A little background before I start this prayer. I grew up in a very rural area and I grew big and fast. One thing I never tolerated well was bullies. I fought a bully once who was four years older than me who was picking on some very small kids playing in a sandbox, when I confronted him to stop he drew a knife on me. I proceeded to give him a “lickin” as they use to say. I once made a coach’s son who was bullying younger boys from being able to use the baseball field learn how to properly use a bat that he threatened me with. I had a coach who got in my face when I was a seventh grader and tell me to quit basketball because I would never be any good. I had grown 7 inches in four months and was 235 pounds when he said that. I went on to learn to shoot free throws very well and by my senior year, I was 6’5” and 200lbs. I played against the school he had moved to and was the Athletic Director at. I had one of my best games that night. But, I have learned, with many years and many lessons, that is not how to properly fight. I have been and still am teaching in a prison. I look into the eyes of murders, attempted murders, kidnappers, rapists, child abusers, men with assault records, drug dealers, drug users, alcoholics, and pedophiles. They are not my enemy. The sin that led to their decisions is our enemy.
The Prayer: Heavenly Father, I praise You for You being God and not me. For You, having to separate sin from You means some go to heaven and some will go to hell because of the personal choices they make while living here on the earth. I praise You for the gift of salvation, offered to everyone.
Holy Spirit I am slowly learning the wisdom and ask that You continue to imprint upon my heart and mind what Paul wrote to the Corinthians: The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. [2 Corinthians 10:4&5] Help me to fight with prayer. Help me to not try to be people’s judge but be their supporter in prayer. Help me to pray for those who have lost their way, for those who have never known You and for those who need healing.
Holy Spirit I have some very close people to me who have turned their back because of what life has done to them. They are full of doubt, and question why they ever believed in the first place. Holy Spirit I bring them before You and ask that You continue to try and woo them back and to open their eyes to the reality of who You are.
Holy Spirit I pray for all the lost souls I see every day. Sin has beat them down, caused them to be foolish and they are facing consequences that were never originally intended for them. I see broken people all around me living in a defeated broken world led by an enemy who is the biggest bully and full of lies there is. His one goal is to destroy us so that we can’t be with God. Help me to live a life that shines Your light so that this very dark, lonely world can see a small ray of hope and love.
Holy Spirit I continue to pray for Greyson, Kayla, Jim, Eva, Todd and many others who are in desperate need of healing. I pray for Your will to be done but I also pray with the faith that nothing is impossible for You to do.
Holy Spirit I pray for my new pastor JJ. I pray You will fill him every Sunday with wisdom, power, knowledge and discernment. Lead him to do the service the way You need for that Sunday even if it means he doesn’t preach. Embolden JJ with faith that will change our community and win it to You. Protect JJ and his family from hate, harm and sin. Help JJ and his family to be strong, united and a living testimony that we all walk this earth dependent on You.
Holy Spirit help me to put on my spiritual armor and fight the only way I now know, with prayer, with truth and most of all with love. Lead me to be a prayer warrior that will bring honor to You.
But, beloved, remember the words that were previously spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last days there will be scoffers who will walk after their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who cause divisions, sensual, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith.
Pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God while you are waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, which leads to eternal life. On some have compassion, using discernment. And others save with fear while pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with rejoicing, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. Jude 17-24 (MEV)