Daily Prayer

Rest

Today I pray REST for all who are tired and weary....

Rest today in the knowledge of who God is.

Rest in His Sovereignty.

Rest in His Peace.

Rest in the Wonder of His goodness and sweetness.

Rest in His abundant Mercy and infinite Grace.

Simply rest...

“Come to me..... and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Amen

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a prayer for the difficult road

Heavenly Father,

This road before me looks pretty scary.

Aside from the uneven ground, the rocks, the tree branches in my way and no visable path, it's even scarrier that I can't see what's at the end of the road. I am unsure on my feet. Crawling seems like a terrible idea. I don't have the right gear to make this traveling safer, and I just don't want to do it.

I did not choose this path, but it is the path before me and I have to figure out a way through.

Father, remind me not to trust in myself as much as I trust You. Tell me to stop when I need to, and move forward when You ask me to. Help me to know where to look, where to step and when to jump, where to duck, when to run, and when to stop.

Though I do not trust the path itself, I pray to learn how to trust in the One who not only guides me in the path, but walks with me in it. Remind me to lean into and depend on all that You are and all that You have promised to do.

Amen

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Lenten Prayer

Father, keep us mindful that we came from dust, and we will return to dust. We are mortal creatures who are in need of a Savior. Let us not think too highly of ourselves. Amen

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THE PATH

"After thirty years of walking with Christ, I don't believe I fully understand all that Christ suffered for me or what it means for Him to do that, but I find myself more determined than ever to try to embrace the cross that Christ embraced for me. Join me in the journey of seeking Him, considering Him, worshiping Him --of walking with Him along The Path of His Passion. I believe it will be worth it, for we will see Him -- and that is all that matters."
~ Bill Crower

Father God, I pray this morning as I join Bill Crower in his devotional The Path of His Passion, to see Christ in a new and deeper way. To follow in His foot steps as He makes His way to the Cross. Help me to understand such love, and how very personal it is. That He would endure the suffering and cross for me....and for the millions who will say "yes" to his invitation to life eternal. I love You. Amen.

Amen

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teach us to pray

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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a prayer for lenten grace

Loving God,

During the sacred season of Lent, bring me closer to you.

Prepare a place in my home and heart for silence and solitude, so that I may re-discover the grace of a prayer-full life.

Help me to fast from those things that threaten the well-being of body and soul and remind me of the grace of simplicity.

Enlarge my heart so that I give to those in need and, in so doing, re-discover the grace of gratitude and generosity.

May this season be a grace-filled time to rekindle my love for and faith in you.

Amen

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DIVINE APPOINTMENT

Don't pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment

with the Lord,

and keep it!

Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983)

Dear Lord, some many times I don't feel like praying. So many things in life seem to crowd it out. But we are diligent to keep our appointments. I pray today that I will make a daily appointment with YOU, and give me the heart and diligence to keep my divine appointment. You are so loving and gracious and wait patiently for me to come and sit at your feet. I love You. Amen.

Amen

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to the one who feels our pain

I love the picture of God that the words in this image portray. So often we think of God as something other than One who walks, feels and cries with us. Please pray with me.

Open up our eyes Lord, that we might see you at our side.
Open up ours ears Lord, that we might hear your words.
Open up our minds Lord, that we might believe in you.
Open us our hearts Lord, that we might trust you always.

Help us to know you are near and feel our pain. Amen.

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create in me a pure heart

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. -Psalm 51:10

Father,

I want to be pure in heart and I know I am not always that way. Please continue to reveal in me all the things that are impure – as you’ve shown me my judgmental nature and my sometimes feelings of spiritual arrogance. I am so sorry and I repent. Help me to be a reflection of Jesus as I learn and grow. To look at myself only, instead of sometimes looking around at my fellow believers, frustrated and wondering why people don’t get “it”. And the “it” varies – sharing Jesus, suffering with each other, reaching out to the poor.

Create in me a pure heart O God. Let my passions and convictions be totally for Your work in me.

In Jesus’ Name
Amen

- a prayer from my friend Jill Hollis

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peace in the midst of noise and unrest

"Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it Yahweh-Shalom."

The names used to describe God in the scriptures tell us much about the character of God. The title Yahweh-Shalom, translated “the Lord is peace”, given here by Gideon in the book of Judges, speaks to me. When I meditate on the names of God this one is especially comforting. So often life is anything but peaceful and we need to ask the Lord to grant His peace.

Help us Yahweh-Shalom to quiet ourselves in the midst of the noise and unrest all around us. Inspire us to remember that peace is a part of your character and a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Cause peace to bubble up from within us when we are afraid and things are out of control. Teach us to release control of our lives and trust you as we walk with you. We commit ourselves to you today. Amen

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Power of prayer

We extremely underestimate the power of PRAYER in our lives.

We extremely underestimate the power of PRAYER in the lives of others.

The greatest power from God has been given to us upon our conversion and we just ignore it.

Neglect it.

Forsake it.

And the thing is, many of us have seen the power of PRAYER at work. Many of us have experienced the power of PRAYER in our lives. Many of us have witnessed the power of PRAYER in the lives of others.

So we SEE, and we EXPERIENCE, and we WITNESS...

And yet we just flat out leave prayer- authentic fervent prayer- right out of our lives.

As I was studying the book of Job, I was sadly growing weary of Job’s friends accusing him of heinous sin. I was growing weary of Job’s lamenting...

And I felt guilty because I couldn’t even imagine what Job had been through. I couldn’t imagine the loss he had suffered. The pain that had been inflicted upon him.

But then I read something that spoke deeply.

God is speaking to Job’s friends. He is rebuking them and telling them that they haven’t been truthful about Himself. That their theology misrepresents Him. He commands them to repent. To offer sacrifices for their sin.

And then he says,

“Then my servant Job will pray for you. I will surely accept his prayer...” (Job 42:8)

Job prayed.

The one who needed prayers so desperately prayed for others.

Even in his desperate condition and much afflicted state... he prayed for his friends and the LORD accepted that prayer.

Then the beauty comes.

After Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes. Doubled his possessions.

Full RESTORATION.

An outpouring of GRACE.

PRAYER is a beautiful gift from God. One that we must take seriously. One that we must not neglect or ignore. One that we must dole out to others generously.

I pray that we open our eyes to the importance and necessity of prayer for ourselves as well as for others.

So we can see, and experience, and witness its POWER and be forever changed by it.

Amen

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God is the center

Saving and wondrous God,

In the time You walked upon this earth, and in Your time became one of us to show what we could become. Remind us always as we look at our lives in comparison with Yours that at the center of all things is Your saving grace.

In your time, Mighty God You will come in glory. And in your time gather the harvest from one end of this earth to the other. Remind us always, in times of plenty and in times of famine that at the center of all things are Your mercy.

There is a transformation that takes place within the warmth of your embrace. We acknowledge that You are our refuge, shelter, fortress and stronghold, against which no army can succeed.

You give a love that knows no bounds.

Remind us that You are God, and that we are lost outside of Your embrace.

You are the center of all things.

Amen

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A HEART LIKE JESUS

Words of Wisdom from John Baillie ~ The Diary of Private Prayer

This little book has been a source of encouragement, inspiration, and conviction in my spiritual journey. I've been reading it for years upon years and it always speaks to me. It's written in the old English style and a little harder to read, but oh the joy that comes from meditating on it. Next to my Bible, this has been a wonderful devotional companion.

"Today, O Lord -

let me put right before interest:

let me put others before self;

let me put the things of the spirit

before the things of the body,

let me put attainment of noble ends

above the enjoyment of present pleasures:

let me put principle above reputation;

let me put Thee before all else.

O Thou the reflection of whose transcendent glory did once appear unbroken

in the face of Jesus Christ,

give me today a heart like His -- a brave heart,

a true heart,

a tender heart,

a heart with a great room in it,

a heart fixed on Thyself;

for His Name sake

Amen

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unspoken prayers

The scriptures tell us that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. When we do not know what to pray for, the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

It encourages me Lord that you hear my inner groanings and heartbreaking emotions. When I am at the end of myself you are there upholding me and transforming me.

Help me Lord to be at peace with the idea that I am unable to pray at times. Cause me to understand how precious my tears are to you. Strengthen me when I am too weak to pray.

In all things Lord, help me to trust that you are working in my life and helping me even when I do not have the words to pray. Thank you for the grace that you extend to me even when all I have are unspoken prayers and times of prayerlessness.

To you Father, I surrender my life again knowing that you love me and are for me.

Amen

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