From the book How to be a Praying Mom, by Jeannie St. John Taylor, published by Hendrickson publishers. 

Dear Lord,

     I don’t want my children to be bullies. Give them compassionate hearts that strive to treat others the way they want to be treated. Help them be kind to others – known for their gentle and gracious spirits. Enable them to see the good in other people, but give them sufficient wisdom to eschew the evil around them.

     Protect them from bullies who would see their kindness as weakness and wish to harm them. Protect their bodies from the pain those bullies want to inflict. Protect their spirits and emotions. Help them know how to respond if they are treated badly. Help them endure the hateful words without allowing the accusations to enter their hearts. Let them be examples of Jesus.

     Help them recognize the changing forms bullying can take as they grow older. Make them refuse to make cruel jokes at others’ expense. Keep them from sarcasm and all other put-down language. Make them encouragers whose words delight the people around them.

     I ask these things in Jesus’ name, amen.

Supporting verses

“Be kind to each other.” Ep. 4:32

“Do for others what you would like them to do for you.” Matt. 7:12

 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

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

Abba Father, Creator of the Universe, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

               You thought of us while your Spirit hovered over the formless mass that became our earth -- before you spoke the first word of creation. Ideas darted and simmered in your mind and you saw our faces and desired relationship with us. Even then. Even before we ever were.

Because you wanted relationship, you created us with the ability to choose our destiny. To decide to return your love -- even though you knew we could never fully understand your agape love. Never really return it.

You were Immanuel, God with us. You walked with the first humans in the garden, speaking with them face to face. Loving them fervently. Continuing to love them after they chose separation from you.

We can’t comprehend that kind of love. We don’t ‘get’ why you still wanted relationship with Mankind. But you did. You still do.

And because you still pursue relationship with us, you sent your Son to the cross, and now his Spirit lives inside each of us who believe in you. You long for us to love you and acknowledge you with our words and thoughts. Your heart beats with eagerness when we look to you. When we turn away we break your heart.

Teach us to love you, Lord. Really love you. Prevent us from focusing on other things and allowing our love for you to fade. Soften our hearts. Increase our faith. Open our eyes to who you are and ways we can please you. Teach to pursue you with fervor. Help us rest and allow you to fill us with contentment so we can enjoy your love. Remind us to magnify and revere your name. Nudge us to speak your praises. We love you, Lord, and we pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Supporting verses:

“. . . He chose us in him before the foundation of the world.” Ephesians 1:4a

“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” Genesis 3:8a

“The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you with his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30

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 God of the Ineffable Name, the Great I AM, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

           You are a God who hides himself -- for our protection since human flesh is not capable of looking on your face and surviving. But because you want us to know you, you continuously reveal yourself in Creation. The changing colors of the clouds, the thunder of waterfalls and the multitude of stars have shouted your name since the beginning of time.

We hear you in the whisper of  breeze in the trees. Sense your presence in the sweet incense of cherry blossoms. We long for you even if we don’t know what we’re longing for. Even when we simply feel the emptiness of separation because we’re focusing on wrong desires and striving to meet our own needs instead of asking you to meet our needs.

Come fill us with the flow of you love, Holy Spirit. Help us know you are always available and waiting for us to call out to you. Show us how to quiet our hearts and trust you to handle things we can’t handle. Pry our fingers loose from control of our own lives and those around us. Teach us to empty ourselves of self-effort and open ourselves to you so you can heal us in mysterious ways we don’t understand. Give us your peace that passes beyond understanding. Remind us that when we don’t have words to express our deep ache, your Spirit prays for us with groanings too deep for words – and you hear. And answer.

We praise your holy name and thank you for your faithful love! Amen.

Supporting verses taken from the ESV Bible:

“Truly, you are a God who hides himself.” Isaiah 45:15

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1

“But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within.” Psalm 131:2

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26, 27

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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 .)