Praying With Paul

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Giver of Life, Grower of Grace

Passage

1 Corinthians 3:8-9

Prayer

Dear Father, growth-giving God,Both the planter and the waterer are equal and shall receive their wages according to their labor.But you give life! You are the giver of growth! Your servants are just fellow workers for you. Our allegiance is not to them but to you. We are your field, your building.Build us into a magnificent temple! Grow us into luxuriant plants! Show your creativity, your power, your wisdom, your bounty in us!In the name of Jesus, the foundation of our lives, I ask all this. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Genuine Spirituality

Passage

1 Corinthians 3:1-7

Prayer

Dear Father, growth-giving God,Help me to be a genuinely spiritual person in Christ. Let me grow beyond having to be fed like a baby on soft food and milk. May I strive for maturity so I will be able to digest solid food.Keep me from being jealous and full of strife, from acting as mere human beings act - carnal! Help me to understand the equality of all your servants, and not to put one above another, or to claim special discipleship to any!Help me to see that it is not a question of who waters and who plants, for it is only you, God, who gives the increase.In the name of Jesus. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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The Measure of Greatness

Passage

1 Corinthians 3:21-23

Prayer

Dear Father, kind and generous God,Let us look for the imitation of Jesus in the lives of others, for you have made this the measure of greatness. And even if we should find it, let us give the glory to you, to whom it truly belongs! For you are worthy!Thank you that you don't pay us what you owe, but give us everything freely! For all things are ours through your grace-whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world, or life or death, or things present or things future - everything is ours! And we are Christ's, and Christ is yours!Through him and you, we are wise, rich, beautiful and powerful, and have the promise of living happily forevermore! How wonderful!Thank you, Father. You are so generous and kind!In the blessed name of Jesus. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Stewardship

Passage

1 Corinthians 4:1-4

Prayer

Dear Father, judge of all mankind,Help me be a profitable slave to you and good steward of your mysteries. As a steward may I be found trustworthy.May I not be concerned about being judged by human beings or by any human court. May I not even set in judgment on myself. Only you do that. I am not aware of anything against myself, but that, I understand, in and of itself, does not acquit me before you. You are my judge. You can condemn. And you can and will make me stand.It is by Jesus' authority and in his name that I offer up this prayer. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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The Proper Time for Judgment

Passage

1 Corinthians 4:5

Prayer

Dear Father, who drives away all the darkness,Keep me from passing judgment before the proper time, before the Lord comes, for he will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of every person's heart, including mine. And so everyone will receive appropriate commendation from you.Let me be concerned about \"this day\" and \"that day.\" Let me do my best to serve you \"this day\" - today, that I may stand before you on \"that day\" - your day of reckoning!It is by Jesus' authority and in his name that I offer up this prayer. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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The Holy Parade

Passage

1 Corinthians 4:8-13

Prayer

Dear Father, king of the ages,Would that your people were already filled! Would that they were already rich! Would that they were already kings and sharing the reign with each other! For then I would be sharing in it too.We know all this grandeur awaits us in the kingdom that is to come, but for now, give us the endurance to follow your apostles in a parade that is a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. Many are strong, but we may have to put up with weakness. Many are held in honor, but we may be held in disrepute. We may have to be hungry and thirsty, ill-clad, buffeted and homeless, and we may have to do toilsome labor with our hands.When I am reviled, help me to bless in return. When I am persecuted, help me endure. When I am slandered, help me be conciliatory. To follow your apostles in this parade, I am willing to become the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things!In the name of Jesus, give me a willing heart! Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Everything Is Your Gift

Passage

1 Corinthians 4:6-7

Prayer

Dear Father,Help me to live according to your Holy Scriptures. That is why I pray to you in their very words. I want to be conformed to your will, for you will what is best for me. Help me not to be puffed up against my brothers and sisters in Christ. For who sees any difference in me. We all have been freely justified by your grace, forgiven of our sins.What have I that I have not been given? I cannot boast of anything as if it were not a gift. Whatever I am or have, Father, you have given. I would not be addressing this prayer to you if you had not called me to be your servant, your child, and your warrior in prayer.Thank you for calling me. Thank you for all your gifts. You are so gracious, so kind, so bountiful, so wonderful. My God, let me walk humbly with you all my days.In the name of Jesus, who calls us to his own kingdom and glory. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Discipline in Truth

Passage

1 Corinthians 5:1-8

Prayer

Dear Father, who disciplines us for our own good,Save your church from the sexual perversions that are taking place in our society. Let us show your love to sinners and show them how to receive forgiveness. But may we also say, as Jesus said, \"Sin no more!\"Help us to exercise discipline, even to the removal of unrepentant members, delivering them over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh so that their spirits may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Help us not to cover up sin and then boast about our tolerance! For a little yeast can ferment a whole lump of dough! Help us remove the leaven of sin, so that our churches may be like pure unleavened bread.Since Christ, our passover lamb, has been sacrificed, let us celebrate the festival, not with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.In the name of Jesus I ask for wisdom in matters of discipline and for the loving spirit of the Savior himself. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Christ's Admonition

Passage

1 Corinthians 4:14-21

Prayer

Dear Father, king of the ages,I am proud to be your child, and I want to listen carefully to your admonition. Help me to listen to you through the words of my spiritual fathers in the faith, your apostles. May I imitate them!Remind me of their ways in Christ. From them and through them may I learn that the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.Come to me, Lord, to chasten me and change me. But please show your love in a spirit of gentleness, rather than with the fierce rod of your anger.I renounce all egotistical thinking and all arrogant talk. I turn my heart and mind toward you and submit my life! You, Father, are my God, my Lord, my Savior! You are worthy of all my love and obedience.In the name of Jesus I submit to your authority and ask your blessings to continue forever. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Discipline in Love

Passage

1 Corinthians 5:9-13

Prayer

Dear Father, lover of righteousness and purity,Give us determination to keep your command not to associate with the immoral - not at all meaning the immoral of the world, the greedy and robbers, the idolaters, for then we would have to go out of the world - but not to associate with one who bears the name of a brother if that one is guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater, a reviler, a drunkard or robber - not even to eat with such a person.You have called us to judge those inside the church, not outside of it. You, our God, judge those on the outside. May we keep your command to \"Drive out the wicked person from among us,\" but not \"quench a smoldering wick\" or \"break a bruised reed.\" May we oppose only those who willfully persist in their humiliation of you, your gospel, and your church, and even then may we do it only for the salvation and good of all.In the name of Jesus I ask for wisdom in matters of discipline and for the loving spirit of the Savior himself. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
____________________

Conciliation

Passage

1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Prayer

Dear Father, eternal and just judge of all,Help me never to shame you or your saints before the world. How could I dare seek arbitration with a brother before a judge who does not even know about Christ's way? If believers are someday to judge the world, and even angels, surely we can settle matters between ourselves. Help me, Father, to willingly suffer wrong rather than to quarrel with members of your family before the world and thereby invite their ridicule.Don't permit us to be deceived, but to know that the immoral, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, greedy, drunkards, revilers, and robbers will not inherit your kingdom. Yes, Father, we were these kinds of people before we came to know your salvation. But you washed us, sanctified us, justified us in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in your very own Spirit. Thank you, loving Father, for reaching out to us, changing us, saving us!In the name of Jesus, by whose blood we are washed clean and by whose Spirit we are made to live, I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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My Body a Temple

Passage

1 Corinthians 6:12-13

Prayer

Dear Father, powerful and holy God,Help me to understand that even though all things may be lawful for me, all things are not helpful. Keep me from being enslaved by anything.You gave us stomachs for processing food and drink, and you gave us sexuality for procreation and intimacy, but you did not mean our bodies to be used for gluttony, drunkenness, or immorality!Remind me every day, Lord, that my body is for you, and that you, Lord, are for my body! In the name of Jesus. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
____________________

My Body an Instrument

Passage

1 Corinthians 6:14-20

Prayer

Dear Father, powerful and holy God,This body of mine is not just temporary, meant for the decay of the grave. You have promised to redeem it, to make it glorious like Christ's. It will be my instrument to glorify you throughout eternity. Let me use it with that thought in mind.Surely you, God, who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead by your power, will also raise my body by your power. Make me ever aware that my body is a member of Christ's body. Shall I take the members of Christ's body and join it with a prostitute? Never! How can I become one body with someone who is evil when I am one spirit with the Lord?Help me to shun immorality, which, unlike other sin, is against my own body. I consecrate my body as a temple of the Holy Spirit, which I have received from you. Help me to know that I am not my own but that I am bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus, and so let me glorify you in my body.In the name of Jesus. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
____________________

Family Relations

Passage

1 Corinthians 7:1-7

Prayer

Dear Father, third party to our marriage,Thank you that in matters of family relations you have not left us uninformed. Thank you for your apostle Paul's instructions. Help me take all these to heart.While it may have been better for me to remain unmarried and to have dedicated my life wholly to your service, I am married now, so please help me to fulfill all my vows and obligations to my wife and to freely give to her my love. Help me constantly to show affection to her and make her know that I love her. Give me the health, strength, and desire to fulfil her conjugal rights, understanding that I don't rule over my body, but that she does. Please help her to reciprocate.In the name of Jesus and by his authority I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Husbands and Wives

Passage

1 Corinthians 7:10-24

Prayer

Dear Father, lover of families,May my spouse and I both strive to satisfy the spiritual, mental, economic, emotional, and physical needs of the other so neither of us will ever be tempted to look to someone else for companionship. Help us both to exercise perfect self-control, never giving Satan any opportunity to deceive us.Father, grant that there may never be any rupture in our marriage relationship that would lead to quarreling, unfaithfulness, separation, or divorce. While one cannot take ultimate responsibility for the salvation of the other, help each of us to live for you before the other, building each other up. Because marriage is honorable in your eyes, help us to lead the life before you which you have assigned us in marriage.Thank you for calling us to peace, peace with each other and with you. In the state we are in, let us remain there with you, living joyfully in the keeping of your commandments.In the name of Jesus and by his authority I ask. Amen.