Praying With Paul

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
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God's Simple Message

Passage

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Prayer

Dear Father, God of all true wisdom, power, and glory, When I set about to share your Good News about Jesus with other people, keep me from using lofty concepts or high-sounding words. Let me speak of nothing except Christ and him crucified. Help me to understand that it is okay for me to show my own weakness, fear, and trembling. Let my words demonstrate your Spirit and power, so that the faith which germinates will rest not in my wisdom but in yours. In the name of Jesus, by his authority, and according to his will I lift up this petition to you. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
Free By RSS News
_________________

No Room for Boasting

Passage

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Prayer

Dear Father, you of whom we boast, Why have you chosen the weak, the foolish, the despised? You have done this so that no human being can boast. And we do not! We cast our lives at your feet. You alone are worthy! You are the source of our lives in Christ Jesus, whom you made to be everything to us. He is our wisdom and our righteousness. He is our sanctification and our redemption. Therefore, as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord" - and we do! In the name of Jesus, by his wisdom and authority, I ask these things. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
Free By RSS News
_________________

The Authority of the Cross

Passage

1 Corinthians 1:22-25

Prayer

Dear Father, confounder of worldly wisdom, What you have caused us to preach is "Christ crucified," a stumbling block to tradition-followers, like the Jews, and folly to philosophy-lovers, like the Greeks. But to us who are called, he is your power and your wisdom. For we believe that your foolishness is wiser than our wisdom, and your weakness is stronger than our strength. I am thankful that you have taken most of us from the lower echelons of society. Not many of us are wise according to worldly standards, not many are powerful, not many are of noble birth. You chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, what is weak to shame the strong, what is low and despised, even things that don't yet exist, to bring to nothing the things that are. May my weakness and foolishness be transformed into usefulness through your strength and wisdom. In the name of Jesus and by his wisdom and authority I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
Free By RSS News
_________________

The Wisdom of the Cross

Passage

1 Corinthians 1:18-21

Prayer

Dear Father, author of all true wisdom, You have said, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart. "Where is the wise man? Where is the debater of this age? I thank you, Father, that you made foolish the wisdom of this world. For in the wisdom of your plan, mere "wisdom" has never enabled anyone to know you. People were looking for something great, as they understood greatness. It pleased you, rather, by the "foolishness" of what we preach, to save all of us who put our trust in you and your manifested love. May I never try to impress anyone with my wisdom. Instead let me impress them with my faith in your wisdom. In the name of Jesus and by his wisdom and authority I ask these things. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
Free By RSS News
_________________

The Power of the Cross

Passage

1 Corinthians 1:17

Prayer

Dear Father, author of all true wisdom, Thank you that you do not send your emissaries out as mere recruiters. They are not just to baptize but to preach the Good News about Jesus, that he doesn't just want us to "join his club" but he wants us to be like him, yes, to be him, to be his body, in the world. Thank you for not appealing to us with elegant ideas or eloquent speech, lest the message of the cross be emptied of its power. For while this word of the cross is utter folly to those who are perishing, to us who are being saved by it, it is your power. Grant me the courage and strength to trust you when worldly wisdom sounds convincing. In the name of the one who empowers me to live according to his righteousness, I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
Free By RSS News
_________________

The Attitude of Christ

Passage

1 Corinthians 1:10-13

Prayer

Dear Father, to whom I owe full obedience, Let my attitude be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who made himself nothing and obeyed you, even in the matter of dying. May I humbly and obediently exalt Jesus, even as you have exalted him and given him a name that is above every name, that every knee should bow and every tongue confess - to your glory, our God and our Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, the source of our unity and salvation, I ask these things. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
Free By RSS News
_________________

United in Christ

Passage

1 Corinthians 1:10-13

Prayer

Dear Father, the one and only God of your one holy people, Help me never to be part of any division within the body of Christ. Let me be perfectly united in mind and heart with all who follow you. Help me not be some kind of -ite, -ist, or -anian. Keep me from misplacing my loyalties with this man or that! Christ, of whom I am part, is not divided. He is of one mind. So let me and all his people be together and in agreement. Let us be like-minded, having the same love, one in spirit and purpose. Help us do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility help us count each other better than ourselves. Let us look out for the interests of each other, not just our own. In the name of Jesus Christ, the Source of our unity and salvation, I ask these things. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
Free By RSS News
_________________

No Lack in God

Passage

1 Corinthians 1:4-9

Prayer

Dear Father, my faithful God, Thank you now and forevermore for the grace which you gave in Christ Jesus. In every way you have enriched me in all speech and all knowledge - even as the testimony of Christ has been confirmed before my eyes - so that I am not lacking in any spiritual gift, as I, along with all my brethren, wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are my faithful God. It is you who have called me into fellowship with your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. I have confidence that you will sustain me to the very end and present me guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. I put my trust wholly in you, my holy God, for you are wholly trustworthy. In the name of Jesus, who was faithful to you and is always faithful to me. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

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
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

All Things Are Ours

Passage

1 Corinthians 3:16-20

Prayer

Dear Father, who loves to dwell with man, Thank you for dwelling within our spirits, for making us your holy temple! Help us not to be deceived or to deceive ourselves. Let us be seen as foolish to the world, let us be fools for you, that we may be truly wise. For the wisdom of the world is pure folly in your eyes. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," and "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." So don't ever let us boast of men, or of ourselves. Don't let us be impressed with Ph.D.'s, or millions of dollars, or glamor or fame, or titles a mile long, or recognition banquets. Give us humility, in the blessed name of Jesus. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Escaping Doom

Passage

1 Corinthians 3:14-15

Prayer

Dear Father, designer of destiny, Even if I am not the best quality, you can save me myself - but I don't want to escape doom by a hairsbreadth. I want to fulfill all the potential you have placed within me and do all the good you have planned for me to do. Help me, Father, through the example of the Lord Jesus to be everything that you want me to be, to do everything you want me do, and to live my life at the peak of quality. Make all of us into what you want us to be, for such is our blessedness. Let me be a blessing to other people, that they may see your Son living in me and may give glory to you. In the blessed name of Jesus I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

The One Foundation

Passage

1 Corinthians 3:9-13

Prayer

Dear Father, designer of destiny, Thank you for your concern for us. We are the field that you tend, the building that you build. You build us as living stones upon the one foundation, Jesus Christ. No other foundation is provided. No other is adequate. But Father, I am concerned. As I build on this foundation, and as I am built on it, may the quality of my life be such that it will survive the purifying fire of judgment. I don't want my life to be like wood, hay, or stubble. I want it to be like gold, silver and precious stones, so that when my work is tested by fire, it will be proven to be durable, wrought in you and not in my own vanity. Make all of us into what you want us to be, for such is our blessedness. In the blessed name of Jesus I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

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]

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

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.