Praying With Paul

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Living before the Omniscient God

Passage

Hebrews 4:13

Prayer

Dear Father, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, Help me to follow your teachings and live my life according to your will even in unusual or seemingly unimportant circumstances. O Lord, from you nothing is hidden; all things are open and laid bare before your eyes, and to you we give an account of our actions. Let my inmost thoughts and my most secret deeds, which you see and judge anyway, be done in righteous adherence to your teaching, and with a pure heart. And forgive me when I am forgetful or negligent. And if there is rebellion in my spirit, turn me around through your chastisement, that I may turn back to you. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
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[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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The Sabbath Rest

Passage

Hebrews 3:7-4:11

Prayer

Dear Father, I long to enter into your rest - into creative work that is effortless, into joyous activity in which there is no fatigue, into glorious praise of which I will not tire! Thank you for the Good News that there remains a Sabbath Rest for the people of God. Keep me from being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. May I not focus on the glittering things of this world and lose sight of the glorious eternity that awaits me. Let me not fall away from you through faithlessness and disobedience as did your ancient people in the wilderness wanderings. Let no rebellion sprout in my heart against you. May I walk steadfastly and patiently in your paths. May I learn that to enter your rest I must surrender my will. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.
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[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Focused on Jesus

Passage

Hebrews 3:1-6

Prayer

Dear Father, Keep my eyes focused on Jesus. Help me carefully consider him. Let me see his faithfulness. Let me see his worthiness to be honored. Let me see him as the apostle and high priest of my confession. Let me see him as the one who has called me to a heavenly calling. Let me see him as the very Son of God, faithful over God's household, and let me see myself as part of that household of faith, and let us hold fast our confidence and our pride in our hope. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.
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[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Jesus, Full of Grace

Passage

Hebrews 2:14

Prayer

Dear Father, King of all, How full of grace you and your Son are for our sake! You let Jesus share in flesh and blood, partake of our nature, that he through his death might destroy the Devil, who held the power of death, and deliver us from lifelong bondage. Thank you for making Jesus so like us that he can now be a merciful and faithful high priest in our behalf, to make expiation for our sins. Thank you that, because he has suffered and has been tempted, he is able now to help us when we suffer and are tempted. How great are your mercies, O God! How desperately we need your sustenance in every moment of our lives! How glad we are that Jesus is there by your side, pleading our case, turning away the accusations of Satan about our weaknesses, failures, and acts and thoughts of selfishness. Thank you, Father, thank you! Thank you, Lord Jesus! In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
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[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Holding Fast to Faith

Passage


Hebrews 10:19-25

Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you for the confidence I can have to enter your sanctuary. May I draw near to you in faith, full of assurance, with my heart cleansed from a guilty conscience and with my body washed with pure water. Grant that I may hold fast to the confession of my faith, without wavering, since I know that you, the one who promised, is faithful. May my enthusiastic expression of faith stir up fellow Christians to good works. Let me not neglect meeting with my brothers and sisters or fail to remember that we all will be gathered to meet the Lord. May we encourage one another all the more as we see that glorious Day drawing near. I am looking forward to the return of your Son, and it is in his name that I pray. Amen.
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[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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A Perfect Sacrifice

Passage

Hebrews 9:11-14

Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you that when Christ appeared as a High Priest, he entered into the Holy Place and took not the blood of bulls and goats, but his own blood, thus securing eternal redemption for us. How much more perfect and pleasing to you was his sacrifice than that of animals, for he offered what was truly perfect - his sinless body. Thank you, Father, that through this offering he has purified my conscience that I might serve you, the true and living God. Infuse my body, soul, and spirit with your grace. Give me a soft and obedient heart that yields readily to your will. Give me a broken and contrite heart that despises sin and yearns for true holiness. Keep me from loving the things of this world. Make me willing to surrender anything that I possess or could possess, that I may walk with you. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.
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[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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By His Own Blood

Passage

Hebrews 8:1-13

Prayer

Dear Father, the Majesty of heaven, Thank you that in Jesus we have a totally understanding and merciful High Priest. He has your authority, seated at the right hand of the throne of your majesty in heaven, a minister in the sanctuary and true tabernacle which was set up by you, not men. Thank you that the new covenant we have through him is superior to the old covenant in that it is written on our hearts and minds. I want to know you, O God. I want to obey you. I want to spend my life in your service and eternity in your glory. Remove my wickedness and remember my sins no more. In the name of your holy Son, whose blood has bought my forgiveness, I pray. Amen.
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[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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The Immutable Oath

Passage

Hebrews 6:13-7:28

Prayer

Dear Father, King above all rule and authority on earth, Thank you for your holy and sure promises. Your oath is immutable. In these things in which it is impossible for you to prove false, we who have fled to you for refuge find strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. Thank you for the sure and steadfast anchor you have given our lives, our hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain.There Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become for us a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek - King of Righteousness, King of Peace - a priest for ever by the oath of you yourself - receiver of tithes from Abraham and Aaron - officiating not by right of bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life! Praise, honor, glory, and power to Jesus our High Priest, able for all time to save those who draw near to you through him, Son of God, made perfect for ever! In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
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[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Acts of Faith

Passage

Hebrews 11:20-12:2

Prayer

Dear Father, my trustworthy God, Give me faith like Moses, who loved your way more than the treasures of Egypt. Give me faith like the people of the Exodus, who were willing to walk through the sea at your bidding, but keep me from wavering and rebelling as they did. Give me faith like Rahab, who placed her loyalty with you and your people. Give me faith like Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who did mighty works in your name and suffered with patient endurance for your sake. Dear God, I rejoice to be in the company of your holy people, this cloud of witnesses who lived by faith in you. May I lay aside every weight of sin and run with perseverance the race that is set before me, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of my faith. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.
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[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Abraham's Faith

Passage

Hebrews 11:8-19

Prayer

Holy Father, in whom all faith is safe, I cannot imagine what it would be like to be asked to do what you asked Abraham to do. He was willing to sacrifice the very son you had promised to him, the son through whom you promised to make a great nation. He believed that you could do what he had never seen done before-raise someone from the dead. May I stay so close to you that I will never doubt your instructions to me. Like Abraham, I want to be willing to follow you to unknown parts of the earth. Like Abraham, I want to trust you when you ask me to do difficult things. Abraham believed you and you counted it to him as righteousness. May my faith be counted to me as righteousness as well. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.
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[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Giants of Faith

Passage

Hebrews 11:1-7

Prayer

Dear Father, trustworthy God, You alone are worthy of faith, for you alone have the power to keep promises. Increase my faith, Lord. May I have the full assurance of what I hope for, the firm conviction of the reality of what I do not yet see. Give me faith in your creation and ordering of the world, that what is here is made out of what does not appear. Give me faith like Abel, who sought your approval and whose faith still speaks beyond his death. Give me faith like Enoch, who walked so close to you that you took him to yourself without his having to die. Give me faith like Noah, who was willing to preach your message to an unregenerate and unrepentant world. In the name of Jesus, who died in my place. Amen.
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[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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Confident in Christ

Passage

Hebrews 10:26-39

Prayer

Holy God, who has promised to return, How foolish I would be to keep on sinning after coming to the knowledge of your truth. Give me the strength to forsake whatever sin I become aware of in my life. I submit myself to your examination and ask to see myself as you see me. In the face of suffering or ridicule, I want to stand strong in truth, always aware that confidence and perseverance will be richly rewarded in the life to come. May I not be among those who shrink back and are destroyed, but among those who hold on to faith and keep their souls. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.
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[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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I Come to You, God

Passage

Hebrews 12:22-29

Prayer

Dear Father, I come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the city of the living God. I join with the thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, with the assembly of the firstborn ones, whose names are written in heaven. I come to you, my God, the judge of all the earth. I come to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. I come to you, my God, thanking your for receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken. I am so thankful. And so I worship you with reverence and awe. Receive me, I pray. You, my God, are a consuming fire. Burn away all that is worthless in me, that I may be to you a vessel of pure gold, useful and holy. With awesome reverence and in the name of Jesus I come to you, asking these things according to his will. Amen.
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[nChrist]

____________________
Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
____________________

The Birthright

Passage

Hebrews 12:16-17

Prayer

Dear Father, Keep me from being immoral or irreligious and, like Esau, selling the birthright you have for me. I want to inherit your blessing, even if it comes to me through tears. Hold me close to you. Fill my mind with thoughts of you. Fill my heart with love for you. May I use my strength to perform acts of care and love which you initiate. I love you, Lord. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
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[nChrist]

____________________
Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
____________________

Call for Peace and Holiness

Passage

Hebrews 12:12-15

Prayer

Dear Father, When my hands droop and my knees are weak, put me in a place where I will get exercise. Open my eyes so that I can find level paths on which to lead the lame so they will not trip and get hurt but will walk and find healing. May I always strive for peace with every other person in the world and to seek holiness for myself, knowing that without it I will never see you. Enable me to help others find grace and to keep those in your family from becoming bitter, which causes trouble and leads to defilement. In the name of your Son I ask. Amen.
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