A Scripture and a Prayer: “Jesus Promised”

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:2-3)

Prayer:

Jesus, in this promise, You gave us two precious promises to hold onto when life takes an unexpected twist, and we find ourselves in the midst of a trial that threatens to overtake our very souls. In this promise, You said You were preparing heaven for us, and therefore You will come back to take us home with You. Lord, may we keep these promises at the forefront of our thoughts as the enemy threatens us daily. Thank you, Jesus, for these two great promises, and may we walk in them today as we continue to look to You, the author and perfecter of my faith. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Will He Find Faith”

“When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)

Prayer:

Jesus, these words cut deep. They are a sharp, two-edged sword, dividing the soul and the spirit. Therefore, Lord, please help us be faithful to You and to Your word. Help us also be faithful to the calling You have placed on our lives. Jesus, You promised to return for Your bride, and so may we be found faithful as part of that bride. May we be like those five virgins who waited, their lanterns filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit and lit, so we can shine Your light into this sin-darkened world until You return. And this I ask in Your name, Lord Jesus. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “God Hears and Delivers”

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17)

Prayer:

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful promise that our prayers don’t just hit the ceiling and fall back unheard and unanswered. Instead, You hear our prayers because You are close to the brokenhearted and to those crushed in spirit. You, Lord, are faithful, and Your mercies are new every single day. So may we give You all praise and glory, because You don’t turn away when we cry out to You; You will indeed answer. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Wait and Not Worry”

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.” (Psalm 37:7)

Prayer:

Lord, so much around us reveals the world’s wickedness and tries to tell us that this or that is the way to prosperity, but it is a lie. The easy, quick way is not always the best, yet it appeals to our “must-have-it-now” mindset. Instead, You tell us to be still and wait patiently for You to act, because You see the road ahead and know the good and right way we should take. Help us, therefore, to be faithful in waiting upon You, because Your promise is that You will renew our strength, that we will mount up above the fray like an eagle, and that we shall run and not grow weary, and walk and not faint. Thank you for this promise we can hold onto in our lives. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Prayer for Protection”

“O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.” (Psalm 61:1-2)

Prayer:

Lord, I humbly ask that You be that tower of strength, that fortress, and that safe refuge from the enemy of our souls who seeks to tear us down and destroy not only our relationships with those we love but also our relationship with You, the very heartbeat of our souls. Hear our cry, for our hearts are truly overwhelmed by the many trials and attacks of the enemy. Help us also be vigilant in putting on Your armor and picking up the weapons You have given, not only for our protection but also for the protection of others. And through Your word and by praying in You, Holy Spirit, we can defeat the enemy’s advances. And this I ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

Scripture and a Prayer: “Amazing Love”

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

Prayer:

Lord, I cannot fathom the love You have shown us by giving Your Son, Jesus, who took our place and died the death we deserve. Such amazing love. And yet You added to that love by giving the Holy Spirit to live within us, the Spirit of truth, who will guide us into all truth, that is, into Your will and way, because You are truth. This is Your gift of love, showing that if we who are evil know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will You give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Therefore, Lord, I humbly request that You fill us with the fullness of the Holy Spirit and Your amazing love. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Hear Our Cry”

“O Lord, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.” (Psalm 88:1-2)

Prayer:

Lord, I realize this prayer may seem like a contradiction: we believe You have saved us, yet we still cry out to You day and night in our distress. Further, knowing You heard us when we cried out for salvation, we ask You, Lord, to hear our cry again, knowing You always hear and always save. And while we still believe, we remain a broken and cracked vessel in need of Your help. Therefore, as the father of the demon-possessed son, we cry out to You, “Lord, (we) believe; help (our) unbelief!” So, thank you, Lord, for hearing and answering our cry. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Opened to Listen”

“So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.” (Hebrews 2:1)

Prayer:

Lord, You have asked us to keep our ears open so we can listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying and to be careful to follow His lead, because it is easy to drift away from the truth when we are not anchored in Your word, in Your will, and in Your ways. Help us, Lord, not to be indifferent to the needs of others and not to neglect what Your word says about how we are to live as Christians. Help us, Lord, to walk by the Spirit so we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. And this I ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Time to Return”

“Return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; then He will return to the remnant of you … (He) will not turn His face from you if you return to Him.” (2 Chronicles 30:6-9)

Prayer:

Lord, please help us return to You when we fail to do what is right, take our own way, and do our own thing. While these may not be specifically sinful, they often hurt others and strain our relationships with them. More importantly, they hurt You and our relationship with You. Your word tells me to lay aside every weight and sin that ensnares us and prevents us from moving forward in Your will and ways. Therefore, Lord, give us a discerning spirit to recognize when our actions have turned us away from You, and give us the courage and strength to turn back to You. And this I ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Godly verses Worldly Sorrow”

“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Prayer:

Lord, far too often we substitute feeling sorry for what we did, but that doesn’t produce the fruit of repentance in our lives. That’s because we’re not truly sorry about how it affects our relationship with You. We’re sorry only that we got caught or that we feel bad about it, but not sorry enough to stop. Therefore, help bring us to the place where it changes our hearts, and let us bring You the offering of true repentance. Let us have the same heart as King David, who cried out, “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart – these, O God, You will not despise.” May this then be our prayer, AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Making the Impossible Possible”

“But Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” (Matthew 19:26)

Prayer:

Lord, while we all have our limits, You are truly without limits. You are limitless, and as such, nothing is beyond Your capabilities. Therefore, fill us with the strength and courage to do what is beyond our capabilities. And for those obstacles that block our forward progress in Your kingdom, please help demolish them so we can reach the fullness of the potential You have placed within us. Therefore, thank you, Lord, for all that You have done, and we look forward to even more of what You are going to do. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Blessings Come with Integrity”

“The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.” (Proverbs 20:7)

Prayer:

Lord, as Your children, You sent Jesus to show us how to live in a world filled with sin. You also sent Jesus as an example of how to be a light in this sin-darkened world. Help us, therefore, to learn to walk in His ways and in His light so that we can be that living example to our children. Your word says that we are to raise up our children and show them the way so that when they reach the age of accountability, they will not depart from it. And then, when our children obey, they may lead long and productive lives for Your kingdom. And we ask for this help in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Our Victory is in Jesus”

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Prayer:

Lord, we need You as our strength every day. Actually, we need You as our strength every moment of every day, because each day brings hardships, difficulties, troubles, trials, and persecution. To say we are weak is an understatement. But Your promise is that we can delight in weakness because Jesus is our strength and shield, and a very present help in the days of difficulties and troubles. Therefore, we are able to do whatever Your will may be, because You, Lord Jesus, give us the strength. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “The Goodness of God”

“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.” (Psalm 86:5)

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, what a wonderful reminder of Your unfailing and ever-present love for us, that everything You do is for our good, and that Your thoughts toward us are not to harm but to prosper and to give us a hope and a future. But even more than that, You are ever ready to forgive all our sins and cleanse us from all our iniquity, and that Your mercies are new towards us every morning. Thank you, Lord, or this wonderful promise. AMEN

Scripture and a Prayer: “Heavenly Thoughts”

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2)

Prayer:

Lord, as we prepare for what lies ahead, help us keep our focus where it belongs: on You, the gift of Your Son, the forgiveness of our sins that He provides, and our forever home in Heaven with You. Help us also turn our minds away from what the world presents as events unfold in our world. And let us be mindful to offer up to You the whole of ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to You, which You say is our “reasonable service.” Thank you, therefore, for this wonderful time to always remember what You have done for us. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “God’s Enduring Mercy”

“Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1)

Prayer:

I praise You, Lord, for all the goodness and grace You have shown by saving us from the power of sin and death and by giving us eternal life instead. I further praise You that Your mercy endures forever and is new every single day. And I praise You that, though we don’t deserve such a gift, You love us and offer such mercy nonetheless. And so, our hearts overflow in thanksgiving and praise, knowing that Your love, mercy, and grace never fail. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Confession is Good for the Soul”

“He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13)

Prayer:

Lord, how easy it is for us to sweep sin under the rug, quoting 1 Peter 4:8 that Your love covers a multitude of sins. But this is not what You had in mind. You tell us that if we confess our sins, You are just and faithful to forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Help us therefore not only to confess our sins but also to renounce them, that is, to repent and turn away from them while turning toward You. For it is Your grace and mercy that we need if we ever expect to live productive lives for You. Therefore, we ask You to please forgive us our sins, cleanse us from our unrighteousness, and help us turn from them and unto You. And this we ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “God’s Got Us Covered”

“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:2-5)

Prayer:

Truly, Lord, what more can we add to what You have said? Help us remember all the benefits You have given and all the sins and wrongs You have forgiven. Help us also remember all that You have done for us, and the health and ministry You have so graciously extended. And I love Your continuous care for us, as You cover us under the shadow of Your wings and are our refuge and fortress in times of trouble, so we need not worry about the enemy’s attacks by night or by day, because You have promised that Your angels will watch us and keep us in all our ways. AMEN

Scripture and a Prayer: “More Fire Less Fear”

“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Luke 3:16b)

Prayer:

Lord, as fire burns away all impurities, I humbly ask that You apply Your cleansing fire to our lives, because the greater Your fire within us, the more fear will be consumed. I also pray the same for Your church. Send down the fire of Your Holy Spirit and envelop Your church in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that Your church can move forward in confidence, knowing that the gates of hell will never prevail. And this I ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “God’s Incredible Love”

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

Prayer:

Lord, so often we feel unworthy of Your attention and love. Yet You have lifted us out of the miry clay, out of the pit of despair and hopelessness, and have chosen to love us with an everlasting love. A love that will last from this life into eternity. Such a love is beyond our understanding. Therefore, we thank You from the very depths of our being for Your incredible and everlasting love, a love that drew us away from our sins and into Your marvelous presence. AMEN