Daily Prayer

when our hearts are restless

Lord and King,

We come to you acknowledging how powerful you are as our Lord and King. That Your name is great among the nations and that You reign over all the earth. Yet You are also close to our hearts when we are in need, and You know every hair that is on our head.

Still, we wander, Lord Jesus. Our hearts seek to find anything that will fulfill and our hearts look to the wrong things. We look for satisfaction in our family, our jobs, money, food, and other things that make us temporarily happy. Good things that You have graciously given us.

But our hearts are restless until they find rest in You.* Only You satisfy O Lord. Teach us to turn from all that merely makes us happy and toward what brings us ultimate joy: You. Center our hearts on You and You alone. Keep us from being fickle, and keep us focused on You.

May our restless hearts find rest in You alone.

Amen.

*Augustine of Hippo

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JESUS, MY FRIEND

JOHN 15:13-15 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

O Jesus, I have no other friend like You. In times of trial You re always there. You always hear the unspoken longings of my heart. You have hidden nothing from Your Father's truth. Everything I need to know You have revealed. You have loved me with an unsurpassable love. You have given Your life for me, choosing by grace to call me Your friend. Help me dearest Friend, to love as You have loved and to live as You have lived. Help me to trust You enough to do all that You command. I love You. Amen.

Maranatha Worship Bible
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Amen

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Rest

“He lets me rest in green meadows……”

Psalm 23:2 (NLT)

Father with all the turmoil, anxiety and fear in the world, how sweet are the words of Jesus: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 (ESV)

Thank you Father that in your rest there is relief from debilitating stress, ease from depressing burdens, safety from dangerous snares, and tranquility from a chaotic world. We are as a lamb sleeping in a garden of peace. Of us it may well be said: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8 (ESV)

In deed Father, “Let my soul be at rest again, for the LORD has been good to me.” Psalm 116:7 (NLT)

Thank you for this wonderful rest in Jesus name. Amen

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Our High Priest

From everlasting to everlasting, You are God, faithful and true. And because Jesus lives forever, His priesthood lasts forever. Therefore, we can come to You as He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on our behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because He is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.

So we have not received a spirit that makes us fearful slaves. Instead, we received God's Spirit when He adopted us as His own children. Now we call Him, "Abba, Father." For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children.

(Psalm 90:2b; Revelation 19:11; Hebrews 7:24-26 (NLT); Romans 8:15-16 (NLT)

Therefore:

Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead:
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away, the presence of His Son;
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.

My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,

And “Father, Abba, Father,” cry. ~John Wesley

Thank You, Lord, amen

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only you

Every day I see again that only you can teach me to pray.
Only you can set my heart at rest.
Only you can let me dwell in your presence.

No book, no concept or theory will ever bring me close to you
unless you yourself are the one who lets them become the doors to you.

But Lord, let me at least remain open to your initiative.
Let me wait patiently and attentively for the hour when you will come
and break through the walls I have erected.

Create new doors.
Teach me, O Lord, to pray

Amen

… a prayer from Henri Nouwen

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draw us close

Father,

In moments of uncertainty, it's easy for us to grow far away from You. We distance ourselves instead of growing close to You. Our anger can get in the way of seeing things clearly. Our sadness can steep us into despair. Help remind us that You are good even when things around us feel anything but good.

Draw us close to You, Lord, when we want to run. Help us to see all the ways You chase after us when we leave. Center our hearts on all that is true, pure, admirable, and right. Keep us close to You whenever when all we want to be is far away.

Please use our pain and brokenness in uncertainty to lead us to repentance and love. Hear our voices and our cries this day.

Amen

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Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Breathe in me O Holy Spirit
that my thoughts may all be holy;
Act in me O Holy Spirit
that my works, too, may be holy;
Draw my heart O Holy Spirit
that I love but what is holy;
Strengthen me O Holy Spirit
to defend that is holy;
Guard me then O Holy Spirit
Amen
Augustine of Hippo

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SEARCH ME, O GOD

Proverbs 21:2-3
"All a mans ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.
To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice."

Dear Father, You know my heart better than I do. Nothing is hidden from You. For You search every heart and understand every motive behind our thoughts. You have shown us what You require of us ~ that we act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with You. So I pray, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. I love You. Amen.

I praise Thee, Lord,

For cleansing me from sin.

Fulfill Thy Word,

And make me pure within.

Fill me with fire,

Where once I burned with shame.

Grant my desire

To magnify Thy Name.

~J. Edwin Orr

Amen

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Friend

”Hushai the Arkite was the king's friend.”

1 Chronicles 27:33 (NIV)

Father as I think of King David and how he was surrounded by a great variety of people who sustained him on the battle field and in city life. All played their strategic roll from servants to counselors. None were more important to him than Hushai. Father, to be singled out and distinguished as the friend of King David was not only a great honor but also an acknowledgement of his personal value to David.

We can be many things to people but to be their friend is truly special. And Father you gave Hushai to David as a gift to express your love and kindness to him. A friend who was both wise and honest. What a blessing and encouragement he must have been to David. And how great their relationship must have been, as Proverbs 17:17 says: ”A friend loves at all times….”

Father, how thankful I am for the gracious friends you have brought into my life. My wife, children, extended family, friends near and far, all incredibly important to me and without whom life would be a void too lonely to imagine. Thank you, Father, for all of my beloved friends, and especially for Jesus the friend of all who will embrace him.

Amen.

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A Prayer for the Day

"Lord, may nothing separate me from You today. Teach me how to choose only Your way today so each step will lead me closer to You. Help me walk by the Word and not my feelings. Help me to keep my heart pure and undivided. Protect me from my own careless thoughts, words, and actions. And keep me from being distracted by MY wants, MY desires, MY thoughts on how things should be. Help me to embrace what comes my way as an opportunity... rather than a personal inconvenience. And finally, help me to rest in the truth of Psalm 86:13, 'Great is your love toward me.' You already see the ways I will fall short and mess up. But right now, I consciously tuck Your whisper of absolute love for me into the deepest part of my heart. I recognize Your love for me is not based on my performance. You love me warts and all. That's amazing. But what's most amazing is that the Savior of the world would desire a few minutes with me this morning. Lord, help me to forever remember what a gift it is to sit with You like this. Amen."

~Lysa Terkeurst

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a prayer for good humor

Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest.

Grant me a healthy body, and the necessary good humor to maintain it.

Grant me a simple soul that knows to treasure all that is good
and that doesn’t frighten easily at the sight of evil,
but rather finds the means to put things back in their place.

Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumblings, sighs and laments,
nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called “I.”

Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor.

Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke to discover in life a bit of joy,
and to be able to share it with others.

Amen

… by St. Thomas More

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a prayer for storm season

Father,

Your creation is magnificent. It reflects Your glory in ways we can only imagine, and yet it is such a tiny reflection of the true magnificence of You.

Your creation is awe-inspiring. Every Spring the earth renews and begins again. Every Summer the crops grow. Every Fall is a harvest and every Winter is a reminder to rest. As sure as the sun rises, the world creates and re-creates itself anew.

Your creation is imposing. Trees so tall that when we stand next to them, we are reminded of how small we are. The wonders of this earth as spectacular as the Grand Canyon... the fish teaming in the Great Barrier Reef... the rushing waters of Victoria Falls... are all enough to cause us to fall silent in awe and drink in the beauty and grandness of all that you have made.

Father, thank you for entrusting us to care for this earth and we humbly ask for Your help to be mindful of this responsibility. Please help us to do the honoring work of being stewards of this great earth You've created. When your thunder and lighting come, may it serve as a reminder of Your strength. When the rain replenishes the earth, may it remind us that You are the true Living Water. Guide and protect us from the many storms that will come this season. Help us to know in our heart that You are good and Your love for us is even greater.

In Christ's Name,

Amen

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Ascension

Lord Jesus, even though we might wish you had stayed here on this earth, we thank you that you ascended to the Father and promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide us and empower us to do greater things than even you did while you were here. Amen

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