And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. -Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)
Prayer is the greatest of all forces, because it honors God and brings him into active aid. -E.M. Bounds
Prayer is either a sheer illusion or a personal contact between embryonic, incomplete persons (ourselves) and the utterly concrete Person. Prayer in the sense of petition, asking for things, is a small part of it; confession and penitence are its threshold, adoration its sanctuary, the presence and vision and enjoyment of God its bread and wine. In it God shows Himself to us. -C.S. Lewis, The Efficacy of Prayer
It is necessary to rouse the heart to pray, otherwise it will become quite dry. The attributes of prayer must be: love of God, sincerity, and simplicity. -John of Kronstadt
Prayer serves many purposes, and one of the most important purposes is to shut out the world and revel in God’s presence. God is always there, but we tend to tune Him out when we let the world and its demands and circumstances fill our view. So, we need to stop, go to a quiet, secret place, and sincerely commune with Him.
Prayer
Father God,
We come before you with thanks, praise, and adoration. You give us so many gifts, for which we must stop and give thanks.
We confess that we let the demands of the world cloud our focus, which should be on you. We confess that we let the sins of our flesh distance us from you. We repent of these sins and burdens, ask for your forgiveness, so we may take up your yoke once more. Thank you, Lord, that your forgiveness is swift!
We thank you for your Word, an inerrant guide for our walk, and sustenance for our souls.
We thank you for your promises (Jer. 29:11, Rom. 8:28, and more), which spring forth from your Word, and fill us with hope when our eyes see no hope.
We thank you for the power of believing prayer, which you command in your promises (Mark 11:24; Matthew 7:7-8; John 16:24, and more), inviting your omnipotence from up above down into our lives below.
But most of all, Lord, we thank you for you, from whom all of these things originate: your Word, your promises, and believing prayer.
Thank you for unfailingly loving us, your faithful children and servants, and giving us your steadfast presence through our circumstances.
Soften our the eyes and ears of our hearts to you, Lord. Help us to immerse ourselves in your Word, hold fast to your promises, exercise believing prayer, and anckowledge you in all things (Prov. 3:6), so that we may walk with you always.
In Jesus’ holy and powerful name we pray.
Amen.
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