Praying With Paul

[nChrist]

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

Examining Myself

Passage

1 Corinthians 11:27-32

Prayer

Dear Father, giver of bread and wine, May I never eat the bread or drink the cup in an unworthy manner, lest I profane the body and blood of the Lord. Teach me to examine my heart and mind thoroughly before I eat of the bread and drink of the cup. Keep me from eating or drinking judgment upon myself by failing to discern the body of the Lord, and thus become weak and ill, or fall asleep. May I judge myself truly, so that I will not be condemned. Most of all, help me submit to your judgment, Lord, by which you chasten us so that we will not be condemned along with the world. In the name of Jesus, who is the daily bread and wine of our lives, I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Remembering Christ's Death

Passage

1 Corinthians 11:24-26

Prayer

Dear Father, giver of bread and wine, Cause us to remember that in the same way he blessed the bread, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." Help us, giver of the heavenly bread and the heavenly wine, to eat and drink, as often as we do it, in proclamation of the Lord's death until he comes. In the name of Jesus, who is the daily bread and wine of our lives, I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Observing the Lord's Supper

Passage

1 Corinthians 11:17-23

Prayer

Dear Father, giver of bread and wine, When we come together as your family to partake of bread and wine, let it truly be "the Lord's supper" which we eat. Let there be no divisions or preferences among us, no putting ourselves first, or putting our group first. Let there be no divisions between rich and poor, young and old, dark-skinned or light, white collar or blue collar. Let no one do anything that would humiliate another. For "the Lord's supper" is a feast of love and unity. Cause us to remember what was delivered to us by your apostles, how the Lord Jesus on the night that he was betrayed took bread, and having given thanks, broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the name of Jesus, who is the daily bread and wine of our lives, I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Balance

Passage

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

Prayer

Dear Father, God of the present and the future, but also of the past, Make me willing to consider and accept new things. But also help me to respect and maintain the traditions from the past. May I acknowledge that Christ is my head and submit myself to him, even as he acknowledges you as his head. May Christian wives acknowledge the headship of their own husbands, and may their husbands honor Christ as their head. Help husbands and wives live inter-dependently, realizing that they need each other for mutual support and procreation. May all the women in your holy church conduct themselves in a way that shows their devotion to your Word and to their own husbands, and may all husbands give their wives due honor and genuine love.Help each of us who follows Christ not to be contentious or self-willed. Let us adapt ourselves to the traditions of the past that promote good order.In the name of Jesus I submit to your authority, asking these things according to his will. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Giving No Offense

Passage

1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1

Prayer

Dear Father, Keep me from giving offense to people of any race, any class, any tradition, not seeking my own advantage, but let me please everybody - for their good - that they may be saved. Let me imitate your great apostles, but most of all let me imitate Jesus, who came to glorify your name, to serve instead of be served, and to seek and save those who were lost. In the name of Jesus and in reliance upon his example I ask this. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Nothing between God and Me

Passage

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

Prayer

Dear Father, Never let an idol stand between me and you. I am not stronger than you. I don't want to provoke you to jealousy. Help me to understand that while "all things are lawful," all things are not helpful. Let everything I do, whether working or resting, eating or drinking, be done for your glory. May I never worship myself, live for myself, or strive to please myself. I want to worship you, to live for you, to please you. In the name of Jesus and in reliance upon his example I ask this. Amen

[nChrist]

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

Perseverence

Passage

1 Corinthians 10:6-15

Prayer

Dear Father, righteous judge of all mankind, Help me to live as one upon whom the end of the ages has come. Help me take what happened to the Israelites as a warning to myself. Don't let me get puffed up, thinking that I cannot fall. But at the same time let me keep in mind that no temptation has overtaken me that is not common to man. Help me remember that you are faithful and will not allow me to be tempted beyond my strength, but with every temptation will also provide the way for me to escape, that I may be able to endure it! The way of escape may be death, as it was for Jesus. If so, may I be willing to die if that is what it takes to enter your eternal kingdom. It is better that I should enter it with eyes or hands gone than to enter into hell with my whole body intact. Help me to obey you from a heart of love and gratefulness for what you have done for me. In the name of Jesus grant me such love for you that I will persevere in obedience until the very end. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Heeding Warnings

Passage

1 Corinthians 10:1-5

Prayer

Dear Father, righteous judge of all mankind, Help me take to heart the examples of disobedience and punishment set by your ancient people as they wandered through the wilderness. Although they were baptized into Moses in the cloud and the sea, and drank of the spiritual food and spiritual water, flowing backward through time from that spiritual Rock, which was Christ himself. In spite of all this, they got lost in the wilderness because they displeased you. O Father, let me take to heart these warnings, and not desire anything evil, as they did, nor to worship idols, as they did, or to engage in immorality, as they did. May I never put you to the test or grumble about your providence, as they did. In the name of Jesus grant me patience to persevere until the end. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Love Never Ends

Passage

1 Corinthians 13:8-13

Prayer

Dear Father, O God of love! Let me possess love, for love never ends. I know that prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will pass away, for they are all incomplete and unfinished. When the complete and perfect comes, everything incomplete and unfinished will be gone. Enable me to put away the things of childhood - the way I reasoned, the way I spoke - and help me become mature. Now I see through a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall understand, even as I have been fully understood. Faith, hope, and love are the truly enduring qualities, but you proclaim love the greatest. Fill me with love! In the name of the loving Jesus and by his authority I come to you, asking these things according to his will. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

The Qualities of Love

Passage

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Prayer

Dear Father, give me love! May I one day possess fully all the qualities of love, as did your son, Jesus, the Messiah! May I be patient and kind, not jealous or boastful, not arrogant or rude, not insisting on my own way, not ever irritable or resentful. May I rejoice always in what is right, never in anything that is wrong. Help me to bear all things and endure whatever I must, to trust in all circumstances, and to be hopeful in all trials. By Jesus's authority I come to you, asking. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

The Greatest Is Love

Passage

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Prayer

Dear Father, O God of love, If I could speak in all the languages of men and angels, and did not have love, I would be no more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had all prophetic powers, and could understand all mysteries and all kinds of knowledge, and had all faith, so as to remove mountains, and did not have love, I would be nothing. If I gave away all that I possessed, and delivered my body to be burned, and did not have love, it would profit me nothing. Dear Father, Loving God, give me love! In the name of Jesus, who gave himself for me, I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Members of His Body

Passage

1 Corinthians 12:12-30

Prayer

Dear Father, God of order, You have invested the inferior parts of the body with greater honor. You have given the weak parts of the body indispensable roles. You have given some who are unpresentable a greater modesty. Your ordering of people in the body of Christ is altogether wonderful. You have called all of us to be humble, loving, caring. You want us to prefer one another in honor and to count others better than ourselves. Help me to be this way in relating to other people. Thank you for making me a member of Christ's body, thus guaranteeing that I will live forever in him. O heavenly Father, let his life - his goodness and everlasting love - be lived fully in my life. Fill me with his presence and Spirit. In the name of Jesus, the head of the body, I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

The Body of Christ

Passage

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Prayer

Dear Father, great, good and generous giver, Thank you for making me part of the body of Christ, his church. Thank you that there are no unimportant parts to the body. Thank you that all of us are interconnected and interdependent. We have a variety of gifts from you, but all have the same spirit. We have varieties of service, but all have the same Lord, Jesus Christ. We have various ways of working, but it is you, O God, who inspires all of it. Your spirit apportions your gifts as he wishes. Thank you for every manifestation of your power and goodness. And thank you for every graciousness shown to me personally. In the name of Jesus, the head of the body, I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Waiting on Each Other

Passage

1 Corinthians 11:33-34

Prayer

Dear Father, giver of bread and wine, Give each of us perfect courtesy toward others, even more, perfect love. When we come together, may we wait on each other. May each of us satisfy our hunger at home rather than behave as gluttons in the assembly of your people! May we come together not to be condemned, but to build each other up, and to be nourished by that bread which is life indeed, Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus, who is the daily bread and wine of our lives, I ask. Amen.