I pray that ___________________ will be careful and not let evil people lead them away by wrongdoing. May they take care so they will not fall from their strong faith. Let them be rich in everything--in faith, in speaking, in knowledge, in truly wanting to help, and in love. In the same way, may they be strong also in the grace of giving. O God and Jesus our Lord, give them grace and peace more and more, because they truly know You. May they grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory be to Him now and forever! Amen. (2 Peter 3:17; 2 Cor. 8:7; 2 Peter 1:2; 3:18, all ncv paraphrased)

Gracious Father, teach me how to bind Your commands and the wisdom of Your words upon my heart and to fasten them around my neck forever. When I walk, they will guide me; when I sleep, they will watch over me; when I awake, they will speak to me. For Your commands are a lamp, and Your teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life. (Prov. 6:21-23 paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 95)

Jesus, if it is Your will, it is better that I suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For You died for my sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring me to God. O give me a heart to know You, to know You are Lord. You have never forsaken those who seek You. For You said, "Seek My face." My heart says to You, "I will seek Your face." (1 Peter 3:17-18a; Jer. 24:7a; Ps. 9:10b, 27:8 rsv, all paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 97)

Lord, You have commanded me to do good so that I will be rich in good deeds; I will be generous and willing to share. I will serve You and hold fast to You. For those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in You, Christ Jesus. (1 Tim. 6:18; Deut. 13:4b; 1 Tim. 3:13, all paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 98)

Sovereign God, why is light given to me when I am in misery, and life when I am bitter of soul? Why is life given to me when the way is hidden and You have hedged me in? "What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil." O Holy Comforter, guard me and keep me in perfect and constant peace, for my mind is stayed on You, because I commit myself to You, lean on You, and hope confidently in You. (Job 3:20, 23 paraphrased; Job 3:25-26 not paraphrased; Isa. 26:3 amp paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 99)

Spirit of God, before I call, You will answer; while I am still speaking, You will hear me. Help me to build myself up in my most holy faith and to pray in Your Spirit. Holy and wise Counselor, teach me all things and remind me of everything that Jesus said. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. Humbly I ask that You will guide me in what is right and teach me Your way. (Isa. 65:24; Jude 20; John 14:26; Ps. 25:5, 9, all paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 108)

I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from You, Lord, who made heaven and earth. You will not let my foot be moved; You who keep me will not slumber; indeed, You who keep Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Lord, You are my keeper; You are my shade at my right hand. The sun will not smite me by day nor the moon by night. You will preserve me from all evil; You will preserve my soul. You will preserve my going out and my coming in from this time forth and forevermore. You are able to save me completely because I come to You, God, through Jesus, who always lives to intercede for me. (Ps. 121 kjv and rsv; Heb. 7:25, all paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 109)

Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Blessed be Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Give me this day my daily bread. Teach me, Lord, to treasure the words of Your mouth more than my daily bread. I will forgive others their trespasses, and then You will also forgive my trespasses. And lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. For no temptation has seized me except what is common to others. You are faithful, God; You will not let me be tempted beyond what I am able to bear. But when I am tempted, You will provide a way out so that I can stand up under it. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. (Matt. 6:9b kjv; Neh. 9:5b amp; Matt. 6:10 kjv; Ps. 143:10a kjv; Matt. 6:11; Job 23:12b; Matt. 6:12-13a; 1 Cor. 10:13; Matt. 6:13b kjv, all paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 110)

"Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me." "Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior." I will seek You, Lord, and You will answer me; deliver me from all my fears. I will wait patiently for You; turn to me and hear my cry. For, God, You have promised that I have this assurance in approaching You: that if I ask anything according to Your will, You hear me. And if I know that You hear me, whatsoever I ask, I know that I have the petitions that I desired of You. (Ps. 27:7, 9 not paraphrased; Ps. 34:4; 40:1; 1 John 5:14-15 kjv paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 111)

Heavenly Father, I approach Your throne of grace with confidence so that I may receive mercy and find grace to help me in my time of need. I lift up before You my requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving for everyone--for kings, presidents, and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases You, God my Savior, for You want all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For this reason, I rejoice in You, Lord. I give thanks to You because of Your righteousness, and I sing praises to Your name, O Lord Most High. (Heb. 4:16; 1 Tim. 2:1-4; Phil. 3:1; Ps. 7:17, all paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 112)

Jesus, I'm so grateful that I've been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable seed, through Your living and enduring Word. For I'm like grass, and all my glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but, Lord, Your Word stands forever. Heaven and earth will pass away, but Your words will never pass away. "Your statutes are forever right; give me understanding that I may live." "All Your words are true; all Your righteous laws are eternal." "Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O Lord." (1 Peter 1:23-24 [see also Isa. 40:8]; Matt. 24:35 paraphrased; Ps. 119:144, 160; 93:5 not paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 121)

May I always keep Your Word with me, to read and study it all the days of my life so that I may learn to revere You, my Lord and my God, and follow carefully all the words of Your law and Your decrees and not consider myself better than other Christians or turn from Your Scripture to the right or to the left. "My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end." "I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have renewed my life." (Deut. 17:19-20a paraphrased; Ps. 119:112, 93 not paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 124)

"Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word." By Your grace, I will share Your Word at home, when I walk along the road, when I lie down, and when I get up. (Ps. 119:12-16 not paraphrased; Deut. 6:7b paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 125)

O Holy God, I pray that ___________________ will live by Your Spirit and not gratify the desires of their sinful natures. For their sinful natures desire what is contrary to Your Holy Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to their sinful natures. These natures are in conflict with each other, so people do not do what they want. Rather, I pray they will clothe themselves with You, Lord Jesus Christ, and not think about how to gratify the desires of their sinful natures. (Gal. 5:16-17; Rom. 13:14, all paraphrased)

Lord Jesus, You alone are my rock and my salvation. You are my fortress; I will never be shaken. I will proclaim Your name. Oh, praise the greatness of my God! You are my rock; Your works are perfect, and all Your ways are just. You are a faithful God who does no wrong; You are upright and just. There is no one holy like You, Lord; there is no one beside You; there is no rock like my God. The Lord lives! Praise be to my rock. Be exalted, O God, the rock, my Savior. (Ps. 62:2; Deut. 32:3-4; 1 Sam. 2:2; 2 Sam. 22:47, all paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 127)

May godly sorrow bring me to repentance that leads to deliverance and leaves no regrets, for worldly sorrow brings death. If I conceal my sins, I will not prosper, but I will confess and renounce them and find Your mercy. I will wash my hands, for I am a sinner, and purify my heart, for I am double-minded. I belong to You, Jesus, so I will crucify my sinful nature with its passions and wrong desires. In accordance with Your great love, forgive my sins. (2 Cor. 7:10; Prov. 28:13; James 4:8b; Gal. 5:24; Num. 14:19a, all paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 137)

March 20 May God's Spirit Rest on Me

O Holy God, I have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from You that I may understand what You have freely given me. Now may Your Spirit rest on meÛYour Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, Your Spirit of counsel and of power, Your Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of God. (1 Cor. 2:12; Isa. 11:2, all paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 138)

"Jesus called a small child over to him and put the child among them. Then he said, ÎI assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck.'" O loving Jesus, I will beware that I do not despise or feel scornful toward or think little of one of these children, for You said that their angels always are in the presence of and look upon the face of Your Father who is in heaven. (Matt. 18:2-6 nlt not paraphrased; Matt. 18:10 amp paraphrased)

Jesus, You have the power of God, by which You have given _____________ everything they need to live and to serve You. They have these things because they know You. O Jesus, You called them by Your glory and goodness. Through these You gave them very great and precious promises. With these gifts they can share in being like You, O God. Because they have these blessings, I pray they will do their best to add these things to their lives: to their faith, add goodness; and to their goodness, add knowledge; and to their knowledge, add self-control; and to their self-control, add patience; and to their patience, add service for God; and to their service for God, add kindness for their brothers and sisters in Christ; and to this kindness, add love. If all these things are in them and are growing, they will be useful and productive in their knowledge of You, Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3-4a, 5-8, all ncv paraphrased)

Lord, I pray that____________ will obey Your principles. Please don't give up on them! How can they stay pure? By obeying Your Word and following its rules. I pray they will try their best to find You; don't let them wander from Your commands. Teach them to hide Your Word in their hearts that they might not sin against You. Be good to them so that they will live and obey Your Word." (Ps. 119:8-9b, 10-11, 17, all nlt paraphrased)

Do not be far from ______________, for trouble is near, and there is no one to help. But You, O Lord, be not far off. O our strength, come quickly to help them. Rescue them from the hand of their enemies and enable them to serve You without fear in holiness and righteousness before You all their days. Why are they so downcast? Why are they so disturbed within themselves? I pray they will put their hope in You, for they will yet praise You, our Savior and our God. May they watch in hope for You, Lord, and wait for You, for You will hear them. (Ps. 22:11, 19; Luke 1:74-75; Ps. 42:11; Mic. 7:7, all paraphrased)

Spirit of God, move upon ______________ to pray without ceasing. Quicken them so that they will call upon Your name. Keep them from quenching Your Spirit. Inspire them to pray in Your Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, prompt them to be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Empower them to be devoted to prayer, being watchful and thankful. In every thing encourage them to give thanks; for this is Your will, O God, in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:17 kjv; Ps. 80:18b kjv; 1 Thess. 5:19; Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:18, all paraphrased)

Jesus, You grew up before Your Father like a tender shoot and like a root out of dry ground. You had no beauty or majesty to attract us to You, nothing in Your appearance that we should desire You. You were despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom people hide their faces, You were despised, and we esteemed You not. Surely You took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, and yet we considered You stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. We all, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord laid on You, Jesus, the iniquity of us all. (Isa. 53:2-6 paraphrased)

Before Your crucifixion, Jesus, You said to Your disciples that You would suffer many things, be rejected, killed, and after three days rise again. Deliver me from ever denying Your word so that You have to rebuke me as You did Peter, saying, "Get behind me, Satan, for you are not seeing the things of God, but the things of men." Jesus, I will come and listen to You, for if I want to be Your follower, I must put aside my selfish ambition, shoulder my cross, and follow You. If I try to keep my life for myself, I will lose it. But if I give up my life for Your sake and for the sake of the Good News, I will find true life. And how do I benefit if I gain the whole world but lose my own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than my soul? (Mark 8:31-33 kjv; Mark 8:34-37 nlt, all paraphrased)

Jesus, just as You said to Peter, are You not also asking me, "Could you not keep watch with Me for one hour?" "ÎWatch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.'" Yes, Lord, help me to be careful, or my heart will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on me unexpectedly like a trap. "For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth." Therefore, I will be always on the watch and will pray that I may be able to escape all that is about to happen and that I may be able to stand before You, Son of Man. (Matt. 26:40b paraphrased; Matt. 26:41 not paraphrased; Luke 21:34 paraphrased; Luke 21:35 not paraphrased; Luke 21:36 paraphrased)

O my Savior, You were pierced for my transgressions; You were crushed for my iniquities; the punishment that brings me peace was laid upon You, and by Your wounds I am healed. You were oppressed and afflicted; yet You did not open Your mouth. You were led like a lamb to the slaughter; as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so You did not open Your mouth. You poured out Your life unto death and were numbered with the transgressors. You bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors. Lord Jesus, You gave Yourself for my sins to rescue me from the present evil age, according to Your will, God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Isa. 53:5, 7, 12b; Gal. 1:4-5, all paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 184)

Jesus, I pray that godly sorrow will bring ___________________ to a repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, for worldly sorrow brings death. May Your grace, O God, that has been revealed bring salvation to them. For it is by grace they are saved, through faith--and this not from themselves; it is Your gift, O God--not by our works--so that no one can boast. May they call on Your name, Lord, and be saved. I pray they will confess their sins to You, for You are faithful and just to forgive them and to cleanse them from every wrong. Then they will receive Your blessing, Lord, and have right standing with God their Savior. (2 Cor. 7:10; Titus 2:11 nlt; Eph. 2:8-9; Acts 2:21; 1 John 1:9 nlt; Ps. 24:5 nlt, all paraphrased)