Praying Together With God's Word

 SHARED PRAYERS FROM GOD’S WORD

We know that the book of Psalms written by King David and others contains prayers and calling out to God that cover a wide range of topics. 

We’ve chosen Psalm 3 to pray today.  Some of our enemies are things like the COVID-19 virus rather perhaps than other humans but the desire for God’s help and rescue is consistent with our situation these days.

Lord, I have so many enemies. So many people have turned against me.  They say to themselves, “God will not rescue him!” But you, Lord, protect me. You bring me honor; you give me hope. I will pray to the Lord, and he will answer me from his holy mountain.

I can lie down to rest and know that I will wake up,  because the Lord covers and protects me.  So I will not be afraid of my enemies, even if thousands of them surround me.

Lord, get up! My God, come rescue me! If you hit my enemies on the cheek, you will break all their teeth. Lord, the victory is yours! You are so good to your people.

Psalm 3

A number of years ago the prayer of Jabez was quite popular.  Books were written about it.  Plenty of posters and online pictures were posted.  You could find lots of things in bookstores related to it.  The bottom line of this prayer is that we can bring all that we are – both what’s well and what’s painful – to the Lord.  We need God’s blessing on our work, on the provision of all we need on a daily basis.  We need healing from pain and deliverance from trouble.  Jabez managed to get all that into just a few words. 

“Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.

1 Chronicles 4:10

God loves to heal us.  We don’t need to beg Him for that.  The prophet Jeremiah uses just a few words to ask for healing and we will pray with him:

Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.

Jeremiah 17:14

Let’s conclude our time together with this prayer from Paul that we would grow in God’s love.

I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Philippians 1:9-11