Father,
Help us in this political season to remember that politics is not the ultimate solution to our societal problems. Help us to remember that we need to do do more than elect the right person or pass the right laws. Help us to remember that to have the right sort of society, we need to be the right sort of people and to influence others to be the right sort of people. People who have been changed by Your love and power and who live our lives based on this. Help us to be that sort of people.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
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RESURRECTION SUNDAY
My prayer for Resurrection Sunday is you will sit back, turn up the volume and listen to a beautiful rendition of what Easter means.
God bless you all.
Amen
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Hope Chest
Saturday is like a Hope Chest
Good
Friday was a day of horrendous suffering and death. Sunday was a day of
serendipitous joy. Other than being the day in between, what was Saturday? Saturday
was a day like a hope chest, filled with treasure yet to be seen. Hidden within
a tomb lay Jesus lifeless body and the expectation of a future kingdom had been
destroyed when the King was nailed to the cross. Yet, the story does not end
there and hope does not die there.
Luke 24:21-23 (ESV)
The
disciples on the road to Emmaus:
“21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem
Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things
happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us.
They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they
did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision
of angels, who said that he was alive.”
Thank you Father that the hope we have in Christ can
never be destroyed, diminished or debunked. It is a certain hope, a living hope
and a glorious hope. The Apostle Peter wrote to encourage us in:
1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,”
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,”
Thank you Father that Saturday was like a hope chest and we praise you for Jesus,
who is our only hope and salvation!
Amen
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Good Friday
“Simon” (by Marilyn K. Levine)
I was a proper friend,
having said so myself,
a loyal bearer of the burden,
one who understood
and needed only time
to witness to my honor.
I swore allegiance,
even when I got in over my head
more than once
and needed prompt rescue.
It was all right, I thought,
to go half the distance,
especially when so much good
could come to me
for that meager sacrifice of time
and a little sweet talk.
The miracles were a fascinating
side attraction,
icing on the cake,
a kind of glue to which I stuck.
There would be hard times, but
in a little while, not now.
Small warnings in daytime
are seldom sufficient
for the headstrong in the dark,
so present-bound are they
and hobbled by current events.
In Gethsemane, the night pealed
while I slept
and dreamed of several more miracles
and a little fever of salvation
handed out with the bread and wine.
When the roosts were still,
they came and took my friend away
to chains and other ignominies.
And I shrank within myself
and knew I had no backbone for
this debacle.
How sad, I moaned around the fire:
but still, I never knew that man.
And cockatrice shrilled
across the dark for the first time.
Repenting, I took the burden up
and meant to carry it all the way
to Pilate,
but at the water’s edge,
I paused and lost my center: Him? (If this is how it is)
Him I never knew.
Still face to face I came,
like fate,
dragged unwilling by those
who knew my profession
to show cause for my own pardon.
Face to face I had no choice,
with eyes as distant as the sea
and body crouched profanely,
in beggarly ways with oblique gestures,
I admitted what was obviously true:
You, I said,
I never knew you.
Ah, then cockatrice bellowed
while the earth changed underfoot.
My chest froze beneath this cloak
as I slinked away
to bide my time in random thoughts
of yesterday and broken promises.
I was a proper friend, I was:
true to myself
and false to the core.
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I was a proper friend,
having said so myself,
a loyal bearer of the burden,
one who understood
and needed only time
to witness to my honor.
I swore allegiance,
even when I got in over my head
more than once
and needed prompt rescue.
It was all right, I thought,
to go half the distance,
especially when so much good
could come to me
for that meager sacrifice of time
and a little sweet talk.
The miracles were a fascinating
side attraction,
icing on the cake,
a kind of glue to which I stuck.
There would be hard times, but
in a little while, not now.
Small warnings in daytime
are seldom sufficient
for the headstrong in the dark,
so present-bound are they
and hobbled by current events.
In Gethsemane, the night pealed
while I slept
and dreamed of several more miracles
and a little fever of salvation
handed out with the bread and wine.
When the roosts were still,
they came and took my friend away
to chains and other ignominies.
And I shrank within myself
and knew I had no backbone for
this debacle.
How sad, I moaned around the fire:
but still, I never knew that man.
And cockatrice shrilled
across the dark for the first time.
Repenting, I took the burden up
and meant to carry it all the way
to Pilate,
but at the water’s edge,
I paused and lost my center: Him? (If this is how it is)
Him I never knew.
Still face to face I came,
like fate,
dragged unwilling by those
who knew my profession
to show cause for my own pardon.
Face to face I had no choice,
with eyes as distant as the sea
and body crouched profanely,
in beggarly ways with oblique gestures,
I admitted what was obviously true:
You, I said,
I never knew you.
Ah, then cockatrice bellowed
while the earth changed underfoot.
My chest froze beneath this cloak
as I slinked away
to bide my time in random thoughts
of yesterday and broken promises.
I was a proper friend, I was:
true to myself
and false to the core.
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Last Supper Prayer
After sharing a last meal with his friends Jesus prayed a lengthy prayer.
Here is an excerpt from it.
Amen
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Here is an excerpt from it.
“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.Help us Father to fully embrace this prayer. Help us to be so in you that love for others overflows from our innermost being. That the world might see a unity of heart in us.
Amen
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It's time
Too many times our prayer lives are limited, half-hearted and inconsistent. The prosperous times in our lives seem to be the times we are the least connected to our Father in heaven. The times when things are going smoothly are the times we find ourselves neglecting our time of communion with our LORD.
Sadly, those periods of self-sufficiency are the beginning of our undoing. When we lean towards our own selves and start to think we have it all together, it's time to prepare ourselves for an awakening of sorts.
You see, it's in the trials and tribulations of our lives that we draw near to God. It's in the times of uncertainty that we hit our knees in desperation. It's when events take place in our lives where things are out of our hands that we finally turn to Christ and prostrate ourselves before Him in deep need.
Some times we force God to take drastic measures to turn our attention back to Him. He will allow things to happen in our lives to cause us to turn our focus back to where it should be. On Him.
Let's not wait until the unthinkable happens to develop consistent prayer lives. Let's not wait until tragedy strikes to begin crying out to God. Let's begin to carve out a specific time of our day to just get with God in prayer and praise. Make time for fervent prayer. Make time for fervent praise. Make time for the One who created us and loves us.
"I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."
(Psalm 121:1,2)
Amen
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The Resurrection
Father,
May we, Your people, always remember, not just this time of year but all year round, that Jesus Christ defeated sin and death and hell. Help us remember that this is not something we have done or can do, but that it is something He has done. Help us to live in the light of His victory. Help us not to live in fear, but to remember we face defeated foes.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
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Holy Week
Jesus, as we commemorate your sacrifice for us this week, let us remember that you counted the sufferings of the cross as nothing because of the joy that was set before you, the joy of knowing that your sacrifice would bring about new creation and would inaugurate the Kingdom. Help us to see our own sufferings in the same light. Amen.
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Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.
PALM SUNDAY
The Triumphal Entry
John 12:13 "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Isreal."
O Lord the cry was Hosanna! Save now! Rescue us, Jesus. We need Your help! We need Your deliverance! Hosanna, save now! This is precisely what You came to do, but in a way we did not expect. In order to save us You had to lay down Your life. Before you could wear the crown of glory, You first had to wear the crown of thorns. You heard our cry for mercy. You answered our prayer for a Savior King.
Today we join our voices with the song of the crowd and with the song of countless multitudes who are waving palm branches before the throne of the Lamb. And we cry out to You are our King: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
Thank You for being the perfect Lamb. We love and honor You!! Amen.
Maranatha Worship Bible
googleimages.com
Amen
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The Joy of Palm Sunday
Hosanna
John 12:12-13 (NLT)
The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors 13 took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Hail to the King of Israel!”
The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors 13 took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Hail to the King of Israel!”
Father, thank you for the joy of Palm Sunday and the excitement
of the crowd welcoming Jesus to Jerusalem. Though we know it was short lived
joy, yet it was a foretaste of the joy we have and feel in welcoming Jesus as
the King of our lives. The first time he came to suffer as our Savior, the
second coming will be to reign as sovereign Lord and eternal King. The joy we
will share then, in the presence of our Lord, Savior and King. is almost beyond
expression.
Yes, Father, we can say with
the Psalmist: “You will show me the way
of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with
you forever.” Psalm 16:11 (NLT)
Thank you Father in the name
of Him who is the joy of our heart and our Savior/King, Jesus.
Amen
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When all is darkness
O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand, Your purpose, Your will through all things.
Amen
By Saint Ignatius of Loyola
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when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand, Your purpose, Your will through all things.
Amen
By Saint Ignatius of Loyola
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Prayer of St Patrick
May the Strength of God pilot us.
May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.
May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Host of God guard us.
Against the snares of the evil ones.
Against temptations of the world
May Christ be with us!
May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us,
Christ be over all!
May Thy Salvation, Lord,
Always be ours,
This day, O Lord, and evermore.
Amen
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May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Host of God guard us.
Against the snares of the evil ones.
Against temptations of the world
May Christ be with us!
May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us,
Christ be over all!
May Thy Salvation, Lord,
Always be ours,
This day, O Lord, and evermore.
Amen
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Support in Prayer
I have pancreatic cancer (the diagnosis is now clear, and the prognosis, frankly, is grim). But I have been incredibly blessed by the number of people who are praying for me and have supported me, both in this and in my wife's dealing with ovarian cancer. (She is doing well, although there is always the potential of it coming back.) It is important for Christians to support and pray for one another in difficult times.
Father,
I pray for Your people. I pray that we may have hearts of compassion. That we may reach out with Your love to those hurting and in need. That we may support one another in all our difficulties. And that we may pray for one another as You have told us to. Give us Your heart of concern for all those in need.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
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Father, as we draw closer to the week when we remember the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, remind us of who we were before you saved us. Then remind us of who we are because we have been united with Christ. Amen
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Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.
PRAYING THE SCRIPTURE
O Lord, we live in a culture without a moral compass, lost in a desert of relativistic notions. Your eyes look to and fro across our land, searching for those noble ones who eagerly seek truth and test it against Your unchanging Word. For Your Word, Lord, is the measure of all truth. May we, Your people, become courageous defenders of Your Word in our generation. We love You. Amen.
Amen
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Peace on Earth?
James 3:17-18 (ESV)
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Father making peace is one of the greatest challenges
we are confronted with today. We pray for your wisdom, guidance and grace to so
influence society that peace will prevail in overcoming strife, conflict and
violence. Farther we know that peace comes at a severe price. Help us to be
willing advocates and examples of what it means to sow peace and thereby be
peacemakers.
Father you have told us how to do this in the above
verse by being: pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, merciful, fruitful,
impartial and sincere. May the salt of this disposition so penetrate our
society that there will be a harvest of righteousness for your glory and honor.
In the name of Jesus who is our peace,
Amen
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In Memory of a Friend
Prayer by Vienna Cobb Anderson
Bless, O God of eternal life,
all who have died
by their own hand.
Grant them peace
from their inner turmoil
and the compassion of your love.
Comfort those who mourn
their loved ones.
Strengthen them to face the questions of pain,
the guilt and anger,
the irreparable loss.
Help us to reach out in love
to others who prefer death
to the choices of life
and to their families who grieve.
Amen.
Source: Beliefnet
all who have died
by their own hand.
Grant them peace
from their inner turmoil
and the compassion of your love.
Comfort those who mourn
their loved ones.
Strengthen them to face the questions of pain,
the guilt and anger,
the irreparable loss.
Help us to reach out in love
to others who prefer death
to the choices of life
and to their families who grieve.
Amen.
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Spring Break Prayer
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Prayer for direction
Lord, today I lift up all who find themselves at a loss for direction in their lives. I pray that You will be light to them. I pray that you will show them the path that You have ordained for them. Give them clear insight into Your Word.
Draw them to Your side. Give them a hunger to find Your will. A thirst to seek Your face. And peace when they find You in their quest.
You, O God, are mighty and powerful and worthy of all honor and all praise.
"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
Psalm 119:105
Amen
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Under the Usurper
Father,
We live in difficult times. We live in a world that is under sin and a curse and that lies under the power of a usurper, who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. Help us to remember that this is not the world as You intended it to be and to work for what what is right and just. Help us to remember that You are ultimately the victor.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
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We live in difficult times. We live in a world that is under sin and a curse and that lies under the power of a usurper, who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. Help us to remember that this is not the world as You intended it to be and to work for what what is right and just. Help us to remember that You are ultimately the victor.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
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SERVANT HEARTS
Lord Jesus, Suffering Servant, teach us to to model ourselves after You. Fill our hearts with joy and thanksgiving as we share Your life and love with one another. By the power of Your Holy Spirit help us to protect and build up those who are weak.
Bring all Your people together in unity. Lord ~ weak and strong, rich and poor, young and old ~~so that with one heart and one mind we might glorify Our Father in heaven and bring praise to Your wonderful Name.
Give us servant hearts to serve without expecting anything in return to honor You. We love You. Amen.
Worship Bible and googleimages.com
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In Times of Trouble
Psalm 46:1
(NLT)
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
Andrew
Murray wrote: “In times of trouble it is good to remember”
First—God brought me here. It is by His
will I am in this strait place. In that I will rest.
Next—He will keep me in His love and
give me grace in this trial to behave as His child.
Then—He will make the trial a blessing,
teaching me lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He
means to bestow.
Last—In His good time He can bring me
out again—how and when He knows.
I am
here—by God’s appointment, in His keeping, under His training, for His time.”
Thank you
Father for the advice and guidance from a man who knew and experienced your
love and grace during difficult times. Help us to emulate that trust in your
love and receive the sustaining strength of your grace.
In Jesus
strong Name.
Amen
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Thank you Lord for the good and the bad
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
We give you thanks O Lord for the good and the bad in our lives.
The good days knowing that you have and will continually provide for us. The bad days knowing that we are dependent on you at all times.
We thank you for the good people we are with who bless us and whom we bless. We thank you for the bad people we meet for reminding us of our fallen nature so we will not be proud and for whom we can show your love.
We thank you for good health knowing that we are made in your image and we reflect your perfection. We thank you for our bad ailments knowing that this body is temporal and we look forward to the promised resurrected body.
We thank you for good feelings because we are filled with your presence and you give us joy even in our sorrows. We thank you for bad feelings recognizing that we are not worthy of you and yet you call us your own.
We thank you for the badness of the cross where you have suffered and died for us and where our transgressions are washed away with your blood. We thank you for the goodness of your very self of whom we abide in for you are the resurrection and the life.
Amen.
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We give you thanks O Lord for the good and the bad in our lives.
The good days knowing that you have and will continually provide for us. The bad days knowing that we are dependent on you at all times.
We thank you for the good people we are with who bless us and whom we bless. We thank you for the bad people we meet for reminding us of our fallen nature so we will not be proud and for whom we can show your love.
We thank you for good health knowing that we are made in your image and we reflect your perfection. We thank you for our bad ailments knowing that this body is temporal and we look forward to the promised resurrected body.
We thank you for good feelings because we are filled with your presence and you give us joy even in our sorrows. We thank you for bad feelings recognizing that we are not worthy of you and yet you call us your own.
We thank you for the badness of the cross where you have suffered and died for us and where our transgressions are washed away with your blood. We thank you for the goodness of your very self of whom we abide in for you are the resurrection and the life.
Amen.
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A Prayerful Response to Poverty
Beth recently shared this on her blog when reflecting on the poverty in Nicaragua:
Give us hearts of compassion Lord. For the poor in Nicaragua. In America. And hurting people all over the world. Cause our hearts to be tender and open to change. Help us to never get used to poverty. Have mercy on us. Cause the pain of others to break us and transform us into caring servants in the Kingdom of God. In the name of Jesus.
Amen
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"I have witnessed much poverty here. Poverty that took my breath away the first time I was exposed to it. Poverty that broke my heart. Poverty that I couldn’t comprehend." ... "I remember the first time I came to Nicaragua and encountered the depth of impoverishment that existed here. I was only here 8 days and the entire time I was in a state of shock that pretty much rendered me speechless to the situation in front of me. It didn’t completely sink in until the day I flew back home to Louisiana."In response to a call to full time missions work Beth found herself praying this prayer:
"Lord, please don’t ever allow me to get used to this poverty. May I always see it and feel. May I never become accustomed to it where it doesn’t break me and change me."I so agree with that prayer and offer these words to hers.
Give us hearts of compassion Lord. For the poor in Nicaragua. In America. And hurting people all over the world. Cause our hearts to be tender and open to change. Help us to never get used to poverty. Have mercy on us. Cause the pain of others to break us and transform us into caring servants in the Kingdom of God. In the name of Jesus.
Amen
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Give unto the LORD!
Prayer of PRAISE from the heart of David
Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones,
Give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;
Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
(Psalm 29:1-2) NKJV
What a beautiful prayer for us to model our communion with God after. Let's remember to begin our mornings with a prayer of praise! He is worthy!
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As a Body
Father,
I pray that your people may work together as Christ's body to accomplish Your purposes in the world. Not as divided individuals doing their own thing. Not as supporters of a few key leaders pushing their own agenda. But as Christ's body, working together and trusting You to guide us to those good works You have prepared beforehand for each of us to do.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
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I pray that your people may work together as Christ's body to accomplish Your purposes in the world. Not as divided individuals doing their own thing. Not as supporters of a few key leaders pushing their own agenda. But as Christ's body, working together and trusting You to guide us to those good works You have prepared beforehand for each of us to do.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
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