Daily Prayer: July 2019

crying out in prayer

I am reminded of a time in 1990 when my first wife lay in a hospital room fighting for her life. Oxygen was not getting her extremities and the hospital staff was ready to put her on a breathing machine. In the midst of chaos I asked them to stop. I began to pray out loud words that came from deep within me. A presence filled the room. Oxygen began to flow to her body. It was amazing. I cried out to the Lord and he heard me.

Dear Lord,

In times of trouble.

Help my heart to rest knowing that you are the One who makes me safe.

In seasons of hardship.

Cause me to continue to cry out to the One who lightens my load.

When I am at my wits end.

Quiet my mind so that I can hear the still small voice within.

When nothing makes sense in my life.

Provoke my heart to embrace faith, hope and love.

Moreover Dear Lord.

Instruct me and fill me with your Spirit that I may be a witness for you.

Amen

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Teach Us, Lord

Our Father, we thank you for the gift of grace you have given to us in Christ as we give ourselves to you again this day. We give ourselves to you in worship because of all you have done for us. Teach us how to be your people, not imitating the world, but being transformed by the precious Word you have given to us and grant us genuine love for one another as members of your body. Teach us to serve you and one another with gladness and energy in accordance with the calling you have given each of us. Amen

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to speak pleasing words

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Let grace fall from our lips today Lord.
Cause encouragement to flow from our hearts to others.
May our words be ones that refresh and comfort.
Help our words bring your grace to the hearer.

Amen

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prayer for pruning

Heavenly Father,

You've chosen to be the one who not only created us, but tends to us. Like a shepherd and a gardener, you care for your people. Like sheep, we run away and like a shepherd you come after us.

Like bushes and tree, we grow extra stuff that doesn't belong there. So you cut us back so we can be healthy and continue to grow.

But it hurts. Pruning hurts.

God, help us to accept the pruning for what it is: love. Your loving and tender care is about our best, not about what feels good. Help us remember that you are for us, and you want what's best. And so you prune so we can bear fruit.

Amen.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:1-5)

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Love of the Father

Father, thank you that you call us your children and that you love us with an inexhaustible love. Thank you for your care for us. and the confidence we have that we can rest in you. Amen

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BE JOYFUL

"Mark Twain was a professional humorist whose lectures and writings made people around the world laugh and, for a short time, forget their troubles. Yet Mark Twain himself was, in private, a man whose life was broken by sorrow. When his beloved daughter Jean died suddenly of an epileptic seizure, Twain too ill to go to the funeral, said to a friend, "I have never greatly envied anyone but the dead. I always envy the dead."

How very sad ~ to not experience joy in life and think that death is the only answer to cover the sorrow.

Jesus Christ was "a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Yet He possessed a deep joy that was beyond anything this world could offer. As he faced the cruel death of Calvary, Jesus said to His followers, "These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full". (John 15:11)

Heavenly Father, help me to remember that even when things go wrong, I can have JOY ~ The joy of knowing You, the joy of having the Holy Spirit as my comfort and guild, and the joy of knowing You are in CONTROL. Your JOY is my strength, and I will sing to You with joyful praises and songs. I love You. Amen

Mark Twain story from "Be Joyful" by Warren W. Wiersbe

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to the potter of our souls

Have your way with us Lord.
Pour the waters of your word on our hearts.
Grab hold of our very beings.
Work our difficult experiences for good.
Mold us into the image of Christ.
To you belong all glory and praise.

Amen

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prayers of sacrifice

All that I am, all that I have
I lay them down before You, oh Lord
All my regrets, all my acclaims
The joy and the pain, I'm making them Yours

Things in the past, things yet unseen
Wishes and dreams that are yet to come true
All of my heart, all of my praise
My heart and my hands are lifted to You

What can we give that You have not given?
And what do we have that is not already Yours?
All we possess are these lives we're living
That's what we give to You, Lord

Lord, I offer my life to You
Everything I've been through, use it for Your glory
Lord I offer my days to You
Lifting my praise to You as a pleasing sacrifice
Lord I offer You my life

Amen

... excerpted from a song by Don Moen

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LORD, make me.....

Amen

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a prayer of becoming

Heavenly Father,

Ever since the moment we received your Son as our Lord and Savior, you've been working on us. We get that. It's good, because we need work. And we will until the day you take us home. But can we just tell you something? It's hard. This whole "becoming like you" thing. It's hard when our sin is shown to us, it's hard when your Spirit convicts us, it's hard when we mess up and hurt someone. And it's really hard to repent and not repeat.

But we are who YOU say we are. Your children. We belong to no one but you. So this becoming is here to stay, and it's for our good. Can you help us lean into this becoming? This sanctification? This molding and shaping? Can you help us understand more fully that while it hurts it will someday help? Can you help us not run away from it?

Thanks.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

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Self Righteousness

Father, forgive us for our self righteousness, for those times when we look down on others because we think they are somehow more in need of God's grace than we are. Help us to see our own sin before we address the sin of others. Remind us how desperately we need your grace. Amen

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LEST I FORGET

Luke 7:44-47 "Then he turned towards the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered has not stop kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven --for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

Lord Jesus, You did not come for people who insist they are good but for people who know they are not. Deliver me from self-righteousness. Forgive me for being too stubborn to repent, too proud to fall at Your feet. Help me to remember the depths from which You saved me. Help me to remember that I am not worthy of Your grace. May I never be a stumbling block for anyone who is reaching out to You. And God forbid that I should ever chase off the ones You came to save. I love You. Amen.

Amen

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a lamentation

For those who are suffering.
For those who are injured.
For families that are separated.

For firemen, police, emergency medical workers and all public officials.
For those who serve in the armed forces.
For those who answer the call to comfort and give aid.
For those who provide support thru their prayers.

For those who are dying.
For those who died while saving the lives of others.
For those who have died from acts of terrorism [or natural disasters] around the world.
For all who lost their lives.

For those who survived.
For the children who have been orphaned.
For the men and women who have lost their spouses.
For all who mourn and those who comfort them.

For peace in our city and in our world.
For unity among faiths.
For a greater appreciation and love of all humanity.

For patience and perseverance.
For calm in the midst of fear.
For forgiveness and the grace to overcome adversity.

For generosity of spirit.
For hope in times of despair.
For light in the darkness.

Gracious and Loving God,
you are our comforter and our hope.
Hear your people's prayers as they come before you.
Strengthen us in this time of need.
Inspire us to acts of charity and generosity
and give us hope of a brighter future.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen

-a prayer by Joseph P. Shadle

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Our Lord’s Prayer

Pray like this: ‘Our Father, who dwells in the heavenly realms, may the glory of your name be the center on which our lives turn. Manifest your kingdom realm, and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth, just as it is fulfilled in heaven. We acknowledge you as our Provider of all we need each day. Forgive us the wrongs we have done as we ourselves release forgiveness to those who have wronged us. Rescue us every time we face tribulation and set us free from evil. For you are the King who rules with power and glory forever. Amen.’ Matthew 6:9‭-‬13 TPT

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to be strengthened with power

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Amen

-a prayer of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:12-19

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cry out

Never forsake the gift of communication with our LORD and Savior. He is available to us every second of our day.

He is listening. He is aware of us. He cares.

He knows our deepest anguish and He feels our deepest hurts.

He responds to the cries of our heart.

Fall facedown. Cry out to Him. And listen for His voice.

Amen

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A prayer for the body and soul

Paiting by Russ Fye

Father,

Today we pray for a greater understanding of how our bodies and souls are connected. You have made us as wholistic people, mysteriously and wonderfully made in your image. When our hearts are sick, our bodies can feel it. When our bodies are sick, our hearts are affected by this, too. What a mystery! And yet a reminder of how you've created us with intentionalty and purpose.

God, we ask that you help us see the importance of caring for both our bodies and our souls. We are your hands and feet on this earth, called to show the world your Son, Jesus. We are also called to love you with all our hearts, and when our hearts are sick, we cannot love you as you deserve to be loved. Help us to find a balance between sacrifically loving others and taking care of ourselves. Help us to see our bodies and soul as worthy of being cared for well, so we can care of souls and bodies of others.

Help us to see the beauty and the mystery of how you have made us, and help us to see how we can best take care of what you've given us to steward well.

Amen

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Freedom

Father, we thank you for the freedoms we have as citizens of this nation. We thank you even more for the freedom you have given us in Christ. You have given us the liberty of children of the King. Thank you. Amen

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GOD'S PERFUME

"Now, I pray our Lord to grant that by the blessed Spirit we may always be sensitive of the presence of God wherever we are. His are the beauties of nature, His the sunshine which is bringing on the harvest His the perfume which loads the air from multitudes of flowers, His the insects which glitter around us like living gems, and yet the Creator and Sustainer of all these is far too little perceived." ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

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a prayer for justice, peace and charity

Almighty and Eternal God,

May your grace enkindle in all
a love for the many unfortunate people
whom poverty, misery or war
reduce to a condition of life
unworthy of human beings.

Arouse in the hearts of those who call You, Father,
a hunger and thirst for justice and peace
and for charity in deeds and in truth.

Grant, O Lord,

peace in our days,
peace to souls,
peace to families,
peace to our country,
and peace among nations.

Amen.

— Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)

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