Prayer: The Aroma of Life

Lord God, Fill us with courage to go on with You, to demonstrate Your glory to a watching world. We trust You to enlarge the place where You have planted us. Stretch us beyond our finite imaginations, enabling us to extend Your Kingdom far and wide into future generations. We open wide the gates, calling others to lift up their heads from the shame and humiliation of their youth; acknowledging instead Your love, strength and power to redeem our lives and make them count for all eternity. May we be the very aroma of life to all those around us. Teach us to live courageous, triumphant lives and speak as persons of sincerity, standing in for Your Presence, the very fragrance of Christ upon us. Now indeed is the time to help Your inheritance. You tell us that if we ask anything according to Your will, You hear us, and not only do You hear -- we have the petitions that we desired of You. Praise be to God! (John 14.31,1 John 5.14-15, 1 Chronicles 19.13, Isaiah 54.2-4, Judith 13.5,11, 2 Corinthians 2.14-17)