Tag: Prayer

Prayer For Sixth Granddaughter

Grace, Prayer, Scripture, Truth

Another miracle. This little one is not even three years old yet. We know she is not fond of confinement, time riding in a car, or being strapped in a carseat. She is raring to go, a girl of action! She has the most contagious smile and zest for living! Yet Lord, please give this youngest tike the true enjoyment of her God-given life as she learns and grows. I pray that her greatest pursuit would be after the Lord Jesus and that she would know Psalm 14:2 “The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.”

For the future you have planned for her, Lord, be her ever-present Shepherd and let Your glory shine through her. Give her a joyful heart and a celebration of Your Holy name (I Chronicles 16:10). Even now I pray that her landscape of future interactions with friends, teachers, employers, and spouse be laced with many confirmations that You, God, are sovereignly orchestrating her life, intending to deepen her love for Jesus and to seal her friendship with the Word of God.

Protect her from the physical dangers and mental snares of life while also giving her a forceful strength of character to confront what brings attack. Protect her from false messages and errant doctrine while also giving her Your wisdom which is better than silver, gold, or rubies. Protect her from chaos and confusion while also giving her a life of honor, eternal riches, pleasantness, and peace. (Proverbs 31:13-18)

What might be this granddaughter’s pilgrim’s journey? I pray it would be a fight to thrive and sow endless seeds of grace and mercy to those around her. I pray it would be a fierce determination to understand God’s truth and to share it widely. I pray that she would be the greatest and most loyal friend anyone would ever want. I pray it would be an intense focus on helping others and alleviating their suffering. O Lord, may this little girl make a huge difference in this world, for Your honor and glory!

Amen.

Simple Resolution

Scripture

When the New Year’s resolutions unfold in highly breakable patterns, I hope to be reminded that there is one simple resolution that cannot be easily undone by failed diet plans, dropped volunteering, uncontrolled screen time, or an attitude gone bad. That is – simply praying. Psalm 20 promises that the Lord is an active listener.

Psalm 20 says, “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May He send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! May He remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans! May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions! Now I know that the Lord save His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving might of His right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. O Lord, save the king! May He answer us when we call.”

The Lord answers you, protects you, sends help to you, supports you, remembers you, fulfills you.

P.R.A.Y. is simple. Pause, Rejoice/Reflect, Ask, Yield. This simple pattern comes from a devotional app called Lectio 365. Although it takes a moment of looking at a screen (which you may be trying to reduce as I am), it is a helpful tool.

Prayer Requests Gone Deeper

Scripture

Whenever I’m at a loss about how to pray for another person, I find help in God’s Word, specifically the examples given by Paul’s prayers (sprinkled through his letters). Here are paraphrases:

Acts. 26:29 'praying you might become such as I (Paul) am'

Romans 1:8 'praying your faith might be proclaimed'
Romans 6:17-18 'praying you become obedient from the heart'
Romans 10:1 'praying for your salvation'
Romans 15:30-31 'praying you might be delivered from those who are disobedient; praying your service may prove acceptable'

I Cor. 1:4-8 'praying you will be enriched in Him, in all speech and knowledge...not lacking in any gift'
2 Cor. 2:14 'praying Christ manifests through you the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him'
2 Cor. 8:16 'praying for the earnestness of God'
2 Cor. 9:15 'praying for His indescribable gift in your life'

Eph. 1:15-19 'praying for a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, praying the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so you may know what is the hope of His calling'
Eph. 3:14-19 'praying He strengthens you with power through His Spirit in the inner man...so you may be able to comprehend and know the love of Christ.'
Eph. 6:19-20 'praying utterance is given to you to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel'

Phil. 1:3-5,9-11 'praying that your love may abound in real knowledge and all discernment'

Col. 1:3-6 'praying for a constant increase in fruit bearing'
Col. 1:9-12 'praying you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom; praying you walk in a manner worthy, to please Him in all respects, with steadfastness and patience'
Col. 4:2-4 'praying God may open up to you a door for the word so you can speak forth the mystery of Christ'

I Thess. 1:2-4 'praying for your work of faith, labor of love, steadfastness of hope'
I Thess. 2:13 'praying the word of God performs its work in you'
I Thess. 3:11-13 'praying the Lord will cause you to abound in love for one another and establish your hearts unblamable in holiness'
I Thess. 5:23-24 'praying God will sanctify you entirely'
2 Thess. 1:3 'praying your faith is greatly enlarged and the love of each one grows ever greater'
2 Thess. 1:11-12 'praying God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, that the Lord may be glorified in you'
2 Thess. 2:13 'praying for sanctification by the Spirit'
2 Thess. 2:16-17 'praying God will comfort and strengthen your hearts'
2 Thess. 3:1-2 'praying that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, and you will be delivered from perverse and evil men'
2 Thess. 3:16 'praying the Lord will grant you peace in every circumstance'

1 Tim. 1:12-14 'praying God will strengthen you, consider you faithful, put you into service'
2 Tim. 1:3-4 'praying you will serve God with a clear conscience'

Philemon 4-6 'praying the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake'

Abundance of Your Steadfast Love

Scripture

Photo credit: Kim Clayton Lance

Psalm 69:13-15 (ESV) “But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of Your steadfast love answer me in Your saving faithfulness. Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me.”

My personalized prayer as I meditate on these words from Psalm 69:13-15:

But as for me, I am an image-bearer in need of an image restoration. I need a new vision of You Lord God, I need a new life song. My prayer is to You, O Lord. Who else?

At an acceptable time, O God, cement my ability to wait on Your perfect timing and choice for all things. In the abundance of Your steadfast love answer me, make me sure that You hear and that You act according to Your loyal, compassionate, covenant love (Hesed).

Again, show me Your saving faithfulness, Your flawless character, Your unchanging care, Your righteous rule, Your amazing grace. Deliver me from sinking in the mire of fearing failure, being troubled by circumstances, being swamped by anxiety, being consumed by control-freakishness, being pulled under by disappointments and sadnesses, being arrested by joy-stealers.

Let me be delivered from my enemies – the Father of Lies, the spiritual forces of evil, the accusations and expectations of others, my own pride and self-focus. Let me be delivered from the deep waters of aging, illness, heartache, phobias, addictions. Let not the flood sweep over me, the tyranny of the urgent, performance anxiety, the lack of knowledge of Your Truth, apathy, numbness. Let not the deep swallow me up in hopelessness, let not the pit of self pity close its mouth over me, let not my faith be weakened by the challenges of life.

Because of Your steadfast love, I will not be shaken today or any day. Your saving faithfulness is all I need. Remind me of it. Imprint it on my heart. Confirm it in my spirit. Thank you Lord God!

Prayer At Church This Morning

Scripture

GCPC Congregational Prayer – Nov. 28, 2021

Almighty God, You are the Holy and Compassionate God Who gives us eternal hope in Christ. This morning we lift Your Name high as we meditate upon Your abounding Goodness, Your Truth, and Your faithfulness to all generations. With humility we approach Your Throne of Grace with freedom and confidence, understanding that You see us and hear our prayers.

Holy Spirit, we ask that Your providential purposes in our nation, state, and local governmental agencies be fulfilled and that believers who serve in government, military, or in first-responder capacities will look to You for wisdom and courage to lead as You direct. Give us pure motives as we live in obedience to Your Word and live in accordance with governing authorities.

Gracious Father, we are thankful for all those who worship You. Thank You for Your transformative work to change our lives so that we might reflect the love of Jesus and the power of the Gospel. We ask that You would bring great encouragement to our church staff with our determined and continual prayer support. Give us all the desire to serve in the church, thereby lightening the burdens of responsibility necessary to complete the gospel work in our community and the world, to which God has called each of us.

With Thanksgiving, we raise our hearts and voices, remembering that this season is one that leads us to the celebration of our Savior’s birth and reminds us of our enduring spiritual treasures found in Him alone. We pray that in every Christmas-related outreach to our community and world during this season that You will bring the Gospel to the forefront, moving hearts to embrace the great gift of Your Son Jesus.

Father, we ask for Your protection and provision for our missionaries, military personnel and others who risk their lives to serve You in hostile places. We ask You to strengthen the hope and perseverance of the persecuted church around the world. We pray that, by Your Grace, the spread of the gospel would be unhindered in all areas where it has been previously prevented.

We praise You for the gift of new life. We pray that you will continually protect and provide health to our expectant mothers and their unborn children. We praise You for recent births in our church family, and especially your healing work in reversing the effects of perilous birth complications among these. As well, we ask for Your tender care of our women who face great losses in unfulfilled motherhood. We pray for effective outreach to provide care to women facing those hard seasons.

Great Physician, we pray for an end to the pandemic and its suffering. We pray for those most vulnerable to the virus or those who are already infected —, the elderly, the weak, those with chronic conditions, the poor, the hungry and the isolated. Let us meanwhile continue in our loving commitment to protect our family members, neighbors, and friends from its harm. For the sick, the lonely, the grieving, and the disconnected in our church, we ask for Your intervention, both spiritually and physically. For those suffering with recurring health challenges, we ask that You provide them with the gifts of perseverance and steadfast hope, even when circumstances do not lessen or become removed. We also ask that You carry those who have recently lost loved ones through the valley of grief with a great sense of Your presence, mercy, and comfort.

We pray for the next generation – our college students and our young people. We ask that they come to fully trust in You, Lord, and become like trees planted by streams of water, whose leaves are always green and who yield fruit even when the heat of drought comes. May they not conform to the pattern of this world, but instead develop a keen ability to test and approve Your perfect and pleasing will. Give them great discernment and great dependence upon Your Holy Spirit for strength and endurance.

Rock of Ages, grant us all, adults and children, fresh confidence that “there is no future where You are not present, no sorrow where You are not near, no tears not kept in Your bottle, and no locust-eaten years You will not restore (quote from a prayer by Walter Henegar, Senior Pastor of Atlanta Westside Presbyterian Church).”

Today move us to reflect Your generosity with our tithes and offerings. Open our hearts to the message of Your Word preached here today.  Create in us a receptive spirit and an open heart, and a new energy to be obedient and fruitful in Your Kingdom.

In the Name Above All Names, Jesus Christ Our Lord, we offer these prayers. Amen.

My Tossings

Scripture

Psalm 56:8 (ESV) says “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?”

Morning Prayer:

God, “You have kept count of my tossings.” My anxious musings and fears of failure; My panicky what-ifs, my phobias; My regrets and life-altering decisions; My disappointments in myself and others; My attempts to engineer circumstances; My relentless quest to control things; My unmet expectations and dreams; My leanings toward self-preservation and achievement.

God, “You have put my tears in Your bottle.” My hurts from companions and familiar friends; My judgments not in tune with Your grace; My prayerlessness at every banquet; My unfaithful heart and mind; My decaying body and energy of life; My secret shames and hateful attitudes; My motives not in alignment with Your purposes; My longings unfulfilled by people in my life; My endpoints resulting from sin and pride; My loneliness when absent from strong believers and gospel conversations; My drifting when I put aside Your Word for any length of time.

God, “are my tears not in your book?” You have said they are in Your Word. You hear my whole prayers and even my half prayers; You silence the noise of the enemy; You shelter me from pursuant persons and troubles; You listen to my ventings and settle me; You correct my erroneous thoughts; You regroup me with Your comfort; You remind me of Your love and care; You redeem my soul in Your tenacious safety; You give me a spacious place to recoup; You provide what I don’t even know I need; You infuse my life with creative outlets; You have called me to be Your child.

Surely, my tears count. My tears are received by You; My tears do not evaporate into the Universe; My tears remain in Your capable hold; My tears are in Your safe-keeping. Your bottle never reaches capacity.

Until one day, My tears will be transformed by You into tears of joy!

Amen.