7 Prayers That Work

Dear Lord Jesus, Tonight is the night you were betrayed. You had your last dinner with your close friends, and Peter said he'd die for you, and Judas Iscariot slipped out to meet the Pharisees and collect his 30 pieces of silver. Then you took the disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray with you and for you; you were headed into the greatest struggle in all of history. Judas kissed you. Oh, the nerve of him! Then the soldiers took you away for an illegal trial, built on lies and false accusations, while John watched and Peter cursed out the servants for suggesting that he knew you. How could they could betray you, they who knew you so well and who served with you for three years. If they could betray you, what hope is there for me? I am unfaithful, fearful, weak, ungrateful, even doubting. I am so unworthy of your unfailing faithfulness and grace. How can I become more resolute? Lord Jesus, fill me with the Holy Spirit. May I go into garden and pray to you for str...

Have you ever felt disdain for someone? Hatred, even? Guilt that you should forgive an enemy, but you don't know how? Maybe this will help. Dear Lord, You know my heart, so I can't pretend I don't feel this way. I'm angry. My pride is hurt. I feel manipulated, or betrayed, or used by someone. I don't like that person at all. I don't want to say "I hate," but I wonder if it's true. Am I a person who could hate someone? No, I just don't trust him. I just can't forgive her. I just don't want to be with him. We're just not friends. These are the things I tell myself, but you know they aren't true. I hate. I withhold forgiveness. It makes me feel powerful, or at least that's what I think. It's not true. It's a trap. There's no freedom in hate and unforgiveness. Seventy times seven. That's what you said. You forgave me, so I need to forgive everyone else. No one has sinned agai...

Dear Lord, I want to spend time with you today, but I feel so rushed. I have so much to do. I know you understand. No, wait. Help me prioritize. You first. Then what ministry would you have me do? What people can I touch? And help me not to obsess about my to-do list that's sitting there on the table screaming at me. Things are less important than people. My world is less important than your plans for me. This life is less important than the life to follow. I know that. And yet-- it all feels so terribly important. Use me. Change me. Give me your eyes to see the life you want for me and the courage to live it. Amen.

Dear Father of the fatherless, I pray your compassion and mercy over the world's immigrants and refugees . May I always welcome the lost and weary in Jesus' name. Give me courage to defend the fatherless, to assist the widow, to welcome the stranger, to offering healing to the sick, to rescue the oppressed. May we never see nationality, creed, or culture because You don't see them. You see people-- hungry, afraid, terrorized, hurting, displaced, marginalized, misunderstood, resourceless. These are problems created by humans against humans. And these problems interfere with seeing You. Convict me when that's all I see. Use me to show Jesus' love through what I do and what I say. Keep me from political agendas instead of prayerful purpose. If I truly want to be like You, this is how I will behave and what I will believe. "Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor."-- Ezekiel 22:7 "And what does the L...