My Prayer For You

June 30, 2012 “Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.” (I Samuel 12:23 Amp.) Although God is Sovereign and is in complete control of everything, for His own reasons He has told believers to pray perseveringly (Phil.4:6; I Thess.5:17). I think some reasons He commanded us to pray are to involve us in His miracle working power, and it definitely enlarges our faith. Through this blog I wanted you to know how and what I am praying for you. These are prayers taken from God’s Word (I didn’t think I could go wrong in praying for you in these ways). As I pray for you, personalize (put your name in each prayer as if I were there with you calling out your name, because in the spirit I am). God already knows your needs and desires, so trust Him to answer each prayer as you yield yourself to Him for His good will and pleasure. (I am praying also for me). Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus, that name that is above all names, and for all for which that Name stand; and by virtue of my faith in that name I know you hear my prayers for all for whom I am praying – you know their names. Cleanse our hearts from anything that is unlike you (including any hidden sin) which will keep You from hearing our prayers (Ps.66:18). Thank You for cleansing our hearts and for making us pure and holy before You – what a wonder! I praise You because You are fearful and wonderful and that You created each of us to be special and unique. You saw each of us when You intricately formed us in our mother’s womb, and even then all the days of our life were written in Your book before they ever took shape. I thank You that Your love for us is everlasting and that Your thoughts toward us are precious and weighty. How vast is the sum of them – if we counted them they would be more in number than all the grains of sand. If we could count all of those grains, when we finished we would still be with You. Search us thoroughly, O God, and know our thoughts and our hearts, and see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in us, and lead us in Your way that is everlasting (Psalm 139: 13- 24). Father, I pray that each of us would believe that you gave your only Son so we would not and come to eternal destruction; but by believing in and accepting Your greatest gift, Jesus, we can have everlasting life (John 3:16). And by accepting Your magnanimous gift we become Your child and heir to all You have (Romans 8:14-17). Part of that inheritance is Your promises – they are “yes and so-be-it” in Christ (II Cor.1:20) – and we can lay claim to them all. What a wonder to get to know (intimately acquainted with) the Creator of the universe, Jesus, our Savior, and to know You is to love You. Although we are still in this world, this intimate knowledge of Jesus lifts us spiritually out from those who are spiritually dead because they do not know You (Philippians 3:7-16). I pray we may all come to know Christ in this way and be filled and flooded with Your very Self (Eph.3:19). Upon finding this “Pearl of great price” (Jesus), may we give all that we are to You Matt.13:46), because as Jim Elliot (the missionary to the Auca Indians in Ecuador and was later martyred) said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to save what he cannot lose.” Father, enable us to prove our love for You by continually give of ourselves to You and by obeying Your Word and Its commands, (because You know what is best) (I John 5:11-13). And we thank You, Father, because we can be assured of eternal life if we have put our faith and trust in Jesus, your Son (I John 5:11-13). Father, in Matthew 5:44, You told us to “love our enemies and to pray for those who despitefully use us,” but You also know we cannot love without You filling us with Your love and enabling us to love our “enemies.” We confess that we don’t want to love our enemies and those who despitefully use us – so please change our “want to’ and to love the unlovely through us, (who are often unlovely). Father, we know that love is a choice, as well as forgiveness, so help us to make that choice to give up and let go of that hurt and wrong that has been done to us and let You take care of the “making right” part (Matt.6:6-15). Father, help us to even forgive You because we know ultimately “the buck stops with You.” You are a sovereign God and in control of everything that comes into our life. We acknowledge that You don’t cause, but permit, terrible circumstances to happen to us, but Your thoughts and ways are not our thoughts, and the way we would do things, if we were God, are certainly not the way you would do them (Isaiah 55:8-9). We know from Your Word that You permit the enemy of our soul, Satan (the devil), to attack us and try to destroy us, just as he did Job (Job 1, especially vs.6-12). Father, although we may not understand why You have permitted “bad” things that come into our lives, help us to trust that You love us with an everlasting love and that You desire only our good. Because we know it is Satan who has come to “steal, kill and destroy us, but You have come to bring us life that is abundant and full of overflowing joy (John 10:10). Please help us to embrace this Truth and to yield to Your love in the midst of our chaos. Father, help us to pray knowing You always hear when we come with “clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:3-5). Help us to not live in the counsel of the ungodly, (following their plans, advice and purposes; nor to stand submissive and inactive in the paths where sinners walk. Nor help me not to sit in the place where mockers gather. But help me to delight in reading, studying, meditating and obeying Your Word day and night. If we do this You have promised that we shall be like a prosperous tree that brings forth its fruit in its season and its leaves will not wither; and everything we do shall prosper (Ps.1:1-3). Have mercy on us because You know we are weak and helpless (Numbers 14:18). Your mercies and loving kindness last forever, and Your truth and Your faithfulness endure to all generations (Psalm 100:5). Help us to learn to submit to Your will and wait for Your answers to our prayers, then our strength to persevere will be renewed and we will mount up close to You, and we will walk in Your paths of righteousness and not become tired, and You will cause us to run our course You have planned for us (Jer.11:29) and not be weary (Isa.40:31). Thank You, because in Your time You make all things beautiful (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Help us to trust You with all of our hearts and lean to our own understanding but in all our way to acknowledge You for Who You are, and You will direct our paths (Prov.3:5-6). We pray this in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.