O God, 
       You very great and we all need you. Even those of us who smile and appear successful on the outside are often hurting and lonely inside. We sometimes feel overwhelmed. It’s hard for us to comprehend that the Great King of the universe would see our pain and care about us and want to help us, but you do -- even the times our own foolishness caused our problems.

       Help us believe that you see each of us individually, that you love us and delight in every detail of our lives. We choose to lift our eyes to you because we know you are our hope. Enable us to wait patiently for you to renew our strength. Give us wisdom to recognize your answers when they come. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Supporting verses:

“O LORD my God, you are very great!” Psalm 104:1b

 “Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction. . . . Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent out his Word and healed them and delivered them from their destruction.” Psalm 107: 17, 19 &20

 “The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Psalm 37:23 NLT, 1996 edition “Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are.” Matthew 6:26 NLT

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1,2

“Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. Be still in the presence of the LORD and wait patiently for him to act.” Psalm 37: 5,7

“Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”  Is. 40: 30.31

The One Time Only Prayer

The following One Time Only Prayer was taken from the partially-completed manuscript I wrote for my beloved cousin after he overcame addiction. Before Gary passed away he had been clean and sober for several years and approved each of the prayers in the book. Though written for addicts, this prayer fits most of us at some point during our lives. But once we pray it, we need never pray it again because we know God has answered.

I pray you will sense God's forgiveness and the intense love Christ offers and feels for you. Merry 
Christmas,my friend! 

Dear Father God,  

I feel so unworthy. I have no right to talk to you, but I’m desperate. I can’t stand this torment any longer. I’ve made a mess of everything. I’ve failed my family; I’ve failed my friends; I’ve failed myself; I’ve failed you. I’m at the end of my rope. I don’t know how to help myself and no one else can help me. So, I’m begging you to help me, God. Please help me!

            It’s hard for me to believe you would care about someone like me, but I do believe. I choose to believe. I declare it aloud right now: I believe your Son Jesus is Lord. I believe you sent him to die on the cross for all my sins, I believe you raised him from the dead. Please forgive my sins.

(Pause here to ask for forgiveness for each specific sin God brings to your mind.)

Lord Jesus, now that my sins are forgiven and my heart is clean, would you please send your Holy Spirit to live inside me? I want him to guide and teach me. I want him to lead me out of my addiction. I want to obey you. I need the comfort you can bring.

            Thank you, Lord. I believe that you came to live inside me the instant I asked. It doesn’t matter if I feel different or not — I am different. I believe that you now see me as righteous through your son Christ Jesus. I believe you rescued me from the kingdom of darkness and made me into a completely new person. I am clean! Thank you! Praise you! I am not ashamed to declare aloud what you did for me. I pray all this in Jesus name, amen.

Supporting verses

“For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” (Romans 10:9, 10) NLT

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

Gracious God our Father,

You chose us before the foundations of the world to be holy and without fault in you. And because you love us, you forgive and forget all our flaws and failures and view us as blameless when we return your love by obeying you. You have promised to give us whatever we ask for in Jesus’ name.

With all that in mind, I ask you to bless my friend today. If my friend is tired, please fill him / her with your energy. If my friend is ill, heal him / her. If my friend is depressed, lift his / her head with hope.

Let my friend feel your love in a word from a friend, the smile of a stranger and  the colors of the sky. Help him / her believe that you watch every step, hear every thought and care about every detail of his / her life – because you do. And we thank you. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Supporting verses:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” Ephesians 1:3, 4

“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” John 14:13, 14

“But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill.” Psalm 3:3, 4

 Father in Heaven, Abba Daddy,

Our economy is in trouble and no one knows when or if it will recover. Many of us have lost jobs, daily announcements of more down-turns frighten us and the price of basic necessities increases daily. 

Fear grips us.

But, Lord, we will not be afraid.

You are our rock; you are our security; we dwell in the shelter of your wings. Over and over your Word promises you will always be with us and help us if we obey your words, and we choose to believe what you say. We choose to trust you no matter how things look. You will help and bless us.

            God, please bless us.

We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Supporting verses:

“He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.” Psalm 91:4

“So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” Hebrews 13:6

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.” Habakkuk 3:17-19

Father God, Creator of the Universe, King of all Kings, 

        We bow before you, thanking you for the gift of your Son Jesus who saves us and offers eternal life to anyone who chooses to accept the gift. Thank you for creating the world through Jesus, the Word who spoke the seas and skies into existence. Thank you for giving us your written Word, the living document that showcases and proves not only your majesty and power, but your love for each of us. 

We are amazed at the treasures hidden in the pages of your love letter to us.

• If we diligently search out your gems, we find comfort when we’re feeling desperate, promises that assure us of hope and a future.

• Opening ourselves to your Word allows your Spirit to flow through us and heal us, to give us peace in the midst of affliction.

• When we’re confused, the wisdom in your Word seems to address the very thing we couldn’t quite sort out. Your Word can clarify the problem and show us where to step.

• Your Word reveals our deepest flaws and urges us to changes, shows us how to turn all our failings over to you.

• Your Word assures us of forgiveness.

Thank you, Lord. We love you. We’re so thankful for your mercy; so thankful for your Word. Call us to seek you, pursue you fervently just as you pursue us fervently. We want to know you more and more. Please place your Word in our minds, write it on our hearts and reveal yourself to us. Amen

Supporting verses: (all italics mine) 

“And God said, “Let there be light . . .” Gen. 1:3

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:1-3

“But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” Hebrews 1:2
 

“The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12,13

“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength. . . . And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:15

“I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. . . .for they shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:10 -12

Thanksgiving Prayer for Soldier and Family Member Far from Home

O Lord,

            You have set your glory above the heavens. The sun and all the stars are the work of your fingers. And yet, amazingly, you are mindful of us. You observe everything we do and our daily lives matter to you. You look down on our loved ones who are too far from home to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with us and your heart aches for them.

So does ours. We want them to feel joy and belonging, to be included in a family. Please ease the loneliness that has settled around some of them like gray fog. Fill the emptiness. Comfort them. Enable the ones we love to feel our love reaching out to them -- longing for them.  Open and increase their awareness of your love and protection surrounding them. Send powerful angels to minister to the loneliness.

Please banish all hopelessness. Help them fix their eyes on you and know you have a future and a hope for them. Keep them safe from the evil one and make it clear that you planned good things for them long ago. Lift their heads and make them able to think on things that are noble and true. Teach them to remember you and their hope of heaven. Give them grateful hearts.

We are so thankful that you have given them to us, Lord. Help us remember that they are in your hand and much loved. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Supporting verses:

“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.  Out of the mouths of babes and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care of him?” Psalm 8:1 - 4

“I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the LORD, you Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of the oppressor.” Is. 51: 12-13

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” Philippians 1:3 – 5

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

O Father in Heaven who loves us and watches over us,

In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, I ask you to bless my friend today with the rich blessings you promise in your Word.

•        Bless my friend by making him / her able to feel your love and know that   nothing can ever take that love from him / her.

•        Bless my friend with the comfort of knowing you watch over every detail of his / her life.

•       Bless my friend with justice. Protect and defend him / her against deceitful people.

•       Bless all my friend's family: parents, siblings, children and grandchildren.

•       Bless my friend with a tongue that speaks wisdom and encouragement.

•       Bless the nation in which my friend lives so that he / she will live in peace.

•       Bless my friend with confidence that you save everyone who looks to you.

•       Bless my friend with hope.

Supporting verses:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present or things to come, nor powers, not height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38

“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” Prov. 15:3

“Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me!  . . . Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.  . . . But you have saved us from our foes.” 

Psalm 45:1, 5,7

“The tongue of the wise commends knowledge.” Proverbs 15:2

“The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.” Psalm 33:11,12

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul form death and keep them alive in famine.” Psalm 33:18