Prayer for Guidance

Editor’s Note: The following is the opening prayer by Linda Linder at the December Women’s Gathering, which featured a Q&A on the topic of Christian manhood and womanhood.

Dearest Father,

 We come into your presence this morning with humble and needy hearts.  Yet, with such grateful hearts that we can approach you with confidence because of Jesus Christ – your Son and our Saviour.

We hallow your name because you are the sovereign God … Creator of the universe, Maker of all things.  You created the stars and not one of them is missing, and as we ponder your greatness we feel so small … who are we that you, the great Creator, would be mindful of us?  

And yet, you created us, too.  You are our abba, Father.  You are gentle, loving, kind, gracious, personal … and sometimes this is harder for us to grasp than the knowledge that you created the universe.  We have no role models … our own father’s were  not perfect … you are perfect.  You love us perfectly.  Oh Father, open the eyes of our hearts to take in your perfect, Fatherly love.

We know you taught your disciples to pray for your will to be done … here on earth, where we live, just like it is done in heaven.  And yet, this sometimes is confusing to us.  What does this mean?  It seems that so often your will is so hard.  It’s not what we would imagine.  We are hurt … and we hurt others.  People are sick.  Loved ones die.  Those we have trusted have proved to be untrustworthy.  

Oh Father, yes, we know that your will is best … we want your will to be done … we believe this … help us in our unbelief.

Father, search our hearts and see if there is any grievous way in there.  Give us hearts full of gratitude for your forgiveness in Christ.  And create in us forgiving hearts toward others who have sinned against us, hurt us, disappointed us.  Keep our hearts from hardening and give us the courage to forgive.

Lord, we know you have an enemy … the evil one … and because he is your enemy, he is our enemy.  Please, protect us from Satan’s wilely, deceptive ways.  He does not want us to believe your Word … he never has.  He wants us to think you’re out to get us … he has always planted that idea.  Keep us from him … especially as we look into your Word this mornning.

And now, Father, we ask you to be with us in a special way as we’ve gathered here.  Fill this place and our hearts with yourself.  Saturate us with your truth.  Heal our broken hearts.  Give us joy and contentment in how you have designed us.

Be with Jonathan and Melissa – bless them and bless us through them.  Give them discernment, clarity, joy, and truth as they share with us.  And Father, open our hearts to receive what your have for us today.  

We ask that the warmth of your loving truth will melt our hearts.  For those who hurt, comfort.  For those who are conflicted, bring clarity.  For those who are consumed with wrong thinking, bring correction.  And most of all, bring the Holy Spirit to point us to Jesus.

We pray in the sweet, wonderful, powerful name – Jesus Christ

AMEN