Supplication

SUPPLICATION

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TESTS FOR SANCTIFICATION

NON CHRISTIAN Pursuers

[We all have friends and family that sit in our churches but only act like they are Christians. It is up to us to pray for their salvation. Here’s an opportunity to pray for them. Fill their name in the blanks.]

Screen Shot 2016-02-26 at 12.41.08 PM…FATHER, I fear, as the serpent deceived Eve, that ____’s mind is being corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere devotion to CHRIST (2 Cor 11:3).

But, first, FATHER, I need Your grace to cover my questioning—my judging. Continually remind me that I do not review the tests for sanctification to pass sentence on ____, but to learn how to help (him/her) turn from (his/her) shipwrecking ways.

You not only call me to pray, but also to confront, admonish, encourage and help ____ as well as be patient (1 Thes 5:14). If any of these testing questions below I perceive ____ failing at, make me ready to help (him/her) in the way You direct.

  1. Do I see Your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in (him/her) (1 Thes 1:3)?
  1. Does (he/she) attest to continuing in (his/her) belief in CHRIST (John 3:16)?
  2. Do I observe (him/her) being led by the HOLY SPIRIT (Rom 8:14)?
  3. Do I see traits of the fruit of the SPIRIT exhibited in (his/her) life (Gal 5:22-23)?
  4. Does (he/she) still listen to Christians and read and delight in Your Word (1 John 4:6)?
  1. Do I see evidence of (him/her) abiding in CHRIST for (his/her) day-by-day situations (John 15:4)?
  1. Does (he/she) regularly fellowship with CHRIST in prayer and worship (John 15:7)?
  1. Do I see results of (him/her) obeying CHRIST (1 John 3:24)?
  1. Does (he/she) show love to others (1 John 2:9-10)?
  2. Does (he/she) continue in fellowship with other Christians (1 John 2:19)?

(Points 1 – 10, ref#63, p803-805)

SUPPLICATION

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SICKNESS – LIFE THREATENING

[The majority of our prayers concern physical health. We all know someone who is dealing with a life-ending disease. Here is an opportunity to pray for them. Fill their name in the blanks.]

SUFFERING IS NOT IN VAIN

Screen Shot 2016-02-25 at 11.08.51 AM…FATHER, not only does ____ need You during (his/her) suffering, but (he/she) needs hope in it. (He/She) needs to know all this is not in vain. There are many reasons (he/she) knows of for suffering and many (he/she) does not understand why, but the overall purpose of suffering is to overcome it.

To “overcome” describes a conqueror who gains victory (ref#16, [Rev 2:7]). I pray ____ be an overcomer—overcoming (his/her) trials of life (ref#16, [Rev 2:7]). For the one who overcomes, You, FATHER, will be (his/her) GOD and (he/she) will be Your (son/daughter) (Rev 21:7).

I pray ____ be an overcomer, for all things then will belong to (him/her). Things present and things to come will all be (his/hers) (1 Cor 3:21-22). Empower (him/her) to believe that You are (his/her) strength, (his/her) rock, (his/her) fortress, (his/her) deliverer, (his/her) shield, (his/her) horn of salvation, (his/her) stronghold (Ps 18:1-2).

What flies in (his/her) face now as injustices will lead to greater justice. CHRIST’s resurrection sees future restoration after death. Heaven is not just a consolation for the losses and pain of this life.

FATHER, give ____ the understanding that heaven is a restoration of the life (he/she) has always wanted (ref#132, p32). The world will be “re-created” (see Matt 19:28 MSG)—new, coming down from heaven (Rev 21:1-2). The “material world…will be purged of all decay and brokenness. All will be healed and all might-have-beens will be” (ref#132, p33).

“…every horrible thing that ever happened will not only be undone and repaired but will in some way make the eventual glory and joy even greater” C.S. Lewis (ref#132. p32). “Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even…agony into a glory” C.S. Lewis (ref#132, p34).

Awaken ____ to think about (his/her) loss and how greatly (he/she) will be able to rejoice when it is returned to (him/her) whole and beautiful. ____’s suffering is not in vain.

 

SUPPLICATION

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PRAYING FOR FELLOW CHRISTIANS

[Our brothers and sisters in CHRIST need our prayers.  We can even pray for ourselves in our spiritual battles.  Fill in the blanks with your desired name.]

DISCIPLESHIP

Screen Shot 2016-02-03 at 3.06.31 PM“Luther had said that grace alone can save; his followers took up his doctrine and repeated it word for word. But they left out its invariable corollary, the obligation of discipleship” Dietrich Bonhoeffer (ref#10, p49,50).

FATHER, I bid You teach ____ to not be content to just be a witness and preacher and teacher of JESUS CHRIST. You did not give the Apostle Paul simply a message to proclaim, but, instead, brought him into a personal subduing relationship to JESUS (ref#7, January 24th). “Paul was devoted to a Person not to a cause” Oswald Chambers (ref#7, January 24th).   Please constrain ____ also, to CHRIST.

O FATHER, open ____’s eyes to look for Your control over (him/her) (2 Cor 5:14). Like the Apostle Paul, You overrule (him/her), capturing (him/her) by the love of CHRIST (ref#7, February 4th). Hasten ____ to be still and know that You are GOD (Ps 46:10).

You desire ____’s whole life to be overmastered—changed so much that (he/she) has no end, no aim, and no purpose but Yours (ref#7, January 24th). You have not regenerated (him/her) to merely represent CHRIST.

Disciples are not witnesses of CHRIST—not witnesses of what JESUS can do, but disciples are witness unto Him. FATHER, give ____ a small sense of who CHRIST is. Grant ____ a face-to-face meeting with CHRIST that makes (him/her) forget about witnessing all together. ____’s interaction with JESUS will naturally make (him/her) a model disciple. (He/She) will then make disciples by example.

____ is representing CHRIST bodily now on earth. Teach (him/her) to take everything that happens to (him/her) as happening to CHRIST, “whether it be praise or blame, persecution, or commendation” Oswald Chamber (ref#7, February 4th).

O LORD, control ____ that (he/she) might be a living disciple. The reputation of JESUS CHRIST is at stake in (his/her) life (ref#7, Sept 19th).

“That we gain heaven, that we are delivered from sin, that we are made useful to God—these things never enter as considerations into real abandonment, which is a personal sovereign preference for Jesus Christ Himself” Oswald Chambers (ref#7, March 12th).

SUPPLICATION

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NON CHRISTIAN, RESISTERS

[We all have friends and family that do not want anything to do with Christianity so it is up to us to pray for their salvation. Here’s an opportunity to pray for them. Fill their name in the blanks.]

BACKSLIDERS CAN BE RESTORED

Screen Shot 2016-01-28 at 12.31.23 PM…FATHER, You restore souls (Ps 23:3). You convert a “soul from sin that it may not eternally perish” Adam Clarke (ref#15, [Ps 23:3]). You bring back life from destruction, heal backsliders, and restore them to Your favor (ref#15, [Ps 23:3]).

“He breaks down the hard heart, arrests the soul in its onward progress of departure, places upon it some powerful check, lays it low….” Octavius Winslow (ref#61, Sept 1st).

FATHER, I plead to You for the same power You used to initially draw ____ to take up again Your work in ____’s heart (ref#61, Sept 1st). Even though (he/she) presently plows a wicked way, reaps a crop of evil, and eats a salad of lies (Hos 10:13), You will kindly give (him/her) another chance to turn (himself/herself) around again.

It is encouraging to know that since ____ is not in the pit of hell, (he/she) is on the ground of mercy and that You, FATHER, see a way for (him/her) to escape when I see none. I will depend on You and call on You for You only give a promise of deliverance (ref#124, p89-90).

SUPPLICATION

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GENERAL TRIBULATION

[We all can think of a Christian sister or brother experiencing so much affliction they may not be able to pray for themselves. Here’s an opportunity to pray for them. Fill their name in the blanks.]

REASONS FOR AFFLICTION – TO TEST FAITH

Screen Shot 2016-01-28 at 9.47.30 AM…FATHER, I know that it is necessary ____ be grieved by various trials so the genuineness of (his/her) faith may be tested (1 Pet 1:6-7). It is (his/her) faith that You will have on display as evidence of CHRIST’s victory (1 Pet 1:7).

Because of this, FATHER, may ____ understand that all Your providences to (him/her) are doors to trial.

“Even our mercies, like roses, have their thorns. Men may be drowned in seas of prosperity as well as in rivers of affliction. Our mountains are not too high and our valleys are not too low for temptations; trials lurk on all roads” Charles Spurgeon (ref#34, Sept 3rd PM).

Do not screen ____ from the trials by which faith is strengthened (ref#34, Sept 3rd PM). SOVEREIGN MASTER, allow the “beast” to wage war against (him/her) and conquer (him/her) (Rev 13:7) so (he/she) has opportunity to endure persecution patiently and remain faithful (Rev 13:10).

“…our pain and losses are always a test of how much we treasure the all-wise, all-governing God in comparison to what we have lost….God ordains the hard  times…to see if we have made a god out of our good times” John Piper (ref#124, p112).

FATHER, guide ____ through the tests of faith. May (he/she) be content “without the promise of any benefits in this life” Charles Spurgeon (ref#34, Jan 22nd PM) and, by faith, long for the eternal things (ref#34, Jan 22nd PM).

 O GOD, help (him/her) keep Your commandments and maintain (his/her) faith in JESUS (Rev 14:12). But also, when saddled with trials, remind (him/her) to expect Your blessings (James 1:12).

SUPPLICATION

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LACKING PROVISIONS

[We all know someone who is dealing with financial problems. Here is an opportunity to pray for them. Fill their name in the blanks.]

GOD GIVES DAILY ALL PROVISIONS

Screen Shot 2016-01-27 at 12.03.58 PMFATHER, I lift up ____ as (he/she) foresees (his/her) present supplies insufficient for (his/her) future daily needs. Grant (him/her) faith enough to believe You will never cease to sustain and uphold (him/her). You will not, You will not, You will not let (him/her) down (Heb 13:5). You obligate Yourself to supply (his/her) needs (ref#36, p388).

Empower ____ to ask You to take charge of (him/her). Provide for (him/her), FATHER, all that concerns (him/her) in this world—everything which (his/her) body requires. Aid ____ in acknowledging (his/her) “entire dependence upon You for life, and breath, and all things” Neil T. Anderson (ref#14, “Give us this day our daily bread”).

You graciously supply spiritual as well as physical needs. ____ requires a daily supply of grace, too. As with physical food, ____ needs a daily portion of spiritual food. Remind (him/her) that, in JESUS, all necessary things are laid up for (him/her). “In the Word, through the ministry, by meditation, in prayer, and in waiting” (he/she) will receive renewed strength (ref#34, Feb 14th AM).

SUPPLICATION

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GENERAL SICKNESS

[The majority of our prayers concern physical health. We all know someone who is dealing with the pain of sickness. Here is an opportunity to pray for them. Fill their name in the blanks.]

A SPIRITUAL DANCE

 Screen Shot 2016-01-26 at 2.39.44 PM…FATHER, You invite me to knock and urge me to keep on knocking and if I keep on reverently knocking You will open to me (Matt 7:7). I am knocking for ____ for (he/she) is presently ill; I offer up this sacrifice of prayer for (him/her).

I thank You that You include in Your Bible stories that reveal the interaction You desire from ____. You have a man-shaped blank in Your heart (ref#100, p25) where only (he/she) will fit. Your Scriptures reveal Your desire for relationship.

Matthew, in his gospel, tells the story of a Canaanite woman who entreats JESUS relentlessly because she wants help for her daughter who is possessed by a demon (Matt 15:22). JESUS listens to her but does nothing even when His disciples beg Him to send her away.

FATHER, instead of healing immediately, JESUS delays by giving this woman reason why He is not obligated to heal her daughter, He says, …”I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24 ESV).  However, this does not deter the woman. She overlooks His words and repeats her request with more boldness because she now knows He is paying attention to her.

His response is yet another delay: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (Matt 15:26 ESV).  She ignores His discouraging words and continues pleading, adding logic to her request, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” (Matt 15:27 ESV).

Because JESUS waited to heal, it brought out the creative, feisty spirit of the woman as well as the level of desire for her request to be answered (ref.#62, p189-190). This spiritual dance between JESUS and the woman deepened their relationship.

And relationship is the ultimate objective. JESUS, talking of eternal life in Matthew seven, declares to people He does not know, “Depart from me” (Matt 7:23).

FATHER, I again make my request to You for ____’s healing. Use this prayer to answer my request while, at the same time, deepening my own relationship with You. And lead ____ into an interaction with You, too. Healing and praying for healing has no value if fellowship is not obtained or strengthened.

SUPPLICATION

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SORROW – GRIEF DEFINED

[“Blessed are those who mourn…” (Matt 5:4 NASB). We know people who are grieving; let’s pray for them. Fill the name in the blanks in this prayer.]

Screen Shot 2016-01-13 at 12.10.48 PM“…they who bore the yoke and drank the cup

in fadeless glory shall the Lord raise up.

God’s word is ever good; His will is best: –

The yoke, the heart all broken–and then rest” Claudius L. Chilton (ref#64, p47).

FATHER, may ____ in (his/her) helpless state put (his/her) trust in You. You see (his/her) grief (Ps 10:14). As a victim, push (him/her) to commit (himself/herself) to You.

“Grief is a God given emotion that processes sorrow related to a loss” Boyd Bailey (ref#129). I pray against ____ becoming stuck in sorrow. Empower (him/her) to seine out benefit from (his/her) sorrow.

Call ____ to embrace (his/her) sorrow and not listen to others who advice (him/her) to move on. Grieving is a natural time to slow down and meditate on what really matters. “Sorrow seeks out a Savior” (ref#129).

FATHER, turn ____’s mourning into more trust in CHRIST. Only CHRIST is able to restore joy and hope. “What anguish empties, faith fills….Grief needs God” (ref#129). Anguish empties a heart, but faith fills it with hope.

SUPPLICATION

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THE SPIRIT’S FREEDOM AND POWER

Screen Shot 2016-01-13 at 2.13.19 PM

[We all have friends and family that sit in our churches but only act like they are Christians.  It is up to us to pray for their salvation.  Here’s an opportunity to pray for them.  Fill their name in the blanks.]

FATHER, I think of Your nation Israel, at the time Ezra came to Jerusalem and found that the people had intermarried with the peoples of nearby lands (Ezra 9:2). In a manner of months they sent back home these foreign wives and their children (Ezra 10:3). LORD, this story certainly proves how powerful Your SPIRIT is as He enabled them to send away their family!

SPIRIT, the FATHER gives You to us powerfully. Comfort from the words and promises of CHRIST can sometimes break in through all opposition into the saddest and darkest condition imaginable just as was the case recorded in Ezra (ref#35, p375).

The FATHER also gives You to us freely. BOUNDLESS SPIRIT, You have freedom in Your operation meaning You can come as the Comforter unexpectedly (ref#35, p376).

SPIRIT-GIVING FATHER, I stand on the fact that You are able in an instant to do all I ask because of Your SPIRIT’s freedom and the strength of His power. I pray for ____.  O SPIRIT, come and surprise (him/her)—impress upon (him/her) that all (his/her) comforts lie treasured up in the promises of CHRIST—that CHRIST provides hope in the darkest situations.

SPIRIT, surprise ____ by enabling (him/her) to come to CHRIST through Your freedom and power. AMEN.

SUPPLICATION

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SICKNESS – LIFE THREATENING

[The majority of our prayers concern physical health.  We all know someone who is dealing with a life-ending disease (like cancer).  Here is an opportunity to pray for them.]

WHAT CANCER CAN’T DO

Screen Shot 2016-01-13 at 12.06.31 PMCancer is so limited…

It cannot cripple love

It cannot shatter hope

It cannot corrode faith

It cannot eat away peace

It cannot destroy confidence

It cannot kill friendship

It cannot shut out memories

It cannot starve courage

It cannot reduce eternal life

It cannot quench the Spirit

It cannot lessen the Power of the resurrection.

Author Unknown