My Leadership Prayer

At the benediction of Rev. Clark Langford's funeral, I prayed my leadership prayer that he loved so much:

 Dearest Abba Father,

Please free me from all fear for this day 
from all anxiety about tomorrow 

from all bitterness toward another 
from all cowardice in the face of danger

from all laziness in the necessity of work

from all failure before opportunity

from all weakness when Your power is so available.

Please free me Lord, in You.

Please fill me with Love that knows no limit

with Hope that knows no defeat

with sympathy that embraces the hurting

with courage that cannot be intimidated

with strength adequate for life's challenges

with loyalty that proves my devotion to You and to others

with release to soar on the wings of eagles

with wisdom to match life's complexities

with peace that silences me in every storm

with faith that sees and glows in the dark.

Please fill me Lord, with You.

Lord, I surrender myself to You completely

and I gladly say YES to Your perfect will and Your Divine Way.

My Delights, my desires find fulfillment in Your Holy Presence.

Thank You for the Gift of Your Precious Loving Son

and Your Blessed Holy Spirit

Today, I rededicate my best, my all, my life, to Your Glory.

In my life Lord, be glorified today. In Your Church Lord, be glorified, I pray.

I plead Your Blood and whisper Your Name.

You are the One called Wonderful--Jesus my Life Savior!

Because of Your limitless love, O Lord,

I’m humbled, grateful and . . . speechless.
Amen, Amen, and Amen.

"...and i wait." Psalm 5:3 (GWT)

Grateful

I Wholeheartedly Seek and Pray Today...

Let us pray together:

Precious Abba Father -- The One Who gave me earthly life and Who is my Eternal Life... Oh how I adore You.

You are my hope, my peace, my everything, all the time and forever. Your love and kindness are unmatched.

Today, I ask that Your favor would be realized in my life in new and powerful ways for Your glory, for my good, and for the good of others You have entrusted to cross my path in life.

I do pray especially for my dearest loved ones. I take comfort knowing You care for me and for them. Let my life be a real reflection of Your Holiness and compassion to them.

Today, and in the days beyond, please Lord, as my inheritance give me lost souls to present before Your Throne of Mercy. You alone are so very worthy!

I know I am so very weak on my own power, nevertheless, Your great strength is surely available for my life. 

In my life, Lord, be glorified. And by the Precious Blood of Your Son, Jesus, my Savior, my Sanctifier, my Sustainer, be satisfied when you see my soul.

I long to see You face-to-face Someday. Until then, please continue to make Your Holy Spirit's Presence within me to be constantly unfathomable and undeniable.

In Your Holy Name I believe and receive Your righteous response to my prayers because I pray in the Name of Jesus, The One in Whom You are well pleased. Amen.

"...and i wait." Psalm 5:3 (GWT)

Grateful 

"May the God of All Grace..."

As I prayed the Benediction at the close of our 10:30 a.m. worship service this past Sunday, these words of blessing just spontaneously came to my mind and out of my mouth. May it also be a blessing to you today.

"May the God of all grace, the God Who sent His Son to take your place...

May the God Who knows your every care... meet you this week every day and everywhere.

May you know the peace that only Heaven gives, and during your days may you proclaim: "HE LIVES!"

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Go in Peace.

You are Loved."

Grateful

Summer Breeze

This morning when I awoke, I could feel a cool summer breeze blowing through the windows of our home. How refreshing!

I had a lite breakfast and a cup of coffee sitting on our back patio. As the cool summer breeze blew across and into my being, I couldn't help but think of the New Testament Day of Pentecost and the wind that filled the place where the disciples of Jesus were praying as they awaited The Holy Spirit's arrival in their lives.

This morning's summer breeze moves me to pray. I invite you to join me...

Dearest Almighty Personal God:

How awesome this cool summer breeze reminds me of Your Holy Presence.

I cannot help but be inspired as my mind tells me of Your never-ending faithfulness.

As fountains of living waters flow within me, I am encouraged to know You more.

Seeing the effects of this morning's summer breeze in the branches and on the leaves of our Bradford Pear Tree, set my own soul to dancing.

Thank You, Abba Father for sending Your Beloved Son to rescue me from Sin and Death. 

Thank You, Beloved Son of God, for carrying out The Father's will, and for leaving the Holy Spirit here... Still.

Today's cool summer breeze restores my soul. My cup overflows with blessings beyond description.

You, my God are my Breath, my Reason to Breathe, my Everything, my Present, my Future, my Hope for forever and today.

In the Name of the One called Wonderful, I pray from a vulnerable and transparent heart. Amen.

(Below is a link to a secular song from the 1970s by Seals and Crofts. Seems appropriate since it's titled: "Summer Breeze".)

http://youtu.be/DTv0K2SUlCY

Grateful 

A Prayer: What's On My Heart In A Few Words...

Please pray with me today:

Precious Father God...
I am so glad I can call on Your Name and know that You hear.
I know You hear because You care.
I know You care because You Love.
I know You Love because You are Holy.

I have no worthy vocabulary to voice my praise to You appropriately.
Your Faithfulness is beyond human comprehension and expression.

Still Lord, here's the best way for me to say what's on my heart in a few words:
"I love You so much because You first Loved me TOO MUCH!
You alone are my LIFE, my HOPE, my EVERYTHING!"

In Jesus' Name! Amen!

Grateful

The Days of My Life... (Let Me Pray)

Let me/us pray:

Dearest Almighty Personal Father God:

As the days of my life stack up behind me, I am keenly aware, day-by-day, that I need You more desperately today than yesterday.

I cry out with the Psalmist, "Lord, don't take Your Holy Spirit from me." I cannot imagine an existence on planet earth apart from Your Spirit of Truth to comfort and to counsel me.

For each encounter of my day today, I humbly ask that Your Holy Spirit would sustain me and speak to me the Words of Jesus and breathe through me the Life of Jesus. Apart from Your abiding Holy Presence, I dare not delve into spiritual things.

I thank You, my God, for Your Great Love. You are Love. Your ways are almost always immediately mysterious to me, but always ultimately marvelous, as well.

Please save me moment-by-moment from the lies of the enemy and unshackle the chain of false guilt he seems to continuously attempt to fasten around my neck. Remind me often that in Your lifetime on planet earth You undeniably overcame the evil one and make me to believe that You will also see to it that I am an overcomer, too.

Finally, Lord, I pray for my family. Let the circle be unbroken by-and-by, Lord, by-and-by. Heighten our desire for Your Holiness, as the allure of sin disappears altogether. Empower me to be Your witness in this world by possessing me wholly with Your Holy Spirit. 

I pray that there will be a bumper crop of souls harvested in Your Name and for Your Fame. During the days of my life, find Your delight in me and I pray You will surely find faith on the earth when You return.

In Jesus' Name. Amen

Grateful

On Monday Mornings, I Pray.

It's another Monday morning and I invite you to join with me in my prayer time:

Almighty Personal Father God...

On Monday mornings, it seems I am more keenly aware -- than at any other time of the week -- of how much I desperately need you to be my All-in-All.

On Monday mornings, my emotions are flimsy and my physical strength is waning.

On Monday mornings, I can nearly hear my heart crying outloud for Your Holy Spirit.

On Monday mornings, life often seems overwhelming, but I still know because of Your Presence within me, I will somehow be an overcomer.

On Monday mornings, my mind wants to focus, but it is most always a challenge to do so. So, I continue to ask for The Mind of Christ in all things.

On Monday mornings, I sense that life begins all over again.

On Monday mornings, my weekly schedule can cause my knees to buckle and my heart to faint.

On Monday mornings, the reality that Your mercy is new every morning is paramount to me.

On Monday mornings, I cry out to You for power and peace and fresh desire to finish the race.

On Monday mornings, I realize afresh and anew that without You I can do nothing.

On Monday mornings, I often imagine what it would be like to see Your face, my Lord.

On Monday mornings, I think of how beautiful and wonderful Heaven must be.

On Monday mornings, You alone are my Hope.

On Monday mornings, I pray "Search my heart, Oh God..."

On Monday mornings, I eventually rediscover that You are my Way, Truth, and LIFE!

On Monday mornings, I begin slowly but surely to honestly intercede for myself and for others.

On this Monday morning, moments after I was breathing the name of a "seemingly hopeless" man to You, my God, that very man I was interceding for, sent me this very powerful verse of Scripture from Psalm 9 and verse 10 (GWT): "Those who know Your name trust You, O Lord, because You have never deserted those who seek Your help."

On Monday mornings, I choose yet again to Know You more and to Trust You anew.

On Monday mornings, You prove as always, to be my Worthy and Trustworthy God.

On Monday mornings, I remember Your Name is Faithful and my name is Grateful.

On Monday mornings, I pray.

On Monday mornings, I pray all of these things in the Precious Name of Jesus.

Amen.

Grateful

Short Prayer. Tall Request.

Lord, help me to make it my continuous desire
to never abandon my sacred, quiet seasons of prayer
without an undeniable awareness of Your Holy Presence
and a sure sense of Your Holy Approval.
In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Grateful

Brother Lawrence: When You Forget God?

It is written about Brother Lawrence: “That when sometimes he had not thought of GOD for a good while, he did not disquiet himself for it; but after having acknowledged his wretchedness to GOD, he returned to Him with so much the greater trust in Him, by how much he found himself more wretched to have forgot Him.”

This is my solemn prayer:

Lord, give me a desire to have my mind always on You.
In those times when I wander, gently lead me back...
Until Your own mind is finally, fully formed within me.
Then, I will no longer forget you, not even for a moment.
The soul that chooses not to remember You, Oh Lord,
is indeed wretched and will -- without returning --  ...
also be wrecked forever. God forgive. God forbid.
Your Presence, Lord, is Everything to me.
You are my Life.

Grateful

Cause Hope to Arise Within Me

"What can death do to me? I've already died. You cannot defeat defeat. You cannot break brokenness."  

-- E. Stanley Jones

 

Pray with me;

"Lord, take fear far from me. 

You have defeated my greatest and my last enemy, the devil and death itself. 

Cause Hope to arise within me. Resurrected Hope has a Name -- 'King Jesus'.

Occupy the Throne of my Soul. Be my Indwelling Inspiration always and forever and today. 

Amen and Amen."

You are Faithful and I am...

Grateful 

I Invite You to Pray With Me

With deep sincerity, I invite you to pray with me today:

Loving Lord, my Almighty Personal God:
For this new day, I am so totally thankful.
Though the world seems more confusing day-by-day,
You offer clarity to my mind and calm to my soul.
The ruler of this age has suffered defeat and will not prevail.
Surely, time on earth will soon run out...
And humanity will run head-long into eternity.
Intensify Your light in and through me, my Jesus;
Lest those around me, even my beloved ones are lost forever.
I want Your abiding presence to enlarge deep within my being,
Allowing Your glory to comfort me as it captures the hearts of others.
Please overcome all dread, despair, and discouragement inside me.
Replenish me with Your complete love, powerful grace, holy presence.
Let Your mercy renew my strength so I can serve you anew.
And when You return to earth, my Jesus,
Find full-blooming, up-to-date, faith in You... in my soul.
Amen and Amen.

...when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?
-- Luke 18:8b (GWT)

Grateful

Please Forgive Me

I love the Lord because He hears my voice
and my prayer for mercy.
-- Psalm 116:1 (NLT)

...and forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation.
-- Luke 11:4 (NLT)

Click: Michael English Gaither Vocal Band - Please Forgive Me

Lord, have mercy!
Grateful

All I Really Want in Life!

The Psalmist gives perfect words to my own life's prayer:

Then I pray to You, O Lord.
I say, “You are my place of refuge.
You are all I really want in life."
-- Psalm 142:5 (NLT)

Click: - Draw Me Close to You - Michael W. Smith

Holiness Unto the LORD!
Grateful