Praying With Paul

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
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One in Spirit

Passage

Philippians 2:3-11

Prayer

Dear Father, One God of your one holy people, Help all of us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility help us count each other better than ourselves. May we look out for the interests of each other, not just our own. Let our attitude be the same as was in Christ Jesus, who made himself nothing and obeyed you, our Father, even in the matter of dying. Help me humbly and obediently to 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 the glory of you, 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 From Heartlight
________________________________

Undivided, Indivisible

Passage

Philippians 2:1-2

Prayer

Dear Father, One God of your one holy people, Help me never to be a party to any division within the body of Christ. Let me be perfectly united in mind and heart with all others who follow you. Help me not to be some kind of -ite, -ist, or -anian. Keep me from misplacing my loyalties with this person 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. 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 From Heartlight
________________________________

The Ultimate Loyalty

Passage

Philippians 2:19-3:7

Prayer

Dear Father, Help me to be a Timothy, one who genuinely cares for the welfare of others. Help me look out not just for my own interests, but for Christ's. Help me to be an Epaphroditus, a true fellow worker and fellow soldier to all others who serve you, risking my life for you. Help me to be one of the true circumcision, who worship you in spirit, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh. Help me turn my back on all earthly gain and count all things as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ and serving him. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

A Precious Promise

Passage

Philippians 3:8

Prayer

Dear Father, Keeper of all your promises, You have promised: "Be faithful unto death and I will give you a crown of life." Thank you for such a precious promise! You are so gracious to me! Help me to count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as my Lord. For his sake I would gladly suffer the loss of all things - at least I hope I would - and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him. Father, you know my heart. You know that I don't want a righteousness of my own based on self-sufficient rule-keeping, but one which comes from trusting Christ. I want the righteousness that you provide when I commit myself to your trustworthy care. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

To Know Christ

Passage

Philippians 3:10-14

Prayer

Father, I want to do this because I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection, and be allowed even to share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Dear Father, I know that I have not made this my own yet, but one thing let me do: Let me forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead. Help me to keep pressing forward toward the goal so that I may win the prize according to your will in Christ Jesus, my Lord. In his name of our Lord Jesus I ask these things and pray that you will grant us a spirit of perseverance unto eternal life. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Living from the Future

Passage

Philippians 3:15

Prayer

Father, May the motivations of my life come from the future you have appointed for me rather than from the past I have lived. Let every one of my fellow Christians be mature in this matter too, along with me. If I, or they, are lacking in any way, please disclose this to us, and change us! Help us hold true to what we have already attained. Don't let us throw this away! In the name of our Lord Jesus I ask these things and pray that you will grant us a spirit of perseverance unto eternal life. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

A Citizen of Heaven

Passage

Philippians 3:16-21

Prayer

Dear Father, I want to join all your holy people in imitating the example of your apostle Paul, and I want to take notice of people in my own time who live by the same example. Thank you, my God, that my citizenship is in heaven, from which I wait the return of my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you, Father, that he will come to change my lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him to subject all things to himself. 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
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My Joy and Crown

Passage

Philippians 4:1

Prayer

Dear Father, Help me to stand firm in the Lord, not only for my own sake but because I am someone's joy and crown, the object of their love and longing. May I reach out to others to call them to follow the example Christ. Let them become my joy and crown, the objects of my love and longing. Especially, Father, let me influence my family - spouse, children, in-laws, grandchildren - to walk in your way and to long for your day. I love them dearly and long for their salvation. Draw them to your heart of love. 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
________________________________

Rejoice! and Pray!

Passage

Philippians 4:4-7

Prayer

Dear Father, forbearing God, Let me rejoice in the Lord always! Again I ask this from you: Let me rejoice always! Let me be gentle, open to reason, slow to make negative judgments. Let this forbearing spirit be apparent to everyone. I know the Lord Jesus is near, so I have no reason to be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let me present my requests to you. I believe in you, Father, a God who transcends all human understanding. I believe that the peace which comes from you, which transcends all understanding, will keep my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. In the name of the ever-near Jesus. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Focused on Goodness

Passage

Philippians 4:8-9

Prayer

Dear Father, praiseworthy God, Help me set my mind only on things that are true, that are noble, right, pure and lovely, things that are worthy of admiration. If there is anything excellent or praiseworthy, O God, let me think only about such things! Whatever I have learned or received or heard through your apostles and your word, help me to put into practice. O God of peace, be with me in everything! I believe you will, for you have promised it. I lovingly pray for your blessings and abiding presence in the name of Jesus. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

The End Is Near

Passage

Philippians 4:5

Prayer

Dear Father, victorious deliverer, Everything points to the fact that we live in the last days, so let me not waste time sleeping. Salvation is nearer now than when I first believed. The night is far gone. The day is at hand. Help me cast off all the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let me conduct myself as becomes one of your people, not in reveling or drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling or jealousy. Rather let me put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provisions for the flesh, to gratify its desires. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Preparing for the End

Passage

Philippians 4:7-11

Prayer

Dear Father, victorious deliverer, May I be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on rule-keeping but that which is through trust in Christ, the righteousness of God that depends on trust, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible, I might attain the resurrection of the dead. O God, let me obtain it! Let me be awake! Let me put on the armor of light! Let me put on the Lord Jesus and his righteousness, and be found in him! Let me trust, obey, even suffer, in order to have the victory! In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

All Things through God

Passage

Philippians 4:11-13

Prayer

Sovereign Lord of all things, dear Father, How aware I am of my mortality! All flesh is like grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades . . . but your word, O God, will stand forever! I will not say that my way is hidden from the Lord, or that you, my God, have disregarded my rights. Don't I know? Haven't I heard? You, Lord, are the everlasting God, the Creator of the most distant parts of earth. You do not grow faint or get tired and your understanding is unsearchable. You give power to me when I faint. When I feel I have no energy, you increase my strength. Because I wait on you, Lord, you shall renew my strength. I shall mount up with the wings of eagles. I shall run and not be weary, I shall walk and not faint. In the name of Jesus, for whom you were everything, and who taught me also to let you be my everything! Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Content in All Circumstances

Passage

Philippians 4:11-13

Prayer

Sovereign Lord of all things, Abba, dear Father, I will not complain of want, for I have learned in whatever condition I am to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things through you, the God who strengthens me! Holy God, Abba, Father, you are my all-sufficient strength, and throughout eternity you will be everything I need or want! In the name of Jesus, for whom you were everything, and who taught me also to let you be my everything! Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Sowing Faith, Hope, Love

Passage

Colossians 1:3-5

Prayer

Dear Father, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, We thank you for every brother and sister, young and old, who has faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and who is learning to love all your saints because of the hope that is laid up for us in heaven. Thank you for letting us hear about this abiding faith, hope, and love in your word. Thank you that your Word was proclaimed to us. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.