DAY 1

A PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on
your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
PROVERBS 3:5-6

Gracious King,

Your light has always led us. You are a powerful and strong ruler, and You are always present in our lives and the life of our church. We thank You for Your faithfulness to us. We thank You for Your faithfulness to Your promises. We thank You that You proved Your faithfulness in the death and resurrection of Christ. We humbly come before You.

We acknowledge we need Your wisdom and guidance. You have given us intelligence, but we seek Your mind. You have given us affections, but we seek Your heart. You have given us a will, but we seek Your will. We don’t want to run ahead of You, and we don’t want to fall behind Your leading. We ask that You help us keep in step with Your Holy Spirit. You have led us in the past and we celebrate all that You have done to lead us here now. We trust Your leadership for the future of our church and pray it would be a future of blessing and abundance. Make our path straight for the sake of Your praise and the building of Your kingdom.

We ask this in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

DAY 2

A PRAYER FOR HOLINESS

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
ISAIAH 6:1-3

Holy and awesome God,

We tremble with all creation at Your holiness. There is none like You! You are an all-consuming fire. You are the maker of heaven and earth. You never grow tired or weary. You are set apart from creature and creation. You dwell in unapproachable and inaccessible light. Oh God, the universe continuously shouts Your praise, and the sun, moon and stars speak of Your infinite beauty. We too, find glory in Your holiness.  Our prayer is that You help us stand in awe of Your holiness. May the eyes of our heart be captivated and enraptured by Your “other-ness.” Give us a glimpse of who You really are and may we live more honorable, more holy lives because of that vision.

In the holy name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

DAY 3

A PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE

I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
PSALM 34:4

Mighty God,

You revealed Yourself to Your people as the great emancipator. You love to set people free. You deliver by Your might and Your wisdom. We pray, Father, that we might seek You continuously and in our process of seeking, we ask that You deliver us from a great foe, our fear. Deliver us from the fear of punishment. Deliver us from the fear of abandonment. Deliver us from the imprisonment of people pleasing. Deliver us from addictions and obsessions and distractions. Your face, oh God, we seek and as we seek You, move us from hate to love, from despair to hope and from fear to faith.

Amen.

DAY 4

A PRAYER FOR DISCERNING LOVE

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
PHILIPPIANS 1:9-11

Wise Counselor,

We come before You in the righteousness that Christ provides; the righteousness based on His merit and not our own. We stand confidently in His completed work and unfailing love. God, we ask that You grow our love for You and Your world. We ask that it overflow and abound. May we learn to love the little, seemingly insignificant parts of Your creation so that we can love all things as You do. And we ask that You grow us in discernment. As we pray for the future of our church and how to share Your love, we beg You to fill us collectively with a spirit of discernment and clarity. Fill our minds with Your mind, our thoughts with Your thoughts. Push away confusion and cloudiness. May we know Your leading beyond doubt and may we be filled with the fruit of the righteousness of Christ.

For His sake and in His name, we pray. Amen.

DAY 5

A PRAYER FOR OUR SENIOR PASTOR

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

O Great Shepherd,

We humble ourselves before You. You promise to lead us beside still and peaceful waters and out to green pastures of grace. We trust You ultimately, as God our Shepherd. You have also given us leaders to shepherd and guide us. We lift to You our senior pastor, Jeff Kersey, and pray that You would pour out Your Spirit on him. Fill him with the fullness of Christ. Grant him the counsel of Your wisdom, discernment, knowledge and power. May he delight himself in You and in the fear of You. Protect him from giving in to temptation. Protect him from pride and discouragement. May he be encouraged and inspired for such a time as this.

We ask this in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

DAY 6

A PRAYER FOR ENLIGHTENMENT

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and Your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give You the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
EPHESIANS 1:15-19

Father of light,

You alone are worthy of all praise and honor! We are filled with joy at the privilege of serving and sharing in the community of faith here at Mt. Horeb. We see Your love and light in the faces of those who worship with us. We pray that You would give us spiritual sight. Heal any blindness and let Your truth uncover any self-deception. May we see all that You are and all that You have given us. Remind us we don’t have to achieve anything, but everything has already been achieved for us, in Christ.

In His victory we stand, and in His name we pray. Amen.

DAY 7

A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
PSALM 107:8-9

We give thanks to You God for the flowers of the field and the birds in the air. We thank You God for the beauty of the skies, for the morning sunrise and evening sunset. We give thanks for good food, laughter with friends and time with family. We are grateful for our homes and our jobs. It’s Your love that provides the earth with its bounty. You have filled us with good things and satisfied our thirst. For this, we offer You continual thanks.

Amen.

DAY 8

A PRAYER FOR HUMILITY

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
1 PETER 5:5-6

Humble God,

You came in the form of a baby, a dependent child. You humbled Yourself to show us the extent of Your love. You delight when Your people model Your humility. We are a community of saints and sinners, and we belong to each other. We pray that You bless our relationships with the fragrant aroma of humility.
We pray that You banish pride from our hearts. Grant that we would seek to understand before we seek to be understood. Grant that we would ask questions and be curious about one another. Help us give each other the benefit of the doubt. Help us fight for each other’s flourishing. We bow before Your mighty hand and ask You to lift us up.

In the glorious name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

DAY 9

A PRAYER FOR REPENTANCE

And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
ISAIAH 6:3-5

Holy and Pure God,

Isaiah saw You for just a moment and was undone. Even the angels covered their eyes in the unfiltered presence of Your glory. In and of ourselves, we have no merit to bring that might grant us access to Your presence. We are sinners, by birth and by choice, and we live in a world that is filled with brokenness and rebellion. Heavenly Father, forgive us for all the ways that we have grieved You. Forgive us for our gossip and slander, for judging and condemning. Forgive us for our silence and our violence. Forgive us our hidden faults. Transform our hearts from the inside out that we might speak and act in a way that reflects Your purity. Enable us, Holy Spirit, to walk in the ways of Your Word and in the teachings of Christ, so that the world might know who You are.

In Your holy name we pray. Amen.

DAY 10

A PRAYER FOR CLEANSING

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
PSALM 51:10

God who forgives,

You are more ready to forgive than we are to sin. You delight in showing mercy and grace. You taught us that if we have a pure heart, we will see You. We ask You to clean our hearts. Purify us and wash us white as snow. Renew our thoughts and our motives to be in step with Your truth. Restore to us the joy of Your salvation and may we share this joy with the world. Help us maintain our distinct identity as Your consecrated people and may our integrity fuel the effectiveness of Your mission.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

DAY 11

A PRAYER OF SENDING

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
ISAIAH 6:8

Gracious Father,

You are a God on mission. You are a God on the move. You first pursued Adam and Eve when they rebelled against You in the garden, and You have sought humanity ever since. We are honored that You invite us into Your mission. We delight that You give us a purpose bigger than our own self interests. May we echo with the prophet Isaiah, “Here am I! Send me!” Send us to the lost and hurting and broken and bruised. Send us to those who are far from You and need to know Your great love for them. Send us to those stuck in self-destructive cycles so they can know Your freedom. Strengthen us to declare the reign of Your kingdom and supremacy of Christ!

For Your sake, Amen.

DAY 12

PRAISE FOR GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY

“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 all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.
1 CHRONICLES 29:10b-13

Sovereign King,

You reign and rule over all things. You spoke this world into being and every square inch of creation belongs to You. You sustain all things now by the power of Your Word. You speak life and peace and health into our lives. You are the wise counselor, ruling with justice and equity and You will reign forever! Awaken us, Holy Spirit, to Your guiding light. May we bring Your kingdom of light where there is darkness. May we bring Your kingdom of peace where there is violence. May we bring Your kingdom of love where there is hatred. Be glorified in and through us, King Jesus.

Amen.

DAY 13

A PRAYER FOR HELP

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 that I have said to you.
JOHN 14:26

Holy Spirit,

You are the living God. You are breath and wind and the third person of the Trinity. You are God, Almighty. You lead us and guide us into all truth and You comfort us in our struggle and convict us in our sin. Fall fresh on us! Sustain, correct, humble, empower and sanctify us to live faithful lives as followers of Christ. Fill us with the fullness of God. May we be sensitive to Your leading and stay in step with Your rhythms.

We pray to the Father, in the name of Christ, by Your power. Amen.

DAY 14

A PRAYER OF GRATITUDE FOR THE SCRIPTURES

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17

Heavenly Author,

In Your wisdom, You guided and inspired human authors to pen true words onto parchment and papyrus. You desire for all to know You and Your ways through the revelation of Holy Scripture. Your Word is living and active, sharp and incisive, piercing through our defenses and all barriers erected against it. Your Word does not return void but bears the fruit of the kingdom. May we submit ourselves to the wisdom of Your Word. May we hide it in our hearts and minds so that we might not sin against You. Help us delight in hearing the truth and help us delight in doing the truth. Fill us with wonder and awe as we discover the depths and riches of Your scriptures.

In Christ’s name. Amen.

DAY 15

A PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
MATTHEW 16:18-19

Victorious God,

You have continued Your story of redemption through the children of Abraham, now known as the set-apart community, the church. We have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus, filled with the indwelling presence through Your Holy Spirit, and set free from the dominion of sin. We believe in the one, holy, universal church under the authority of King Jesus. We know our battle is not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities in the heavenly realms. Grant us wisdom and discernment in our battle. Grant us a persevering faith that overcomes the assaults of the Evil One. We bind ourselves to You and to Your kingdom purposes here on earth.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

DAY 16

A PRAYER OF REMEMBRANCE

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
ROMANS 6:4

God of creation,

Through the holy sacrament of baptism and Your promises, we were placed into the family of God. You washed us clean and united us to Christ. In that union we have all that Christ did and all that Christ is. We thank You that we are joined to Him in His death and resurrection and have inherited His riches as Your children. Lord, help us today to remember our baptism, to remember it in such a way that we order our lives by Your grace. Help us to put sin to death in our lives and walk in the new life we now have.

Amen.

DAY 17

A PRAYER FOR A UNIFIED HEART

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
PSALM 86:11

Dear Father,

You are light and You shine light on us through Your truth. The more You shine light the more we realize the dark corners of our heart. It has been fractured by sin and we need to be made whole in Your grace. Teach us. Make us eager students, hungry to learn dependence on You. Grant us a unified heart that we may fear You and walk in a worthy manner.

In Your name we pray. Amen.

DAY 18

A PRAYER FOR PRESENCE

Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
ROMANS 12:15-16

Compassionate God,

You know what it is to be human. You meet us right where we are in our brokenness and pain, in our joys and successes. You hurt when we hurt, and You rejoice with us! You give us Your presence whatever we are going through. We pray that we would offer others this kind of presence. Free us from trying to fix others because we are uncomfortable with their pain. Free us from being envious of others’ gifts and joys. Grant us to live incarnational with others around us. We pray others may see You in us.

In Christ’s name. Amen.

DAY 19

A PRAYER FOR A GENEROUS HEART

Give, and you will receive. your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
LUKE 6:38

Benevolent Father,

You give without expecting anything in return. You shower all creation with rain and sunshine. You have poured out Your love into our hearts. We pray that our hearts would beat in alignment with Yours. May we be generous with our resources, time, encouragement, kindness, hope and love. Let us forgive freely and be set free from the prison of bitterness. Let Your river of life flow freely through our hearts. Remind us that whatever we do for the least of these, we do unto You.

Amen.

DAY 20

A PRAYER FOR FAITH-FILLED 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

Loving God,

You have shown us what is valuable and true, what is beautiful and worth thinking about. Christ, You undermined legalism, but You upheld the law. It is easy for us to become distracted with religiosity. The things we often think are most important, pale in comparison to what You accomplished in Your death and resurrection. We pray You would separate the wheat from the chaff. We pray that You would fill us with faith in You and that faith would express itself in love for others.

For Your sake, we pray, Jesus. Amen.

DAY 21

A PRAYER TO SHOW 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 thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.
MATTHEW 25:34-35

Jesus,

Your teaching turns our world upside down. You show us that we can see Your face in the face of a thirsty child. We can see Your eyes in the eyes of a lonely stranger. Everyone we meet is a “Christ.” Break our hearts for the people and circumstances that break Yours. Make us people of mercy. Help us to alleviate physical ailments so people can tangibly experience Your mercy. Help us point to the gospel, which alleviates spiritual ailments so others can have eternal hope.

In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

DAY 22

A PRAYER FOR GENUINE 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

Triune God,

You live in perfect harmony and community in the life of the Trinity. You existed long before creation in perfect love and humility, in perfect respect and relationship. You made us for community and fellowship. Our fellowship is imperfect because of sin, but our fellowship reflects Your divine life. Free us from people pleasing and flattery. Free us from the comparison trap. Free us from showing partiality, for good or ill. Make us a church founded on sound doctrine, fervent prayer, sacraments and genuine relationships. We are a purified bride, a holy temple, a kingdom of priests. Knit us together as a body, for the sake of Your body.

Amen.

DAY 23

A PRAYER FOR ASSURANCE

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
ROMANS 8:16

Spirit of God,

You hovered over the deep at the beginning of creation. All things came to pass through Your wisdom and power. You are the sustainer of the universe. You transform and redeem all creation. You are our seal and our deposit for eternity. We are humbled that You choose to dwell within us even though we still sin. You testify that we are Yours and our spirit agrees with You. We belong to You, oh God.

Confirm that in us today, we pray. Amen.

DAY 24

PRAISE FOR BEING PHYSICAL

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
GENESIS 1:31

Gracious Creator God,

After You made all creatures and all of creation, You saw that it was very good! You made the world exactly as You intended it. Words cannot express our praise for being creatures of the sixth day. We thank You for our physical bodies. You did not make a mistake when You created us in our mother’s womb. We thank You that we hunger and thirst. We thank You that we are limited, finite beings who need rest and leisure. We thank You that each of us is unique, wonderful and fearfully made. We rejoice that we are creatures and not the Creator. We gladly accept our position in creation.

In Your awesome name, we pray. Amen.

DAY 25

A PRAYER FOR STRENGTH

Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for You in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:17-19

Heavenly Father,

All that we have in this beautiful world is a gift of grace. We see Your glory everywhere we look. Our response to You is praise and thanksgiving. May Your Holy Spirit give us hearts of gratitude. May You strengthen us daily through prayer with You. Help us pray fervently with faith. Regardless of our circumstances and situation, we are grateful to be alive. We are grateful to be Yours. We are grateful to be on mission with You. May we not quench the Spirit but fan the flame of the Spirit’s fire.

In the power of the Spirit we pray. Amen.

DAY 26

A PRAYER FOR GROUNDING

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
EPHESIANS 3:17-19

God of secure love,

You have given us Your Son, and along with Him You have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Him. We have been united to You and lack nothing. We often look for our deep security in shallow soil and barren lands. May we be rooted and established in Your unfailing love. May the presence and reality of the risen Christ ground us in security and stability. Even amid a rapidly changing culture and the messages of cynicism and despair, help us be planted firmly in the hope of the gospel. Christ, dwell deeply in our hearts. Help us know this love that surpasses our minds. Fill us up with You.

In Your name, we pray. Amen.

DAY 27

A PRAYER TO LISTEN

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
JAMES 1:19

God who listens,

You listen to us every time we speak. You hear our thoughts and our words, and You understand where we are coming from. We want to listen like You do, but we often don’t listen well. We do the opposite of what James instructs us to do, speaking quickly and listening only to respond. Please help us to listen attentively and actively. Help us to understand what it is like to be in another person’s world. May we seek to understand their point of view. Put a guard over our mouth so that we are thoughtful and winsome in our speech.

In Christ’s name. Amen.

DAY 28

A PRAYER FOR OBEDIENCE

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
JAMES 1:22-25

Faithful God,

We have heard Your Word many times. We hear it in sermons, devotional readings, the radio and in our own personal reading. We have an abundance of opportunities in our country to hear Your truth, and we praise You for that. We have information, but we need transformation. We ask that Your Holy Spirit make us like Jesus, who was perfectly in step with the Father’s will. We pray that You make us faithful to what You have spoken and revealed to us. Free us from self-deception and blind spots. Although the transformation process can hurt, we know it is for our good, our deep joy and for Your glory. Oh God who spoke the Word, make us doers of the word.

For Your sake. Amen.

DAY 29

A PRAYER TO TAME THE TONGUE

Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
JAMES 3:5-6

Wise God,

You are a pure and perfect God, and we see Your moral beauty in the person of Christ. We see pure wisdom in his teaching and in his speech with others, even those who opposed him. We ask that You pour out Your power on our speech. We thank You for words, which have the power to heal, the power to restore, the power to lift up and to strengthen. We ask for forgiveness when we have used our speech to destroy and tear down, to gossip, slander and betray. Make us aware of the power of our words. Restrain our tongues from harm and empower us to speak grace and truth. Purify our speech.

In the name of Christ, whose speech is without fault. Amen.

DAY 30

A PRAYER TO PURSUE JUSTICE

He has shown You, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with Your God.
MICAH 6:8

God of Justice,

You are a just and true Judge. You reign and rule on high. The universe belongs to You. Ever since the fall of humanity, You have been righting the wrongs. You care about the destitute, outcast, poor, marginalized, and orphans and widows. You enlist us to seek the welfare of others and not just tend to ourselves. May our lives reflect mercy and justice. Grant that we use time, talents and treasure to bring Your shalom in dark places. Shine Your light through us. May others see our good deeds and give You glory.

In the name of Christ. Amen.

DAY 31

A PRAYER OF TRUST

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
PSALM 23:1-3

Humble God,

You care about each of us personally. Somehow, in Your wisdom, You tend and nurture each of us in the proper time. You lead us to places of freedom and fulfillment. You cause us to rest and be refreshed. You protect and preserve us. Though the Devil may surround us, and we are beset with great weaknesses, still You are faithful. Your covenantal love will never change, and You are unashamed to bind Yourself to us. We could never repay You. May we simply honor You with ruthless trust.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

DAY 32

A PRAYER TO KNOW THE SEASONS

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build.
ECCLESIASTES 3:1-3

King Jesus,

You have given us so much wisdom in Your Scripture. We could never exhaust the riches and wealth of Your knowledge! You teach us in Your Word and Your world the rhythms and seasons of the soul. God, we often struggle to keep up with the change, trying to keep alive what needs to die and failing to mourn what has passed. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear. As we pray for Your way forward, help us embrace the new and grieve the old. Grant us discernment to know the season. Grant us courage to live into it.

In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

DAY 33

A PRAYER OF THANKS FOR THE SPIRIT

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
ROMANS 8:14-16

Holy Spirit,

You are God. All things were created through Your power, and You animate all living things. You give glory to the Father and the Son. You make us alive in Christ and preserve our faith until the end. You are always working in us. We humbly praise You for confirming our adoption as children of God. Through You we cry, “Abba, Father.” Thank You for setting us free from slavery to sin and freeing us for obedience to Christ.

In his name, we pray. Amen.

DAY 34

A PRAYER FOR ENDURANCE

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
ROMANS 8:18-19

Dear Father,

As we walk in a world east of Eden, we experience suffering and pain. Sin has marred and broken our world and our hearts. Things are not as they should be. God, we are not as we should be. But Christ is working out redemption and bringing us and all creation into final glory. Help us keep that in mind as we are prone to focus only on our present suffering. Remind us of the future glory to be revealed in us. Give us a taste so that we hunger and thirst for more.

For Your glory we pray. Amen.

DAY 35

A PRAYER FOR TRUE WORSHIP

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
ROMANS 12:1-2

Merciful God,

You have poured out Your grace on us through the sacrifice of Your Son. You have not treated us as our sins deserve, but You have treated us with mercy. We could never repay You for what You have done. We ask only that You help us live lives that honor You. Help us offer our bodies, our words, our thoughts, our talents, our time and our resources to You. Forgive us when we honor You with our lips on Sunday and then dishonor You with our lives through the week. May we live in worship each day.

For Christ’s sake. Amen.

DAY 36

A PRAYER FOR FASTING

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
MATTHEW 16:16-18

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we are in this season of discernment through fasting and prayer, we call upon You who fills us with Your presence. When we go without, we are reminded of our spiritual poverty and how much we need You. In fasting and prayer, You also expose the motives of our hearts. Forgive us where we have put our spirituality on display to serve our ego. Teach us to dwell in the secret place with You, where we don’t need to brag to meet a need, but our contentment is in You. As we seek to be in tune with Your voice, guide us collectively toward your future for us.

We pray in Christ name. Amen.

DAY 37

A PRAYER FOR GATHERING

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
HEBREWS 10:24-25

Gracious God,

Your wise Book lets us know that it is easy to start strong but difficult to persevere. Help us in this day of technology and convenience to feel and know the importance of communal worship. Remind us of our dependency on each other. Strengthen us in our resolve to be fed by our local pastors, who labor in Your Word. Strengthen the staff of our church to love your truth and foster ministry where Christ is exalted, and people are met with compassion.

Bless our weekly gatherings, we pray. Amen.

DAY 38

A PRAYER FOR FAITH

For we live by faith, not by sight.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:7

Dear God,

It is so easy to trust our sense of sight. But You teach us that things are often not as they seem, and You are more present than our sight would ever tell us. You give us faith as a gracious gift of salvation. Help us stoke the fire of trust in You, knowing that the eyes of faith see You in the darkest of times, in the direst of circumstances and in the most dismal places. All things are under Your good reign. Even though it looks like evil is always winning, may we have faith to see that You are working all things for good and for your glory.

For Christ’s sake. Amen.

DAY 39

A PRAYER FOR COURAGE

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
JOSHUA 1:9

God of courage,

You are never afraid. Nothing in this world, seen or unseen, intimidates you. And yet You don’t lord your power over your creation. You redemptively and joyfully serve us in humility. Grant us that type of courage. Grant us the courage that doesn’t need to be announced, confirmed or validated, but resides in a deep strength and security that follows You in truth and in humble service to others.

In Jesus’s name, we pray. Amen.

DAY 40

A PRAYER FOR MISSION

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
MATTHEW 28:18-20

Heavenly Father,

All authority is Yours. You are all powerful Creator and Sustainer. You are Redeemer. You have called us to be on mission in Your redemptive plan. We don’t go in our own authority, but Yours. Help us teach Your whole truth. Deposit in us a love for making disciples. Grant us an urgency for evangelism. Above all, may we love you with our whole heart, mind and strength so that others see our lives and are attracted to the light you shine through us.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.