Category Archives: Learning To Pray Effectively

Great Is the Lord and Highly to Be Praised

It is all too easy to take for granted having a relationship with the LORD. Let us remember to praise him, even during difficult times!

Psalm 145

The LORD Extolled for His Goodness.

A Psalm of Praise, of David.

1I will extol You, my God, O King,
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

2Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

3Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised,
And His greatness is unsearchable.

4One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.

5On the glorious splendor of Your majesty
And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.

6Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts,
And I will tell of Your greatness.

7They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness
And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.

8The LORD is gracious and merciful;
Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.

9The LORD is good to all,
And His mercies are over all His works.

10All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD,
And Your godly ones shall bless You.

11They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power;

12To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts
And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.

13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

14The LORD sustains all who fall
And raises up all who are bowed down.

15The eyes of all look to You,
And You give them their food in due time.

16You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17The LORD is righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds.

18The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.

19He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He will also hear their cry and will save them.

20The LORD keeps all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.

21My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ


Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

How Blessed Are the People Whose God Is The LORD!

I really appreciate the example David sets in his psalms. He prays to the LORD and asks for help, yes, but he first focuses on praising and recognizing YHWH for who he is and what he has done. He does not simply jump into a list of requests or demands. He comes before YHWH with humility and thankfulness and focuses first on the greatness of our God.

Psalms 144

Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity.

A Psalm of David.

1Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle;

2My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My stronghold and my deliverer,
My shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me.

3O LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You think of him?

4Man is like a mere breath;
His days are like a passing shadow.

5Bow Your heavens, O LORD, and come down;
Touch the mountains, that they may smoke.

6Flash forth lightning and scatter them;
Send out Your arrows and confuse them.

7Stretch forth Your hand from on high;
Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,
Out of the hand of aliens

8Whose mouths speak deceit,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

9I will sing a new song to You, O God;
Upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,

10Who gives salvation to kings,
Who rescues David His servant from the evil sword.

11Rescue me and deliver me out of the hand of aliens,
Whose mouth speaks deceit
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

12Let our sons in their youth be as grown-up plants,
And our daughters as corner pillars fashioned as for a palace;

13Let our garners be full, furnishing every kind of produce,
And our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;

14Let our cattle bear
Without mishap and without loss,
Let there be no outcry in our streets!

15How blessed are the people who are so situated;
How blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Hear My Prayer, O’ LORD

This prayer continues to be relevant in our lives today. I have grown to love the Psalms and to apply them in my life. Of course, we have the benefit of Yeshua acting as our mediator between us and God. However, God wants us to bring to Him our prayers and supplicaitons.

Psalm 143

Prayer for Deliverance and Guidance.

A Psalm of David.

     1Hear my prayer, O LORD,
Give ear to my supplications!
Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness!

      2And do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no man living is righteous.

      3For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.

      4Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
My heart is appalled within me.

      5I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your doings;
I muse on the work of Your hands.

      6I stretch out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You, as a parched land.

Selah.

      7Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit fails;
Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like those who go down to the pit.

      8Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;
For I trust in You;
Teach me the way in which I should walk;
For to You I lift up my soul.

      9Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies;
I take refuge in You.

      10Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

      11For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me.
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.

      12And in Your lovingkindness, cut off my enemies
And destroy all those who afflict my soul,
For I am Your servant.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Pray Humbly and Genuinely with a Repentant Heart

For those of us who wish to indeed submit to Yeshua and follow Him, we must be willing to humbly admit our faults to change them. Yeshua provides a wonderful example of a sinful man who genuinely comes before God for repentance and contrasts that with someone who is just making a show of prayer in a noticeably prideful manner. I encourage each of us to thoughtfully and humbly read the scripture from Luke and then come before God in genuine humility, admitting our sins, and asking for forgiveness with a commitment to repent and sin no more. For those of us who have already accepted Yeshua as our savior, our sins have been forgiven. We come to admit our sins and accept the forgiveness already provided through Yeshua with a commitment to repent and sin no more.

Luke 18:9-14       9And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11“The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13“But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14“I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

We all remain sinful, no matter where we are on our journey. Take time to identify an area in which you need change and come before God with a pure motive and pure heart, privately, and ask forgiveness and ask His help with repentance. Then work consciously to change your wrong behavior and He will help you.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for forgiveness through Yeshua. Thank You for the grace and mercy You have already given us. I am genuinely sorry for my sin and my transgressions against You. Help me be transformed through the renewing of my mind to walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit as you intend. Help me to walk in Your ways. I pray this in the name of Yeshua. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ


Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Come Openly and Honestly to the LORD in Times of Trouble

We do not need “special” or “long” prayers in order to cry out to YHWH when we are experiencing trouble. Simply cry out for help and submit yourself to him in an open and honest way. Of course, let us also remember to submit to him and maintain a close relationship with him when times are good as well. We should not ignore him and then come to him only when we are in trouble.

Psalm 142

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.

     1I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD;
I make supplication with my voice to the LORD.

      2I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my trouble before Him.

      3When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have hidden a trap for me.

      4Look to the right and see;
For there is no one who regards me;
There is no escape for me;
No one cares for my soul.

      5I cried out to You, O LORD;
I said, “You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.

      6“Give heed to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are too strong for me.

      7“Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will deal bountifully with me.”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Yeshua’s Prayer for His Disciples… Important Insight on How to Pray

I found Yeshua’s prayer in John 17 for His disciples very moving. I encourage each of us to read it and apply the key points He highlights to our own prayer life for ourselves, our loved ones, and other followers of Christ.

Yeshua came to the Father in prayer for His disciples as He prepared to leave. We can learn much by reviewing and considering His words.

John 17:13-21

The Disciples in the World

     13“But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.16“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18“As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19“For their sakes, I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

      20“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

  • Yeshua wanted His disciples to have His joy made full in themselves
  • He gave us the instructions of YHWH to make our joy full. We can rightly conclude He intended for us to obey them, not just be aware of them.
  • Those who follow Yeshua, like Yeshua, are not “of the world”. The world will hate and reject us, usually more so as we stand and live more boldly for Christ. This does not mean every person will hate us, but one need only look around at newspapers for national and world events to see that followers of Christ are persecuted in varying degrees depending on where they are in the world. (I do not mean people who claim Christ and live like the world… the devil and the world love these folks.)
  • We need the Father’s help to protect us from Satan. Yes, he is a real adversary.
  • Sanctify means to be set apart as holy. Yeshua asks YHWH to make us holy through truth, or the word. Again, we can reasonably conclude He intends for us to live according to the word rather than the same way the world lives.
  • Here, Yeshua specifically calls out that He is praying not just for this specific group of men, but for all who believe in Him.
  • His desire is for us as His followers to be united. We can see this is not the case throughout the world. This can seem difficult at times because we are not called to accept false teaching, but we are called to unity. Many disagree on the true application of scripture creating division. We should allow room for debate where scripture permits, but some teachings are heretical and dangerous and need to be rejected. (e.g. The teaching that everyone who claims Yeshua in name pleases the Lord and goes to heaven even if they are without repentance and do not change their lives to match His instruction.)

I encourage you to pray and reflect on these verses as well as incorporate them into your own prayer life. Ask the Father to enlighten you on their full meaning and application for your life. Pray this prayer for your children or loved ones as well as other brothers and sisters in Christ.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Be Real in Your Relationship with the Father

The prayers of David in Psalms are truly worth dwelling on and praying in application to our lives today. He was indeed a man after God’s own heart, and we can learn from his relationship with YHWH. He had a genuine and open dialog with YHWH, which is perfect since YHWH knows everything already, including how we feel.  Let us not feel like we have to “fool” YHWH by putting on pretenses, but rather be real with him about what is going on in our lives. Ask him for help. Praise him. Thank him.

Psalm 141

An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.

A Psalm of David.

     1O LORD, I call upon You; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to You!

      2May my prayer be counted as incense before You;
The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.

      3Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.

      4Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds of wickedness
With men who do iniquity;
And do not let me eat of their delicacies.

      5Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me;
It is oil upon the head;
Do not let my head refuse it,
For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds.

      6Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock,
And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.

      7As when one plows and breaks open the earth,
Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

      8For my eyes are toward You, O GOD, the Lord;
In You I take refuge; do not leave me defenseless.

      9Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the snares of those who do iniquity.

      10Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
While I pass by safely.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

May His Face Radiate with Joy Because of You

What a beautiful blessing we find in Numbers 6, intended for the audience of Aaron and his sons. I pray this now for myself, those close to me, and also for pastors and leaders who follow Christ with a genuine heart. I pray it for those reading through the scriptures with me daily… and I sure appreciate if / when you pray for me as well.

Numbers 6:22-27

      22Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23“Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:

      24The LORD bless you, and keep you;

      25The LORD make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;

      26The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’

27“So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.”

Another translation captures verse 24-26 slightly differently… “may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you”. I certainly want to have that relationship with Him and please Him in that way. I want other brothers and sisters in Christ to do so as well.

Numbers 6:24-26 Living Bible (TLB)

24-26 ‘May the Lord bless and protect you; may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you; may he be gracious to you, show you his favor, and give you his peace.’

Take some time this morning and pray for yourself, your family, brothers and sisters in Christ, and for whomever else you feel led to pray for today.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Praise the LORD in Song

Isaiah 12 continues where Isaiah 11 left off, looking ahead to the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. It is a look ahead that can bring hope and peace to mind and heart as the world is under the reign of our Messiah and we are gathered back together as His people.

Isaiah 12 reminds us to express our thankfulness to our Father, especially when He is bringing us to times of peace and hope.

Isaiah 12

Thanksgiving Expressed

1Then you will say on that day,
“I will give thanks to You, O LORD;
For although You were angry with me,
Your anger is turned away,
And You comfort me.

      2“Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For the LORD GOD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.”

      3Therefore you will joyously draw water
From the springs of salvation.

      4And in that day you will say,
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name.
Make known His deeds among the peoples;
Make them remember that His name is exalted.”

      5Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things;
Let this be known throughout the earth.

      6Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Truly this is a great reminder for us to praise and thank our Father with joy! We can do that on the mountaintops and in the valleys. He is good always. Let us put our faith and trust in Him at all times!

Take a few minutes to come to a prayerful mindset and pray through the scripture above rather than just reading it. Let it be your conversation with God. Praise Him. Be joyful. Thank Him for the wonderful things He has done and is doing in your life. Dwell on the forgiveness He has granted as His anger turns away from us even after we have sinned (once we repent).

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ


Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Seeking Wisdom from the One Who Is Truly Wise

Truly if you want wisdom, do not look to universities and degrees in higher learning, though those may have some value, but instead look to the Lord and ask Him humbly for the wisdom you seek. Pursue it in study of the scriptures and prayer and God will give it to you in the measure and time He deems appropriate.

Do not seek it though to accomplish your own plans and desires for you own glory, but rather for the Lord’s plans for His glory through you. Do not ask for it expecting Him not to give it either, but rather expect and trust that He will grant what you ask.

2 Chronicles 1

Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

     8Solomon said to God, “You have dealt with my father David with great lovingkindness, and have made me king in his place. 9“Now, O LORD God, Your promise to my father David is fulfilled, for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10“Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?” 11God said to Solomon, “Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king, 12wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor those who will come after you.” 13So Solomon went from the high place which was at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and he reigned over Israel.

James 1:5-8

    5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please grant me wisdom. Help me to grow in my knowledge of You and Your word and also in whatever areas You are calling me to serve You. I will be single minded and not double minded. I ask for wisdom fully anticipating that You not only can but will grant it in Your timing and to the fullness of Your measure. In the name of Yeshua we pray. amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ


Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.