Category Archives: Prayer

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February 8, 2014

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God's Plan, God's Promises, Prayer

He Promises

Have faith that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. [Matthew 21:22 (GW)]

How do we reconcile this promise to God’s frequent denials of our petitions? We ask God for what we want but what He gives us is rarely on our timetable and frequently is not what we specifically requested. God may not give us what we want right now but He will give us everything we need, not just for now, but for the future as well. He probably won’t pay our credit card bills, make our teenagers behave, fix our cars or relationships, or get us that raise; he may not even heal us. He will, however, ease our fears, give us wisdom to solve our problems, guide us in our relationships, encourage us when we are weary, strengthen our faith in a crisis, bless us with inner peace, and provide courage enough to face any challenge. We will, indeed, receive what we have asked for in prayer.

Don’t pray to escape troubles. Don’t pray to be comfortable in your emotions. Pray to do the will of God in every situation. Nothing else is worth praying for. [Samuel M. Shoemaker]

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February 6, 2014

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God's Promises, Peace of God, Prayer

Sweet Dreams at Night

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone will keep me safe. [Psalm 4:8 (NLT)]

Father in heaven, thank you for getting us safely through the challenges of this day. May we have a peaceful night and a productive tomorrow. If it’s not too much to ask, could tomorrow also bring some sunshine, an extra dose of patience, a little laughter and lots of love.

I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. [Leviticus 26:6a (NLT)]

I found the “if I should die before I wake” part of the traditional children’s prayer a bit worrisome for my little ones and so combined various versions of the “Now I Lay Me” prayer into this evening prayer for our grands:

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.May angels guard me through the night,
And wake me in the morning’s light.
When in the morning light I wake,
Show me the path of love to take. Amen.

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February 1, 2014

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Prayer

What’s Your Prayer?

I ask two things from you, Lord. Don’t refuse me before I die. Keep me from lying and being dishonest. And don’t make me either rich or poor; just give me enough food for each day. If I have too much, I might reject you and say, “I don’t know the Lord.” If I am poor, I might steal and disgrace the name of my God. [Proverbs 30:7-9 (NCV)]

When we get right down to it, our prayers don’t have to be complicated and our needs are few. What will you ask of Him today?

Day by day, Day by day,
Oh, Dear Lord, Three things I pray:
To see thee more clearly,
Love thee more dearly,
Follow thee more nearly,
Day by day.

[“Day by Day” from the musical Godspell; music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz]

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January 18, 2014

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Prayer, Thanks & Praise, Trusting God

Pray About Everything

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice! … Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4:4,6-7 (NLT)]

Thank you, Lord, for all that has been and all that is yet to be. My future is in your hands. Reassure me so I don’t lose faith when it seems you are deaf to my pleas. Help me refine my requests so that my desires match your divine will. In you, O Lord, I place my trust in you. Fill me with your peace.

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January 13, 2014

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Prayer, Trusting God

He Listens to Our Cries

But when you ask God, you must believe and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like a wave in the sea, blown up and down by the wind. Such doubters are thinking two different things at the same time, and they cannot decide about anything they do. They should not think they will receive anything from the Lord. [James 1:6-8 (NCV)]

Lord, I offer my prayers to you. I know you hear them and I’m confident that you can do all things. Yet, my faith wavers. Because I am so unworthy of your love, I’m not sure I really expect you to answer me. Even when I see your hand at work, when I see my prayers answered, it is difficult for me to believe that my appeals had anything to do with your action. Reassure me, O Lord, that even the prayers of a lowly sinner like me are powerful.

You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! [Psalm 139:5-6 (NLT)]

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January 8, 2014

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Prayer, Wisdom & Guidance

A Catalog of Blessings

We are confident that God listens to us if we ask for anything that has his approval. We know that he listens to our requests. So we know that we already have what we ask him for. [John 5:14-15 (GW)]

God isn’t our personal Neiman Marcus, EBay or Amazon. Making prayer requests is not like looking through a heavenly catalog of blessings and getting to check the items we wish to receive. Like every good parent, God has some guidelines for His gifts to us and our requests must meet with His approval. God certainly isn’t going to offer any divine assistance in sin! Because He loves us, His goal is not our pleasure but rather our salvation! God’s gifts are going to reflect that objective.

Lord, give me the insight to know when my prayers are wrong and patience and persistence when they are right!

We look upon prayer as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the Biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God himself. [Oswald Chambers]