A Pilgrim's Prayer

Vocabulary

Often we come before the Lord and our hearts are stirred to pray but we lack the words to contain our appeal to God. Sometimes in our habitual practice of regular prayer we can grow somewhat stale feeling like we are just repeating the things that we have said before. We know that Jesus condemned the Pharisees for their pride filled repetitious prayers. However the problem with the Pharisees was not the repetition of words but the hearts filled with arrogance and empty of affection and love for God. 

But what should we do to help strengthen our prayer lives?

First, we must rest in the reality that the Holy Spirit is interceding for us and Jesus is interceding for us before the Father. We are not accepted before God because we have become a human thesaurus. But when we have found ourselves at a loss for words a wonderful and practical help is to use God’s word to fill our prayers. Below is an example of something that I pray on a fairly regular basis. I hope it is helpful.

A Prayer

Oh, Lord you are Holy, Sovereign and Good!
Please hear my prayer 
And consider my petitions
And continual pleas

Fill me Oh Lord with your Holy Spirit
And help me to experience your steadfast love

Prepare me to a be useful tool
And a cleansed vessel
And a ready implement 
In your providential plan for your Kingdom

May my feet be shod with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, (Ephesians 6:15)

May I have fastened on the belt of Your objective, genuine Truth. (Ephesians 6:14)

May I have Your breastplate of righteousness, (Isaiah 59:17) 
the imputed righteousness of Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

May I be crowned with Your helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:17) to protect and renew my mind. (Romans 12:2)

May I hold firm to the shield of faith which is my protection against all the onslaught of Satan’s arsenal. (Ephesians 6:16)

And may I wield rightly the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) in the great battle against the cosmic powers over this present darkness and that dark and wicked dragon seeking to devour the souls of men. (2 Timothy 2:15)

For You alone, Oh Lord, deserve Honor, so cause me to walk in humility that Youmay receive honor!

You alone, Oh Lord, deserve Praise, so cause me to be ever rejoicing so that You are continually praised!

You alone, Oh Lord, deserve Glory, so cause me to use every opportunity whether in word or deed to do everything to the glory of God! (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Cause me, Oh Lord, to be a promoter of peace among the brethren, love for all the Saints and a bold proclaimer of the hope and faith that are in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen!

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