tinpra

 by Charles R. Swindoll

Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. ---Psalm 51:1--2

Our Father, in a dry and barren world, where sin is so rampant and society is so filthy, we need a fountain of fresh, clean water full of blessing, truth, and strength. We need water that's never bitter . . . always sweet to the taste. Most of all, we need You. "Come Thou fount of every blessing."

In a world that has no song to sing and whose stories are often coarse and vulgar, we need a song. Teach us to sing Your songs of praise from our hearts, reengaging our minds to things that are pure and holy and good and right and just and lovely and of good report.

We are thirsty today, our Father, for the living water. May it do its work in cleansing us. May it wash our minds. May it cleanse our motives. May it scrub away the shameful secrets of our private world so that You can lead us onto right paths. Admittedly, we are prone to wander . . . prone to leave the God we love. And only Your cleansing, fresh water of the Spirit can make us clean deep within. Make us clean today, our Father. Dig deeply into our lives, and reveal truth. We pray You will find within us no rival, no resistance, no pride, no lies. And we now lay before You our very selves. We give ourselves to Your sacred work, to be set apart for Your best use, for Your greater glory. In the name of Jesus, our "fount of every blessing," we pray. Amen.

See also <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2020:9,%20Jeremiah%2033:8,%20Ezekiel%2036:25,%202%20Corinthians%207:1&version=AMP">Proverbs 20:9; Jeremiah 33:8; Ezekiel 36:25; 2 Corinthians 7:1.</a>

The Importance of Prayer
by Charles R. Swindoll

O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man." Nehemiah 1:11

Father in heaven, we call upon You today. We know that You are the Giver of all good things . . . and that You never change like shifting shadows. We believe that Your heart is moved when Your people pray. So remind us, our Father, as we bow before You, that there is nothing more important we can do when facing situations that are beyond us . . . than to pray.

We remember that prayer forces us to wait, and we must learn to wait patiently for Your timing. Prayer quiets our hearts before You. The chaos subsides and life seems to settle down around us as we pray. Prayer clears our vision, Father, as we think about our lives, as we ponder where we're going, and as we pursue Your will. May we walk with You in such a way that our obedience is revealed through deeds that honor Your name . . . even when that means doing the hard things You want us to do.

For those who are in a difficult strait, under pressure, up against a wall, facing a test---perhaps the greatest in their lives---we ask that You remind them that the saint who advances on his or her knees never retreats. Help them remember that You are still on Your throne and they are still at Your footstool . . . with only a knee's distance between the two of you.

May we all become people who pray. May we also learn to leave the burden with You, rather than pick it up and carry it with us after claiming that we're trusting You. Right now, Lord, take the burden. We cast it upon You, knowing that You’re better able to handle it than we ever will be. We ask that this time of prayer might make a difference in the balance of this day . . . which we commit to You now, in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.

See also Psalm 40:1; Mark 1:35-39; 1 Timothy 2:1; James 1:17; 5:13; 1 Peter 5:7.

Excerpted from The Prayers of Charles R. Swindoll, Volume 1, Copyright © 2010 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.