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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A Living Sacrifice

Passage

Romans 12:1-2

Prayer

Dear Father, all worthy God, I present my body to you, O Lord, as a living sacrifice. May it be holy and pleasing to you. Let this be my spiritual act of worship, not done at set times of remembrance, but constantly, moment by moment, day by day, night by night. Let me not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, which is doomed to pass away. Instead, let me be transformed by the renewing of my mind, so that I may be able to test and approve what your holy will for me is - what is good, pleasing, and perfect. By the authority of Jesus and in his name I ask for this growth in grace. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

A Holy Temple

Passage

Romans 12:1-2

Prayer

Dear Father, dweller of my temple, Please give me the mind of Christ and make my body a temple of the spirit of holiness which is his. Make me holy through and through. May my whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless by your power until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I trust you to do this because you are the one who has called me, and you are faithful. Your word says that you will do it! By the authority of Jesus and in his name I ask for this growth in grace. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Need for Interdependence

Passage

Romans 12:3-8

Prayer

Dear Father, who wills our interdependence, Help me not to think more highly of myself than I ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith which you have assigned me. I know that I am but one member in the body of Christ, and while important, no more important than any other. For as in one body, we have many members, and all members do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of each other. Help me to understand and practice the interdependence necessary for the healthy functioning of the body of Christ. May each member be in sympathetic union with all others. In the name of Jesus, who shares all spiritual blessings with us, we ask for a growing love among all your people. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Value of Interdependence

Passage

Romans 12:3-8

Prayer

Dear Father, who wills our interdependence, Having gifts that differ, let us use them appropriately according to your will. If prophesy, in proportion to one's faith. If service, diligently serving. If teaching, instructively teaching. If exhortation, strongly motivating encouragement. If giving, with liberal and generous contributions. If giving aid, with zeal. If acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Great Giver, give your gifts to your people through your people. But let us always give you the glory! Praise to you, our Lord. It is in the name of Jesus, who shares all spiritual blessings with us, we ask for a growing love among all your people. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Living in Love

Passage

Romans 12:9-15

Prayer

Dear Father, empowering God, Let my love be genuine for everyone in heaven and on earth. Help me hate what is evil at all times and everywhere. Help me hold fast to what is good, the old and the new. May I love my fellow disciples with brotherly affection. May I show them greater honor than they show me. Let my zeal not cool. May it blaze with energy from your Spirit. May I rejoice in hope and be patient in tribulation. Let me be constant in prayer. May I contribute liberally to the needs of your holy people. Help me be very hospitable. And Lord, help me to bless those who persecute me. Help me to bless them, not to curse in return. In the name and authority of Jesus I boldly come, asking these things according to his will. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Living in Harmony

Passage

Romans 12:16-21

Prayer

Dear Father, God of the lowly, Help me live in harmony with others - without haughtiness, without conceit, willing to associate with the lowly. Help me to repay no one evil for evil, but to take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. As far as it depends on me, let me live peaceably with everyone. Let me seek no revenge for myself, but leave it to your wrath, O God. Help me, Father, not to be overcome with evil, but to overcome evil with good. In the name and authority of Jesus I boldly come, asking these things according to his will. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Authority

Passage

Romans 13:1-7

Prayer

Dear Father, from whom all power comes, Help me to show proper respect for the duly constituted authority of government. Help me to do what is good, that I may receive the approval of those who serve you for the enforcement of good order. Teach me to be subject, not only to avoid the punishment of the state and to avoid your wrath, but also for the sake of my own conscience. Give me the integrity to pay taxes to whom taxes are due, to give revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. May my subjection to proper human authority reflect my subjection to your authority. Don't let me resist your will and incur judgment from you. In the name of Jesus, who has all authority, I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

No Debt Except . . .

Passage

Romans 13:8-10

Prayer

Dear Father, senior partner in my business, Help me get completely out of debt and stay out! Let me follow your word, "Owe no man anything! . . . except to love one another." Help me be a good steward of my business affairs. Spur me on to work smart as well as hard. Let me be very wise, even shrewd, in the way I order my business. While conserving resources, let me move forward, even taking risks when such is best. Help me, Father, to see you as the senior partner in what I do. And may I always render a generous portion of my income to do your work in the world. In the name of Jesus and with the Spirit's help, I ask these things. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

The Debt of Love

Passage

Romans 13:8-10

Prayer

Dear Father, I owe love to my fellow man, as you have said. What an endless debt! How can I keep your command to love my neighbor as myself? What would it be like to live in a world where such unselfishness prevailed? Ah, it would be heaven on earth, therefore such behavior is a precondition of our heavenly inheritance. But Lord, be gentle in your judgment toward me. I fall so far short on this. Love would absolutely do no wrong to one's neighbor - never taking anything that was his, or even wanting to. So fill me with love, so that I may fulfill your law. In the name of Jesus, help me, Lord. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Spirit of Generosity

Passage

Romans 13:9

Prayer

Dear Father, generous giver, Love sees needs and shares resources. How lacking I am in this regard. Please forgive me and make me better. Give a spirit of generosity not only to me, but also to my wife, my children, and my whole extended family - also to my spiritual family, your church. Help all of us to be giving people, because you are a giving God. Move us to serve a needy world. I praise you and thank you for all your mercies. You are so bountiful in your gifts. I love you, good and gracious God. I love your Son. I love your Spirit. I love your people. I love the lost. My prayer is to love you and them more. In the name of Jesus and with the Spirit's help, I ask these things. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

The Last Days

Passage

Romans 13:11-14

Prayer

Dear Father, object of my desires, Everything points to the fact that we live in the last days. Knowing what hour it is, let me wake up from my sleep! For salvation is nearer to me 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]

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

Staying Awake

Passage

Romans 13:11-14

Prayer

Dear Father, victorious deliverer, May I be found in Christ, not trusting any righteousness of my own. Let me know him and the power of his resurrection. May I share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, so 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
________________________________

Mutual Acceptance

Passage

Romans 14:1-16

Prayer

Dear Father, foundation of all our lives, Make me compassionate and generous toward my brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us welcome each other, and not dispute over opinions. May I never pass judgment on a brother or sister, for you have welcomed them. They are your servants. It is before you that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for you are able to make them stand. Let us be fully convinced in our own minds about honoring certain days, or about eating certain foods. Whether we honor a day or eat a food, or whether we abstain, may we do it (or not do it) in honor of you. Thank you that none of us lives to self, and none dies to self. Whether we live or die, we are yours! Thank you that Christ died to this end: that he might be Lord both of those who have died and of us who live. We know from what Jesus said: that all your saints are alive to you. In the name of Jesus, instill consideration for each other into all of us. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Walking in Love

Passage

Romans 14:13-16

Prayer

Dear Father, to whom all will bow, Help me not pass judgment on others or despise them. Let me look to myself in view of the fact that I will have to give an account for my own self. You have said, "As I live every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." Let me praise you now before the day of your judgment. Let my praise be willing and not forced. Help me never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother or sister in Christ, and especially of some young person. Don't let me injure anyone by exercising my rights. Let me rather walk in love toward. Don't let my right to do something cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. Do not let what is good to me be evil spoken of. In the name of Jesus I ask for the love and wisdom to so live. Amen.

[nChrist]

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

Pursuing Peace

Passage

Romans 14:17-23

Prayer

Dear Father, giver of brotherly love, How wonderful that your kingdom, your rule in people's lives, is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. May I, in serving Christ this way, be acceptable to you and approved by others. Let me and all the members of your family pursue what makes for peace and for mutual uplifting. Let none of us, for the sake of personal rights, destroy your work of grace in someone else. Help us to appreciate our rights, but help each of us understand that it is wrong to make others fall by insisting on them. Guide us to see that it is right not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that would make a brother or sister stumble. The faith that I have, let me keep between you and me. Let me find happiness in having no reason to judge myself for what I approve. May I never do anything from the basis of doubt, because not acting from conviction is sin. In the name of Jesus I pray all this, asking that you will give me love for my brothers and sisters. Amen.