John Bunyan (1628 – 1688), author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, offered these insights regarding prayer: • In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart. • Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan. • Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer. • In all your prayers forget not to thank the Lord for His mercies. • The spirit of prayer is more precious than treasures of gold and silver. • The truths that I know best I have learned on my knees. I never know a thing well, till it is burned into my heart by prayer. • To pray rightly, you must make God your hope, stay, and all. Provided by permission of Herald of His Coming: heraldofhiscoming.org

True religion needs the soul to be always at a fervent heat. None climb the hill whereon the New Jerusalem is built except such as go on hands and knees and, laying aside every weight, give themselves wholly to the divine ascent. The pilgrim who hopes to reach the better land and makes a pleasure trip of it is under a mistake – it is hard traveling and requires ardor and perseverance. It is so in every good word and work. A lazy prayer requests a denial and shall have it. Half-hearted praise is an insult to God and everything in religion that is not done with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength – is a sin – however much it may look like a virtue! When we are most intense, we do not come up to the zeal which these important things deserve – how can we, then, imagine that we can please God with less than our best? Know you not that our Lord has said, “Because thou art lukewarm, ...I will spue thee out of My mouth”? (Rev. 3:16). No stronger expression of disgust can possibly be used, and this disgust is not for the bold and hardened rebel, but for the moderate disciple who served God without fail, but without zeal! God loves a whole heart, but half a heart is His abhorrence. Only those who run with all their might will win the race and, as the man of divided heart is lame in both his feet, he can have no hope of the prize. Lord, make my heart one that I may give it all to You, and spend and be spent in Your one service, since You, only, are the One in whom my soul delights! If Christ is married to us, He will have us chaste unto Himself. What would we think of a man who is engaged to a woman and is found spending his love upon another as well? We say he is false and treacherous, and we utterly despise him. He ought to give his heart to her whom he has espoused and to love her with constancy, or he cannot be esteemed a pure-minded man. Even so, in our dealings with the Lord Jesus, we must be watchful lest a single desire or affection should prove false to Him. Such a glorious object of affection must fill the whole horizon of the soul, even as the sun fills all the heavens with Jesus. O ­brothers and sisters, shut the gates of your hearts lest any steal away by night from the Lord! The heart must be whole and wholly His. Ask for divine grace to say with the psalmist, “O God, my heart is fixed...” (Psa. 108:1). Then, indeed, will you sing and give praise. Consistency of Walk O you who are inconsistent in life, I must be bold to tell you that many of your friends are even more in doubt about you than you are about yourself! ’Tis a point we also long to know, for we cannot tell whether you love the Lord or no, whether you are His or not! Sometimes we see happy signs about you and our charity hopes all things. But when we see you falling, again, into evil ways, we are distressed and even our charity weeps over you! How can we be assured of your change of heart when we see so little change of life? No person can come to any true personal assurance while his life is of double character. But if I know that I have one heart and that my heart belongs to my Lord – and that I have one way, a way of obedience to Him – then may I be assured that I am His! If I cannot make such progress as I would, yet if I follow my Lord and keep my face steadfastly set towards Jerusalem, then I know where I am, what I am, and where I am going! Holiness of life proves our faith and faith ensures our salvation – and salvation begets joy, peace, and confidence! “Hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3). Steadfastness of Principle Our religion must have the Lord in the very heart of it! We must be in constant contact with God and possess in our souls the true fear of God, for as this is the beginning of wisdom, so is it the only security of perseverance! When God has given us a true ­spiritual fear of Him, it will abide all tests. Outward religion depends upon the excitement which created it. But the fear of the Lord lives on when all around it is frostbitten. What happens to many converts? The revivalists have gone and they have gone, too. But if God has given us one heart to love and obey Him and His fear is in us, we do not depend upon the mental thermo­meter! Like sala­manders, we can live in the fire – and like seals, we can live in Arctic ice. We are not dependent upon special services and warm-hearted exhortations, for we have a springing well within us! We live upon the Master and not upon the servants – the Spirit of God does not leave us because certain good men have gone elsewhere. No, God has given us to fear Him forever. Persecution comes. Now we shall know who are God’s elect, and who are not! Persecution acts as a winnowing fan and those who are light as chaff are driven away by its blast. But those who are true corn remain and are purified. Careless of man’s esteem, the truly God-fearing man with one heart holds on his one way and fears the Lord forever! Then, perhaps, comes a more ­serious test, the trial of prosperity. A man grows rich. He rises into another class of ­society. If he is not a real Christian, he will forsake the Lord. But if he is a true-born heir of the kingdom of God, he will fear the Lord forever and consecrate his substance to Him. A heart wholly given to God will stand the wear and tear of life in all conditions, whether in honor or in contempt. Poverty is a severe test to many and I have known numbers of believers forsake the house of God because, as they say, their clothes were not fit to come in. That is a poor excuse! I fear their hearts were not fit to come in! The fear of God would make the godly man swallow his pride and follow Christ in rags – he will bear a famine of bread and a famine of water, but he cannot endure a famine of the Word of God! His soul must be fed, and so he must and will be found where the Lord’s Table is spread with the Bread of heaven. When God stripped Job of all his riches, it was then that his integrity was seen and proven. With some of you old age is creeping on, but I rejoice to know that your grace is not decaying! You are becoming deaf; eyesight is failing you, and your limbs are trembling – but you can still hear the voice of the Lord, and behold the ­beauties of His Word, and run in the ways of His statutes! If God has given the young man one heart and one way, he will fear God forever and will not forsake the Lord when infirmities multiply upon him. He will bring forth fruit in old age, to show that the Lord is upright! If our soul is wholly Christ’s we can never go back to perdition – “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?...” (Rom. 8:35). The Lord has cast such cords of love about us that He holds us fast! We can lose father and mother, yes, and our own lives also, but we cannot forsake the Lord whose blood has bought us from the lowest hell! We are bound for the kingdom – who shall keep us out of it? We have been shot like arrows from the bow of God and we must speed onward till we rest in the target of eternal bliss! Oh what a mercy it is to have within us a fear of God which is not to last for a period of years, but forever! Personal Blessedness Tell me, who are the happiest Christians? They will be found to be wholehearted Christians! When heart and life are divided, happiness leaks through the crack. We must be steady in the pursuit of righteousness if we would abide in the enjoyment of peace. Brothers and sisters, if you want to know the sweetness of religion, you must know the depth of it! Those who are content with superficial godliness have no idea of the delights which dwell in the deep places of communion with God! Plunge into the river of life! Let body, soul and spirit be immersed into its floods, and you shall swim in unspeakable joy! Lose sight of the shores of worldliness, and you shall see God’s wonders in the deeps! In intense devotion to the Lord you will find the rare jewel – satisfaction. “...O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full with the blessing of the Lord...” (Deut. 33:23). Sweet content never dwells with halfheartedness. Those who have the clearest sight of God are the pure in heart and the undivided in heart, and those who enjoy a heaven below are those whose hearts and lives are engrossed with heavenly things. The blessed life is that of fervent love and thorough consecration. Men who will not eat are starved and weak, and many a disease finds soil within them through the weakness of their constitution. But those who feed on Christ, the Bread of heaven, are nourished and strong – and are preserved from a thousand ills by that very fact. O God the Holy Spirit, I cannot talk to Christ’s servants as I wish to do, but You can move them, now, to aspire after a complete giving up of themselves to You, for this shall be for their good! I am not afraid that anyone among you will ever censure me for having excited you into a too fervent zeal, or a too devoted life! Brothers and sisters, I am afraid for those of you who go ankle deep into religion and never venture further – I am afraid lest you should, by-and-by, return to the shore! But as for you who plunge into the center of the stream and find waters to swim in, I have no fears! You shall be borne onward by a current ever increasing in strength till in the ocean of eternal love you lose yourselves in heaven above! I can wish you no greater blessing than that the Holy Spirit may make you wholehearted, consistent, persistent, ardent, established and per­severing in the things of God! – Charles H. Spurgeon (1834 – 1892) was a Baptist minister in London known as the “Prince of Preachers.” This article is provided by permission of Herald of His Coming: heraldofhiscoming.org

Jonathan Graf, president of the Church Prayer Leaders Network, stated: “Several years ago, I was in a church that clearly “gets it” where prayer is concerned. Mountain View Community Church in Fresno, CA, hosted our “Can Prayer Save America?” From the time the conference opened, it was evident that prayer is simply a part of this church’s DNA. “When we lead such a conference, we ask that the host church provide worship. We did not coach the worship team at Mountain View to lead in a certain way, yet the worship experience was loaded with prayer. Multiple times the worship leader prayed in between songs. His song selections were clearly related to the theme—crying out for God to send revival and spiritual awakening. “Several times during a worship song, Mountain View people approached a microphone and prayed, reflecting the song’s content. At one point during a particular song, the main prayer leader asked people from the audience to pray bold, transforming truths related to revival and awakening. It was a powerful moment. “But this church wasn’t just putting prayer front and center because it was a prayer conference. Prayer permeates its ministry each Sunday and throughout the week. Pastor Fred Leonard models prayer and disciples his staff to engage in prayer. They all keep prayer/spiritual growth journals—and for accountability, they must regularly share from their journals during staff meetings. Their weekly two-to three-hour staff meetings are characterized by an hour to even half of their meeting time, given to praying together. “In Sunday school and small groups church leaders provide regular training regarding prayer. Every year they schedule at least two prayer initiatives—from a week to 40 days—during which the entire congregation is praying on the same theme. Mountain View wants every congregant to be discipled in prayer so that he or she knows how to pray with confidence. The leadership does not leave it to chance! “The most intriguing thing that sets them apart from every other church I know: Anyone who steps into leadership (such as elders, small group leaders, and those in teaching roles) must take a 12-week “prayer usher” class before they are qualified—and then they must receive ongoing prayer training. “A prayer usher (a term coined by Dr. Terry Teykl) is trained in taking individuals and their issues before God’s throne of grace. They usher people—through praying for and with them—into God’s presence. These trained ushers are the ones who pray with people at the altar, visit the sick, or encourage those in need of ministry support. The church also trains prayer ushers who are not directly involved in other leadership. “Finally, Mountain View demonstrates a regional prayer influence by encouraging Fresno churches to pray together. Now a significant number of churches participate in a yearly prayer calendar that includes ten joint prayer events. Pastors pray together, within geographic clusters, weekly or monthly around the city.” (As Natural as Breathing, by Jonathan Graf, Prayer Connect, Issue 4) If you’ve served any length of time in any Christian congregation, you know what it is to deal with complaining saints. It’s one of the sad realities of church life. Lest we think it's a modern phenomenon, just look at Acts 6: 1 “…the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.” Complaining Christians have a long lineage! It’s fascinating to see how the leaders of the church in Jerusalem dealt with the situation that created complaining. It certainly would have been easy for them to step up and handle the unequal distribution of food to widows themselves. But they didn’t. They asked the church to choose other qualified leaders to handle this situation. Why didn’t they do it themselves? Because they had a prior commitment. “We will . . . give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). One of the key marks of spiritual leadership is knowing your calling and priorities. The apostles had those marks. They knew that heaven’s calling to them was for prayer and the ministry of the Word. It wasn’t that other things were not important or necessary. It’s just that they needed to make sure that prayer and the ministry of the Word was given the priority. My friend, Daniel Henderson, often says that when he graduated from seminary, he came out with his sword sharpened on only one side. We often train our leaders in the ministry of the Word, but neglect the ministry of prayer. A sword sharpened on just one side is not as sharp or effective as one sharpened on both sides. I believe that is a good description of much of leadership ministry today. It’s not that Christian leaders today are against prayer. That’s just not so. But prayer is not necessarily high on their priority list, especially when you gauge it against the other things that compete for their time. At least part of the reason for this is they have not been trained in prayer for their personal life nor in leading a church to become a praying church. How did it come about that so few pastors feel equipped to lead in prayer? Spiritual warfare definitely plays a role in our prayerlessness. Most of what we deal with in spiritual warfare is what I call micro level. That’s personal temptations and issues we face regularly. But there is also macro level warfare that moves to a higher level. It is on that macro level that I believe Satan won a great victory many centuries ago. Satan’s Victory Somewhere along the line, hundreds of years ago, Satan convinced good, godly scholars that prayer was not a topic worthy of academic study. I can almost hear the thoughts diabolically placed in their minds: “Of course prayer is important, but we can’t take up classroom time to teach it. Our students should just pray.” It sounds true doesn’t it? There’s just enough truth to be deadly. Through the years, prayer has become completely experiential, with little to no serious theological thought given to it. Look at the books that seminarians have studied called “systematic theologies.” You will find the study of salvation (soteriology), the church (ecclesiology), second coming (eschatology) and many other “ologies.” But you won’t find prayer.Here’s the problem with that. A theology of a topic requires that you think deeply about the area. It will push a student to delve into it and examine it from every angle. Because we have not done that with prayer, we have the common situation where pastors believe that prayer is important, but they aren’t sure why. If an area of the Christian life has not been studied in the academic setting, it will often take a backseat when it comes to actual practice. Of course, there is always the danger of making prayer merely an academic topic for study instead of a dynamic encounter with Jesus Christ. But we have clearly allowed the pendulum to swing the other way and have ignored the opportunities to train our pastors and church leaders in powerful personal prayer and what could happen when they lead their congregation to become a praying people. Seminaries and Bible colleges must become laboratories for dynamic prayer ministry. A few years ago, America’s National Prayer Committee looked at the current situation and moved to commission a textbook on prayer for use in our schools. Giving Ourselves to Prayer: An Acts 6:4 Primer for Ministry is increasingly being used as seminaries become aware of this deficiency in pastoral preparedness. More than a textbook is needed though. Some brave academicians will need to fight the curriculum wars to see that a serious study of prayer becomes required training for pastors. It isn’t only at the level of training that this battle must be fought. Christian leaders will need to educate the local church of the need for praying leaders. One of the saddest illustrations I know comes from a church in the Midwest that told their pastor, “Your work on our time. You pray on your own time.” What grief that perspective must bring to the Lord! Contrast that to Andrew Murray’s comment: “Time spent in prayer will yield more than that given to work. Prayer alone gives work its worth and its success. Prayer opens the way for God Himself to do His work in us and through us. Let our chief work as God’s messengers be intercession; in it we secure the presence and power of God to go with us.” Countless generations have failed to see the spiritual work of prayer in the church. Prayer has been a tool to call meetings to order, and has been seen as the work of a few spiritual giants. We don’t necessarily expect or even want our pastors to be people of prayer. If you disagree, then look over the job descriptions of most congregations when looking for a pastor. Prayer is often completely missing! Rarely does a church say to a potential pastor: “Tell us about your prayer life.” It will not be easy to turn this ship around. It will take godly, visionary leaders at all levels to see this happen. From seminaries and Bible colleges to pastors and congregational leaders, all will need to stand together to say, “This must change! We must give ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word!” Many of the greatest leaders of the Church through the years have testified to the critical need of prayer for those in leadership. See if these words stir you as they have me: “I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach.” –Charles H. Spurgeon “Prayer is my chief work, and it is by means of it that I carry on the rest.” –Thomas Hooker, Puritan “[The] power of prayer can never be overrated. They who cannot serve God by preaching need not regret. If a man can but pray he can do anything. He who knows how to overcome with God in prayer has Heaven and earth at his disposal.” –Charles H. Spurgeon “What the church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use–men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.” –E.M. Bounds “Ministers who do not spend two hours a day in prayer are not worth a dime a dozen–degrees or no degrees.” –Leonard Ravenhill “Out of a very intimate acquaintance with D. L. Moody, I wish to testify that he was a far greater prayer than he was preacher. Time and time again, he was confronted by obstacles that seemed insurmountable, but he always knew the way to overcome all difficulties. He knew the way to bring to pass anything that needed to be brought to pass. He knew and believed in the deepest depths of his soul that nothing was too hard for the Lord, and that prayer could do anything that God could do.” –R. A. Torrey Points to Ponder How committed to prayer are the leaders of your church? Were you surprised to hear of the lack of training in prayer in Bible colleges and seminaries? Why or why not? What do you believe can be done to restore a proper understanding of the role of prayer in spiritual leadership? Are there steps your church can take to make prayer a prerequisite for leadership? –Adapted from Forgotten Power: A Simple Theology for a Praying Church by David Butts. (C) 2015.

The Significance of the Incarnation “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth’” (Psalm 46:10). Today, ask God for a fresh revelation of the significance of the incarnation. Commit to Him in prayer, your desire to be still this Advent season and know that He is God: Thank You Father that Jesus became flesh and lived among us, and that His glory was revealed! Father, thank You for sending Jesus, Your own Son, in the likeness of sinful man, to be a sin offering for me, providing the way for me to become Your child. Jesus the Messiah is born! You alone Lord Jesus are Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. It is in You alone, Lord Jesus that all the fullness of God dwells, and through You alone that I have been reconciled to God because of Your shed blood on the cross! I confess Lord Jesus, that You alone are the way to God the Father, you alone are the truth and the life. No longer am I alienated from God, but instead, because of Your sacrifice for me, I am now presented as holy in the Father’s sight, without blemish and free from accusation! Help me I pray to continue in my faith, established and standing firm. Empower me by Your Spirit, to convey this “gospel-hope” to those around me. May the light of Jesus and the gospel so shine from my life to others that they will turn and glorify You Father. Forgive me, I pray for the ways that I have allowed the light of Christ in me, to be diminished--for You have said Lord Jesus that if the light within me is darkness, how great is that darkness! You Lord Jesus, who is the light of the world, and has entrusted me with the light of the gospel--shine through me! Fill me with Your compassion for those around me, and help me to love like You love. Destroy complacency and the desire for comfort in me. Change me that I might be willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of others and the gospel. Open my eyes to the needs of those around me, and may I be one who invests in what is eternal. By Your Spirit, may I always be prepared to give the reason for the hope that I have. You, Lord Jesus are my hope. But may I always do so with gentleness and respect, that the incarnation of the gospel may be lived out through me. As I enter this season, celebrating Your coming Lord Jesus--the first Advent, I pray that the wonder of Your coming to earth would capture my heart once again. Fill me with child-like awe and inexpressible joy. I ask this in Your mighty name. The name of Jesus, Amen. (John 1:14; Romans 8:3; John 1:12; Isaiah 9:6; John 14:6; Colossians 1:19-23; Matthew 5:16; Matthew 6:23; 1 John 2:15; Matthew 9:36; 1 Peter 3:15) Wonderful Counselor Father, I praise You, for all things come from You! You are wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom! You have sent Jesus to be my Wonderful Counselor. Thank You that the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel and power rest on Him and that He is the One Who intercedes on my behalf before Your throne. Thank You for the instruction and counsel You give to me. May I always trust in You and not be dismayed by the circumstances that seem to have hemmed me in: · For the relationships in my life that are in disrepair, I ask for Your wisdom O God, and humility to serve others out of my love for You. · In the handling of my finances and in the circumstances I find myself, give me Your wisdom Father. · For the decisions that I face in the arena of life where You have placed me, I confess that apart from You I can do nothing and need Your wisdom Lord. At the very depths of who I am may I have Your wisdom, that I might respond in each situation that I face as one who has listened to Your counsel. Forgive me, I pray, for the times that I have been wise in my own eyes, for running ahead of You, or excluding You completely from decisions that I make. I have been foolish, forgive me O Lord. By Your Spirit, help me to truly revere You, that wisdom may be found in me. May I reflect the likeness of Jesus and become a person of wisdom and godly counsel. I trust in You, Holy Spirit, to lead me and guide me in all truth, and I thank You, Father, that You will be a sure foundation for my times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge. Remind me, I pray, that revering You is the key to this great treasure. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Isaiah 28:29; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 11:2; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; Psalm 16:9; Isaiah 28:16; James 1:5; Psalm 51:6; Proverbs 3:7; Psalm 111:10; Luke 4:18; Psalm 73:24; John 16:13; Isaiah 33:6 Peace, Be Still Before you begin, ask God to reveal to your heart the ways that the enemy has robbed you of the peace that is yours because of Christ. Confess these things to Him and ask Him to pour out on you His peace that passes all understanding. Ask Him to still the storms in your life and refocus your living. I thank You Father, that Jesus Himself is my peace and that He has completely destroyed the barrier that separated me from You! How grateful I am that I have been reconciled to Him through His blood shed on the cross and now have peace with You. Forgive me I pray, for the times that I do not cast my cares and anxieties onto You, but instead carry them myself and allow my heart to be weighed down and needlessly burdened. I ask that Your peace, which is beyond my ability to understand, guard my heart and my mind--cover me, because I am in Christ Jesus. I belong to You. Thank You Lord Jesus, for the peace that You give to me which is so very different than the fleeting attempts of the world to quiet my heart. Guard my heart by Your Holy Spirit, that I might not be afraid. Help me to learn to be still and know that You are God, to hear Your voice in the midst of the storms that I face saying “Peace, be still.” Keep me from fear and increase my faith. May my life be characterized by Your peace no matter what situation I might face, that You may be glorified in me and through me and receive the praise that is due Your name. May I love Your Word that I might have great peace and not stumble. May my mind be controlled by Your Holy Spirit and produce life and peace. May Your strength and peace fill my life because I belong to You. Lord Jesus, You are my Wonderful Counselor, You are Mighty God, the Everlasting Father incarnate and Prince of Peace! With You all things are possible. I invite You into the impossible situations of my life and ask that as I wait on You, You fill me with Your peace – for my hope is in You alone and I trust in Your great name. (Ephesians 2:14; Colossians 1:20; Romans 5:1; 1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:7; John 14:27; Psalm 46:10; Mark 4:35-41; Psalm 119:165; Romans 8:6; Psalm 29:11; Isaiah 53:6; Matthew 19:26) Free Gift Before you begin, meditate on this thought: God has chosen to work through me. Father how I thank You that because I have put my faith and trust in Christ, He has made me a new creation! The old has gone--the new has come! This great redemptive work is from You Father, through Christ, for me! My relationship with You has been made right and because of His finished work on the cross You do not hold my sin against me! Hallelujah! Praise Your holy name! (Pause and be thankful that Christ Jesus has saved you from your sin.) Now Father I ask that You help me to understand what it means that because I am in Christ the message of reconciliation is lived out and proclaimed, through me! May I be found worthy of the name “Ambassador of Christ” and faithfully implore others to be reconciled to You. The free gift of salvation through Jesus that alone can make us to be the “righteousness of God” is good news that most around me need desperately to hear. I ask that You capture my heart again I pray, with the joy of this great salvation in You and open my lips that I might praise You and proclaim with great joy, the gospel message. You are the God of all hope and I ask that I would overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit and continually be prepared to give the reason for the hope that I have in You. This day I ask You Wonderful Counselor, that You open my heart and mind and give me ears to hear what You would say to me, what You would speak through me. Make me increasingly sensitive to Your voice and gentle promptings, and give me a willing, submissive spirit that I might obey. Mighty God, may Your power be evident through the way I live and conduct my life, that I would truly live and move and have my very being in You alone. Everlasting Father may Your fatherly embrace and great love be expressed through my life. In my conversations and interactions with the world around me, be glorified I pray. May Jesus be seen through me in such loving ways that many are drawn to Him. Prince of Peace in the midst of this chaotic fearful world, may the peace of Christ be spread through my life. Increase my trust and hope in You that I in turn might minister to those around me who are as sheep without a shepherd. Give me Your heart. Your eyes. Your ears, O Lord. That in all things I might respond as Jesus would, and be a worthy ambassador of the gospel. In the name of Jesus, Emmanuel, I pray. Amen. (2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Psalm 51:12,15; Romans 15:13; 1 Peter 3:15; Acts 17:28; Matthew 5:16) --These Advent prayers were written by Tiece L. King, the author of Pray the Word, a resource line of Scripture prayers.

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries A PSALM OF THANKSGIVING Here are some creative prayer ideas to do individually, as a couple, a family, small group or Sunday School class, etc. You can tweak it to fit your needs in many ways, as you will soon see! Here are several ways to utilize this as a means of expressing thankfulness/gratefulness to God using The Living Bible translation (feel free to use whatever translation you wish…or even multiple translations to do this on a repeated basis). Read through Psalm 103 and notice all of the ways David expressed his thankfulness to God. Pray through this Psalm being sure to “bless the holy name of God with all of (your) heart” at the beginning and end, as David demonstrates for us. Also, if you wish to do this in a group or with family, have one person read the verse(s) out loud and the others respond with “Thank You, Lord!” The Psalm is written out for you below. Write your own Psalm based on David’s format in Psalm 103 by being specific about ways God has transformed your life and your own gratefulness for His blessings. Other scriptures to consider as you cultivate thankfulness: Psalm 34:1-10 Psalm 89:1-8 Psalm 92:1-5 Psalm 95:1-7 Psalm 100 Psalm 107:1-9 Psalm 118:1-9, 19-29 Psalm 136 Psalm 145 Psalm 150 Any of these ideas would make great family or personal activities for Thanksgiving, and year-round! It’s important to cultivate gratitude for all of God’s blessings. Psalm 103 TLB I bless the holy name of God with all my heart. 2 Yes, I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things he does for me. (Thank You, Lord!) 3 He forgives all my sins. He heals me. (Thank You, Lord!) 4 He ransoms me from hell. He surrounds me with loving-kindness and tender mercies. (Thank You, Lord!) 5 He fills my life with good things! My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! (Thank You, Lord!) 6 He gives justice to all who are treated unfairly. (Thank You, Lord!) 7 He revealed his will and nature to Moses and the people of Israel. (Thank You, Lord!) 8 He is merciful and tender toward those who don’t deserve it; he is slow to get angry and full of kindness and love. (Thank You, Lord!) 9 He never bears a grudge, nor remains angry forever. (Thank You, Lord!) 10 He has not punished us as we deserve for all our sins, 11 for his mercy toward those who fear and honor him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. (Thank You, Lord!) 12 He has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. (Thank You, Lord!) 13 He is like a father to us, tender and sympathetic to those who reverence him. 14 For he knows we are but dust 15 and that our days are few and brief, like grass, like flowers, 16 blown by the wind and gone forever. (Thank You, Lord!) 17-18 But the loving-kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting to those who reverence him; his salvation is to children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant and remember to obey him! (Thank You, Lord!) 19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything there is. (Thank You, Lord!) 20 Bless the Lord, you mighty angels of his who carry out his orders, listening for each of his commands. 21 Yes, bless the Lord, you armies of his angels who serve him constantly. 22 Let everything everywhere bless the Lord. And how I bless him too!

There is a movement being encouraged across the United States of America to encourage Christians to pray at polling sites in their communities. Here are three ways you can participate along with prayer points and a written prayer to help you: 1. Encourage and organize intercessors in your community to cover every polling site in prayer (physically, if possible). Secure a complete list of the polling places that are now or that will be open on Election Day. Ask others to “adopt” polling places near where they live to pray over. Give them the prayer points listed below. 2. Drive-by Prayer at Polling Sites: If you are unable to get enough volunteer intercessors, or lack time to organize, secure the list of polling places and drive by as many as you can, stopping to pray over them. 3. Pray as You Vote! While you are waiting in line, or even before/after you vote, take some time to pray at the polling site. Use the prayer points below or ask God to show you what He wants you to pray about! What do we pray over the polling sites? Author Karen Hardin suggests a few ways: For God’s presence to be very evident over the entire process – that kindness and civility are the only encounters people have with one another. For peace and safety for all who come to vote with no intimidation or threats to voters. That the in-person voting process will not be hindered, threatened, or closed down. For enough volunteers to man every polling place so that each is able to be open on Election Day. For all checks and balances to be in place so that the integrity of voting is maintained. That there will be no malfunctioning of voting machines which have in the past changed the intended vote of the voter. That any corruption or theft of votes, whether in-person or mail-in, will be exposed quickly and stopped. That the process will be carried out with care and excellence so that election results will be clear and not drawn out for days or weeks. Lord, we pray for those who will rise up in this hour to pray at our polling places. Lord, awaken your people to this need and to see that they can make a difference. You said that the effectual fervent prayer of righteous men and women avails much. As we go and pray at these locations, Lord, we release your power and your Presence for your will to be done as people vote in this election. Open the eyes of the blind. Lord, we also pray for all Christians to register to vote and exercise their right to vote. Lord, stir them to action. We command complacency to go. Awaken your people to the need of this hour and the importance of using this right. Compel them, Lord, to take action and understand the need of this hour. Awaken your Church, Lord. If you have never done anything like this, be encouraged that you can make a difference by stepping out of your comfort zone to pray in your area at these polling places.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’” But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5:24-34) With the crowd almost crushing him, Jesus made his way through the enthusiastic mob on his way to heal a young girl. There were many people touching him constantly, and yet…there was one touch in the midst of it all that stopped the Lord in His tracks. After twelve years of bleeding, one woman, who had suffered and grown worse at the hands of many physicians, simply reached out to touch his cloak – believing in her heart that she would be healed. Through God’s grace-filled love and mercy, this woman, who didn’t want to be noticed or identified, had a simple thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” And God, through the power of the Holy Spirit alive and at work in His Son, chose to bless her act of faith with complete healing. Did she know that it was God’s will to use her to bring glory to Himself? Perhaps not; however, her humble act of faith provides a good model for us to pray bold, faith-filled prayers, believing that God has the power to transform our lives. There are several compelling things about prayer in this passage: Declaration of faith: First, the woman had a thought that Jesus could heal her, perhaps because she had heard about how He had healed others. I believe the thought itself came from the Holy Spirit actively at work. She could have dismissed the idea…but she didn’t. It gave her hope, and she had no other recourse than to trust and believe that what had been impossible for twelve years was now possible. In her own spirit she declared what she fully believed to be true and prayed the prayer of her heart as an affirmation of that faith: “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Action of faith: Second, she felt she must act upon the silent prayer within her. Summoning the courage to brave the crowds, she acted upon the faith of the testimony of her heart. Receiving the answer to her prayer of faith: Immediately, the woman received her healing and felt it in her body. Giving testimony of her faith: Even though it was not her intent to shout her healing to the world, when Jesus called her out, she came forward to declare what had happened to her in response to the cry of her own spirit and the believing act of faith. Jonathan Graf has stated, “Declaring prayer simply means that once we know God’s heart on an issue, we boldly pray that it will be so, and then walk in faith that it is already so – even if the answer is not yet.” Surely this timid woman had asked God over and over again to make her well. Yet, with this one simple act, her prayer was answered. The immediacy of her healing most likely shocked and overwhelmed her…the face to face encounter with Jesus was completely unexpected…and the affirmation that it was her act of faith that had brought her healing surely brought her great joy! Do you have the faith to believe, and obey with action when the Holy Spirit prompts you to ask?

We live in a time of spiritual intensity. There is a very clear battle going on for the souls of men and women. It is not a time for drawing back or shirking our responsibilities. For Christians especially, every word and action counts for something. It is a time of choices, where those choices may mean life or death. Though this battle is being fought on many fronts, I want to focus today on the words that come out of our mouths. Words are powerful weapons in this war. They have the power to heal or destroy. It’s why the Bible has so many commands concerning our mouths and how we use what we say. We have very clear choices every time we open our mouths. Most of us recognize that fact. What we may not have seen is that when we speak we are making a choice between two people…two lifestyles. As we speak we are deciding whether we are going to follow the Accuser of the brethren or the Intercessor for the brethren. By the words that come from our mouths we demonstrate whether we are following Satan or Jesus. In Revelation 12:10, Satan is called "the Accuser of our brothers." In Hebrews 7:25, we are told that Jesus "always lives to intercede" for us. The Accuser versus the Intercessor – whose side are you on? The vast majority of you reading this article would immediately say, "We follow Jesus, the Intercessor!" But I would say to you that your words spoken in everyday life might betray you. Let’s look at how the Accuser operates: Dean Sherman, in his great teaching on spiritual warfare, demonstrates that Satan, as the Accuser of the brethren, comes against us in accusation in three ways: 1) He accuses us before God 2) He accuses us before men, and 3) He accuses us before ourselves. When Satan accuses us before God, he is defeated most readily. He points out our sins to God and demands justice. Fortunately, in the court of Heaven we have an advocate – a defense attorney who has never lost a case. His name is Jesus. His plea on our behalf is always the same. "Your Honor, the defendant is indeed guilty, but the penalty has been paid. I Myself paid the ultimate penalty for his sin and died in his place." The Judge of the living and the dead always rules in our favor – not guilty! It is in the area of accusing us before others that Satan seems to be the most effective. He uses other people to accuse us…sometimes for real things we have done…sometimes falsely. But these words of accusation and criticism harm us and bring damage to our lives. What is so serious about this is that Satan often uses Christians’ words to damage other Christians. We must ask ourselves, "Are we doing the Accuser’s ministry for him? Are we carrying around in us the weapons of the Enemy…words of anger, bitterness and criticism?" My friends, we must understand that there is no spiritual gift of criticism, though many seem to think so by their actions. Criticism seems to come naturally to all of us. We say absurd things such as, "Well…I’m entitled to my opinions about that person." Who said so? Where did you find such a thing in Scripture? All I find is that I have been crucified and that it is no longer I who live, but Christ living in me. The only opinion that matters is that of Jesus. And the only thing I want to hear coming out my mouth about a brother or sister in Christ, is the opinion of Christ. Who am I to judge the servant of my Master? How are we to avoid such a grievous sin? Could I suggest that we make a pledge to ourselves? Perhaps a pledge such as this: "I will speak no evil of anyone. If I feel that it is necessary to rebuke a brother or sister because of sin, I will do so only after I have asked my Lord for permission to do so." Truly living out such a pledge would keep our mouths shut much more, but would keep our lives free from being followers of the Accuser. The third area the Accuser operates in is to accuse us to ourselves. Many Christians go through life feeling condemned and worthless. That’s not God…that’s the Accuser. Satan will even try to get us to beat up on ourselves, talking about what miserable persons we are. Dean Sherman spoke a line once that I have never forgotten. He said, "Never let yourself hear yourself say untrue things about yourself." Satan is a liar. And if possible, he’ll get you to believe his lies about yourself, rather than to believe what God has said about you as His child. He has said that you are redeemed, bought by a price, and made holy by the blood of Jesus. There is a much better way for us to follow than the way of the Accuser. It is the way of Jesus, the Intercessor. Hebrews 7:25 says, speaking of Jesus, "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them." The present day ministry of Jesus is that of intercession. He is praying for us. What wonderful assurance! Jesus is continually before the Throne of His Father on our behalf. What is really exciting is that you and I are called to join Jesus in His present day ministry. We are called to intercede – especially for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul, in his command to intercede in 1 Timothy 2:1-4 focuses our prayers especially on leaders. I want to encourage you to pray for leaders. They have great responsibility and because of that face even greater attacks from the enemy. Satan has limited forces and focuses his attacks on those in leadership, whether it is among nations, or in the Church. If the Enemy can take down a leader, many other people are usually badly damaged. So Paul tells us, "pray…for all those in authority." Are you praying for your pastor? Your church leaders? Your national leaders? This is a command from Scripture. It doesn’t command us to agree with them…but to pray for them. Those who move into leadership, whether in a nation or in a church, often face great criticism. This should not come from Christians. We are those who are committed to following Jesus, the great Intercessor. May every word we speak identify us as followers of Christ.

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I am on a journey to narrow the gaps of unawareness of Christ’s Presence within me so that the truth of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 can take root in my spirit and grow to fullness. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” If it is God’s will for me to rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks in the midst of all of my circumstances, then I need a complete transformation of my heart, mind and will! I have sensed God urging me to make my life a prayer to live in such a way that a spirit of prayerfulness rooted in worship and gratefulness invades every moment. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). What would it be like to have every moment filled with living out the amazing truth that He is in me and I am in Him? My whole life would be a constant prayer for I would be in continual communion with the One I love, and who loves me more than I can ever comprehend. The issue, of course, is how to do this in a practical way in my daily living. To live my life as a continual prayer demands a battle with my flesh. The Battle with Flesh I have heard of people who have set alarms to draw themselves back into awareness of the presence of God. That seems like a good idea. But I have the Holy Spirit to remind me of all things. So I have begun to ask Him to infuse me with continual awareness! I know this is possible because I am not in the realm of the flesh, but in the realm of the Spirit . . . and the Spirit lives in me as Romans 8:9 tells me: “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.” The living Word of God, Jesus Christ, lives within me, and Scripture compels me to live my life in Him: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him” (Colossians 2:6). As rejoicing and thankfulness take root in my spirit, I will become equipped to offer my body as a living sacrifice for His sake. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2). As I ponder this, it seems the most practical thing I can do is to humbly and earnestly call upon the indwelling Spirit of God to meet me in every moment, mundane or significant, joyful or sad, peace-filled or fearful, quiet or filled with turmoil. He is God, and He lives within me! Father, may I truly be transformed so that Your perfect will is shaped within me for the purposes of Your kingdom.

Do you ever run out of words to describe our powerful, amazing Lord as you pray? The Bible has a well that never runs dry. We can dip into this wondrous source of praise and lift our voices together as a family to glorify God. Here are 31 days of prayers that offer praise to Him in a multitude of ways. As you begin to praise Him in prayer about His character and attributes, you will begin to see how Scripture becomes a vital part of your prayer vocabulary. Each day you can experience fresh, exciting prayers with which to worship Christ the King. Read each Scripture out loud together or take turns each day. Then, pray from your hearts what you have proclaimed, or use the example we have written for you. You may even wish to sing a hymn or chorus of praise together. May He be praised as we focus our attention on the One Who is worthy! DAY 1 PRAISE HIM FOR HE IS OUR SALVATION! “The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him” (Exodus 15:2). Prayer: Lord, You are our strength and our song! We praise You Jesus, because You have become our salvation! You are our God and we will praise and exalt You! DAY 2 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS THE ONLY GOD! “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Prayer: Gracious God, You are the Lord our God! You are the only ONE: Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the three in one! We will love You with all our hearts and all of our souls and with all of our strength! Teach us how to love You more and more! DAY 3 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS FAITHFUL TO ALL HIS PROMISES! “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made” (Psalm 145:13). Prayer: Powerful Jesus, Your kingdom will last forever and ever, through all generations. We give You praise today because You are always faithful to every promise and because You are loving toward everything You have made. Help us to be faithful to all of our promises too! DAY 4 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE THERE IS NO OTHER GOD! “You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other…Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:35, 39). Prayer: O Lord God in heaven–only You are God! Besides You there is no other! We acknowledge this wonderful fact and take it to heart today! Help us to know that there is nothing on earth that can ever take Your place. DAY 5 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE WE ARE FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE! “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Ps. 139:14). “Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care” (Psalm 95:6-7). Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You today because Your works are wonderful. Some of Your works live right in our home. We bow down in worship before You, our Lord and Maker, because You are our God! Help us to treat the bodies You have made with respect and care. DAY 6 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE HAS COMPASSION ON ALL HE HAS MADE! “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (Psalm 145:8). “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion…” (Isaiah 30:18). Prayer: Gracious God, we give You praise today because You are slow to anger and rich in love. You show us compassion because You have made us, and because You love us. Help us to show compassion to others in the same way. DAY 7 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS PEACE! “So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace” (Judges 6:24). “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). Prayer: God of peace, You do not give as the world gives. Because You guard our hearts from trouble and fear, we praise Your name. Slow us down and quiet our hearts in the peace of Your presence so that we can live lives that please You. DAY 8 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS OUR ROCK AND OUR FORTRESS! He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior…” (2 Samuel 22:2-3). “The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior” (2 Samuel 22:47)! Prayer: We give You praise today, O Lord, because You are our Rock, our Fortress and our Deliverer! You will shield us from harm because You are our Refuge and our wonderful Savior! Help us to trust in Your ability to care for us always! DAY 9 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS GOOD! “Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant” (Psalm 135:3). “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8). “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:5). Prayer: Father, we praise You because of Your goodness to us! It is a pleasant thing to sing praise to You because Your love goes on forever. DAY 10 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS OUR STRENGTH! “…Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). “The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (Psalm 118:14). “O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God” (Psalm 59:17). Prayer: O Lord our Strength, we sing praise to You! Thank You that Your joy is our strength, and that You are our song and our salvation! DAY 11 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS FAITHFUL! “For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does” (Psalm 33:4). “The living, the living–they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness” (Isaiah 38:19). Prayer: Faithful Father, Your Word is right and true. We praise You because Your faithfulness continues through all generations. May we tell those in the generations to come that Your love and faithfulness endures forever! DAY 12 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE PROTECTS US FROM THE EVIL ONE! “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3). “So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:6). Prayer: Faithful Father, we give You praise because You are our protector. Thank You that You strengthen us and give us confidence so that we do not need to be afraid. Help us to stand firm against evil men and against our enemy, the devil! DAY 13 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS MIGHTY! “Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might” (Psalm 21:13). “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: ‘The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things’” (Psalm 118:15)! “Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness” (Psalm 150:1-2). Prayer: With shouts of joy we exalt You, heavenly Father, because You have done mighty things! We praise You in Your sanctuary and in Your mighty heavens. We will sing and praise Your might as You work in our lives! DAY 14 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HIS WAY IS PERFECT AND HIS WORD IS FLAWLESS! “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him” (2 Samuel 22:31). Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your way is always perfect, and You never make a mistake! We give You praise because You allow people like us to do Your work on this earth! Guide us, Lord, as we take refuge in You, our strength and shield! May we honor Your flawless Word and be obedient to it always! DAY 15 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE CARRIES OUR BURDENS EVERY DAY! “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens” (Psalm 68:19). “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29). Prayer: Holy Lord, our God and Savior, thank You that You make the heavy burdens in our lives easier to carry. Sometimes You even carry them Yourself so we don’t have to. We praise You for Your gentle, humble heart! DAY 16 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS HOLY! “Let them praise your great and awesome name—he is holy” (Psalm 99:3). “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness” (Psalm 29:2). Prayer: Holy Lord God, we worship You because of Your great and awesome name. We praise You because of the splendor of Your holiness. DAY 17 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS CLOSE TO THE BROKENHEARTED! “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). Pray Together: Holy Lord God, we worship You because of Your great and awesome name. We praise You because of the splendor of Your holiness. Day 18 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE DOES MARVELOUS DEEDS! “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples” (1 Chronicles 16:24). “For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God” (Psalm 86:10). Pray Together: Glorious Lord, we give You praise and declare Your glory to everyone! You alone are God, and we want to see Your name announced in every people group on earth! Use us to tell others about Your marvelous deeds! Day 19 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HIS GLORY IS GREAT! “Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom” (Psalm 145:3). “May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great” (Psalm 138:5). “Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name” (1 Chronicles 29:13). Pray Together: O Lord, You are most worthy of our praise! We will sing of Your glory! Show us how to praise You in ways which honor You the most. Day 20 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE DOES NOT TREAT US AS OUR SINS DESERVE! “He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:9-10). Pray Together: Gracious God, we are unworthy sinners who deserve death, and yet You continue to forgive our sins. Even better than this, You forget our sins and allow us to start all over again, white as snow! Give us strength to turn our backs on the things we do which cause You to be sad. Day 21 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE DIED AND WAS RAISED TO LIFE FOR US! “In a loud voice they sang: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise’” (Rev. 5:12). “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Pray Together: We give You our worship, Worthy Lamb! To You be all power and strength and honor and glory and praise! Thank You for being the perfect sacrifice for us. Help us to live lives which please You! Day 22 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HIS LOVE NEVER FAILS! “O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption” (Psalm 130:7). “Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me” (Psalm 66:20)! Pray Together: Praise be to the God of hope, whose love is unfailing. Lord, we love You because You hear and answer our prayers and because You give Your love to us freely and without any strings attached. Day 23 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS LORD OVER ALL THE NATIONS! “The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens” (Psalm 113:4). “May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you” (Psalm 67:3). “I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples” (Psalm 108:3). Pray Together: We will sing of You among the peoples, O LORD! May You be exalted over all of the nations, and Your glory above the heavens! Help us to reach out to those who have yet to hear Your name, so that they can glorify You! Day 24 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS EVERLASTING! “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom” (Isaiah 40:28). Pray Together: Everlasting Father, we can’t even begin to know everything about You! Because You are the One who never grows tired, and because You understand all things – far beyond anything man can think or imagine, we lift up Your name in praise! Day 25 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HIS SPLENDOR IS ABOVE THE EARTH AND THE HEAVENS! “Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens” (Psalm 148:13). “They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works” (Psalm 145:5). Pray Together: Glorious Lord, we worship You in the splendor of Your majesty! We will meditate on Your wonderful works, for Your name alone is exalted above the earth and the heavens. Day 26 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE HEALS ALL OUR DISEASES! “Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise” (Jer. 17:14). “…who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases…” (Psalm 103:3). Pray Together: O God, You are the One we praise because You heal all of our diseases! Thank You that we can call upon Your name when we need a touch from You! Give us faith to trust in Your ability to care for us in all the circumstances of our lives. Day 27 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS THE LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS! “…but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings…” (Revelation 17:14). “On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev. 19:16). Pray Together: We worship You, O King of kings and Lord of lords! There is none like You, and we are honored to be called Your people. Praise to our King Jesus Christ! Day 28 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS THE GOD WHO COMFORTS US! “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Cor. 1:3-4). Pray Together: God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, thank You for comforting us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from You. We give you praise! Day 29 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS MERCIFUL! “As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (James 5:11). “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Pray Together: Compassionate Lord, we give You the highest praise for showing us Your endless mercy. You want everyone on this earth to have an opportunity to come to You! Help us to keep reaching out to those who need Christ. May we show mercy to those who need to see You in us! Day 30 PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE TURNS OUR DARKNESS INTO LIGHT! “…Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light” (Micah 7:8). “You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light” (Psalm 18:28). Pray Together: Holy Father, there are times in our lives when things are difficult. We praise You because in the midst of darkness, You bring hope and light. We worship You because You are that Light. Keep the lamp burning brightly in our hearts! Day 31 PRAISE HIM FOR BEING THE CREATOR OF ALL THINGS! “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). Pray Together: Amazing Lord, You are the creator of all things. You created the heavens and the earth, the visible and the invisible. You made us to praise You! All You have made will worship You in spirit and in truth for You are worthy to be praised!