Introduction: What to Pray for in Your Personal Life
Praying can be a joyful and meaningful experience. We can pray for many things; this article outlines some of them and will give you some prayer ideas for your own life. James 5:16 says the prayers of the righteous have a powerful effect.
Whether you’re new to praying or have been doing it for years, there are endless possibilities for what you might choose to pray for.
Don't worry if you feel frustrated trying to find things to pray about daily. There are specific topics and ideas that I will provide in this article. Again, we are going to focus on prayers for your life.
In no time, I will have you off and running, praying for many things and getting closer to the Lord in the meantime!
1. Pray for God to examine your heart.
Psalm 139:23–24 (NLT) 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Having God examine our hearts is one of the most important prayers we could make. I believe without having the right heart, everything else will be a struggle in serving God.
I know myself; there are times I feel horrible inside. I feel like I am taking a shower with my clothes on. There is nothing flowing in my life or walk with God.
I run to God in those times and say, "What is going on? Lord, examine my heart. What am I doing to hinder you and your promises from flowing into my life?"
This might be the time to grab a notepad or your journal. This time for me is refreshing because my Father God loves me so much and will help me examine my life to make corrections where they need to be.
2. Pray for your sins to be forgiven.
1 John 1:9 (NLT)9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
There is nothing like getting things off of your chest. When you have sin in your life, you just feel like yuck! I don't enjoy hanging around it or it being in my life.
I have gotten to the point now when I do, think, or say something wrong, I deal with it right there. I want nothing separating me from the Lord.
Now, some may say I am cool with it. Sin doesn't really bother me. I would say you may need to search your heart.
When a person willfully sins and ignores the Holy Spirit, prompting them to fix it, that is when their heart has been calloused so much so they are no longer tender to the Holy Spirit. This is a dangerous area to be in.
3. Pray to resist temptation.
Matthew 6:13 (NLT)13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
There are many reasons we face temptations in our lives. It can be the spiritual diet we are feeding ourselves to the wrong people we are hanging around with.
Jesus encourages us to seek freedom from temptation in order to focus our hearts and minds on God's kingdom. Doing so helps us resist negative influences and aligns our will with God's, allowing us to live joyful, fulfilling lives that are pleasing to God.
The Bible is very clear: temptations will come. I believe you can minimize them yourself. I have done so through prayer and God giving me a plan. The Lord wants you to be free, and he is there to help through his Holy Spirit.
4. Pray to be free from sin.
Romans 6:6 (NLT) 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
For years, I struggled with certain sins in my life. I must admit, I thought I had to deal with it, and I didn't have any power over it. Then, one day, I read this scripture, and the last part hit me like a ton of bricks. "We are no longer slaves to sin." I was a slave to it, but the Bible said that through Jesus Christ, I am no longer a slave to it.
In time, God gave me the plan to be free from it; today, I can say, I am truly free! BUT this all occurred in my time of prayer with the Lord.
The key is that I ran to God and not away from him. I know he loves me, and he wants me to be free. He has the same for you!
I want to say something else; it's important to realize that this does not mean that I will never sin again. Christians can struggle with sin; don't overlook it or be ashamed if you are. Run to the Father in prayer and get free from it. You can, I promise!
5. Pray to guard your heart.
Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
I don't know about you, but I want to live the best life I can in God. He has so much for us to experience. I love walking in the fullness he has from me.
Peace and joy are everything to me. There is nothing like it. So, I do everything I can to guard my heart and protect myself from going down certain roads in life that will hinder me.
I can tell you this; I have repeatedly done the same dumb thing over and over in my life that kept interfering with my relationship with God. Then, one day, in prayer, I devised a plan with God to put the brakes on it. It was a way for me to guard my heart.
I can tell you I no longer go down that bumpy road today. I am free in that area of my life. Guarding your heart will put you on the road to freedom in your life!
6. Pray to know the will of God.
Romans 12:2 (KJV) 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans tells us to renew our minds, and we do this by regularly reading the Bible. By doing so, you can and will know the perfect will of God for your life!
How powerful is that? To me, it's extremely powerful. I have been serving God for over 30 years. If I had my way, I would not be doing what I am doing right now in life. I would have never dreamed that I would be a missionary in Central America.
See, God had his way in my life. From day one, as a believer, I wanted to know his will for my life. I didn't want to go in it alone. Today, I have the same heart.
Over the years, by spending much time reading the Bible and praying, God honed and shaped me into who I am today. I can truly say I don't want any other life than what I am doing right now. I am so blessed, full of joy and peace.
You can have the same for your life. You can know his will. Walk in it and live the best days he has for you!
7. Pray to be led by the Holy Spirit
Romans 8:14 (NLT)14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
Now that you have prayed for the will of God, the next step is to be led by the Holy Spirit in fulfilling his will. You can't have one without the other!
Being led by the Holy Spirit is done through trial and error. I hate to say it that way, but it's the truth. Sometimes, you pray about something, feel like God is leading you in a certain direction, and fall flat on your face. Then you get back up and try it again; you hit the bullseye the next time.
Over time, you will know how the Holy Spirit leads you. You will have greater wins than losses. You just can't give up. The Lord wants to lead and guide you!
I have always found that I can hear the Lord speaking to me more so in a time of prayer. He has led me through some amazing times in my life during my prayer time. God has walked me through the complete process of starting businesses and making major decisions for my family and me.
8. Pray to God where to serve.
Romans 12:4–5 (NLT) 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
As a believer in Jesus, we are a part of the Body of Christ. We have our role to play in it. We can't be sitting off on the sidelines or in the bleachers as spectators. God wants us to have our own skin in the game.
It is so important to know where he has you to be serving. I believe in my heart, the Bible is clear that we all should attend the house of God, our local church. The church should be a foundation in our lives.
Our acts of service should begin there before we look elsewhere. I just talked to a friend of mine who is a pastor. He was sharing with me that there are many duties he is doing now in his church because there are not enough willing believers serving. This is a sad commentary, and it breaks my heart to hear it.
The Bible says, he that is faithful in the little things; I shall add greater things unto you. I remember years ago, my family and I would go over to the church on Saturdays to clean it. We showed up faithfully and did it with excellence. I truly believe that my life today results from many things, but one of them is our faithfulness in serving.
9. Pray for the willingness to obey
Acts 26:19–20 (NLT) 19 “And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. 20 I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.
God can and will speak to us in various ways. He speaks to people that want to obey and do so. As we can see in Acts, Paul said, I OBEYED THAT VISION FROM HEAVEN. We need to do the same.
Pray to God that he will help you have a heart that will obey when he leads and guides us. Sadly, as we don't obey, it's like a faucet that we slowly turn off. We essentially turn off the Holy Spirit from directing our lives. As I was told many years ago, the Holy Spirit is a gentleman; he will not force you to do anything.
As I am typing this, an idea came to my heart; it's about doing something for the Kingdom of God. It would require a sacrifice on my part. I told God I will if you want me to do it.
That is the life I have lived in my Christian walk. I have sold businesses, homes, and moved to another state and even countries. By doing so, I believe I have placed myself in some of the best blessings in my life, all because of obedience.
10. Pray for divine appointments.
Acts 16:9–10 (NLT) 9 That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.
We talked about praying for the will of God and being led by the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, when following the plan of God requires divine appointments. These are events or times in our lives when we need God to show up and show off.
I have had countless times like these that can't be explained by saying it was only a coincidence. No, God made it happen.
One time for me, it occurred on a plane flying to Honduras. I needed wisdom and insight on a certain project. I didn't know what to do, and everyone I sought help from sounded like Greek when explaining it.
God put a man right next to me on the plane. The Lord kept telling me to say something to him. Out of obedience, I did; long story short, the man was in the industry that I was trying to break into. He invited me to the house he was staying in and spent a couple of hours with me to explain everything.
Pray for these appointments; you need them to fulfill his plan for your life.
11. Pray to know God better.
Hebrews 11:6 (NLT) 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
The Bible is clear that God rewards those the sincerely seek him. In the King James, it says, diligently seek him. If you look at the Greek definition, it's as if you have an attitude where you require a relationship with God. It's in your spirit that you put a demand on yourself that you will carefully search for him, even with tears.
As we can see, God will reward you for doing so! WOW! Think about it: the universe's creator has literally said in his written Word that he would reward you for seeking him! AND that starts with a prayer saying, God, I want to know you more; help me through your Holy Spirit to do so!
I will warn you, when you pray this, the floodgates are going to open up for you. The Holy Spirit will begin to nudge you to pray, read the Bible, and more. Be obedient to those promptings. This is where it will start. As you follow through, you will begin to see your relationship with God grow.
12. Pray to comprehend the love of Christ.
Ephesians 3:19 (NLT) 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
When you know the love of Jesus Christ, everything changes! Now, I will say that after 30 years, I am still learning what it is. It's a lifetime journey!
What I mean by everything changes is you will approach the Lord in a different way. Many people associate their relationship with God with their earthly fathers, and unfortunately, not everyone had a warm and fuzzy relationship with their dads. They, sadly, view Father God the same way.
For myself, my dad was an awesome father, he certainly loved my sister and me, but when you crossed him, he made you pay for it. He would ignore you for days and then make you come crawling on your knees for forgiveness.
See, if I didn't know the love of Jesus, I would believe in my mind that I have to approach the Lord the same way. BUT that is not how he is. When I mess up, I have learned to run to him immediately and repent because I know his love and grace are endless.
13. Pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit and stay full
Ephesians 5:18 (NLT) 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,
The Bible encourages us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is referred to as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is an experience you can have after your salvation, and it is separate from Water Baptism. The evidence of this baptism is speaking in unknown tongues.
Some say that this has been done away with, but sadly, they take one scripture out of context in 1 Corinthians 13. If there is ever a day that we need the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, it is more so today!
The Bible says in Act 1:8 that you will receive power after receiving it. The Greek word "Dunamis" means power, might, ability, and strength. I don't know about you, but I think today's believers need Dunamis! We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and stay full!
For time purposes, I can't share my whole experience in receiving the filling of the Holy Spirit, but I can say this, my whole life was changed after doing so! To this day, after 32 years, I seek daily to remain full.
14. Pray to hunger and thirst for prayer and reading the Word
Philippians 2:13 (NLT) 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
Through God's Holy Spirit, he draws us to him. Naturally, humans are not geared to chase after God. No one can boast about their pursuit of God. This is not of themselves. God is giving them the desire to do so.
I have many times in the past recognized that I was lacking in the area of prayer and reading the Bible. I have tried over and over to fix it, but it has always fallen flat in defeat.
I learned a little secret by finding this scripture, and it best reads for me in the New Living Translation. It says God is WORKING in you, GIVING you the DESIRE and the POWER to do what PLEASES him.
Prayer and reading the Word pleases God. So, guess what? I started praying that the Lord would give me the desire and power to pray and read. He is so faithful and good. In no time, the Holy Spirit was working in me, and I found myself having a renewed and refreshing life in him!
It works every time! The key is to be obedient and follow through as he prompts you to pray and read the Bible. As you do, hunger and thirst will rise inside you.
15. Pray for your relationships.
John 13:34 (NLT)34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
Having relationships with others can be quite a blessing, especially godly ones. I kind of grouped this one together because there are so many types of relationships and different stages where people are at with some of them.
These relationships can range from a future spouse, a current spouse, children, parents, friends, or community members. It's important to maintain a blessed relationship with them, all the while being an example of Christ Jesus to them.
I have seen family members won over to Jesus because one individual continually prayed and believed that God was working in them to bring them to Christ. There are endless opportunities with those that we have relationships with.
The key is to believe that God is using you to be the light of Jesus in all your relationships.
16. Pray for strength and endurance.
Isaiah 40:31 (NLT) 31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
As believers in Christ, we need a continual supply of strength and endurance to run the race we were called to. You can try to do it on your own or with the Lord. Yes, some believers try to tell God they got this!
Years ago, my boss told me that being a Christian was a crutch. He can call it whatever he wants. As the old saying goes, "My Momma Didn't Raise a Dummy." I will lean on God all day long and have no shame in it all.
Because of God, I can run longer, soar higher, and endure more so than many others! I brag on him, not myself. Simply ask God for this supernatural strength and endurance; he will give it!
17. Pray for wisdom.
James 1:5 (NLT)5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
If we don't have the wisdom to understand and overcome life's trials, there is one way to attain it: through Father God!
Who doesn't need wisdom? We all need it. I am a fella who doesn't mind asking anyone for advice if I feel they can answer me. A friend teases me because I always have a question for him. When he sees me coming, he asks me, what is your question now? LOL
The same goes for the Lord, and who wouldn't be better to get wisdom from than him? 1 Corinthians 1:25 says, "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." Man's wisdom isn't even measurable compared to the Lord's
James clearly says that the Lord will give it to you! You can ask him for wisdom in any situation. In King James, it says liberally and upbraideth not! God will generously give it, and he won't mock you for asking.
18. Pray for your faith.
Romans 12:3 (KJV) 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Upon your salvation, you were given the MEASURE of faith. You received every ounce of faith that you will ever have in your life. Also, the Bible says that you received Jesus' faith. Basically, you don't need any more faith.
What you need is to develop your faith, knowledge, and understanding of how to operate in it. Like I teach people, faith is like having a car and learning how to drive it. As you learn to do so, you will become very proficient and comfortable in doing it. It's like second nature.
The same goes for your faith. In time, you will know how to use it. You will see those things that you are believing for come to pass.
Pray that God will show you how to develop it and grow in a greater understanding.
19. Pray for the Mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:16 (NLT)16 For,“ Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?”But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
To have the mind of Christ means to be able to comprehend what he wants and desires based on his character and purposes. This includes understanding his plan to help people have a personal relationship with God.
It means looking at things the way God does, adopting his values, and loving what he loves while disliking what he dislikes. Additionally, it means recognizing how holy God is and how terrible sin is.
Having the mind of Christ also involves having a humble, serving, and selfless attitude. This means prioritizing the needs of others and acting in their best interest, just like Christ did when he sacrificed himself to save us.
20. Pray for discernment.
1 John 4:1 (NLT) Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God, for there are many false prophets in the world.
Hebrews 5:14 (KJV) 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
People who are new to their faith may not always be aware of what is good or bad, what pleases God or what does not. They may lack spiritual sensitivity and discernment. However, those who have been following Christ for a while have trained themselves to differentiate between what is good and evil. They do this by spending time with God, reading His Word, praying, and obeying what He says.
By cultivating a love for righteousness and a hatred for wickedness, renewing their minds with God's principles, and seeing things from God's perspective, mature Christians are able to receive deep insights from God's Word. This enables them to walk in discernment.
If you are young in the Lord, don't be discouraged, maturity in Christ isn't how old you are or have known the Lord. Young believers who thirst and hunger for the things of God can become mature quite quickly.
21. Pray for boldness and courage.
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT)6 So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid, and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
As a believer in Jesus, there will be times when you are going to have to be bold and courageous. It can be within your family, workplace, neighborhood, or even at a store. We live in a dying world and a dark place that doesn't always understand our lives in Christ or do they want to understand.
The devil will use people to be against us. Some situations will even be mindboggling, but when people are being used, they can be right down evil. These are the times when the love in our hearts will need to shine. Then rise up in boldness and courage, standing for the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Also, there are other times we will need boldness and courage. For example, when my wife and I moved to the mission field. We left everything behind to follow God's plan and purpose for our lives! That can look scary for many. God gave us the boldness and courage we needed. Today, we are going on 10 years in Central America.
I believe boldness and courage are a grace from God. Literally, you can be walking through a situation that won't break you at all. The strength of God is all over you. Others around you will be flabbergasted and say, I don't even know how you are doing it. All you can say is, BUT GOD!
22. Pray for your finances
Philippians 4:19 (AMP) 19 And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Finances are one of the most important things in our lives. We put a roof over our heads and food on the table with it. As a missionary, I use finances to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can't live without it. But Jesus told us not to worry about our needs. If you would seek the Kingdom of God first, all these things will be added unto you or given to you, depending on which translation we read.
Paul was bold enough to write inspired by the Holy Spirit; MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS (KJV translation).
I can tell you this, God has NEVER, and I mean NEVER, failed my family or me. He has always supplied our needs. We have never been without. He has the same for you! It's his promise in the Word of God. He is not a man that he should lie (Numbers 23:19).
When you pray for finances, pray for money and opportunities to come, and pray that God will help you line your life up with his Word. Walking in financial blessings is not automatic. The Lord has a financial system that needs to be followed. As you follow it, you will find out his Word and Promises are true!
23. Pray for your health
1 Peter 2:24 (KJV) 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
3 John 2 (KJV)2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
When you see promises like this in God's Word, you know it's already yours! "By whose (Jesus') stripes YE (you) WERE HEALED." The Amplified version says, "You HAVE BEEN HEALED." This is past tense. 2,000 years ago, you were healed on the cross!
When you got saved by giving your life to Jesus, you attained health and life in your spirit! It is yours to walk in. When I pray for my health, I don't ask God to heal me because the Word clearly says I have already been healed. I speak to the sickness in my body and command it to go and thank God for the healing power inside of me through the Holy Spirit that lives in me! GLORY!
Jesus said to speak to the mountain and command it to be cast into the sea in Mark 21:21. Sickness is a mountain in your life! You have authority over it! He went on to say, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive!
Pray for your health and life! Claim divine health over yourself!
24. Pray for joy
Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT) 10 And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”
Joy is one of the greatest things that I have in my life, and it's a blessing from the Lord! There is no other way I want to live! I guard and protect it with everything that I have. Why do I? Because the Bible says it is my strength!
I don't wake up regretting living another day! No, when I wake up, I am like, GLORY! I can't wait to see what God has in store for me. This is another day I get to touch someone else's life!
I believe I get this supernatural joy because I live to put God first. I have no other agenda in my life. I want to be obedient to his call and seek to fulfill the purpose he has for me. Along the way, he blesses my life to no end! I am so fortunate to have discovered the Joy of the Lord!
For some people, it takes work to walk in joy. It's like they have to be convinced to do so. Give it a try, and tell God; you want to walk in HIS joy! In time, you will be addicted to it and have to have it!
25. Pray for peace
Philippians 4:7 (NLT)7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
We, as believers, should live a life in peace. Right along with joy, this is something else I protect and guard over! I don't know about you, but I don't like drama and chaos. I don't like arguing or division. Not only do I want peace in my own personal life, but I also want it with those that I have a relationship with.
Philippians says HIS peace, NOT your peace, but HIS will guard your hearts and minds. I don't want fake manufactured peace. I want the real deal from Jesus!
I tell people I don't worry about anything. There is no need for it. God has taken care of me for 32 years. My belly has always been full, I have always been able to pay my bills, and I have always had a roof over my head. Some would say I am bragging. YUP! You bet I am; I am bragging about the Lord!
When you have experienced what I have in God, you will understand why I don't worry about anything.
As I have said in other sections of this article, you can have the same for your life. God is no respecter of persons. He wants the same for all of his children!
26. Pray for hope
1 Peter 1:3 (AMP) 3 Praised (honored, blessed) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)! By His boundless mercy, we have been born again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Romans 15:13 (Moffatt’s New Testament)13 May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in your faith, that you may be overflowing with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit!
We talked about joy and peace; now, we have hope. The world can try to come up with its own version of hope. Honestly, that type of hope is hopeless in most cases. The hope of God is alive! You can't stop it! You can't hinder it. It is God's to give to his children.
Also, we see in scripture this hope is overflowing. Imagine a stream that is overflowing. It's an endless supply of water to refresh those that are ready to receive it. It's the same with the hope of God. You can have an endless supply for yourself and share it with others around you!
Hope can be found through the Holy Spirit inside of you, reading the Word of God, and asking God to show you how to walk more so in it.
27. Pray against worries and anxiety
1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) 7 Give God all your worries and cares, for he cares about you.
Worry and anxiety used to be my friends! No joke! I useed to take them everywhere with me! Worry would have me thinking all kinds of crazy thoughts and beating me up. When worry had me to a certain point, anxiety would kick in and finish the job! Does this sound familiar?
About 25 years ago, I kicked them to the curb. I found out they really were not good friends. I saw in the Bible how I shouldn't be hanging around them.
I can remember owning a construction company, and I would worry about everything. Then, one day, I got a hold of a God's Promises book. If you haven't seen one, they are great to have around. They are filled with promises from the Bible.
I would chew on this book every day, standing on God's promises. I would pray the scriptures, speak them, and tell the devil them to show him he had no control over me! I was mad and wanted to be free from worry and anxiety.
Through prayer and spending time in the Bible, I became free! I began to see the truth of His Word operating in my life! I told worry and anxiety to hit the road! Sometimes, they try to come back around, but I don't let them!
You can have the same for your life!
28. Pray for protection (spiritually and physically)
Psalm 5:11 (NLT)11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
1 John 4:4 (NLT)4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
The key is to look at Psalm; it says for us to take refuge in God. This is something we need to do on a consistent, constant basis. Our lives should be totally within him. Everything about it is submitted to him. This, to me, is a form of taking refuge in him.
I don't live in fear of what the devil can do to me. I don't give him permission to touch my life. This is another teaching, but remember that Jesus gave us power and authority over him. You have a right to exercise it. I don't go into deep spiritual warfare as some might. I simply speak God's Word and bind him from my life. I don't give him any room to operate. James 4:7 says to humble yourself to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
What I do is pray for protection when we travel or when we are staying in a hotel or Airbnb. I believe in the hedge of protection of God. I believe he has angels watching over us. Also, when we go out shopping. As you know, there are many people doing crazy things! I believe I can invoke God's protection over my life through prayer!
29. Pray for your enemy
Matthew 5:44 (Moffatt’s New Testament) 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
I know this can be a tough pill for some to follow. There are people that will tell me, you don't know what they have done to me. They are correct; I don't know what they have done to them. Obviously, there are some that have gone through horrific situations because of others.
I have a close friend where his brother was murdered. He had to see the man continuously in the community that was the one that hired another person to kill him. I know it sounds crazy, but it is a true story! I can't even imagine the pain that he and his family have gone through.
All I can do is refer you back to the Word of God. It says we are to pray for our enemies.
I may have never suffered much loss because of my enemies, but I can say this, being obedient to what the Bible commands me to do has brought me much freedom in my life! When I don't pray for them, it puts me in a mental and spiritual prison. I know quickly when this is happening and just let it go; it's not worth carrying the anger and frustration.
Today, I encourage you to think of your enemies or those that you think you are holding prisoner. Let them go, forgive them, and pray for them! Be free in Jesus!
30. Pray for your salvation
Romans 10:9–10 (NLT) — 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
Finally, the most important prayer is for your salvation. If you have not, I encourage you to do so. Below is a salvation prayer for you to help you make a commitment to Jesus.
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior."
Conclusion
Hopefully, that blog post can help you know what to pray for in your personal life.
A Prayer life can be an incredibly powerful and transformative tool when it comes to bringing about positive change in our personal lives. We should always be mindful of what we are praying for and use it as a way to bring us closer to our God-given purpose. Whether it's discovering a newfound sense of joy and peace or aligning with our goals and dreams, prayer can help open the door for growth and healing when we set our intention. So, why not take the time today to say a few heartfelt words of thanks, ask for guidance, and believe that your insight will come in due time.
Scriptures on prayer
Philippians 4:6
Mark 11:24
John 15:7
Romans 8:26
Matthew 6:6
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Matthew 6:7
James 5:16
Jeremiah 33:3
Matthew 26:41
Luke 11:9
Ephesians 6:18
Matthew 6:9-13
1 Timothy 2:1-4
Frequently Ask Questions
How do I fill my heart with God?
Prayer and scripture can help bring a person closer to God. Regularly attending worship services, bible studies and connecting with other believers can deepen faith. Focusing on living a virtuous life in accordance with God's will and expressing gratitude for the blessings received are also important steps.
How to have a pure heart?
Encountering God regularly and allowing Him to touch our hearts can lead to a purer heart. Focusing on building an honest, intimate relationship with Jesus and trusting in Him as the Lord of our lives is essential for true spiritual transformation.
Pray often, asking God for wisdom and strength, then act out of that prayerful state. Reading the Bible helps build faith and obedience so we can trust more deeply in God's promises. As we give ourselves to Him daily, we grow in purity, becoming a better reflection of Jesus' goodness.
How do you heal a broken heart?
Turning to God's Word can help the healing process for a broken heart. Praying, reflecting on Scripture, and seeking counsel from your local church can bring strength and hope during tough times. The power of God's word will fill your heart with light and give you the peace you need to move forward in life. Additionally, trusting in him can help provide valuable insight, which can help in finding solutions to mend your brokenness.
Does God hear everyone's prayers?
The Bible says in Proverbs 15:29 that he is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous.
This tells me that he doesn't hear the prayers of those that don't know him. Now, I believe if they are crying out to him for salvation and for their lives to be turned around through his son, Jesus, then yes, he hears them.
Does God not answer some prayers?
It's not whether he doesn't answer prayers but may not answer in the way we expect or want. He listens to all requests and responds in his own time and will if he believes it to be for the best. There may be reasons why our prayers are not answered, such as a lack of faith or a prohibition from God.
We may not always understand why God chooses to do what he does. We must have faith in his written Word and the promises within. God is not a man that should lie. His Word is true, and he stands behind it.
Shawn Paul is an author and missionary who has been living and working in Central America for the past 10 years. He is passionate about living for Jesus Christ and inspiring others to do the same, which is the focus of his blog, where he shares his expertise in Christianity.
In addition to his missionary work, Shawn enjoys reading books, studying God's Word, growing plants and flowers, feeding birds, and keeping up with the latest technology.
As a writer, Shawn's unique perspective and passion for his faith shine through in his work. Shawn's goal for the future is to impact people around the world for Jesus through his writing and missionary work.