and conversions, and baptisms, and influence for the spread of the Kingdom. May he not have one envious bone in his body. Thank you for hiding his own many sins and failures from others, and thank you for the forgiveness of those who saw them and had pity. Bless him as he cares for his wife, and make his future service be to the strengthening of the church whatever Thou wouldst have him do.

We ask this all in the name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, Amen