Daily Prayer: August 2011

somebody prayed for me.

Anytime we sing this song in church, I always feel the sweet Holy Spirit descend down upon us. I am so thankful for the power and privilege of prayer. I am so thankful that we can lift up the cries of our hearts to the Lord and that we know He hears them and He responds to them. I am thankful that we can bring the needs of others to a caring God and know that He listens. I pray that the words to this song ministers to somebody's heart today.

Somebody went to the Throne of Heaven,

Somebody lifted my name.

Bringing me into His Holy presence,

Saying what I could not say...

Somebody showed me the face of His mercy,

When darkness was all I could see.

Somebody pleaded the blood of Jesus,

Somebody prayed for me.

Amen

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A Prayer for Humility

O Father, give us the humility which realizes its ignorance,

Admits its mistakes, recognizes its need, welcomes advice,

Accepts rebuke. Help us always to praise rather than to criticize,

To sympathize rather than to discourage, to build rather than to destroy,

And to think of people at their best rather than at their worst.

This we ask for thy name's sake.

Amen

(Prayer of William Barclay)

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give thanks to the lord

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.”

Let my friend Steve, who is going in for bypass surgery next week say: “His live endures forever.”
Let those who impacted by hurricane Irene proclaim: “His love endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say: “His love endures forever.”

When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; he brought me into a spacious place.
The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in myself.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Amen

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The Promises of God

2 Corinthians 9:8 - “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”

Recognize the Devil's Lies. The devil wants you to live your life from an empty cup. He wants you to think that God’s cup of grace has dried up for you. He wants you to be disenchanted with God. Most especially, he wants you to feel that God is a cosmic killjoy…that God is always thinking of ways to rob you of joy and peace. Satan knows that if you start to feel negatively about God, then he can have his way with you in other areas. Take courage. Be strong. Jesus has won the victory for you! Send those lies back to the pit where they came from and claim the promises of God. ~Adrian Rogers

Wish someone the peace and joy of the Lord today.

Amen

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Anxious Thoughts

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phil 4:6-7

Oh, Lord God,

I cannot alone calm this anxious feeling deep within. Sleep is fleeting and I find my body tense. Where does all this pressure come from and how do I lay at Your feet these thoughts and fears that tie my soul in knots? Nothing quite makes sense at the moment. There is no huge disaster looming, just an array of loose ends battered by a seeming relentless wind, and I am blown about too.

I pray, dear Lord Jesus, that Your peace would flood my soul this day. Deep within I know You are near, but somewhere along the road my eyes have been diverted, my focus shifted. Lead in in Your paths, Oh God. Help me trust that You are there to care for my children, that You hold their future in Your hand. Please calm this momma's anxious heart.

Amen

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a growing faith

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you have received it, and
it will be yours" - (Mark 11:24)

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Prayer puts faith in God and moves God's hand in the world. Only God can move mountains, but faith and prayer move God. In the cursing of the fig tree, our Lord demonstrated His power. Following that, He went on to say that large powers were committed to faith and prayer, not to kill but to make alive.

A faith that makes things happen is described here. This faith is an awareness of God, an experienced communion, a fact.

Is our faith growing or declining as the years go by? Let's make sure that our faith is ever growing and standing strong and firm. We make that happen by committing ourselves to the Word and to prayer. Thus our faith will take root and flourish.

(adapted from "The Power of Prayer" by E.M. Bounds)

Lord, help us realize that only through prayer will our faith grow. We need to be strong in our beliefs and stand firm in our walk. Our prayer lives are directly connected to the depth of our spiritual walk. May we be a people of prayer and a people seeking your heart in all things.

Amen

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Regrets, Repentance and Restoration

This funny Shoebox blog cartoon accentuates a very important aspect of our lives. Getting past regrets can be so difficult. With that in mind I offer this prayer.

For all of the stupid and sinful things I have done I ask for forgiveness dear Lord. Encourage me Lord to find ways to translate that forgiveness to acts of repentance. Give me courage dear Holy Spirit to find ways to turn my regrets into restoration. Help me to go to the one that has offended me and help me to see life through the eyes of the one that I have offended. In all these things I confess that I am able because greater is He who is in me than he that is in the world. I offer this prayer in the name of my Forgiver.

Amen

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The Will of God

Major Ian Thomas wrote, “Which of these things in the life of Jesus is more spiritual? When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount? When He raised Lazarus from the dead? When He washed His disciples’ feet? Or when He spat on the ground and made clay to anoint the blind man’s eyes? None was more spiritual than the other. Jesus did not divide His life up into little segments of spirituality. He was simply available to do whatever His Father willed.” The will of God is not a road map. It is a relationship! You just simply set yourself apart to do the will of God. ~Adrian Rogers

Mark 3:35 - “For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is My brother, and My sister, and mother.”

Are you segregating your life into activities that are more spiritual than others?
Surrender all you are to Him and make yourself available for whatever He calls you to do today.

Amen

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Healing

Dear Lord,
Today I am praying for my cousin's ex husband who suffered a fractured skull in a motorcycle accident last weekend. I praise you, Lord, for the progress he has made this week. As I pray for him physically, I also ask for spiritual healing, for a soul saved. And, Lord, I'm looking forward to the day I meet him in the grocery store with his little granddaughter once again.
Amen

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prayer proves itself

"If any one chooses to do God's will,

he will find out whether My teaching comes from God"

John 7:17

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Prayer is no untried theory. Prayer is a divine arrangement from God; designed for the benefit of mankind, intended as a means for furthering the interests of His cause on earth, and carrying out His gracious purposes in redemption and providence. Prayer proves itself. It is capable of proving its virtue through those who pray. Prayer needs no proof other than its accomplishments.

If any man wants to know the virtue of prayer. If he wants to know what it can achieve, let him pray. Let him put prayer to the test.

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(reprinted from 'The Power of Prayer' by E.M. Bounds)

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We serve a BIG God capable of doing BIG things! He is faithful in ALL things. Praise His Holy Name.

Amen

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Press On

One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ~Paul the Apostle

I so needed to hear this message of hope and perseverance today. If you are weary this morning you might want to pray along with the words sung in the video.

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Burdens and Trials a Necessity?

Mark 16:15 - “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

A man had a grandfather clock. One day he felt sorry for the grandfather clock because it had a weight on it, and that weight was always pulling on the clock. The man said, “Oh, Mr. Clock, you’ve held this weight so long; I’m going to remove it and let you rest.” The clock protested, saying, “Don’t take that weight from me. That’s what keeps me going.” In the same way, the trials and tests of life are there for your endurance. They’re to keep you going, keep you trusting, keep you praying, and keep you depending upon God. ~Adrian Rogers

When was the last time you shared with someone that they need to be thankful for their trials?
When was the last time you told yourself that?

Amen

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Struggles

Dear Father God,

It comes as no surprise to You when I struggle, especially when I struggle to obey. So Lord, I ask Your strength to overcome today. May I be all that You have ordained. May I listen for Your voice, follow Your lead, and do Your will this day with no worries or cares for what may come tomorrow. May I love like You, live like You, and look like You.

Amen

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sing praises to our God!

"Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name

of the LORD; praise him, O ye

servants of the LORD."

(Psalm 135:1)

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This passage of scripture clearly indicates to us just how important it is to praise our amazing LORD! We are to praise Him above all else. Before all else. In spite of all else.

The most important part of our prayer time with our awesome God, is when we praise Him for who He is and what He does in our lives. Every prayer that we utter from our lips should begin with praise to our Creator. Praise for His majesty and His sovereignty. Praise for His power and His goodness. Praise for His unending mercy and His generous grace.

Once we begin to see our God for who He is, the praise will just pour forth from our mouths and hearts like a fountain. Then our prayers will begin to be more about Him than us. When we start praising the King of kings, our prayers begin to take a totally different path and then our lives will begin to follow that path to a life richer in the knowledge of our God and in love for our God.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Praise the LORD; for the LORD

is good: sing praises unto his name;

for it is pleasant."

(Psalm 135:3)

Amen

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Prayer for Strength in Recovery

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

My wife Ann moved to a bed in the Rehabilitation Hospital of Chicago - it was a great start to our week. Please join me in prayer for Ann and others in similar places who are fighting to recover.

Gracious Lord, I begin by giving thanks to you for being by our side during this difficult trial. I also give you thanks for the many doctors, nurses, aides, family and friends who have encouraged us during this time.

Lord we pray for strength to come to Ann, and others like her, as she works and waits. We ask that they would be given grace to be patient with themselves and their bodies as they recover. We ask for wisdom to be given to all of the medical staff that works with them. We pray for family and friends to encourage them as they recover. And we pray that you would be glorified in their recovery.

We pray believing in the healing and restoring name of Jesus.

Amen

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Taming the Tongue

Proverbs 10:19 - “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”

Your tongue can get you into a lot of trouble. There is nothing that can do more damage to your relationships than your words. Proverbs 17:27 says, “He that hath knowledge spareth his words.” That is, if you’re smart, you won’t talk so much. When you do talk, keep your words warm and sweet because you may have to eat them later. There’s an old saying I heard a Rabbi use once that reminds us: “The ears are open and out. They’re unguarded, but the tongue is behind ivory bars.” ~Adrian Rogers

* When you’re talking, you’re not learning.
* When you’re not learning, you’re not communicating.
* When you’re not communicating, there will be no intimacy in your relationships.

In what ways has your mouth gotten you into trouble this week?
Confess these times before the Lord and ask for strength and wisdom to be a better communicator.

Amen

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Let us not be destitute!

Lord, let us not be destitute of Your Spirit. May we never be as a well without water or a cloud without moisture. We want to be used of You and for your kingdom purpose. Useful for the spreading of the glorious gospel. Teaching. Exhorting. Being an example of You.

Sweet Father, Continue to do a work in our lives. Mold us into who You desire us to be. Fill us with a new longing to seek hard after You with an insatiable hunger. May we magnify your name in all that we do and say. Fill us to overflowing so our cups runneth over. Be glorified in us and through us. Sanctify us through the washing of the Word and by your Truth. May we walk worthy of our calling.

In the mighty, saving, delivering and redeeming name of Jesus Christ,

Amen

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Beautiful Timing

He has made everything beautiful in its time. [Ecclesiastes 3:11a]

I think that most of us struggle with the idea of God's timing. Burger King commercials tell us that we can have it "our way". Another saying tells us that he who hesitates is lost. There is a constant pressure on us all to Just Do It! Yet these ideas are not relevant to the kingdom of God and we see in this verse that there is a beautiful timing to the will of God. Please join me in prayer.

Sovereign God, we come to you with anxious and impatient minds. We seek after your timing yet we often struggle seeing the beauty of the big picture. Help us to find joy in waiting and peace in our struggle. When we get impatient please remind us of this verse and that you are making things beautiful in concert with your will. And Lord help us to keep praising you as we wait.

Amen

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