Category: Prayer Journal

Lord, we beseech thee, give ear to our prayers, and by thy gracious visitation lighten the darkness of our heart, by our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (Thomas Cranmer)

This Week’s Scripture

·         Jeremiah 8:18 – 9:1
·         Psalm 79:1-9 or Psalm 4
·         1 Timothy 2:1-7
·         Luke 16:1-13

Adoration

Psalm 79:9

Help us, O God of our salvation,
    for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
    for your name’s sake!

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (verse 1)

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.
(Walter Chalmers Smith)

(Take time now to offer God your praise and worship.)


Confession

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:5-6)

Loving and devoted God, we confess that, more often than not, we act like rebellious children in the face of your unconditional love, and fail miserably to treat you as the loving Father that you are. Forgive us, we pray, and make us sensitive and responsive at long last to your gracious initiatives. Make us worthy recipients and channels of love, and thus true brothers and sisters of Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen. (Paul A. Laughlin)

(Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness. Ken Boa)


Thanksgiving

O Thou, Who art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and on Whom the eyes of all do wait, Who crownest the year with Thy goodness, and openest Thine hand and fillest all things living with plenteousness: every day we give thanks unto Thee, and praise Thy Name for ever and ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (William A. Knight)

(Ask the Spirit to search your heart and mind and then spend some time thanking God for who he is and the many ways he has poured out his goodness and grace in your life.)


Supplication (Petitions – prayers for yourself)

·         Growth in Wisdom
o   Developing an eternal perspective
o   Renewing my mind with truth
o   Greater skill in each area of my life
·         My activities for this day
·         Special concerns

(From Ken Boa’s Handbook to Prayer)


Supplication (Intercession – prayers for others)

·         My Family
o   My immediate family
o   My relatives
o   Spiritual concerns
o   Emotional and physical concerns
o   Other concerns

(From Ken Boa’s Handbook to Prayer)


O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth: for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth. (Psalm 96:1, 13)

How can you expect God to speak in that gentle and inward voice which melts the soul when you are making so much noise with your rapid reflections? (Francois Fenelon)

This Week’s Scripture

·         Exodus 1:8-2:10
·         Psalm 124   
·         Romans 12:1-8    
·         Matthew 16:13-20

Adoration

Psalm 124:8
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (verse 1)
Love divine all loves excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down;
fix in us thy humble dwelling; all thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, thou art all compassion, pure unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation; enter every trembling heart.
(Charles Wesley)

Take time now to offer God your praise and worship.

Confession

 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1)

Almighty God, who lookest upon the inward man, forbid us in thy presence the vain endeavor to hide from thee what we have thought and done and truly are. Give us candor to acknowledge freely to thee what must be forever hidden from the knowledge of others, and may no false shame keep us from confessing those sins which no proper shame kept us from committing; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Author unknown)

As David did in Psalm 139, ask the Lord to search you and know you through and through. Confess the sins God brings to mind, knowing you are forgiven and that He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Thanksgiving

Gracious God and Giver all good gifts, I praise you for the gifts of your Spirit that you have given to the Bride of Christ, the Church. You have given us those who prophecy, serve, teach, exhort, contribute, lead, and who do acts of mercy, just to name a few. Father you know how much we need these faithful servants and stewards. None of us alone can minister to the Church, in a comprehensive and meaningful way. We need others who devotedly utilize their gifts and calling. Such dependence is ultimately a picture of our need for you, for we are not sufficient in and of ourselves. I am grateful that you provide for our every need. Please continue to make me a vessel of service to others in your name and for your glory. Amen. (based on Romans 8:3-8)
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Spend some time reflecting on the prayer of thanksgiving above and then thank God for who he is and the many ways he has poured out his goodness and grace in your life.

Supplication (Petition – prayers for yourself)

·         Help me to mature in my faith and to increasingly please God by my thoughts, words, and deeds.
·         Particular struggles in various relationships
·         My activities for this day
·         Other needs

Supplication (Intercession – prayers for others)

·         My Family
·         My local church 
·         My denomination
·         Para-church ministries, particularly Christian education and discipleship  
·         Evangelistic ministries 
·         Other needs

Attempt great things for God; expect great things from God. (William Carey)

Careful for nothing, prayerful for everything, thankful for anything. (D.L. Moody)

This Week’s Scripture

·         Genesis 45:1-15
·         Psalm 133
·         Romans 11
·         Matthew 15:10-28

Adoration

Romans 11:33, 36
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! …36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever.Amen.

Have Thine Own Way, Lord (verse 1)
Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will
while I am waiting, yielded and still.
(Adelaide A. Pollard)

Take time now to offer God your praise and worship.

Confession

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”. (Matthew 15:18-20)

Dear Jesus, give me the mind that was in you. Put in my heart that spirit of meekness and humility that you showed as you served the poor and the outcast and as you poured yourself out for others. Keep me this day from seeking the praise and affirmation of people; keep me from longing to be thought of as somebody in terms of wealth, fame, influence, and all the other empty toys of the world. Make it my whole and single desire to be somebody in your eyes. In Christ I pray.  Amen. (John Wesley)

As David did in Psalm 139, ask the Lord to search you and know you through and through. Confess the sins God brings to mind, knowing you are forgiven and that He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Thanksgiving

God of tender providence, I praise you for your faithful hand in my life. You sent Joseph ahead of his family to prepare a place for them in Egypt. It cost Joseph many years of pain, suffering, and loneliness, yet he recognized it was your hand guiding and protecting him through it all. He also saw how you were the great Orchestrator who never left him nor forsook him. Similarly, the Lord Jesus went through pain, mockery, alienation, suffering, and death upon the cross for my sake. Yet, he knew it was his purpose and your plan. In and through it he prepared a place for me with you, as Joseph did with his family in Egypt. Indeed, all of my life reveals the fingerprints of your continual care. For your constant love and provision, O Lord, I am grateful. In the name of Christ I pray. Amen. (based on Genesis 45:1-15)

Spend some time reflecting on the prayer of thanksgiving above and then thank God for who he is and the many ways he has poured out his goodness and grace in your life.

Supplication (Petitions – prayers for yourself)

·         Spiritual Warfare
·         Growth in Christlikeness
·         Increasing faithfulness in the spiritual disciplines 
·         My health
·         For my ordinary appointments and activities to become divine appointments and activities. 
·         Other needs

Supplication (Intercession – prayers for others)

·         My Family 
·         Mercy for those who are poor and hungry  
·         Justice for those who are oppressed and persecuted  
·         Love for those who oppress and persecute others
·         Peace for those in the midst of war, crime, and violence   
·         Other needs

It is true that we may desire much more. But let us use what we have, and God will give us more.
(Adoniram Judson)

Every Christian needs a half hour of prayer each day, except when he is busy, then he needs an hour. (St. Francis of Sales)

This Week’s Scripture

·         Genesis 37:1-28
·         Psalm 105
·         Romans 10:1-15
·         Matthew 14:22-23

Adoration

Psalm 105:1
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done.

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us (verse 1)
Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need thy tender care;
in thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use thy folds prepare.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, thine we are.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, thine we are.
(Dorothy Thrupp)

Take time now to offer God your praise and worship.

Confession

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10)

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, truly lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wickedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (The Book of Worship for Church and Home)

As David did in Psalm 139, ask the Lord to search you and know you through and through. Confess the sins God brings to mind, knowing you are forgiven and that He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Thanksgiving

God of salvation, I thank you with all that I am for reaching down and redeeming me. Indeed, I am grateful for those you placed throughout my life who brought your good news to me. Because you sent them with the gospel, they were able to faithfully proclaim it. Because they faithfully proclaimed it, I was able to hear it. And because I was able to hear it, through your gracious work, I was able to believe in Christ my Savior and Lord. I pray almighty God that you would use me on behalf of others, just as others served you on my behalf. In the name of the risen Christ I pray. Amen. (based on Romans 10:14-15)

Spend some time reflecting on the prayer of thanksgiving above and then thank God for who he is and the many ways he has poured out his goodness and grace in your life.

Supplication (Petitions – prayers for yourself)

·         My personal mission field
Ø  Help me to identify those people who make up my personal mission field.
Ø  Enable me to begin sharing the gospel with those who do not yet know you.
Ø  Empower me to disciple those who are young in their faith.
Ø  Allow me to encourage those who are struggling in their faith.
Ø  Please give me perseverance in all areas of ministry.
·         Today’s events and interactions with others, planned and unplanned
·         Other needs

Supplication (Intercession – prayers for others)

·         My family
·         For missionaries throughout the world
·         For those seeking to faithfully minister to loved ones at home
·         For those who share the gospel in the inner city
·         For those who bear witness to Christ in places of power
·         Other needs

Be to the world a sign that while we are Christians do not have all the answers, we do know and care about the questions.  (Billy Graham)

All the Christian virtues are locked up in the word “prayer.” (Charles Spurgeon)

This Week’s Scripture

• Genesis 32:22-31
• Psalm 17:1-15
• Romans 9:1-5
• Matthew 14:13-21

Adoration

Psalm 17:6-7

I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
    incline your ear to me; hear my words.
⁷ Wondrously show your steadfast love,
    O Savior of those who seek refuge
    from their adversaries at your right hand.

Amazing Grace (verse 1)

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
was blind but now I see.
(John Newton)

Take time now to offer God your praise and worship.

Confession

You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,
    you have tested me, and you will find nothing;
    I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. (Psalm 17:3)

Heavenly Father, for unguarded moments and sins of impulse; for anger and uncharitableness; for impatience and thoughtlessness which have wounded others; Lord have mercy upon me. For resentment under rebuke and the pride which hardens me against the truth; for slackness in self-discipline and complacency in unworthy habits; Lord have mercy upon me. In my waywardness and self –sufficiency; and in my utter need and helplessness; Lord have mercy upon me. Amen. (The Book of Worship for Church and Home)

As David did in Psalm 139, ask the Lord to search you and know you through and through. Confess the sins God brings to mind, knowing you are forgiven and that He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Thanksgiving

Gracious God, Sovereign Provider of all our needs, I give you thanks for being mindful of even me. You are the God of great compassion. You see our illnesses, suffering, and pain and you heal us. You see our problems and struggles and you lead us. You see how we hunger and thirst and you meet our every need, both physically and spiritually. More than that, O Lord, you teach us to have the same compassion as you. You call us to trust you as we seek to meet the needs of others. I confess that all too often Father, I am a person of little faith. Fill me with your Spirit that I may have eyes to see those you love and have compassion for. And give me that same love and compassion, that upon seeing those in need, I may trust you, even as I seek to heal, lead, and minister to others as you have done. Please let me do this for your glory and the blessing of others. Thank you Lord, for the privilege of serving you. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen. (based on Matthew 14:13-21)

Spend some time reflecting on the prayer of thanksgiving above and then thank God for who he is and the many ways he has poured out his goodness and grace in your life.

Supplication (Petitions – prayers for yourself)

• Give me greater knowledge, depth of insight, and understanding of God’s Word.
• Remind me daily of who I am in Christ. Let me be defined by who God says I am, not the world around me.
• Guide me into greater understanding and faithfulness of God’s call in my life.
• Today’s events and interactions with others, planned and unplanned
• Other needs

Supplication (Intercession – prayers for others)

• My family
• My pastor(s), church staff, and missionaries
• Those wrestling with anger, anxiety, or the overwhelming desire to please people at all costs
• Other needs

Christianity demands a level of caring that transcends human inclinations. (Erwin Lutzer)