Sunday, July 24, 2011

Using The Model Prayer as a Model

Thank You, Lord, for adopting me as Your child. You are my Father. Thank You for loving me, for caring for me as only a Father can, for feeding, sheltering, clothing, comforting, and counseling. Thank You for Your faithfulness. You are eternal, everlasting, endless. You are heavenly, not only in location but in character.

Your name is holy. Let it be holy among us. You are the Lord our righteousness. Thank You for making Your righteousness our dwelling place (Jeremiah 33:16ff). You are also the Lord who sanctifies [makes holy]. Thank you for indwelling me with, and adopting me through, Your Son, so that I may be holy and blameless before You. Thank You that You have taken on the responsibility of my sanctification, for only You are holy. You are the Lord My Peace. Thank You that in my coming and going You give me peace and comfort. Rest is in You. I am safe in You. You are "The Lord Who is There." Thank You that I can always count on You to be there for me. You are the Lord Who Heals. Thank you for providing for my healing through the torn flesh of Jesus. Thank You that on the basis of the cross of Jesus, He healed diseases of those who came to Him even before the cross (Mt.8:16-17;Is.53:4). You are the Lord Who Provides. You see my needs even before I ask and hear my prayers and provide all I need just as You provided the ram for Abraham's sacrifice (Gen.22:14). You are the Lord My Banner. Like a flag mounted atop a building to show ownership, You have given me Your Spirit [who needs a tattoo, when you have the Holy Spirit marking you as His?]. Like the flag lifted on a battle field to show victory, You, Lord are my victory flag. Thank You for claiming me as Your own. Thank You that Christ's victory over the grave was made my victory as well. You are the Lord My Shepherd. Thank You for shepherding me - feeding, guiding, protecting. You are holy, Lord, as Savior, King, Counselor, Father, Prince of Peace.

Lord, let Your kingdom come in my heart. Be enthroned in my heart and be my king. Show me Your will so that I can please You and be fruitful in all I do. Let Your will be done in my home, my wife, my children, in this church, in our nation. Establish Your kingdom in our hearts today. Be King of our country and grant Your will to be done in our land. Help us a Christians to be faithful to Your call to be witnesses and spread the Good News throughout our nation. [this is a good spot to pray for specific requests and concerns as well.] Thank You, Lord, that the promise is given in Your name - Yhwh Shammah and Yhwh Nissi - that You are here, raising the flag that proclaims the establishment of Your kingdom in our hearts - and Yhwh Tsidkenu and Yhwh M'Kaddesh - that You are making us holy and have given us Your own righteousness that Your will may be done; that You are "at work both to will and to work for Your good pleasure."

Lord, Your will is done in heaven. It is done by Your eternal power. It is done by the efficacy of the blood of Jesus, sprinkling clean the holiest of holies, and sprinkling us clean, that we may enter and remain in the presence of Almighty God. Let it be so on earth. Let the power of His endless life be worked out in our hearts. Let the full effect of the blood, even beyond our comprehension, be brought to bear in our lives.

Supply what we need in order to live, physically and spiritually, for You today. Thank You, Yhwh Yireh [the Lord our Provider] that you see what we have need of even before we ask, and that Your very name promises us that You will provide. [This is another good point to address specific needs and concerns both for yourself and interceding for others, keeping in mind what we "need" is often as simple as daily bread - not necessarily the fine wines and gourmet meals we may desire.]

Lord, with David I cry out, "Be gracious to me, O God, according to the Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin...." [You may even want to pray all the way through Psalm 51, or Psalm 25]. [Be as specific in your confession as you need to be. Sometimes God will see your heart as you pray His word, and wash you with the word, administering forgiveness to specific areas without your being specific. Often He will call to your mind specific areas or deeds about which your specific confession and repentance is needed. He will respond in His way to your broken and contrite heart. Let Him be sovereign enough to not lead you through the same pattern every time you come to Him. Be assured that He will respond to those who see their spiritual poverty and mourn because of it (Matthew 5:3-4).]

Lord, I know I deserve no forgiveness until I forgive those who wrong me. Give me a tender heart that is quick to forgive, and slow to anger. Let my response to everyone with whom I find even the slightest occasion for blame or accusation be forgiveness rather than being judgmental.

Help me respond immediately to the initial promptings of Your Spirit. Give me grace to be humble, and draw near to You as You have invited me to. You have provided the means for me to live daily in YOur presence throug Your Son. Do not let me neglect so great a salvation. Be the Lord my Shepherd, and guide me around the nettles, the cliffs, and the wolves and lions that seek to devour me. Protect me from the evil one. Thank You that You are faithful and will not allow me to be tempted without providing a way of escape. Enclothe me in Your armor so that I will not fall prey to the wiles of the enemy.

Praise You, Lord, that the kingdom is Yours. That, in itself, is assurance that You will establish it. Thank You that the power is Yours. Power [New Testament Greek word is "dunamis"] is ability. Indeed, You are able to see to Your will and perform it in Your strength. I am weak, but You are strong. You are God. I'm not. Glory be to Your holy name forever. I praise You, Lord, for Your grace. I give glory to You and honor. Majesty is Yours; dominion is Yours. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It is by Your doing that I am in Christ Jesus, and I praise You for it.

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