PRAYING IN CHURCH

SOME SAMPLE PRAYERS

Old Uncle John believed a prayer book would be wrong. But when you listen to his prayers, he has exact words which he repeats. He had no problem either with song books.

SOME SAMPLE PRAYERS
R. D. Ice 10-10-2000

"May the strength of God pilot me, the power of God preserve me today.
May the wisdom of God instruct me, the eye of God watch over me, the ear of God hear me, the word of God give me sweet talk, the hand of God defend me, the way of God guide me.

Christ be with me. Christ before me.
Christ after me. Christ in me.
Christ under me. Christ over me.
Christ on my right hand.
Christ on my left hand.
Christ on this side. Christ on that side.
Christ at my back.
Christ in the head of everyone to whom
I speak.
Christ in the mouth of every person
who speaks to me.
Christ in the eye of every person who
looks upon me.
Christ in the ear of every person
who hears me today.
Through Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen."
[Ireland, 5th century]

Opening Prayer

"Holy Father, we come together today to worship You in spirit and truth. We thank You for sending Jesus into our world to be the Savior. We claim the power of His life and death and resurrection.
We pray a special prayer for those who are sick and shut in and who are going through times of difficulty.
We pray for our congregation and especially for the children and young people. We thank You for the Bible and the hope You give us.
Bless our worship. Forgive our sins. Fill our hearts with Your love.
In Jesus' name, Amen."

"Holy Father, You have the power! We join our voices in prayer and praise to You! You have promised that when two or three come together in Your name, You are there also, and You grant our prayers. Lead us into the future and give us the things we need in a way that will most bless us and honor You. Give us wisdom and strength. May we know Your truth and follow it. In the world to come may we have eternal life in Your presence. Through Christ our Lord, Amen."

"Our Father in heaven, we come to You this morning, lifting our voice to You in praise and devotion. We thank You for sending Jesus into our world to be our Savior! We claim the power of His life and death and resurrection.
We thank You, Lord, for this beautiful day, for the many blessings You pour out on us daily. We thank You for the health and happiness You give us, for the challenges and opportunities You send, for the hope that we have to be with You forever!
We pray especially for those sick and shut-in, for all who could not be with us today, for those traveling in different places. We ask Your blessing for them all.
Bless our worship today. We give you our love and our praise and our thanks. May we learn more of You as we study. Help us to live it out in our lives from day to day. May we do good works that will cause others to praise You our Father.
Forgive us and save us. In Jesus' name, Amen."


LORD'S SUPPER

Meditation: "We join together in this Holy Meal, to remember our Lord who died many centuries ago. Jesus died as God's Sacrificial Lamb, to take away the sin of the world and to put us right with God. We are here today to praise Him and to show Him our love! We honor Jesus for Who He Is and for What He Did! We take this bread - by faith, His body. We take this fruit of the vine - by faith, His blood. As the Scripture says: 'For until the Lord comes, you proclaim His death whenever you eat this bread and drink the cup.'

For the bread: "We praise You, O Lord our God! While we were lost in sin, You reached out to us by sending Jesus! We are so thankful for Your blessings! Touch this bread - to us the body of Christ by our faith. Touch our lives, and make us one in Christ - we are the Body of Christ. We pray in the Name of Jesus, Amen."

For the cup: "Bless this cup, O Lord, which is to us by faith the blood of Christ's sacrifice. This fruit of the vine is God's New Covenant, sealed with the blood of Christ. Jesus told us, 'Whenever you drink it, do it in memory of Me.' Bless each of us who partake of this cup. In Jesus' name, Amen."

For the Offering: "We thank You, Father, for the many blessings we receive from Your hand. Out of the prosperity You send our way we give back a portion to You as our thanks. We want Your great kingdom to move forward and prosper. Bless the gift and each who gives it. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Closing Prayer:
"Our Father, You are holy and we join with Your holy people everywhere to lift our voice in praise to You. Bless all of us and make us a blessing to others. And now, may the Lord Himself, who is our source of peace, give us peace at all times and in every way. The Lord Jesus be with us all! In the Name of Jesus, Amen."

"We thank You, Father, and we give you the praise and the glory in Jesus' name! We pray our worship has been acceptable to You. Go with us as we go to our homes and be with us day to day as we live our lives. Bless everyone on our prayer list. We claim the victory in Jesus' holy name, Amen."

1 Chronicles 29:11-13 "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name."
[To use this we would add: In Jesus' name.]

Model Prayer: "Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." [Matt. 6:9-13] "In Jesus' name."


Prayer of Praise: "O Lord God, You have the power! Do not allow me and my sins to keep You from hearing my prayer. I claim the blood of Christ which cleanses me. Overlook my iniquities and do not cast me away.
O Mighty God, You love the people of Your creation, all of us for whom Jesus died and rose again. Accept me as worthy, O Lord, remove my sins and iniquities. Grant me a clean heart. Make me bold to call on Your Name. You are the Holy God and You are our Father. I am Your child.
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and grant me Your peace. I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen."


Effective Prayer R.D.Ice

How much do you believe in the power of prayer??? Is God really to be influenced by words spoken to Him? Is there a right and a wrong way to pray? Let us consider these questions.

· These are important matters. God has commanded us to pray to Him, as the Scriptures plainly state. Jesus has promised an answer to prayer in His name. God does hear us. Of this there can be no doubt. He desires us to lean upon Him and use His strength. Accepting His aid and strength will cause us to love Him more and will also make us grow and "mature." (read 1Cor. ch 13)

Is there a wrong way to pray? Most certainly there is! A prayer without faith is a wrong prayer. It is possible to pray in what we feel to be faith, while at the same time actually denying God's ability to do for us what we ask.

Alfred W. Price, a minister who has devoted much time to helping those with nervous problems says this: "Pray positive prayers. Now you are sick in body, mind or spirit. You have a terrible fear, a feeling of guilt or inadequacy; and so you pray, 'O God, make me well. Heavenly Father, if You don't help me soon, it's going to be too late! O Lord, help me. Give me patience in my affliction.' That seems right, yet it is actually the worst kind of prayer you can pray. All you are doing is praying to yourself. You are saying to yourself, 'How terribly sick I am, how awful I feel.' It's just turning the whole psychology of prayer inside your own mind and stirring you up and discouraging you. You become so tense and anxious that there is not a crevice in the channel for God's power and wisdom and guidance to come in. Don't ever pray like that!"

The Bible says: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." This is fact! The one who prays negatively, who continually fills his mind with negative thoughts, will only succeed in increasing his misery. Another principle surely taught in the Bible is: "By thy faith command thou Me." When we act, then God will respond. He waits on us often, and perhaps we do not have because we do not ask, as James says.

How then should we pray? "Heavenly Father, I thank You that I am better today." This is recognizing that God is at work in our lives today. (If we do not believe that He is helping us, why do we desire the prayers of others when we are sick? Paul requested brethren to pray for him time and again. As God's children, we have many precious promises through Christ.)

Here is a sample prayer. "Gracious Father, I am Your child. My life is not separate from You. You have promised me an abundant life through Christ Jesus. Whatever the day brings, I can count on Your love and goodness and power. I am at peace with myself, and with You. I claim the finished work of Jesus. Therefore I have no reason to be anxious or worried or afraid. I can live this day happily, peacefully, creatively. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I place myself in Your hands. Take me and use me for Your glory always. Let Your wisdom sink deep into my thoughts now. Let Your peace, the peace that passes understanding, fall on me, taking away all uneasiness and disturbance. Let Your forgiveness take out of my heart any hypocrisy or falsehood, make me spiritually honest - give me an understanding heart. All this I ask through Christ my Lord, and I will praise You forever in His name, Amen."

"Bless, O Lord, this house and all who dwell in it, as You were pleased to bless the house of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That within these walls may dwell an angel of light, and that we who dwell here in this house together may receive the abundant dew of heavenly blessings. And that through Your tender mercies, we may rejoice in peace and quiet lives. We claim this through Christ our Lord, Amen." [from the 6th century]

"Heavenly Father, in whom we live and move and have our being. We pray humbly to You to so guide us and govern us by Your Holy Spirit that in all the cares and work and details of our everyday life, we may never forget You. But may we always remember that we are walking our journey in Your sight. Watch over us and care for us. In the holy name of Jesus, Amen." [from the 5th century]

"Give unto us, O God, the girdle, the helmet, the breastplate, the sandals, the sword, - above all things, prayer. Grant us the power and opportunity of well-doing, that before the day of our departure may come, we may have wrought at least somewhat, whose good fruit may remain; that we may behold Your presence in righteousness, and be satisfied with Your glory. Through Christ our Lord, Amen." [Lancelot Andrewes, 17th century]



PRAISE TO THE TRINITY Lancelot Andrews

O God the Father, of heaven,
who hast marvellously created
the world out of nothing,
who dost govern and uphold heaven
and earth with Thy power,
who didst deliver Thy Only-begotten
for us unto death:

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
who didst will to be incarnate of
a virgin,
who hast washed us from our sins
by Thy precious blood,
who rising from the dead didst ascend
victorious to heaven:

O God the Holy Ghost, the Comforter,
who didst descend upon Jesus in
the form of a dove,
who coming upon the apostles didst
appear in fiery tongues,
who dost visit and confirm with
Thy grace the hearts of the saints:

O sacred, highest, eternal, blissful,
blessed Trinity,
always to be praised, yet always
unspeakable:
O Father good -
O Son loving -
O Spirit kind -
whose majesty is unspeakable,
whose power is incomparable,
whose goodness is inestimable:
whose work is life,
whose love is grace,
whose contemplation is glory:

Deity, Divinity, Unity, Trinity:
Thee I worship, Thee I call upon,
with the whole affection of my heart
I bless now and forever:
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.

* References:
1 Timothy 6:15-16
1 Timothy 2:3-6
Hebrews l:5-7
John 14:15-17
Romans 11:33-36


THOUGHTS ON THE TRINITY R. D. Ice
[I wrote this in response to some discussions with Jehovah's Witness leaders.]

I believe in God-the-Father, God-the Son, God-the Holy Spirit - The Holy Trinity.

I believe in God-the-Father - Maker of heaven and earth. He loves us and wishes us to live with Him forever. His Plan for us existed before the Creation.

I believe God-the-Son, the LOGOS, took flesh & blood through The Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary.
In His humanity HE was baptized by John, was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin. HE was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and by the blood of His death HE defeated the Devil and rescued us who fear death. HE rose from death the third day in a resurrection body which could be touched and handled. He ascended into heaven in His crucified resurrection body and sits in the place of authority at the right hand of God-the-Father. HE shall come to judge the living and the dead at the end of the world.

I believe in God-the-Holy Spirit, Helper and Partner in prayer, Fountain of Living Water - Who is with us forever.

I believe in the holy Church; the saved as the Family of God; the forgiveness of sins; the righteousness that issues from God on the basis of faith; the resurrection of the body; and life everlasting.

God is Triune.
Matthew 28:19 "Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Matthew 3:16-17. As Jesus Christ was in the water of His baptism, the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove, and the Father spoke from heaven.


AUTHORITY TO PRAY R. D. Ice
Each Christian - man & woman - has the authority to go to God directly in prayer, asking in Jesus' Name. We have the right to ask God to bless us and meet our needs. Our focus, though, is to praise Him and thank Him for life and hope and salvation!

Note the model prayer in Matt. 6:7-13. God speaks all languages, and He knows beforehand what we will say. So the exact words we use may be our own. He hears His children - which we are.

Paul the apostle was a man of prayer. He prayed for the many he brought to Christ and for the new churches he helped establish. He also taught those Christians to pray for him. "Brethren, pray for us" [1Thess. 5:25]. In his Epistles, Paul requested that believers pray for him in prison and on missionary journeys. He also gave specific request for which they were to pray. He wrote the Corinthians: "you also helping together in prayer for us" [2 Cor. 1:11]. And to the Romans: "Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me" [Romans 15:30].

We Christians are not to worry about things, but to pray about everything [Phil. 4:6]. With thankful hearts we are to offer up our prayers and requests to God.
The Holy Spirit is our Partner in prayer [Romans 8:26-28]. The Holy Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words. All our thoughts are known to God (our Father, who loves us) and He understands as The Spirit prays for us. We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves Him, the ones God has chosen for His purpose [Romans 8:28]. Our prayers are incense - a sweet smelling aroma - to God [Rev. 5:8]. God intensifies our prayers as praise and worship to Himself [Rev. 8:3-5]. To show that God hears our prayers, the account in Revelation shows that thunder roared, lightning flashed, and the earth shook!

Christians have the authority to ask God to crush Satan under their feet [Romans 16:19-20]. The Devil is under God's control [Job 1:12; 2:6; 1 Cor. 10:13]. John wrote: "He who is in you (The Holy Spirit) is greater than he who is in the world (the Devil)" [1 John 4:4]. James wrote: "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man (woman) avails much" [James 5:16].

Christians are instructed to pray for: "Everyone, kings and others in power; tell God we are thankful for each one, and ask that we might live a quiet and peaceful life. God wants everyone to be saved." Note 1 Timothy 2:1-8; 1 Peter 4:7-10; 3 John 2-4.

"Holy Father, I pray in Jesus' name that the blood of Jesus would wash away all my sins. I believe that You raised Jesus from the dead. By my faith as Your child, I claim the righteousness of Jesus and His finished work. I give You praise and glory through Christ. Amen."
[1 John 1:7; 2:1-2; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24]