A Pray For The Weary and Homesick

Father, my tongue is like the internet, it can be used for good or evil and like the internet, my fear is that it has been used more for evil than good. I think my best policy would be to keep my mouth shut and I have tried but then my emotions swell within me and I explode. It is especially hard with all the Christ-haters listening to every thing we say. Father, I don’t know what is going on in this world and would not know even if I watch the nightly news which I do not. There are things going on locally that I cannot interpret–all I know is that life is short, very short. Life is like a column of smoke rising from a chimney, we see it for a few minutes and then it disappears into the atmosphere. It’s still there somewhere but we can’t see it. Father I live by faith. I cling to the hope that You will save me from myself and my sin. I am not particularly pleased with my life and I am certainly not happy with this world. The Christ-haters have the momentum LORD and they are everywhere. The few believers who dare to take a stand are being persecuted by this evil hell bent world system that is set against Your Anointed One. Father I delight to see You break down every idol and defeat every foe. I am tired of sin and weary of seeing its ill effects. I am a stranger here LORD, I do not fit in. I know it will not be long now one way or the other but if you plan to leave me here for any length of time, I need a new order of grace, courage and peace. With YOU supplying my needs, I can hold on until you send reinforcements or my new orders which includes a promotion.

[Based on Psalm 39]

A Christmas Prayer

Abba Father, thank You for CHRISTMAS which is a day on the calendar for many but so much more for us. For some it is a day to party, a day to profit and yea, even a day to profane but for those of us who love Jesus, it is more than a day. It is a celebration of YOUR willingness to take on the garb of our flesh, to pitch Your tent among us, to become one of us and to even bear our sin and shame. You came to the world You created and for the most part, they rejected YOU. Mystery of mysteries, why would any being hate its Creator? LORD Jesus, You willingly left heaven and came to this dark world where sin and death reigned. You came to a world that had no light, no love, no hope, no mercy or grace, no real joy and no peace. LORD Jesus YOU brought light, life, peace, joy, hope, mercy and oh so much more: more than we can list, more than we can comprehend. Until YOU came, women were property, children were a nuisance or a bother, men were godless, and there were no hospital, no orphanages, no churches, no Salvation Army, no St. Nicks, no real or lasting joy and YOU changed everything. Wow! You in meek and humble lowliness by serving, suffering and dying changed everything! How did you do it? Though you have a power for greater than any magic, you did not use deceit, you did not use propaganda, you did not use brute force; You did all this with the power of gentle love. WOW, WOW and WOW again! Thank YOU for Christmas! Thank YOU for transforming this world and giving us peace, joy, love and hope! Thank YOU for Jesus the unspeakable Gift; the Gift of all gifts.

Prayer of High Praise

Father, You are good and worthy of praise. Christians never sound better than when they are praising You together with all their hearts, voices, instruments and body language. It is truly exciting to see praise in action. Father, Your word is rock solid to the core. It is a foundation for all that exist. Your righteousness is plumb-line perfect, right on the money. Your awesome power is on display twenty-four seven. When I look at the stars, I think WOW! How did you create so many and how could you know them by name! The immensity of the universe blows my feeble mind. Then I look at the vastness of the ocean and I think, “How Great is Our God and how small am I.” All creation praises You except fallen angels and men. Sin has twisted the minds of men and demons and even cursed the ground with thorns and thistles. We look forward to Jesus coming back to earth and restoring order: then all nations will praise YOU as they should and every knee will bow to Jesus as LORD. You are the great CREATOR, SUSTAINER and REDEEMER–how could we not praise YOU. Our praise turns to joy and our joy fills us with hope. Hallelujah, what a Savior. In Jesus name, I pray: Amen!

[Based on Psalm 33]

A Prayer of Praise For Forgiveness

Father, thank You for forgiving my sin and giving me a new life in Christ. I am blessed that You hold nothing against me and I will be doubly blessed to hold back nothing from You. I could not handle my sin nor the pressure it brought to bear. My sin would have destroyed me body and soul. It would have withered me until nothing was left but regret and sorrow. Your forgiveness lifted a heavy burden and gave me hope for the future. Now, when I am in trouble or even troubled, I turn to You my Rock and Refuge. You are my hiding place, my shelter from the storm. I take comfort in Your presence and greater comfort in the fact that You know me inside out. Father, grant to me a spirit of submission, the spirit of Isaac and Jesus, the spirit of an obedient son. I do not want to be obstinate like a mule but submissive like a lamb. I don’t understand why the world rejected Jesus–it does not make sense. Why would anyone hate a Man who was willing to take the blame for all their sin and shame? I have no control over this world but as for me, I will celebrate Jesus. I will sing from my heart with all my heart and I will encourage all those around me to sing as well. I love to hear Your children sing. I have never heard the angels sing but if it is better than the voices of the redeemed, I am anxious to hear them. All glory and praise to the Lamb who took my sin and shame. In Jesus name: Amen!

[Based on Psalm 32]

A Plea For Help and Mercy

Father, thank You for Your mercy and grace. We could not stand before You and make this petition a part from the forgiveness we have in Christ. We deserve death and hell but because of Jesus, we get forgiveness and heaven. Thank You for this amazing grace. Father our sins have wounded our conscience and weakened our faith; even our bodies groan because of our sins. We are extremely selfish and self-conscience. It takes a miracle of grace and a moving of your Spirit to get our minds focused in worship. Our self-consciousness hinders our prayers, our praise and our worship. Instead of feeling adoration for you and compassion for others, we are bound up in our petty problems and spend most of our time feeling sorry for ourselves in one form or the other. We are consumed with self. We want everyone’s approval, everyone’s love and everyone’s respect which is more than Jesus had when He walked among us. People made fun of Him. They mocked and ridiculed Him but we can’t stand the thought of reproach. This reveals the depth of our depravity and the height of our selfishness and greed, we want more than Jesus had. Where can we go with this vile problem other than to You. The devil doesn’t care and neither does the world. We will get condemnation and more ridicule if we go there but You O God are merciful and kind. You understand the battle we are fighting and you will give us aid and comfort. We cast all our care on You because we know that You care about us. Crucify our loathsome self life and create in us a new heart, a clean heart, a heart that can worship you in a more deserving way. Fill us with Your Spirit so that we may glorify You in every word and deed. In the perfect name of Jesus Christ our LORD, we make these petitions. Amen!

[This pray is based on Psalm 38 in the MESSAGE and came at the conclusion of revival service, November 5, 2014]

Jacob’s Prayer

“God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, God who told me, ‘Go back to your parents’ homeland and I’ll treat you well.’ I don’t deserve all the love and loyalty you’ve shown me. When I left here and crossed the Jordan I only had the clothes on my back, and now look at me—two camps! Save me, please, from the violence of my brother, my angry brother! I’m afraid he’ll come and attack us all, me, the mothers and the children. You yourself said, ‘I will treat you well; I’ll make your descendants like the sands of the sea,  far too many to count.’”

 

QUOTE: Humility and contrition are the keys that open the heart of God. ~David Roper