7 Prayers That Work

Dear Jesus Christ, Thank you for making the ultimate sacrifice-- for accepting the call as Savior of the world. You took on human likeness, when you were God himself, and subjected yourself to human pain and suffering. You loved us so much that you took our sins on yourself and felt them--held-them-- and died in them, after a day and a night of torture, abuse, and abandonment. It was all wrong--all unjust-- and yet you agreed to it because you loved us. You did that for me. Thank you. I can only feel overwhelmed by your love and convicted by your grace. I am so unworthy you. And you so patiently wait for me, call me, and protect me, even when I don't answer and don't want you. Oh, Lord Jesus! I love you more every day, but I will never understand the depth of your love for me. I worship you. Amen.

Oh, Lord of the harvest, The world needs your love. They need to know you personally. They need to be saved from their sins. So I'm praying for you to send workers into the world who will tell people about your great love and Jesus' death to save everyone. I am praying that you will also send me, and that I'll actually go, to my neighbor, to other countries, anywhere. I want to give you my time, my talents, my money, my family, myself, no matter how uncomfortable that makes me. Harvest my soul. Bring a harvest though me. Change the world. Amen. Then he said to his disciples,  “The harvest  is plentiful but the workers are few.   Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. ( Matthew 9:37-38 )

Oh, Lord God, You are full of grace for me. Help me to full of grace for other people-- not so quick to judge and condemn. Not find it so easy to think ill of someone's motives and criticize why they do the things they do or compare myself and be jealous of them. You give me grace, and yet I am ungracious. I want to think of myself with "sober judgment," in humility, honesty, and transparency. I am flawed. I am sinful and selfish, and yet you call me beautiful, holy, and desired. That's because of your grace. I don't deserve your love and mercy. Give me the eyes to see everyone the way you see them. I want to see potential, value, worth. I want to see someone full of promise, who maybe just needs a chance. Someone full of gifting, who needs an encourager, not a competitor. Maybe they need someone to listen, someone to love, someone to affirm their value. Someone who will point out what they're doing well instead of what they...

Oh, Jesus, Your humility surprises me. You understand loneliness and rejection. You were a refugee. You were misunderstood, misrepresented, hated, and tortured. You were wrongly accused in a court of law. You were a prisoner. You were executed without having a fair trial. You died. Oh, the depths that you undertook to feel the depths of human pain and human separation from your love and forgiveness. What kind of love makes God willingly become its creation-- especially a creation condemned and shamed, who will lose his human rights and experience human death? You were willing to die for everyone who has ever done an evil thing. You cover sins so numerous and so hideous, so inexcusable yet somehow, forgivable. A willing prisoner, a willing death, to free me from the prison of myself. Amen. "God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the  prisoners  with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land." (Psalm 68:6)

My Lord, It seems like you want to flood us. Streets, ditches, streams, rivers, sidewalks, basements. I'm not enjoying it. You can stop anytime. But that's not you. You can't help but flood the minds and hearts of your people. Sometimes your Spirit comes in like a tidal wave, just to remind me who you are and what you are capable of doing. I know you are all-powerful. I know you're the Living Water. I know you give life-- you don't take life. You refresh, you satisfy, you fill. You are enough. You are more than enough-- I can't handle your power or your mercy. I can't understand it. So when I feel that I have more than I can handle, I must be looking at the floods around me instead of looking up to you who are more powerful and more capable than anything this world can throw at me. Flood me. Help me not to fear your flood but to ride the waves-- to sail on-- to walk on water-- to drink from your cup. Make the wate...

Lord, Help me prioritize. My work is piling up. I have so many projects, pressures, and demands. At work and home, the list is endless. I've missed some family time. I haven't exercised. My devotional life is poor. Friends are waiting for lunches. I'm like Martha-- worried and upset about many things. Few things are needed-- or indeed only one. Help me see You in order to choose You. Instead of asking You to point me toward the priority that I should do first, I want to make You the priority. Help me to chose what cannot be taken away. First You. Only You. I choose You. In Jesus' beautiful name, Amen. Luke 10:40-42

Dear Friend of Sinners, I don't know why you've befriended me, why you're "a friend that sticks closer than a brother," or why you proved that there is no greater love than a man who gives up his life for his friend. I don't think I'm that kind of friend, but I want to be. Could I give up my life? I want to be the friend who gives up time and energy for others. I want to be the friend who cries for them in their grief and rejoices with them in their successes, who is never jealous or competitive, a friend who is secure enough to include outsiders but trustworthy enough to guard privacy. Lord, humble me so I am willing to sacrifice for people when they need me. Encourage me through your friendship so I don't give up trusting others. Comfort me so I don't get used to being lonely. Give me the friends you want me to reach. Make me the kind of friend that you are, Jesus. Amen.

Why read a book about prayer? Do regular people read books on prayer without falling asleep? I'm guessing prayers like "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep" and "God is Great, God is Good" won't be able to sustain your prayer needs for the duration of your life. These rote prayers don't have the juice to carry you through sickness, grief, indecision, and worry. Okay, add in "The Lord's Prayer." Now you're making progress. After all, Jesus wrote that one. But are these prayers enough? Although 85% of Americans pray daily, only 20% feel that prayer is an intimate, satisfying experience. Maybe we just need to know a little more about how to pray and why. Over 100,000 titles on prayer are in publication today. If you, as a regular person, read just one good prayer book every year from age 30 to 70, that would only be 40 books on prayer. Just scratching the surface, and yet that's a tall order for most regular people who just want to get th...

You can't fake a thankful heart, even if you say "thank you" or send a "thank you" note, (which, by the way, is still an excellent idea, even in the age of technology). Thankfulness permeates why you do things and how you do them. It emanates from a spirit of contentment rather than entitlement. Thankfulness makes statements like-- "You are so thoughtful!" "I can't believe you did that!" "You make me feel so special!" "I'm the luckiest guy in the world!" Thankfulness and humility go hand-in-hand. They expect nothing, appreciate everything, and value everyone. Thankfulness comes from the heart, creating pure joy. Col. 2:6-7--" So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,  continue to live your lives in him,   rooted  and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,  and overflowing with thankfulness." image by   edinboroonline.com

Today I read a great post about forgiveness by Gwen Theilges, appearing on Rodney Coe's website "Lift up your day," for which we both guest-write. I wanted to share it below: I’ve knelt at an altar, placing the names of people at His feet before. I’ve felt anger and betrayal, and if I told you each story, I’m willing to bet you’d agree that I’m justified in feeling wronged in at least a few of the situations. But, here’s the thing. Well, the things…First of all, there have been people kneeling at literal and figurative altars placing ME at the feet of Jesus before. I’ve wronged people. Sometimes I had the best of intentions, but unfortunately did something to hurt another person. And other times? I just got it wrong. No, let me use the real word – I sinned. And therefore sent someone directly to an altar trying to forgive me, or worse yet, directly in the opposite direction – where bitterness increases and peace is elusive…that place where we go to not lay pe...