Category: Prayer

Gathering Together in His Name

Posted on by Dorci


“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I will them.”  Matthew 18:18-20

Jesus gave His disciples this hope and confidence to prepare them to go out into the world and face trials and tribulations far above anything they had the power or understanding to deal with.

No matter what our views about all that’s taking place in our country, I think we can all agree that our nation is in serious trouble, far beyond our power to sort it out ourselves. 

We need the LORD.  

So today I want to share with you a few prayer events that are coming up where we can join with our brothers and sisters in Christ to seek the Lord and His mercy for forgiveness, repentance, healing, and revival. 

First, an event called The Return, lead by Messianic Jewish Rabbi and pastor Jonathan Cahn. A time for private prayer will be from September 18-28, which coincides with the dates for the Biblical Feast of Trumpets and ending with the Day of Atonement.

And on Saturday, September 26 there will be a gathering of God’s people at the National Mall, or wherever you are, praying for the return to God’s presence to seek repentance and healing. The website can be found here, and this is Pastor Cahn’s video explaining the event:


Also on Saturday, September 26, Franklin Graham will be leading a prayer march beginning at the Lincoln Memorial, across the National Mall, and ending in front of the U.S. Capitol.  The website and video for this corporate time of prayer is here.

And one week later, on Saturday, October 3, Anne Graham Lotz will be giving a special message on Effective Prayer for Such a Time as This. You can find the link to this streaming event here.

I believe this will be a powerful time of gathering together in person and in spirit to go before the Lord Almighty, letting our prayers rise to Him, and beseeching Him to do what only He can do. 

***

Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you and pray that you would reveal anything in us that would keep our prayers from being effective. Please forgive us for our sins, and prepare our hearts to enter into this time of prayer, to be in agreement with our brothers and sisters for the repentance, healing, and revival of the people of this country, and throughout the world.

We pray your Holy Spirit will fill these leaders with the humility and wisdom they need in order to lead us in prayer according to your will. We trust you will be in the midst of us and will do a powerful work in our own hearts and in the hearts of many who will come to know you as their own Lord and Savior.

May you have mercy on us, Lord, and may you, by your great and unending love, continually fill us with your power and boldness to keep proclaiming the Name of Jesus Christ as the only Name by which we can be saved. In His precious and holy name we pray, amen. 

 
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14

The Believer’s Speech

Posted on by Dorci

My son was at the store the other day standing in an aisle searching for what he needed when he overhead a couple of employees near him deep into a very colorful conversation deriding this group and that one. Their conversation disturbed him so much that he found another employee to let her know what was going on, and then he called me. 

Of course it was disheartening to hear that that kind of divisive and hateful talk was going on, let alone by two employees who are supposed to be working, and that some of the hateful comments were directed toward Israel. 

But it shouldn’t be surprising. 

1 John 3:13 tells us

“Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.” 

The world doesn’t only hate believers, though. It just hates. And the hate seems to be revving up. Or at least people seem to feel more free to speak their hatred out loud, joining in the chorus. 

Hate seems to be the speech of the day. 

But it should never be our speech. 

The speech of believers ought to be prayer. 

Jesus said

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:43-44

As I talked to my son, empathizing with him, that yes, this was a terrible thing that people were talking this way, and even worse that it was in their own place of business for any customer to hear, the Lord put on my heart to tell him that maybe God put him in that aisle, at that moment in time, so that he could hear their hateful words and pray for them. 

Is there anyone who needs prayer more that someone whose heart is filled with hatred? Is there anyone who needs the redeeming grace of God more? 

I told him God’s given him an opportunity to pray for these men. Maybe, just maybe, God wants to save them and give the world two more souls who love instead of hate.

Praying for them also protects our hearts from unforgiveness and bitterness.

I hear a lot of believers talking about the terrible sins going on in the world, but how we talk about it much of the time is no different than the world. I hear speech that is hateful, mocking, divisive. 

Friends, that is not God’s way. Yes, it’s our natural instinct and gut reaction to the sin we see, but being in Christ we should hate the sin because we know that the people caught in it are people loved by God and made in His image, and are being swallowed up by it. That should grieve us just as it grieves the Lord. 

But if we act like the world instead, how do we expect it to see the love of Christ and know there’s a better way? How do we expect to be walking, breathing testimonies of His love and grace? How can we hate in one breath and in the next talk about God’s love? 

As we let God’s love mature in our hearts, we’ll see with His eyes of mercy, our speech will always be gracious, seasoned with salt, and we’ll understand the privilege and responsibility we have to pray for the lost souls God puts in our way. After all, we were all lost once. 

The world has enough hate. It needs our love and it needs our prayers. 

 

Father, forgive me for the times my speech has not been glorifying to you or edifying to those around me. Set a guard over my tongue, and give me eyes that see with your grace, that I might pray and do your will.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen. 

Sunday Praise and a Prayer for All the Saints

Posted on by Dorci

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you.  We lift up your righteous and holy name above all names as the one true God, the maker of heaven and earth, the one who created us to have relationship with you, to know you, to commune with you, to be a grand part of your creation that would glorify your goodness and beauty and grace. 

Father we pray for all the saints. We pray you would consecrate us, that we would understand you have made us a holy people that are meant to be separate from the world, that is, to live in a different way, to have a different perspective, to see people and circumstances through your eyes rather than as the world sees. 

We pray you would lovingly convict each of us of any sins we’ve allowed as we’ve become complacent, and that we would repent, turn, and do the right thing, live the right way so that we would honor the calling you’ve so graciously given us. 

As we do that, let us be a light in the darkness, shining brightly for the world to see what true love and grace and forgiveness are so that many come to know you through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

We pray you would encourage us and fill us with joy that we might have strength in the face of the enemy, and with your peace that passes all understanding no matter what storms rage around us. 

We pray we would be one just as you and your Son are one, and that we are all one in you. 

We pray we would be filled with the Holy Spirit, that we would worship you in Spirit and in truth. 

Let us remember who we are in you, Lord, that we are children of the King, holy and righteous because, through your Son, you have made us so. 

Sanctify us that we might live as your chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that we might speak of the praises of the One who has called us out of darkness into your marvelous light.  

May we empty ourselves and let you fill us up with your Spirit who gives us everything we need to live in these hard times, and not only to live, but to prosper and to be victorious. May we come together and live for you and you alone, and bring you all the glory due your name. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Sunday Praise and a Mother’s Day Prayer

Posted on by Dorci

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you. We praise you for your goodness and love, for your heart full of grace and mercy.  Thank you for showing us your character in the love of a mom. That in her we see your unconditional love, your tender nurturing, your amazing grace. I pray for moms everywhere, that no matter what situation they’re in today, they would feel your love. I pray you would continue to strengthen them and give them wisdom. I pray you would comfort those who are grieving. I pray for all of us, that no matter what stage of motherhood we’re in, we would look to you and draw on your character that we might be moms who give you glory, and leave a godly legacy for our children.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Deep Calls to Deep

Posted on by Dorci

“Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
All your waves and breakers
Have swept over me.”
Psalm 42:7

 

 

There is something about an 80 foot swell that can get our attention. That’s how it can feel when the trials of life come over us, one, after another, after another.  We feel almost as if we could drown under the weight of it, so we stop, lift up our hands, and call on the Lord to save us.

He calls to us in the trial, and from the depths, we call back. Spirit calls to spirit, deep calls to deep. 

On this National Day of Prayer, let’s lift up our hands to worship in spirit and in truth. Let’s come boldly before the throne, lay our hearts bare, and call to Him to is able.

Let’s let the Holy Spirit speak to our hearts, reveal our sins for confession, and intercede on behalf of our country, our leaders, our neighbors, our business owners, our pastors, our brothers and sisters in the Lord, and for those who are still lost. 

Let’s stop, and hear the calling of the Lord in the trial, in the waves of suffering, and let Him have His glorious way in and through us. 

 

Oh Heavenly Father, please forgive us for wandering so far from you and for our many sins. Thank you for sending your Son to the cross in our place to take the judgment we deserve. 

Lord, we lift up our country, and every country, and pray for your mercy. We pray you would bind the enemy, that you would allow spiritual eyes to be opened, repentance of sin granted, and that multitudes would believe on your Son as Lord and Savior for the conversion of their souls. 

We pray for revival, for salvation and the filling and power of your Holy Spirit, in and out of the church. We pray for your wisdom for our leaders, we pray for healing from this virus that has caused loss of life, inundated the healthcare system, and shut down the livelihood for so many.

We pray you would comfort those who are grieving, heal those who are sick, strengthen those who are working so hard, provide for those who are out of work, and we pray for every business to be open and fully functioning again.

We pray you would strengthen and speak through our pastors. We pray we would be mindful to be witnesses and examples of your love wherever we go, that the world would know we are your disciples by our love for one another, and that love would draw people who are thirsty for love to your fountain of grace.

We pray our trials are never wasted, Lord, and that your will is done through it all. In the midst of all the chaos that can so easily grab our attention, help us to focus on you and to be about your business, functioning in the gifts you’ve given each of us for the benefit of the Body and to bring you glory. In Jesus’ holy and precious name we pray, amen.