Praying With Paul

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
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The Coming Glory

Passage

Romans 8:15

Prayer

Dear Father, creator and re-creator of the world, Whatever I may have to suffer is nothing compared to the glory you will reveal in your people, and therefore in me. Your creation waits in eager longing for that better day in which we, your children, shall be revealed in glory. Your glory will be shared with us, and ours with it! Inwardly, Father, I groan while bearing the frustrations of life and the weakness and pains in my body. I long for the time when the adoption process is complete, when my body will be resurrected and redeemed from all this. This is the hope of my salvation. Thank you, dear Lord, for that hope. In the name of Jesus and with the support of your Spirit I come to you, anticipating your glory. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Christ Living in Me

Passage

Romans 8:9-15

Prayer

Dear Father, who indwells me, Show me that I do not really live in the flesh, since your Spirit really dwells in me, else I would not belong to you. So with Christ living in me, my spirit is alive because of righteousness, even though my body is dead (doomed for decay!) because of sin. May the same Spirit which dwelled in Jesus continue to dwell in me and give life to my mortal body. Enable me by the Spirit to put to death the deeds of the sinful body, and thus find life. Help me cast off the spirit of slavery, and be a true son of yours. Thank you that I can call you "Abba, Father," as a fearless testimony of my sonship. Thank you, God, for condescending to be my Father and for making me an heir of your glory. It is in the name of Jesus and by his authority that I have such boldness to come to you, asking these things according to his will. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

More than Conquerors

Passage

Romans 8:34-37

Prayer

Dear Father, our ultimate security and joy, Since Christ Jesus, who died, is at your right hand interceding for us, who shall separate us from your love? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, not even the sword, for it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." Shall any of these terrible things change your love one bit? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through you, the awesome God who loved us with an awesome love. May I never forget your love or ignore your sacrifice. May I never use trouble as an excuse for not doing good, for you have the power and authority to use trouble to produce good, and so I submit myself to your transforming power. In the name of your holy Son, I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

For Our Good

Passage

Romans 8:28-34

Prayer

Dear Father, who is totally "for-us," How wonderfully reassuring to know that in everything you work for good with those who love you, who are called according to your purpose. Thank you that whom you foreknew you also predestined to be conformed to the image of your Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren. Thank you that whom you predestined you also called; those whom you called you also justified; and those whom you justified you also glorified. What can I say to all this? If you are for me, who can be against me? If you did not spare your own Son but gave him up for us all, will you not also give us all things with him? Who shall bring any charge against your chosen people? Since you alone do the justifying, who is to condemn? In the name of Jesus and by his authority I come, asking for the confirmation of the faith I have expressed here. Fill me with it and let me walk according to your purposes. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Waiting for Redemption

Passage

Romans 8:26-27

Prayer

Dear Father, who knows my secrets, Help me to wait patiently for my redemption. Thank you for giving me your Holy Spirit to make up for the inadequacies of my body and spirit. I know not how to pray as I should, so I praise you for your Spirit, who takes my inexpressible groanings and lifts them to the Lord Jesus, thus sharing in his intercession for me. I thank you that the Holy Spirit searches out the remotest cranny of my heart, knows me in a way that I cannot even know myself, and expresses to you what I wish that I could say but cannot. How wonderful! How loving! Thank you, Lord, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Hallelujah. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you again! In the name of Jesus and with the support of your Spirit I come to you, with gratitude for doing these things. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Empowered by Love

Passage

Romans 8:38-39

Prayer

Dear Father, faithful God, Fill my heart with the deep conviction that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love which you have for me in Christ Jesus. Amen. Let it be so for me! Fill me with the joy and peace of so believing! I praise your holy name and the name of Jesus through the Spirit for your precious empowering promises! Thank you, Father, thank you. In the name of Jesus and by his authority I come, asking for the confirmation of the faith I have expressed here. Fill me with it and let me walk according to your purposes. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

God's Children, Israel

Passage

Romans 9:1-18

Prayer

Dear Father, Keep me and all who are related to me from any hint of hatred toward Israel, your ancient people. Let us love them and pray for their good always, longing so much for their salvation that we, like Paul, should have sorrow and unceasing anguish because of their alienation from you. Father, you gave such honor and wonderful gifts to them: You called them by your name; they are Israelites. To them belong the sonship, the glory, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, came the Messiah, your Son Jesus Christ, who is over all things, God blessed forever. Amen. Their rejection of Christ does not mean your word has failed. Your word never fails. It is people who fail. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

God's Sovereign Choice

Passage

Romans 9:19-20

Prayer

Dear Father, All who are descended from Israel do not belong to Israel, nor are men counted as Abraham's children by mere physical descent. You, O Sovereign Lord, have chosen, according to your own desire and purpose, those you want to continue your work in the world. Thank you, dear Father, that your choice and mercy has reached to me. Thank you for all that you are doing in my life. Thank you for teaching me to love the descendants of Israel by the flesh. May my share in their inheritance cause even one of them to turn to Jesus Christ in saving faith and give thanks to you. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Chosen for Glory

Passage

Romans 9:21-24

Prayer

Dear Father, ruler of the ages, You, O God, are the potter who has the right over the clay to make of it whatever you please. What if you, desiring to show your wrath and to make known your power, have endured with much patience the objects of wrath made for destruction? What if you put up with sin in order to make known the riches of your glory to the objects of mercy prepared for glory? Thank you for selecting your chosen ones from every nation of the earth. And thank you for preparing your chosen ones to share in your glory. Thank you, O holy and mighty God! I am overwhelmed! In the blessed name of Jesus, the rock of our salvation, I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Israel's Unbelief

Passage

Romans 10:18-11:16

Prayer

Dear Father, How sorry I am that the people you chose, the nation of Israel, has spurned your Messiah and turned away in unbelief. But how thankful I am that because of their unbelief you have sent your message to Gentiles so that we can be adopted into the family of Abraham, grafted as wild shoots into the natural olive tree. I rejoice that even today you have redeemed in Christ thousands of Abraham's natural descendants for your kingdom. I rejoice that I share with them the blessings you gave. Thank you that we are one family. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

I Believe!

Passage

Romans 10:8-17

Prayer

Dear Father, May the word of Christ always be on my lips and in my heart. May I make known to everyone in every place that Jesus is Lord and that you have raised him from the dead. Remind me continually that I have no cause to be ashamed of my faith. Grant not only that I myself should believe but that I should also become partners with others in sending them to proclaim the Good News to the world. Thank you that Christ is preached. Thank you for the belief you have put into my heart. Thank you for the salvation that comes from this. In Jesus' name. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

I Confess!

Passage

Romans 10:1-8

Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you that Christ is the end of the law to those who have faith. Thank you that I am justified by faith in him, not by some system of merit. May I not think of Christ as being so high in heaven that he is inaccessible to us, or, like unbelievers, think of him as being dead and not available. May I continually confess with my mouth the belief that is in my heart: Jesus is Lord! And God raised him from the dead! Help me rather to know that he is nearer than breathing! In Jesus' name. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Rock of My Salvation

Passage

Romans 9:25-33

Prayer

Dear Father, ruler of the ages, You have called we who were "not your people" to be "your people," we who were "not your beloved" to be "your beloved." How gracious you have been to us (to me!) that we (that I!) should be called "sons of the living God"! Thank you, loving Father! I am overjoyed! Why did your ancient people fail to attain your righteousness? Because they sought it based on their works of merit under the law. But, praise you, Lord, you have given righteousness through faith. You have laid in Zion a stone that makes men stumble, a rock that makes them fall. Your Messiah, Jesus, is that stone, that rock. But I believe in him, trust in him, and will never be ashamed of him. In the blessed name of Jesus, the rock of my salvation, I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

An Invited Guest

Passage

Romans 11:17

Prayer

Dear Father, king of banquets, May I enter your halls wearing the appropriate garment, the righteousness of Jesus Christ, not that of my own making. The false righteousness of adherence to man-made rules is a worthless covering. Only the true righteousness of belief in your Son will make my appearance acceptable to you. Grant me true humility. If I boast, let it be about you. Let my pride be in what you have done for me, not in what I make of myself. In the name of Jesus, the honoree of the banquet, I offer thanks for inviting me to your feast of good things. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

A Grafted Branch

Passage

Romans 11:17

Prayer

Dear Father, king of banquets, Like that unknown hearer of Jesus long ago, I say, "How blessed it will be to eat bread in the kingdom of God." Please, Lord, don't let me be like those who were invited to the marriage feast honoring the king's son but who scorned it in favor of business deals and family matters. They were left out while the king filled his house with those from the highways and country lanes. Your ancient people, Israel, rejected your invitation, and we non-Jews have filled your halls of festivity and salvation. But, Lord, we are unnatural branches, grafted in. Let none of us become proud. Rather, let every one of us stand in awe of your severity toward those who reject your Son and your mercy toward those who accept him. May I continue in your kindness, lest I be cut off. And may your ancient people repent and accept their Messiah, for this would be life from the dead! In the name of Jesus, the true Messiah of Israel, I pray. Amen.