Daily Prayer: August 2019

as the hurricane approaches

God of the heavens: nature and all that You have created are truly awesome. Often, we; take these wonders for granted. Teach us to cherish all of your gifts.

Try as we might, we know that we cannot control the oceans, the mountains, the weather. We also firmly believe that ever since the time of Noah, You do not send floods, make the earth shake, or dispatch weather formations, such as hurricanes, as warnings or punishments.

So we ask, as this hurricane approaches land and approaching our brothers and sisters, that You shelter all who will be in its path. Watch over everyone, their loved ones, friends, and fellow people, many of whom are preparing to evacuate. Guard them as they prepare, perhaps to leave their homes again. Give them strength, courage, and resolve to ride out this storm; answer their prayers and ours that they be blessed with goodness and be spared from harm.

Blessed are You, Source of Life and Nature, whose awesome power and strength fill our world and inspire us to be strong in the face of all of life's difficulties.

Amen

-from a prayer offered by Rabbi Fred Guttman

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Our Source of Wisdom

Father, thank You for being my source of wisdom and strength. Your grace gives me hope for my future. I know You are so much greater than I could ever be and I’m so grateful for Your willingness to share Your strength with me. When I struggle, help me lean on You rather than myself. Amen

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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prayer for our daily needs

Give us today our daily bread. -Matthew 6:11

Back when I first accepted Christ I had a mindset that God would take care of me and I really didn't need to ask Him for my personal needs - don't remember that lasting too long. ツ

In this verse Jesus is telling us that God wants us to come to Him and ask him to provide us with what we need - food being one of our needs. Prayer of this kind is humble. It acknowledges our need of God to meet even the basic of our needs. It expresses a simple and basic trust in the Lord.

Our Father, often we take You for granted and do not acknowledge our need of you. We repent of our pride in this and in humility we ask you to meet the most basic of our needs - even things like bread. We ask you to give us a heart to each day ask for our needs. We echo Jesus' words and pray in unison: Give us today our daily bread.

Amen

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only as strong

Our strength comes only from God and we tap into that strength when we fall on our faces in prayer.

Prayer is the key to spiritual growth.

Prayer is the key to spiritual survival.

Prayer is the key that unlocks the mighty power of God in our lives and enables us to face the darkness of this sinful and evil world we live in.

Prayer is our lifeline to our LORD.

Prayer is taking everything that is within us and pouring it out to the One who Created us and loves us with an everlasting love.

Prayer will guide us. Lead us. Direct us. Fill us. Sustain us.

Change us.

If we want to draw closer to Christ...

If we want to be more like Him...

If we desire to walk as He walked...

We must pray.

“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything..” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) CSB

Amen

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TEACH ME!

Teach me, O God, so to use all the circumstances of my life today that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin.

Let me use disappointment as material for patience.
Let me use success as material for thankfulness.
Let me use suspense as material for perseverance.
Let me use danger as material for courage.
Let me use reproach as material for long-suffering.
Let me use praise as material for humility.
Let me use pleasure as material for temperance.
Let me use pains as material for endurance.

O, Lord Jesus Christ, who for the joy that was set before Thee didst endure the Cross, despising the shame, and art now set down at the right hand of the throne of God, let me consider Thee who didst endure such contradiction of sinners against Thyself, lest I be wearied and faint in my mind.

Control all my deeds this day in accordance with Thy most perfect will. Amen.

Taken from A Diary of Private Prayer, John Baillie

Amen

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a salvation prayer

Save us from weak resignation to the evils we deplore;
let the gift of your salvation be our glory evermore.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, serving you whom we adore.

Amen

-a prayer of Harry Emerson Fosdick

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a prayer of surrender

Dear Lord,

I am no longer my own - I am yours.
Lead me to what you want me to do in a community where I can serve.
Empower me to do all things in loving service to you and to humanity.

Teach me from my successes, from my failures and from my sufferings.
Employee me to work in your kingdom in small things and things great.
In service and in leisure, may I always be mindful of you.

In promotion or demotion help me to have a humble heart.
Cause me to be content in good times and in bad.
May I find satisfaction in you when I am hungry, thirsty or full.

I freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and your disposal.
O glorious God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - you are mine and I am yours.
And this prayer which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen

-inspired by a prayer of John Wesley

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for protection

Heavenly Father,

You are faithful to keep your promises. You are faithful in your love for us. You are faithful when we are not. Your compassion and strength reminds us just how big you are. You are sovereign and you are present with us each day. In both the big and small things, you are both a powerful and gentle God.

You never forsake us! Your constant faithfulness eases our minds and hearts, knowing you keep your promises.

We pray for the protection of our hearts today, Father. Protect our hearts against sin. Protect them against the ugliness of the world. Protect them against hardening. Protect our minds from what we shouldn't dwell on, and help us to dwell on all that is true and lovely. Protect our bodies against sickness, trauma, and other dangers.

We trust in who you are, and we stand in the truth of your providential care.

"Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, Who is the shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, And you will tread upon their high places." (Deuteronomy 33:29)

Amen

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Thanks for Grace

Father, thank you for your grace that you have lavishly given us. Help us to live in response to that grace. May it fill us and flow out of us onto others. Amen

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SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER

Oh gracious and loving Father.
In Thy will, O Lord, is my peace.
In Thy love is my rest.
In Thy service is my joy
Thou art all my heart's desire.
Whom have I in heaven but Thee?
And there is none upon the earth that
I desire besides Thee.
In the Name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, Amen

A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie

Amen

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prayer for prisoners

For six years I ministered to men imprisoned and in jail. Many of the guys that I visited were believers. I often left them more encouraged than when I came. Please pray this Beliefnet prayer with me as we remember those behind bars.

Lord, you offer freedom to all people. We pray for all who are captive in prison and for those who are affected by or involved in their imprisonment. Break the bonds of fear and isolation that exist. Support with your love, prisoners, their families, friends, prison staff and all who care. Heal those who have been wounded by the activities of others, especially the victims of crime. Help us to forgive one another, to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly together with Christ, in his strength and his spirit, now and every day.

Amen

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in us and through us

God, here I am, at your disposal, your child.
Use me to continue your loving the world,
by giving Jesus to me and through me,
to each other and to the world.

Let us pray for each other
that we allow Jesus to love in us and through us
with the love with which
his Father loves us.

Amen

... a prayer of Mother Teresa

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a prayer about imago dei

Father,

We acknowledge that you are the great Creator. The One who spoke this world into being. The One who looked at what He created and saw that it was good. You are the One who created humans to care for this earth. And when You created men and women, You saw that it was very good.

We are made in Your image, according to Your likeness. You give life to us and for us. No one else is that powerful, that gracious, that loving, that strong.

Each person You've created is to be considered. Loved. Cared for. Seen as good. Though are hearts are wrecked by the ravages of sin, we are all still Your creation. Creations You have redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

Help us to give all people dignity and worth. Help us to see each person created by You as one who matters. Help us remember that while each person may not be Your child, each person was made in Your image and therefore has value.

Help us to love better. See better. Do better. Care better.

Amen

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Love As We Are Loved

Father, help us to love as Jesus loved us. Help us to show we are your children by our willingness to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. Let our love transcend all of the things that differences that are true about us. Amen

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for light to rise among violence

Dear Lord,

The actions of others sometimes bewilder us.
We do not have words to describe the sadness.
We do not understand why some commit violence.

Our hearts break when others murder in your name.
We are so saddened when innocent people are hurt.
We long for a change in the hearts of everyone everywhere.

We ask you Lord to bring comfort to the families and friends of those slain.
We ask that you would bring good from these situations.
We pray that good would overcome evil in our nation and all over the world.

Somehow Lord help where violence has become a way of life.
Cause light to arise in the midst of gang ridden culture.
And in places of hate please show your love through your people.

We ask that you would protect those who do good in this world.
We pray believing in your goodness and trusting in your love.
We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Amen

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Light of the World

We cannot comprehend the depth of your love, our Father, that You would rend the sky and come down to earth to bring light into our dark world. Dear Lord, we need Your light now more than ever as we see our world grow darker and darker with hate and rage because they have rejected Your truth. Please, O God, empower us your children to be bolder lights for You. Let your light shine forth from these clay jars to bless others, so that Your name, Lord would be exalted above all the earth. Bring us, your body, together to unite our faith and pray that others may come to the knowledge of the saving grace of You, our Savior. Amen.

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come into our pain

Jesus, we invite you into our weariness.
Into our physical weaknesses.
Into the many decisions we must make.

We invite you to come into our pain and weaknesses.

We pray for you to be manifested as our God.
Our conqueror. Our healer. Our provision.
Our strength. Our hope. Our salvation.

You shoulder our load.
You cover us with your arms of love.
You protect us from all who come with words to destroy.

We invite you Lord into each moment of this season.
Each decision. Each need. The healing need.
The weaknesses of our human frailty and aging.

We receive your divine exchange. We worship you Lord Jesus.

Amen

... for more please check out an invitation into our pain

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a prayer of lament

How long, O Lord?

How long will we continue in our
hatred of one another?

How long, O Lord,
will it take for us to learn to love
as you love?

How long will we turn our eyes
from those who hurt
failing to restore and comfort?

How long will you leave us in our sinful mess
left to our devices
when all we do is destroy?

How long, O Lord,
will it be before you return
and take this kingdom back?

We struggle to see you here, O Lord.
We look for signs of your work and
it seems hopeless.

But we remember.

We remember all that you have already done.
We remember all that you have promised.
We remember who you are.

You are good.

Help us to trust in who you are.

But God is my King from long ago;
he brings salvation on the earth.
It was you who split open the sea by your power;
you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan
and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.
It was you who opened up springs and streams;
you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.
It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
you made both summer and winter. (Psalm 74:12-17)

Amen

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Abba Father, be with the families of those killed in the horrible events this past weekend. Grant them the comfort that can only come from you. Bring healing to those who were injured. Please bring healing and restoration to a nation that is tearing itself apart. May your people spread your love to those around us. Amen

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REMEMBER

Father, bless Your people around the world today, as we take communion and remember the price that was paid for our freedom and salvation. Amen

Amen

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for transforming grace

O that we may all receive of Christ’s fullness, grace upon grace;
grace to pardon our sins, and subdue our iniquities;
to justify our persons and to sanctify our souls;
and to complete that holy change, that renewal of our hearts,
whereby we may be transformed
into that blessed image wherein thou didst create us.

Amen

-a prayer of John Wesley

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Hear Our Prayers, O Lord

Our Father in Heaven, As you listen to our prayers today, and we know that You do, we thank You that You alone know our hearts as we pray, and that our deep desire is for Your will to be done in our lives. Help and teach us to pray for those things asking Your will be done in us, our families, our nation and our world. Teach us to desire Your will above all, and that when we fail and seek forgiveness, we can come to You humbly knowing that Your grace will cause things to work together for Your good. We want to be the lights in this generation which is growing darker each day, but we know You are sovereign, Lord, and we praise You above all for Your patience, Your love, Your goodness, Your faithfulness, and Your mercies, which are new every day. Amen

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a prayer of release

Dear Lord Jesus,

For the people who have hurt me,
I release any unforgiveness to the love of God.

For the things I worry about every day,
I release control of my life to the love of God.

For events that cause me to be afraid,
I release my fears to the love of God.

For depression and hopelessness,
I release my afflictions to the love of God.

For the bitterness I carry each day,
I release the past to the love of God.

For each and everything that keeps me from following you,
I release my whole being to the love of God.

Amen

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