Heavenly Father as the deer pants for streams of water, so does my soul pant for You. My soul thirsts Your living Water, from You who are a living God. When can I go and meet with You for my tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long. “Where is Your God?” These are things I remember as I pour out my soul:…Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? I will put my hope in You, for I will yet praise You, my Savior and my God…By day You direct Your love, at night Your song is with me—a prayer to You, for You are my life. (Psa. 42:1-4,5,8)
Holy Spirit I desire to drink deeply from Your living water and I seek Your wisdom, discernment and desire so that I can walk in Your presence daily. I seek to have a continuing relationship with You. I wish to hear Your voice and to know Your will for me today. Help this temple that You stay within to be honoring and well-kept for Your pleasure. Teach me to be like Daniel and to not defile myself while living in this foreign land for this is no longer my home but just part of my journey.
Holy Spirit I ask that You watch of each pastor and their ministry teams in the United States of America. I ask that You put a hedge of protection around them and their families keeping them from harm and evil. Inspire and encourage their hearts that their labor is not in vain. Help them to discover new ways to get the gospel out to their communities. Help them discover new ways they can serve their communities. Give them dreams that will be larger than their communities. Let these people who You have set aside for ministry be like Caleb and bold and with vision that sees the potential of the promises You have made for us. Let them have a double portion of Paul’s spirit to preach to all and to work in the midst of all so that at the end of the day their life will be a ministry as much as their words are. Guide their thoughts, desires and their tongues to be tempered with Your Spirit and to show their righteousness. Help them to be humble, meek and yet bold and courageous.
I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times. I long to impart on you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. For in the gospel righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith. (Romans 1:8-17) Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. (Romans 16:17-20)