LORD, I Love You

Lord, I know I have failed You, misunderstood You and even misrepresented You but I love You. There have been times that I ignored You, avoided You and probably angered you…but You know I love You. Like Judas, I have betrayed You; like Peter, I have denied You…but I love You. I am the deficient one in this relationship. I am the one with faults, shortcomings, and character flaws…but You know I love You. Love covers a multitude of sin and I’m pretty sure it’s your love the scripture is referring to, but today, when You look at me, I pray that You not see all my faults and failures…I pray that my love for You might cover all of them. You restored Peter when he denied you three times. You asked him three times, “DO YOU LOVE ME?” Ask me the same question LORD. You know the answer…LORD, I love You.

~Greg Lane [My Morning Walks with God, page 115]

Paul’s Prayer For The Ephesians

God, I praise You as the Father of our LORD Jesus Christ. Long before You created the world, You chose us to be your very own through what Christ would do for us. You decided long before we existed that we would be made holy–without fault– by the power of Your grace. Your plan has always included us because this is the way you wanted it. We praise YOU for Your wonderful kindness in taking our sins away by the blood of Jesus Christ, Your only begotten. You have showered us with spiritual blessings and they all come through Christ our LORD. Father, give us wisdom to see clearly what Christ has done for each of us. May our hearts be flooded with the light of Christ so that we can get a glimpse of our glorious future; so that we can understand how rich we are in Christ. Enable us to understand the incredible power that You have put within us, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and put Him at Your right hand in heaven. We praise You O God, for Jesus who has been victorious over sin and death and has been given a name above all other names with all things being put under His feet. All glory and praise to the Supreme Head of the church–which is His body–filled with Himself, the author and giver of everything everywhere. Amen!

 

Preacher’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed is your name and holy is your nature. You are infinitely good. You cannot sin nor be tempted to sin. You hate sin with a pure and perfect hatred. You have an eternal perspective: You see the end as well as the beginning. I am certain Father that you who began the good work within us, will continue this work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. You are working in us, giving us the desire and the power to do what pleases Christ our LORD. I pray on my behalf and my brothers in the ministry, that utterance be given to us in the preaching of the word as we make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. Help us to faithfully exalt Jesus who said, “If I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” I pray for eyes to be opened and minds to be enlightened so that those who hear might come to know the hope of heaven and the assurance of salvation. May we be filled with the knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. May we be counted worthy of our calling; may we fully execute our task. Help us to courageously stand for the truth. Now all glory to You Father, for your are able, through Your mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. I pray that Your glorious, unlimited resources will empower us with inner strength through his Spirit; that Christ will make His home in our hearts as we trust in Him. May our roots grow down deep into your love and keep us strong. May we have the power to understand, as all Your children should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep is the love of Christ. Deepen our love for Him who first loved us and may we see others as Christ sees them. May we be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from Your Spirit. 

Now all glory to You Father, who is able, through Your mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  Glory to Christ Jesus, the head and Savior of the church. Glory to Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Glory to You Father, who is able to keep us from falling away and will bring us with great joy into Your glorious presence without a single fault. Help us to pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Help us to stay alert and be persistent in our prayers for all believers everywhere. Father give us the right words so we can boldly explain Your mysterious plan that the Good News is for everyone.

Prayer For The Persecuted

Father we praise You as our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. You have been faithful to comfort us in all our troubles which have been few compared to others. We do pray for those in the body of Christ who are suffering persecution: some are in prison, some have lost their property and many are living in fear of oppression. May Your blessed Holy Spirit give them aid and comfort. These persecuted brothers and sisters are dear to us and we know they are very special to You, shower them with the comforts of Christ. Give them the patience to endure their suffering. Reward them with a deeper understanding of Your grace and a closer fellowship with Your Son; may they experience the power of His resurrection. Some are being crushed and overwhelmed beyond their ability to endure; for these suffering believers, give them hope. Rescue them from their trials and temptations. Bless them with peace and courage. We know their confidence is in You. We lift them up in prayer knowing You will deliver them for their good and Your glory.