Prayer Today

Dear Father,

Thank You for Your everlasting love that stretched down and picked us from our own sin and shame. By Your merciful gift of faith, we came to know our Lord Jesus; and through His blood obtained forgiveness. You are the Comforter to the fatherless; and Healer to the wounded hearts. Redeeming grace is the reason for the song on our lips and the spring in our steps. In our soul too, Lord, we need Your healing touch; that we may freely forgive those who wronged us- for this pleases You, our Father.

We love You and we know that You redeem all things- even the painful things, the shameful things, the sinful things of our past living - to use them all to work together for our good, not wasting a moment of our sufferings and struggles. You work forgiveness and restoration in our own hearts, and in the hearts of those we may have hurt unknowingly. Lord, forgive us; heal us from the wounds and afflictions because of words and attitudes of those against us; heal us from all the circumstances and sufferings we've endured by the wrong choices of others and our wrong choices as well. Use it all to allow us to become all You've created us to be.

Lord, remind us today of our calling and purpose and destiny. Give us a humble and a forgiving heart - hearts of flesh that would respond to Your voice. Create is us a clean heart and give us the spiritual sensitivity to know when it's time to arise into the moments of our destiny for the sake of our own fulfillment, but more so for the fulfillment of Your purposes in our own lives and the lives of those around us. You have called us; You have chosen us. Now we hold on in faith to Your hand that holds us. Let Your words of truth determine our identity and let Your purposes for our lives determine our destiny. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

(The above prayer is a slightly modified version of the one I found on Tommy Hays' blog of 'Morning by Morning, prayer journey with Tommy Hays' for June 6, 2011. The portion of Scripture is Judges 11:1-7 about the story of Jephtah. You can find more prayers in that blog or visit http://www.messiah-ministries.org/)