Guided Prayer Podcast: Recent Episodes
Faith Community Church
Advent 2021: Presence of God
[Scripture reference: Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-24]
Father God who is near, who is with me now.
I welcome you, your presence here with me
I invite you God to be near to me
Help my heart to always welcome and remember your presence
You are Immanuel, God with us.
You are not sometimes Immanuel, God who is sometimes with us
It’s a name of yours
Whether I feel it or not, you are here
You are Immanuel, God with us
I am tempted to forget that you promise to always be there
Help me to remember
Help me to see your heart for me, for your children
“God is with you” is not a platitude or something to say, but rather a beautiful, powerful, truth of a God who loves his people so much that will never leave them
You are Immanuel, God with us
You’ve created man to be with God, you’ve made covenants with your people
You’ve promised never to abandon them, you’ve promised to never abandon me
You mercifully, humbly sent your son Jesus to Earth to be physically present among man on Earth
A precious baby present in his mother’s womb destined to one day leave Earth for the sake of our souls, but even then when his time had come, a holy presence remained
The holy spirit indwelled in those who believe
You are Immanuel, God with us
You are so good to us, Lord
Your heart and your mercy is a beautiful display of your love for your people, for me
I pray your name Immanuel would be a peace and an encouragement to me always
I rejoice in that because you are with me, I get to be the hands and the feet of Jesus to the people around me
Hallelujah!
Thank you for the opportunities you have already provided
Would you bring more opportunities, especially in this Advent season, for me and our community to care for the people near to us -- in mind, body, and spirit
It’s in King Jesus’ name that I pray,
Amen
Music: https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
A prayer for hope: Our God in heaven, we enter this Advent season on the heels of yet another difficult year. I am weary of this world – of the struggles and challenges, of strife and conflict, of sickness and sadness. The fallenness of the world seems to be always in front of me, my disappointments and brokenness feel inescapable. I confess that I too easily set my mind on things of the earth, not on things that are above. I confess that I choose to walk in darkness or even sit there, instead of looking to the Light and running towards you. I confess that my trials and afflictions determine my heart’s direction, instead of you. I confess that because of all these things, I lose hope. And I confess that my hope has been misplaced – and too small. I have put my hope in fleeting circumstances, instead of eternal truths. I have put my hope in small things, instead of You - the eternal God of the universe. Oh God of all hope, this Advent season will you restore my hope once more? Will you shine your Light once more into my dark heart? Will you help me to think on things that are above, not on things that are of the earth? Will you help me to prepare for a weight of glory through my light, momentary afflictions? Will you give me hope once more through Jesus? God of all hope, I thank you that my hope can be sure and certain when my hope is in You. I thank you that Your promises are Yes! And Amen! In your son Jesus Christ. I thank you, Jesus, that you have not left me to wander in the dark, but you have shone your light into my heart through your incarnation. By coming to this earth as the perfect Son of God, fully God, fully man, you have become my living hope. You entered into this dark world, and no darkness can overcome you. And now let this weary world rejoice – let my weary heart rejoice. Let me rejoice in the hope that I have, in the eternal inheritance that you have brought for me, in the eternal Light and glory that you are preparing for me. Let me look up and see You, let me stand on tiptoes and look around for Your presence, let me rejoice in the fact that I have a real hope that is bigger and better than anything else I could hope in. My hope is in you and you alone, Jesus. Thank you, in your name I pray, Amen. -- -- -- Forest Walk by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Prayer for the Grieving
[Scripture references: Psalm 34, Isaiah 53, Revelation 21:1-5]
Father, Comforter, Counselor, Creator of all, Dearest Friend,
I come in sadness, in grief, to you now
I come grateful that you are Lord who is near to the brokenhearted,
and I bring my grief here with me, as I sit at your feet, Jesus
Grief and loss, it can come in so many forms
Being separated by a loved one through death
Mourning the loss of hope, time, a dream
An expectation for something that hasn’t come
Or, perhaps there’s something in my heart that I’m grieving unknowingly
Sometimes I am tempted to dismiss my own grief,
To push it to the side, ignore it
Heavenly Father, you don’t dismiss my grief
You don’t encourage me to push it to the side, to ignore it
You invite me to lay it all before you
To come to you in my joys, sorrows, and everything in between
You love to care for me, to love me, especially in these moments when I am needy before you, Jesus
Help me now, Jesus, to set my grief before you
To share it with you -- comforter and dear friend
Even you, Jesus, were acquainted with grief
Man of Sorrows
You bore my grief, carried my sorrows
It’s what brought peace
Hear me now, Jesus
Would you move my heart toward peace now in these moments
Jesus, my thoughts move to heaven
A beautiful promise for a restored paradise
A place with no loss, no grief
Perfect fullness and union with you
Even in my grief
Here, in the in-between; the not-yet
I can experience comfort and goodness
A whisper of the paradise that’s coming
Oh Jesus, my heart leaps for joy at the thought of what you’ve promised
My eyes are teary, my heart humbled and in awe of the truth in your Word that says:
Revelation 21:1–5 (ESV)
[1] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2] And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
[5] And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
I pray in your name Jesus, the one who bore it all, through whom I hope and long for the promise to come,
Amen
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. Creator God, you are my Rock, you are my strength. In all my wanderings, You are still my path. When it is unclear, when I feel blind to the things that bring me security, You surprise me with Your assurance. You surprise me with your grace. You are constantly reframing my view, my heart, to see You and Your faithfulness more fully. Thank you for creating me so that I can have security in You, so I can find security in how you’ve made me. I don’t need to look outward for assurance, I need to look inward, to remember Christ in me. Christ within me is my security. I confess my own insecurity is a lie, A lie I believe about myself and about You. I have continued to believe that I am still not enough and Your work is not complete. But it is done. You’ve said “It is finished”. I am enough, in Your eyes, enough. So forgive me for my insecurity. Forgive me for my striving or for my inaction because of the fears of my insecurity. Reclaim me as yours. Give me faith, make me brave, to step out of my insecurity and into the world, with Your hands gently guiding my steps. You’ve prepared a place for each step, you know my heart and my mind better than I do, You know us all individually. Continue to remind me of this fact as I contemplate Your faithfulness, and Your steadfastness in my life and in the life of our community. And let me not only do Your will, but ignite us all according to your imagination! Fill us with new imagination and wonder and eyes to see Your faithfulness everywhere. With the strength of Your security, You renew our energy to dream! Your people are not a stagnant, fearful people, but a creative, loving, kind people, joyful people who look to see You work everywhere they go. We are not afraid of life’s disappointments, help us to embrace the opportunities to live fully unto You. Break us free from the chains of insecurities we hang onto, so that we can glorify your goodness. Break us free from ourselves, the crucified selves who have already died, let us live in the new identity You’ve named over us. Loved. Whole. Brave. Chosen. Forgiven. Friends. Children. Free! Enough. Your perfect love makes us whole. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. Lord makes us perfect in your love.
Prayer for the Anxious
[Scripture references: 1 Peter 5:6-7; Psalm 94:19; Matthew 6:34]
Father thank you for being here
For this space between us
A space where I come as I am, vulnerable before you
Thank you for your kindness to me in my vulnerability, in my messiness
Lacking words to even say sometimes
God, my mind feels so swirly
Thoughts circling
Foggy
I can barely see what’s before me
And, the pieces that I can see just play on loop in my mind
What ifs
What thens
Then whats
The fog before me impairs my vision
I often feel afraid of what I can’t see
Will I be safe there?
What’s coming?
Can I at least prepare so I’m ready?
What should I do?
Will I be caught up in something I could have avoided?
There are so many things I don’t know, things I can’t know
And I’m distracted by these thoughts
My mind and even my heart, God, can feel so captive
I long for this fog to be lifted, for the path ahead to be clear
And this- this is a result of my anxious heart
My fearful heart
My heart, my flesh, which longs to control
To predict
To plan
To prepare
To know
To protect itself
I confess, Father, that my heart is anxious
I am tempted to fear what I don’t know
What I can’t see, touch, understand
God it can be so overwhelming
So much ahead is uncertain
Unknown
F ather, calm my anxious heart
Grow my heart into one of trust
Of peace
Of dependence
Of surrender to your will
What if I were able to be calm and at peace, even in the fog?
Even as I move forward into uncertainty?
It’s possible, Father
You invite me into rest
Deep soul-level rest
You still the swirl
The circling thoughts calm and settle
You console
And, the fog lifts
It lifts and, to my surprise, what’s revealed is beautiful
A calm oasis, a place that just looks like rest
It’s quiet, it’s bright and beautiful
Full of life
Abundant, vibrant, growing life
This peaceful place, this sacred space with you, it was here all along
This place of beauty, it’s what dependence and union with you feels like
It’s not perfect future circumstances,
It’s the refuge offered to me by you, my loving Father
A beautiful invitation
I couldn’t see it before
The anxiety was so great before me
And now, here in your presence, your consolation brings me such joy (Ps 94:19)
I come into your presence, Father, and I leave differently
When my heart is anxious
Help me savor, Father
Be present in the moment
To come humbly before you
To notice
To remember your faithfulness
I know the fog will come and go (may it be quicker and quicker each time, Father)
but help me to remember that I abide in your meadow
Whether I can see clearly, whether anxiety causes me to doubt,
I can be sure I am still in your loving arms
Help me to trust you more, now
You, the God of right now, is the God of the uncertain
The God of the meadow is the God of the fog
You are trustworthy; you are working all things together for my good and your glory
And, I surrender before you, Father
Would you increase, and I decrease
I surrender
In the name of our wonderful, kind, loving Jesus, I pray,
Amen.
Prayer for the Workaholic
Scripture reference: Hebrews 13:5; Proverbs 23:4-5; Ecclesiastes 3:12-13; Psalm 127:1-2
Father, thank you for your presence.
Thank you for never leaving me, for never forsaking me.
Thank you that I have to do nothing to enjoy the peace your presence brings.
How often do I forget this simple truth?
How often do I spend my time trying to organize myself and others,
Trying to create this perfect environment,
This perfect household,
This perfect community,
This perfect church,
This perfect body,
This perfect mind,
When you have already done the necessary work?
Help me to cease my striving and lean into you.
I surrender my love of money and success,
Of notoriety, my love of importance, my love of control.
Reveal to me the other idols I’ve made for myself in this area
So that I can freely lean back in your loving arms,
and remember that to be with you is the most important thing to do.
Help me to be content with you.
Help me to remember my work is not my identity,
My accomplishments, my weariness, my busyness -
They are not badges of honor.
The only honor you desire for your people is Christlikeness.
Our honor is Christ in us, our hope of glory.
Help me to be more like you. Help me to be shaped into your character
Into a person who rests with their identity firmly planted in their Heavenly Father.
Though accomplishment and wealth seem to be the marks of success in this earthly kingdom,
Let me be marked by you.
Let me fly on your wings, not my own handmade forgeries.
And help me to enjoy the fruits of my labor! To enjoy the life you’ve gifted me with.
Let the rest in you and let the release of control over work manifest in continuous joy and gratitude to you. Let me not be marked by bitterness or busyness or criticism, but peace in you, joy towards you and all your creation, and endless gratitude.
I find peace in your presence, rest in your presence, and wholeness in your presence.
Thank you for these wonderful gifts and the work you’ve done to make it so, work that I don’t have to do.
Glory to the Father, to the Son and to the Spirit.
Amen
Prayer for the Weary
[Scripture reference: Isaiah 40:28-31]
Father, I feel so weary
Tired in my soul
Exhausted in strength
Endurance waning
Little energy, maybe too little to even hope?
My weary spirit may not be able to handle another disappointment
Another hurt
A change of course
The ongoing uncertainty
These things, they feel like they’re swelling up
Waves growing bigger, coming toward me from a distance
It feels like they just keep coming
God, I fear I might get overtaken by these waves
Father, you will not let these waves overtake me
The waters may feel uncertain, dark, scary
I only see part of them; I don’t know these foreign waters
But You know these waters; You are powerful over these waters
They obey You, they are at the direction of your hand
They may come but they will not destroy me
And, I am not alone in these waters
Father, your desire is for me to be free
Free even from this veil of weariness that can feel so heavy
To be free from its weight
I long for that too, God
You never become faint or weary, Father
I marvel at this aspect of your character
And God, not only do you never become faint or weary but you give this strength to the faint
You give this strength to me
I don’t have strength to fight this weariness on my own
And you’re not asking me to
Help me to abide in You, Father
You who strengthens the powerless
For those who trust in You, You renew their strength
I need for my strength to be renewed
And, I trust You
I won’t remain weary or faint
As I trust in You, I will be renewed
I will soar on wings like eagles
I will run and not become weary
I will walk and not faint
God, I believe you
I trust you to sustain me and to refresh, to renew my Spirit
What a beautiful, loving promise
from a beautiful, loving God, who directs the waves
It’s in Jesus’s name- Jesus, the one who invited the weary and the heavily-burdened to come to him for deep soul-rest, it’s in His name that I pray,
Amen
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