Prayers For Every Occasion From the Psalms

 A few times I’ve mentioned how I find it really helpful to read selections from the Psalms each day.  One of the lovely results of reading the Psalms over and over again is seeing the example of how freely we can call on God for all our needs. 

O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.  Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord; hear my urgent cry.  I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble, and you will answer me.  Psalm 86:5-7

The writer of those words asks for God’s help because God is good.  He asks for God’s help because he knows he needs help.  He asks for God’s help whenever he’s in trouble because he knows that God will hear and answer His prayer.  He knows that God has unfailing love and help for all who will simply ask for it.

Well, who of us today needs another experience of the goodness of God and an expression of His help?  If we were raising hands I’m thinking all of our hands are raised.  Particularly during these long months of the pandemic when we knew we are in trouble, only to have things get worse than we even imagined they would, we could always take heart that God would hear and answer us when we prayed.  He did, over and over again. 

God’s unfailing love and help is still ours as we emerge into somewhat more normal times, if we will simply ask for it.  So let’s do that again today as we have been doing during these days, weeks, and months of this COVID-19 pandemic.

Heavenly Father,  many of us have come to know that You exist and that You are a God who loves to help us.  In troubled times we sometimes struggle and in our panic and fear – or because we are busy trying to fix things on our own – we don’t think to ask You for help. 

Sometimes we don’t ask because we think we are better at fixing things than You are.  Sometimes we don’t like Your solutions and so we prefer to stay in our own stubborn self-will even though it’s uncomfortable.

Thank You for your willingness to help us and to keep on helping us as we humbly ask for that help. 

As we do every day of our lives, we need more forgiveness and so we take time today to ask for that. 

We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.  For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways,

to the glory of your Name.

Your forgiveness is promised for every wrong when we repent of where we’ve gone wrong and turn to You and then You pour strength into us as we seek to walk in Your ways again.

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.  Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.  1 Peter 5:5-7

Thank You for your promise to give grace to us when we humble ourselves, admitting our need for help and trusting in Your mighty power to work on our behalf, and Your willingness to do what’s right in the right time. We give over our worries and cares to You God and trust that You care for each and every thing that is troubling and causing us concern today. 

The LORD will complete what his purpose is for me. LORD, your gracious love is eternal; do not abandon your personal work in me.  Psalm 138:8

And so again today we ask for Your guidance and help in all our affairs.  We trust You to complete the good work that You have begun in us as You help us fulfill Your loving purposes.  Thank You that You will not abandon us but will build with us on all that’s already been begun in our hearts and circumstances.  Amen