THE WAY FORWARD
40 Days of Prayer
Day 1 – A Prayer for God’s Guidance
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.” Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7a
Gracious and Wise King, You are all powerful, all knowing and always present in our lives, our church and our world. We thank you for Your unfailing love, abiding grace and enduring faithfulness displayed to us through Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. We come before Your presence as a people of faith with humble and reverent hearts to worship and adore You. Holy Spirit, we acknowledge that we need Your wisdom, guidance and knowledge as we seek the Father’s good and perfect will in our lives and in the life of St. John’s UMC. Heavenly Father, we want to know Your will, Your ways and Your timing. We want to know Your heart before we move ahead. We trust You, knowing that You hold our future and the future of our church in the palm of Your hand. Loving God, thank You for all You have already done in and through this church and all You will continue to do to build Your church for God’s kingdom, glory and praise. We ask this in the name of our Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day 2 – A Seeking Prayer
“Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face evermore.” Psalm 105:4; Isaiah 55:6
Heavenly Father, You are ever-present in our lives. We are so thankful that when we seek You, You let us find You in the small and quiet moments of our day. We come seeking Your face today. We want to see You and know You in more intimate and deeper ways. Holy Spirit, enable us to see Your face in the lives of those around us. Help us to love as You love and to reflect Christ’s light, grace and beauty to all we encounter. Lord Jesus, strengthen us and transform us to be like You and to reflect Your image to a world that needs to see the truth of who You are. We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Day 3 – A Prayer for Wisdom
“For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 2:6
All Knowing God, You know the end from the beginning, and we praise You for Your great knowledge. We thank You for speaking forth wisdom through the life, death and resurrection of Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus, lead us deeper into Your Living Word where we can know true wisdom by following in Your ways and knowing Your heart. Holy Spirit, speak into our lives what is true, right, praiseworthy and lovely. Then use us to go into the world with a heart of love, gentleness, grace and mercy. May we reflect Your wisdom and understanding in how we live and how we love others. In the name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen.
Day 4 – A Prayer for Our Lead Pastors
“Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can judge this great people of Yours.” 2 Chronicles 1:10
Great Shepherd of Our Souls, You always lead us beside still peaceful waters and on to greener pastures of grace. We humble our hearts before You, acknowledging that we can only stand in Your presence because of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. We thank you for drawing us into Your family and into Your loving embrace. We also thank You for our pastors whom you have called to shepherd this flock. Holy Spirit, pour out Your spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge and power and the fear of the Lord upon them. May they delight in the fear of the Lord. Shepherd their hearts, as they shepherd the flock of God to the place of Your leading. Fill them daily afresh with the Spirit’s anointing. Carve out time and space for them to meet with You and daily hear the message of Your heart. We praise You and thank You for choosing our pastors to lead this great people of Yours “for such a time as this.” We ask this in the name of our Sovereign King – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day 5 – A Prayer for Revelation
“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe…” Ephesians 1:15–19
Father of Glory, You alone are worthy of all praise and glory! We thank You for the privilege of worshipping and serving You at St. John’s United Methodist Church. We thank You for this community of faith that believes in the ways of our Lord Jesus Christ and loves Your saints both here and around the world through the indwelling Holy Spirit. We thank You for all the members of this family of faith. Lord Jesus, give us as Your people a spirit of wisdom and revelation that we might know You more intimately. Holy Spirit, open the eyes of our understanding that we might know the hope of our calling, that we might receive all the riches of our inheritance in You, and we might experience in greater ways the power of Christ’s resurrection that lives within us. May we not keep this indescribable gift to ourselves but live it out in a world that needs to know Your powerful wisdom, love and grace. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
Day 6 – A Prayer for Humility
“Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility for ‘God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” 1 Peter 5:5, 6
Almighty God, We acknowledge that we are members of a greater Kingdom community together with all the saints globally and those who have gone before us. So, we submit ourselves to You and to one another. We humble our hearts before Your mighty hand and ask that You would fill our hearts daily with Your spirit of compassion, tenderness and grace. Help us to look to others as more important than ourselves and to have the same mind as Christ who took on the form of a servant for humanity’s sake. Lord Jesus, You tell us that apart from You we can do nothing. Therefore, we submit ourselves to Your authority asking that You would lead us and guide us as a people of faith. Remove pride from our hearts and help us to value one another in meekness, love and grace so that our lives may reflect Christ as we journey forward. We ask this in the name of the One who humbled Himself and died on the cross for our sins. Amen.
Day 7 – A Prayer of Return
“‘Yet even now,’ says the LORD, ‘return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.’ Return to the LORD, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.” Joel 2:12–13
Gracious and Merciful God, You are slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. We praise You for Your display of lovingkindness towards us. Thank You for not dealing with us according to our sins but according to Your great mercy and grace in Jesus Christ. We come to You with our whole hearts and not with any external merits on our own. Holy Spirit, reveal the parts of our hearts that we have not surrendered completely to You and illuminate for us,the sins we frequently ignore. In mourning and weeping, we repent of our sins and ask that You renew us again according to Your chesed [Hebrew for kindness between people] — Your covenant lovingkindness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Day 8 – A Prayer of Repentance
“So I said, ‘Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away and your sin purged.’” Isaiah 6:5–7
Holy God, The brilliance of Your glory and the beauty of Your holiness overwhelms us and leaves us undone. We are not worthy to stand in Your holy presence as sinful, broken individuals. But because of Your great love for us, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us and transferred us into the light of Your redeeming love and grace. Holy Father, forgive us for all the ways we sin against You through gossip, backbiting, criticism and unwholesome words. Place Your holy coal upon our lips and remove the guilt of our sin. Lord Jesus, set a watchman over our lips that we might not sin against You by speaking against our neighbor. Transform our speech that we might speak words of life, blessing and well-being. Holy Spirit, enable us to use our words to encourage one another and build one another up that we might reflect the kindness of Your heart and the beauty of Your holy love to those around us. In Your holy name. Amen.
Day 9 – A Prayer of Cleansing
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10
Forgiving Father, Your heart is always to forgive as we repent of our sins and return to You with a repentant and forgiving heart. Thank You for the cleansing blood of Jesus that always cleanses and restores us to a right relationship with You. Create in us a clean heart, O God. Renew our thoughts to be pure, our spirit to be joyful and our actions to be selfless. Holy Spirit, restore to us the joy of our salvation and give us a steadfast spirit to always abound in Christ’s loving actions in the world. We consecrate ourselves to You, knowing we are Your beloved disciples. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Day 10 – A Prayer of Commitment
“And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’” Isaiah 6:8
Missional God, Your eyes look to and fro through all the earth, seeking a heart that is fully surrendered to You. Because of Christ’s redeeming love and atoning blood, we are a people cleansed from sin, forgiven, saved from the grip of Satan, and free to go where You send us as a people of faith. Like Isaiah, we say, “Here we are! Send us!” Holy Spirit, empower us to go into the world to spread the good news of God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus, anoint us and use us to be agents of Your healing love and comforting grace to a world that is hurting and in pain. Heavenly Father, send us to the least, the lost, the poor, the marginalized and the forgotten to partner with You to spread Your lavished love upon those who need to know they are seen and remembered by You. We are Your people, called by Your name and delivered from shame. We are one holy race, saints everyone, called to declare the excellencies of our Glorious King who called us out from darkness and into Your marvelous light. Send us in Christ’s holy name and for His glory alone. Amen.
Day 11 – A Prayer of Praise for our Triune God
“Praise be to You, LORD, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; You are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from You; You are the ruler of all things. In Your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to God. Now, our God, we give You thanks, and praise Your glorious name.” 1 Chronicles 29:10b–13
Oh Lord our God, You are the one true, holy and living God. We praise You as the Eternal God, Creator, Redeemer, true Judge and only wise Ruler. We thank You for holding us in the palm of Your hand as the sovereign preserver and sustainer of life. Thank You for bringing us into Your eternal embrace through the precious blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. You spoke creation into existence, and You speak life, blessing and well-being into our lives as well. Because of Your unfailing love, mercy, wisdom and grace, we bow in humble adoration and respond to Your grace by surrendering our hearts and lives to You. We ask that You lead us by Your strong and mighty hand. Holy Spirit, awaken us to the wonders of Your manifold love, beauty and grace around us that we might glorify You in greater ways. We ask this in Your holy name. Amen.
Day 12 – A Prayer of Exaltation for Christ our King
“He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things exist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:15–18
Lord Jesus, You are the eternal Word made flesh, the only begotten of the Father — truly God and truly man. As a ministering servant, You lived to show us the Father’s heart by loving the lost, healing the sick, comforting the lonely, driving out demons, and, ultimately, suffering and dying for our sins on the cross so we might experience newness of life in You. Through Your death and resurrection, we too are raised to new life again. You are the eternal Savior and mediator of humanity, bringing us to the Father and interceding for us in heaven at the right hand of God. Jesus, You are head of the church — Your body and beloved bride. We ask that You guide us in the paths that lead to life eternal. Holy Spirit, renew us daily that we might reflect our true self, created in the image of God in Christ. We ask in the name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen.
Day 13 – A Prayer of Praise for the Holy Spirit
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John 14:26 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
Holy Spirit, You are – the wind and life-giving breath of God. We praise You as the third person of the Trinity who leads and guides us into all truth and into the fellowship of the church through Jesus Christ. Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on us. Comfort, sustain, correct, sanctify and empower us to live faithful obedient lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. Fill us daily that we might be the fragrance and beauty of Christ, spreading the aroma of His love and life to those around us. We ask this in the name of our Triune God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day 14 – A Prayer of Praise for God’s Living Word — The Bible
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16–17
Living God, You breathed Your words onto papyrus and parchment so that Your creation would know You and Your holy ways. Through Your Word, You reveal the heart of Your redeeming love and grace. Thank You for sending Jesus — the Living Word — who teaches, instructs, leads and guides us to righteous living through His life and example. Thank You that Your Word is also a sword — active and living and able to pierce through to the bone and marrow. O God, enable us to hide Your Word in our hearts through memorization and then allow us to speak it forth to plant seeds of truth, light, love and grace to a culture that needs to know You. Holy Spirit, lead us daily to the banquet table of God’s Holy Word that we might be fed with lifegiving bread. Nourish our souls and make us strong in You. We ask this in Your holy name. Amen.
Day 15 – A Prayer for the Church
“Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’” Matthew 16:16–19
Lord of All, You have brought us into Your family, Your community of faith — the church — by the precious blood of Your Son Jesus Christ, and You filled us with Your very presence through the indwelling Holy Spirit. We thank You for the Christian church as the community of all true believers under the lordship of Jesus. We believe in one holy, apostolic, catholic and universal church under the authority of our Redeemer and Messiah King, Jesus Christ. Father, thank You for the fellowship of faith where we are fed by Your life-giving Word of Truth preached by anointed, called and Spirit-filled servants of God. Thank You for the sacraments that You administered through Christ’s appointment. Holy Spirit, ignite in us a fire each week as we worship God in spirit and in truth. Enable us to follow Christ into the world to make disciples for the transformation of the world. Give us hearts to build Your church by exemplifying Christ’s command to love God and love others for the fulfillment of God’s rule and reign in the world. Give us a deeper love for Your church — Your beloved bride and body. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen
Day 16 – A Prayer of Baptism Remembrance
“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:4–6
Heavenly Father, You have freed us from sin and given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed us into Your holy people — the family of faith. God, in water You create life and in water You wash us. In water, You bind us in the presence of the Holy Spirit. In water, You mark us in the love of Jesus Christ. Father, we thank You for our baptism and ask that our lives would be shaped by the Spirit’s sanctifying love and transforming grace. Lord Jesus, help us today to order our lives that others might see You more clearly in our words and actions. Holy Spirit, wash us afresh that we might reflect You by the way that we live and the way that we love. In the name of our Triune God we pray. Amen.
Day 17 – A Prayer of Eucharist
“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’” Luke 22:19
O Lord Jesus, our Savior, You gave Yourself fully and freely to us in obedience to God to open heaven’s gates and provide a way back to our Father’s embrace. Your body was broken so that we might be made whole, and Your blood was shed so that we might be washed of our sins, forgiven and free to love and serve You. We thank You for the sacrament of Holy Communion where we remember Your sacrifice for us, and we partake of our family meal and are nourished with spiritual food and drink. In the Greek, Eucharistic is thanksgiving. May our lives reflect the gratitude in our hearts for all You have done and provided for us through Your sacrificial redeeming love. Holy Spirit, help our lives to be a living Eucharist to the glory of God our King. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.
Day 18 – A Prayer for an Undivided Heart
“Teach me Your ways, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth, give me an undivided heart that I may fear Your name.” Psalm 86:11
O Lord, Your ways are higher than our ways, and Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. In Your Word are eternal treasures and nuggets of life-giving truths. Teach us Your ways, guide us with Your holy truth, and enable us to walk in the light of Your love and righteousness. Father, give us an undivided heart that hungers and burns in love for You alone. Holy Spirit, enable us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling today as followers of Jesus Christ. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Day 19 – A Prayer for Presence
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.” Romans 12:15–16
Loving God, You meet us where we are in our brokenness, our sorrows and our pains, but also in our joys and celebrations. You likewise call us to meet people where they are and to be fully present with those around us. Lord Jesus, You are present with us and within us. Your presence is likewise a gift we can offer to those we interact with each day. Holy Spirit, enable us to rejoice with those who are rejoicing, but also weep with those who are weeping. Let us not shy away from the pains and sorrows of life, but offer ourselves to those who are hurting. Help us to be of the same mind towards others and to listen attentively as they share their hearts, thoughts, burdens and lives with us. As we listen to them, help us listen to You and the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit. We are here with You and for You — fully present. In the name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen.
Day 20 – A Prayer for a Generous Hospitality
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13:2
Merciful and Gracious God, We approach You with appreciative hearts and attentive ears. Jesus, look down from Your seat at the right hand of the Father and embolden us to be people of hospitality who make sure those who would ask for crumbs be given the delicacies of our table. Let us proclaim those we meet in our neighborhoods as honored guests, and may we join heaven in celebrating when the world’s prodigals come home. We are committed to be a church that invites all, welcomes all, loves all, and preaches the gospel to all. So Heavenly Father, do not let us stop at hospitality for its own sake, but spur us through the power of the Holy Spirit to graciously usher our guests into a salvific relationship with Christ Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen
Day 21 – A Prayer for Holy Love
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6
Lord God, Your love is seen in creation, so beautifully right here around Aiken. We see Your love in the cross and in Your resurrection when out of love for us, You ended the power of death. We celebrate Your love realized in your willingness to gift, empower, comfort and heal us with your Holy Spirit. You are love. As we follow You, may our faith show up more and more in love. May we love not only in the easy choices, but in the difficult ones as well. May we love with truth, kindness, holiness and compassion. May we love not with conflict avoidance, but with a deep authentic commitment to you and to all people. May our love allow each person to feel seen and to know themselves as loved by You, Lord. For Your kingdom and in Your name we pray. Amen.
Day 22 – A Prayer for Works of Mercy
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirst and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.’” Matthew 25:34-35
Holy and Loving God, You are good and merciful. Your kindness for the last and the least teaches us of love and humbles us with Your mercy. Your care for all aspects of Your creation is endless. We worship You, our life-giving, life-loving God. We want to not only be appreciators of your mercy, but also to show mercy, to live mercy, and to extend mercy. We want to be kingdom-minded followers who reach out to the hungry, thirsty, broken, lonely and forgotten, so that they too can connect with the saving love of Jesus, grow in His love, and help us share that rescuing and redeeming love with the world. We want to love our neighbors even when they are unlovely. Holy Spirit, lead us. May we be people whose lives overflow with mercy in our beliefs and in our actions. For Your kingdom and in Your name we pray. Amen.
Day 23 – A Prayer for Authentic Community
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common.” Acts 2:42-44
Holy Father, Redeeming Son and Empowering Spirit, You live in the perfect community of the Trinity. You created us to live in community and gave us the gift of a relationship with You and a family of fellow believers. Fearfully and wonderfully, You made us for fellowship. Forgive us and free us from slavery to nice, ingenuine social interactions which are cheap substitutes for the covenantal life you desire for us. Guide us as we seek to be Your community, to live and love each other well. May our church be a fellowship grounded in the apostles’ teaching, prayer and genuine community. May we be a holy temple, a bride awaiting her groom, and live as Your Body. Send Your Spirit to work powerfully in our midst and open our eyes to see Your miracles and share Your love with those around us today. For Your kingdom and in Your name we pray. Amen.
Day 24 – A Prayer of Assurance
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:16
God of us all, You are the initiator, the One who started this story. You are the forever pursuer, seeking us out relentlessly, wooing us to You. Though we are unfaithful, You persevere. You are faithful. Through Christ’s death and resurrection and the coming of Your lifegiving Spirit, You have redeemed us, making us part of Your family of faith. Thank you, Lord, for calling us Your children and giving us the Spirit of adoption. Loving Father, send Your Spirit to assure us of our salvation. Remind us over and over that we are Yours. We have been bought with a price, and our lives are hidden in You. Let us know You as our most caring, loving parent and know ourselves as Your rightful children. For Your kingdom and in Your name we pray. Amen
Day 25 – A Prayer of Gratitude
“Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ for you. Do not quench the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19
God of grace and God of glory, You have shown us the beauty of Your handiwork each day through creation and through Your image in others. Our only response is to worship and adore You with hearts of gratitude for Your love and grace. Holy Spirit, strengthen us daily through our communion of prayer with You. Lead us to pray fervently for our church to be the light in the culture of our time. Give us grateful hearts even when we face difficult trials, we know that You have a greater purpose and divine will in the midst of it all. Spirit of the Living God, nudge us to give thanks and praise for all You are doing in our lives. Lord Jesus, teach us to pray for our leaders daily, giving thanks for the way You use them to shepherd our souls in accordance with Your truth in reverent fear of the Lord. Remind us even in our struggles with each other to be grateful for our bond as members of the Body of Christ. Bless us to follow Jesus, our Great Intercessor, as the center of our lives. In His great name we pray. Amen
Day 26 – A Prayer for Fasting
“But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Matthew 6:16
O Lord our Creator, You see all things hidden in the darkness, and You bring all things into the light of Your love. We thank You for Jesus the true Light of the world, from whom nothing is hidden. Heavenly Father, help us dedicate a time of fasting and prayer that we might be drawn closer to You and Your holy light. Form us into the likeness of Jesus. Holy Spirit, examine us with the flashlight of Your Word to reveal the secret places of dark motivations that lurk within our hearts. Allow us to faithfully practice fasting as a weekly rhythm to grow in our faith dependence upon You. Through the spiritual discipline of fasting, give us a renewed focus on Kingdom living — of being set apart for You in this world and not of it. Lord Jesus, You are not of this world and our lives are made to thrive when we feast at the banquet table of Your Word instead of the empty calories of this world. We ask this in the name of our Triune God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day 27 – A Prayer for Generous Giving
“Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be put into your bosom.” Luke 6:38a “ “
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 O Lord our God, You have generously given to us every spiritual blessing through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Teach us to be like You in our giving — generous, expressive, cheerful and free from hesitation. Lord Jesus, help us find renewed joy and purpose in intentional, faithful giving. May we mimic You in offering all that we are and all that we have for Your kingdom glory and praise. Holy Spirit, lead us to give authentically from our hearts of our time, talents and treasures. Through our giving, may we experience great cheer and excitement knowing Your kingdom is being extended throughout our community and our world. In gratitude we ask this prayer in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
Day 28 – A Prayer to Be Rooted in Christ’s Love
“… that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19
Immeasurable God, Your love for us cannot be measured or contained. You have demonstrated Your great love for us through the life, death, and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus, show us more of You, more of Your love, and more of Your goodness and grace. Expand the space in our hearts so that Your love can flow freely through our thoughts, our words, and our actions. Keep us grounded and firmly planted in Your Word and in the assurance of the promises of Your great love for us. Holy Spirit, increase our faith in You and transform us into the likeness of Your Son — who is love personified. Make us vessels of Your unconditional love and fill us daily with the fullness of God that others may taste and see the goodness of Your love in and through us. We ask this in the name of Jesus – Lover of our souls. Amen.
Day 29 – A Prayer to Grow as Doers of the Word
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word, this one will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:22-25
Heavenly Father, You are the Creator of our world and the architect of our lives. We lift our hearts and souls to You in praise and thanksgiving. We worship You with our whole being and thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ, who showed us the way to love our brothers and sisters in Christ and how to live our lives for others according to Your Word. Father, we humbly ask for the strength to be Your hands and feet. We seek to be followers of the Way as Jesus was. Holy Spirit, help us to not sit idle but to go and do the work that You call us to daily in Your indwelling strength. We know that the difference is not in the hearing, but in the doing of what your Word calls us to do. Father, we love You and thank You for the privilege of building our life on the rock of Your Word for Your kingdom glory and praise alone. May we see Your church grow as we grow in being doers of the Word. We ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen
Day 30 – A New Creation Prayer
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Gracious God, You are worthy of all our praise. We worship You in Your glory and majesty, and we are blessed by Your unending love and abundant grace. Father, thank You for the great gift of saving grace You have provided for us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. We thank You for making us new creations in Christ and allowing us to live out Your divine purposes on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, we trust Your promises and boldly pray for You to bring new life to our church in Jesus’ name. Holy Spirit, focus our minds on the path forward in faith and not what is behind us. We pray for increasing faith in You and not the things of this world. We want to be a new people, a new creation in Jesus Christ. Father, fill our hearts with love as we follow You out of the darkness and into the marvelous light of Your love and grace. Remind us that You are doing a new thing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Enable us to lean in, learn, listen and follow You. We ask this in the victorious name of Jesus. Amen.
Day 31 – A Prayer for Holy Peace
“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the LORD; looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.” Hebrews 12:14
Merciful God, You are holy, gracious and kind. You have provided the way for us to know and experience Your peace through Your Son Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. It is only through His life, death and resurrection that we experience peace with You. Lord Jesus, You have now clothed us in garments of righteousness and holiness. You have called us to follow Your example of being peacebuilders by sharing Your gospel of love and grace. Father, there are forces in this world that work to whittle away the grace, peace and love that You give freely. Holy Spirit, protect, guard and keep us from allowing these influences to defile us. Remove any bitterness from our hearts and breathe fresh love and clarity into our hearts and minds. Lord Jesus, make us holy as You are holy, transforming us into the pursuers of peace that You enable us to be. All for Your glory, Father, in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen.
Day 32 – A Prayer for Social Justice
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you. But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
Almighty God, You are a God of justice, mercy and boundless goodness. As disciples of Christ, You call us to mimic Your actions of goodness, mercy, love and justice to those all in this world. Forgive us for turning a blind eye to the marginalized, oppressed, victimized and forgotten in our society. Lord Jesus, Your life and ministry revealed the Father’s heart of mercy, justice and love. You were the model of the Father’s love in action. Holy Spirit, quicken our hearts to speak up for those without a voice and to stand up for those who are defenseless. Remind us again and again that the posture of Your kingdom is humility. We lay our pride at Your feet that You might clothe us afresh in humility as we walk this journey of faith with You. May we live as Jesus modeled for us to the glory of Your name. Amen.
Day 33 – A Prayer for Mission
“And Jesus came and spoke with them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20
Lord Jesus, Your selfless act of love and grace by choosing to die on the cross for our sins, divinely established a new covenant with those who would receive Your gift of salvation. O Lord, by Your great love and mercy, You call us to follow You into the world to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Holy Spirit, empower and equip us to be bold about sharing our faith with those we encounter today. Holy Spirit, give us a heart of compassion for the lost and a passion to spread Your Word and the message of love and grace in the gospel to those in our neighborhoods, our community and even to the ends of the earth. Thank You for Your abiding presence and peace that rests upon us and strengthens us as a people on mission with You. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen
Day 34 – A Prayer for Christlike Living
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
Heavenly Father, Blessed are You who daily carries our burdens. You sent Your Son Jesus Christ to bear the weight and the burden of our sins on the cross of Calvary. By His shed blood, death and resurrection, we are free from the weight of sin and death, guilt and shame. Lord Jesus, You now invite us to abide in You and stay connected to Your life-giving nourishment through Your abiding presence, Your living Word, and the indwelling Holy Spirit. Help us grow daily in grace, humility, compassion and gentleness, so that we might bear the burdens of others and so fulfill the law of love in Christ. Holy Spirit, enable us to strengthen the weak, encourage the downcast, relieve the afflicted, comfort the grieving, pray for the oppressed, and be Your vessels of healing to the hurting. Teach us what it means to come to the aid of Your image in all Your children in their time of need. We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen.
Day 35 – A Prayer for Victorious Living
“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-15
Victorious and triumphant Lord, You always lead us in triumphant victory through Your Son Jesus Christ. Thank You for filling us with the fragrance of Christ’s love and the beauty of His holiness through the indwelling of you Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, allow us to spread the fragrance of Your love to somebody that needs to experience hope and life today. Holy Spirit, make us mindful that our life is an incense of praise to You by the way that we live and the way that we love. May our prayers continue to be a sweet aroma to You as we pour out our hearts before You on behalf of ourselves and those we love. We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen.
Day 36 – A Prayer for Steadfastness
“Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.” 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17
Holy God and Father, You have loved us with an everlasting love, and beneath us are Your everlasting arms. You have demonstrated Your love for us by sending Jesus to die for our sins while we were still sinners. Through Jesus, we are given eternal comfort and hope by Your unfailing love, mercy and grace. Lord Jesus, help us to hold fast to Your truth and holy teachings. Remind us that the traditions and doctrines we hold on to have been passed down from the church You established long ago with the early apostles. Holy Spirit, strengthen us in every good word and work that the effectiveness of our faith would be lived out in our daily lives to the glory of God our Father, through Jesus Christ our Savior, in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day 37 – A Prayer for Courage
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Gracious Loving God, You are our strength and our song. Our refuge and strength in times of unrest. You have told us that You are strong and that You love us. In your strength and love, we walk forward in confidence, trusting in the Holy Spirit to lead our path forward as we walk according to Your Word and holy ways. Lord Jesus, give us the courage to speak boldly, in clarity and peace, about the hope that is within us. Drive out the enemy of fear and fill us with the faith in knowing You walk this journey beside us, before us and behind us. Holy Spirit, be our cloud by day and pillar of fire by night to keep us protected and shielded from the snares of the enemy that attack us from without and disrupt us from within. Thank You for being with us as we move courageously forward in faith, hope and love. In Jesus’ strong name we pray. Amen.
Day 38 – A Prayer to Contend for the Faith
“Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.” Jude 1:3
Holy God, You are Creator of all people, both saints and sinners alike. We plead to you that You might consider us saints through the power and sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Walk alongside us today and remind us of the countless ways You have provided for us! Free us from the bondage of sin today, and as Paul addressed Jude, we long in this moment for You to call us “Beloved.” Holy Spirit, embolden us to action, transform our hearts of “assured apathy” into hearts of “loving conviction,” and motivate us to refuse to be “in contention” with what God has said and instead to accept the charge to “contend for the faith.” In the name of the One who is the Only Begotten, Christ Jesus. Amen
Day 39 – A Prayer for a Greater Faith
“For we walk by faith, not by sight” 2 Corinthians 5:7
Creator God, You are the one, true, eternal God, Creator of all things visible and invisible. You declare Your glory in the heavens and exhibit Your beauty throughout creation. Through Your Son Jesus Christ, You revealed the exact representation of Your glory and divine nature. Jesus, O Lord Jesus, You revealed the heart of the Father through Your life, ministry, death and resurrection. You have led us to desire You through Your prevenient grace, and through faith we are brought into Your family to experience saving grace. The same faith that leads us to salvation now transforms us into Your image by your sanctifying grace. Lord Jesus, help us to walk by faith as Your disciples — not looking at the actions of others, the culture or even our circumstances around us, but by placing our total trust and dependence upon You and Your life-giving promises. Holy Spirit, increase our faith in this season and remind us that it is faith alone that pleases God. Enable us to live daily by faith, fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. In His name we pray. Amen.
Day 40 – A Prayer for the New Creation
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also, there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no pain, for the former things have passed away.’” Revelation 21:1-4
Merciful and Gracious God, You are the One who is perfect and who makes perfect in Your time. Your mercies are new every morning, and we look to a time when You will make all things new in the New Jerusalem. We eagerly wait for a glorious new heaven and new earth where creation is restored, our sin shattered lives are healed, and our relationships with one another and with You are no longer disfigured by sin, selfishness and pride. You broke the power of sin and death. We long to see Your kingdom arrive in all its fullness and beauty. For now, may we live mindful that one day we will dwell forever in a perfect holy and loving community with You and with one another. Keep us looking with a living hope for this time to come. May we live each day seeking to bring Your kingdom reality to earth by spreading Christ’s love, kindness and grace to all we encounter. It is for Your kingdom glory and praise alone, Glorious King. We pray in Your holy name. Amen.