Prayer: Above All Things

Lord God, You have so blessed me. Show me how to be a blessing to others. Teach me to walk blamelessly before You, to do what is right and speak truthfully from the heart. I confess that my heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; only You can know it, only You can bring healing. You, Lord God, are in the right and there is open shame on us today for we have been disobedient to You, O Lord our God, and we have been negligent by not heeding Your voice. Teach me to love You with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind. Amen (Genesis 14.19; Psalm 15.2; Baruch 1.15-19; Matthew 22.37)

Prayer: Fruits of the Kingdom

Do I produce the fruits of the Kingdom? I must confess that very often I do not. Teach me to concentrate on You, O God. Be my Keeper as I journey on Your Way.

I praise Your Name for You have been my Protector and Helper. Lord Jesus Christ, be the Chief Cornerstone of my life. Amen (Psalm 121.5; Genesis 13.3; Psalm 14.2-3; Sirach 51.1-2; Matthew 21.42-43)

Prayer: Blessed to Bless

I will bless you. . .so that you will be a blessing.

You, O Lord, have dealt bountifully to me.

Bless My Name, for everywhere I work wonders. I have fostered your growth since birth and have dealt with you according to My mercy. Concern yourself with the things of My Kingdom and lay them up in your heart and you will become wise.

Lord, let my eyes be opened. Amen (Genesis 12.2; Psalm 13.6; Sirach 50.22,28; Matthew 20.33)

Prayer: Never Cease to Pray for Justice

I confess that I can become weighed down with sadness over the tragic circumstances of the peoples of Darfur, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Congo, the Middle East. . .so many places around the globe. How long, O Lord? How long, until You bring justice to the widow and the orphan?

O Lord, because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan, rise up and place them in safety for which they long. You have promised to hear their cries and to bring justice. Your promises are promises that are pure and true. Be an ever-present help in their time of trouble. Be their fortress and their shield. May they feel Your everlasting arms underneath them lifting them up above this earth-life, sustaining them in the midst of this dry and barren time. Amen (Psalm 12.5-6)

Prayer: Into Thy Hands

Do not receive My grace in vain. . .

May I draw on Your grace in every conceivable condition in which I find myself.

Let circumstances bring you where they will, keep drawing on My grace.

In You, O Lord, do I place my trust.

Do not forget My workings in your life. Wait for My counsel in all.

May I learn in the daily things of life to delay action until I get Your guidance. Fill me with the breath prayer, "Into Thy Hands", as I go about my day.

So many lack poise. In the momentous decisions and big things in life many seek My help, but in the small things they rush alone.

Have mercy on me, O God, as you have so often in the past.

Show that same mercy to others. Remember, I am the Shepherd of the Lost Sheep. Will I not leave the 99 and go in search of the one lost sheep? I rejoice over that one found more than the 99 who never went astray. It is not my will that one of the little ones be lost.

Thank You, O God, for Your mercy and grace. Amen (2 Corinthians 6.1; Psalm 106.13; Matthew 18.12-14)

Prayer: Fires of Sorrow

Sorrow and difficulty will come. . .

Selfishly I find myself praying the fires of sorrow would be prevented in my own heart and life. . .

Ask instead that the self I created you to be would emerge from the fire.

What shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? Or like Christ, realize that. . . for this cause I came unto this hour.

Feel awe; feel the desire to worship Me, to glorify my Name.

O God, You do see and make note of the trouble and grief, that You may take it into Your hands. I commit myself into Your merciful hands, O God.

In all, give thanks to the Most High; proclaim my glory, sing praise with all your heart.

O Lord, I look to You alone. May I love You with my whole heart, O Lord, My Maker, My Redeemer, My Friend. Amen

(John 12.27-28; Zechariah 4.10; Psalm 10.14; Sirach 47.8; Matthew 17.8)

Prayer: Remember Me

Ah, Lord God, I confess there are so many things in this life I do not understand; things that are just plain tragic. If my heart so grieves, how must Your heart grieve, O loving Father?

Guide me with Your wisdom and counsel. Remember me, O Lord, in times of turbulence, unknowing, confusion. I put my trust in You. Do not forsake me. Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak but Thou are mighty, hold me with Thy powerful hand.

Set my mind on things above. May I come to understand what it means to lose my life for Your sake. May I find true life in You. Amen (Psalm 73.24; Genesis 8.21; Sirach 46.6; Psalm 9.10; Matthew 16.23-26)

Prayer: The Crumbs that Fall

Sin has made the basis of things wild not rational.

O Lord, forgive me of my sins of omission as well as commission. Forgive me for wanting everything to be rational, and for questioning You when it is not.

You must realize that sin is a fact, not a defect.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

Remember, I am a Man of Sorrows, acquainted with grief.

O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth. Heal, I pray, my child.

Come apart into a desert place and rest awhile.

Lord Jesus, I confess that I am exhausted. I come and sit by Your well.

Sit by the well and rest. Rest and gain power and strength. Rest and the work will come to you as it came to Me.

I rest before You, My Lord and My God. Let me hear the voice of My Beloved.

This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

Circumcise our hearts, O Lord, so we may draw near You. Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table.

(Isaiah 53.3; Mark 6.31; Psalm 8.1; Sirach 45.4-5; Matthew 15.9, 27)

The Coin in Which You Pay

Life serves back in the coin you pay. One who criticizes another is guilty of the same thing.

May I learn to watch and listen and find my center in You. In You I take refuge from all my pursuers. Deliver me, O Lord. Make me as bold as a lion.

Go forward fearlessly. Remember the children of Israel when they were faced with the Red Sea; I will guide you safely through.

Ah, Lord God, may I walk with You, trusting You to show the way through the waves of the tempest.

Even if you doubt, do not fear. I will pull you from the waters of adversity, even as I did Peter.

O Lord, may I be found faithful. Amen

(Matthew 7.2; Proverbs 28.1; Genesis 6.9; Psalm 7.1; Sirach 44.20; Matthew 14.31)

Prayer: A Royal Priesthood

Learn of Me. . .

I confess that Your mind, O Christ, cannot be obtained by reasoning, or by reading, but only by living with You and sharing Your life.

Walk with Me. . .

Turn, O Lord, save my life; deliver me for the sake of Your steadfast love. Too easily my focus and attention are turned away from You and are captured by mere distractions, worries, pleasures, activities of the day.

By My Word, all things hold together. By My Word, all things exist.

O Lord, You are my All-in-All. Where can I find the strength to praise You? You are greater than all Your works.

To you it has been given to know the secrets, the mysteries, of the Kingdom.

Awesome are You, O Lord, and very great and marvelous in power. I exalt Your Name above all the earth.

To those who have, more will be given and you will have an abundance.

( 1 Peter 2.9; Matthew 11.29; Psalm 6.4; Sirach 43.27-30; Matthew 13.11-12)

Prayer: Ministry of the Interior

Pray for your friends. Enter into the ministry of the interior.

Give ear to my words, O Lord; give heed to my sighing. Listen to the sound of my cry, My King and My God, for unto You will I pray. O Lord, in the morning You hear my voice; in the morning I call to you and watch.

I search out the abyss and the human heart. I understand your innermost thoughts. No thought escapes Me. Nothing is hidden from Me.

Thank You for understanding my prayers even when I cannot give them voice. Thank You for Your Spirit who intercedes with cries and groanings too deep for words. O Lord, search out Your sheep, bind up the broken, pour oil on the wounded, bring back the wanderer. Your love, O Lord, is great. Your mercy extends from one generation to the next.

A bruised reed I will not break; a smoldering wick I will not snuff out.

Lord God, fill me with hope as I pray for Your people. Come and fill my heart with Your peace.

Amen ( Job 42.10; Genesis 4.9; Psalm 5.13; Sirach 42.18-20; Matthew 12.12,20-21, 34)

Prayer: Come to Me

Lovest thou me?

You, O Lord, I do love.

Come to Me, all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens. . .

Lord Jesus, I come. . .

And I will give you rest.

Your rest, Your peace is what I need today.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart. . .

May I be gentle and humble in heart, O Lord.

And you will find rest for your soul.

Soul rest, Spirit calm; envelope Thou me.

My yoke is easy, my burden is light.

(John 21.16; Psalm 4.2-3; Matthew 11.28-29

Prayer: The Life Apart

Let actual circumstances be what they may. . .keep your eyes on Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus, teach me to maintain with diligence the secret life of prayer. . .come what may.

The "life apart" accomplishes more than all the acts of service done in My name.

Teach us to pray, O Lord. May we, Your people, be wise as serpents, harmless as doves.

Human choices made in freedom have consequences. . .

So many unintended consequences. . . forgive us for going our own selfish way. May we choose life with You. You, O Lord, are a shield about me, You're my glory, the lifter of my head.

The fear of the Lord is like a garden of blessing and covers a person better than any glory.

I choose to come to Your garden and feast upon Your delights. I come to walk and talk with You, my Lord and my God.

A "life apart". . .remember Christ and His rising early just to be with Me. A disciple is not above his Teacher, nor a slave above the Master. (Genesis 2; Psalm 3.3; Matthew 10. 8,16, 24)

Prayer: I Desire Mercy

Only My Holy Spirit is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter into communion with Me when you are in a critical temper.

Breathe Your Divine Breath on me; create order out of chaos; create life, O God, by Your intrusive Word.

My generative activity precedes any new day.

Early do I seek You, O Lord. Let Your new day dawn. Pardon my sins and fill me with Your spirit of understanding and wisdom. Direct my counsel and knowledge as I meditate on Your Word.

Take heart! Your sins are forgiven.

Have mercy on us, O Son of David.

I desire mercy. . .have compassion. . .many today are harrassed and helpless, like sheep without a Shepherd.

O Lord of the Harvest, the fields are indeed white. Many today are harrassed and helpless. Send forth laborers, O Merciful God. Amen (Genesis 1; Sirach 39.5-7; Matthew 9)

Prayer: Only Speak the Word

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. . .

Lord Jesus, thank You for laying down Your life for me.

I have called you "friends". . .

May I be willing to lay down my life for You, to stand loyal to You, remembering always that Your honor is at stake in my bodily life.

Seek me early, that is the way to find Me. Early. . .before I get crowded out by daily troubles, difficulties, pleasures. . .

I know You can do all things, O Lord and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. May I delight in You and meditate on Your Word.

Only one who has little business can become wise.

Lord God, I thank you for my illness, my disability, which have slowed me down and helped me to focus on You.

Meditate on My Word day and night and you will be planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season and their leaves do not wither. In all that you do, you will prosper.

Speak Your healing Word, O Lord. Amen (Job 42.2; Psalm 1.2-3; Sirach 38.24; Matthew 8.8)

Prayer: The Beauty of the Guided Life

Wonderful are My ways. . .beyond your knowledge. The wonder of being led by Me; the beauty of the Guided Life.

Forgive me for seeking You only in the "big moments" of my life, O Lord.

I will guide you into all Truth. . .

I will show you things which are to come. . .

Above all, O Most High, direct my way in Truth.

Be rooted and grounded in Me. . .

Lord God, I confess that I am astounded by Your constant leading and guiding. I confess it is often only in looking back on events that I begin to comprehend that You have led me all the way. May I be fruitful for You and Your Kingdom.

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit. . .

Nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. . .

You will be known by your fruit. . .

You will be like a tree planted by rivers of Living Water, and you will bear fruit in due season. Your leaf will not wither or fade, and you will bring healing to the nations.

Ah, the beauty of the Guided Life!

I praise You for being My Constant One.

Amen (John 16.13; Sirach 37.15; Matthew 7.18-20, 28-29; Ezekiel 37)

Prayer: My Heart's One Desire

Abide in Me. . .

Lord God, may I choose to abide in You wherever I am placed.

Become all I would have you. . .spare no effort. It is not your circumstances that need altering, but your heart's desire.

Lead me in Your truth, and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation. On You, O Lord, I wait all the day.

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

You, O Lord, are my treasure, my heart's one desire.
(John 15.4; Psalm 25.5; Ezekiel 37.9; Matthew 5.21,33)

Prayer: The Echo of Christ

Come ye after Me. . .

O Lord, I abandon myself to You and Your purposes.

If you abandon to Me and come when I say "Come", I will continue to say "Come" through You. You will go out into life reproducing the echo of my "Come". . .

I look to You, O God. . .

Looking to Me, all your thoughts are God-inspired. Act on them and you will be led on.

O Lord, I humble myself before You. . .

The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds and it will not rest until it reaches its goal; It will not desist until the Most High responds and does justice for the righteous and executes judgment.

Ah, Lord God, bring peace to Jerusalem, Your Holy City. Bring peace to Darfur. . . Zimbabwe. . . Iraq. . . Lebanon. . . Afghanistan. . . Chad. . . the Congo. . . so many places, O God, so many souls. . .

Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Let Your Kingdom come, O Lord. Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen

(Mark 1.7; Sirach 35.21-22; Matthew 5.3)

Prayer: Dreams Give Wings to Fools

Master, where dwellest Thou?

Come & see. . .abide with Me. . .

In the rush and pull of today, I confess that I fail to stay centered on You.

There is no situation in life where you cannot abide. . .

But the world is so loud, so incessant. . .

Be watchful to hear My voice and instantly obey.

Your voice, O Lord, I long to hear...Grant, I pray, a listening Inner ear.

Obedience is your great sign of faith; following all My little injunctions. . .

Grant a willingness to hear and obey the voice of the One I love.

Amend your ways and your doings, obey the Voice of the Lord.

You, O Lord, put wisdom in me and give understanding to my mind.

The senseless have vain and false hopes, and dreams give wings to fools. . .

May I look to You and to Your Word for guidance.

As one who catches at a shadow and pursues the wind, so is anyone who believes in dreams.

O Lord, You only do I worship; You only do I seek.

What is seen in dreams is but a reflection, the likeness of a face looking at itself. . .

O Lord, reveal to me Your holiness. I wait humbly before You, O Eternal One.

From an unclean thing, what can be clean and from something false, what can be true?

You, O Lord, are the Way, the Truth and the Life. I wait before You, calm like a child. Amen

(John 1. 38-39,43; Jeremiah 26.13; Job 38.36; Sirach 34.1-4; Matthew 4.10)

Prayer: The Song of the Lord

Listen, listen. . .

Oh, Lord, open my ear so I may hear the song You sing. . .

Come unto Me. . .

In Me you will find peace. . .

Bring my actual life into line with the desire You place in my heart.

You do great things that I cannot comprehend. . .

Whether for correction, or for My land, or for My love, I cause it to happen. . .

May I listen well to the groanings of Your Spirit. Open my heart, my mind, my spirit, my eyes to see You at work all around Me.

Mark well, look closely and listen attentively to all I say. . .

Grant wisdom to discern the differences in Your appointed seasons.

Some I have exalted and hallowed, and some I made ordinary days. . .

Like clay in the hand of the Potter, mold me as You please.

I will baptize You with the Holy Spirit and with fire. . .

Matthew 11.28; John 16.33; Job 37.2,15,13; Ezekiel 44.5; Sirach 33.8, 9, 13; Matthew 3.11)

Prayer: A Broad, Abundant Place

Ah, Lord God, I seek You. I narrow my interests to this one -- knowing You with my whole heart. Thank You for alluring me out of distress to a broad place where there is no constraint and Your provision is abundant. You, O God, are gracious and greatly to be praised. I am humbled and awed by You. You alone are worthy to receive glory and honor and power and praise. Amen (Luke 11.9; Job 36.16; Sirach 32.14)

Prayer: Up & Over & On

Lord God, I confess that I sometimes grow despondent when encountering hurdles in the way You lead. May I hear You call, Up and over and on!

Prayer: Something I've Never Been

Ah, Lord God, may I beware of harking back to what I once was. . .when it just may be that You are calling me to be something I've never been. Open my eyes to Your ways and Your will, O Sovereign God. Amen

Prayer: Ministry of the Interior

Oh, Lord, You call the question, Are you fulfilling the ministry of the interior? I confess that I am not -- far too often I allow my spiritual life to be frittered away. May I learn to bring everything to the Center, to constantly re-focus and be at one with You, O Christ. May You truly come to dominate every interest of my life. I incline my ear, my heart to You, O Lord. May the beauty of the Lord God be upon me and establish the work of my hands. I reach ever forward after the things of the Kingdom; may Your hand be upon me and may You set me where You will. Grant me eyes to look closely, an ear to listen attentively, a mind set upon all that You reveal, and lips faithful to declare what You have taught. Amen (Isaiah 55.3; Psalm 90.17; Ezekiel 40.1-4)

Prayer: Blow Up the Obstinate Wadge Within

Almighty God, quicken my spirit; breathe on me breath of God. Grant spiritual insight, spiritual understanding. Supply all I need, O Spirit of the Living God. Grant me the gift of forgiveness, for how can I stand before You if I have not forgiven those who have wronged me? How can I expect to be pardoned if I harbor anger within? O Holy Spirit, blow up that obstinate wadge within me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. Amen (Philippians 4.19; Job 32.8; Sirach 28.2-3)

Prayer: A Holy Watcher in the Heavens

Grant, O God, a listening ear. Attune my heart, my spirit, my ear to Your still small voice. Very quietly do You speak, O God. May I choose to listen to Your tender voice and shut out the loud, clammering voices of the world. May I learn to say things only after listening to You instead of saying things and then backing up to try and make Your Word fit in.

I confess that so little is held in awe or in reverence today; so little is known of holiness, splendor, glory. We no longer have a concept of a Holy Watcher in the Heavens. Open my heart and mind to Your Word and Your ways. May I know with a deep and abiding sense that You know my ways and number all my steps. May the knowledge and understanding of Your majesty be opened up to me, O God. Display Your greatness and Your holiness.

Shake me as a sieve and remove all my refuse. Fire me in the Potter's kiln to strengthen and temper me for Your work. O Master Gardener, cultivate this vine that You have planted so I may bear fruit pleasing to You. May this bride make herself ready for You who are Faithful and True. Grant an inner vision, one that chooses very deliberately to see Your glory and majesty and holiness. May my speech reflect the cultivation of my heart and mind by my Master, whose Name is called The Word of God. Amen (Hebrews 13.5-6; 1 Kings 19.12; Job 31.4,23; Ezekiel 38.20, 23; Sirach 27.4-6; Revelation 19.7,11,13)

Prayer: Daring Intentions

Ah, Lord God, I thank You for never leaving me nor forsaking me. Glorify Yourself here and now, in this present minute in my life. Forgive me for creating false illusions thinking there is some exceptional, some extraordinary thing You must be shaping and equipping me for at some future point in time. May I live my life to glorify and honor you in each present moment. Shape me once again into another vessel as seems good to the Potter.

Ah, this chiseling, this shaping, this re-making can be so painful at times. When blessings disappear and dark clouds loom Your goodness and mercy, even Your Presence, become suspect. Our bones dry up and our hope is lost; we feel cut off completely from Your Presence, O Lord. Open our graves and breathe Your Spirit upon us so that we may live. Place our hope in Your daring intentions to make us a people of the Living God. Order all our ways, O Lord; grant beauty for ashes. Amen (Hebrews 13.5; Jeremiah 18.4; Job 30.16-17; Sirach 26.16)

Prayer: Surpassing Everything

Ah, Lord God, may I ever be enthralled with Your love for me, and choose to hold dear the secret friendship You grant to those who fear You. You, Lord God Almighty, know every detail of my life and extend to me an amazing intimacy by meeting me in the details. Thank You for being a personal, individual, intimate God. May Your lamp shine over my head; by Your light I trust that I can walk through darkness. This relationship, this partnership, is not for my sake nor for my personal blessing, but for the sake of Your Holy Name. Sprinkle clean water upon me, cleanse me from all uncleanness and from all heart idols. Put a new heart within me, and grant me a new, true spirit; take out the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh, O God. Make me to follow Your statutes and be careful to observe Your ordinances so I may experience true, abundant life and be known as a servant of the Most High. Rebuild the ruined places and replant that which was desolate. You, O Lord, have spoken; do that which You have planned. Fear of the Lord surpasses everything, to whom can we compare the one who has it? (Psalm 25.14; Job 29.2-5; Ezekiel 36; Sirach 25.11)

Prayer: Haunted by the Presence

Teach me, O Lord, the way I should choose. Teach me, O Lord, what is the fear of the Lord. May the whole of my life inside and out be haunted by the Presence of You, so that I live and move and have my being in You. May I look at everything that comes my way as in relation to You; allowing You to be my abiding consciousness at all times, ever pushing to the front, while my self and my selfish motives shrivel up and die and Your image becomes stamped upon my soul. O gracious God, do not deal with me according to the anger and envy I have shown, which You tell me comes from a hatred within -- a lack of wisdom and understanding. Forgive me, O loving Lord.

You have said that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; to depart from evil is understanding. O Lord, may wisdom take root in me and produce beautiful love, fear of You, knowledge, holy hope, and become an eternal inheritance in all future generations. Make Your instruction shine forth like the dawn, pour out Your teaching like prophecy. I cling to You, O Lord God Almighty. Strengthen me according to Your Almighty Power. May all future generations be blessed through me and may we be called Your holy people. Amen (Psalm 25.12; Romans 8.29; Job 28.12, 28; Ezekiel 35.11; Sirach 24.12, 18, 24, 32-33)

Prayer: The Way of Divine Companionship

You, O Lord, ask the question, Son of Man, can these bones live? Only You know, O Lord.

I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine.

I seek to know this Way of Divine Companionship -- living with You, thinking of You, talking to You, resting in You, having my joy be in You. So many of us have been disillusioned by the shepherds who came to watch over us and to guide us. Not only have we become disillusioned; we have been mistreated, bruised, shoved aside, forgotten, caused to stray. How long, O Lord; how long?

O Lord, come and search for Your lost sheep. Seek us out even as a shepherd seeks out the flocks when they are among the scattered sheep. Rescue all who have been scattered. Bring us back from the places to which we have been scattered on days of thick clouds and darkness. These are such confusing, troubled times. Bring us into Your land, feed us by the watercourses and in good pasture. Take us to good grazing land where we may lie down safely. Feed us on the rich pasture of Your mountains. Be our Shepherd, O Lord. Seek the lost, bring back the strayed, bind up the injured, strengthen the weak -- no longer let Your flock be ravaged! Make us and the region around us a blessing. Send down the showers in their season; make us to be showers of blessing. Make us secure on our soil, and make us to know You as our Shepherd and Lord. Break the bars of the yoke that weigh us down. Save us from the hands of those who enslaved us. Bring us to live in safety and let us no longer be filled with fear. You, O Lord, are our Shepherd and we are the sheep of Your pasture. You, O Lord, are our God, and we are Your people. Great and amazing are Your deeds, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, King of the Nations! Amen (Ezekiel 37.3; Song of Solomon 6.3; Ezekiel 34; Revelation 15.3)