It’s a Privilege to Pray

God sits on His throne in His temple. Jesus sits beside Him, vigorously pleading for those He loves. For us. The Holy Spirit is there too. On our behalf He utters groans that words cannot express. And then there’s us. Sitting here, yet welcomed into the presence of this Almighty God (Psalm 11:4, Psalm 18:6, Jeremiah 50:34, Hebrews 7:24-25, Romans 8:26-27).


–He invites us to come with confidence (Hebrews 4:16).


–He tells us our prayers are powerful and effective (James 5:16).


–He says pray about anything and everything. When we do He gives us His peace (Philippians 4:5-6).


–He tells us that faith the size of a mustard seed can say to a mountain, –“Move!” and it will move (Matthew 17:20).


–God says He loves us more than we can know and that He is able and willing to do more than we ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:18-20)


It’s a privilege to pray.

Praise God!

Sing praises to our God, sing praises (Psalm 47:6).

Praise God for what he has done.

Praise Him for what He will do.

The Lord Almighty With Us

Say it once. The Lord Almighty is with us (Psalm 46:7).

Say it again. The Lord Almighty is with us (Psalm 46:11).

We need not, we will not, fear.

The Oil of Joy

God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy (Psalm 45:7).

The oil of joy. His Spirit in us. Hallelujah.

Tell What God Has Done

Our fathers have told us what you did in their days . . . Rise up and help us (Psalm 44:1,26).

Telling others what God has done inspires prayer.

A Bold Prayer

“Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep?
Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love (Psalm 44:23,26).”

Boldly plead for God’s undeserved mercy.

Guided by Light and Truth

Oppressed by the enemy, he feels rejected by God. Here’s what he prayed, “Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me (Psalm 43:3).”

Don’t depend on feelings, ask God to make you see what’s true.

Hopeful Prayer

Downcast and thirsty for God, he remembers past joy and thanksgiving. He reminds himself to hope, “I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God (Psalm 42:11).”

When you are in a season of despair, remember and hope for a season of praise.

Mercy-Full Forgiveness

Those who do wrong (that’s all of us) should pray, “O Lord, have mercy on me; heal me for I have sinned against you.”

Our next prayer can be, “I know that you are pleased with me (Psalm 41:4,11).”

Bonus thought: Mercy-full forgiveness doesn’t take away consequences.

Pray Patiently

Psalm 40 begins with “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.”

It ends with, “May the Lord think of me. . . . O my God, do not delay (Psalm 40:17).”

Patient prayer can include asking God to answer quickly.

Life is Short

A prayer for those who see life as preparation for eternity: “Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life (Psalm 39:4).”