Have you ever been down in the dumps? I confess; I have. On this day I should be happy; it's my birthday. It was early morning as I walked downstairs, I was moaning and whining(I'm sure God hates whining because I do). The thought came to me to offer a prayer of thanksgiving to the Father. Can you believe that I couldn't think of one thing to thank Him for! God will meet you where you are. I thanked Him that I could hear the singing of the birds, and soon I was thanking Him for the many times He's already helped me. I even thanked Him for the world so sweet, the food we eat, I thanked Him for everything good and perfect; for simply being alive. It turned my moaning and groaning into laughter.
PRAYER
Most Holy GOD, thank you! Everything in me says "Thank you!"Thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness. Most holy is your name, most holy is your Word. The moment I called out, you stepped in, and you made my life large with strength. You began a good work in me, and I thank you for helping me grow in grace until your task within me is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns. Your Word equips me for every good work--to do good to everyone, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Psalm 138, The Message; Philippians 1:6; 2 Timothy 3:17
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Challenge: One of your prayers each day should cover the sentiments below. It also should be 10 minutes in length. So keep searching your heart and talking to God until the 10 minutes are over. There will be moments of silence which is okay, just let it flow and go deep when you finish all the surface stuff.
Day 1: Ask for strength to follow through with this challenge of 40 days of at least one seven minute prayer. Ask for a heart that delights and desires to come before God several times a day in prayer. Ask God to help you to realize the importance and power of prayer in your life and others. Ask that you understand and do what it takes today to be closer to Him and His people.
TO LINK UP, which means commit to praying and find out more about "40 Days Away to Pray" click on this PRAYER CHALLENGE.
2 comments:
Most Holy God,
I come here and bow before You, I surrender all that I am and my thoughts to Yours! I commit these next 40 days to a special time of deepening our relationship and my walk with You! I ask You for the strength to follow through with this challenge. Help me to seek You first each morning before emails or blogs. I realize that You called me away for this very reason that I would establish You as my first in everything, especially first in my day. Thank You for loving me first so that I would come to know and love You!
May my heart delight and desire to come before You each day. May I realize and show others the importance and power of prayer in my life and for theirs. Give me a deep and clear understanding to do whatever it takes to be closer yo You and to Your people. Lead me to have a grateful heart every day.
Thank You! Thank You for Your Word and dear friends. Thank You for all that come alongside me and pray. Encourage each one and draw more to spend time with You during this time set aside to seek You!
Thank You that whenever I am down in the dumps that You are there to lift me up and send in others to share and care. Thank You for meeting me where I am each day!
Thank You for Your love and Your mercies that are new every morning!
Great is Your faithfulness! May my own faithfulness increase as I press in to our time together, well spent. Holy is Your name. You are greatly to be praised and thanked.
Thank You for renewing me in Your strength. I'm so thankful that You began a good work in me and You will complete Your purpose!
Thank You that Your Word equips me for every good work... that I may do in Jesus Name... to You be all glory, honor and praise!
Today God our Father brings us to the beginning of Lent.
We pray that in this time of salvation He will fill us with the Holy Spirit, purify our hearts,
and strengthen us in love.
Let us humbly ask Him:
Lord, give us Your Holy Spirit.
May we be filled and satisfied,
- by the word which You give us.
Teach us to be loving not only in great and exceptional moments,
- but above all in the ordinary events of daily life.
May we abstain from what we do not really need,
- and help our brothers and sisters in distress.
May we bear the wounds of Your Son in our bodies,
- for through His body He gave us life.
Lord,
It feels like we are embarking on a Lenten journey together, You and I.
The beautiful words in the today's prayer talk about the "quiet remembrance of our need for redemption."
That feels like what I am looking for -
or what You are looking for in me.
I want to remember how much I need You in my life and how much my life needs redemption.
I want to remember it clearly and
in the background of my day today and all through Lent.
On this special day, Ash Wednesday,
may my small sacrifices in fasting be a way to clear away the clutter in my life to see You more clearly.
May my longing for meat and other food, help me to focus my life today more outside myself.
Let me be aware of those who are in so much more suffering than I am
and may I be aware of them as the brothers and sisters You have placed in my life.
Lord, I know there is darkness within me and around me.
Bless these days with Your Word.
Let Your Light shine in the darkness.
Help me long for that Light
until we celebrate it at the Vigil six weeks from now.
And most of all Lord,
help me to honor this day, help me remember where I have come from and where I am going.
May I acknowledge to You my sins
and my deep need for Your loving forgiveness and grace.
I pray that this Lenten season will make me so much more aware of how much I need Your healing in my life.
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
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