Tag Archives: Prayers of the bible

Praying people “out” of heaven?

Leave a reply

 

A friend of mine said, “We spend way more time praying people out of heaven than into heaven.”

 

We are often quick to pray away suffering and pain, when God might choose to use that very difficulty to mature us and draw us and others closer to himself. Paul wrote about his own sufferings, “I want you to know that this has actually happened to advance the gospel.”   (Philippians 1:12) What the enemy means for evil, God uses for good – in all things. (Romans 8:28)

 

I am thankful for the steadfast prayers for my health recovery. I would love to see this more than three year journey through cancer end. And I’m glad to also pray for relief for others who are suffering. It’s scriptural to pray for others.  But when Jesus taught us to pray, it was always in his name; thy will O God be done, not mine.

 

If we are to live with heaven in mind, we should also pray with heaven in mind.

 

I’ve seen a number of times at a funeral when people who previously ignored God, made life-changing decisions to follow him and to live as their believing friend did. So how do we pray with heaven in mind?

 

We start by acknowledging that God’s ways are higher than ours. As we ask God if it would please him to spare our friends and loved ones from pain and sorrow and death, let our hearts sincerely say, “but not my will but yours be done.”

 

We can’t leave things in God’s hands if we insist on holding them tightly in our own.

 

Another approach is to pray scripture for ourselves and others. That is always God’s will.

“May your (my, John’s, Mary’s) love abound more and more.” Philippians 1:9

“May the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you.” 1 Thessalonians 3:12
“I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.” 2 Timothy 1:3

“So I never stop being grateful for you, as I mention you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:6

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19

“I ask God to help you live a life worthy of the calling you have received, to be completely humble and gentle, patient, bearing with one another in love. May he guide you to unity and peace with others through his Spirit, to live with one body and spirit, in hope. May he equip you for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith. May you not be blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, grow to become in every respect mature in Christ. May your life grow and build itself up in love.”  – Based on Ephesians 4:1-16

 

And let’s not forget to pray people into heaven. That is, to ask God to intervene in their lives, through circumstances, a winsome friend’s testimony, a divine word from the Spirit of God, or “whatever it takes” to bring their name to appear in the Book of Life.

 

Pray for God’s will be done, in heaven as it is on earth.

 

 

 

Powerful prayers of the bible

Leave a reply

 

During the tougher times of my cancer journey, many prayers were simply, “Lord, have mercy.” I didn’t have energy to say more. Perhaps simple word prayers throughout the day pleases Him best:  “Thanks!” – “Help me.” – “Praise God!”  In fact, His Word warns against the vain babbling of endless words. But when the words won’t come at all, there is another source of inspiration for prayer: Scripture.

 

“Read the Psalms, praise God once; pray them, praise God twice; sing them, praise God three times over!” There’s no value in repeated rote prayers just to say them out of tradition. But if they reflect the desires of your heart, let them become your heart-felt prayers.

 

Find solace in praying the 23rd Psalm. Substitute your name for ‘me’ and ‘my’:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff–they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

 

I’ve had many occasions to pray David’s shorter prayer (Psalm 51:10-12) throughout my life: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.” It has been a heartfelt prayer to draw closer to my Creator and to live in accordance with His will, especially after I’ve messed up.

 

You might pray as Moses did: “Teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” (Exodus 33:13,15)

 

You can personalize “The Lord’s Prayer” with words from your own heart. Tell him you want His name to be honored and respected in your life activities and ambitions. Describe your daily bread (needs). Confess specific sins. Forgive others by name. Ask God to help you live today with forever in mind.

 

We should pray trusting in the Lord, “In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.” (Psalm 25:1)

 

Consider praying for others this way: “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.” (Philippians 1:9-10)

 

Or this way: “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every 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 Lord’s holy people, 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.” (Ephesians 4:14-19)

 

Let the powerful prayers of the bible speak your heart.