Prayer and Praise 13 April 2012

Scripture Prayer John 17:1-26

Pray for your own intimacy with God After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:   “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

Prayer for Intimacy Lord, I come to You to quietly wait in Your presence. As the deer pants after the water brooks so my soul pants after You, O God. I long to see You high and lifted up and Your glory streaming through Your temple. Still my racing heart, and quiet my busy mind. I lay aside my busy schedule and my to-do list. I refuse to be hurried. I wait upon You to renew my strength. I wait to hear Your whisper.

Prayer for Intimacy Lord, be glorified, be magnified, be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Lord You are Great and greatly to be praised. You are to be praised above all gods. Lord, You are Sovereign, Lord of Creation, Potentate of the Universe. Jesus, You are exalted to the right hand of God, to the majesty on high. You are clothed with honor and majesty. You are clothed with light as with a garment. You are Mighty - mighty to save. Your arm is not shortened that it cannot save.

Prayer for Intimacy You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. You are Eternal. Your throne is from everlasting to everlasting. You are the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the Ending. You are the Ruler of all. All heaven and earth bow before You. You are far above all principalities, and powers, and dominions and mights. Your name is above every name. You are Lord alone and at Your name, Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that you are Lord.

Pray for Obedience to God’s words “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 

Prayer for obedience to God’s word Dear Heavenly Father, So often I simply hear your word or read it and think about applying it, but get no further. I want to obey your word but it is gone from my mind so easily. Please help me today to take one truth and apply it to my circumstances. Please let your Holy Spirit nudge me and remind me throughout my day. I know that as I apply what your word says I will find freedom. Please show me what I need to focus on right where I am today. Help me to be intent on practicing what you reveal to me through your word. I know there is blessing in obeying You. I give you my will today to want to do what you show me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Pray for protection from influence of the world’s system  I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

Prayer against Worldliness Heavenly Father, you know my heart and my desires. If I am too focused on accumulating the wealth of this world, change my heart. You have exhorted me not to love the world or the things of the world. Yet I find it so hard and are often drawn to the things of the world. Help me not to conform to the pattern of world and its attraction. But transform and renew my mind Put passion in my heart to love others and to share the good news of Jesus. Give me courage to live against the grain of the world. While the rat race of earthly life is speeding by and festering, help me to live my life according to Your values. Thank You for Your grace and mercy in my life. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pray for full measure of God’s Joy in your life  “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

Prayer for God’s Joy Dear Lord, I know You are the God of hope and joy. Yet so often I am not filled with the joy and peace You offer to me. So often joy is absent from my heart. Today I acknowledge that I need You. I need Your hope in my heart and the full measure of Your joy. Help me to trust You to give me the hope, joy and peace that Your Holy Spirit brings. Increase my faith so I can trust You fully with my life. Fill me by the power of Your Holy Spirit now. I don’t want to just survive or just get by… I want to overflow with your joy. Your Holy Spirit is the only one who has the power to pour the peace and joy You offer into my weary soul. I trust you today with all the circumstances of my life. Thank you that I can come to you, my God of Hope & Joy. 

Pray for protection from evil My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

Prayer for Protection Lord Jesus, I come to You in weakness to be clothed in Your strength. I take You as my Shield and Defender, my Hiding Place and my High Tower. I choose this day to dwell in the Secret place of the Most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I put on the whole armor of God to stand against all the work of the enemy. I stand complete in the finished work Christ did for me. I take refuge in the powerful cleansing blood of Jesus. I put on the armor of God. I put on Your helmet of salvation – because I am saved to the uttermost. I wrap myself with the girdle of Your truth for my mind - what You have spoken I believe completely.

Prayer for Protection I lay hold of Your promises - they are always true, they have never failed, and never will. I put on the shoes of the Gospel to tread the serpent under my feet. I put on the breastplate of Your righteousness - not my own which is but filthy rags. I put on the Lord Jesus Christ as my righteousness, sanctification and redemption. All that He is I am in Him, an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ. I take my rightful place before the throne, seated with him in heavenly places. I take refuge behind the shield of faith to quench the devil’s accusations against me. I lift the sword of His Spirit, the Word of God, against the devil’s schemes and choose to pray in the Spirit on all occasions. In Jesus name. Amen

Pray for Holiness  Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Prayer for Holiness Lord, You alone are holy. I am a person of unclean lips, thoughts, and loves. I dwell in and act like my sinful culture. Lord, I confess I am blinded by my sin and stubbornness. I cannot hide from You. You know my innermost thoughts and desires. Cleanse me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow. I admit before You that I am wretched, pitiful, blind and naked. I come to You for white clothing. Cleanse me in the blood of the Lamb. I come to You for the garment of praise instead of the spirit of heaviness.

Prayer for Holiness Forgive my apathy and prayerlessness. Forgive my lustful self-centered thoughts. Forgive me for anger, bitterness, and an unforgiving spirit. Forgive me for loving and allowing wickedness in the media to influence me. Forgive me for allowing the world to squeeze me into its mold. Forgive me for my debts and love of things Forgive my negligence of spiritual disciplines. Forgive me for not putting You first in my finances. Forgive me for griping and arguing with my spouse. Forgive me for things I have said about other people

Prayer for Holiness I open my heart to You right now. Search me, O God, and know my thoughts. Try me and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Purge me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Cleanse me from all my unrighteousness. Wash me in the precious blood of Jesus. I ask for Your forgiveness. I receive Your cleansing now in Jesus’ name. Amen

Pray for Unity “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Pray for Unity in the Body of Christ Dear Lord, You have asked that Your church be One as You and Your Father are One, We confess that we have not been as united as you have prayed. We have isolated ourselves from each other, failed to listen to each other and love each other. We have often misunderstood, second guessed and criticised each other.

Prayer for Unity in the Body of Christ In so doing we have offended You, and against all who have not believed in You because of our disunity. Forgive us, Lord, and make us fully one. Blot out our sins, renew our minds,rekindle our hearts,and guide us by your Holy Spirit into that Oneness which is Your will. In your name we pray. Amen

Ask God: ‘Show me your glory’ “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.    25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Prayer to Seek God alone Heavenly Father, thank you that You are my God. I confess that often I do not seek You. I run breathless seeking to accomplish so many things. I cry out for Your blessing on what I undertake. I beg for Your help when I lose my way. I want Your strength when mine is gone. And You so graciously provide for me in all these ways. Your invitation is wide open to come boldly to Your throne of grace to find mercy and help in my time of need. Yet I know You have so much more for me… You are the cool living water that will satisfy my thirsty spirit. You desire to lead me beside quiet waters and wash the dust off my soul.

Prayer to Seek God alone You have joy to infuse into my being as I come to You in quiet contemplation of all You are. To you, O God, I lift up my soul right now. Restore to me the joy of knowing You. Renew in me the commitment to spend time letting Your word soak into my heart and mind. Refresh me with new understand of Your goodness and mercy in my life. Refuel my soul with the filling and power of Your Holy Spirit. Keep my heart thirsty for You, Lord and help me to seek you with my whole heart. I love You Lord and I thank You for Your loving hand on my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Closing Song and Benediction