Tag: prayer

Praying God’s Will – February 27, 2025

Three times in the Gospels Jesus says that with enough faith we can move mountains.   Everything we ask will be granted if we ask in faith.  In Luke 18, using the parable of the widow and judge, he teaches persistence in prayer.  HOWEVER, in the garden of Gethsemane He leads by example and submits to the Father’s will.  “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

Sometimes it’s easy to pray the will of God, such as when praying for a prodigal to come home or a marriage to be healed, but sometimes when asking for escape from a trial or a special blessing, it’s not easy to know what God wants…unless we pray for the part of the person (or ourselves) that is eternal.  Why not intercede for your friend or loved one by praying the prayers of the Bible?

As I sat to write this I was thinking primarily of the prayers in Colossians 1 and Ephesians 3, but I googled NT prayers to make sure I wasn’t missing one and I found an article that mirrors what I want to write. Please take a moment to read and notate the passages!  ~Pastor Scott

Do you want to pray a Bible prayer that appeared in the New Testament? These nine prayers are found in the text of the Gospels and Epistles. Learn more about them. You may want to pray them verbatim in some circumstances or use them as inspiration for prayer. The beginnings of the passages are quoted. You may wish to look up the full verses to read, understand, and use.

The Lord’s Prayer

When his disciples asked to be taught how to pray, Jesus gave them this simple prayer. It shows several different aspects of prayer. First, it acknowledges and praises God and his works and submission to his will. Then it petitions God for basic needs. It asks for forgiveness for our wrongdoing and affirms that we need to act in a compassionate way towards others. It asks that we are able to resist temptation.

Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV)

“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'”

The Tax Collector’s Prayer

How should you pray when you know you have been doing wrong? The tax collector in this parable prayed humbly, and the parable says that his prayers were heard. This is in comparison to the Pharisee, who stands in the front and proudly declares his worthiness.

Luke 18:13 (NLT)

“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 

Christ’s Intercessory Prayer

In John 17, Jesus gives a long intercessory prayer, first for his own glorification, then for his disciples, and then for all believers. The full text can be useful in many circumstances for inspiration.

John 17 (NLT)

“When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth…'”

Stephen’s Prayer at His Stoning

Stephen was the first martyr. His prayer at his death set an example for all those who die for their faith. Even as he died, he prayed for those who killed him. These are very short prayers, but they show a devout adherence to Christ’s principles of turning the other cheek and showing love towards your enemies.

Acts 7:59-60 (NIV)
“While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Paul’s Prayer for Knowing God’s Will

Paul wrote to the new Christian community and told them how he was praying for them. This might be a way that you would pray for someone with new-found faith.

Colossians 1:9-12 (NIV)

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”

Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom

Similarly, Paul wrote to the new Christian community at Ephesus to tell them he was praying for them for spiritual wisdom and spiritual growth. Look up the full passages for more words that may inspire you when praying for a congregation or an individual believer.

Ephesians 1:15-23 (NLT)

“Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God…”

Ephesians 3:14-21 (NIV)

“For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 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 saints, 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…”

Paul’s Prayer for Partners in Ministry

These verses may be useful for praying for those in the ministry. The passage goes on in greater detail for more inspiration.

Philippians 1:3-11

“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns…”

A Prayer of Praise

This prayer is appropriate for giving praise to God. It is short enough to pray verbatim but is also packed with meaning that you might use to contemplate the nature of God.

Jude 1:24-25 (NLT)

“Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.”

Fairchild, Mary. “New Testament Prayers.” Learn Religions, Apr. 5, 2023, learnreligions.com/new-testament-prayers-701356.

Yield! Jan 10, 2025

The following was published on Jan 7, 2025 on a Blog called “Thoughts about God”

I trust you’ll be blest on this snowy morning – Pastor Scott

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The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this:

“I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.” Isaiah 57:15 NKJV

Kathryn Kuhlman once said that God is not looking for golden vessels or silver vessels, but yielded vessels.

The yielded vessel is a sanctified vessel—cleansed and set apart from sin for God’s purposes. It is the yielded vessel that is a vessel of honor (2 Timothy 2:21).

The yielded vessel is a dependent vessel—It does not rely upon its own resources or abilities. It recognizes its need to be totally dependent upon the Lord. A yielded vessel walks in humility, giving God its consent to be all. It knows that without the presence of the Lord, it is an empty vessel with nothing to offer.

The yielded vessel is a receptive vessel—Water seeks out the lowest place as it flows. Pour out a bucket of water on the side of a hill and it will not follow the path up the hill, but down it. It is into the yielded vessel that the Holy Spirit flows.

“We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 NKJVLord, I am Your yielded vessel.
I choose to be set apart, lowly, humble, dependent—
Not to be a useless vessel, but to be a vessel filled with You.
Pick me up, or set me down.
Use me now, or use me later.
Keep me active, or keep me quiet.
Put me in a prominent place, or put me in an unnoticeable place.
Use me here, or use me somewhere else.
Use me for special occasions, or use me for everyday occurrences.
Either way, Lord, I am content to be in Your hands, in Your care, in Your keeping—to be known by You, to be used by You, for whatever is pleasing to You, and brings You glory.

Pray First – Jun 21, 2024

There is a great story in 2 Chronicles 20 of Moab’s raid on Judah when Jehoshaphat was king.  Jehoshaphat wasn’t the general David was, but he knew Who God is.  And he threw himself and his people on God’s mercy.  I love the closing line of his prayer, after reminding God of His victory over Egypt, etc. Jehoshaphat says, “O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (v. 12 Emphasis added).  It reminds me of Paul’s teaching in Romans 8 that The Holy Spirit intercedes for us because we don’t really know how to pray either!  

So then why pray?  Because it’s a necessary acknowledgment of our humble dependence on God.  James says, we have not because we ask not.  Peter says to cast all of our cares upon Him. Paul says to Timothy as he repairs the church at Ephesus, “First of all gather them and Pray!”  And The Son Himself when He was walking this sod, would get up early just to get alone with the Father and pray.  Pray draws us closer to God and He is the God of all flesh, there is nothing He can’t do!   We have access now, though the blood of Christ (Hebrews 4:14-16); let’s not allow it to be our last resort.

A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel.

In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sandbox. The lad dug around the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small boy and the rock was very large.) When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he found that he couldn’t roll it up and over the little wall.

Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time he thought, he had made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved-but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration.

All this time the boy’s father watched from the living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy’s father. Gently but firmly he said, “Son, why didn’t you use all the strength that you had available?”

Defeated, the boy sobbed back, “But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!”

“No, son,” corrected the father kindly. “You didn’t use all the strength you had. You didn’t ask me.” With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox.

After Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple he quoted Isaiah 56 “My House shall be a House of Prayer!”  Let’s make sure this House – WOGF is a “House of Prayer!”

Pastor Scott

He Saves Me – 02.16.24

I post my blogs on Friday with the church newsletter, so I am way late to this party!  First let me say I loved watching the SuperBowl!  And the group I watched it with didn’t pay a lot of attention to the commercials.  So while I did note a Jesus commercial, I didn’t note that it may have been implying some of the things I’m hearing…

So let’s just be clear.  Jesus does say,  “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”  He did offer living water to the Samaritan woman, who a man in His position would have normally shunned.  He did the servant’s job and washed the dirt off of His disciple’s feet.  He said, over and over, whoever believes in me has eternal life. (John 6:47 emphasis added)  And He died for our sins; all of them.

It could be that’s all the commercial was saying; but based on the reaction I’m seeing I suspect that the message was from people encouraging folks to “hold to a form of godliness but deny its power” (2 Tim 3:5); rather than come to Jesus and be transformed!

“Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)

Over and over again the leaders of the church In the New Testament talking to those in the church (the saved) say that groveling in sin was your old way of life!  Once we have been bought by His blood, we aren’t supposed to live that way anymore! 

“Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.  For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.  But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.  Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him — a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.”  (Colossians 3:5-11 NASB1995 Cf. Titus 3:1-5; Rom 11:30; 1 Cor 6:9-11; Eph 2:1-4; 1 Peter 4:1-5)

The crowds always thin out when the truth is told —  “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘You do not want to go away also, do you?’  Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.’”  (John 6:66-69)

Something to think about,

Pastor Scott 

P.S. As I’m posting this I’m listening to a press conference on Thursday regarding the shooting on Wednesday. Pray for the wounded, pray for the fearful. The talk, of course, is about disarming the populace, and while I certainly understand that impulse, I’m preaching through the Old Testament and am particularly heighted to the fact that evil is in hearts no matter the weapon of choice. Pray for those hearts!