Daily Devotional

THE JOYFUL EXERCISE OF PRAYER

December 9

hild of God, it is important that your prayer level goes much higher than it is. When you pray toward heaven, you alert me to listen to you. You also give honor to your Father just by addressing Him reverently. As soon as you lift your heart to pray, I am alerted to your praying and become powerfully involved in your life. You need me to be involved quickly and powerfully, don’t you? I know that you do. Being able to pray with assurance and conviction is a gift that I give to you. Here is one way to pray say, “Father, I lift up my hands toward heaven as a statement of my sincere worship of you! I rejoice in the fact that when I pray you are pleased with my offerings of prayer to you. I do not just ask for myself, but you said, “It is more blessed to give than it is to receive.” (Acts 20:35) I raise my prayers to bless those who have set themselves against me. I pray for you to reveal to them that I will love them in return for their evil plans against me. I will seek to ‘bless, and curse not” (I Peter 3:9) according to your word. That’s good language, isn’t it child? Also, when you pray, you are alerting the devil that you will not play his games! What does that mean? It means that you are going to take any problem or situation straight to your Father and place it in His holy hands immediately. You do not give the enemy time to sow dissention or bitterness or darkness or even evil feelings into your heart or mind. Remember child, you do not own your own life or feelings. They belong to your Father in Heaven, “You have been bought with a price . . . the blood of Jesus.” (I Corinthians 6:20) Praying is a good training exercise for your spirit and mind. As you pray over the days, months and years to come, you are training your mind and spirit to direct all things that are important to your Father’s oversight and care. This is healthy for you and your loved ones. Come on now let’s get into the act of “walking in the Spirit . . . “living in the Spirit,” and “doing all things in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25) Agree? Good!

Prayer

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Father, the evil one has stolen enough from my life and the lives of my family! I praise you that you order him to stop, now and to cause his evil power to be broken over me and over my household. We will serve you alone! We will grow into maturity by the guidance of your Holy Spirit. We bless you! We praise you! And, we thank you in the mighty name of Jesus our Lord, amen!