Prayer

Why Should I Pray?
"We got to pray if we gonna make it today!" (M.C. Hammer) Beginning your day with prayer invites God into the details. Ending your day with prayer gives you an opportunity to be thankful for His presence. But there is all that space in between. That space could be filled with busyness, celebration, trials, pain, etc....and all of these are an opportunity to talk to God. The bible tells us to pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) That simply means that the line between you and God should remain open at all times.

There are many ways to pray, one not super-ceding the next. There are no special formulas or fancy words that evoke the response of God. Remember, God is looking into your heart, He is not judging your diction. Take the time to just be with God, for He knows you intimately, and His desire is for YOU to know Him. It is in the knowing that we find a love that is truthful and honest. You cannot kindle a friendship if you never talk to your friend. It is the same in your relationship with your Creator. Talk to Him, give Him a chance to answer you in such minute details that you cannot mistake His active presence in your life.

  • 1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
  • Deuteronomy 6:25 And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.
So you think you aren't righteous enough (or good enough) for YOUR prayers to be heard? In the old testament, man's righteousness was based on how well he followed every detail of the laws God put in place to keep us from stumbling all over ourselves in sin. This was impossible for man, so God made a way through His Son that we could become righteous through faith.
 
  • Romans 1:17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.
  • Romans 3:21,22 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe

Be careful not to seek only the righteousness, but to seek the One who provided it for us.
  • Matthew 6:33 But seek first HIS kingdom and HIS righteousness,and all these things will be given to you as well.
The question now would be, Do you believe in God? Do you believe He sent his Son here to save you from a forever without Him? Give God the opportunity to commit Himself to you for eternity and begin your journey of prayer with:

The Prayer That Changes Everything
Dear God, I want to admit to You that I haven't always done things the way You would like to see me do them. At times I have done things that I knew to be very wrong. I understand this is sin to You and I want to say I'm sorry for every time I have chosen my way, or my own will opposed to Yours. I know now that those choices have only put more space between You and me, and that is not my desire. I do believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me.

Jesus, I would like to ask You to fill my heart and come into my life as my Lord and my Salvation. I am committing and entrusting my life to You. Please give me the desire to be what You want me to be, and the desire to do what You want me to do. Thank You for choosing to die for my sins, for Your free pardon and forgiveness, for Your gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Thank you for choosing to be my personal Savior. Amen.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; all things become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
THANKING GOD FOR EVERYTHING

1. I want to thank You for what you have already done.

2. I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards,
I am thanking you right now

3. I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better,
I am thanking you right now

4. I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me,
I am thanking you right now.

5. I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears ,
I am thanking you right now.

6. I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves,
I am going to thank you right now.

7. I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet,
I am going to thank you right now.

8. I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job,
I am going to thank you right now.

9. I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief,
I am going to thank you right now.

10. I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed.
I am thanking you right now.

11. I am thanking you because I am alive.

12. I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties.

13. I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles.

14. I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better.

15. I'm thanking You because FATHER, YOU haven't given up on me.

16. God is just so GOOD,
and He's good ALL THE TIME!


FAITHFULNESS

Father in Heaven, keep me faithful in serving You. Help me to drink of Christ's Truth, and fill my heart with His Love so that I may serve You in faith and love and reach eternal life. You give me the joy of sharing Your Life. Keep me in Your presence. Let me never be separated from You and help me to do Your Will.

Almighty and Eternal God, so draw my heart to you, so guide my mind, so fill my imagination, so control my will, that I may be wholly Yours, utterly dedicated to You; and then use me, I pray, as You will, and always to Your glory and to the welfare of Your people; through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

PEACE

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that
has been given to you....
May you be content knowing you are a child of God....
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to
sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.
Saint Theresa's Prayer


RELEASE

I release all my hopes and dreams to you this day. If there is any thing that I am longing for that is not to be a part of my life, I ask you to take away the desire for it so that what should be in my life will be released to me. I realize how dangerous it is to make idols of my dreams to try to force my life to be what I have envisioned for myself. I lift up to you all that I desire and I declare this day that I desire you more. I want the desires of my heart to line up with your heart. As hard as it is for me to let go of the hopes and dreams I have for my life, I lay them all at your feet. I know that as I die to them you will either bury them forever or resurrect them to life. I accept your decision and fully submit to it. Lead me in your path, Lord. I don't want to speak a vision of my own heart. You never said life would by easy. You said you would be with me. I now take each step with the light of your presence as my guide.

TRAVEL

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm on your face,
The rain fall softly on your fields;
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH

Lord, I pray that I will choose to use speech that glorifies You. Fill my heart with Your Spirit and Your truth so that what over-flows from my mouth will be words of life and not death. Put a monitor over my mouth so that every temptation to use profane, negative, cruel, hurtful, uncaring, unloving, or compassionless language would pierce my spirit and make me feel uncomfortable. I pray that this type of communication would be so foreign to me that if it did ever find its way through my lips, it would be like gravel in my mouth and I will be repulsed by it. Help me to hear myself so that words don't come out carelessly or thoughtlessly.

Keep me from being snared by the words of my mouth. You've promised that whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles (Proverbs 21:23). Help me to put a guard over my mouth and keep far away from adversity. Your word says Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21). May I speak life and not death. May I be quick to listen and slow to speak so that my speech will always be seasoned with grace. Equip me to know how, what, and when to speak to anyone in any situation. Enable me to always speak words of hope, health, encouragement, and life, and to resolve that my mouth will not sin.

 
CONFESSION

Lord, I pray that You would give me a heart that is quick to confess my mistakes. May I be truly repentant of them so that I can be forgiven and cleansed. Help me to understand that Your laws are for my benefit and that the confession and repentance You require must become a way of life for me. Give me the desire to live in truth before You, and may I say as David did, Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me, Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
(Psalm 51:2, 10-12).


Lord, bring to light any hidden sins so they can be confessed, repented of, and forgiven. Your Word says, Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered (Psalm 32:1). I pray that I will never be able to contain sin within me, but instead let there be a longing to confess fully and say, See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:24). May I live free of guilt and condemnation, and live with a clear conscience in the full understanding of my forgiveness in Christ. I pray that I will always look to You and wear a radiant countenance.

THE LORD'S PRAYER

PRAY THE LORD'S PRAYER OVER YOUR LOVED ONES
One of the most beautiful prayers - the Lord's Prayer - may sound simple or traditional, but His prayer has profound and lasting impact, which is fresh and new every day. For a fresh insight into the depth of this prayer and God's goodness you can pray the words of the Lord's Prayer, inserting your name or that of your spouse, friend, child, or parent. You are a mighty spiritual warrior in God's kingdom. The enemy would like nothing more than to keep you prayerless. Instead, pray this prayer for those you care about:

* Our Father in heaven, may Your name be honored in ______'s life. (Desire for your loved ones to be honored, made holy, and cherished through the power of honoring and fearing God. When they hallow God's name in their life that attitude will spill over into their relations with Others.)

* May Your kingdom come soon in ______'s life. (When a person seeks first the kingdom of God, then all else in life is placed in the right order. When God is in control of lives, children, careers, churches, then there will be direction in prayers, thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and attitudes.)

* May Your will be done in ______'s life on earth, just as it is in Heaven. (God's perfect will for your loved one is their salvation in Christ Jesus. In saving us, God changes us, making us new creations (2 Cor. 5:17). Then He transforms us to live in His will on earth.)

* Give ______ the food he/she needs for today. (Daily bread for both spiritual and physical beings cannot be old, stale stuff from yesterday or a half-baked loaf from tomorrow that isn't ready yet. God's grace is sufficient to meet all our needs - one day at a time. When we come to Him in prayer He meets our needs daily. He feeds us the bread of His Word and He provides for all our physical needs as well.)

* And forgive ______, just as he/she has forgiven those who have sinned against him/her. (Forgiving one another opens you up to receive forgiveness. Forgiveness is not an option. Jesus states it plainly, If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matt. 6:14-15)).

* And don't let ______ yield to temptation, but deliver him/her from the evil one. (Apply the blood of Jesus in prayer for protection over your loved ones. The blood protects us from the sin of building walls that hinder and even destroy relationships.)

* For in ______'s life You will build Your kingdom and manifest Your glory forever and ever. Amen. (The battle has already been won on the cross where Christ destroyed the works of the devil. Satan, sin, and death have been defeated. Your battle is prayer that claims, establishes, and overcomes the enemy as he seeks to rob, kill, and destroy the Abundant life in Christ (John 10:10). Pray for that abundant life of God's kingdom in the lives of your loved ones.)

Larry Keefauver

MAKE ME AN INSTRUMENT OF YOUR PEACE

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is discord, unity. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is error, truth. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. And where there is sadness, joy. Divine Master, grant me that I may seek not so much to be consoled, but to console. Not so much to be understood, as to understand. Not so much to be loved, but as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in losing ourselves that we find ourselves. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Prayer of St. Francis

RESCUE

God, help me. Protect me from my own sinful tendencies. Fill me with your Spirit. Make me fully aware of your marvelous grace. Help me to have spiritual vision, and thinking that is in alignment with yours, O Lord.


 

Evening Household Prayer

Evening Prayer For Your Household

God set apart the priests to carry the ark of the covenant, to stand before Him to minister to Him, and to bless the people in His name (Deut 10:8). The perpetual assignment of the priests was to uphold the word and presence of God, worship Him and pray to Him, and bless His people (Jer 33:18). Under the new covenant, we are a royal priesthood by the blood of Jesus (1 Peter 2:5,9; Rev 1:5b-6) with the same charge of continual worship, prayer, and blessings (1 Thes 5:17, Heb 13:15).

Prayer is the most powerful means of protecting your family. Pray for your family each evening. You might start with this prayer for your household.

Pray this way:

Father, I bow before You to worship and adore You. You are all-loving, all-wise, and all-powerful. You are worthy of all honor, praise, and glory. I come to You in Jesus' name and by the sacrifice of His atoning blood which covers our sins this day. I confess my sins of ______________. I repent and ask Your forgiveness. You are faithful and just to forgive my sin and cleanse me of all unrighteousness. Thank You for Your mercy. I am clothed in the righteousness of the Lamb of God and anointed with the oil of Your Spirit. You have blessed me with every covenant blessing in Christ Jesus.

In Your delegated authority in this home, I present our family to You. Thank You for the protection of the blood of Jesus covering us, our property, our possessions, and everything in our personal and spiritual jurisdiction. Put the cross of Jesus between us and the schemes of the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy. You have clothed us in the full armor of the Lord Jesus to withstand all the flaming missiles of the enemy. The blood of Jesus is between my family and all evil footholds of the enemy, which we may have invited by ignorance or disobedience. Break the power of any soulish prayers not in Your perfect will that we have prayed or that have been prayed about us. Captain of the Lord's hosts, command any encroachment of the evil one to leave this home. Send mighty angels to surround us, dismiss all enemy assignments, and protect us from harm (Ps 91). As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

You are in sovereign control. Do what You know is best for each of us and that which will bring Jesus the most glory. Fill our household with Your Spirit, so that sin has no dominion here. Minister to us Your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. You are our rear guard throughout the night (Isa 52:12, 58:8). Bless us with refreshing and renewing sleep to awake to a new day of Your plans for us. May we grow in trusting You with all our hearts, leaning not on our own understanding, and acknowledging You in all our ways. Go before us to show us the way we should go, and make our paths straight (Prov 3:5-6).

Thank You for the assurance of Your covenant of faithfulness to us. Draw us closer to You, give us a passion for Jesus, and enable us by Your grace to fulfill Your highest purposes. Equip us to stand firm and courageous in all Your will. Thank You for the right and privilege of protecting my family by this prayer offered in Jesus' name. Amen.