I seek the gift, find instead the Giver, and eventually come away with the gift I no longer seek. My own emphasis in prayer has moved from petition to companionship, and I no longer agonize over the issue of unanswered prayer as I once did.
Philip Yancey in Prayer
And so Lord, we seek You. We want to be changed by knowing You. We want to heal our land, beginning with ourselves.
We come to You:
the star-breather
the One who spoke the world into being
the One who wraps Himself in light
the source of all love
the power behind all energy
the One who calls forth songs of joy
the One who knows every bird in the mountains
the One who forgives
and forgives
and forgives
To You we come boldly, knowing You will patiently hear our laments, lovingly listen to our worries.
We pray for our country. How You have blessed us Lord, with such an incredible land. From the wintery mountains of New York, to the strawberry fields of California; from the blue-green seas of the Florida Keys, to the massive caribou herds of Alaska. We see Your creativity, Your gifts, everywhere You take us.
But we also see endless problems. The people seem to turn away from You more every day. Forgive us for our ignorance. Forgive us for our indifference. Forgive us for our rebellion. Help us to turn the tide back to You. We so need revival.
We pray for our leaders, including our spiritual leaders. May they seek Your will. Please give them Your wisdom.
We pray for the American church. May she once again rise to shine as a city on a hill. All the good that we have done comes from You. Thank You for money given, for missionaries sent, for the Word proclaimed. Help us to do so much more.
We pray for our military. Thank You for the strength, courage, knowledge. May we always use it for Your purposes and to Your glory.
We pray for our men and women overseas. God of the Heavenly Armies, please surround them with Your fortress. Lord we beg You to bind the spirit of depression and suicide. Hold our veterans in Your arms, and may they know true hope. We pray for the 10th Mtn units in Afghanistan, the forces in Iraq, the Alaskan troops in Korea. We pray for the outposts, the aircraft flying over these places, the sailors patrolling the shores.
We pray for our families. Thank You for this building block, this safe haven. Help us to not take our husbands for granted, and turn our hearts to each other. We thank You for the precious time with the children You have given us. Lord help us be the parents they need to grow in You. Show us how to teach them to love You, above all.
And we pray for each other. For lonely, hurting hearts; for exhausting days; for health issues; for outreach opportunities; for missions You have given us; for children to teach; for anxious hearts with moves looming. Be with us Lord.
Thank You for giving us each other too. We see Your love in the faces around us as we gather to pray. And we love You.
