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