Praise
Psalm 8 For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David.
1 LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
5 You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Kingdom Plea
Pray for God's kingdom to come and his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. We will unpack what this means more throughout the week by praying for different aspects of God's Kingdom. But for today just pray this prayer generally.
Pray for Christians, yourself included, to reflect the glory of God to the world.
Pray for the Church to expand.
Pray for God's goodness to expand in our society.
Pray for justice.
Pray for peace.
Pray for harmony.
Personal Plea
Philippians 4:6
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Throughout the week we will pray for our various types of needs. Today we are going to pray for our material needs.
Ask God to provide for your needs, always remembering to give thanks for what he has provided.
If you're in desperate need, pray for basic provisions.
If you need a new car or resources to fix your car, pray for it.
If you need a job or a different job, pray for it.
If you need a place to live or a different place to live, pray for it.
Remember, Jesus told us to approach the Father with shameless audacity and to persevere in prayer. So keep praying for your needs.
Repentance
Today let's just see an example of genuine repentance, ie. let's learn how to repent. Read Psalm 51, David's repentance after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and had Uriah murdered. Personalize his words and pray this prayer for yourself.
Psalm 51 For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
18 May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Spiritual Protection
Generally, pray that God will not lead you into a season of temptation. However, we must submit to his will. Like the Spirit led Jesus into temptation, if this is a season of temptation for you, pray for God's power to deliver you from evil. Today, just pray it generally. We will get more specific with this throughout the week.