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

Taken from the book Prayers for Troubled Times by Jeannie St. John Taylor, AMG Publishers. 

Thank you, dear God, for you love, your mercy, and your promises. Calm our minds and hearts today as rumors abound concerning terrorist plots, schemes, and activities. We feel overwhelmed with the terrorists’ immense hatred directed toward our country and toward us as Americans and Christians.

       O God, we need your help. Replace our fear with faith. Replace our dismay with hope. Help us focus our eyes and thoughts on you instead of what a terrorist could do to harm our loved ones or us. We want to fix our thoughts on you and your goodness rather than on the evil of terrorism in our world this day. We want to set our sights on your promises rather than any fears of what “might” happen in the event of a terrorist attack.

       You are our God, and we trust you will keep every one of your promises. Place your perfect peace within us as we focus our minds on you. Strengthen us and help us, no matter what happens. Don’t let us be overcome with worry or despair. Let your love and mercy always triumph over evil, hatred and injustice. Help us in times of trouble.

       You are all we need this day. You will hold our lives, our families, and our country in your hand. Now help us rest in your strong right hand and lean on your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen. 

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Find several ways to use the Bible to help you pray on my Jeannie St. John Taylor blog at http://jeanniestjohntaylor.com/ 

O Mighty God of Heaven and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth,

We praise you for your never-failing love and protection. We declare, just as Jesus declared over and over as he sang Psalm 118 on his determined march from the Upper Room to Gethsemane, “Your steadfast love endures forever.”

Our circumstances may be difficult, but Jesus’ were worse. If Jesus could declare your power and love on his way to torture and certain death, we can declare your power and love while struggling through our own fearful times. We know that just as you sustained Jesus and brought him through victoriously you’ll sustain us and give us great spiritual victories. You answered him. You’ll answer us.

Because you love us.

Many of us cry out to you today from a place of distress; and those of us who are going through a temporarily easier time, call out on behalf of our suffering brothers and sisters. Rescue them! Teach them to trust you instead of placing faith in any human being. Make them aware of your love despite difficulties.

Put glad songs of praise in our mouths today. Help us accept earthly circumstances with truthful eyes and yet, just as Jesus did, trust you despite those things. Give us faith to declare -- even before it happens – that you have answered our prayers and rescued us. Help us recognize the answers when they come, even when the answers are different than expected.

You made this day, Jesus. We will rejoice and give you thanks in it! Amen.

Supporting verses and facts:

“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! . . . Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. . . . The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? . . . . It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. . . . The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.  Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous. . . . I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. . . . This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us we pray, O LORD. O Lord, we pray, give us success.” Psalm 118:1, 5-6, 7-8, 14, 21, 25

·       The Ryrie Study Bible says, “This song of jubilant thanksgiving was sung by worshippers in procession to the Temple.” Because of that, theologians assume Psalm 118 is one of the hymns Jesus and his disciples sang on the way to Gethsemane. Knowing that, I have trouble reading the Psalm without crying, because the words of the Psalm show us his amazing attitude. And they show us the way we should face hard times. Though we can’t manage his attitude without his help, he will help us. And once we start to praise (I often have to force myself to praise when I feel down) our hearts begin to brighten up.

·       Verse 26 of this Psalm quote the precise words his followers had used about him on his triumphal entry a week earlier. (Of course the Psalm itself prophesies Jesus and was penned years earlier .)