God’s Presence in my Life

Scripture: “Be still and know that I am God... “ ---- Psalm 46:10

Prayer: O God give me a perfect trust in You. I want to feel Your infinite compassion, mercy, goodness and love. You have deeply touched my life with Your grace. Allow me to bless others through Your grace and mercy, with the blessings You have bestowed upon me. I need to know how to serve You. O God, by Your grace I am filled with hope and strengthened by Your hand. With renewed hope and strength I pray You will help me to reach out to others in their time of need. As I reach out to others help me to remember, I can do everything through You, who gives me strength.¹ I thank You for strengthening me and for all that You supply me with. I know You will fill my every need.² Thank You God Most High for loving me more than I can comprehend. I know I will find rest and my burdens will be light because I trust in You with all my heart.³
In Jesus’ name. -----Amen.

Scripture References:
Philippians 4:13¹
Philippians 4:19²
Proverbs 3:5³

 Resurrected Hope

Scripture: Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing sprit, to sustain me.----Psalm 51:12

Prayer: Father, God Almighty I desire to live in Your presence. I am having trouble experiencing Your nearness in my life.

I have slipped so far away from You, I can’t seem to step out of this situation. My hope is so suppressed. Heavenly Father, renew my life and strengthen me. The Bible says, “---For he refreshes the soul...” ¹ O God, I want my life to be refreshed anew in You and be alive again in the joy of being in Your presence.

I need Your help in getting back to reading and hearing Your healing word. I need Your healing touch in my life; I need You to be real to me. Let Your words speak to my heart and I pray You will breathe new life into me.

I pray for renewed hope in my life. Help me to proclaim my faith in You. I pray You will help me to apply that new hope to the circumstances of my life. Then help me to proclaim my faith boldly so that You can be the resurrection and life over my circumstances. I believe with Your help, O God, I can overcome these uncertain times in my life and have a new, fresh beginning with a resurrected hope in You and a new future with You. Almighty God, I pray You will restore my soul that I might walk in righteousness² and bring glory to You. For Jesus’ sake. ----Amen.

Scripture References:
Proverbs 25:13b¹
Psalm 23:3²

Kindness

Scripture: “...You Shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ----Mark 12:31, “NKJV”

Prayer: O God, I pray for myself and those dear to me, that we may be filled with the gift of love. Please put within us a sprit of kindness, so that we will have a want to be good. Then having received this gift, I pray You will give me an expectant readiness to perform charitable actions for others. The Bible says, “...make every effort to add to your faith goodness...”¹ It also states, “Love is patient, love is kind...”² You, O Lord watch over all who honor You and trust in Your kindness.³ I depend on You and thank You for your love, that you so unselfishly give to me. In Jesus’ name. ----Amen.

Scripture References:
2 Peter 1:5a, 7¹
1 Corinthians 13:4²
Psalm 33:18³

Disappointment

Scripture: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose,” ----Romans 8:28

Prayer: My Lord, I had a dream and it was in my grasp. I was so excited about my future. I told all my friends my dream was coming true. Now, My Lord my heart aches with dissappointment. I told others about my dream and how sure I was of it coming true. Now I feel like a fool and ashamed that my dream didn’t come true as I said it was going to. Oh, how I must have looked so confidant. Now, I don’t even want to step out my door. I’m left feeling alone and devastated. I know I did not set out to deceive anyone, but it now appears that I was trying to be deceptive. “...O Lord, ...in You I trust... Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in You will ever be put to shame...”¹ Even in my disappointment I place my trust in You. O Lord , I feel very weak under the burden of my disappointment, but as I reach out to You, I can feel You stregthening me. The Bible tells me that the Apostle Paul pleaded with You three times to take away the thorn in his flesh. But, You... said, “My grace is sufficient for You, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will not be ashamed of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may work through me. “... For when I am weak, then I am strong.”² O Lord help me to understand that even though I have fallen right now, I can accept Your ability to bring good things into my life. O Lord, I place my trust in You. I know by Your grace that good things will come. In Jesus’ name I give thanks. ----Amen

Scripture References:
Psalm 25:1-3¹
2 Corinthians 12:8-10²

Hour of Prayer

Scripture: “....could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray...” Mark 14:37b, 38

Prayer: O God, help me in sacrificing my time to You. When Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, he asked his disciples to watch and pray. When Jesus found them sleeping he questioned why they weren’t able to pray with him even for one hour. O God, the Bible says that, Jesus was distressed and He said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.”¹ O God I want to remember You in prayer on Sunday and throughout the week. Help me to set apart time to pray. I am asking for Your help in praying for others and their needs and to give You thanks for all that You have given me. Jesus said, “And glory has come to me through them.” ² I feel sadness when I think of the possibility of Jesus being abandoned in that Garden and heavy laden with a broken heart of abandonment. O God, I want to bring glory to Your Kingdom through prayer. For Jesus’ sake. -----Amen.

Scripture References:
Mark 14:34¹
John 17:10b²

Reverence for God

Scripture: ...let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and sprit,
perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. ----2 Corinthians 7:1

Prayer: O LORD, I know I am not perfect, and yet my sins have been forgiven. Help me to sin less by avoiding temptation which can influence my day. Help me with what I read, watch and even what I say to others. Help me live my life in a way that it brings good to others, that it will reflect Your mercy and goodness. Teach me how to be more reverent to You and how to sin less, and how to be morally right in my actions. I ask these things out of a deep want of loving You
more. There is no doubt in my mind that I love You because You loved me first.¹

Your word says, “...whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.“² O God, I want to grow in my love for You. The Bible says, “The LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.”³ O God, I pray You will give me guidance and help me to become more humble and more moral in my thoughts and actions. Help me to distinguish between what is right or wrong and give me the courage to stand on what You show me to be right. Help me to reflect to others Your mercy and love that I feel in me.

The Bible says, “Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.⁴ As I strive to become more pure in my thoughts and actions, I place my hope in You.
In Jesus’ name. ----Amen.

Scripture References:
1 John 4:19¹
1John 4:16²
Psalm 146:8³
1 John 3:3⁴

Friendship

Scripture: A friend loves at all times...----Proverbs 17:17

Prayer: Almighty God, thank You for my friends. I ask that You will bless them and keep them safe in Your love. Watch over them and be mindful of their needs. Please know in my heart how much I care for them and how special they are to me. How can I measure the thanks I have for all they do for me. I pray they will have joy in their hearts and happiness all through their day. I pray for their health and safety and a feeling of Your presence about them. Because of Your loving kindness, I have someone to share my deep felt secrets with; and someone I can call and talk to about the exciting happenings in my life. I thank You that I have someone I can laugh and cry with. My friends strengthen me in my times of sorrow and give me encouraging words to keep me going in trying times. They extend their comforting arms to help and console me in times of trials and pain. They give of themselves with heartfelt prayers. I need my friends in the ordinariness of my life. I need them to share in my happy times and especially in those times of darkening uncertainty. You have been so generous to me O God in sending me friends, they give me comfort, they make me laugh, and they give me companionship and constant hope for my future. How can I repay them for their special friendship? O God I ask You to bless my friends, because they bless me with their daily kindness. Help me to remember that if one falls down, I as a friend can help him up.¹ Your Holy Word informs me that I need to remember that “a man who has friends must himself be friendly...” ² Please help me to be a true friend to them as they have been to me. I pray in Jesus’ name. ----Amen.

Scripture Reference:
Ecclesiastes 4:10¹
Proverbs 18:24a² “NKJV”

Guidance for our Nation’s Leaders

Scripture: “When the Sprit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.”----John 16:13

Prayer: O God, we need Your help in our lives. Please, give guidance to the leaders in our Country. O Lord, instruct them in how to lead our country in a way that is acceptable to you. We pray that the work they do, will glorify and witness to You and that they will work in accordance with Your Will. We pray that You will show us as a nation how to share what you have given us; whether that be possesions, talents, gifts or witnessing your presence. We pray You will keep our Nation’s leaders alert to Your voice, so that they may hear You say, “This is the way, walk in it.”¹ In Jesus’ name. -----Amen.

Scripture Reference:
Isaiah 30.21

Infinite Love

Scripture: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 ---Romans 8:38-39

Prayer: God have mercy, on those who weigh heavy on my heart to pray for. I implore You to pull them into Your bosom and love them. For You, O God are good and Your love and mercy is infinite. Your heavenly abode is above the clouds where You watch over us. It is only by Your gift of grace that we can have victory and be brought to Salvation. Because of Your loving grace and mercy, my God, I know in my heart that nothing can seperate me from You. The Bible says, “Because he loves me...I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.”¹  I love and praise you my God. In Jesus’ name. -----Amen.

Scripture Reference:
Psalm 91:14¹

Needs verus Wants

Scripture: ... “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” ----Luke 6:20

Prayer: O Lord, Your infinite wisdom surpasses my understanding. You know all things that must come to pass. My God, my feeble mind is baffled at the poverty around us in such a prosperous nation.

I pray this day for those of us who are among the poor. I pray that our needs will be met and that You will hear our pleas for help and save us in our time of troubles.¹ In the Bible, Jesus said, “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.”²

Help me to understand O Lord, why there is so much poverty among us. There have been times that I have felt lonely, and as if I have a stigma placed on me, by my circumstances. There have been times that I felt ashamed of having less than others even though I have no reason to be ashamed. The Bible says; “however, if you suffer as a christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” ³ Your Son, Jesus said, “The poor you will always have with you”⁴ ... Could it be that poverty to some degree is not a punishment, but an honor?

You have honored me, my Lord with this humbling experience. I pray that You will provide for those who depend on me. If my life pleases You, my Lord, please bless my loved ones with their wants, that you see fit to bestow upon them. Help me to teach others not to be ashamed of not having their wants met, but to be thankful for their needs that are fulfilled by your gracious hand.

Thanks be to the Lord who fed about 5,000 people with only 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread;⁵ I pray You will bring sustenance to us all. In Jesus’ name. ----Amen.

Scripture References:
Psalm 34:6¹
Luke 6:21²
1Peter 4:16³
Mark 14:7a⁴
Matthew 14:17,21⁵

The Season of Lent

Scripture: So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: ---Daniel 9:3-4

Prayer: Almighty God, I look forward to Easter and the hope of a new life that I am given through Jesus Christ. During this time of Lent, teach me the true meaning of repentance and earnest prayer. Teach me how to give up anything in my life that keeps me from having a deeper relationship with You. I ask for Your forgiveness of my sins. Give me a deeper concern for others and a sorrowful heart for those around me who have problems. Your Holy Word tells me that this kind of asking and concern for others brings about a Godly sorrow in me, which brings a repentance that leads to salvation.¹  Please give me guidance O God, in how I can give of myself in reaching out to the poor, to those who hunger, to those who are filled with shame, to those who are jobless or homeless. Show me how to give hope to those who are in need of hope and to follow through with these actions with my heart. Help me to remember that I am nothing without Jesus Christ in my life. ---Amen

Scripture Reference:
2 Corinthians 7:10¹

Gethsemane

Scripture: He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and Prayed.
                                                                  ---Luke 22:41

Prayer: O God, as I kneel alone, in my Garden of Gethsemane, send me help, just as you sent Your Son, Jesus, help. I need to be strengthened, just as Your Word says, “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.”¹ I pray you will give me encouragement and comfort, just as you did for Jesus. I feel deserted and alone. Please talk to me God, I need to hear and feel your presence. I want You in my life. I know that Jesus suffered and agonized in His Garden of Gethsemane more than I comprehend. I am in agony too. O God strengthen me in prayer, just as you did Your Son, Jesus and give me the same closeness You had with Him. By Your grace, help me to submit my will to Yours, so that I can say “yet not as I will, but as You will,”² and then let Your Will be done. In Jesus’ name. ---Amen.


Scripture References:
Luke 22:43¹
Matthew 26:39c²

New Beginnings

Scripture: The greatest among you will be your servant. ----Matthew 23:11

Prayer: Father God Almighty, Your Son Jesus, stepped out of heaven and into my world to give me a new beginning. He humbled himself to share in my humanity and to give me the gift of himself. I welcome this new fresh beginning; I want Your presence in my life; and the peace and happiness in my heart that comes with Your presence.

O God, just as You gave us Jesus as a gift; You have also given your followers to each other as gifts. Our special talents are to be used as gifts in helping others. Your word says, that each one of us should use whatever gifts we receive from You, to use them in serving others.¹ Help me to use the gifts that you have given me to serve others.

I don’t want to undertake any adventure without You, O Lord being with me. I pray and seek Your guidance and support in my daily life. I want to be able to reach out to others and make a difference in their lives.

O God, be my daily strength, so that others may be able to lean on me. Jesus always gave His time and energy to others. Help me to do the same. Jesus said, “And if I your Lord and teacher have washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. I have set the example…”²

O Lord, I want to be Your good and faithful servant, so that I will be invited to share in Your happiness.³ I pray through Jesus Christ my Lord. ---Amen.

Scripture References:
1 Peter 4:10¹
John 13:14, 15a²
Matthew 25:21³
 

My Cross

Scripture: And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
---Luke 14:27

Prayer: O God, I beg Your help. My life has so many uncertainties in it. I feel alienated and separated from everything. I ask for an abundance of strength to carry this heavy burden. I can’t do it alone. I pray for Your assistance and that You will have compassion on me, so that I don’t fall into deep despair. I need encouragement. As I reflect on how it must have felt for you carrying Your cross, my heart fills with sadness. I pray that others in a similar situation will also be helped by my prayer. O God, help me, I want Your help in carrying my cross and seeking Your way through this difficult time. The Bible tells me that You will teach me of Your ways, and I will walk in Your paths.¹ I pray this burden I am carrying will bring me to a deeper service to You and bring glory to Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name. ---Amen.

Scripture References:
Isaiah 2:3c¹
 

Living Hope

Scripture: Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us … a living hope…---1 Peter 1:3

Prayer: God we live in times of persecution. We as Christians are being persecuted for our faith. We face difficulties and mistreatment even when we don’t deserve it. Help us O God to obey You no matter what our circumstances. When we are most persecuted, we find it a little bit easier to give up our worldly desires and seek You out most earnestly. We know in our hearts that when life gets really harsh the one hope we have is that life is more than what we see in this world. Our hope comes from knowing that one day O LORD You will come and we are given the promise of a new heaven and a new earth,¹ which will be the home of righteousness. The Bible says “blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”² You declared, “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me, …so will your name and descendants endure.”³ Give us steadfastness in our faith, an increase of courage and an abiding spirit to strengthen us. Because Your promises are true we can find hope in trusting in You. I give thanks in Jesus’ name. ---Amen.


Scripture References:
Isaiah 65:17¹
Matthew 5:10²
Isaiah 66:22³
 

Forgiveness

Scripture: …”Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” ---Luke 23:34

Prayer: O God, from Your heavenly dwelling place, please hear my prayer. Please be quick to forgive me; and as Your Holy Word says, “hide your face from my sins…”¹ For Your Holy Word says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us,…”² God, I grieve with Jesus, as I think back on that moment. I am sorry for the things that I have done wrong and apologize for the things that I should have done and haven’t, and for my bad habits. Help me to do away with the things in my life that offend You. I know the sin in my life doesn’t have to dominate me; because of Your grace I can be forgiven and be made righteous. Your Holy Word states that, “for we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin…”³ I know that if I am more forgiving toward others it will bring about a peace and wholeness to my life. Your Holy Word says, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”⁴ I ask for your help O God in following Jesus’ example; I want to be able to forgive those who afflict me with pain and suffering. Though Jesus suffered, He still prayed for those who persecuted him. “Jesus said,” “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”⁵ So, I also pray for those who transgress against me. For Jesus’ sake. ---Amen.

Scripture References:
Psalm 51:9a¹
2 Corinthians 5:21a²
Romans 6:6a³
Matthew 6:14⁴
Luke 23:3⁵
 

Greatest Commandment

Scripture: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all your strength. ---Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Prayer: O Lord, You cleared my debt of sin with one payment; which was that of Your precious life. You showed me the true meaning of what the law of God means; which is love by sacrifice. I can’t begin to love in the capacity that You showed me by the way You lived and died in the name of all humanity. My Lord, I can start by fulfilling the law; which states, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength”¹ I implore Your help O Lord, my God, in fulfilling Your law to the best of my ability. Your Holy Scripture states, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”² “Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”³ Please show me how to pick up my cross and sacrifice my life for you. I want to follow the Law and show my love for You.
For Jesus’ sake ---Amen.

Scripture References:
Deuteronomy 6:5¹
Romans 13:9b²
Romans 13:10³
 

A Mother’s Prayer

Scripture: For this child I have prayed; and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of him. ----1 Samuel 1:27

Prayer: Father in Heaven You have blessed me with the most precious gift You could ever give. You brought down from heaven someone who is more precious than any worldly gift. But, Father sometimes I feel I have let you down and I’m unworthy of this special gift. I get frustrated and tired and at times feel uncertain of what to do. Please Lord help me to love and care for this wonderful blessing the way You love and care for all of Your children. Help me to be calm when chaos strikes my home. Give me patience when I am at my wits end. Help me to laugh when I feel the tears welling up inside of me. Help me to accomplish all that is important and know what things in my life can be put on hold. Most wonderful Father give me a deep peaceful rest once my daily duties are done. Father, Your Word tells me that You loved me before I had my earthly existence. I also loved my anticipated gift from heaven before You sent my special gift to me. I am forever Your loving child and in Your debt.

In thankfulness to You I quote the following scripture, “come and see what God has done^{1 ....} Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!”² In Jesus’ name I give thanks. ---Amen.

Scripture References:
Psalm 66:5a¹
Psalm 66:2²