Contend For Me

Father, contend for me. You are my Advocate! My Mighty Defender! Contend with those who contend against with me. Fight against those who fight against me. Awake and arise to my defense! 

Intercede for me Holy Spirit in moments when I do not know how to pray or am defenseless. Jesus, intercede for me before the Father as my accuser points his finger at me to remind me of my sin You have washed away. You are merciful! You are my valiant Defender!!

Draw the Circle Day 15

Continue to circle those you've been praying for. You can re-word it to "Jesus, contend for ___. Rescue him/her from the evil one schemes. Intercede on ___'s behalf."

Addressing My Mountain

One of the things I've learned in the JOY study is there is no "right" way to pray. A certain "magic" wording, correct posture. The 4 Steps of Prayer is just a guide! I say this because this one takes us away from the 4 Steps! It won't end with an "Amen" either! :) 
---

Father, today I do not bring before You my mountain of problems. I bring You to my mountains! You are my God and I desire to proclaim who You are to ALL this craziness the enemy throws at me!

Listen to me, Depression and Anxiety, my God IS in control! Neither of you can bog my mind down with worry and threats! You maybe a chemical imbalance but you don't own me! Listen to me, "I cants", you're right! I can't do anything on my own! But I'm NOT on my own! I have Jesus! I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength!

God, I will cling to Your promises! I will say to illness, tornadoes, and thieves: "you can rob, kill, and destroy BUT all is well for my God is with me and will give me what I need to see this life through!" You have never abandoned me! You have always been with me and will be with me to the end. When the end of my life comes, You'll still be with me! You are Sovereign! You are Holy!  You are God and there is nothing this mountain can do to me for You are my Shield!

From Draw the Circle Day 14

On a personal note, my mountain is "trusting" God. I bet you are thinking "Vivian, why do you day you don't trust God?" It's not what I say but how I live! I'm a stress eater! I eat out if boredom! Anytime we rely on something else to calm us or to sooth us instead of taking it to God in prayer, that IS a trust issue! 

Shopping to relieve stress. Drinking alcohol to relieve stress. Venting on Facebook to relieve stress. Indulging in a chocolate binge to relieve stress. Whatever we turn to other than God speaks more about our trust in God than anything we can say with our mouth! So, my mountain is trust ... Trusting God instead of food. 

Father, You are more than my words can express! Your Presence surrounds me daily and Your blessings overflow from Your hands! You are God and there isn't another who can hold a candle in comparison to You!

 

LORD, I pray I'll be watchful, bent before You in prayer! Even if "devoted to prayer" means while driving the car, walking down a hallway, or singing a song. May my mind be focused on You. Jesus I pray I'll be thankful. When the glass appears "half empty", I'll see it "half full".  Remove the spiritual cataracts from my eyes so I can see You are with me in this place.

 

Jesus, thanks for suffering.  Thanks for coming as a poor boy to an ordinary girl. Thanks for coming "fatherless" to a step-father who took You in as his own.  Thank You for enduring people who made fun of You! Even Your own brothers and sisters thought You were nuts!!  Thank You for enduring being spit on, beaten, whipped, and humiliated. I thank You because who am I to think I won't suffer too? You set the example and You over came! They killed You but You arose! You defeated death! Thank You for setting the example to not give up!

 

Today, we circle ourselves. I circle me. I circle my sisters in this prayer group. May we be women who set our hearts and minds to being devoted to prayer!  Give us strength not to give up on those who are lost. Give us strength to lift up our family members to be devoted to You. Give us this day what we need to suffer for You! We live in an imperfect world and the World hates You!  May we be the Watchwomen for our families, friends, churches, schools, communities. Help us to bury the "I can'ts" and focus on "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength"! May we be women who open up and share about the God sightings in our lives! Jesus, we want to be the crazy women You answer prayers for because we are getting on Your nerves! The funny thing is ... That's the kind of women You want us to be!! May each of us be the woman You have designed us to be ... Crazy, Mad in love with You! Amen

 
Draw the Circle -- Day 11 First-Class Noticer

Crazy Faith

God, You don't care about protocol! You baffle the minds by honoring people who take desperate measures to get to You! You are amazing!

 

Father, I want this crazy faith! I don't want people to think I'm sane. Being nuts about You is all that matters in this life. (I think people at work already think I'm crazy. Over the next few days, what will be will be. If I'm out of work a few days or weeks or months that is ok. It is all in Your hands. Its the same "scare" this time every year! What's the point in worrying? If the Government shuts down, You don't shut down. You are eternal! Father, I just know I'll need that faith to be a little bit more radical crazy!)

 

Jesus, thanks for the peace You give!

 

Father, in the name of our King Jesus, we come before You with confidence! Confidence that You are at work in ___'s life! May __ grow in You and You teach him/her about You in ways that only You can reach his/her heart and mind! (Switch names) Father, we circle ___ for his/her salvation. ___ is making choice displeasing to You and we know time is short. Jesus, please speed Your 4th day up!  Pursue ___ as if You are coming to set Your Kingdom up today! Send Your Spirit after him/her and don't let up on this "hot pursuit"! Not even You know when You are coming, Jesus, only the Father knows! We are circling for a divine intervention in ___'s life!  In Your name we pray this will be done because it is Your will no one perishes. Amen

 

Day 10 in Draw the Circle -- Crazy Faith

Wednesday, Tuesday, Monday Prayers

I'm a little behind this week!  My head has felt like a "ton of bricks"! The most recent prayer will be first (Wednesday's Prayer).  We are doing the Draw the Circle ... 40 Day Prayer Challenge by Mark Batterson.  The prayers will take "that" focus.

Wednesday 9/25/2013

(Change the underlined statement in the 4th paragraph to your personal dream! Feel free to share or not share yours.)

 

God of all Inspiration, You are Good and desire good things for us!

 

May I take every thought captive and make it obedient to You! Give me the ability to make each thought obedient to You, Lord Jesus.

 

I thank You, Lord, for this day. I thank You for the trust I have in You. Trust isn't something easy BUT You have proven Yourself to me over and over. Thank You for another day to walk with You and for the chance to tell someone one about Your faithfulness!

 

Each of us has a dream. (Mine is a house. A 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, living room, kitchen, & utility room that is above the water run off.)  But I also have a spiritual dream!  I dream and long for the day ___ comes to know You, Jesus, as his/her Savior.  I dream and long for the day ___ declares You Lord of his/her life!  And I will ask, seek, knock, and circle as long as it takes!  I join my sisters circling the names they are lifting to You!  I also join them in circling their personal dreams!  Whatever they dream, I lift before You as well, Father. As always, we desire Your will.  We desire Your will in our lives. Amen

 

Day 9 in Draw the Circle

 

 

Tuesday 9/24/2013

 

God, the star breather, You are the VERY BIG God!

 

God, do I really believe You are THAT big? Do I really trust You? Jesus what am I holding onto that You want me to let go of? You and I have been through some tight spots together. Surely I trust You by now! I thought I'd ask You this today. My ole Friend, through thick and thin we've come. So, I ask You to search me. Test my faith to prove You true again and again, not for my benefit but for others to see! May I be a living testimony of Your faithfulness! Just let me jump in Your arms and let me squeeze Your neck tight. I'm no fool! I know You'll answer this request and I wanna be ready ...

 

Thank You for being the Source of my strength! Thank You for not abandoning me when I make choices that put me in tight situations. You don't always rescue me BUT You do stick with me growing me in You! Thank You!

 

Father, I don't always know what to pray nor how to pray for __ but that is ok! You know ___'s need! As long as it takes, we'll bring ___ to You! You the faithful, consistent God! May ___ come to know You as his/her God! May ___ come to know You as his/her God! We pray in the name of Jesus Your will be done! Amen

 

Day 8 in Draw the Circle 

 

Monday 9/23/2013

Today's prayer will have 3 blanks for 3 different names. Of course you can pray for as many as you like! Think of 1 lost person, 1 person who is good at posing a Christian walk (or a person who is "on the fence"), 1 person who is saved. When you reach that part of the prayer, this will make more sense!

Dear Jesus, You are the true Circle Maker! You, the Word of God, spoke the planets in to orbit around the sun! You have circled us from the moment You decided to create us!

Thank You for circling me! Thank You for never giving up on me!

Jesus, forgive me for telling You how to save people, when to save people, and for becoming frustrated with You when You don't do it my way! Help me to remember four things: 1) You are in control 2) You gave each of us free will to choose right from wrong AND to choose You or not 3) It's my job to pray to You for as long as it takes 4) It's the Holy Spirit's job to work on and within people. (I'm sure there is more Jesus needs to help me remember!)

Jesus, people matter to You! The lost matter to You! The posers matter to You! Even those who are safe in the sheep pin matter to You! Jesus, may we not give upon ___, ____, and ____! You love sinner, poser, and saint all the exact same! We are each made in Your image and its not Your desire for anyone of us to perish! In Your name, we lift up ___, ___, and ___. We pray God's will be done in their lives. Amen

Read Draw the Circle days 6 & 7

God, the Great King!

For You, the LORD, is the great God, the great King above all gods!

 

My Shepherd, I am just one member of the flock in Your pasture who You care for. You don't always rescue me rom all struggles because some struggles are meant to teach me something and to make me stronger. LORD Jesus, give me grace to sustain, strength to stand firm, and the willpower to keep going! May my eyes be set on what You are doing in me and not focused on the circumstances around me.

 
Father, help me remember as we pray for ____ that You always seem to arrive four days late. First, You gave  ____ free will to choose; it takes time and love to bring a person around to giving up this gift. Second, its all about what You are doing within each of us! Teaching us persistence, keep praying, never give up on ____! Even after he/she is safe in Your grip, we are to continue praying!
 
Thank You, LORD, for what You are teaching us! We pray for Your plan to be done in Your timing and in Your way! Amen
 

Psalm 95:3-7

 
³ For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
⁴ In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
⁵ The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

⁶ Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
⁷ for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.

Today, if only you would hear his voice,

 
 
and Day 4 in Draw the Circle

 

Be LORD of My Life

Almighty God, Your mysteries are more wonderful then I can imagine! There is no limit to Your greatness! There is no limit to what You can do nor where You can go!

 

Father, be Lord of my life. I relinquish everything to You. My time, talent, and treasure are all Yours! I desire to serve Your purpose. What can I do anyway? What do I know? You are the Supreme Being who's greatness my mind cannot understand! I am Yours. I give You all of me.

 
Lord, we continue to circle ___ in prayer. As wolves circle their prey, we will circle ____. We are hungry to see ___ living a life consecrated to You, Lord Jesus! Hear our hearts' cry! We trust ___ into Your merciful hands. Lord Jesus, by Your power and authority we pray God's will be done in ____'s life and in our lives. Amen
 

Job 11:7-9 

 

⁷ “Can you fathom the mysteries of God?
    Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
⁸ They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do?
    They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know?
⁹ Their measure is longer than the earth
    and wider than the sea.

God Keeps The Planets in Orbit!

God, Most High, You alone are the LORD! You made the heavens and all its starry host! You keep the planets in orbit around the sun!

Father, forgive me. Forgive me for doubting Your ability to keep my life in orbit. I already trust You for the big things, I need to trust You for the "little" things. You, the Sovereign One, cares about every minute of my life!

Thank You, LORD, for choreographing my life! You have established every step I'll take! Grant it I have tried "my own" steps causing a mess of things. Thank You for Your patience with me! Thank You for Your grace!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we pray for strength to continue circling ____ in prayer. Compose ___'s life into a beautiful musical score who sings to You! You are the writer of ____'s story, may he/she be the beautiful story of Your amazing love! Most Supreme LORD, we pray Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus name, Amen.

Nehemiah 9:6

You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

Day 2 in Draw the Circle

Circumcise My Heart

Over the next 40 days, we'll be working through the Draw the Circle book.  Hope y'all grabbed a copy! :)  Oh, we'll have scripture too! The prayers will contain bits of the daily readings. :)

 

Dear Father, You are God of gods! LORD of lords! Everything belongs to You!

 

Circumcise my heart. Cut away "my design" of how prayer should be answered. Cut around and remove "the me" getting in Your way. Change my prayers from ASAP to ALAT!

 

Thank You, Lord, for the little blessings. The little things You do that can be easily mistaken for luck, coincidences; almost unnoticeable.  They are small, BUT they are sweet! And each one says "I love you!" Thank You!

 

Jesus, so many times we get tired and want to give up praying. That's not what You want!  No matter how long it takes, we will not give up on ___. We pray to You, LORD Jesus, ___ will not be stiff-necked to the Holy Spirit's tender voice. We pray __ will turn toward You! We place ___ in our circle.  We will circle ___ in prayer as long as it takes (ALAT). In Your name, Jesus, we pray the Father's will be done. Amen

 

Deuteronomy 10:14-17

¹⁴ To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. ¹⁵ Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today. ¹⁶ Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. ¹⁷ For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.

In the Draw the Circle 40 Day Prayer challenge book, Batterson pg 10 "Too often we pray ASAP prayers -- as soon as possible. We need to start praying ALAT prayers -- as long as it takes."

Jesus, You Endured Much!

God, we glorify You by raising Your Name above all other's together! You command Your angels to camp around each one of us! Jesus, You deliver us when we call out!

 
Jesus, help me keep my focus on You! Remind me of what You endured on the cross. Your life was very interrupted for me! Remind me so I do not grow wear and loose heart. Help me not to become blinded by the troubles around me!
 
Jesus, thank You for hearing this poor girl's cry for help!  I was in despair and You reached out and grabbed me! You delivered me from drowning!
 
Lord Jesus, we bring to You today _____.  May ___ keep his/her tongue from evil and his/her lips from speaking lies.  We pray ___ will do what is right and good, that he/she will seek peace and pursue You! We pray Your will be done today in our lives. Amen

 

Psalm 34: 3, 6-7, 13-14

Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them ... keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

 

Hebrews 12:2-3 (NIV84)

Let us fix our eyes o Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and say down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition form sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and loose hope.

 

Fix Our Eyes On Our Deliverer!

LORD, my God, I will give You glory at ALL times! Jesus, Your praise will ALWAYS be on my lips! I cried out to You, seeking You and You answered me! You delivered me from all my fears!

 

Father, I know all I have belongs to You! Create in me the willingness to worship You with the things You have blessed me with! I pray my eyes will be fixed on You, Jesus, and You alone! My focus, my worship on You!

 

Thank You, Jesus, for hearing me! Thank You for saving me from the awful place I was in! A place of fear, doubt, rejection.

 

Jesus, You are Good! You are our Deliverer! We pray in Your name ____ will taste and see for him/herself how good You are!  ____ will find blessings of peace, acceptance, and fulfillment of every longing when he/she chooses You! We pray, Jesus, the Father's will be done! Amen

 

Psalm 34:1, 4, 8, 9 (NIV, MSG, NLT)

 

I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I sought the Lord, and he answered me;    he delivered me from all my fears Taste and see that the Lord is good;    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.

 

I bless God every chance I get;my lungs expand with his praise God met me more than halfway,he freed me from my anxious fears.Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—
how good God is.Blessed are you who run to him.Worship God if you want the best;
worship opens doors to all his goodness.

 

I will praise the Lord at all times.    I will constantly speak his praises. I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.    He freed me from all my fears. Taste and see that the Lord is good.    Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
    for those who fear him will have all they need.

 

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

God Doesn't Disappoint!

Almighty God! Let me just dwell on Your name -- ALL MIGHTY! Just as you proved Yourself to the saints who came before us, You prove Yourself to us!  When we cry out, You hear us and are quick to rescue!

 

Father .... take this time to search each of us.  Search me.  Take this moment to look and see if there is any selfishness in me?  Do I make things about me?  My justice? My rights? My way?  Search me and replace "me" with You!

 
Thanks be to You, God, for Your indescribable gift! Your love for me is AMAZING!
 
Jesus, we join with each other in bringing ___ to the Father.  We pray we will be living proof of Your faithfulness.  May ___ see You at work in our lives and know You desire to be his/her God too!  In You ____ can trust and won't every be disappointed!  We pray in Your name .. Amen
 

Psalm 22:4-5

 
(NIV) ⁴ In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.
⁵ To you they cried out and were saved;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
 

(NCV) ⁴ Our ancestors trusted you;
    they trusted, and you saved them.
⁵ They called to you for help
    and were rescued.
They trusted you
    and were not disappointed.

 
2 Corinthians 9:15

(NIV) Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

 

(NCV) Thanks be to God for his gift that is too wonderful for words.

My Knight In Shining Armor!

LORD, my GOD! LORD, my DADDY! You reached down from Heaven and rescued me! You rescued me from powerful enemies--thoughts, worries, concerns, situations beyond my control-- all stronger than me! YOU delight in me and rescue me!!

 
Father, I can't do this life on my own! Pour out Your strength in me! Give me what I need to face today! Help me to trust You with all my burdens!
 
Jesus, thank You for (name a sister in Christ, from anytime in your life). She is a blessing! She's much more courageous than she gives herself credit for.  Her faith is an inspiration to me! Thank You for bringing her into my life!

 

My Knight In Shining Armor! In Your name, Jesus, we bring _______ to You! Reach down with all Your strength and rescue _____ from darkness and despair!  You delight in all Your creation and we know its Your desire to deliver _____.  By the power and authority in the name of Jesus, we pray the Father's will be done. Amen
 

2 Samuel 22:17-20

 
(NIV)¹⁷ “He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.
¹⁸ He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.
¹⁹ They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
    but the Lord was my support.
²⁰ He brought me out into a spacious place;
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.
 

(NLT)¹⁷ “He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.
¹⁸ He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
    from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
¹⁹ They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
    but the Lord supported me.
²⁰ He led me to a place of safety;
    he rescued me because he delights in me.

God's Word Is Flawless

God my Father, Your way is perfect!  Your Word is flawless!

 

Search my heart, O LORD. Search it continually.  I long to choose Your perfect way! Give me the desire and strength to follow You today.

 

O LORD, my God, it's thankful Tuesday! Allow me to count the many blessings and give You thanks! (Name 5 things, people, or situations to give God thanks for!)  Thank You, LORD, for: 1)_______, 2)_______, 3)_________, 4)_______, 5)__________.  (Share your thanks in the comments!)

 

Jesus, in Your name we pray _____ will take refuge in You and know You as his/her shield.  We pray _____ will find Your Word to be flawless and can trust You with his/her life dreams and plans.  In Your holy name, we pray God's perfect will be accomplished in us and through us. Amen

2 Samuel 22:31

“As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.

------------
Why should I share what I'm thankful for?  Let me quote someone one from a study:

"The joy we get from praying produces emotions of joy. When we share those feelings and emotions with others, our joy multiplies." ~~ Mary Southerland in her study "Laugh More ... Live Better".

God's Ways Are Perfect

Before beginning today's prayer, close your eyes, take a deep breath ... Let it out.  This is your time with God.  Allow your heart, mind, body, and strength to turn and focus on Him.  Still your worries.  Still your fears.  The following prayer is ONLY a guide!  Expand on it!  OR Skip down to the scripture and focus on the passage.  Make this personal for God and you.

-------------

My God, You are the Rock and Your ways are perfect! You are faithful and cannot do anything wrong.

Father, in the light of Your perfection, I feel small. How many times have I judged another based on "my" idea of perfection?  Yet You are so merciful to me ... May my eyes be closed to the "imperfections" of others and my heart open, overflowing with Your love!

Jesus, thank You for not waiting for me to abide by God's Laws to save me!  At the same time, I'm grateful for those Laws because each Word teaches me about who God IS.  Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who guides me and teaches me.

Jesus, in Your name, we bring before the Father _______.  We pray ______ will proclaim the name of the LORD and praise the greatness of our God!  May _____ know Your works are perfect and You will be faithful to him/her forever!  We pray the Father's will be done in our lives today. Amen

Deuteronomy 32:1-4
Listen, you heavens, and I will speak;
    hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.
² Let my teaching fall like rain
    and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
    like abundant rain on tender plants.

³ I will proclaim the name of the Lord.
    Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
⁴ He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
    and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
    upright and just is he.

Normally, I give you one Bible version.  Either the NIV or NLT.  Today, two!  The NIV and the New Century Version.  If you are new to reading these prayers, when you reach the last paragraph, there are blanks.  Read it.  Then pray it putting a person's name in the blank!

 

-----------------

 

God, our Merciful God! You are just and You are fair!  You show mercy, compassion, and kindness to who You choose. You are in control!

 

LORD Jesus, mold my heart to be a heart for the church.  Create in me a desire to get to know and grow with my brothers and sisters in You!  And forgive me for gossip.  That one lady just irks me!  Help me to remember to show even her the kindness and love You have shown me.  May the words out of my mouth be words that encourage, not tear down.

 

Sweet Jesus, I'm so glad You show mercy to who You desire and that isn't based on what I think You should do!  If I had my way, the world would be in LOTS of trouble!  {grin}  Thank You for being in control!  I'm thankful to you that Your choices do not depend upon human desire or effort.  Thank You for being faithful and unwavering!  I'm thankful You don't change who You are based on what people want or try to do!

 

Father, we come to You in the name of our Savior, Jesus.  We lift to you _____.  Father, we pray ____ will know You are fair and just.  You see what we cannot see!  You see how tragedy will effect ALL involved, even who will come to know You as his/her God through the experience.  LORD, we know You choose who You'll show mercy to BUT we also know it's not Your desire anyone to perish.  We pray You'll show mercy to (feel free to switch to a different name here); pour out Your compassion on him/her!  You already chosen to show _____ compassion, we pray he/she will accept Your gift of love!  In Your name, Jesus, we pray the Father's will be done. Amen

 

Romans 9:14-16

 

NIV ¹⁴ What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! ¹⁵ For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
    and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

¹⁶ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.

 

NCV

¹⁴ So what should we say about this? Is God unfair? In no way. ¹⁵ God said to Moses, “I will show kindness to anyone to whom I want to show kindness, and I will show mercy to anyone to whom I want to show mercy.” ¹⁶ So God will choose the one to whom he decides to show mercy; his choice does not depend on what people want or try to do.

Father, God of Heaven and Creator of Earth, You are merciful!  While I lived in sin, separated from You, You poured out Your mercy on me!

O, Merciful God, mold my heart into a heart for people.  Help me to love my enemy, to reach out to someone who needs me to show him/her mercy as You have shown me mercy. I can only do it with You constantly filling me with Your Holy Spirit, Jesus.

(May want to change this to match your own thanks!) Father, thank You!  Thank You for the washed $3 I found in my pant pocket yesterday morning.  I wasn't sure how to make that penny stretch till Friday and that amount is EXACTLY what I needed!  You are in the small details and I am so GRATEFUL!

 

LORD, we bring before You ______.  Teach ____ to love his/her enemies, to do good to those who hate him/her.  Give _____ the strength to bless those who curse him/her and remind _____ to pray for those who mistreat him/her.  We know well it's the people closest to us who hurt us most.  People we love and cherish.  Family and friends.  Pour into ____ Your Holy Spirit to give him/her the ability to be merciful as You are merciful. We pray, Jesus, in Your holy name the Father's will be done in our lives. Amen

Luke 6:27-28, 35-36

²⁷ “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

God's Mercy Extends to ALL Who Trust Him!

God, my Savior, Mighty One; You have performed mighty deeds! Your mercy extends to all who trust You, from generation to generation!

LORD Jesus, give me a heart for God. Create in me a deep longing to seek God and to be in His Presence each day.

Father, I am so thankful for the promise You made to Eve and Abraham!  There are many others too! You have proved Your faithfulness in the story of their lives!  You showed each mercy!  You show me the same mercy!!  Thank You for Your faithfulness! Thank You for Your mercy!

Jesus, You are the Mighty One!  You have done great things for ______!  We pray _____ will fear You and trust in You.  We pray You'll continue to show Your mercies to  _______. As we close, allow us to offer You another round of praise. May our souls glorify You, LORD! You fill the hungry with good things! May we hunger for You today and share the spiritual bread and physical bread You have so graciously given us with someone needing Your mercy. We pray in Your holy name, Jesus. Amen

Luke 1:46-55

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸ for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
⁴⁹     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
⁵⁰ His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
⁵¹ He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
⁵⁵ to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

Four Steps of Prayer: Prayer 101

Before I begin, I'd like to share something to help ease your mind and heart about prayer.  I desire to "bust some myths" about prayer. In Mary Southerland's 5 week study, "Laugh More ... Live Better" on Joy, she writes about pray producing joy:

1. Let go of worry about praying a 'right' way.
2. There is no 'right' posture or place for prayer.
3. Prayer helps us 'tune in' to the presence of God.

Its hard to talk with God when we are anticipating how He's going to answer our prayer, when He's going to answer, or dictate instruction on how and when to answer us. When we try to use God like our "magic genie in the lamp", we become frustrated with God and say "I prayed to You and You didn't answer me!" or "You didn't do what I thought needed to be done!" When our prayer focus is on "I" and not Him, we loose some of our joy. This is the purpose of the Four Steps Of Prayer. Its a guide. Its ONLY a guide! It guides me (and hopefully you) in placing my focus on Who my focus should be on: God.

Here is the Four Steps used by Moms In Prayer International:

1. Praise
2. Confession
3. Thanksgiving
4. Intercession

In Southerland's study and in the booklet people receive when attending The Emmaus Walk, both use ACTS:

1. Adoration
2. Confession
3. Thanksgiving
4. Supplication

Both mean the same thing!  We'll now pick them apart one by one.

Praise/Adoration

Begin your prayer with giving God praise for who He IS!  Enter into His presence focusing on God's name(s), character, or an attribute. 

Giving God praise, "exalts God and gives Him glory", "helps us focus on God and not our situation", "brings about an awareness of God's Presence", "dispels the enemy's power".  (Taken from the Moms In Prayer Booklet).

God is: love, good, faithful, justice, light, the rock, fortress, shield, strength, joy (just to name a few)
For more praise helps, visiting Moms In Prayer website www.momsinprayer.org and click on "Leader's Corner" then click on "Prayer Sheets".  On the right side will be more links, click on "Attributes of God" and a PDF will open!  Feel free to print!

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 2 Chronicles 20:22

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. Psalm 22:3
 

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. Psalm 145:3
 

Confession

This part of the prayer allows you to clear your heart and mind before God. Confess sins, to become humbled, to ask Him to search you. It's about surrendering your will for His will. It's us realizing we ARE human with human frailties and asking God to give us the strength, to empower us with His Holy Spirit  to do what He is desiring us to do. 

Now, I hear you! "Vivian, I'm a Christian. Jesus lives in my heart. I don't sin everyday. Why do I need to this time of confession?"

Let me tell you a story. I walk the local mall. One day, I saw this lady who had come from one of the restaurants. She was loaded down with all kinds of cooking supplies. Oil, flour, eggs. Two large "trays" of eggs. I heard this voice "Offer her help in carrying the eggs." I stopped walking; a brief pause. I continued. The Voice:  Offer her help in carrying the eggs. I paused. She was closer to the door. I kept going. One more time the Voice: Offer her help in carrying the eggs. I almost went to help! Then I rationalized "She'd probably say 'no' anyway." The Voice, "It's the offer that counts." I kept going. My heart felt heavy! So I prayed "Lord, help her get to the car without breaking all those eggs." The Voice: THAT! Was YOUR task!

I cried! 

Sometimes we see sin as: adultery, lying, taking God's name in vain, murder, stealing. Sin IS disobedience! I knew in my heart I had ignored God's Spirit prompting me to offer the lady help. I kept on walking just like the people in Jesus's story "The Good Samaritan". 

 
Confession isn't always about a "sin" BUT it is always about surrender, yielding. It's about living in submission to God's perfect will! It's about asking Him to "search my heart" and being humbled before Him.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:2

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Thanksgiving

Giving God credit and thanking Him for what He has done, is doing in our lives. 

Sounds simple doesn't it? NOPE!

The most miserable people are the ones who are the most ungrateful. Ingratitude breeds resentment, jealousy. Discontent with everything God has given them! 

Stopping to count our blessings and give God an offering of thanks begins to change us! Contentment. Joy. Realizing how blessed I am inspite of how little I have. 

 

What has God blessed you with? Name family members by name, friends by name, things He has provided (home, vehicle, food, clothes, etc.). Thank Him for His ultimate gift to you! Jesus! Thank Him for paying the price Sin demanded. Thank Him for the sunshine and the rain. Thank Him for your struggles! 

What? 

You read right! Say "Lord, I don't know why I am going through this BUT I thank You for the chance to be a witness to others about Your faithfulness to me."

To be honest, I think this part of prayer has changed me more than "Confession" has changed me. It's so easy to focus on what we don't have than it is to give thanks for what we do have. I heard a joke once about the man with 6 kids and he man with 6 million dollars. The question is "Who's content, the man with 6 kids or the man with $6 million?" The answer is "The man with 6 kids because he doesn't want any more!" The point is the man is content with 6 kids for many reasons! (Hahaha) The man with $6 million isn't satisfied because he always wants MORE! 

God HAS given you GOOD gifts! Give Him thanks! (Trust me ... It takes a few days before the light bulb pops over your head IF you are a person who has mostly focused on the "I have nots".)

Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me. Psalm 50:23a
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Supplication/Intercession

Praying for others.

Intercession:

Standing in the "gap" for someone who doesn't know Christ. Standing in the "gap" for someone who is broken hearted and can't pray for him/herself. Standing in the gap for a school, community, etc.  

Supplication:

Lifting up needs of other people. Supplication "is the combination of intercession and petition" (Worship Booklet for Pilgrams; Walk to Emmaus 3rd Edition pg 46). It is "asking God to meet the needs of other people" (Laugh More study).

He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. Isaiah 59:16

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

This is a HUGE amount to take in!  If you notice, praying takes the focus off of "me" and puts it on God and others.  It is about what God desires instead of what "I" desire.  It's about what others need instead of what "I" need.  Is it ok to tell God "my" needs?  YES!

Prayer 102 will focus on "Praying the Scriptures".  Again, there is no "right" way to pray!  Just be open and honest with God!  No sense in trying to hide what is on your mind and heart because He already knows it. :)