My Birthday Prayer, March 3, 2012

This birthday prayer is for each member of my family - Wendell, my husband; each of my children - Melody & Bill, Mark & Jeannine, and Jennifer; for each grandchild -
Bethany, Susan & Justin, Jonathan & Kim, Sean & Becca, Daniel, Rebekah, Lauren, and for Donna who is the mother of two of my great-grandchildren and who will always be a part of my family and much loved. This prayer is also for each great-grandchild: Ethan, Caleb, Jude, Nicholas, Lillian, Hannah and Hunter who I hope a printed copy will be given to them to read, or read to them by their parents if they don't read. If you will receive this prayer from my heart it will be the most wonderful gift I could receive from you. This birthday prayer is sent with all my love, Mom/or/ Gran Gran
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Dear Heavenly Father,

You told me in Your Word that I am to come before Your presence with clean hands and a pure heart so I want to first confess my sins. Forgive me for my lack of unceasing prayer; for not taking every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ; for sometimes dwelling on the negative instead of praising You that You are able to take care of my care; and to thank You for being the answer to my care. Forgive me for sometimes holding onto old hurts, instead of praying in faith for the healing and to remember how much You have forgiven me when I have hurt You with my pride or indifference. Where I am blind to my own sins, open my eyes. When I am prideful with my own self-sufficiency, forgive me and humble me. Forgive me of any pre-judging without knowing all the facts, and then when I must make a judgment, help me to do it with mercy, grace and forgiveness. Help me to be quick to restore relationships and to go the second mile when someone has hurt me. Please, continue to teach me how to be more like You.

As I look out on the beauty of this new day I want to praise You for being El Elyon, our Creator – the Maker of heaven and earth (and me). You are the Strongest strong One and You hold this universe (and me) together with the Word of Your power. You cause the sun to “rise” and nourish the earth and all its inhabitants with its rays. You cause those clouds I see to pour forth Your rain to water Your creation and keep it all alive (including me). You feed, nourish and keep all your creation (including me and mine) with the good things from Your loving hand and wise heart. Thank You for eyes and health to be able to richly enjoy Your creation You have made for me and others. Thank You for the Flicker Woodpecker, the Robin, the Cardinal and the Titmouse I can see eating the berries off the pear tree in back of the house. I thank You for letting me see the turtles sunning on the bank, the fish jumping in the water, the Herons fishing from the bank and the herd of deer grazing on the winter grass. You have made them all for me to richly enjoy – thank You.

I want to praise You for being El Shaddai, the Almighty God, Who is my Sufficiency. I praise you for being El Roi, the God Who sees. You not only see my need but are the Source and Sufficiency (El Shadai) to fill up all of my needs, spirit, soul or body.

I want to praise You for being Adonai, the Lord of all, the King of Kings, the Sovereign God, the Master of my life. I choose to daily relinquishment my will, and what I think are my rights, to You Who has a plan for good and not for evil for my life; a plan to give me hope and a future and Who knows what is best for me.

I praise You for being YHWH, Jehovah, Elohim – “the faithful, covenant keeping God,” Who is good and Whose mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting and Your faithfulness and Truth are to all generations (including mine). You never grow weary with my self-centeredness and luke-warmness, to the point of giving up on me, because You are faithful to keep your covenant to forgive all my sins, when I confess them and turn from them.

I praise You because you are Jehovah – The self-existent One Who reveals Himself to me and to all who will “see” and “hear,” and You are the Redeemer Who bought me back from the pit of death and then beautifies, dignifies and crowns me with Your loving-kindness and tender mercies. You forgive me of all my sins and heal all my diseases. You satisfy my necessities with Your good so, although I am 75 years old, you renew my strength like the eagles (strong, overcoming and soaring).

I praise You for being Jehovah-Rohi, my Shepherd, and have made me one of the sheep of Your pasture; and because of that relationship I can hear Your voice when you speak to me. And because of that relationship when my life is sometimes filled with turmoil and chaos, You cause me to rest beside You where it is quiet and peaceful. I praise You that Your Holy Spirit will comfort me through all the “times” of life. When life seems to leech all the joy, hope and strength from me Your sweet Holy Spirit comes to restore all those things my enemy, Satan, has stolen. Your Holy Spirit is the Comforter and Restorer, and I praise You!

I praise You because You are Jehovah-Tsidkenu (“God is Righteous”). Not only are You Righteous (right), but You chose to make me righteous by the Great Exchange that took place on the cross where You exchanged my old dirty coat of self-righteousness for Your pure white robe of righteousness, all for my just accepting it. I didn’t have to work for it or be good enough to receive it, but I could own my Robe just by putting it on, because possession is the right to ownership. Jesus, I thank You for Your salvation by paying for it by your death on the cross, and Your death was sufficient payment for me to receive my Robe of Righteous! And it will forever be mine!

Father, I praise You that although I have to walk through anguish, heartaches and testings while I am in this life, I know that You (Jehovah-Shammah, “The God Who is there”) will always be with me and will never forsake me. You are the Omniscient God Who knows what I am going through, how to solve all my problems and when. I thank You that I cannot go into the deepest sea, the highest heaven or anywhere that I will be out of Your presence. Thank You for seeing and understanding my deepest needs and that You have the sufficiency to fill all those needs abundantly. Thank You for being here in the place where I am now, and at this time when I need You, and I know that in Your time You will make all things beautiful.

I praise You for being the One and Only God Who is my All-in-All, the Great I Am – whatever I need You are Sufficient! I praise You for being the all-knowing, the Almighty, all merciful, the ever-present God; my God Who is Love and that loves me with an unconditional and everlasting love; the only true and faithful God.

I praise You for being Jehovah-Ropha – “My Healer.” You are the One Who has healed me spirit, soul and body, by Your stripes you took. I thank You because You will supply all my needs in Christ Jesus, according to Your riches in glory. I praise You for being Jehovah-Nissi – “My banner of victory.” You cause me to triumph in all things in Christ Jesus. You made me to be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. You cause me to run through a troop and jump over a wall. I thank You for the victory I have in Christ Jesus.

I thank You that You have consecrated me to fulfill Your purpose and plan for my life; and You have enabled me, by Christ Jesus, to be steadfast and unmovable in this walk to which You have called me; and I know I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. I thank You that You are working in my life to do abundantly, above all I could even imagine, through Christ Jesus. I thank You that all of your blessings of mercy and goodness will follow me all the days of my life; and then when my life is over I will live in Your presence forever!

Father, I want to lift each member of my family to You. You know their needs, the desires of their hearts, so help them to “delight” in You so they may have those needs and desires met. When they are searching for something to satisfy their longing and fulfill their dreams, help them to realize that You are the “End” of man’s desires. Help them to know early that all true answers and fulfillment are in You and You alone. Help each of them to relinquish all their hopes, plans, dreams and desires to You, and to seek what Your plans and desires are for them.

Father, help each of my family members to walk in humility before you. May they realize that without You they are zero, but with You (Who is everything), they can be Everything. May they desire to grow into the perfect image of Jesus. You were meek and lowly in heart when You walked on this earth, and all the while You were the King of the universe. May each one realize without You they can do nothing; but with You they can do anything! May they live their lives doing justly, loving mercy and walking humbly before You. May they realize that if they will humble themselves, You will lift them up.

Father, help each of my family members to keep short accounts with You and others. Help them to not let petty grievances build a wall between them and others. Help them to be quick to say, “I’m sorry, Forgive Me,” and then to move on in that relationship. Help them to realize that if they don’t forgive, You can’t forgive them. Help them to walk in love in the same way that You love us.

Father, help each member of my family to love You with all their heart, mind and soul and then to love their neighbor as themselves. Only You can fill their hearts with this kind of love, give them a desire for You to fill them with Your very Self (which is love). Help them to think loving thoughts, speak loving words and act in loving ways. As they relinquish themselves to You, make them into new creations in Christ as You promised.

Father, I thank You for the privilege of the invitation to come to You in prayer; to climb up on Your lap, like Your child that I am, and be able to face to face praise Your wonderful attributes, to thank You for all You have done for me and are going to do, to confess all my known sins and to intercede for all my family members that You will rise up big in them and be paramount in their lives. On this my birthday I pray each one will receive these prayers with all the love with which I send them.

I pray all these things in Your precious and powerful name, that name that is above all names and at that name every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Amen (so be it).