Our help comes from God

“He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’””

PrayPray that you can learn to completely trust and depend upon your Father in heaven. Ask God to help you have the same faith Jesus displayed in the wilderness, and that he would reveal himself to you as you depend upon him for all things.

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others more significant than yourselves.”

PrayPray that God would reveal the pride and selfishness in your heart. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you see others in your life through his eyes, and to consider them above yourself. Who can you serve today?

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

PrayThank God that he has given us the example of Christ and pray that he would help you to live in humble obedience and submission to his good, perfect, and loving will.

“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

PrayTake some time to be still and know that he is God. Ask God to help you trust in Jesus for true and lasting rest. Thank him for the gift of Jesus who willingly carries your burdens and offers rest this world can never offer.

“But the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken from her.”

PrayIf you haven’t yet chosen something to fast from, ask God to reveal what you should fast from so that you have more time with him daily. God loves you and loves spending time with you, more than you will ever know.

“Trust in the LORD with all of your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

PrayAsk God in which ways you depend upon yourself, or this world, for truth instead of trusting in him. As you seek God in Scripture, pray that he would help you to trust fully in his presence, revealed truth, and love for you.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

PrayAsk God to bring renewal and transformation to your life and the community around you. Ask that he would help you to orient your entire life to him, seek him with all that you are, and conform you to the image of his Son, Jesus, as you seek to live on mission.

“Trust in the LORD with all of your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

PrayAsk God in which ways you depend upon yourself, or this world, for truth instead of trusting in him. As you seek God in Scripture, pray that he would help you to trust fully in his presence, revealed truth, and love for you.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

PrayAsk God to bring renewal and transformation to your life and the community around you. Ask that he would help you to orient your entire life to him, seek him with all that you are, and conform you to the image of his Son, Jesus, as you seek to live on mission.

“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

PrayThank God today for the gift of his Spirit who dwells within you because you belong to Jesus. Pray that you would be filled with his Spirit to live completely dependent upon him as you move throughout your day.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

PrayPray to your Father that you learn to walk by the Spirit. Ask that he help you to let go of the selfish desires of your heart and instead to love and serve others displaying the fruit of the Spirit to all those around you.

“As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

PrayPray that you would be convicted by God to repent wherever your heart and life is contrary to him. Trust in the work of Jesus and know that there is no condemnation in Christ; ask that God would help you to truly know and believe how fully forgiven and loved you are in Christ, even as you seek godly conviction that leads to repentance and renewal.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

PraySurrender to God’s Spirit, the same Spirit that resurrected Jesus from the dead, who dwells in you, and empowers you to love, serve, and live on mission in ways that you never thought were possible.

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

PrayPray that God would reveal your spiritual gifts, which are promised and bestowed upon all believers in Jesus. Ask him to empower you to fully use your gifts in his mission to reach, redeem, and renew the world in the name of Jesus.

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

PrayPray that we would remember God’s great love poured out for us on the cross. Ask God to continually cause us to be amazed by his grace.

“God’s wisdom flows through me. I am led by divine insight and make wise decisions.”

“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”

“God’s presence is with me and within me. I live in divine awareness.”

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

“I am empowered by the Spirit of God. Power flows through me for purpose, love, and service.”

“Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?”

PrayPray for effectiveness in making disciples. Ask God to cause us to be fruitful. Pray for a renewed commitment to being disciple-making disciples.

“I am being restored. I am renewed in every area of my life by the Spirit of God.”

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

PrayPray that you will love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Pray that God’s Spirit will work in your heart in power and that you will value and follow biblical priorities.

“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

PrayPray that you will cultivate strong character and uncompromising integrity. Pray that your testimony will be genuine and that you will never do anything that he would need to hide from others.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

PrayPray for your personal walk with God, that your soul and spirit will be nourished and strengthened in your quiet time with God. Pray that you will spend more time in the Word of God than reading Christian books and articles.

“In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.””

PrayConfess to God that he is the Great Healer. Name your brothers and sisters in Christ who are struggling physically and ask our Father to heal them. If you are suffering, ask for healing in your own life according to his will. Thank God for the future promise of all things being made new in his Kingdom. Ask God to give us stories to tell of his power and mercy, that his good news would be proclaimed, and his name honoured.

“He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.”

PrayAsk the Lord for healing from the emotional scars you bear. Tell God you trust his power to heal, and that his grace is sufficient for you. Ask him to give you an open heart to his healing power and for an increasing awareness of his steadfast love for you.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved, and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

PraySpeak your thankfulness to God for his forgiveness and grace. Ask God to teach you to remember that he alone has forgiven your sin and healed you from unrighteousness. Pray that God will make your life a witness to the power of his rich mercy.

“So, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift.”

PrayPray that God will make your relationships as important to you as they are to him. Ask God to give you the faith required to go and be reconciled to anyone with whom you have a fractured relationship.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

PrayAsk God to give you peace of heart while he works to bind your wounds. Pray for a soft heart toward other people who are hurt and downcast. Ask the Spirit of God to reveal ways you can pray for the people he brings to mind.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.””

PrayPray these verses. Ask God to help you trust him in the depths of your struggle. Ask the Lord to send people to you who will speak grace and truth to you and strengthen your faith.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

PraySpeak the name of someone who is grieving. Ask God to give them comfort and rest in their season of pain. Thank God for the genuine hope we have in Jesus. Ask God for peace in knowing there is life beyond this life.

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

PrayPray that your Father would reveal anything your heart desires more than God himself. Ask for the strength to ruthlessly remove every unholy attraction from your life. Pray that he would quiet you in his presence so that you can see clearly and worship him alone.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we are imperishable. So, I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

PrayPray to your Father to help you to live purposefully. Ask him to give you the will to submit all your ways to him and discipline your heart and body. Pray that you can become intolerant even of trivial sin, remembering that everything you do either glorifies or dishonours Jesus.

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.”

PrayAs you seek your Father in prayer, pray that he would enable you to hold tightly to the truth of his word and reject false beliefs. As you fast, ask that he give you a hunger for his word, so that you might know the truth and live your life submitted to him. Ask that he help you to put into practice his unassailable truth.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

PrayVoice your concerns and fears to God. Cast your cares upon him and remind yourself of his deep care for you. Ask for his peace to guard your heart and mind and give you freedom from the crippling effects of depression and anxiety. Thank him for his presence and love.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

PrayAsk your Father in heaven to help you to be a light to the world. Trust that he is renewing you day by day to look more like Jesus. Ask him that your good works would be seen not for your own pride or success, but for his glory and mission.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

PrayPray for 5 people in your life today that do not know Jesus. Pray that their hearts would be softened and that God would move in their lives so they would become fully devoted followers of Christ. Ask God how he can use you in their lives and then take some time to listen.

“Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore, I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.”

PrayAs you’ve refrained from distractions through fasting, take some time to listen to God. Ask him to grow your understanding of the goodness and truth of his word, to help you conform your life to his precepts and in every moment choose his kingdom to come and his will to be done.