Lord, I bow my knee before you as the Father of the great family scattered across the face of the earth, to ask for power from your Spirit for the inner person, for me and for all your children who serve you in love and faithfulness.
Kinds of prayer we offer
Don Petty shared in his recent email, the outline of a Bible class taught last month at the Lewisville TX church, by preacher Jeff Jenkins:
- Look up to God (worship)
- Look in at ourselves (confession)
- Look around at others (intercession)
- Look back to the past (thanksgiving)
- Look to the future (petitions, requests)
We see the world through screens, Lord
We see the world through screens, be it a television, a computer monitor, or a porch screen door. And other screens, too, Lord, you see in our hearts, of color of skin, of prejudices toward men, of warped truths and lies that wear makeup and evening dresses. Help me to see as you see, to look at each person as a precious soul, to perceive the depravity that rules this world, the corruption that lies beneath the surface of every thought and activity on earth. Make me pure and whole, like Jesus, and make me an agent for human rescue from this world and santification to prepare for your presence.
Go beyond, Lord, my puny thoughts and wee requests
Go beyond, as the horizon stretches beyond the eye, go beyond, Lord, my puny thoughts and wee requests. Loose the word, and let it run; in us we pray your Spirit may have free rein. Daily we see your hand, O God, do more than we can imagine. Let it be so today again.
Lord, some speak truth to power; may my glory be …
Lord God Omnipotent, some pride themselves on speaking truth to power. May my glory be to speak the truth of Jesus’ gospel to the powerless.
In the midst of decay and death, O Lord of life, newness appears
In the midst of decay and death, O Lord of life, newness appears in the dawning day, the sprouting plant, and the baptized sinner to reset our sights toward eternity. For these subtle and powerful signs, we thank you, Creator and Recreator who inhabits abodes everlasting!
Lord, what Mary thought was a disaster is our greatest success
Lord, what Mary thought was a disaster when she found that the tomb was empty is for us the greatest success, the guarantee of our hope, the firstfruit of our own coming to life. Our tears flow, not from grief, but from joy, because our Savior lives, as does our ambition of seeing his face. Thank you for your power in him, your grace toward us.
Lord, the lack of Internet causes me pain
Lord, do I miss connecting with you as much as when I lose my Internet access? Skipping a prayer produces only a vague nagging thought in the back of my mind. When I’m knocked off the Internet, the pain makes me scream. Let my soul react as strongly when I’m away from your presence.
O God of all comfort, ease the pain of those who mourn
O God of all comfort, ease the pain of those who mourn,
Give focus to him who lies between two paths, confused and torn;
Give time, another day, for change, to him who hesitates,
Fulfill deferred hopes and distant dreams of the one who waits;
Give bread and drink to empty stomachs, clothe the naked boy,
Give homes to homeless men, infuse the broken heart with joy;
Hold up the hands of the weary, put strength and courage in trembling knees,
Secure the lonely traveler, protect the sailors on stormy seas;
All this and more, O Lord, we ask, of you, the Father who cares,
And make us more the family who with the needy shares.
How ready am I – a “maranata” prayer
To see the Lord descending from the sky,
And saints a-wing to meet him, with them I
Ascending, weightless, leaving far below
The cares of earth, the minutes empty and slow,
O God, I ask: Let Jesus come today —
How ready am I to fly away!
–J. Randal Matheny