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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Freedom Is No Excuse for Sin

Passage

Galatians 5:13-15

Prayer

Dear Father, guardian of the free, May we never use freedom as a pretext for evil or as an excuse for indulging sinful desires. Rather, grant that we, out of love, will make ourselves servants to one another. For the Lord has taught us that the whole law is fulfilled in the one saying, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Keep us from "biting" and "devouring" one another, lest we be consumed by one another. Encourage and enable me and all my brothers and sisters in Christ to live by love, your principle of freedom. In the name of Jesus I ask you to preserve my faith in freedom and love. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Bearing Each Others' Burdens

Passage

Galatians 6:1-5

Prayer

Dear Father, lifter of our heavy loads, Fill my heart with love for my brothers and sisters in Christ. If someone is overtaken in some misdeed, help me to assist in restoring that person, in a spirit of gentleness. Let me watch out for myself, lest I also be tempted. Help all of us to bear one another's overloads, and so fulfil the law of Christ. But help us not to deceive ourselves, thinking we are something when we are really nothing. Let each one of us test our own work, so that our reason for pride may be in what we do and not in what our neighbor does. Teach each of us to bear our own fair load. May we who are taught share all our good things with the person who teaches us. In the name of Jesus I ask all this and that you will give me a Spirit-filled life resulting in eternal victory! Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Sowing Seeds

Passage

Galatians 6:6-10

Prayer

Dear Father, holy unscornable God, Don't let me be deceived, my God, for I know that no one can mock you with impunity. For whatever a person sows that is what the person will reap. Those who sow to the flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but those who sow to the Spirit will reap eternal life. I want to reap eternal life, Father. Help me always to sow to the Spirit! Help me never to tire of doing good, for in your own due season I will reap. Let me never lose heart, but, as I have opportunity, may I do good to all people, especially to my brothers and sisters in the household of faith. In the name of Jesus I ask all this and that you will give me a Spirit-filled life resulting in eternal victory! Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Reaping Righteousness

Passage

Galatians 6:7-8

Prayer

Dear Father, Keep me from sowing seeds from my sinful nature, for I do not want to reap the crop they will produce. May I not invest my time, money, or desires in the deceitful things of this world. For then I will reap destruction. Help me rather to sow to the Spirit, to please you. Help me to put my time, money, and desires into proper thinking and righteous living so I will reap everlasting life. In the name of the infinitely generous Jesus I ask these things. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Anticipating the Harvest

Passage

Galatians 6:9-10

Prayer

Dear Father, just yet merciful God, May I not become weary in doing good but rather work diligently, energetically, and enthusiastically, keeping in mind the rich harvest you will send at the proper time. Don't ever let me give up on doing good or give up on you. And God, don't ever give up on me! As I have opportunity, let me do good to everybody, especially to those in my family of fellow believers. In the name of Jesus I ask these things. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Living as a New Creation

Passage

Galatians 6:12-18

Prayer

Dear Father, creator of new creations, Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. For neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation! Let your peace and mercy rain down upon all of us who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God, called both from Jews and from non-Jewish people. Thank you, Father, for calling me to be part of your holy nation. Let us take no thought for any identifying marks on our bodies, except the evidences of our suffering for the sake of Jesus. Help us never to glory in the flesh, or to give ourselves to be counted for someone else's glorying, except for this. In the name of Jesus I ask for his grace to be with our Spirits in this and in all our petitions. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

A Marvelous Message

Passage

1 Thessalonians 1:2-8

Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you for the great numbers of believers in Jesus Christ, for their works of faith, their labors of love, and their steadfastness of hope which they have in Christ. Thank you for choosing all of us and calling us to yourself by the Good News about Jesus. Thank you that this marvelous message came to us not only in word, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. Thank you for the example of your apostles as demonstrations of what the Good News about Jesus can do in human lives.Help us to imitate their labors, suffering, and joys in the Holy Spirit so that we may become examples to others. Let our faith, like theirs, go forth everywhere to all men so that all men will turn from vain idols and self-worship to serve you, the living and true God. In the name of Jesus I pray and give thanks to you. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Saved to Serve

Passage

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

Prayer

Dear Father, May our faith serve to call them to wait for your Son from heaven, whom you raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath that will ultimately come upon an unrepentant world. Thank you for a love that reaches down and takes from within the world of sinners a people for yourself. Thank you for redeeming us, those sinners, for making us holy through your power, and for saving us for your eternal kingdom. My God, you are so great, so awesome, so good! I love you, God. In the name of Jesus I pray and give thanks to you. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Avoiding Error

Passage

1 Thessalonians 2:1-4

Prayer

Dear Father, I pray that every ministry being done in your name in our time will be done in unselfish love for you and for people. Please defeat those that serve to bring honor to themselves instead of you. May people leading these ministries avoid everything that springs from error or uncleanness. Let there be no deceit in any appeal. Let those whom you have entrusted with the gospel live and speak not to please others but to please you. In the holy name of Jesus. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Holy and Blameless

Passage

1 Thessalonians 2:5-12

Prayer

Dear Father, Keep all your preachers from using words of flattery, any cloak of greed, or from seeking glory for themselves, even though they have certain rights of support in the gospel. Let them reach out to people with care and gentleness, like a nurse caring for infants. Help them to be willing to share not only the gospel but their very selves. May your witnesses exhibit holy, blameless, and righteous behavior, showing the care of a father, even as you do, as they exhort and encourage and charge people to lead lives worthy of you, the great wonderful and loving God who calls men into his own kingdom and glory. In the holy name of Jesus. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

God's Word

Passage

1 Thessalonians 2:13-20

Prayer

Dear Father, real source of the Bible, Thank you for the word proclaimed in the New Testament. Help us accept it for what it really is, not mere words written by men, but the word of God, your will revealed to us and made alive in our lives. May Jewish members of your church bear a great witness to Jesus as their rightful Messiah. May non-Jewish members follow their example and be willing to suffer with them for the salvation of mankind, Jew and non-Jew.Father, be with those young disciples who have come to you through our efforts, even our own children. They will be our hope and joy and crown of boasting when Jesus returns, for we shall be together with them and with him. They will be our glory and our joy. In the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Care for Absent Loved Ones

Passage

1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

Prayer

Dear Father, our partner in caring, How hard it is to be far away from those we want to encourage to walk in your ways. We leave them in your hands, Lord, and ask you to send your angels to guard their ways. Keep those that we love from the power of the tempter. Grant us good news from them. We long to hear that they are learning more and more of your will and growing in your grace. Let us know that they are standing firm in truth. What thanksgiving we send before your throne, what joy we feel for them before you, our God. What a torrent of prayer we pour out before you that whatever is lacking in their faith may be supplied! Make us the agents who will supply their spiritual needs. Let there be many times for us and our loved ones to be together for times of refreshment in your word and in prayer. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

God's Will: Sanctification

Passage

1 Thessalonians 4:1-7

Prayer

Dear Father, sanctifier of families, Help us to learn how we ought to live and how we ought to please you. Help us give greater attention and effort to this. Your will for us is our sanctification, so enable us to abstain from all immorality. Many people around us glorify and romanticize lust. Help us to reject this way of looking at things. Guide believers into marriages of holiness and honor, giving themselves to each other in spiritual union with Christ along with the joining of personalities and bodies. Help our marriages to be established as the gathering of two in your name. Help our families to be your church in miniature. Help every follower of yours respect the marriage relationship of others and defraud no one in this matter. You have not called us to uncleanness, but holiness. Thank you, Father, for this high calling. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

God's Will: Perfect Love

Passage

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

Prayer

Dear Father, perfecter of our love, Don't ever let us disregard you or your Holy Spirit, which you give us. Give us perfect love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let this teaching of yours fill our minds. Let this love among us grow more and more, every day and in every way. May we aspire to live quietly, to mind our own affairs, and to work with our hands or our minds, so that we may be dependent on no one and command the respect of those outside your family. May that respect lead them to listen, to heed, and also to become your children. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Coming Reunion

Passage

1 Thessalonians 4:13-15

Prayer

Dear Father, comforter of the bereaved, On the death of our dear loved ones in Christ, may we comfort one another with thoughts of a glorious reunion. Help us not grieve as those who have no hope. Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, you will bring with you at your coming those who have fallen asleep. We place our trust in you for ourselves, too, for we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep, but will share in their rapturous blessing. In the name of our conquering and returning Savior. Amen.