Prayer of Praise!

Psalm 106
1 Praise the LORD.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?

3 Blessed are they who maintain justice,
who constantly do what is right.

4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,

5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.

6 We have sinned, even as our fathers did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

I love this particular psalm. The psalmist opens with praise and thankfulness for the Lord's goodness and everlasting love. The truth is HE is so good that we are deficient in our ability to list all of His glorious acts and miracles. We can't give Him enough praise. As a matter of matter truth, we fall short in giving Him the praise that's due because too often we're praising man (please don't misunderstand me) rather than God. As you're reading this, it's a good time do begin declaring God's mighty acts, and then we can pray in accordingly as the psalmist.

Heavenly Father, we praise You; for You alone are worthy of all praise, and glory! You are good to us and your unfailing love endures forever; THANK YOU! Forgive us for being stingy with our praise to You. Help us to understand that our joy, abundant living, just treatment of others, and our integrity are tied to our praise. Cause us to see that every aspect of our life should center around You, Your love, goodness, mercy and truth. Father, we thank You for the favor that you show toward us. We thank You for the prosperity and joy that comes from Your sovereignty. We confess our sins—that we have done wrong and acted wickedly. And because You are just and faithful to forgive us when we confess and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, we are grateful and commit our life to do Your will and giving You glory. With thanksgiving in our heart, and in the Name of Jesus the Christ we pray. Amen. Amen! So be it.

Psalm 127

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of Solomon.

"1 Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. 2 It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
3 Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. 4 Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. 5 How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates."

When inquiring about what psalm to post as a prayer in the "praying the psalms" series, I thought what an unlikely "song" for a prayer. Then I read it again, and it definitely speaks to a spiritual need in our daily walk of faith and in practical living. Let's pray...

Heavenly Father,

We thank you for the privilege of prayer because of your grace extended to us by our faith in Jesus Christ, your only begotten Son. We reverence your holiness and worship you just because you are the Sovereign God, the Most High God. Father God, we agree that the welfare of our household and our family is under your control. You are our security, not personal toil and exhaustion, so we ask you to forgive us for our arrogance in acting as though we are achieving and accomplishing great feats on our own abilities and capabilities. You are the great Watchman. Thank you! We recognize that our children are gifts from you, and adds true wealth to our home. We thank for them. Forgive us for complaining and becoming so frustrated with them that we are disrespectful and ungrateful for the gift you have bestowed upon us ... the miracle of life. Father, help us to be godly parents who teach our young children your principles, which will sustain them through life's challenges.

We ask that you build our house, watch over and protect our city, let your favor surround our children, and continue to bless us. Oh! How will exalt your name and give you praise, and most of all, we rest in you. We pray this prayer with thanksgiving in Jesus' name. Amen.

Prayer to Escape - Psalm 55

One commonality we find in the Book of Psalms is that the writer shares openly and expresses his emotions just like we do even in the 21st Century. Although the times have changed from centuries ago (biblical times), and we're living in a different culture, there are some things that don't change when it comes to human beings—our need to express our feelings, whether good, bad, right or wrong. "It is what it is..."

The writer is expressing his feelings in Psalm 55 in no uncertain terms. Have you ever felt as though God didn't hear your prayers; that He is ignoring your cry for help. Everything is falling apart. All that could go wrong did... you were in a "panic" mode. All you wanted to do was "escape" the madness. But where could you go... but to the Lord (oh, yeah; that's a song, right) At that time, it is an opportune time to pray Psalm 55. Let's pray:

Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help! Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles. My enemies shout at me, making loud and wicked threats. They bring trouble on me and angrily hunt me down.
My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me. Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking. Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness.

Hear this; this is written just for you reading this right now. Hear what the Lord says to you in verse 22:

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Be encouraged! Be thankful! Be prayerful! Don't stop praying!

Prayer of Repentance & Purification - Psalm 51

I can't tell you how many times I've heard passages of this psalm of David quoted. But the real question is how many of us have had to pray it because we got entangled in the sinful web?

Unfaithfulness and fornication are now just as prevalent in the Body of Christ as in the world! No. I'm not posting this to "preach" to you, but to remind you that God will hear the earnest prayer of a broken spirit and a contrite heart that's really sorrowful for the sin they have committed. Psalm 51 is this kind of prayer... This is the New Living Translation.

Let's pray:

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.

Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.

Prayer for Protection - Psalm 31

We're living in some of the most dangerous times; therefore, protection is needed 24/7. The only 24/7 protection is having a refuge in God—living in His presence. He is our fortress. The psalmist encourages the godly to find refuge in the Lord . He testifies to the Lord's faithfulness to protect in spite of death-like experiences.

The good news is this: The Lord offers refuge to anyone who comes to him for protection. Therefore, when you pray for his protection believe, have faith, trust him and submit to him.

Let's pray a portion of Psalm 31

O LORD, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger. Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone. I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes...

My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly. Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me.

I praise you, Lord, for you have shown me the wonders of your unfailing love. You have kept me safe when my city was under attack.

Thank you, Lord. Amen

A prayer of salvation— Psalm 69

http://www.blogger.com/posts.g?blogID=3365089679491569293

Have you ever felt as though you were drowning in the deep waters of despair? Have you felt as though your enemies were winning and you were losing, although you are a child of God? Does it sometimes seem like the challenges you face bring such disgrace and shame that you want to crawl under a rock and hide? Do you have broken relationships with family? Have you ever felt as if being a Christian is not worth it? Be honest! Have you been there?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you are not alone. Here's a prayer that openly expresses and pours out his heart to God in honesty. He expresses his desire for vindication from his enemies and prays that God would answer. Read carefully and see a prophetic utterance of Jesus Christ's sufferings for all mankind. Be reminded that God answered His prayer and today we have received the gift of salvation by faith in God's only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ. And He will answer yours too! God will save Zion! LET'S PRAY….

¹ Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.

² I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.

³ I am worn out calling for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,
looking for my God.

⁴ Those who hate me without reason
outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
what I did not steal.

⁵ You know my folly, O God;
my guilt is not hidden from you.

⁶ May those who hope in you
not be disgraced because of me,
O Lord, the LORD Almighty;
may those who seek you
not be put to shame because of me,
O God of Israel.

⁷ For I endure scorn for your sake,
and shame covers my face.

⁸ I am a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother's sons;

⁹ for zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.

¹⁰ When I weep and fast,
I must endure scorn;

¹¹ when I put on sackcloth,
people make sport of me.

¹² Those who sit at the gate mock me,
and I am the song of the drunkards.

¹³ But I pray to you, O LORD,
in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God,
answer me with your sure salvation.

¹⁴ Rescue me from the mire,
do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
from the deep waters.

¹⁵ Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
or the depths swallow me up
or the pit close its mouth over me.

¹⁶ Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love;
in your great mercy turn to me.

¹⁷ Do not hide your face from your servant;
answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.

¹⁸ Come near and rescue me;
redeem me because of my foes.

¹⁹ You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;
all my enemies are before you.

²⁰ Scorn has broken my heart
and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for comforters, but I found none.

²¹ They put gall in my food
and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

²² May the table set before them become a snare;
may it become retribution and ^[a] a trap.

²³ May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.

²⁴ Pour out your wrath on them;
let your fierce anger overtake them.

²⁵ May their place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in their tents.

²⁶ For they persecute those you wound
and talk about the pain of those you hurt.

²⁷ Charge them with crime upon crime;
do not let them share in your salvation.

²⁸ May they be blotted out of the book of life
and not be listed with the righteous.

²⁹ I am in pain and distress;
may your salvation, O God, protect me.

³⁰ I will praise God's name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving.

³¹ This will please the LORD more than an ox,
more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.

³² The poor will see and be glad—
you who seek God, may your hearts live!

³³ The LORD hears the needy
and does not despise his captive people.

³⁴ Let heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and all that move in them,

³⁵ for God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
Then people will settle there and possess it;

³⁶ the children of his servants will inherit it,
and those who love his name will dwell there.

Answered Prayer - Journalists Released!

This prayer posted on June 8, 2009 has been answered along with so many others that were praying for the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee.

Thank God for President Bill Clinton and others that were God's agents. CLICK the link below to read the prayer posted on 6/8/09.

http://queenprayshere.blogspot.com/2009/06/prayer-for-journalists-in-north-korea.html