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Prayers for Today
A collection of scriptures, songs, and prayers for our world today.
Saturday, January 22, 2022
Prayer for Legal Professionals
"When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers."
(Proverbs 21:15)
God of Justice,
Today we pray for those in the legal profession who are entrusted with the system of justice in our nation. We pray that they may be trustworthy, accurate in analysis, correct in conclusion, able in argument, loyal to clients, honest with all, courteous to adversaries, and ever attentive to conscience. May they have godly friendships and courage, cheerfulness and charity, diligence in duties, counsel in adversity, patience in sufferings. Mostly, we pray they would honor their oath to support, uphold, and defend the Constitutions of the United States and the states in which they serve. May their efforts be used to root out corruption, fraud, and lawlessness, and replace it with truth and justice. May their work further the cause of Your justice and righteousness in this time and place. For the honor of Christ we pray, Amen.
Friday, January 21, 2022
Prayer for wartime pastors
"YOU ARE NOW A WARTIME PASTOR
"You believe you have a choice. But reality and circumstances have made the choice. You can try to stay out of the war, but you will be labeled a traitor. I am not calling you a traitor–but the situation will. Things are deteriorating fast. The battle lines are are drawn so clearly. Your silence will label you a turncoat.
"There is a powerful pull to remain a peacetime pastor. Nostalgia and the yearning for simpler times are strong temptations. But there is no going back. Like it or not, reject it or not, you are now a wartime pastor."*
Thursday, January 20, 2022
Mountain Moving
(Job 9:5, 10 NIV)
Have you been frustrated, worried, scared, or even angry at the state of the world right now? Maybe it feels too overwhelming - what can any one of us do to change this world? I believe that by reading and being filled with God’s Word, we will find ourselves changed. God’s Word works on us when our spiritual ears are tuned in to listen. When we hear from God, then we move forward in faith, doing what he calls us to do. But how do we pray for and influence our society, our nation, and our world?
If you took our culture - our society - and thought about the ways it is influenced, you would probably recognize these seven areas: Arts and Entertainment, Business/Economy, Church, Education, Family, Government and Media. Each of these has a different, but very definite impact upon our society. In the 1970’s Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, and Loren Cunningham, founder of Youth with a Mission, and Frances Schaeffer, apologist, evangelist, and pastor,* were all given messages from God that led them to believe that for the Church to fulfill our call to “go and make disciples,” (Matthew 28:18) we would have to influence and impact these seven areas of society. Hence, the idea of “moving” the Mountains of Society.
If “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.” (Proverbs 14:34 NIV), how is our society doing in each of these seven areas? How is our nation doing? How is our state doing? Our county? Our city or township? Do you see these geographic areas as being full of God’s righteousness or full of the sin of the world?
Think of the things in your community that might seem like negative “mountains” - a school board that is opposed to the Gospel, a “gentleman’s club” down the street that sells XXX movies, a “church” whose focus is not on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but on making people feel good or making itself money. Do you see space for an increase in righteousness in these seven areas, even in your own community?
Let us join together to pray for our world, through these seven "mountains," so they can be filed with God's righteousness, justice, grace, peace, love, and joy.
Mountain-Moving God,
Thank you for the call to be your children and your heirs. What great love you have lavished upon us, Father! You have blessed us with every spiritual blessing, giving us salvation through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as our guide. We praise you for the glorious grace you have freely bestowed upon us and for your Spirit you have placed within us. Thank you that your call on our lives is simple, yet profound: to go and make disciples so that more and more people know they are dearly loved by you and have a purpose in your Kingdom. Thank you that you have given us the physical and spiritual tools we need to fulfill our callings and to persevere against the forces of evil in this world. Thank you, especially, for your Word and prayer, our indispensable weapons. We pray together with believers in all times and places for the furthering of your Kingdom. Specifically, today, we pray for the seven mountains of society - government, media, business, arts & entertainment, education, family and your Church. We pray that in each one of these there would be godly men and women who are standing up to darkness and pouring your Light, Life, and Love into our society. Where there are mountains containing deep corruption, wickedness, fraud, and evil, we pray in the name of Jesus for a cleansing of those areas. We believe that you want righteousness and justice for this nation and so we pray that where there is evil it will be overturned, by the power of your Spirit. Give us more and more love to light up the darkness so that we can shine brightly and invite others to the warmth and beauty of the Light of the World, Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord, in whose name we pray, Amen!
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
(Eph. 1:3-6 NRSV)
You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”
Because you have made the Lord your refuge
the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you,
no scourge come near your tent.
Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble,
I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.
(Psalm 91: 1-2, 9, 14-16 NRSV)
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
(Matthew 17:20 NIV)
Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
(Ephesians 6:13-18 MSG)
“This is the message from the Lord to [you]: ‘Your help will not come from your own strength and power. No, your help will come from my Spirit.’ This is what the Lord All-Powerful says. That tall mountain will be like a flat place for [you]. He will build the Temple, and when the most important stone is put in place, the people will shout, ‘Beautiful! Beautiful!’”
(Zechariah 4:6-7 ESV)
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Alone
Where are you, my God?
(Psalm 22:1-2 TPT)
Alone.
There are many ways to be alone. In a crowd. On a plane. In peace and quiet. Awaiting a phone call. In a hospital bed. In an empty house. In a bubble bath. On the top of a mountain. Depending on your circumstances, being alone can be bliss or excruciating.
Having an hour alone when you have very small children is a sweet gift. It's as if Jesus envelops you in a hug and his love and encouragement so you can keep going.
Lying in a hospital room, alone in the middle of the night, awaiting test results may be dreadful. But you are never truly alone if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus was alone in the Garden of Gethsemane. He asked his friends to pray with him and they fell asleep. But at least the Father and Holy Spirit were still with him.
But on the cross he was even more alone - forsaken completely by the Father and the Spirit. Alone in a way absolutely none of us understands. After being One with the Father and Spirit from before time began, after creating, dreaming, planning the redemption of humanity, and working to guard and guide the chosen people, in those hours on that cross Jesus was totally, completely, utterly alone.
Hear that again:
Jesus was
Totally
Completely
Utterly
Alone.
He was alone so we don't have to be.
He endured the utter abandonment of the rest of the godhead so that we could be enfolded in the Beloved.
He took our sin upon himself so we could be forgiven and come into relationship with the Holy God.
He became the proverbial bridge between humanity and God so that we would never have to be alone again. Not in a crowd or on a plane or in a hospital bed or in an empty house. Emmanuel - God with Us - is with us. Always. To the end of the age. We are never, never, never alone. Nothing can separate us from this Love.
God will never fail us or abandon us. Ever.
Emmanuel,
Thank you for enduring the utter abandonment on the cross so that we could come into relationship with you. Thank you for enfolding us into the holiness of the Beloved and for promising that we who know your name and put our trust in you will never be forsaken or abandoned. Thank you that you are our God who strengthens and helps us, the One who holds us up with your victorious hand. When we are facing circumstances that make us feel totally alone, remind us that you personally go ahead of us and will never leave or forsake us - never, ever, ever fail or abandon us. In Jesus's name we pray, Amen.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46 NKJV)
"The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You." (Psalm 9:9-10 NKJV)
"Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10 NLT)
"And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 NLT)
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Anything-Everything
Sometimes the most "cheerful" words in the Bible are the hardest to live out. In these two passages Paul is reminding us that God is in control and that he wants us to come to him in prayer no matter what. No problem, right?
"Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ." (Philippians 4:6-7 TPT)
"Let joy be your continual feast. Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thes. 5:16-18 TPT)
Monday, January 17, 2022
Enemy-occupied Territory
"Enemy-occupied territory—that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage. When you go to church you are really listening in to the secret wireless from our friends: that is why the enemy is so anxious to prevent us from going."
Why does CS Lewis say that our world is "enemy occupied territory?" Well, would a merciful and gracious God who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness really cause all the horrible things we see in this world?
"And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him." (2 Corinthians 3:18 MSG)
*Mere Christianity. Copyright © 1952, C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. Copyright renewed © 1980, C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd.