Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

REFORMATION DAY!


A Reformation Detonation

*As a result of October 31, 1517, hundreds of millions of Christians all over the world have submitted to God’s word as their highest authority (Sola Scriptura) and his teaching that salvation is a gift given by God’s grace alone (Sola Gratia) through the instrument of faith alone (Sola Fide) in the death and resurrection of their one savior and mediator, Jesus Christ (Sola Christus), so that all glory would always redound to the Triune God alone (Sola Deo Gloria).

Wherever the church opened the door to Jesus, repentance and reformation was like chemotherapy to the cancer of spiritual corruption and recovered belief in the gospel of Christ spread spiritual health through much of Europe, then on to the New World, Asia, and Africa. It spawned massive evangelism, church planting, Bible translation, and frontier missions efforts. And in its wake it brought about all manner of social good: stronger families, honest commerce, economic empowerment for the poor, hospitals and clinics for the sick, education for the masses, encouragement for the scientific enterprise, democratic forms of civic government, and on and on.

Father, today we celebrate Reformation Day!  A day so many many years ago when Martin Luther nailed that thesis to the door of the church to say "We have submitted to God's Word as our highest authority and that salvation is a gift given by God's grace alone.  Thank You for courageous men and women throughout history, and give us that courage today to stand firm on the Authority of Scripture and Salvation by grace alone.  We love and desire You, Father and love the Word of Good.  Amen.

*Taken from article by Jon Bloom, staff writer for desiringGod.org


Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Unique





".... because he poured out his soul to death ...."  Isa. 53:12 (ESV) 

Father what a unique reminder of Jesus giving his life as a sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sin. " 10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt,.......11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities."  Isa. 53:10-12." (ESV)  

And Father we are also reminded: "21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. "  2 Cori. 5:21 (ESV) 

Thank you Father for the forgiveness, reconciliation and peace we have through your grace and by faith in Jesus, our Savior.

In His Name, Amen.




Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

when we are weary

We come to you Lord because we know that you care about us and love us.

We confess that we are weak and need your strength to make it through today.

We give you our burdens, our pains, our cares, anxieties and all that is weighing us down.

We ask you to infuse us with strength that transcends spirit, body and soul.

We say amen in the caring name of Jesus.


Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

for grace filled conversation

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the grace that teaches us how to respond with seasoned speech.

Help us Holy Spirit to be patient before we respond to pain, criticism or correction.

Bless us to be your agents of grace to those around us as we speak words of healing.

In all we do, help us to honor you with the words that flow from our mouths.

In Jesus name we say amen.


Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

AS THE DEER. . .


"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God."  Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water,
So my soul longeth after Thee.
You alone are my heart's desire,
And I long to worship Thee.

You alone are my strength, my shield;
To You alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart's desire, and I long to worship Thee

You're my hope and You'll not forget me
Even though my heart may stray,
In the night You keep me singing
And You'll guide me day by day.

I want You more than gold or silver
Only You can satisfy,
You alone are the real joy giver
And the apple of my eye.

Gracious Holy Father, may the meditation of my heart, and the desire of my soul be the words if this song that says it better than I can.  Give me even a deeper longing for Yourself!  I love You.  Amen

googleimages.com
Martin Nystrom 1984 Music

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

The Power of Prayer




"The LORD .....hears the prayer of the righteous."  Proverbs 15:29 (ESV) 

The resource to infinite power is God. The access to infinite power is God's Son Jesus. One of the greatest expressions and influences of infinite power is prayer. God has so designed and planned that through our prayers God does wonderous things.

James 5:16-18 (ESV) 
16 .......The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
 
Father it is both gracious and generous that You include us in the miraculous affects of prayer. Believers throughout history have seen You chance the climate, still the storms, heal all kinds of disease and affliction, transform enemies into friends, give peace in the midst of turmoil, guidance in uncertainty, faith that over comes fear, abundance in times of need and so much more through prayer.
  
Father when we pray according to Your will, for Your way, and for Your timing, the impossible happens. Lord Jesus you have said: "20.... I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20 (ESV) 
 
Father thank You for the encouragement, and invitation to pray boldly in faith, in conjunction with will, and for your glory. In the power name of Jesus, Amen.





Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

prayer for renewal

Lord,

 We are Your people, the sheep of Your flock
 Heal the sheep who are wounded
 Touch the sheep who are in pain
 Clean the sheep who are soiled
 Warm the Lambs who are cold
 Help us to know the Father’s love
 Through Jesus, our Shepherd
 And through the Spirit

 Help us to lift up that love
 And show it all over this world

 Help us to build love on justice
 And justice on love

 Help us to believe mightily
 To hope joyfully
 To love divinely

 Renew us, that we may help
 To renew the face of the earth

 Amen
- a prayer of the Catholic Church

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

for courage to do what is right

Oh Father in Heaven,

You sit on your throne, crowned in all majesty and glory. Your face shines on me and your hand touches me every day. You stand in courage. You crush evil and uphold righteousness.

Lord, I pray that you bless me with the courage to do what is right in your eyes.

May I never shake in the face of temptation, but instead, stand firm in your word and make you proud. Amen.
-from the folks at Connect Us    

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

for something deeper


Only You, Jesus, can meet my desperate need for righteousness. Forgive me, Lord, when I channel my efforts through my own ineffective will power and fail to draw on Your power through time with You. Forgive me when I fail to yield to the Holy Spirit's work and wander from You, Jesus - my first love. 

Thank You, Father, for making me more and more like Jesus as I trust and obey You. Thank you for covering me with Your grace as I grow. In my spiritual bankruptcy, remove the guilt of my sin and make me pure in heart. Help me desire Your righteousness as much as I desire my own comfort and peace. Help me mourn over the sin and pain in the world and to hunger after a deeper holiness. Fill me with Your fullest joy in the life You have given me.

Amen
Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

ONE DAY



Psalm 84:10-12 "For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand else where.  I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in many tents of wickedness.  For the Lord is a sun and a shield; The Lord will give grace and glory;  No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trust in You!"



Oh Lord of Heaven and Earth.  How we love being in Your house.  Truly being in your courts, and in your presence is better than anything else.  Lord, we worship You, we love You, we honor you with our singing and praises.  Accept the worship from our hearts that long to be in your presence for ever and ever.  Amen





Amen
Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Forgive




".......forgive anyone who offends you. 
Remember, the Lord forgave you" Colossians 3:13 (NLT) 

Luke 17: 3-4 (NASB95)  "3 ....If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

Father we live in a hostile world that is unforgiving, without grace or mercy. We know that people will offend us even at times as we may offend others. Such is the nature of our fallen sinful disposition. And Father we all need to be forgiven.

Thank you Father for your infinite love, and mercy in which you freely forgive us through faith in your Beloved Son. "7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding."  Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV) 

Again, Father, you command us: "13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."  Colossians 3:13 (NIV) 

I pray that people's minds will be opened to the reality that there can be no peace without forgiveness. In the name of Him who is our peace, Amen.





Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

a prayer in the valley

Dear Lord,

We remember the words of the psalmist who taught us that you are with us even when we walk through dark valleys and hard times.

Give us hearts that trust you when we are confused and in pain. Bring us to places of peace and serenity in times of turmoil.

We confess that you are our God. We affirm our belief in your love and care for us. We release our cares to you believing that you will work all things together for our good. Amen


Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

a surrender to service

Dear Father,

There are times when we give up hope.
Days when we find no purpose in our lives.
Depression seems to rule the day.

We reach out to you asking for help.
To you we commit our lives and our times.
Bless us with a renewed inner vision.

We surrender to you, Holy Spirit.
Make us instruments of your grace.
And enable us to be agents of blessing.

Amen
Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Prayer for Wisdom

Father, help us to search for your wisdom with the same effort we search for the things of this world. Teach us that your wisdom is far greater than ant riches we could ever hope to have. Amen
Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

MAKE ME A SERVANT


Matthew 20:26-28  "...Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave ~~just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give his life a ransom for many."

Once you say the yes of faith to Jesus and accept His blueprint for the fullness of life, the whole world can no longer revolve around you, your needs, your gratifications, you'll have to revolved around the world, seeking to bandage it's wounds, loving dead men to life, finding the lost, the wanting, the unwanted and leaving far behind all selfish concerns that drain our time and energy.  ~John Powell (1927-)

Our Father in heaven, give us servant hearts to follow your example.  It's so easy to get carried away with our own wants, needs and desires.  May we live as true disciples of Jesus, following his example of serventhood.  He came to serve and to save.  Give us hearts to serve, and boldness to share the Gospel so men can be saved.  Amen.


googleimages.com













Amen
Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Singing a Prayer


Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, 
bless his holy name! Psalm 103:1 (ESV) 

LORD, I  too sing  this song as a prayer in worship and to praise to You.

"Maker of the earth and sky Ruler of the heavens

He whom death could not contain Blessed be His name

Bring to Him your troubled heart Lay your cares before Him

He has suffered every pain Blessed be His name

Perfect and unchanging Sinless Son of Man

Author of our simple faith Blessed be His name

Constant through our darkest hour Stronger than our weakness

Bearer of our grief and shame Blessed be His name

Humbly bow before Him Praise Him for His grace

Ever will His love remain Blessed be His name

Present and abiding Usher in His reign

With us through the end of days Blessed be His name

Author of our growing faith Blessed be His name."

Blessed Be His Name by Jenny Phillips





Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

to be your disciples

Father,

It is our desire to be your disciples.
Mold us Lord into followers of divine love.
Make us to be people who care for others.

Help us Holy Spirit to love like Jesus.
Give us Christlike compassion for others.
Lead us in the ways of sacrificial love.

We need your heart to love those in pain.
Bless our eyes to see and ears to hear.
We desire to beyour disciples of love.

Amen


Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

to think of ourselves less

Dear Lord,

Help us to be people who always have the welfare of others in mind. Teach us to be humble in our dealings with others.

Lead us in ways that display a desire to get a fair deal and not a deal that gets the best of others. Help us to not love money.

When pain comes our way, bless us to see clearly and understand that we are not alone in our suffering. Help us follow Jesus.

Amen


Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Brokenness to freedom

Do you sometimes simply feel BROKEN? Do you feel WOUNDED? 

Are you HURTING and filled with despair? Are you BATTERED and BRUISED by life?

In our broken and wounded state, we may feel our DEEPEST darkness.

A darkness that leaves us feeling lost and confused.  Weary and worn. 

No one else may have any idea of what is taking place within our minds. Within our souls. Our spirits. 

We may feel alone and hopeless. We can try to hide those feelings and push them down deep in an effort to conceal the anguish we are in.

We try and keep others from seeing the turmoil that is truly swirling around in our spirits. 

It’s often those hidden things that are tucked away so neatly down in the depths of our hearts that drives us in the wrong direction.

But Jesus SEES. He SEES our hurts. He SEES our wounding. He SEES those places of devastation.

And He has come to change our story. He has come to take those broken pieces of our lives and gently and lovingly put them back together.

Jesus has come to REPAIR. RESTORE. RENEW.

Pick up those broken pieces and then throw them at His feet! Let Christ do what only He can do.

“When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” (Luke 13:12)

He is calling us over today, to free us from our broken state. 




Amen
Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

for solitude




For moments when we struggle to feel seen, when we feel all alone, and wonder if anyone is wanting to be present with us, we pray.





Good, Good Father,

Even in the facade we have put upon our lives, Lord, may You teach us that the shoe of each of our souls in unique. You have made us in Your image, and You have placed a special purpose upon each one of our lives. We ask that You unveil what beautiful and eternal thing You are doing in each of us.

Reveal to us the presence, power and light of Your soul. Teach us that our souls belong to one another and to You. When we feel alone, may other see us. Give us courage to reach out for community.

Show us that You are always with us, that we are never alone. May we learn to see ourselves with the same delight, expectation, and joy you see in us, in every moment.  

Amen
Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

GIVE THANKS



Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
Worship the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful songs,
Know that the Lord is God!
It is He who made us, and we are his;
We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter his gates with Thanksgiving
And into His courts with praise;
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulnesss continues through all generations.
Amen, and Amen!!

Father, give us grateful hearts.  Hearts that shout for joy to Your Holy Name. Give us songs to sing of your goodness and the Love that endures forever.  We love You.  Amen.

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Glory to God Alone







Psalm 115:1 (ESV) 
1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! 

Father you remind us: "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV) 

It is your will and purpose Father that people see in us your glory through our daily walk with you. It is an indescribable honor to magnify your name and reflect your glory as the moon reflects the light of the Sun. 

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."  Matthew 5:16 (ESV) 

Father may you be pleased with our lives today and may they be a witness to the glory of your holiness, grace and love. In the precious name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.







Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

the giving prayer

I tell you the truth, whoever gives you a cup of water because you bear Christ's name will never lose his reward. -Mark 9:41

Help us Lord to be generous with all of the things that we have. Open our eyes to those who are in need. Author compassion in us that flows into charitable giving. Bless us to know the joy of blessing others. In all things, and in all ways, cause us to be givers of life and love.

Mostly Lord, grant that we might see giving to others as a way that we can give to you. For it is the name of the Greatest Giver we pray.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.