O God,

We are so grateful to know that when we pray, our thoughts and words mingle with the incense in the golden bowls around your throne, and you delight in them. You answer us. You bend down to right wrong and rescue your children. You touch us with your comfort.

We are blessed to be known by the name of your Son Christ – Christians. We are grateful that you answer prayer and offer help. We your children will never cease praying for one another. We will continue to intercede and ask for blessings for our biological families, our loved ones and friends, our spiritual brothers and sisters in our nation and the world.

Please fill each of us with the knowledge of your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Strengthen us with all power according to your glorious might. Teach us to be joyful and thankful even as we endure troubles and learn patience -- because you have delivered us from the kingdom of darkness and qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light; because you forgive our sins and remove all our guilt.

We wait for you, Jesus, and pray this in your name. Amen.

Supporting verses:

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. . . . And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:3,4, 9 –14

“And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel . . . and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.” Revelation 8:3--5

Holy God, Almighty Creator of the Universe, 

I bless my friend with the blessings given to us by your Son Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

• I bless you with the assurance that you belong to God.
• I bless your heart to relax in the love of the Lord, knowing that nothing can separate you from him.
• I bless your emotions with the comfort and joy of Jesus’ presence.
• I bless you and your family with God’s peace that defies understanding.
• I bless you with rejoicing and the strength to take every thought captive and turn your worries over to God.
• I bless your mind with the wisdom God freely gives.
• I bless you with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
• I bless the work of your hands.

Supporting verses:

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:16

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor 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 8:38,39

“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, your Maker who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth.” Isaiah 51: 13

“And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:4,6

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5

“We have not stopped ceasing to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:9

“Commit your work to the LORD and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3

Abba Father,

            Please bless my friends today. Reveal to them how much you love them and who they are in you. Remind them that you created them in your own image to be your much-loved children -- they were never a mistake. You determined the exact times of their births. You joyfully knit them together in the womb, numbered the very hairs on their heads and determined where they would live. You continue to treasure them even now, no matter how they feel or what they believe.

            Please protect them from evil. When troubles seem to overwhelm, rescue and comfort them. Teach them that you are not distant and angry instead you watch and ponder every action because you love them unconditionally. You delight in your children and long to establish and bless them.

            Please give my friends eyes to see who you are and to understand how important they are to you. Bless them in Jesus’ name, amen.

Supporting verses:

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Gen. 1:27

“You therefore must be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” Matt. 5:48

“O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up/ you discern my thoughts from afar. . . .  For you formed my inward parts/ you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” Ps. 139: 1,2, 13

“I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness with all my heart and soul.” Jer. 32:41

“And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined and allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope they might feel their way toward him and find him.” Acts: 17:26

“So we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us.” 1 John 4:16

Zeph. 3:17

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Cor. 1:3-4

           

O God of Heaven and Father of Jesus Christ, 

 We praise you for your love and faithfulness – your unfathomable love that follows us wherever we go. But though down deep we believe you haven’t stopped loving us and you will fulfill your purpose for us, we fight fear when so many things seem to be going wrong. And right now the entire earth seems to be in turmoil

Please keep us from fear today.

Open our eyes to see the ways you are working through the disasters wrapping around the globe and difficulties in our own lives. Help us stop worrying -- because we know we are still safely in your hand and you will fulfill your purpose in our lives. Give us a fresh sense that it isn’t all about us, it’s about you. And we are part of your plan. Help us follow and obey you with joy, Lord, as we return your love. We ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Supporting verses:

“Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” Psalm 119:18

“The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” Psalm 138: 8

“If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost part of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” Psalm 139: 8 –12

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91: 1, 2

Abba Daddy, Son and Holy Spirit,

Open our eyes to the Truth that our nation’s problems are not about “the economy stupid.” They are because we have turned away from you. We’ve closed our eyes to corruption, welcomed other gods, and renamed sin “disease.” Open the eyes of our nation to recognize our need for you. Open the eyes of each of us to know where we personally miss the mark.

Help us repent and become more like you.

Teach us to accept your forgiveness as we forgive others.

Help us fervently believe there is always hope in you.

Convince us that as you heal our hearts you will be healing our nation.     

And then, though we don’t deserve it, in wrath remember mercy. For the sake of your own name -- because we’re still known as a Christian nation. Build the character and strength of our country as more and more Christians repent of wrong and grow into strong followers of Christ.

You are sovereign and nothing is impossible for you. We cry out to you, Jehovah, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Supporting verses from the Holy Bible English Standard Version . . .

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14

“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!” Psalm 31:24

“For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.” Psalm 66:10

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:11

“In wrath remember mercy.” Habakkuk 3:2

Father God, our Abba Daddy,

Teach us today that you truly are our heavenly Daddy and you love to supply our needs and give us the desires of our hearts. Just as we take pleasure in caring for our children and giving special gifts to loved ones, you enjoy caring for and giving to us. We aren’t bothering you when we ask for things for ourselves.

You want us to ask.

Over and over in the scriptures you urge us to ask you to supply physical, spiritual and relational needs, promising that if those requests fit in with your will and honor Jesus’ name, you will grant all of them. 

So as we go about our day today please remind us to ask you for help instead of

worrying. And help us not feel selfish or guilty for asking, because the answers you send will not only help us but glorify you. Thank you Father that we can pray directly to you in the name of your Son Jesus, amen.

Supporting verses:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. . . . If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:7, 8, 11  

“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

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” John 15:7,8

“ . . .  so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” John 15:16b

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” John 16:23 b

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made knows to God.” Philippians 4:6

“In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” John 16:26,27