Praying through Every Emotion Read online

  You help those who wait for you.

  Isaiah 64:4 GW

  The vision will still happen at the appointed time.

  It hurries toward its goal.

  It won’t be a lie.

  If it’s delayed, wait for it.

  It will certainly happen.

  It won’t be late.

  Habakkuk 2:3 GW

  Discouraged

  Dear Lord,

  Why does life have to be so hard that I begin to lose heart?

  Maybe discouragement is the sign that I need to put my hope in You. When discouragement calls my name, I will look up and call Your name, for You are my rock. You have a higher perspective than I do, so I will look to You for guidance to find ways through my problems.

  When I consider my problems, I think, There’s no way around this. And maybe that’s true—at least, there is no way without You. You have called me to live into the impossible, not through what I can figure out on my own but through You, through my faith in You.

  I declare that I will not grow weary of doing the good You have called me to do but will continue to answer Your call through Your power. I will reap blessings by continuing onward and by not giving up.

  You, O Lord, will lead me down paths I cannot see. You will guide me through the darkness. You will turn on Your light to illuminate my way. You will remove every obstacle so I will not stumble. You will do all these things for me, and You will never forsake me.

  Why then should I take my eyes off You? You are the way through discouragement. I will look up and put my hope in You.

  In the name of Jesus, amen.

  From the ends of the earth, I call to you

  when I begin to lose heart.

  Lead me to the rock that is high above me.

  Psalm 61:2 GW

  Our life is lived by faith. We do not live by what we see in front of us.

  2 Corinthians 5:7 NLV

  So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

  Galatians 6:9 NLT

  And I will lead the blind

  in a way that they do not know,

  in paths that they have not known

  I will guide them.

  I will turn the darkness before them into light,

  the rough places into level ground.

  These are the things I do,

  and I do not forsake them.

  Isaiah 42:16 ESV

  Disillusioned

  Dear Lord,

  Be my light during times of confusion and darkness so that I do not become disillusioned, bending Your truth to suit lies or even my own will or desires.

  May I not confuse Your light with darkness. May there be no dark corners within me so that I will glow with Your love, radiant, as though Your very presence has turned me into a floodlight.

  In these last days, people will be deceived, loving themselves instead of loving You. They will worship money instead of worshiping You. They will be boastful, proud, and abusive and will disregard their parents’ advice or warnings and behave and think like their peers.

  May I not follow this way or be ungrateful, unholy, lacking in love, unforgiving, slanderous, lacking self-control, brutal, despising what’s good, treacherous, rash, conceited, or a seeker of pleasure instead of a seeker of You.

  But most of all, help me not to deceive myself by being a pretender, looking godly without having Your presence and power in my life. Empower me with more of Your Holy Spirit.

  Before I belonged to You, I was full of darkness, but now I have Your light to show me the way to go. Help me to live my life as a person filled with Your light so that I can love others and know the difference between right and wrong as I determine how to live in a way that pleases You. May the light of Your love determine my every step.

  In the name of Jesus, amen.

  Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.

  Luke 11:35–36 NLT

  But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

  2 Timothy 3:1–5 NIV

  For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

  Ephesians 5:8–10 NLT

  Distressed

  Dear Lord,

  Whom can I call on when I’m in distress? Who will answer me?

  You and only You. You answer my every call because nothing can separate me from Your love—not trouble, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, or danger. Not even a violent death can remove Your love from me.

  You are always with me, always loving me, always giving me the gift of peace of mind and heart. Even if I had millions of dollars to spend, I would not be able to purchase this kind of peace.

  When I am distressed, I will open my heart to receive Your gift of peace. I do so right now, casting out all my fear and replacing it with Your vibrant love for me. Because I have Your love, I have Your peace. I will not be troubled or afraid.

  You are my shepherd, and I belong to You, which is why I am never in need. You make me to lie down in green pastures; You lead me beside peaceful waters. You renew my soul. You guide me along the paths of righteousness for the sake of Your name. Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, You are with me, and I will fear no harm.

  Your authority over my life gives me courage. I lay all my distress at Your feet. I am Yours, and You are watching over me. Thank You!

  In the name of Jesus, amen.

  When I am in distress, I call to you,

  because you answer me.

  Psalm 86:7 NIV

  What will separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can trouble, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger, or violent death separate us from his love?

  Romans 8:35 GW

  I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

  John 14:27 NLT

  The Lord is my shepherd.

  I am never in need.

  He makes me lie down in green pastures.

  He leads me beside peaceful waters.

  He renews my soul.

  He guides me along the paths of righteousness for the sake of his name.

  Even though I walk through the dark valley of death,

  because you are with me, I fear no harm.

  Your rod and your staff give me courage.

  Psalm 23:1–4 GW

  Doubtful

  Dear Lord,

  Sometimes I think of the father who came to You because his child was in trouble. Instead of seeking You with great faith, he sought a miracle based on the hope that You would pity him.

  I’m often like that father. I see what You can do, but instead of it stretching my faith, I hope for Your pity because I simply don’t believe You want to move on my behalf.

  But You are asking me not just to hope You will move but to believe You will. As that father cried, “Lord, I have faith; help my weak faith to be stronger!” I too cry out for stronger faith. I cannot please You without it.

  When I go to You in prayer, help me to remember that You love me and that I am worthy in You. Help me to know that Your presence is with me and that You help my desires to line up with Your will as I seek You. You will give me greater faith so that I can be assured of things I expect and convinced of the existence of that which is not yet vi
sible.

  Help me to have eyes of faith so that I can see into the invisible and know that what I pray for is already mine.

  I firmly declare that I believe in You and therefore believe that all things are possible because this is Your promise to me. You are forever faithful.

  I come to You in greater faith now.

  In the name of Jesus, amen.

  “If You can do anything to help us, take pity on us!” Jesus said to him, “Why do you ask Me that? The one who has faith can do all things.” At once the father cried out. He said with tears in his eyes, “Lord, I have faith. Help my weak faith to be stronger!”

  Mark 9:22–24 NLV

  No one can please God without faith. Whoever goes to God must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

  Hebrews 11:6 GW

  Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see.

  Hebrews 11:1 GW

  That’s why I tell you to have faith that you have already received whatever you pray for, and it will be yours.

  Mark 11:24 GW

  We must continue to hold firmly to our declaration of faith. The one who made the promise is faithful.

  Hebrews 10:23 GW

  Empty

  Dear Lord,

  There was a time I didn’t have Your presence in my life. But in Your kindness and love for me, You saved me, not because I earned Your approval but because of Your great mercy toward me. You saved me by sending Your Son Jesus to take away my sin. You washed my sin away when I believed and gave my heart to You. You freed me of sin so that Your Holy Spirit could enter my soul and give me new birth and renewal.

  So now, when I feel empty, I need to remember that I belong to You. I need to make sure I am right with You and that my spirit is a welcoming place for Your Spirit to dwell.

  Create in me a clean heart, O God. Refresh me with Your Holy Spirit, for I want to stay with You and go where You lead me. Always refill me with Your presence and let the joy of Your saving grace restore me with Your power. Help me to have a willing spirit to obey You.

  I don’t want to copy the behavior and customs of this world. Lord, please transform me into the person You created me to be. Change my poor thinking and give me Your thoughts instead.

  May I never be empty of Your presence, and may my hope grow stronger by the power of the Holy Spirit.

  In the name of Jesus, amen.

  Make a clean heart in me, O God. Give me a new spirit that will not be moved. Do not throw me away from where You are. And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Let the joy of Your saving power return to me. And give me a willing spirit to obey You.

  Psalm 51:10–12 NLV

  However, when God our Savior made his kindness and love for humanity appear, he saved us, but not because of anything we had done to gain his approval. Instead, because of his mercy he saved us through the washing in which the Holy Spirit gives us new birth and renewal.

  Titus 3:4–5 GW

  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.

  Romans 12:2 NLT

  May your hope grow stronger by the power of the Holy Spirit.

  Romans 15:13 NLV

  Exhausted

  Dear Lord,

  I’ve lived through stress, fought great battles, and swam through oceans of heartache, and now I am exhausted. As I look at the journey still before me, I wonder how I can take even one more step.

  But you remind me that I don’t have to continue this journey in my own strength. Because the heavier my load, the more I can carry in Your strength. When I find myself struggling, that is my cue to let go and rest in You. You even ask me to trade my burdens for You. You Yourself are never a burden because You are gentle and humble. When I’m yoked with You, the going is easy and my burden is light because Your strength replaces my weakness. Your power ignites my strength.

  You are the eternal God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth. You never grow tired or become weary. Your understanding is beyond my ability to comprehend. You give me Your strength when I am tired. When everyone around me faints and falls left and right, You give me the wings of eagles so I can fly. Through You, I will run with fresh strength; I will walk without stumbling.

  You lend me Your might so I do not need to fret or even consider giving up. For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

  In the name of Jesus, amen.

  Come to me, all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Place my yoke over your shoulders, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble. Then you will find rest for yourselves because my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

  Matthew 11:28–30 GW

  Don’t you know?

  Haven’t you heard?

  The eternal God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth,

  doesn’t grow tired or become weary.

  His understanding is beyond reach.

  He gives strength to those who grow tired

  and increases the strength of those who are weak.

  Even young people grow tired and become weary,

  and young men will stumble and fall.

  Yet, the strength of those who wait with hope in the LORD will be renewed.

  They will soar on wings like eagles.

  They will run and won’t become weary.

  They will walk and won’t grow tired.

  Isaiah 40:28–31 GW

  For I will help the tired ones and give strength to everyone who is weak.

  Jeremiah 31:25 NLV

  I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.

  Philippians 4:13 GW

  Faith

  Dear Lord,

  I am so glad I heard about You. Because I believed what I heard, You rescued me from the kingdom of darkness. You redeemed me to Yourself because You wanted a relationship with me.

  I cannot take credit for Your gift of salvation. It is a beautiful gift, not a reward for good behavior. I say yes to this gift as I boast in You and Your love.

  Besides the gift of “salvation faith,” You have also given me “the shield of faith” so I can protect myself from this world’s dark rulers. The shield of faith is a gift I can wear when I wear Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of my faith.

  You continue to shower me with gifts as I walk with You. You give me the gift of possibilities as I bring my prayer requests to You. For Jesus said, “But nothing is impossible with God.”

  I believe, Lord. I believe You are the one true God who sent His Son to die in my place. I believe You have forgiven me of my sins. I believe Your presence rests on me. I believe I can now walk and talk with You. I believe I can wear Your shield of faith to protect me from the evil one. You have given me faith to believe that all things are possible in You. You are the God of the impossible, and I am the proof.

  In the name of Jesus, amen.

  So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

  Romans 10:17 ESV

  God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

  Ephesians 2:8–9 NLT

  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

  Ephesians 6:16 NIV

  Jesus said to him, “As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes.”

  Mark 9:23 GW

  But nothing is impossible for God.

  Luke 1:37 GW

  Fear

  Dear Lord,

  Help! I am afraid!

  But I know that everything is okay because You’ve heard my cry and You will answer me. You never give me a spirit of fear but You give me a spirit of power and love and a good, sound mind.

  When I stop to think about
Your love for me, I am amazed. Your love indwells me. Your perfect love dissolves my fears, even when I don’t recognize Your presence.

  Even though I know I am not worthy of Your love, I do not fear that You will ever abandon or turn Your back on me. Your love is not based on my successes or my mistakes. You have a marvelous ability to love me despite my flaws.

  Not only do You love me, but I belong to You. I only slip into fear when I forget whose I am. In those moments, I will choose to trust in You. I will praise You and marvel at Your Word. I will delight in the fact that nothing can destroy Your love for me. Nothing can destroy my soul, for it belongs to You.

  Jesus promised after His death and resurrection that He would give me a gift: peace of mind and heart. That gift belongs to me. The world can never duplicate it or take it away. Because I claim this gift, I will not be troubled or afraid.

  In the name of Jesus, amen.

  I looked for the Lord, and He answered me. And He took away all my fears.

  Psalm 34:4 NLV

  For God did not give us a spirit of fear. He gave us a spirit of power and of love and of a good mind.

  2 Timothy 1:7 NLV

  There is no fear in love. Perfect love puts fear out of our hearts. People have fear when they are afraid of being punished. The man who is afraid does not have perfect love.

  1 John 4:18 NLV

  Even when I am afraid, I still trust you.

  I praise God’s word.

  I trust God.

  I am not afraid.

  What can mere flesh and blood do to me?

  Psalm 56:3–4 GW

  I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

  John 14:27 NLT

  Foolish

  Dear Lord,

  You are the inventor of wisdom, and those who reject You are foolish. They think themselves wise, but their own rebellious spirits have blinded them. They want only to serve their own selfish ambitions. They ignore You and plot against others, only to be caught in their own deceitful traps.