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Refocusing Your Prayers on the Kingdom |
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As you begin to focus prayer on a more “Your
Kingdom Come” agenda, you may need some ideas on things to pray. Here are ten
prayer points—based on John 17—that
can be a guide.
Almighty God and Father, we acknowledge that all things were made by
You and for You to bring You glory. Give us a true understanding of
what it means to worship You in spirit and in truth—to glorify Your
Name. Strip from us any self-serving ways that promote our cause
instead of Yours. Open our eyes to ways we rob You of the glory You
rightly deserve. Help us to live humbly and in such a way that we
decrease so that You may increase. (Jn. 17:1; Col. 1:16; Jn. 4:23; Jas.
4:10; Jn. 3:30; Jas. 4:10)
Father, we praise Your Son, Jesus Christ, to whom You granted all
authority. You gave Him a name that is above every other name. You
have seated Him in heavenly places and every principality, power, ruler
of darkness and spiritual evil is under His feet. Help us to
understand the authority we have been given in Christ Jesus. Teach us
to operate in the heavenly position we hold seated with Christ.
Forgive us for not utilizing the inheritance You fought so desperately
for us to have. Train us to live out our position as children of the
Most High God. (Jn. 17:2; Phil 2:9-11; Eph. 1:17-22; Eph. 2:6)
Lord, we desire to know You in an intimate way. We desire to know You
and be known by You. Father, we desire to put away anything in our
lives that takes the edge off of our hunger and thirst for You. Show
us what things distract us and help us to remove them because we are
weak, Father. We want to remain in Your presence and listen carefully
so that we know the intimate, secret things You desire to share with
us. (Jn. 17:3; Luke 8:18; Ps. 42:1; Mt. 5:6; Luke 10:38-42)
Thank You, Father, for counting us worthy to partner with You in
building Your kingdom here on earth. Thank You for planning in advance
for specific things You want us to do. Help us to understand Your plan
for our lives so that we may accomplish Your purposes for us. We know
that unless You are building the house, all our labor is in vain. Keep
us from doing good things just for the sake of doing—set us apart to
the pursuit of the things You planned for us from before the time You
called the world into existence. (Jn. 17:4; Eph. 1:11, 2:10; Ps. 127:1)
Lord God, we acknowledge that everything we have comes from You. There
is nothing that we can give You that did not already come from You.
Everything we need for life and godliness is readily supplied to us.
You enable us to perform everything You ask us to do. Your grace is
sufficient. Teach us to be content in the provision of Your hand. (Jn
17:7, 10; 1 Ch. 29:14; 2 Pe. 1:3; 2 Cor. 12:9; Phil. 4:11)
In the mighty name of Jesus, we ask for protection from the evil one.
Lead us away from temptations that would cause us to fall prey to his
schemes. Open our eyes to the battle that surrounds us and teach us to
utilize every piece of the armor that You have provided for us. Your
word says that sin is crouching at the door ready to overtake us and
that the enemy is prowling around like a roaring lion waiting to devour
us—but we live as if there is no danger at all. Help us to be
self-controlled and alert so that the enemy does not steal, kill and/or
destroy us, our family and our church. (Jn 17:11, 15; Mt. 6:13; 2 Cor.
2:11; Eph. 6:10-18; Gen. 4:7; 1 Pe. 5:8; Jn. 10:10)
Holy Spirit, teach us to walk in the fullness of the joy of Christ that
was deposited in us. May we walk in such joyful communion with Father,
Son and Holy Spirit that the world cannot resist Your message. Your
joy is our strength, Lord. Help us to keep our eye on the prize just
as Christ did when He took up His cross. (Jn. 17:13; Ne. 8:10; Heb.
12:2)
Thank You for Your Word, Lord God—it is truth! It sanctifies and
transforms our minds as we immerse ourselves in it. Sanctify us through
and through! Teach us to value Your holy Word, to feed on it, draw
strength from it, honor and reverence it. Truly it is Your love letter
to us as well as an instruction manual for right living. May this year
mark a time of fascination with Your Word. We move toward recapturing
our first love with the Word made flesh so that we may move out into
the world to capture the hearts of the lost for Your kingdom. (Jn.
17:17-19; Ro. 12:2; 1 Th. 5:23; Ps. 119:16; Rev. 2:4)
Bring us into complete unity so that the world will know that You sent
Jesus into the world, Father God. Just as You give endurance and
encouragement, please give us a spirit of unity among ourselves so that
we operate as one heart and mouth to glorify You, the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ! Help us to accept one another in love so that
You will receive praise. (Jn. 17:23; Ro. 15:5-7)
Lord, we want to know You the way Christ knew You so that we can make
You known to the world. Let the word of our testimony be powerful and
personal—not just hearsay. We pray that each of us would walk with You
so closely that merely by observance of our actions, the world gets a
glimpse of Who You are. May our light so shine that our lives will be a
living presentation of the good news of Christ. (Jn. 17:25; 1 Pe. 2:12;
Mt. 5:16)
© 2007 Sandra Higley, Church Prayer Leaders Network
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Becoming a Kingdom Force