Saturday, January 7, 2017

A Prayer Shaped By Psalm 127 and Other Bible Readings From Today

          Great are you, Lord, and greatly to be praised. Father, in the name of Jesus, I am before you with profound gratitude. You are the reason I am praying today. By your grace, through faith that you also gave me, I am saved and have peace with you. I no longer struggle trying to get you to help me, or afraid I may be kicked out of your house. You have assured me with your love, your peace, your power; I am yours, God, forever. Thank you. And I honor you and praise you and will forever.
         Lord Jesus, you came to me when I was as far away as I could get, and you would not let me get away. All this time you have stayed, even when I wandered, even when in ignorance I bragged about what I was doing for you; still you kept working to shift the focus on you, not me. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me from myself. Lord, I want to join you in what you desire to do and have been doing. Too long have I struggled to get you to join me in my plans and efforts. Thank you for refusing.
         Holy Spirit, thank you for your word and for teaching me from your word that you are working and have been from day one. Your work is eternal. Your work has meaning. You work in people, with people, through people, to bring them to know you in a perfect relationship of peace and joy. God, you are awesome. O how I want to know you more and more.
And I want to part of the work you are doing in others. I believe I will know you more as I participate more in what you desire and are doing in the lives of others. Thank you that you are not building buildings, or streets, or organizations, or consensus; you are building people up, restoring what we lost in the Garden so long ago. You are building Christ in us. Hallelujah. Thank you, God.
Today I pray for my family. Thank you Father for bringing…into my life. Bring each of them to a saving and growing knowledge of who you are in Christ. Create in my family a greater love, your love. Multiply us as witnesses for you in our world. Be glorified in our family today, I pray, in the name of Jesus. AMEN.

Friday, January 6, 2017

A Prayer For Revival Shaped By Psalm 126

         We praise you, O God, for the Son of your love, for Jesus who died and is now gone above. Hallelujah, you are glorified. Hallelujah, amen. Hallelujah, you are glorified. Bring revival to us, again.
         Father, in the name of Jesus, thank you for the times of revival we have heard about and been part of in the past. We remember those days of blessing when your name was spoken with power and reverence and great joy. Your Spirit moved freely across the land and the fire revival spread across the land like a great sunrise. Do it again, Lord. Do it again.
         Lord Jesus, we pray for a new work of your Spirit among us. We pray for your cross to become our focus rather than our lust for entertainment, obeying our thirst for cheap thrills. We are tired of trying to produce on our own what only you can bring. We dim the lights to magnify with brighter lights our talents and our idols. Come to us, Lord Jesus, in the fullness of your sacrifice and the joy of your presence. Revive us again.
         Lord, just asking for revival gives us encouragement from you that it is coming. We hear you say, “Get ready for it.” You have promised and you are faithful. And we are glad.
The joy we have as we think of whole families coming to faith in you overcomes us. The excitement we feel as we think of all of our churches in town overflowing with crowds long before the services are scheduled to begin is real. We can taste the fullness and flavor of the meat of extended Bible study and prayer times with your people on fire with you. We can hear the freedom of your name, O Jesus, being spoken as a witness of your life and the light. Do it again, Lord. Do it among us again.

We will not be satisfied with anything less than you, Lord. You are the revival we seek. You are the joy we lack. You are the fullness we cry for. We will keep planting our emptiness, our sorrow, our pain, our repentance, our disappointments, with prayer because we believe and know you will bring forth a great harvest of glorifying your name as we keep planting it all in you. This is our prayer, in the name of Jesus. AMEN.

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

A Prayer Formed From Psalm 124 and Other Bible Readings From Today

         O God, our Father, blessed be your powerful name. You are great and greatly to be praised. Everyday we walk out into a hostile world, but you are with us. You are for us. Throughout the day the enemy of all that is right and good and holy is seeking to steal, kill, and destroy, but you are with us. You are for us. Thank you, God, for your presence and power to keep us from harm, to deliver us from evil.
         Lord Jesus, you walked this earth. You know the dangers we face. You know the weakness of the flesh against the powerful forces of evil, against principalities and powers in heavenly places. O God, be our strength today. Be our wisdom and purity and witness today. Give light to drive back the darkness. Give our feet solid ground on which to walk. Set us free when we get entangled in the snares of temptation. You are for us. You are with us. Blessed be your name, Lord Jesus Christ.
         Holy Spirit, our Helper, our Guide, our constant Companion, your word is eternal, your words are life. Guard us today from the deadly distractions and lies of the devil. Build us up in a most holy faith, an overcoming faith, faith that is greater than the flood of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. You are for us. You are with us. And we are saved. Thank you, God. Hallelujah.
         O Lord, today we pray for our world leaders. They have been placed in positions of authority by you. Accomplish your purpose for their life. Protect them today and their families. Give them wisdom to make choices that will help and heal the people under their responsibility. Surround them with men and women like Joseph and Daniel who know you and will be a constant witness of your presence, power, and grace to influence the decisions that they make. Bring them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ by giving them the gift of repentance and faith.

         And Lord, I also pray for….be with them, be for them, be their strength, their healing, their wisdom, their hope, their salvation. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. AMEN.

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

A Prayer Formed From Psalm 123 and Other Bible Readings From Today

         Lord Jesus, you are the Word of God, the Messiah of God, the Lamb of God, the Son of God, the King of Israel, the Son of Man; and we praise you, our God, our Master, our Savior, our King, our Redeemer, our Warrior, our Life. Hallelujah.
         When we think about who you are and your great love for us, and we are ashamed because we know our sins; they are ever before us. We confess our sins for what they are; what we once were, but not now. We have been born from above, of the Spirit, in Christ, by the will of the Father. We may have sinned, but we are forgiven and righteous in your eyes. Thank you, God, for your great, great love and the eternal gift of yourself in Christ, for new life in him.
         We are your servants, with our eyes on your face and hands, ready to carry out your will on earth. We repent of being lazy servants. We are ready today for your word and are waiters and waitresses, waiting upon you and the opportunities you will give to share your love with others. Fill us with the Holy Spirit for the discernment needed to know who, when, where, and how you desire to receive your love today.
         Dear Lord, there are many we know who are suffering like Job having lost loved ones, health, property, hope. Bring to our minds those individuals today so that we may bring them before you in prayer. Be their strength, their hope, their healing, their provision today, O God, we pray. Keep them in your hand. Don’t allow the accuser to kill, steal, or destroy them. Restore what the enemy has stolen and may their faith multiply in the midst of the trial.

         I also pray today for…may your will be done for your glory; in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. AMEN.

Monday, January 2, 2017

A Prayer Fashioned After Psalm 122 and Other Bible Readings From Today

         Abba, Father, deep within my heart I praise and worship you. Your steadfast love is and always has been. Your provision and protection over me is constant. Your word gives meaning to who I am and direction for my feet. Receive my words of gratitude and my promise. Thank you, God. I will love you and serve you forever.
         Thank you, God, for those who first invited me and took me with them to your house of prayer and worship. I was glad then and I am especially glad now. Thank you for the instruction I have received from your word. Times in your presence with your people, called by your name, fill my life with the joy of hope.
Seeing such a variety of people all with one faith, humbling themselves before you with confidence and the one desire to live for you, is overwhelming. The unity of such a humble people reflects who you are, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; three, who are one. And the fruit of joy is undeniable and abounds. Hallelujah.
         I pray for humility, for myself and for the body of Christ in my town, nation, and world. Open our eyes to see your greatness, the majesty of who you are. Expand our capacity to understand your eternal nature and power and love toward us, your people. Turn our eyes away from worthless things and focus our vision on you. Lord Jesus, be lifted up among us. Nothing is greater than you. We do have problems, sickness, grief, and despair; but all of it combined fades and is diminished in light of who you are, what you have done, and promised to do for us who believe.
         Lord, you give unity to those whose hearts are set on you. You give peace and joy to those who are united under you and move together as one to represent you in your creation, now and forever. Peace and joy overflow from such a one. May the aroma of Christ permeate our town, our nation, and our world today because we, your people, humble before you, with eyes and minds and hearts filled with your greatness, worship you today.

         O God, I also pray for…be glorified in every person and situation I lift before you today, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I pray. AMEN.