28 Day Journey-Day Eight
Monday 12//12//058 The Ultimate Purpose Of Prayer
If all things exist for God’s glory, so it is with prayer. The chief end of prayer is the glory of God. Jesus said, “I go to the Father, and whatever you ask in my Name I will do, that the Father might be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13. Jesus is saying that he will hear and answer our prayers to the end that His Father (and ours) will be glorified as a result.
Andrew Murray writes:
It is to this end that Jesus on His throne in glory will do all we ask in His Name. Every answer to prayer he gives will have this as its object. Where there is no prospect of this object being obtained, he will not answer. If follows as a matter of course that this must be with us, as with Jesus, the essential element in our petitions. The glory of the father must be the aim and end, the very soul and life of our prayers. [With Christ In The School Of Prayer, 152-155.]
When we close our prayers with the phrase, “In Jesus’ Name,” are we doing so to get His stamp of authority on our prayers? Or are we saying instead by ending with that phrase that our prayer has been motivated by a desire to see His name made great as a result of that which we have asked?
The heart that seeks His glory in every prayer moves heaven and earth.
Whatever you ask in my Name I will do, that the Father might be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13
Today's prayer:
Father, so often my prayers are motivated by self-interest, self-preservation and self-advancement. Have mercy on me and allow the words “In Jesus’ Name” to come to life and take on new meaning on my lips. I want to care more about Your reputation than my own, more about Your fame than mine.
I confess that too often I am motivated by self. Teach me how to pray with Your interest in mind.
As we move towards Passion06, let every prayer bring glory to You. So the world will know Jesus' name, Amen.
All through the day: Be glorified in me.
posted by 268gen at
11:16 PM
5 Comments:
great reminder, puts everything into perspective.. thanks. =)
By
steph, at 12/11/2005 11:26 PM
Dear God,
Even as I post this prayer let YOUR Name be glorified! Let your name be exalted all over the earth and magnified in our prayers.
In the Name above all names, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, amen!
By
WerdPlay, at 12/12/2005 4:20 AM
Yes Amen--
Yes I pray that your name would be Glorified,and exalted over the whole earth.I praise YOUR name!!
Be Glorified-
We love you Jesus!!
Amen
By
FanofGOD, at 12/12/2005 8:55 AM
awesome reminder. Many of us sometimes go to the point of taking God's name in vain as we tack "in Jesus' name" onto the end of every prayer like it was a "hail mary" or something. This is an important thing we often forget about.
When i left Passion 05 God stirred me to pray for everything with the purpose that He would be glorified! i did for a while and it was unbelievable the way He worked. now i've gotten away from that and have been praying some for my own glory and comfort.
God, i only want Your name and glory to be magnified!
thanks for the reminder!
By
patrick mitchell, at 12/12/2005 11:44 AM
O generous & compassion Father, so giving of Your time, mercy, grace, love & most of all, Your Son. Ever patiently waiting on us though we think we are waiting on You, we are here b/c You first loved us & counted it pure joy to rescue us from ourselves stopping at nothing on the way to the Cross. Let us be like the 5 wise virgins who were mindful of preparation during the anticipation of your arrival- that our lamps would be filled w/ fresh oil & yet when in the garden of our personal Gethsemane we would say “not my will but Yours be done.” We are but clay in the Potter’s hand & ask that You would mold & shape us – fashion us in the earthenware that can behold your love & be a reservoir of truth to a lost & dying world in search of purpose. That we would not just pray but become prayer so that throughout the course of the day, our spirits would continuously express heavenly realities through our earthly bodies. That we speak not from our own initiative but only that what we hear the Spirit speaking- doing only what we see Father doing. You have wired us w/ eternity in our hearts, so in that we ask that we would have the same mind in us that is in Christ Jesus: to seek first the Kingdom of God & all other things will be granted to us- considering equality with God not something to be grasped but emptied having Himself Jesus willingly took the form of a bond servant. It is far better Father to be enslaved to Your lovingkindness, than to float independently from the banks of your shores of salvation. Please break our hearts w/ those things that grieve yours, let us hate what you hate & love what you love. Grant us to see through the lens of Your heart, through the filter of Your affections. Perhaps the only bible the spiritually illiterate can read & understand would be us as living epistles that demonstrate, resonate & radiate the Word to the Glory of Your name. Show us how to yield- to fully surrender- to decrease- to go lower still so that the Word becomes flesh within & manifests through us. Flow unhindered through us so that Your desires become our desires, & Your ways override our ways. That w/ grateful hearts & sanctified mouths we join the choir of heaven & shout: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty & Worthy are You to open the seals!” We choose this day to abide in You, to stray not but remain in the cleft of the Rock.
As You are, let us be one, unified. We don’t become like Jesus by doing what He did but become like Him by focusing on what He focused on- that being You, Father God. He was centered on You, Your will, Your Kingdom & from that He did.
We beseech you Lord of Hosts, do send the latter rain upon the desolate lives laden w/ counterfeit affections, trying to remedy an ocean of emptiness left by the void of You. Let all things in this world pale in comparison to Your radiant beauty & stunning Presence.
Holy Spirit, would you brood over the waters of the troubled soul of those who will be making the pilgrimage to Nashville. Would you hover over the chaos & establish order so that peace would be the atmosphere of their mind, governing both their emotions & will. Would You Lord, as when Elisha prayer for his servant, would You open Your children’s eyes so that they may see the battalion array of Your heavenly hosts & angelic ministers encamped about the mountains & hills, giving rise to the revelation of Your transcendent mercy? Show them that there is more for them then against them & give to them wisdom, understanding & a heart to receive the man Christ Jesus not just as Savior but as Lord. Would you Father surround each student with your favor as a shield & lead them in the way of righteousness for your name’s sake?
We ask that as Louie & the Passion team earnestly seek You- rising early just to say “Lord, what is on Your heart,” that You would share with them divine mysteries, uncovering the ancient paths of our faithful patriarchs & bring them deep into the chambers of Your heart so that they can impart a measure of Your greatness to others. Protect them & their families, covering them with the Blood of the Lamb, rebuking every ploy, plan, scheme & intent of the enemy & his underlings - setting ablaze a fiery wall to disintegrate those arrows meant for harm. Release them into Your blessings today – all of them! We pray as Jesus would and Thank You as He did, for having heard us yet before one word was uttered from our mouth. Amen.
By
servant, at 12/12/2005 12:27 PM
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