My Prayer

My wonderful husband shared some Scripture verses with me as the week became a tumultuous storm around us and those verses have stayed on my heart either through special phrases that Peterson included in his paraphrase of the Word or through the promises of God that came shining through.  I want to spend time this morning using those verses to pray His promises for my family and friends…and I want to share my prayers with you so that you’ll know how I’m praying this morning.  This is my act of worship on the Lord’s Day when I cannot draw together in the physical presence of those I love through the Lord’s family.  Maybe if we all knew HOW others prayed for us and not just THAT others prayed for us we would begin to understand how God works to intervene in our lives in answer to prayer. 

In James 1:2-4, we are told, “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”  Lord, this morning’s prayer is that my family and friends would know the joy of tests and challenges that are testimony-strengthening, faith-producing, rainbow-colored, pressure-cooked and life-producing.   May they meet those tests and challenges  head on, knowing that You are holding their hands, fighting their battles and maturing them for the work of you Kingdom.  Lord, the economic, spiritual, emotional and physical battles that we feel weighted under are all under your control.  They are not able to take us down because You have plans for us and You are using them to shape us for those plans.  May the dear ones who read these words rest in that promise that You are providing for deficiencies in our character, not trying to destroy us bit by bit.

Lord, Your Word tells us in Romans 5:3-5 says, “There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!”  Lord, may our praises ring through in these troubled times and may the world know that You are the reason for those praises.  How we long for your “passionate patience”…a patience that has contended with man through the ages as we’ve failed you over and over again.  May we all have a patience that comes from Your love for us – a patience that demonstrates Your love in mercy, grace, forgiveness, trust and virtue.  May we see others, Lord, through Your eyes so that we can see their brokenness, their pain, their confusion and their fear and we can respond with the same love that You responded with…a love that was willing to die for Your children.  May we live lives alert for Your work, aware of Your Presence, attuned to Your Word.  And may we focus, Lord, on the promise that You continually pour out all that we need through Your Holy Spirit…comfort, guidance, answers, peace, joy…gifts too numerous to count.

Lord, may we follow Your counsel in II Corinthians 1:3-5 when Paul wrote, “All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.”  May You find us available, Lord, to come alongside others as they move through the trials, tests and challenges of life that You’ve already taken us through.  Help my dear family and friends, Lord, to be aware of Your Presence in their hard times.  Bring other spiritual family members alongside to help them see and feel You…to see and feel You in the healing…to see and feel You in the peace…to see and feel You in Your provision for needs…to see You in the guidance that makes their steps strong and sure.  And, Lord, when our steps are wobbly and weak…when our eyes cannot stay focused on You…when the noise and clamor of our circumstances move to drown out Your still, small voice…please, Lord, forgive us, show mercy and love in only the full measure that You can show.

Lord, these days with Mom have been challenging and testing and You have shown up in glorious Presence to meet every need.  You have protected, provided, comforted and met all our needs.  Give us opportunity, Lord, to testify to Your unfailing promises and to Your amazing faithfulness.  And, Lord, You are aware of the special need in our life to touch the heart of son and brother and bring him to know Your amazing grace.  I remember Dad praying for him…I’ve heard Mom pray for him…and You know, Lord, that He has long been on my heart.  His problems, Lord, are Your size and only a touch from You can change His hard heart.  You’ve given him so many opportunities to know You, Lord.  Unblind his eyes, clear his mind, remind Him, Lord…and don’t give up on him…please.  Help David and me as we struggle to know how to love him in light of Your love.  David is such a blessing to me.  He’s grown into a wonderful man.  Lord, I pray that You’d shine through his life and that he would give testimony to Your grace and mercy and love in his life.

I will never understand, with all my flaws and outright failures and disobedience, why You’d continue to work with me…in me…through me.  But all praise be to You, Lord, for Your faithfulness.  Search me, Lord.  Teach me, Lord.  Strive with me, Lord.  Test me, Lord.  Challenge me, Lord.  But please, Lord, continue to love me and walk with me, because I cannot live in this world without You.

This is Your day.  May You find praise and glory and love pouring back to You from the grateful hearts of Your children.  Amen!