Evangelical leaders return to Oval Office to pray over Trump | Baptist News Global

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Religious leaders gather around President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, March 5, 2026.

In what has become an annual ritual, evangelical leaders gathered around President Donald Trump in the Oval Office March 5 and prayed over him and for U.S. success in the war against Iran.

The photo-op prayer time was organized by Paula White Cain, head of the White House Office on Faith and a health-and-wealth televangelist known for her controversial fundraising approaches.

A video released by the White House and shared by others across social media Thursday shows 20 people gathered around Trump, who is seated behind the Resolute Desk. Not all those in the prayer circle can be identified but the group includes Cain; Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church of Dallas; Ralph Reed of Faith and Freedom Coalition; and Gary Bauer of Family Research Council.

Tom Mullins of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., led the spoken prayer. He is founding pastor of Christ Fellowship, a multi‐site church of 30,000 people meeting on 15 campuses around South Florida.

Praying to God on behalf of Trump, Mullins said: “I pray for your grace and your protection over him. I pray for your grace and your protection over our troops and all of our men and women serving in our armed forces. And father we just pray you continue to give our president the strength that he needs to lead our nation as we come back to one nation under God.”

Nate Schatzline, a member of the Texas House of Representative and leader at Mercy Culture Church in Fort Worth, Texas, also was among those present. He posted on X: “What an honor to pray over President @realdonaldtrump in the Oval Office today as faith leaders from across America commit to mobilize the Church to bring Revival & Reformation to America! President Trump has done more for the faith community, for the unborn, for the next generation, & for religious liberty than any other President in U.S. history! We stand with you President Trump!”

He also thanked White “for faithfully leading the White House Faith Office and fighting for religious liberty every day!”

Ralph Reed of Faith and Freedom Coalition portrayed the prayer session as also asking God’s support for U.S. troops in their attacks on Iran: “I am grateful to President Trump for his courageous decision to strike the terrorist regime in Iran. I am honored to pray for him & our armed forces at the White House. May God grant victory & freedom for the Iranian people.”

Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, also was present. He wrote on X: “I had the privilege of joining a group of faith leaders in the Oval Office to pray with and over the president of the United States during a moment of significant responsibility for our nation and the world. … We prayed for wisdom, protection and God’s guidance as he leads during a consequential moment in global affairs.

“What made the moment especially meaningful was the context in which it occurred. As the president continues to serve as commander-in-chief during Operation Epic Fury, with U.S. forces targeting Iranian Regime infrastructure and missile capabilities, the Oval Office was opened for prayer. Even in the midst of global conflict and immense responsibility, we paused to seek God’s wisdom and covering. Leadership at the highest level requires humility, discernment and dependence upon God.

“We prayed for the president, for the United States, for our military personnel and for peace through strength in this critical hour. Moments like this serve as a powerful reminder that faith still has a place in the highest rooms of leadership and that prayer remains one of the most meaningful acts we can offer on behalf of our nation.”

The prayer service happened just hours after Trump fired Kristi Noem as secretary of Homeland Security and nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma to replace her. According to multiple reports, the final straw for Noem was her recent testimony before a congressional committee that went badly awry.

Mullin is a devout Pentecostal who is loved by Trump’s evangelical base.

Source: Evangelical leaders return to Oval Office to pray over Trump

Wednesday Prayer Guide

Adoration

I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the Lord, you His saints,
For those who fear Him lack nothing. (Psalm 34:8–9)

I thank You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
And my soul knows it full well. (Psalm 139:14)

All Your works will praise you, O Lord,
And Your saints will bless You.
They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power,
So that all men may know of Your mighty acts
And the glorious majesty of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures through all generations. (Psalm 145:10–13)

Blessed are You, O Lord, God of Israel, our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of all things. In Your hand is power and might to exalt and to give strength to all. Therefore, my God, I give You thanks and praise Your glorious name. (1 Chronicles 29:10–13)

Pause to express your thoughts of praise and worship.

Confession

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has resisted Him without harm? (Job 9:4)

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity
And in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
I acknowledged my sin to You
And did not hide my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:1–5)

Come, let us return to the Lord.
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live before Him. (Hosea 6:1–2)

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

This is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation;
In quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)

Renewal

Lord, renew me by Your Spirit as I offer these prayers to You:

May I not profane Your holy name, but acknowledge You as holy before others. You are the Lord, who sanctifies me. (Leviticus 22:32)

May I be a person of faith, who does not doubt the promises of God, and not a double-minded man, who is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6, 8)

May I abound in love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and to all the saints. (Philemon 5)

May I be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1)

Pause to add your own prayers for personal renewal.

Petition

Father, using Your word as a guide, I offer You my prayers concerning my love for others.

Concerning love, You have said:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37–40)

Whatever I want others to do to me, may I also do to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy; love does not boast, it is not arrogant, it does not behave rudely; it does not seek its own, it is not provoked, it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth; it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4–8)

May I love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me. (Matthew 5:44)

May I be an imitator of God as a beloved child, and walk in love, just as Christ loved me and gave Himself up for me as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1–2)

May I sanctify Christ as Lord in my heart, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks me to give the reason for the hope that is in me, but with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)

I should walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity. My speech should always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that I may know how to answer each person. (Colossians 4:5–6)

Is this not the fast You have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the cords of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
Is it not to share our food with the hungry
And to provide the poor wanderer with shelter;
When we see the naked, to clothe him,
And not to turn away from our own flesh?
Then our light will break forth like the dawn,
And our healing will quickly appear,
And our righteousness will go before us;
The glory of the Lord will be our rear guard.
Then we will call, and the Lord will answer;
We will cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” (Isaiah 58:6–9)

May I not let any corrupt word come out of my mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may impart grace to those who hear. May I not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom I was sealed for the day of redemption. May I put away all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander, along with all malice. And may I be kind and compassionate to others, forgiving them just as God in Christ also forgave me. (Ephesians 4:29–32)

May I do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility may I esteem others as more important than myself. Let me look not only to my own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3–4)

May I be of one mind with others and be sympathetic: loving them as brothers and sisters, being compassionate and humble. May I not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but blessing instead, because to this I was called, that I may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8–9)

Pause here to express any additional personal requests, especially concerning relationships with others:Greater love and compassion for others Loved ones Those who do not know Christ Those in need

My activities for this day
Special concerns

Intercession

Lord, I now prepare my heart for intercessory prayer for evangelism.

May I devote myself to prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. I pray that God may open to me a door for the word, so that I may speak the mystery of Christ and proclaim it clearly, as I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:2–4)

I pray that words may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. (Ephesians 6:19)

In the spirit of these passages, I pray for those who do not know Christ:Friends Relatives Neighbors Coworkers Special opportunities

Affirmation

Feed my mind and heart, O Lord, as I affirm these truths from Your word concerning my life in Christ:

You have shown me what is good;
And what does the Lord require of me
But to act justly and to love mercy
And to walk humbly with my God? (Micah 6:8)

Though I walk in the flesh, I do not war according to the flesh. The weapons of my warfare are not fleshly, but divinely powerful to overthrow strongholds, casting down arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3–5)

May I not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but of the world. And the world and its lusts are passing away, but the one who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

I will not lay up for myself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But I will lay up for myself treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where my treasure is, there my heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19–21; Luke 12:34)

I make it my ambition to please the Lord, whether I am at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9–10)

Pause to reflect upon these biblical affirmations.

Thanksgiving

For who You are and for what You have done, accept my thanks, O Lord:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for us who through faith are guarded by the power of God for salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3–5)

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25–26)

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 42:11)

I call this to mind,
And therefore I have hope:
The Lord’s mercies never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21–23)

Pause to offer your own expressions of thanksgiving.

Closing Prayer

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

God is able to do immeasurably more than all that we ask or think, according to His power that is at work within us. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. (Ephesians 3:20–21)

Boa, K. (1993). Handbook to prayer: praying scripture back to God. Atlanta: Trinity House.

Wednesday Prayer Guide

Adoration

I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the Lord, you His saints,
For those who fear Him lack nothing. (Psalm 34:8–9)

I thank You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
And my soul knows it full well. (Psalm 139:14)

All Your works will praise you, O Lord,
And Your saints will bless You.
They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power,
So that all men may know of Your mighty acts
And the glorious majesty of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures through all generations. (Psalm 145:10–13)

Blessed are You, O Lord, God of Israel, our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of all things. In Your hand is power and might to exalt and to give strength to all. Therefore, my God, I give You thanks and praise Your glorious name. (1 Chronicles 29:10–13)

Pause to express your thoughts of praise and worship.

Confession

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has resisted Him without harm? (Job 9:4)

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity
And in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
I acknowledged my sin to You
And did not hide my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:1–5)

Come, let us return to the Lord.
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live before Him. (Hosea 6:1–2)

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

This is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation;
In quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)

Renewal

Lord, renew me by Your Spirit as I offer these prayers to You:

May I not profane Your holy name, but acknowledge You as holy before others. You are the Lord, who sanctifies me. (Leviticus 22:32)

May I be a person of faith, who does not doubt the promises of God, and not a double-minded man, who is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6, 8)

May I abound in love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and to all the saints. (Philemon 5)

May I be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1)

Pause to add your own prayers for personal renewal.

Petition

Father, using Your word as a guide, I offer You my prayers concerning my love for others.

Concerning love, You have said:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37–40)

Whatever I want others to do to me, may I also do to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy; love does not boast, it is not arrogant, it does not behave rudely; it does not seek its own, it is not provoked, it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth; it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4–8)

May I love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me. (Matthew 5:44)

May I be an imitator of God as a beloved child, and walk in love, just as Christ loved me and gave Himself up for me as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1–2)

May I sanctify Christ as Lord in my heart, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks me to give the reason for the hope that is in me, but with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)

I should walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity. My speech should always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that I may know how to answer each person. (Colossians 4:5–6)

Is this not the fast You have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the cords of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
Is it not to share our food with the hungry
And to provide the poor wanderer with shelter;
When we see the naked, to clothe him,
And not to turn away from our own flesh?
Then our light will break forth like the dawn,
And our healing will quickly appear,
And our righteousness will go before us;
The glory of the Lord will be our rear guard.
Then we will call, and the Lord will answer;
We will cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” (Isaiah 58:6–9)

May I not let any corrupt word come out of my mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may impart grace to those who hear. May I not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom I was sealed for the day of redemption. May I put away all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander, along with all malice. And may I be kind and compassionate to others, forgiving them just as God in Christ also forgave me. (Ephesians 4:29–32)

May I do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility may I esteem others as more important than myself. Let me look not only to my own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3–4)

May I be of one mind with others and be sympathetic: loving them as brothers and sisters, being compassionate and humble. May I not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but blessing instead, because to this I was called, that I may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8–9)

Pause here to express any additional personal requests, especially concerning relationships with others:Greater love and compassion for others Loved ones Those who do not know Christ Those in need

My activities for this day
Special concerns

Intercession

Lord, I now prepare my heart for intercessory prayer for evangelism.

May I devote myself to prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. I pray that God may open to me a door for the word, so that I may speak the mystery of Christ and proclaim it clearly, as I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:2–4)

I pray that words may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. (Ephesians 6:19)

In the spirit of these passages, I pray for those who do not know Christ:Friends Relatives Neighbors Coworkers Special opportunities

Affirmation

Feed my mind and heart, O Lord, as I affirm these truths from Your word concerning my life in Christ:

You have shown me what is good;
And what does the Lord require of me
But to act justly and to love mercy
And to walk humbly with my God? (Micah 6:8)

Though I walk in the flesh, I do not war according to the flesh. The weapons of my warfare are not fleshly, but divinely powerful to overthrow strongholds, casting down arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3–5)

May I not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but of the world. And the world and its lusts are passing away, but the one who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

I will not lay up for myself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But I will lay up for myself treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where my treasure is, there my heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19–21; Luke 12:34)

I make it my ambition to please the Lord, whether I am at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9–10)

Pause to reflect upon these biblical affirmations.

Thanksgiving

For who You are and for what You have done, accept my thanks, O Lord:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for us who through faith are guarded by the power of God for salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3–5)

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25–26)

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 42:11)

I call this to mind,
And therefore I have hope:
The Lord’s mercies never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21–23)

Pause to offer your own expressions of thanksgiving.

Closing Prayer

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

God is able to do immeasurably more than all that we ask or think, according to His power that is at work within us. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. (Ephesians 3:20–21)

Boa, K. (1993). Handbook to prayer: praying scripture back to God. Atlanta: Trinity House.

Wednesday Prayer Guide

Adoration

I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the Lord, you His saints,
For those who fear Him lack nothing. (Psalm 34:8–9)

I thank You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
And my soul knows it full well. (Psalm 139:14)

All Your works will praise you, O Lord,
And Your saints will bless You.
They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power,
So that all men may know of Your mighty acts
And the glorious majesty of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures through all generations. (Psalm 145:10–13)

Blessed are You, O Lord, God of Israel, our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of all things. In Your hand is power and might to exalt and to give strength to all. Therefore, my God, I give You thanks and praise Your glorious name. (1 Chronicles 29:10–13)

Pause to express your thoughts of praise and worship.

Confession

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has resisted Him without harm? (Job 9:4)

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity
And in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
I acknowledged my sin to You
And did not hide my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:1–5)

Come, let us return to the Lord.
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live before Him. (Hosea 6:1–2)

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

This is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation;
In quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)

Renewal

Lord, renew me by Your Spirit as I offer these prayers to You:

May I not profane Your holy name, but acknowledge You as holy before others. You are the Lord, who sanctifies me. (Leviticus 22:32)

May I be a person of faith, who does not doubt the promises of God, and not a double-minded man, who is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6, 8)

May I abound in love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and to all the saints. (Philemon 5)

May I be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1)

Pause to add your own prayers for personal renewal.

Petition

Father, using Your word as a guide, I offer You my prayers concerning my love for others.

Concerning love, You have said:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37–40)

Whatever I want others to do to me, may I also do to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy; love does not boast, it is not arrogant, it does not behave rudely; it does not seek its own, it is not provoked, it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth; it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4–8)

May I love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me. (Matthew 5:44)

May I be an imitator of God as a beloved child, and walk in love, just as Christ loved me and gave Himself up for me as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1–2)

May I sanctify Christ as Lord in my heart, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks me to give the reason for the hope that is in me, but with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)

I should walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity. My speech should always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that I may know how to answer each person. (Colossians 4:5–6)

Is this not the fast You have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the cords of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
Is it not to share our food with the hungry
And to provide the poor wanderer with shelter;
When we see the naked, to clothe him,
And not to turn away from our own flesh?
Then our light will break forth like the dawn,
And our healing will quickly appear,
And our righteousness will go before us;
The glory of the Lord will be our rear guard.
Then we will call, and the Lord will answer;
We will cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” (Isaiah 58:6–9)

May I not let any corrupt word come out of my mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may impart grace to those who hear. May I not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom I was sealed for the day of redemption. May I put away all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander, along with all malice. And may I be kind and compassionate to others, forgiving them just as God in Christ also forgave me. (Ephesians 4:29–32)

May I do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility may I esteem others as more important than myself. Let me look not only to my own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3–4)

May I be of one mind with others and be sympathetic: loving them as brothers and sisters, being compassionate and humble. May I not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but blessing instead, because to this I was called, that I may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8–9)

Pause here to express any additional personal requests, especially concerning relationships with others:Greater love and compassion for others Loved ones Those who do not know Christ Those in need

My activities for this day
Special concerns

Intercession

Lord, I now prepare my heart for intercessory prayer for evangelism.

May I devote myself to prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. I pray that God may open to me a door for the word, so that I may speak the mystery of Christ and proclaim it clearly, as I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:2–4)

I pray that words may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. (Ephesians 6:19)

In the spirit of these passages, I pray for those who do not know Christ:Friends Relatives Neighbors Coworkers Special opportunities

Affirmation

Feed my mind and heart, O Lord, as I affirm these truths from Your word concerning my life in Christ:

You have shown me what is good;
And what does the Lord require of me
But to act justly and to love mercy
And to walk humbly with my God? (Micah 6:8)

Though I walk in the flesh, I do not war according to the flesh. The weapons of my warfare are not fleshly, but divinely powerful to overthrow strongholds, casting down arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3–5)

May I not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but of the world. And the world and its lusts are passing away, but the one who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

I will not lay up for myself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But I will lay up for myself treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where my treasure is, there my heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19–21; Luke 12:34)

I make it my ambition to please the Lord, whether I am at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9–10)

Pause to reflect upon these biblical affirmations.

Thanksgiving

For who You are and for what You have done, accept my thanks, O Lord:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for us who through faith are guarded by the power of God for salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3–5)

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25–26)

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 42:11)

I call this to mind,
And therefore I have hope:
The Lord’s mercies never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21–23)

Pause to offer your own expressions of thanksgiving.

Closing Prayer

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

God is able to do immeasurably more than all that we ask or think, according to His power that is at work within us. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. (Ephesians 3:20–21)

Boa, K. (1993). Handbook to prayer: praying scripture back to God. Atlanta: Trinity House.

Are Long Prayers Better than Short Prayers? | The Reformed Reader Blog

Are Long Prayers Better than Short Prayers?

True or False:

Long prayers are what all Christians should aim for because long prayers are better than short prayers.  

The answer is false. There is no command in Scripture for all Christians to always pray long prayers. There are no clear places in the Bible that suggest short prayers are inferior and long prayers are superior. Although some people assume that long prayers are better than short prayers, it’s actually a popular evangelical misconception. In fact, there are many short prayers in Scripture. The Lord’s Prayer is a very short prayer. While Jesus did pray long prayers, he also prayed short prayers. We should pray often, but short prayers from the heart are just as good as long prayers from the heart. Let’s not make prayer a burden by insisting that long prayers are better or more spiritual.

Anyway, here’s how Martin Luther wrote positively about short prayers. The emphasis is mine:

The Christian’s prayer, which is offered in faith upon the promise of God, and presents before Him from the heart its need, that is easy, and occasions no labor. For faith soon tells what it wants, yes, with a sigh that the heart utters and that cannot be reached or uttered in words, as Paul says. The Christian prays, and because he knows that God hears him, he does not need to prate on and on. Thus the saints in the Scriptures prayed, as Elijah, Elisha, David and others, with short, but strong and powerful words; as we see in the Psalms, in which there is hardly one that has a prayer of more than five or six verses. Therefore the old fathers have very properly said, there is no use in many long prayers, but they praise the short spontaneous prayers, in which one lifts a sigh heavenward with a word or two; which one can do very often when he is reading, writing, or doing some other work.

But the others, who make only a huge labor out of it, can never pray with satisfaction or with devotion, but they are glad when they are through with their babbling; for it must be so, if one prays without faith and with no feeling of need, thus there can be no heart in it. But if the heart is not in it, and the body is to do the work, then it becomes difficult and vexatious; as we see also in secular labor – he who does anything unwillingly, how difficult and disagreeable it is.

But on the contrary, if the heart is cheerful and willing, then it takes no notice of the work. So also it is here; if one is in earnest about it, and takes pleasure in prayer, then he neither knows nor feels any labor or trouble, but looks only at his need, and has finished singing or praying the words before he knows what he is about. In summary, one should pray short, but often and strongly; for God does not ask how much and long one has prayed, but how good it is and how it comes from the heart.

 Martin Luther, Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, trans. Charles A. Hay (Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1892), 249–250.

Shane Lems Covenant Presbyterian Church (OPC) Hammond, WI, 54015

Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayers? | VCY

Date: February 5, 2026
Host: Jim Schneider
​Guest: Dr. Erwin Lutzer
MP3 | Order

https://embed.sermonaudio.com/player/a/2526221914350/

Dr. Erwin Lutzer is pastor emeritus of The Moody Church where he served as the senior pastor for 36 years.  He’s the speaker on the Running to Win radio broadcast.  Dr. Lutzer is also an award-winning author.  Some of his titles include, We Will Not Be Silenced, The Eclipse of God, When a Nation Forgets God, One Minute After You Die and numerous other titles.  He returned to Crosstalk to discuss his new book, Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayers?

Perhaps you’ve been in life situations in which you’ve prayed again and again over days, weeks, months or even years.  You’ve claimed all the right Bible verses, yet it seems like your prayers are just hitting the ceiling or that God’s simply not there, indifferent or does not care.  

If you’ve ever been in that situation, this Crosstalk is for you.  Listen in as Dr. Lutzer explains how his latest book will point you back to Scripture so you can see how the heart of the reader can be turned from despair and despondency to hope and to trust.  

Points of discussion include:

• Does prayer really make a difference?
• What does Dr. Lutzer mean when he says that sometimes we claim promises that God did not make?
• Are we sometimes deceitful by offering prayers to avoid having to make changes in our lives concerning things that got us into our mess in the first place?  
• What can we learn from Habakkuk, Abraham and Lot regarding prayer?
• Is an unanswered prayer an unheard prayer?
• How should we deal with the disappointment of unanswered prayer?
• Why does God give us so many needs and challenges?

More Information
The book, Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayers? retails for $16.99.  During this month of February, 2026, the VCY Bookstore is offering it for $8.49 (50% off) plus any applicable tax and shipping.  This special ends February 28^th.  The book is available online at vcy.com or by calling 1-888-722-4829.

https://www.vcy.org/crosstalk/2026/02/05/why-doesnt-god-answer-my-prayers/

01.24.25 EChurch@Wartburg Mike Licona at Texas A&M: Interrogating Jesus: A Resurrection Scholar Explores Arguments for Belief | The Wartburg Watch

Photo by Josh Hild on Unsplash

Morning Prayer: Book of Common Prayer

This is another day, O Lord.
I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be.
If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely.
If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly.
If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently.
And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly.
Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus.
Amen.

Altar Book, p. 623 -LCMS Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Task Force

Gracious God, our heavenly Father, Your mercy attends us all our days.
Be our strength and support amid the wearisome changes of this world,
and at life’s end grant us Your promised rest and the full joys of Your salvation;
through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our lord,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Methodist Prayer Marie Bernarde Soubirous (1844-1879) link

Lord Jesus Christ, in the loneliness of our journey may we never feel abandoned,
and in the days of our affliction may we know your comfort.
In the hour of our despairing may our faith be strengthened,
our hope fortified, and our love purified; for your own name’s sake.
Amen.

Benediction link

May the love of the Father,
the tenderness of the Son,
and the presence of the Spirit,
gladden your heart
and bring peace to your soul,
this day and all days,
Amen.

https://thewartburgwatch.com/tww2/2026/01/24/01-24-25-echurchwartburg-mike-licona-at-texas-am-interrogating-jesus-a-resurrection-scholar-explores-arguments-for-belief/

Apologist Mike Winger Releases 6 Hour Expose on Bethel Church, Shawn Bolz | Protestia

Prominent Christian Bible teacher and apologist Mike Winger has released a nearly 6-hour video exposing what he describes as a “cover-up culture” in the charismatic church, which has resulted in thousands of victims due to generations of fakery, abuse, lies, and cover-up culture.

Last year, Winger posted a cryptic message on X warning: “Goodbye. I am about to embark on the creation of several videos that will cause many to think that I’m off base, compromised, unspiritual, attacking the church, or otherwise not worthwhile anymore.”

He has since released multiple videos documenting false and dangerous teachers in the church, including exhaustive critiques of figures like Benny Hinn.

In his recent video titled “The skeletons in Bethel’s closet are now going to speak” (which runs 5:50:16 and has nearly 400,000 views as of mid-January 2026), Winger details allegations against prominent charismatic prophet Shawn Bolz. He reveals Bolz has lied about his prophecies by frequently sourcing information from people’s social media pages rather than divine revelation, which has resulted in ruined and broken lives.

The video also covers other alleged fake prophets who have been sexually coercive and abusive, and all the charismatic leaders who have known about it, but said nothing.

These enablers include well known leaders Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton of Bethel Church, who knew about these issues but did nothing to address or warn others, contributing to a broader pattern of cover-ups in the charismatic movement.

Winger’s video does not contain any new allegations, but rather a detailed and comprehensive summary of what has gone on.

Of course, readers of Protestia will be familiar with these stories. We’ve been criticizing Bolz as a false prophet for years and have been critical of Bolz and Bethel churches for more than a decade, faithfully cataloging their many acts of malfeasance, and we wrote about these specific stories years ago, back in 2024.

Shawn Bolz’s False Prophecy Leads Woman To Marry An Abusive Strangler?
Bethel’s Kris Valloton Leaked Text Messages Excoriate Shawn Bolz, Reveal Bethel’s Bad Deeds
Bethel Statement Suggests Shawn Bolz Engaged In Sexual Harrasment, False Prophecies
Is A Pervert Predator Finding Solace and Comfort at Bethel Church?

Still, given Winger’s prominence and reach, having nearly 1 million subscribers on YouTube, we are greatful for the video, and pray it goes far and wide.

The post Apologist Mike Winger Releases 6 Hour Expose on Bethel Church, Shawn Bolz appeared first on Protestia.

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS AND EPIPHANY: JANUARY 5 | Morning by Morning He Wakens Me

Every new morning is a new beginning of our life. Every day is a completed whole. The present day should be the boundary of our care and striving (Matt. 6:34; Jas. 4:14). It is long enough for us to find God or lose God, to keep the faith or fall into sin and shame. God created day and night so that we might not wander boundlessly, but already in the morning may see the goal of the evening before us. As the old sun rises new every day, so the eternal mercies of God are new every morning (Lam. 3:22–23). To grasp the old faithfulness of God anew every morning, to be able—in the middle of life—to begin a new life with God daily, that is the gift that God gives with every new morning.…
Not fear of the day, not the burden of work that I have to do, but rather, the Lord wakens me. So says the servant of God: “Morning by morning he wakens—wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught” (Isa. 50:4c). God wants to open the heart before it opens itself to the world; before the ear hears the innumerable voices of the day, the early hours are the time to hear the voice of the Creator and Redeemer. God made the stillness of the early morning for himself. It ought to belong to God.

Because intercession is such an incalculably great gift of God, we should accept it joyfully. The very time we give to intercession will turn out to be a daily source of new joy in God and in the Christian community.… For most people the early morning will prove to be the best time. We have a right to this time, even prior to the claims of other people, and we may insist upon having it as a completely undisturbed quiet time despite all external difficulties.
Bonhoeffer, Life Together

The LORD GOD has given me
  the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain
  the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens—
  wakens my ear
  to listen as those who are taught.
       Isaiah 50:4

Bonhoeffer, D. (2010). God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas (J. Riess, Ed.; O. C. Dean Jr., Trans.; First edition, pp. 88–89). Westminster John Knox Press.

Russell Brand Opens Up AmFest with Prayer: ‘Thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, who died so that we may know eternal life’ | Protestia

Russell Brand Opens Up AmFest with Prayer: ‘Thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, who died so that we may know eternal life’

Movie star, comedian, and cultural commentator Russell Brand, who publicly came out as a born-again Christian* last year opened up his speech at American Fest 2025 with a prayer, declaring:

Heavenly Father, would you guide my mouth? Would you guard my lips? Oh Lord, I bend my knee and my tongue will serve you, Heavenly Father, and no other.

Thank you, Lord, for your Son Jesus Christ, who died that we may know eternal life, but may we know eternity here in this moment, Lord. There is no statute of limitations on ‘love thy neighbor.’ The whole world is our neighbor. We were intended to be one family, Heavenly Father.

You gave your life, you gave your blood, and may the covenant of your blood cover us all.

I pray, Father for the eternal soul of Charlie Kirk. I thank you for his sacrifice and I thank you Lord that we have this opportunity to be here in unity. The opportunity for true unity. The opportunity for community. The opportunity to be different Lord.

He continues:

I thank you Heavenly Father for Erica Kirk’s boldness and her bravery and for her example of forgiveness. And surely if she can forgive the people of the man responsible Lord for the murder of her husband, surely this principle of forgiveness is something that we can all extend.

Lord, may we know your grace, may we live in your grace, and particularly when it’s expensive to us, when it costs us something, may we enter into your kingdom, a kingdom of love. May we put aside petty squabbles and disputes, and may we move into a new era of grace in your glory. I pray for the kingdoms to merge. I pray for your return.

I pray that we participate in making straight the paths. In the holy name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.

Russell Brand opens his AmFest speech with prayer, proclaiming the Gospel in front of a massive crowd

“Thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, who died so that we may know eternal life.”

Jesus is Lord ✝️ pic.twitter.com/f3OPqOWzy9

— Anna Lulis (@annamlulis) December 19, 2025

We last wrote about Brand after he sat down with OnlyFans porn star Lily Phillips for an interview, questioning her joy and satisfaction and encouraging her to leave this line of work.

---

Editor’s Note. We don’t know if Brand is a believer. He certainly has some strange beliefs, at times seemingly mixing new age woo-woo stuff with Christianity, but we are hopeful that he is, giving him the benefit of a doubt.

As we’ve said many times before, the sanctification process is very messy, especially for new believers, where frequently it’s two steps foward and one step back. This is why it’s so important for new Christians to be surrounded by a faithful and mature church family, where they can can receive discipling, accountability, correction and exhortation, and help minimize the messiness as they grow in the Lord.

Whether the seed gets eaten by birds, scorched in the sun, choked by thistles, or embeded deep in good soil, time will tell, and we should be praying in the meantime.

The post Russell Brand Opens Up AmFest with Prayer: ‘Thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, who died so that we may know eternal life’ appeared first on Protestia.

December 13 Morning Verse of the Day

The Meaning of Prayer

Philippians 4:6–7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

For most people few doctrines associated with Christianity are more generally misunderstood than that of true prayer. It is totally misunderstood by nonbelievers, and it is misunderstood by many who profess the name of Jesus. The problem may be traced to the fact that so few persons know God well enough to be closely associated with him in prayer, and since none of us is as closely associated with him as we ought to be, prayer is at least partially confusing to us all. Does prayer change things? Or does prayer change people? Does God change his mind as the result of believing prayer? Or does God move us to pray? What does it mean to pray without ceasing? Who can pray? How do you pray? And why should a person pray anyway? In any gathering of God’s people many of these questions will receive different and sometimes even contradictory answers.
In the fourth chapter of Philippians there are two verses that are an exceptionally fine statement of the Christian doctrine of prayer. Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6–7).

For Christians Only

What is prayer? Prayer is talking with God, and the place to begin in any true definition of prayer is with the fact that prayer is for believers only. Paul did not write his words about prayer to the pagan world at Philippi or to the world at large. He wrote them “to all the saints in Christ Jesus” at Philippi. This means that prayer is exclusively for Christians. It is the means by which an empty soul that has been touched by Jesus Christ can be thrust beneath the life-giving fountain of God’s grace, can bask in God’s goodness, and can be supernaturally refreshed for life’s tasks. Prayer is the Christian’s antidote for anxiety.
I know something called prayer is offered a billion times daily by millions of people who are not Christians, but this is not prayer in any real sense. Scores of non-Christian people in the East spend the better part of a day spinning prayer wheels. Savages chant prayers in many jungle clearings. New Agers finger prayer beads. Many poor souls cry out a prayer in the midst of some calamity. Many non-Christians give themselves to a life of meditation. But this is not true prayer, if the person involved is not a Christian. Prayer is talking with God, and the only prayer that God hears and answers is one that is made through his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who alone provides access to his presence.
This truth was taught by Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus did not say that he was one of several ways to come to God, that he was a prophet who pointed out the ways to God; he said that he was the way to come to God, and he added, lest anyone misunderstand him, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” This means that no prayer offered to God apart from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has ever reached God his heavenly Father.
There are more passages in the Bible that tell when God will not answer prayer than there are passages in which he promises to do it, and God definitely says he will not answer the prayer of anyone who does not come through faith in his Son.
Have you ever tried to pray and found God distant and unreal? Have you gone away without any real hope that God has heard you? It may be that you have never done the first thing God requires. Your sin divides you like a wall from God’s presence. It will only be removed by Jesus Christ. You need to come to him. You need to say, “Lord Jesus Christ, I recognize that I am separated from you by my sin; but I believe you died for me to remove that sin forever. Remove it now, and accept me as your child. Amen.” If you do that, God will remove your sin, and he will accept you as his child forever.

Barriers to Prayer

Now we must also add that although it is true that God does not hear the prayer of non-Christians, it is also true that he does not hear the prayers offered by many Christians. In fact, the Bible says that God will never hear a Christian’s prayer so long as the Christian is clinging to some sin in his heart. David said, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Ps. 66:18). Isaiah wrote, “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Isa. 59:1–2).
Do these verses describe your prayer life? If so, you must confess your sin openly and frankly, knowing that God “is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We can only pray if our lives are open books before him.
In normal life we must know people well before our conversation with them flows freely. There are many people I know casually to whom I would speak about the weather, their work, their families, but to whom I would never speak about more personal things. There are others I know better; to these I would speak about some problems in my own life or about the concerns of others. Certain things I share only with my wife. How easily I can speak depends on how well I know the person. It is the same in our relationship to God. If we do not know God well, if our sin keeps us from him, if we do not recognize his characteristics and how he operates with people, then he is like a stranger to us and the prayer flows slowly, even though we have come to faith in Jesus. Instead, we must confess our sin and learn to spend time alone with our heavenly Father. When we do that our prayer will become the kind of communion that we have in conversation with a close friend.

Prayer for Others

Everything that I have noted up to this point has ourselves as the center; but if you know what prayer is, you know also that prayer necessarily involves other people. No matter how intimate the conversation may be between a husband and wife, it does not always center on their own affairs exclusively. They share news about their acquaintances and their concerns for them. So it is in prayer. The Bible calls such prayer “intercession.” First Timothy 2:1 says, “I urge you, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone.”
As we meet with God in prayer—at the beginning of a day, at its end, or in any moment throughout it—these concerns should also be a part of our conversation with him. We should have great boldness as we present the concerns of others.
That great Bible teacher, Harry Ironside, tells a story about intercessory prayer in one of his books. He had been preaching in the Midwest and had held meetings in a church that contained a most unusual group of believers. They had Sunday services and midweek meetings, but they did not come together for prayer. He spoke to them about this lack. They said, “We don’t need to meet for prayer. We have no spiritual needs, for the Bible says that we have all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. And we have no need of material things, for we are well provided for. So we don’t pray.” Ironside said, “Well, that is unfortunate. At the very least, you should pray for me that God will give me freedom of speech as I go about preaching the gospel.”
They could not seem to understand his point, and Ironside left. Some time later he collapsed while in the pulpit. It was found that he had typhoid fever with a temperature of 106 degrees. In time he recovered, and during the next year he was back with this strange group of Christians. They said to him, “When we heard that you were sick with typhoid fever we began to pray for you. We prayed for you twice a week, but after we heard that you had recovered we stopped.” Ironside said, “Well, that is unfortunate also. As long as I was in the hospital room I was all right. All I had was typhoid fever. But now that I am out preaching the gospel, I am faced with the spiritual temptations that come to a Christian minister. Now I need your prayers more than ever.”
I know someone is going to say, “Do you mean to teach that God will only take care of another Christian if we pray?” No, I do not think intercession means that. But it does mean that God allows us to share in the blessings he gives to others and delights in using our prayers as a means through which he operates.
Let me illustrate this by another story. More than a generation ago a man named Hotchkiss went to Nigeria where he spent over forty years as a missionary. One day he was late for a service he was to have in a village located across a large plain. There was a rule in Nigeria in those days that no one ever crossed a large open space for fear of stampedes by the herds of wild game that roamed at large in the country. A safe path always passed within a short run of the trees. Hotchkiss was late, and he knew the quickest way to the village was to go directly across the plain. So he started across it. Halfway across the worst happened. He heard the thunder of rhinoceros hoofs, and as he looked up he saw a herd of the monstrous animals headed toward him. There was nowhere to go, so Hotchkiss knelt down in the middle of the plain, clasped his Bible to his chest, and prayed, “Lord, here I come.” An eternity passed as the roar grew louder and then faded away into the distance. At last all was quiet and Hotchkiss arose. He was standing in the midst of the plain marked with the hoofprints of a hundred or more rhinoceros. But he was alive, and he went on to his meeting in the village.
Years later, a couple from Ohio visited this man in Nigeria. In the course of their conversation the husband said to Hotchkiss, “I had a most unusual experience once that concerned you. One night I woke up suddenly with an irresistible urge to pray for you. And I did, committing you to God’s safekeeping.” Hotchkiss asked if he remembered when it was. The man had written it down that night in his Bible, and when they compared the times, it was on the same day and at the same hour that Hotchkiss had been spared on the Nigerian plain.
Someone may argue that God would have saved Hotchkiss anyway, even if the man had not prayed. Probably. But the point is that in God’s marvelous working he moved a man halfway around the world to pray for Hotchkiss in that hour. Thus, years later the man was able to share in the blessing of his friend’s supernatural deliverance. In the same way we have the privilege as God’s children of committing others into his hands for his blessing—our friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and family. As we do, we are permitted to share in his blessing on them. Our Christian life holds few joys greater than this one.

Supplications

There is one other point about prayer that comes directly from this passage. Prayer is not only talking with God, nor is it only intercession for others. Prayer is also an opportunity to present our requests to him. Paul calls them petitions, and he says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God invites us to place our earnest requests before him.
This is God’s cure for anxiety. Christians are troubled about many things. You may be troubled about your work, your family, the future, money, sex, or happiness. God invites you to place your request about these things before him. The promise of the verse is that the peace of God will keep your heart and mind through Christ Jesus.
Have you ever noticed that the verse does not say that we shall necessarily receive the things we ask for? You would expect the verse to say, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and God will fulfill your requests.” But it does not say that. It says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Our prayers are often in error, and we pray for things that are not good for us. God does not promise to give us these things. All things work together for good to them that love God. However, God does promise to give a supernatural peace to those who share their real needs with him.
We must not think that Paul was recommending something for others that he had not found true for himself. Paul too had had this experience. Do you remember the prayer that Paul wrote in Romans 15? Paul was in Corinth and was about to go on to Jerusalem with the collection from the gentile churches. After that he had planned to travel to Rome as an ambassador of the Christian gospel. He asked prayer for three things: 1) “that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea”; 2) “that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints”; and 3) “that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed” (Rom. 15:31–32).
How were Paul’s requests answered? We do not know every aspect of God’s answers, but we know that Paul’s first request was not fulfilled literally. Paul fell into the hands of unbelievers and spent two years in prison in Caesarea as a result, although his life was spared. We have no information about his second request—that his collection might be received willingly by the saints in Judea—but there is no reason to think Paul received a warm welcome from anyone. Finally, we know that Paul’s third request—for a joyous journey to Rome—was fulfilled, if it was fulfilled, only after long delays and through much hardship. When Paul arrived in Rome at last, he arrived as a prisoner in chains.
God certainly did not answer Paul’s requests as Paul intended. But God did answer, and he answered exactly as Paul indicates in his words about prayer to the Philippians. He answered by giving Paul peace. Paul knew God’s peace even in the most difficult of earthly circumstances, and he writes out of these circumstances to tell us also to make requests of God, our heavenly Father.

Boice, J. M. (2000). Philippians: an expositional commentary (pp. 238–243). Baker Books.

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5b, 6. (3) Let there be no worry but prayerful trusting in God above.
Joy within, big-heartedness all around, and now prayerful trusting in God above. Says Paul, The Lord (is) at hand. In view of the immediate context (3:20, 21) the meaning is probably not, “The Lord is always nearby or present,” (cf. Ps. 145:18) but rather, “The Lord is coming very soon.” This, of course, is strictly true with respect to every believer. If the Lord arrives from heaven before the believer dies, then no one surely will be able to doubt that this coming was, indeed, at hand. But if the death of the believer occurs before the day of Christ’s coming, then two facts remain true both for the believer’s own consciousness and according to the clear teaching of Scripture: a. The believer’s life-span here on earth was very, very brief. In fact, it amounted to a mere breath (Ps. 39:5; 90:10; 103:15, 16); and b. the interval between the entrance of his soul into heaven and the Lord’s second coming was but “a little season” (Rev. 6:11), for in heaven he was geared to a different kind of time-scale. Hence, take it either way, Paul had every right to say, “The Lord (is) at hand.” Whatever happens in history is a preparation for this coming, which, as has been shown, will in either case be soon. This does not mean that the apostle excludes the possibility that by earthly reckoning there could still be an interval of many years before the Lord’s arrival. He is not setting any dates (see 1 Thess. 5:1–3; 2 Thess. 2:1–3). In view of the fact that no one knows the day and the hour when Jesus will return (Matt. 24:36), it behooves every one to be ready, working, watching at all times (Matt. 25:1–13). At the coming of the Lord all wrongs will be righted, and the believer will stand in the presence of his Lord, fully vindicated. Hence, let him not make too much of disappointments, or unduly trouble himself about the future. So Paul continues, In nothing be anxious or “stop being anxious about anything.” (See also N.T.C. on John 14:1–4.) There is such a thing as kindly concern, that is, genuine interest in the welfare of others. The verb (used in Phil. 4:6, and here rendered “be anxious”) can elsewhere have a favorable meaning, as it does, in fact, in this very epistle (2:20): Timothy was genuinely interested in the welfare of the Philippians. Often, however, it indicates to be unduly concerned about, to be filled with anxiety, to worry. Such worry may be about food or drink or clothes or one’s life-span or the future or words to be spoken in self-defense or even about “many things” (Matt. 6:25–28, 34; 10:19; Luke 10:41; 12:11). The cure for worry is prayer. Hence, the apostle continues, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known before God.
The cure for worry is not inaction. If one wishes to plant a garden, build a house, make a sermon, or do anything else, he cannot attain his objective by prayer alone. There must be careful planning. There must be reflection leading to action. Paul is not forgetting this. In fact, the reflection is stressed in verse 8, the action in verse 9. On the other hand, however, it is also true that reflection and action without prayer would be futile. In fact so very important is prayer to the Christian that it is mentioned first of all (verse 6b).
Neither is the cure for worry apathy. God never tells us to suppress every desire. On the contrary, he says, “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it” (Ps. 81:10). Proper desires should be cultivated, not killed.
The proper antidote for anxiety is the outpouring of the heart to God. Here questions occur:

a. In connection with what situations or circumstances should this take place?

Answer: “in everything.” Note the sharp contrast: “In nothing be anxious but in everything … let your petitions be made known before God.” Because of the specific context here, the emphasis is, nevertheless, on all such circumstances which might otherwise cause one to worry: “Cast all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). The outpouring of the heart to God should, of course, not be restricted to this.
“Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer.

That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at My Father’s throne.
Make all my wants and wishes known!”

(W. W. Walford)

b. In what frame of mind should this be done?

Answer: with reverence and true devotion. That is implied in the words, “by prayer.” Prayer is any form of reverent address directed to God.

c. What is the nature of this activity?

Answer: it amounts to supplication. Note: “and supplication.” By this is meant the humble cry for the fulfilment of needs that are keenly felt.

d. What is the condition of acceptance?

Answer: that this be done “with thanksgiving.” This implies humility, submission to God’s will, knowing that this will is always best. There must be grateful acknowledgement for: a. past favors, b. present blessings, and c. firmly-grounded assurances for the future. Paul begins nearly every one of his epistles with an outpouring of thanksgiving to God. Throughout his writings he again and again insists on the necessity of giving thanks (Rom. 1:21; 14:6; 2 Cor. 1:11; 4:15; 9:11, 12; Eph. 5:20; Col. 3:15; etc.). Prayer without thanksgiving is like a bird without wings: such a prayer cannot rise to heaven, can find no acceptance with God.

e. What are the contents?

Answer: not vague generalities. The prayer, “Lord, bless all that awaiteth thy blessing” may be proper at times but can be overdone. It is easy to resort to it when one has nothing definite to ask. Paul says, “Let your petitions be made known before God.” There must be definite, specific requests (1 John 5:15). That is also clear from the example given us in what is commonly called “The Lord’s Prayer” (Matt. 6:9–13). Note also the preposition before, in “before God.” One enters into the very presence of God, realizing that nothing is too great for his power to accomplish nor too small for his love to be concerned about. Is he not our Father who in Christ loves us with an infinite love?

Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of Philippians (Vol. 5, pp. 194–196). Baker Book House.

Friday Prayer Guide

Adoration

How great You are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that I have heard with my ears. (2 Samuel 7:22; 1 Chronicles 17:20)

O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not the God who is in heaven? Are You not the ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one is able to withstand You. (2 Chronicles 20:6)

For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light. (Psalm 36:9)

O come, let us sing to the Lord;
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout for joy to Him with psalms.
The Lord is the great God,
The great King above all gods.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
He is our God and we are the people of His pasture
And the sheep under His care. (Psalm 95:1–3, 6–7)

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be pleasing to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord. (Psalm 104:33–34)

Pause to express your thoughts of praise and worship.

Confession

Out of the depths I have called to You, O Lord.
O Lord, hear my voice,
And let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.
If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared. (Psalm 130:1–4)

You have been just in all that has happened to me; You have acted faithfully, while I did wrong. (Nehemiah 9:33)

I return to the Lord my God,
For I have stumbled because of my iniquity.
I take words with me and return to the Lord,
Saying, “Take away all iniquity and receive me graciously,
That I may offer the fruit of my lips.” (Hosea 14:1–2)

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness.
God will not always strive with us,
Nor will He harbor His anger forever;
He does not treat us as our sins deserve
Or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His love for those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on His children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
You know how I am formed;
You remember that I am dust. (Psalm 103:8–14)

Renewal

Lord, renew me by Your Spirit as I offer these prayers to You:

Who is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master finds so doing when he comes. (Matthew 24:45–46)

May I watch and pray so that I will not fall into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41)

May I abide in Christ, so that when He appears, I will have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. (1 John 2:28)

May I be ready, for the Son of Man will come at an hour when I do not expect Him. (Matthew 24:44; Luke 12:40)

Pause to add your own prayers for personal renewal.

Petition

Father, using Your word as a guide, I offer You my prayers concerning my need for wisdom.

May God grant me, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith. And may I, being rooted and grounded in love, be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that I may be filled to all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16–19)

If I have found grace in Your sight, teach me Your ways, so I may know You and continue to find favor with You. (Exodus 33:13)

Whatever I do, may I do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

May I not let Your word depart from my mouth, but meditate on it day and night, so that I may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then I will make my way prosperous, and I will act wisely. (Joshua 1:8)

May I meditate on Your precepts
And consider Your ways.
May I delight in Your statutes,
And not forget Your word.
Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes that I may see
Wonderful things from Your law. (Psalm 119:15–18)

Let me be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:19–20)

May I guard my heart with all diligence,
For out of it flow the issues of life.
May I put away perversity from my mouth
And keep corrupt talk far from my lips.
May I let my eyes look straight ahead,
And fix my gaze straight before me.
May I ponder the path of my feet
So that all my ways will be established.
May I not turn to the right or to the left
But keep my foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:23–27)

Let my light shine before men, that they may see my good deeds and praise my Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13–16)

May I do all things without complaining or arguing, so that I may become blameless and pure, a child of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom I shine as a light in the world, holding fast the word of life. (Philippians 2:14–16)

May I clothe myself with humility toward others, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. May I humble myself under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt me in due time, casting all my anxiety upon Him, because He cares for me. (1 Peter 5:5–7)

Pause here to express any additional personal requests, especially concerning family and ministry:Family Ministry Sharing Christ with others Helping others grow in Him Career

My activities for this day
Special concerns

Intercession

Lord, I now prepare my heart for intercessory prayer for missions.

Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men, for not all have faith. (2 Thessalonians 3:1–2)

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, I will pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into His harvest. (Matthew 9:37–38; Luke 10:2)

In the spirit of these passages, I pray for:Local missions National missions World missions The fulfillment of the Great Commission Special concerns

Affirmation

Feed my mind and heart, O Lord, as I affirm these truths from Your word concerning my hope as a follower of Christ:

I do not lose heart; even though my outward man is perishing, yet my inner man is being renewed day by day. For this light affliction which is momentary is working for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while I do not look at the things which are seen but at the things which are unseen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16–18)

Peace You leave with me; Your peace You give to me. Not as the world gives, do You give to me. I will not let my heart be troubled nor let it be fearful. (John 14:27)

Those who wait for the Lord
Will renew their strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles;
They will run and not grow weary;
They will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

I am always of good courage and know that as long as I am at home in the body, I am away from the Lord. For I live by faith, not by sight. I am of good courage and would prefer to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6–8)

Since I am a child of God, I am an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ, if indeed I share in His sufferings in order that I may also share in His glory. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to me. (Romans 8:17–18)

Pause to reflect upon these biblical affirmations.

Thanksgiving

For who You are and for what You have done, accept my thanks, O Lord:

I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. (Psalm 9:1–2)

We give thanks to You, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. (Revelation 11:17)

I will sing of Your strength,
Yes, I will sing of Your mercy in the morning,
For You have been my stronghold,
My refuge in times of trouble.
To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises,
For God is my fortress, my loving God. (Psalm 59:16–17)

Pause to offer your own expressions of thanksgiving.

Closing Prayer

Teach me to number my days,
That I may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold
From those who walk in integrity.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You! (Psalm 84:10–12)

To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. (1 Timothy 1:17)

Boa, K. (1993). Handbook to prayer: praying scripture back to God. Atlanta: Trinity House.

Wednesday Prayer Guide

Adoration

I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the Lord, you His saints,
For those who fear Him lack nothing. (Psalm 34:8–9)

I thank You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
And my soul knows it full well. (Psalm 139:14)

All Your works will praise you, O Lord,
And Your saints will bless You.
They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power,
So that all men may know of Your mighty acts
And the glorious majesty of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures through all generations. (Psalm 145:10–13)

Blessed are You, O Lord, God of Israel, our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of all things. In Your hand is power and might to exalt and to give strength to all. Therefore, my God, I give You thanks and praise Your glorious name. (1 Chronicles 29:10–13)

Pause to express your thoughts of praise and worship.

Confession

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has resisted Him without harm? (Job 9:4)

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity
And in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
I acknowledged my sin to You
And did not hide my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:1–5)

Come, let us return to the Lord.
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live before Him. (Hosea 6:1–2)

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

This is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation;
In quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)

Renewal

Lord, renew me by Your Spirit as I offer these prayers to You:

May I not profane Your holy name, but acknowledge You as holy before others. You are the Lord, who sanctifies me. (Leviticus 22:32)

May I be a person of faith, who does not doubt the promises of God, and not a double-minded man, who is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6, 8)

May I abound in love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and to all the saints. (Philemon 5)

May I be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1)

Pause to add your own prayers for personal renewal.

Petition

Father, using Your word as a guide, I offer You my prayers concerning my love for others.

Concerning love, You have said:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37–40)

Whatever I want others to do to me, may I also do to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy; love does not boast, it is not arrogant, it does not behave rudely; it does not seek its own, it is not provoked, it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth; it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4–8)

May I love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me. (Matthew 5:44)

May I be an imitator of God as a beloved child, and walk in love, just as Christ loved me and gave Himself up for me as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1–2)

May I sanctify Christ as Lord in my heart, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks me to give the reason for the hope that is in me, but with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)

I should walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity. My speech should always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that I may know how to answer each person. (Colossians 4:5–6)

Is this not the fast You have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the cords of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
Is it not to share our food with the hungry
And to provide the poor wanderer with shelter;
When we see the naked, to clothe him,
And not to turn away from our own flesh?
Then our light will break forth like the dawn,
And our healing will quickly appear,
And our righteousness will go before us;
The glory of the Lord will be our rear guard.
Then we will call, and the Lord will answer;
We will cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” (Isaiah 58:6–9)

May I not let any corrupt word come out of my mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may impart grace to those who hear. May I not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom I was sealed for the day of redemption. May I put away all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander, along with all malice. And may I be kind and compassionate to others, forgiving them just as God in Christ also forgave me. (Ephesians 4:29–32)

May I do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility may I esteem others as more important than myself. Let me look not only to my own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3–4)

May I be of one mind with others and be sympathetic: loving them as brothers and sisters, being compassionate and humble. May I not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but blessing instead, because to this I was called, that I may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8–9)

Pause here to express any additional personal requests, especially concerning relationships with others:Greater love and compassion for others Loved ones Those who do not know Christ Those in need

My activities for this day
Special concerns

Intercession

Lord, I now prepare my heart for intercessory prayer for evangelism.

May I devote myself to prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. I pray that God may open to me a door for the word, so that I may speak the mystery of Christ and proclaim it clearly, as I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:2–4)

I pray that words may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. (Ephesians 6:19)

In the spirit of these passages, I pray for those who do not know Christ:Friends Relatives Neighbors Coworkers Special opportunities

Affirmation

Feed my mind and heart, O Lord, as I affirm these truths from Your word concerning my life in Christ:

You have shown me what is good;
And what does the Lord require of me
But to act justly and to love mercy
And to walk humbly with my God? (Micah 6:8)

Though I walk in the flesh, I do not war according to the flesh. The weapons of my warfare are not fleshly, but divinely powerful to overthrow strongholds, casting down arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3–5)

May I not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but of the world. And the world and its lusts are passing away, but the one who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

I will not lay up for myself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But I will lay up for myself treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where my treasure is, there my heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19–21; Luke 12:34)

I make it my ambition to please the Lord, whether I am at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9–10)

Pause to reflect upon these biblical affirmations.

Thanksgiving

For who You are and for what You have done, accept my thanks, O Lord:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for us who through faith are guarded by the power of God for salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3–5)

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25–26)

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 42:11)

I call this to mind,
And therefore I have hope:
The Lord’s mercies never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21–23)

Pause to offer your own expressions of thanksgiving.

Closing Prayer

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

God is able to do immeasurably more than all that we ask or think, according to His power that is at work within us. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. (Ephesians 3:20–21)

Boa, K. (1993). Handbook to prayer: praying scripture back to God. Atlanta: Trinity House.

A Prayer for Rest and Renewal in the Busy Holiday Season – Advent Devotional – December 1 | Christianity.com

Will you do something with me today? Give God your busy. He will give you back hope, rest, and the renewal you need in order to soak in the sparkle and significance of this blessed season.

Author of Win Over Worry

A Prayer for Rest and Renewal in the Busy Holiday Season
By Keri Eichberger

Bible Reading
“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.” – Psalm 62:5

Listen or Read Below:

One of my least favorite four-letter words seems to be growing in popularity in modern culture. And I bet it’s one you’ve been hearing even more frequently in this bustling season, too. Busy. It’s a word the world tosses around wildly when referring to their overstuffed schedules and never-ending to-do lists. And I don’t know about you, but I kind of can’t stand it. One, because I feel it, too. Umm, hello! We are all busy. But mostly the overuse of this pesky little word drives me so crazy because it doesn’t have to be this way.

Sure, we’re super busy, which happens to be of our choosing. But even more true, I bet you are dying for rest, relief, and enjoyment of your blessings, like I am—the way God intended. Yet we fall victim to the expectations of others and ourselves (especially during the holidays) to create and experience the perfect plans—a picture-perfect Christmas. Year after year. Do you? Do you find yourself caught up in all the busy, but long for a deep sense of rest and renewal so you can actually enjoy the beauty the season beholds?

This entire holiday was intended to be a holy celebration of a long-awaited king who came as a baby to offer everlasting peace to all humanity. A freedom the world was desperate for. A salvation from the weight of sin and a new life with the ultimate hope of forever in heaven. I so much want to soak in with awe and wonder the majesty, significance, and true meaning of what we are all running around busy for. 

I believe you and I both want to remember and receive the magnitude of the coming of Christ. But instead, we’re spending more time shopping for people that need nothing than serving those with nothing to give. We’re exhausting our minds and bodies trying to create and control traditions instead of just plain appreciating people and enjoying their presence. We stress the perfection of our gift packages, Christmas cookies, and cooking preparation, rather than preparing our hearts to be joyful and peaceful in order to share the love that Jesus came to show and shine. And what does this say about where we are placing our hope?

Bottom line: we are busy placing our hope in gifts, parties, traditions, approval, perfection, and worldly affection. Versus putting our hope in the one and only who can rescue and save our souls. Our one and only savior, Jesus, who wants rest and renewal for you and me. Not hustle, bustle, and busy.

I bet you long for soul rest and a renewed sense of hope right now. Because I think we all do. God doesn’t need your busy. The world doesn’t, either. The Lord just needs you, and you and the world just need him. Will you do something with me today? Give God your busy. He will give you back hope, rest, and the renewal you need in order to soak in the sparkle and significance of this blessed season.

Let’s Pray:

Lord of renewal, You are the light of hope that this world is longing for. Amid my packed-full days that run myself ragged, I acknowledge I put emphasis on so much that doesn’t matter. And I spin my wheels trying to control and perfect scenarios, outcomes, and experiences. But deep down, I’m worn out and need rest, refreshment, and a renewed spirit. Help me remember my hope comes from you alone. Help me put down the busy, slow down, and sit down with you. Marveling over who you are and why the season truly holds such joy and hope. You are my living hope. My only hope. Who came so humbly into the world to save every soul and offer an eternity of peace in paradise with you. You are the Prince of Peace, the Almighty God, and I pause right here to praise you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Antonio_Diaz

Keri Eichberger is a Jesus-loving Kentucky girl. She is married to her best friend, Mike, and has a full house of five kids. After years of writing for an online audience, Keri became ordained through Southeast Christian Church, giving her life to full-time ministry. She is the author of Win Over Worry: Conquer What Shakes You and Soar With the One Who Overcomes, and has a passion for sharing faith-filled encouragement through devotional writing. Connect with Keri at KeriEichberger.com or Instagram.

https://www.christianity.com/devotionals/todays-devotionals/advent-devotional-december-1.html

“How To Survive Thanksgiving”??? | The Economic Collapse

This year there have been more news articles than ever about “how to survive Thanksgiving”.  If you have not noticed this, I will provide some examples for you in this article.  Personally, the idea that Thanksgiving is an ordeal that must be endured is deeply offensive to me.  If eating a feast while surrounded by people that love you is too much of a burden, please stay home.  Thanksgiving is a day when we our not supposed to be focused on ourselves.  Instead, it is a day when we are supposed to give thanks.  In fact, according to the original Thanksgiving declaration that George Washington issued in 1789, there is someone in particular that we are supposed to give thanks to on this day.  But in our “me-centered” society, that has been completely forgotten.

I love Thanksgiving.  When I was a child, we would stop for one day to eat some turkey and give thanks for our blessings.  But today the Thanksgiving holiday has become an entire season.  The weekend before Thanksgiving is a travel weekend, many take the entire week off, and the weekend after Thanksgiving is the time when people travel home.

I kind of like that.  The more time that we can take to spend with the people that love us the better.

But many media outlets seem to think that spending time with family and friends is a problem.  For example, here is one article about Thanksgiving that discusses “the stresses that a family get-together can create”…

Thanksgiving is an interesting holiday. Some celebrate it as an American tradition. Others look at it as simply an excuse to get together with family to watch some football. And still others just enjoy getting an extra day off from work or try to ignore it altogether. But however you regard it, there are often two areas in which many of us can use help: preparing the traditional Thanksgiving meal and dealing with the stresses that a family get-together can create — especially these days, when conversations around the dinner table may be even more fraught than usual.

Yes, human relationships are complicated.

But that doesn’t mean that we should just isolate ourselves.

A big part of life is learning how to love imperfect people.

Because if you can’t love imperfect people, you aren’t going to love anyone, because nobody is perfect.

Many of the articles about “how to survive Thanksgiving” are focused on how to deal with family members.  The following comes from an article entitled “How to Survive Thanksgiving with a Crazy Family”…

Every Thanksgiving, millions of Americans prepare for what just might be the most family time they’ve had in a while. For some this is great. It is a reunion full of hugs and catching up. For most, it’s a politically charged, possibly drunken, exchange of fighting words, news stories, and my favorite, family drama. While my family is, admittedly, crazy, we normally shy away from such emotionally charged topics. But there is always an instigator in each family who enjoys sparring with family, watching the flames come up from the ground and engulf their family until it’s time to eat so much they enter a comatose state, lie on the couch, and forget the pain they’ve inflicted.

Many of these articles suggest that we should just avoid talking about anything important during Thanksgiving.

Really?

What are we supposed to do?

Talk about the weather for three hours?

Political talk at Thanksgiving is something that mainstream news outlets seem to particularly dislike.  I found an ABC News article entitled “How to survive political talk at Thanksgiving dinner” to be particularly amusing…

It’s Thanksgiving, you’re enjoying your favorite foods at the dinner table, when a family member brings up who they voted for in the 2024 presidential election.

Arguments ensue.

The food doesn’t taste as good.

And now everyone’s a politician.

People have political opinions.

And that is okay.

If we can’t learn how to peacefully interact with those that we disagree with, we are going to be in big trouble.

If we had a society that actually valued the marketplace of ideas, we would relish the opportunity to chat with those that hold opposing views.

But instead we are trained to cringe at the thought of having to do that.  Here is an excerpt from a Vogue article entitled “How to Survive Politics-Talk at Thanksgiving (Without Losing Your Mind)”…

Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and given that we’re fresh off one of the most contentious and politically charged seasons of our time, it’s probably not realistic to expect a holiday to be totally free of drama.

If you’re one of the lucky few whose family is united around political issues, treasure those peaceful conversations at the Thanksgiving table; for the rest of us, it can be challenging to know how best to talk to loved ones (or, to be real, tolerated-out-of-necessity ones) about anything substantive. Besides, for many of us, these issues aren’t “just politics;” they directly affect the way we live our lives and the safety and happiness of our families and friends.

If you disagree with me, that is okay.

And if I disagree with you, that is okay too.

Today, many people are actually completely cutting themselves off from their families due to political differences.

That is so wrong, but it is happening on a widespread basis.

Recently, Oprah Winfrey committed an entire podcast to people that have chosen to go “no contact” with their relatives…

When is it OK to go “no contact” with a family member? And what even is “no contact,” really?

Oprah Winfrey explored these questions on “The Oprah Podcast,” in an episode released Tuesday, Nov. 25, ahead of Thanksgiving. In the episode, audience members opened up about cutting off all contact with close relatives − even their parents.

“I know this is a tender, hot-button topic,” Winfrey said in the episode. “My hope is that we can open up the heart space and really listen. I’m not on anybody’s side. I just want to hear what everyone has to say.”

A USA Today article about that podcast explained precisely what it means to go “no contact” with someone…

“No contact” is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: You cut off all communication with someone. This means no meet-ups, no phone calls, no texting and no interaction on social media. If you happen to run into each other, you either avoid them or keep the interactions short and emotionally neutral.

I know so many children that no longer have contact with their parents, and I know so many parents that no longer have contact with their children.

It is a nationwide epidemic, and it is a great tragedy.

But this is what our society has become.

We have been trained to hate anyone that disagrees with us, and that even includes our own family members.

One of these days so many people are going to look back and wish that they could have done things differently.

If you find yourself wishing that you had done things differently, this Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to change direction.

In 1789, President George Washington issued the very first Thanksgiving proclamation.

He designated the 26th day of November to be a day when Americans were to humble themselves and give thanks to God for the blessings that He had bestowed upon our young nation…

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor– and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be– That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks–for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation–for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war–for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed–for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted–for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions– to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually–to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed–to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord–To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us–and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

The vast majority of the population has totally forgotten what Thanksgiving is supposed to be all about.

But it is not too late to reverse course.

I would encourage everyone to humble themselves and give thanks at some point over the next few days.

You will be amazed at how your perspective changes once you have done that.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post “How To Survive Thanksgiving”??? appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

Wednesday Prayer Guide

Adoration

I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the Lord, you His saints,
For those who fear Him lack nothing. (Psalm 34:8–9)

I thank You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
And my soul knows it full well. (Psalm 139:14)

All Your works will praise you, O Lord,
And Your saints will bless You.
They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power,
So that all men may know of Your mighty acts
And the glorious majesty of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures through all generations. (Psalm 145:10–13)

Blessed are You, O Lord, God of Israel, our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of all things. In Your hand is power and might to exalt and to give strength to all. Therefore, my God, I give You thanks and praise Your glorious name. (1 Chronicles 29:10–13)

Pause to express your thoughts of praise and worship.

Confession

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has resisted Him without harm? (Job 9:4)

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity
And in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
I acknowledged my sin to You
And did not hide my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:1–5)

Come, let us return to the Lord.
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live before Him. (Hosea 6:1–2)

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

This is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation;
In quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)

Renewal

Lord, renew me by Your Spirit as I offer these prayers to You:

May I not profane Your holy name, but acknowledge You as holy before others. You are the Lord, who sanctifies me. (Leviticus 22:32)

May I be a person of faith, who does not doubt the promises of God, and not a double-minded man, who is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6, 8)

May I abound in love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and to all the saints. (Philemon 5)

May I be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1)

Pause to add your own prayers for personal renewal.

Petition

Father, using Your word as a guide, I offer You my prayers concerning my love for others.

Concerning love, You have said:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37–40)

Whatever I want others to do to me, may I also do to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy; love does not boast, it is not arrogant, it does not behave rudely; it does not seek its own, it is not provoked, it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth; it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4–8)

May I love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me. (Matthew 5:44)

May I be an imitator of God as a beloved child, and walk in love, just as Christ loved me and gave Himself up for me as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1–2)

May I sanctify Christ as Lord in my heart, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks me to give the reason for the hope that is in me, but with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)

I should walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity. My speech should always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that I may know how to answer each person. (Colossians 4:5–6)

Is this not the fast You have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the cords of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
Is it not to share our food with the hungry
And to provide the poor wanderer with shelter;
When we see the naked, to clothe him,
And not to turn away from our own flesh?
Then our light will break forth like the dawn,
And our healing will quickly appear,
And our righteousness will go before us;
The glory of the Lord will be our rear guard.
Then we will call, and the Lord will answer;
We will cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” (Isaiah 58:6–9)

May I not let any corrupt word come out of my mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may impart grace to those who hear. May I not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom I was sealed for the day of redemption. May I put away all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander, along with all malice. And may I be kind and compassionate to others, forgiving them just as God in Christ also forgave me. (Ephesians 4:29–32)

May I do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility may I esteem others as more important than myself. Let me look not only to my own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3–4)

May I be of one mind with others and be sympathetic: loving them as brothers and sisters, being compassionate and humble. May I not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but blessing instead, because to this I was called, that I may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8–9)

Pause here to express any additional personal requests, especially concerning relationships with others:Greater love and compassion for others Loved ones Those who do not know Christ Those in need

My activities for this day
Special concerns

Intercession

Lord, I now prepare my heart for intercessory prayer for evangelism.

May I devote myself to prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. I pray that God may open to me a door for the word, so that I may speak the mystery of Christ and proclaim it clearly, as I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:2–4)

I pray that words may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. (Ephesians 6:19)

In the spirit of these passages, I pray for those who do not know Christ:Friends Relatives Neighbors Coworkers Special opportunities

Affirmation

Feed my mind and heart, O Lord, as I affirm these truths from Your word concerning my life in Christ:

You have shown me what is good;
And what does the Lord require of me
But to act justly and to love mercy
And to walk humbly with my God? (Micah 6:8)

Though I walk in the flesh, I do not war according to the flesh. The weapons of my warfare are not fleshly, but divinely powerful to overthrow strongholds, casting down arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3–5)

May I not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but of the world. And the world and its lusts are passing away, but the one who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

I will not lay up for myself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But I will lay up for myself treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where my treasure is, there my heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19–21; Luke 12:34)

I make it my ambition to please the Lord, whether I am at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9–10)

Pause to reflect upon these biblical affirmations.

Thanksgiving

For who You are and for what You have done, accept my thanks, O Lord:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for us who through faith are guarded by the power of God for salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3–5)

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25–26)

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 42:11)

I call this to mind,
And therefore I have hope:
The Lord’s mercies never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21–23)

Pause to offer your own expressions of thanksgiving.

Closing Prayer

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

God is able to do immeasurably more than all that we ask or think, according to His power that is at work within us. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. (Ephesians 3:20–21)

Boa, K. (1993). Handbook to prayer: praying scripture back to God. Atlanta: Trinity House.

Friday Prayer Guide

Adoration

How great You are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that I have heard with my ears. (2 Samuel 7:22; 1 Chronicles 17:20)

O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not the God who is in heaven? Are You not the ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one is able to withstand You. (2 Chronicles 20:6)

For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light. (Psalm 36:9)

O come, let us sing to the Lord;
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout for joy to Him with psalms.
The Lord is the great God,
The great King above all gods.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
He is our God and we are the people of His pasture
And the sheep under His care. (Psalm 95:1–3, 6–7)

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be pleasing to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord. (Psalm 104:33–34)

Pause to express your thoughts of praise and worship.

Confession

Out of the depths I have called to You, O Lord.
O Lord, hear my voice,
And let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.
If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared. (Psalm 130:1–4)

You have been just in all that has happened to me; You have acted faithfully, while I did wrong. (Nehemiah 9:33)

I return to the Lord my God,
For I have stumbled because of my iniquity.
I take words with me and return to the Lord,
Saying, “Take away all iniquity and receive me graciously,
That I may offer the fruit of my lips.” (Hosea 14:1–2)

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness.
God will not always strive with us,
Nor will He harbor His anger forever;
He does not treat us as our sins deserve
Or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His love for those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on His children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
You know how I am formed;
You remember that I am dust. (Psalm 103:8–14)

Renewal

Lord, renew me by Your Spirit as I offer these prayers to You:

Who is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master finds so doing when he comes. (Matthew 24:45–46)

May I watch and pray so that I will not fall into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41)

May I abide in Christ, so that when He appears, I will have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. (1 John 2:28)

May I be ready, for the Son of Man will come at an hour when I do not expect Him. (Matthew 24:44; Luke 12:40)

Pause to add your own prayers for personal renewal.

Petition

Father, using Your word as a guide, I offer You my prayers concerning my need for wisdom.

May God grant me, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith. And may I, being rooted and grounded in love, be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that I may be filled to all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16–19)

If I have found grace in Your sight, teach me Your ways, so I may know You and continue to find favor with You. (Exodus 33:13)

Whatever I do, may I do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

May I not let Your word depart from my mouth, but meditate on it day and night, so that I may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then I will make my way prosperous, and I will act wisely. (Joshua 1:8)

May I meditate on Your precepts
And consider Your ways.
May I delight in Your statutes,
And not forget Your word.
Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes that I may see
Wonderful things from Your law. (Psalm 119:15–18)

Let me be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:19–20)

May I guard my heart with all diligence,
For out of it flow the issues of life.
May I put away perversity from my mouth
And keep corrupt talk far from my lips.
May I let my eyes look straight ahead,
And fix my gaze straight before me.
May I ponder the path of my feet
So that all my ways will be established.
May I not turn to the right or to the left
But keep my foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:23–27)

Let my light shine before men, that they may see my good deeds and praise my Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13–16)

May I do all things without complaining or arguing, so that I may become blameless and pure, a child of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom I shine as a light in the world, holding fast the word of life. (Philippians 2:14–16)

May I clothe myself with humility toward others, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. May I humble myself under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt me in due time, casting all my anxiety upon Him, because He cares for me. (1 Peter 5:5–7)

Pause here to express any additional personal requests, especially concerning family and ministry:Family Ministry Sharing Christ with others Helping others grow in Him Career

My activities for this day
Special concerns

Intercession

Lord, I now prepare my heart for intercessory prayer for missions.

Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men, for not all have faith. (2 Thessalonians 3:1–2)

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, I will pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into His harvest. (Matthew 9:37–38; Luke 10:2)

In the spirit of these passages, I pray for:Local missions National missions World missions The fulfillment of the Great Commission Special concerns

Affirmation

Feed my mind and heart, O Lord, as I affirm these truths from Your word concerning my hope as a follower of Christ:

I do not lose heart; even though my outward man is perishing, yet my inner man is being renewed day by day. For this light affliction which is momentary is working for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while I do not look at the things which are seen but at the things which are unseen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16–18)

Peace You leave with me; Your peace You give to me. Not as the world gives, do You give to me. I will not let my heart be troubled nor let it be fearful. (John 14:27)

Those who wait for the Lord
Will renew their strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles;
They will run and not grow weary;
They will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

I am always of good courage and know that as long as I am at home in the body, I am away from the Lord. For I live by faith, not by sight. I am of good courage and would prefer to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6–8)

Since I am a child of God, I am an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ, if indeed I share in His sufferings in order that I may also share in His glory. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to me. (Romans 8:17–18)

Pause to reflect upon these biblical affirmations.

Thanksgiving

For who You are and for what You have done, accept my thanks, O Lord:

I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. (Psalm 9:1–2)

We give thanks to You, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. (Revelation 11:17)

I will sing of Your strength,
Yes, I will sing of Your mercy in the morning,
For You have been my stronghold,
My refuge in times of trouble.
To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises,
For God is my fortress, my loving God. (Psalm 59:16–17)

Pause to offer your own expressions of thanksgiving.

Closing Prayer

Teach me to number my days,
That I may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold
From those who walk in integrity.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You! (Psalm 84:10–12)

To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. (1 Timothy 1:17)

Boa, K. (1993). Handbook to prayer: praying scripture back to God. Atlanta: Trinity House.

Wednesday Prayer Guide

Adoration

I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the Lord, you His saints,
For those who fear Him lack nothing. (Psalm 34:8–9)

I thank You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
And my soul knows it full well. (Psalm 139:14)

All Your works will praise you, O Lord,
And Your saints will bless You.
They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power,
So that all men may know of Your mighty acts
And the glorious majesty of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures through all generations. (Psalm 145:10–13)

Blessed are You, O Lord, God of Israel, our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of all things. In Your hand is power and might to exalt and to give strength to all. Therefore, my God, I give You thanks and praise Your glorious name. (1 Chronicles 29:10–13)

Pause to express your thoughts of praise and worship.

Confession

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has resisted Him without harm? (Job 9:4)

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity
And in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
I acknowledged my sin to You
And did not hide my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:1–5)

Come, let us return to the Lord.
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live before Him. (Hosea 6:1–2)

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

This is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation;
In quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)

Renewal

Lord, renew me by Your Spirit as I offer these prayers to You:

May I not profane Your holy name, but acknowledge You as holy before others. You are the Lord, who sanctifies me. (Leviticus 22:32)

May I be a person of faith, who does not doubt the promises of God, and not a double-minded man, who is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6, 8)

May I abound in love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and to all the saints. (Philemon 5)

May I be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1)

Pause to add your own prayers for personal renewal.

Petition

Father, using Your word as a guide, I offer You my prayers concerning my love for others.

Concerning love, You have said:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37–40)

Whatever I want others to do to me, may I also do to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy; love does not boast, it is not arrogant, it does not behave rudely; it does not seek its own, it is not provoked, it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth; it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4–8)

May I love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me. (Matthew 5:44)

May I be an imitator of God as a beloved child, and walk in love, just as Christ loved me and gave Himself up for me as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1–2)

May I sanctify Christ as Lord in my heart, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks me to give the reason for the hope that is in me, but with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)

I should walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity. My speech should always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that I may know how to answer each person. (Colossians 4:5–6)

Is this not the fast You have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the cords of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
Is it not to share our food with the hungry
And to provide the poor wanderer with shelter;
When we see the naked, to clothe him,
And not to turn away from our own flesh?
Then our light will break forth like the dawn,
And our healing will quickly appear,
And our righteousness will go before us;
The glory of the Lord will be our rear guard.
Then we will call, and the Lord will answer;
We will cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” (Isaiah 58:6–9)

May I not let any corrupt word come out of my mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may impart grace to those who hear. May I not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom I was sealed for the day of redemption. May I put away all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander, along with all malice. And may I be kind and compassionate to others, forgiving them just as God in Christ also forgave me. (Ephesians 4:29–32)

May I do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility may I esteem others as more important than myself. Let me look not only to my own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3–4)

May I be of one mind with others and be sympathetic: loving them as brothers and sisters, being compassionate and humble. May I not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but blessing instead, because to this I was called, that I may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8–9)

Pause here to express any additional personal requests, especially concerning relationships with others:Greater love and compassion for others Loved ones Those who do not know Christ Those in need

My activities for this day
Special concerns

Intercession

Lord, I now prepare my heart for intercessory prayer for evangelism.

May I devote myself to prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. I pray that God may open to me a door for the word, so that I may speak the mystery of Christ and proclaim it clearly, as I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:2–4)

I pray that words may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. (Ephesians 6:19)

In the spirit of these passages, I pray for those who do not know Christ:Friends Relatives Neighbors Coworkers Special opportunities

Affirmation

Feed my mind and heart, O Lord, as I affirm these truths from Your word concerning my life in Christ:

You have shown me what is good;
And what does the Lord require of me
But to act justly and to love mercy
And to walk humbly with my God? (Micah 6:8)

Though I walk in the flesh, I do not war according to the flesh. The weapons of my warfare are not fleshly, but divinely powerful to overthrow strongholds, casting down arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3–5)

May I not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but of the world. And the world and its lusts are passing away, but the one who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

I will not lay up for myself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But I will lay up for myself treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where my treasure is, there my heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19–21; Luke 12:34)

I make it my ambition to please the Lord, whether I am at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9–10)

Pause to reflect upon these biblical affirmations.

Thanksgiving

For who You are and for what You have done, accept my thanks, O Lord:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for us who through faith are guarded by the power of God for salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3–5)

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25–26)

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 42:11)

I call this to mind,
And therefore I have hope:
The Lord’s mercies never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21–23)

Pause to offer your own expressions of thanksgiving.

Closing Prayer

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

God is able to do immeasurably more than all that we ask or think, according to His power that is at work within us. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. (Ephesians 3:20–21)

Boa, K. (1993). Handbook to prayer: praying scripture back to God. Atlanta: Trinity House.

How Can Christians Cultivate a Fruitful Prayer Life? | Tabletalk

How Can Christians Cultivate a Fruitful Prayer Life?

In this video, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson suggests a framework Christians can practice to cultivate a fruitful prayer life.

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How can we cultivate fruitful prayer lives? That‘s really a very challenging question, and I say that because I don’t know that there are many Christians who would say, “Just follow my example, because I’ve cracked the secret of a really fruitful prayer life.” But I think here the important thing for us to do is to get some of the basics in place. I think one helpful thing for young Christians, and also Christians who are struggling to grow in prayer, is to live in the presence of God. So that in everything you do, you’re conscious that you’re in communion with Him. And in that context, I don’t mean that you should be thinking of Him all the time. It’s not a good idea to be driving your car and not concentrating on the road. But to develop a consciousness that God has promised to be with you, so that you can tell Him, share with Him, anything and everything that happens in your life. And if you pray in those circumstances, your prayers are probably going to be quite sharp. That, I think is the absolutely fundamental thing: to seek to live in the presence of God and to commune with Him.

And then, I think a helpful thing is to learn how to structure our praying, because prayer is a discipline, and for some of us it’s a very challenging discipline. So how can we structure our prayers? Well, the Lord has given us one way to structure them in the Lord’s Prayer. And I think many Christians in the past and in the present have found it really helpful to think about the Lord’s Prayer, not just as a quick prayer, but as an outline for prayer and to pause on each statement in the prayer. So even if you begin to pray, “Our Father,” and then meditate on what you have just said, that will make you pray even more. It’ll help you to praise God that He is your Father. It will help you to pray about the needs that you have, because He is your Father. And you can, I think, work through the Lord’s Prayer in that way. And that gives you a framework that really helps you to grow in prayer.

I think another possible framework that can be helpful is remembering you’ve been baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And especially when you want to praise God, to think about Him as Father and all that He has done as Father, you could, for example, look up references in the New Testament,—references in the teaching of Jesus to what it means for Him to be your Father—and to pray these through.

And another way to do it—although this isn’t really an outline for prayer, but it’s a very good and helpful spiritual discipline—is to remember that the Book of Psalms is mainly a book of prayers, various kinds of prayers. And I would encourage you to find a place where you can read those prayers and pray those prayers out loud. Not just to read them into yourself, but actually as they did when Jesus was ministering, even up to the time of Augustine. And beyond that, people rarely read to themselves when they read. They read out loud. The Psalms were written to be spoken and prayed and sung out loud. And many of them have the first person singular in them. And I think it was a practice for many years in the church to pray your way through the whole of the Psalms every week. Now that’s a pretty tough order for a modern-day Christian, I think. But it’s a great help to us, that God not only calls us to pray, but He’s given us a book in which He’s actually given us prayers that help us to pray.

I think if you do one or several of these things, it will be a help to you. Also, take the opportunity to pray with others. It can be a lonely business trying to grow your own prayer life, but I think when you do meet with others to pray, it really helps you, energizes you, and also you learn from them, I think, increasingly how to pray.

Source

Wednesday Prayer Guide

Adoration

I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the Lord, you His saints,
For those who fear Him lack nothing. (Psalm 34:8–9)

I thank You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
And my soul knows it full well. (Psalm 139:14)

All Your works will praise you, O Lord,
And Your saints will bless You.
They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power,
So that all men may know of Your mighty acts
And the glorious majesty of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures through all generations. (Psalm 145:10–13)

Blessed are You, O Lord, God of Israel, our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of all things. In Your hand is power and might to exalt and to give strength to all. Therefore, my God, I give You thanks and praise Your glorious name. (1 Chronicles 29:10–13)

Pause to express your thoughts of praise and worship.

Confession

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has resisted Him without harm? (Job 9:4)

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity
And in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
I acknowledged my sin to You
And did not hide my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:1–5)

Come, let us return to the Lord.
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live before Him. (Hosea 6:1–2)

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

This is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation;
In quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)

Renewal

Lord, renew me by Your Spirit as I offer these prayers to You:

May I not profane Your holy name, but acknowledge You as holy before others. You are the Lord, who sanctifies me. (Leviticus 22:32)

May I be a person of faith, who does not doubt the promises of God, and not a double-minded man, who is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6, 8)

May I abound in love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and to all the saints. (Philemon 5)

May I be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1)

Pause to add your own prayers for personal renewal.

Petition

Father, using Your word as a guide, I offer You my prayers concerning my love for others.

Concerning love, You have said:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37–40)

Whatever I want others to do to me, may I also do to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy; love does not boast, it is not arrogant, it does not behave rudely; it does not seek its own, it is not provoked, it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth; it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4–8)

May I love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me. (Matthew 5:44)

May I be an imitator of God as a beloved child, and walk in love, just as Christ loved me and gave Himself up for me as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1–2)

May I sanctify Christ as Lord in my heart, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks me to give the reason for the hope that is in me, but with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)

I should walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity. My speech should always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that I may know how to answer each person. (Colossians 4:5–6)

Is this not the fast You have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the cords of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
Is it not to share our food with the hungry
And to provide the poor wanderer with shelter;
When we see the naked, to clothe him,
And not to turn away from our own flesh?
Then our light will break forth like the dawn,
And our healing will quickly appear,
And our righteousness will go before us;
The glory of the Lord will be our rear guard.
Then we will call, and the Lord will answer;
We will cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” (Isaiah 58:6–9)

May I not let any corrupt word come out of my mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may impart grace to those who hear. May I not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom I was sealed for the day of redemption. May I put away all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander, along with all malice. And may I be kind and compassionate to others, forgiving them just as God in Christ also forgave me. (Ephesians 4:29–32)

May I do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility may I esteem others as more important than myself. Let me look not only to my own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3–4)

May I be of one mind with others and be sympathetic: loving them as brothers and sisters, being compassionate and humble. May I not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but blessing instead, because to this I was called, that I may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8–9)

Pause here to express any additional personal requests, especially concerning relationships with others:Greater love and compassion for others Loved ones Those who do not know Christ Those in need

My activities for this day
Special concerns

Intercession

Lord, I now prepare my heart for intercessory prayer for evangelism.

May I devote myself to prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. I pray that God may open to me a door for the word, so that I may speak the mystery of Christ and proclaim it clearly, as I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:2–4)

I pray that words may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. (Ephesians 6:19)

In the spirit of these passages, I pray for those who do not know Christ:Friends Relatives Neighbors Coworkers Special opportunities

Affirmation

Feed my mind and heart, O Lord, as I affirm these truths from Your word concerning my life in Christ:

You have shown me what is good;
And what does the Lord require of me
But to act justly and to love mercy
And to walk humbly with my God? (Micah 6:8)

Though I walk in the flesh, I do not war according to the flesh. The weapons of my warfare are not fleshly, but divinely powerful to overthrow strongholds, casting down arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3–5)

May I not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but of the world. And the world and its lusts are passing away, but the one who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

I will not lay up for myself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But I will lay up for myself treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where my treasure is, there my heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19–21; Luke 12:34)

I make it my ambition to please the Lord, whether I am at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9–10)

Pause to reflect upon these biblical affirmations.

Thanksgiving

For who You are and for what You have done, accept my thanks, O Lord:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for us who through faith are guarded by the power of God for salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3–5)

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25–26)

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 42:11)

I call this to mind,
And therefore I have hope:
The Lord’s mercies never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21–23)

Pause to offer your own expressions of thanksgiving.

Closing Prayer

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

God is able to do immeasurably more than all that we ask or think, according to His power that is at work within us. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. (Ephesians 3:20–21)

Boa, K. (1993). Handbook to prayer: praying scripture back to God. Atlanta: Trinity House.