How to Pray for Yourself with Reckless Abandon...Continued from page 1
Whitney Hopler
Pray for instant obedience. Ask God to help you obey right away whenever He commands you to do something. Don’t negotiate, debate, or stall; simply obey God’s calls as soon as possible. Pray for the courage to drop whatever you’re doing when God calls and follow Him.
Pray for a guarded mouth. Ask God to help you speak only words that are pleasing to Him and avoid speaking in sinful ways that disappoint Him and hurt others. Remember that harmful words (such as lies, insults, and curses) can’t be recalled once you’ve let them out of your mouth. Pray that you’ll think about your words before you say them, and wisely choose which ones to express. Ask God to protect you and others from the destructive power of negative words. Pray for the ability to regularly speak positive words that reflect God’s grace.
Pray for a generous spirit. Ask God to help you express your gratitude for the blessings He has given you by giving generously to others. Pray that your giving will give people hope and encouragement, while also honoring God. Look for opportunities to give extravagantly. Pray that your giving will inspire the people who receive from you to praise God.
Pray for spiritual authority. Ask God to help you access all the power He has made available to help you fight Satan. Call upon Jesus’ power to defend you from evil’s attacks on your life. Pray for the discernment you need to recognize Satan’s schemes and the wisdom to know how to oppose them. Ask God to show you which areas of your life you may have yielded to Satan without knowing it; then to help you get rid of those strongholds and bring every thought under God’s authority. Pray for the courage you need to resist Satan by commanding him to leave you.
Pray for your faith. Ask God to increase your faith. Pray that your belief in His presence and power will be conduit for His supernatural work in and through you. Ask God to help you overcome your fears and doubts, to trust Him even though you can’t see Him now, and to fill you with the Holy Spirit as you place your faith in Him.
Pray for your courage. Ask God for the courage t honor God, even if it means you lose
favor with people; practice immediate obedience, even if it will cause difficulty for others; speak God’s truth and share His love with others when given the opportunity; confess your own sins and seek the forgiveness of others when necessary; be authentic in relationships and not to hide your feelings; stand for what’s right and true, even if it means standing alone; and go where God leads you, do what God tells you, and become what God is calling you to be, even if it it’s way beyond your comfort zone.