Category: Prayer

Prayer For Good Friday

My Father,
Enlarge my heart, warm my affections, open my lips,
    supply words that proclaim ‘Love lustres at Calvary.’
There grace removes my burdens and heaps them on thy Son,
    made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me;
There the sword of thy justice smote the man, thy fellow;
There thy infinite attributes were magnified,
    and infinite atonement was made;
There infinite punishment was due,
    and infinite punishment was endured.
Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
        cast off that I might be brought in,
        trodden down as an enemy
            that I might be welcomed as a friend,
        surrendered to hell’s worst
            that I might attain heaven’s best,
        stripped that I might be clothed,
        wounded that I might be healed,
        athirst that I might drink,
        tormented that I might be comforted,
        made a shame that I might inherit glory,
        entered darkness that I might have eternal light.
My Savior wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,
            groaned that I might have endless song,
            endured all pain that I might have unfading health,
            bore a thorned crown that I might have a glory-diadem,
            bowed his head that I might uplift mine,
            experienced reproach that I might receive welcome,
            closed his eyes in death that i might gaze on unclouded brightness.
            expired that I might for ever live.
O Father, who spared not thine only Son that thou mightest spare me,
All this transfer thy love designed and accomplished;
Help me to adore thee by lips and life.
O that my every breath might be ecstatic praise,
        my every step buoyant with delight, as I see
        my enemies crushed,
        Satan baffled, defeated, destroyed,
        sin buried in the ocean of reconciling blood,
        hell’s gates closed, heaven’s portal open.
Go forth, O conquering God, and show me the cross,
    mighty to subdue, comfort and save.

—The poem Love Lustres at Calvary from The Valley of Vision edited by Arthur Bennett

Prayer For The New Year

O LORD,
Length of days does not profit me except the days are passed
                in thy presence, in thy service, to thy glory.
Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides, sustains,
                sanctifies, aids every hour,
        that I may not be one moment apart from thee,
        but may rely on thy Spirit
                to supply every thought,
                speak in every word,
                direct every step,
                prosper every work,
                build up every mote of faith,
                and give me a desire
                        to show forth thy praise,
                        testify thy love,
                        advance thy kingdom.
I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
                with thee, O Father, as my harbour,
                        thee, O Son, at my helm,
                        thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.
Guide me to heaven with my loins girt,
                                my lamp burning,
                                my ear open to thy calls,
                                my heart full of love,
                                my soul free.
Give me thy grace to sanctify me,
                thy comforts to cheer,
                thy wisdom to teach,
                thy right hand to guide,
                thy counsel to instruct,
                thy law to judge,
                thy presence to stabilize.
May thy fear be my awe,
                thy triumphs my joy.

—The poem New Year from The Valley of Vision edited by Arthur Bennett

The Comfort of Jesus’ Prayers

One of the most important sources of comfort with respect to the intercession of Christ in behalf of the believer is found in Jesus’ great High Priestly Prayer, which itself was a profound prayer of intercession. Remarkably, even we are mentioned in this great prayer of intercession. We read in John 17:1–9:

Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. … For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

Look again at verse 9: “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” That’s the crux of the matter. Jesus is praying for all those who belong to God, not for everyone on the planet. The Father has chosen a people for Himself—and the same people belong to Christ as well. None of them is lost except the son of destruction—Judas—who being a son of destruction, was never God’s child to begin with. Those for whom Jesus prays are the people whom God has chosen, and none of them is lost (vv. 10–19). This includes not only the disciples in the Upper Room who witnessed Jesus’ prayer but also those of us who believe in Him today. I said that we are mentioned in Jesus’ prayer, and here we are: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word” (v. 20). We came to believe through the words of the Apostles, and so Jesus prays for us. This is Christ’s prayer. We persevere because we are preserved by our High Priest’s intercession.

If we take great comfort in the intercessory prayer of a friend or of a pastor, how much more comfort can we experience from the full assurance that Jesus is praying for us? We know that Jesus’ prayers never fail. He knows the mind of God perfectly. He knows what to pray for so that we persevere to the end. Moreover, Jesus says the Father will give us whatever we ask for in His name (15:16). If this is so, certainly the Father will not fail to give His own beloved Son what He asks for, and He asks for us to persevere.

—Dr. R.C. Sproul

Via: Ligonier Ministries

Morning Prayer

Lord God,
almighty and everlasting Father,
you have brought me in safety to this new day:

Preserve me with your mighty power,
that I may not fall into sin,
nor be overcome by adversity;
and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose;
through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

—Book of Common Prayer

Via: Trevin Wax

Never Give Up Praying

It is very apparent from the Word of God that he often tries the faith and patience of his people, when they are crying to him for some great and important mercy, by withholding the mercy sought for a season; and not only so, but at first he may cause an increase of dark appearances.  And yet he, without fail, at last prospers those who continue urgently in prayer with all perseverance and ‘will not let him go except he blesses.’

—Jonathan Edwards
A Call to United Extraordinary Prayer

Via: Ray Ortlund

Your Prayers Are Not Lost

God’s children, should pray. You should cry day and night unto God. God hears every one of your cries, in the busy hour of the daytime, and in the lonely watches of the night. He treasures them up from day-to-day; soon the full answer will come down: ‘He will answer speedily.’

Christ never loses one believing prayer. The prayers of every believer, from Abel to the present day, He heaps upon the altar, from which they are continually ascending before His Father and our Father; and when the altar can hold no more, the full, the eternal answer will come down.

Do not be discouraged, dearly beloved, because God bears long with you—because He does not seem to answer your prayers. Your prayers are not lost. When the merchant sends his ships to distant shores, he does not expect them to come back richly laden in a single day: he has long patience.

‘It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ Perhaps your prayers will come back, like the ships of the merchant, all the more heavily laden with blessings, because of the delay.

—Robert Murray M’Cheyne
Memoir and Remains of the Rev. Robert Murray McCheyne

Via: Tolle Lege

Prayer for the New Year

Happy New Year! I thought this was a wonderful prayer for the start of a new year and I wanted to share it with everyone. May you have a blessed and prosperous new year.

O Lord,

Length of days does not profit me except the days are passed
in thy presence, in thy service, to thy glory.
Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides, sustains,
sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart from thee,
but may rely on thy Spirit
to supply every thought,
speak in every word,
direct every step,
prosper every work,
build up every mote of faith,
and give me a desire
to show forth thy praise,
testify thy love,
advance thy kingdom.

I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
with thee, O Father, as my harbour,
thee, O Son, at my helm,
thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.

Guide me to heaven with my loins girt,
my lamp burning,
my ear open to thy calls,
my heart full of love,
my soul free.

Give me thy grace to sanctify me,
thy comforts to cheer,
thy wisdom to teach,
thy right hand to guide,
thy counsel to instruct,
thy law to judge,
thy presence to stabilize.

May thy fear be my awe,
thy triumphs my joy.

—From The Valley of Vision edited by Arthur Bennett

According To The Will of God

When we ask pardon for sin, with secret reserves in our hearts to continue in sin, we ask the choicest mercy of the covenant, to spend it on our lusts. The end of the promise the apostle tells us, 2 Corinthians 7:1, “Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all pollution of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” When we ask what is in the promise, as it is in the promise, to this end of the promise, our supplications are according to the will of God.

—John Owen
Of Communion With God

Via: The Essential Owen