A prayer based on Luke 11:1-13.
Our Father,
We are amazed that we can call You, our God – Abba, Father.
We recognise that we have this privilege and this right because when we believed in Jesus, we were adopted as Your children.
We thank You for your great love that made this possible, for You to bring us into Your family as those who are forgiven and accepted.
What a great cost it was to You to send Your Son into this world to bear the wrath and judgement that our sins deserved.
You truly are great and glorious and worthy of all our love and trust.
And not just our love and trust, everyone’s.
Lord, our Lord, we long that Your name be honoured as holy.
We pray that You would make Yourself known in all the earth.
That You would display Your greatness, Your magnificence, Your beauty, Your supremacy, so that all people would praise You, and give You the adoration, the respect, the honour You deserve as Creator, King, Shepherd, Saviour and Judge.
That they would recognise how marvellous, how wonderful, how gracious and merciful You are.
How we long that we would know You more, and glorify You in our actions, in our words, in our thoughts, in our emotions, and in our worship.
That we would live under Your rule in every area of our lives; living as citizens of heaven, for that is what we are.
We praise You that we are no longer in the kingdom of darkness, and we pray that Your rule would spread to those who are and bring them into Your kingdom.
For others to be attracted to Christ, and to submit to His rule before He returns to bring His kingdom to completion.
Until that day, as we wait for our Saviour to come, give us all we need each day.
Provide for us our daily bread.
Food, clothing, warmth, a home, a job, education.
But also provide for our spiritual needs in Jesus.
Help us to follow Him faithfully each day and live lives worthy of the salvation that is ours.
Yet we confess gracious Father, that we will fail to, and will need Your pardon.
We ask for You to forgive us our sins, that great debt we owe to You, which Jesus has paid for us on the cross.
We praise You that there, our sin, not in part but the whole, was nailed, so we bear it no more.
As we trust that Christ has paid the penalty for all our sins, past, present, and future, restore to us our day to day relationship with You our God.
And to grow in our obedience and faithfulness to You.
We know this is hard.
Our enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil, are strong.
We cannot resist the temptation to sin on our own.
So, we pray for protection.
By Your Spirit help us to not giving into those sins we are prone to – lust, envy, anger, greed, discontent, pride.
Do not bring us into temptation.
And as You provide and pardon and protect us, may we give You all the glory, now and for ever.
Amen.
(Photo: Freely)