Innholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2021 i 60 Days of Prayer

How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. HEBREWS 9:14 (ESV) IS YOUR CONSCIENCE troubling you over a deed, thought or action that causes you shame? Pray and open up to God. Instead of burying your wrongdoing, confess it and be free. Thank Him for His forgiveness and unending mercy. Holy Lord, purify my conscience. Help me release my guilt over my transgressions.…

Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. MATTHEW 7:5 (NKJV) IT’S BEEN SAID that many of the flaws you find in others are your own flaws reflected in them. When you are being judgmental of someone in your life, look to yourself. Ask God to show you the “plank in your eye” and to to help you focus on your own spiritual healing and growth. Heavenly Father, help me be a better person. Show me the plank in my eye.…

He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” JOHN 3:2 (NIV) SPEND TIME WITH God. The more you know Him and aspire to be like Him, the more you will be guided by His wisdom. No matter what you are going through, trust that He will help you persevere. God’s steadfast and faithful love will see you through every challenge. All-Knowing God, grant me encouragement and strength. Help me hear Your guidance and obey Your Word.…

This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” JEREMIAH 33:2–3 (NIV) GOD MADE THE heavens and the earth, and there is nothing that He can’t do or make in your life. When you are facing difficult times, pray and ask for insight on your situation. Know that He is with you, and that because of His presence you can have hope for tomorrow. Loving Father, quiet my mind. Help me feel Your peace right now.…

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. GALATIANS 6:4 (NLT) THE WORD “COMPETITION” does not appear in the Bible. The closer you grow to Him, the more you recognize that there is no reason to compare yourself to someone else. Turn any envy over to Him. Ask Him to help you celebrate the accomplishments of others. Heavenly Father, help me to let go of a need to win and instead to focus on what unifies me with others.…

“How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him?” JOB 9:14 (NIV) HAVE YOU EVER tried to argue with God only to realize the error of your thinking? God is never wrong. Yet, by openly disagreeing with Him, you often open a dialogue that will help you better understand His ways. Approach Him with honest prayer. Your most important action is to turn to Him. Heavenly Father, I may not be happy with what is happening, but who am I to argue with You?…

So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.” JOHN 11:41 (ESV) IT’S BEEN SAID that the prayers of the faithful open the doors of heaven and invite the miraculous. Throughout the Bible, Jesus shows us that through prayer, the impossible became possible—as in the above verse where Lazarus is raised from the dead. The unthinkable can become reality. Merciful Lord, I believe in the power of prayer and my deep connection to You.…

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ROMANS 8:38–39 (NIV) NOTHING CAN SEPARATE you from God’s love. Take that promise to heart, no matter what is happening in your life, you can be secure because God is with you, dedicated to helping you grow your faith and be your best. His care is supporting you. Lord, Your love will see me through—I trust You with all my heart.…

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ROMANS 8:26 (NIV) WHEN YOU ARE so overcome that you do not have words—know that you are not alone. God’s love is so great that when your emotions are too intense to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for you. When words fail, His presence takes over. Loving God, when my pain is too deep for words, I am comforted to know You still hear me.…

Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. PSALM 37:24 (ESV) HOW DO YOU handle your mistakes? Do you hold them down deep or accept and release them as part of your growth? God weaves your failures into part of your unique and amazing life. His design for you is built on all that you are—your successes and your disappointments—all become part of your beautiful journey. Loving Father, help me accept myself and my faults and know that You love me just as I am.…

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. PSALM 103:1 (NIV) WHEN YOU SEEK God first—everything else will fall into place! As we close this issue, thank God for all that He has done for you in these last two months. Praise Him for the blessings He has showered on you and the guidance He has given for a life of fruitfulness and joy. Lord, in the words of Psalm 16:11 (ESV): “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”…

But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. JOHN 15:26 (ESV) WHEN YOU NEED a boost of energy or an answer to a problem, draw from the power of God, the omnipotent, all-knowing and all-powerful Helper who is always with you. Because of His help, there is no reason to be weary. Pray and ask Him to fill you with His Spirit. Heavenly Father, may I experience Your power and love today.…

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” JUDGES 6:12 (NIV) THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE, God’s heavenly angels bring divine messages that help rescue someone in need. Angels continue to be around us, protecting and guiding God’s people. In Psalm 91:11 (NKJV), the psalmist assures us, “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” Lord, thank You for sending Your angels to watch over me.…

“I am he, I am he who will sustain you.” ISAIAH 46:4 (NIV) C.C. SCOTT WROTE, “The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it.” God has given you a resilient spirit. Because of your faith, you can learn from your mistakes and bounce back wiser, stronger and better. When fear and adversity strike, your spirit can rise to the occasion. Dear Lord, You fill my spirit with courage and hope. You renew me with Your presence and help me grow each and every day.…

But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. JOHN 4:14 (NIV) WHEN YOU FEEL depleted and need spiritual refreshment, take a moment and silently pray, “Come, Holy Spirit.” Ask God to renew you with His spirit. Close your eyes and envision His life-giving energy flowing through you. Lord, You are the Spring of Living Water. Thank You for renewing me with Your divine energy.…

But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. NUMBERS 33:55 (NIV) THE THINGS IN your life that come between you and your relationship with God become “barbs in your eyes.” Reflect on anything that is blocking your faith journey and pray for guidance on how to live your life to proclaim His glory. Dear Lord, guide me in everything that I do. Save me from temptation.…

No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. JOSHUA 1:5 (NIV) GOD’S WONDERFUL PROMISE to Joshua is also His promise to you. No matter what life brings, He will never fail or abandon you. He is your source of courage. Praise Him for His promises that bring peace and reassurance in this uncertain world. Amazing God, I know that You will never leave or forsake me.…

“Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree, it has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’ ” HAGGAI 2:19 (NASB) DO YOU TRUST God’s promise to bless you even when it seems that there is no hope that circumstances will go your way? This verse calls you to embrace the promise that God will bless you from this day forward. Trust that greatness is upon you. Lord, may Your Word light my path and Your wisdom and guidance bless me every day of my life.…

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3 (NIV) TODAY MARKS THE twentieth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. As we pray for all those affected by the horrific events of that day, let us recite the prayer that Father Mychal Judge, a Franciscan priest and a chaplain for the New York City Fire Department, prayed on a daily basis. Father Judge was killed at the World Trade Center ministering to a fallen firefighter. Lord, take me where You want me to go. Let me meet who You want me to meet. Tell me what You want me to say, and keep me out of Your way. (Father Mychal’s Prayer)…

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” JOHN 11:25–26 (NIV) THEOLOGIAN FREDERICK BUECHNER wrote, “Even the saddest things can become, once we have made peace with them, a source of wisdom and strength.” Grief and sorrow are an inevitable part of life, but with faith and God’s Word, you can trudge through the pain to a place of peace and strength. Loving God, when I am in the midst of pain and loss, may the peace of Your presence surround me.…

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 CORINTHIANS 9:8 (NIV) SOMETIMES GOD ANSWERS prayers in unexpected ways that challenge you to grow, and even test your faith. In hindsight, it is usually these blessings in disguise that shape your future and lead you to strengthen your spirit and become your best self. Creator God, You are the Author of the Universe. I trust that Your answers to my prayers are always what is right for me.…

This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. JEREMIAH 29:10 (NLT) WHEN YOU FEEL stuck, ask God to open your mind to new ideas and solutions. Sometimes you are so used to seeing the situation from your same perspective that you are blind to other possibilities. The key to moving forward is prayer. Faithful Father, when I am stuck, guide me to see the solution that I am overlooking.…

You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 PETER 2:5 (ESV) GOD IS THE Master Builder, and you are a living stone that is a piece of His foundation. Your role, according to Peter, is to declare the praises of His work and glorify Him in all that you do. Take that to heart: You are a living rock in God’s spiritual house. Dear Lord, I am honored to be part of Your wondrous structure and I praise You for Your glorious work.…

God said to Moses, “I’m going to rain bread down from the skies for you. The people will go out and gather each day’s ration. I’m going to test them to see if they’ll live according to my Teaching or not.” EXODUS 16:4 (MSG) GOD PROMISES TO provide all that you need. Your role is to follow His teaching and live by His Word. When you have doubt or are tempted to turn away from His guidance and wisdom, turn to this verse and pray. Have faith. Believe. Dear Lord, help me be a steward of Your word. I want to live my best life with You by my side.…

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 PETER 2:9 (NIV) TODAY, DECIDE TO heal a memory. Reflect on a time when you felt rejected. Take a deep breath and know that God loves you completely and accepts you just as you are right now. Feel the pain dissipate and thank Him for helping you move forward on a positive path for your life. Lord, You heal the dark places of my past and lead me into Your wonderful light.…

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19 (NIV) THE BIBLE CALLS your body a temple of the Holy Spirit. When you are stuck in a traffic jam or waiting in a long line at a grocery store, remember this verse and take a moment and go inward to pray. God is ever-present. His unfailing love lives in your heart. Holy Lord, sometimes I forget that my body is sacred and that any free moment can be one of worship because You are always with me.…

And I will appoint them to guard the temple for all the work that is to be done in it. EZEKIEL 44:14 (NIV) GOD GAVE YOU unique and special gifts so that your voice and experience can bless others in meaningful ways. Instead of comparing yourself to others, ask God to show you how you might make a difference and help another in need. Merciful Creator, when I struggle with my identity or feel useless, help me remember that I am unique and that You have a specific purpose in mind for me.…

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. JOHN 15:2 (NIV) DO YOU FEEL tired and overwhelmed by all you want to do in a day? Ask God to help you prioritize your goals. Focus on the peace of His presence. Turn to Him for guidance on what is important right now and what can wait for another day. Dear Lord, there is so much I want to do. Help me focus first on You so that all my efforts bear fruit.…

And he said to me, “This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished.” ZECHARIAH 5:3 (NIV) STRIVE TO LEAD a life of integrity. Ask God to help you uphold His laws and remove any bad habits that are preventing you from living wholly in His grace. The closer you walk with God, the less likely you are to be tempted to stray off His path. All-Powerful God, liberate me from temptation. Cleanse my heart!…

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. HEBREWS 1:3 (ESV) GOD IS PRESENT in every part of your life. Sometimes people are too busy to notice—or are expecting an earth-shattering sign, when instead His fingerprints shine in the ordinary and in everyday activities. During dinner with your family, a quiet moment in devotion, even grocery shopping—God is with you, blessing your life. Heavenly Father, thank You for the many graces You have given me.…

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ROMANS 12:1 (NIV) EVERY MORNING, SEEK God’s direction for your day. The more you reach out to Him, the better you will become at understanding His guidance. God’s teachings will empower you to make the right decisions and bring joy to your soul. Dear God, reading Your Word is a perfect beginning to my time with You.…

Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” LUKE 5:5 (NIV) DO YOU RESPOND to God’s instructions as Peter did, and “let down your net” simply because God says so? The next time you are discouraged and confused about a situation, have faith and know that He will provide. Lord, I know You work in mysterious ways to perform Your wonders. Because You say so, I will do it.…

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. COLOSSIANS 3:1–2 (NIV) IN THE ABOVE verse, Paul urges us to set our minds not on earthly things but above. We are to seek a heavenly mindset. Choose to be kind and generous. Offer love and understanding to others. Seek heaven! Almighty Father, guide me to see and be the good in the world.…