The Lighthouse of Prayer--Second Posting

This is a second posting of the original introduction to "The Lighthouse of Prayer". Please visit the previous post to view others' prayer requests and prayer responses here.

If you've already visited and read the introduction, the prayer requests, praises and responses. please scroll down to January 24, 2009.

First, I want to share with you a little, so bear with me:

When I see a lighthouse, I think of God--standing tall, firm, faithful, always there, never failing in His love for us. He is a never wavering fortress in our lives--the good times when the seas are calm and also when the storms coming beating down upon us.

He is guiding the light for us to follow, even through the fog and mist when we cannot see or hear Him clearly.

How do we communicate with our God? Through prayer.

How many times do we say to others, "I'll keep you in my prayers".

Do you have people in your life who are actively praying for you--for your needs, for your requests to God, rejoicing with you in your praises to God?

Jesus came to this earth not only to show us how to lead and conduct our lives, to sacrifice Himself so that we could have forgiveness of our sins and eternal life with Him, but to bridge the gap between man and God. He intercedes for us with God. His ministry on this earth lasted only 3 short years, but He is still interceding for us some 2000+ years later!!

Praying is our means of talking with God-- just like we talk with our friends--telling them what is going on in our life--what we're joyful about, what we're sorrowful about, what's happening with our friend that we're concerned about.

God is the source of change in our lives--only He has the power, might and strength to change the future. He is the sole history maker. But, we can be an active part of this history change through prayer to God. He hears us. He is just waiting for us to come to Him, to talk to Him.

This is going to be an interactive prayer request-comment conversation with God.

All you need to do is post a comment with a prayer request--something that is pressing in your life, whatever has been imprinted upon your heart that you feel the need or want others to pray along with you, a praise of whatever has made you joyful that you would like to share so that others can rejoice with you, an answer from God for something that you have been praying about.

Now, here's the really important part--those who stop by and read your prayer request will leave a PRAYER for you--not a comment--the specific PRAYER that they have said for you. And you have the opportunity to leave a comment as a PRAYER for others.

Jesus intercedes for us, and we will be interceding for others!!

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited about this!!

January 24, 2009

I received a gift yesterday in the mail--one that I didn't see until this morning because I forgot to pick up the mail. This was sitting on my dining room table when I awoke this morning. This is a deck of Scripture playing cards that was gifted to me through a friend by someone I don't even know.

I randomly picked a card this morning, and here is the verse displayed on the jack of diamonds:

And He said to him, "You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself."........Matthew 22:37-39

I have to ask myself, what better way is there to show our love for God and for others than through prayer? Please continue to leave your prayer requests, praises and responses in the form of a prayer. Let's lift up our praises to God and intercede for others!

Abba,

As I begin my day, I lift up my praises to You--You are my King, my all. I worship You for being who You are, the great I AM. I realize that I can do nothing, be nothing in this life on earth without You by my side, guiding and directing me. Help me to always hear Your voice clearly so that I may know and follow Your will and plans for me this day.

I again lift up my children to You asking that You bring them to You so that they may know the full extent of Your love, Your sacrifice for us and accept You as their Savior. I ask this with full confidence that this is Your will for them, trusting and knowing that You will use others in their lives to plant the seeds of life in them. Help me to always be a living example of You to them by my daily words and actions.

I thank you for the opportunity this afternoon to gather with two close friends for conversation, lunch and laughter. How much we need laughter in our lives!! Thank you, God, for laughter and placing this emotion into us during our creation.

Thank you for my tears of joy, tears that I could not cry for so many years. Now they flow freely, not in sadness but in my joy of knowing You, knowing of Your love for me and Your great sacrifice for me. Am I deserving of this sacrifice? Are any of us? We are still sinners, Lord, still in our sinful ways . And yet You still urge us to come to You, to seek forgiveness.

I come to you this morning asking forgiveness of my sins--some that I have committed knowingly and others that I have committed unknowingly. Please forgive me of gossiping. How easy it is to get caught up in the talking about others when we are more than likely doing the same thing. Help me to stand tall and walk away from conversations that are degrading to others, Abba, and instead seek Your attitude in loving them.

Show me how to love the "unlovable".

I thank you, Lord, for all you have provided for me on a daily basis. I have my job while others have none. I have food while others have none. I have a place to live while others are homeless.

You have given me a mission, Abba, a mission to help others who have less than me. Please guide and direct me and the others involved in this mission so that we may bring Your mission to fulfillment to help those in need.

All of this I bring to You in the Name of Your Son, my Savior--Jesus Christ.

Amen.