Transcription
Let me ask you something. What's the first thing you declare over your life when you wake up? Do you declare God's word over yourself? Do you declare his promises? Do you declare his authority over your day?
Now, here's what I want you to understand. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it. Guard your heart, protect your mind." And this is why it's so important to pray the scriptures each day.
Today, I want to give you 10 prayer points, 10 verses that you can speak over your life every single morning. And then we'll pray to the Lord to guide us, protect us, and lead us. So, let me start with the first verse.
The Bible tells us in Exodus 14:14, "The Lord will fight for you and you shall hold your peace." Now, think about what that's saying. God will fight for you, not with you, but for you. God takes an active role in the battles you face. Many of us are trying to fight our own battles. We're trying to overcome our own struggles. We're trying to defeat our own enemies. And we are exhausted. But that's not how it works. God wants to fight for you.
The Bible tells us in Psalm 27:1 that the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? God is your stronghold. God is your defense. He's the one who fights for you. So here's what I want you to do every morning. Declare this. Lord, I invite you into all of my battles. Fight for me today. Fight for me in the battles that are seen and those that are unseen. And I will hold my peace knowing that you are fighting for me. When you trust God's word and you let him fight for you, you experience peace. Real peace.
Now, let me give you the second declaration. Now, the Bible tells us in Psalm 16:8, "I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand. I shall not be moved." Focus on those last five words. I shall not be moved. The storms of life can move you if you're not careful. Spiritual attacks can shake your life if you're not careful. Health problems, relationship conflicts, stress, and anxiety. All of these things can move you. But when you set the Lord before you, when you make him your focus, when you keep him at your right hand, you will not be moved.
The Bible tells us in Isaiah 26:3, you will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you. Perfect peace. Not temporary peace, not fragile peace. Perfect peace. But it requires something from you. It requires that you set the Lord before you. It requires that you keep him as your focus.
For the third declaration, the Bible tells us in Psalm 121 verse 1-2. "I lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." You know, here's the reality. You will face problems that are too big for your friends to solve. You'll face giants that are too great for your family to help you overcome. You will face situations that require more than human help. And that's when you need to remember your help comes from God.
As believers, we ought to know that the Lord is our refuge. He's our help and rescue. Many of us spend so much time asking our friends for help, asking our family for advice, or asking people around us for solutions, and sometimes they can help. But sometimes they can't. Sometimes the problem is too big. Sometimes the situation's too complex. So that's when you need to look to God. So, here's what I want you to declare every morning. My help comes from the Lord. I lift my eyes to trust him. I trust him to provide the help I need. I look to God, not to people, for my rescue.
Now, let me give you the fourth declaration. The Bible tells us in Luke 10:19, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you." Do you understand what Jesus is saying? Jesus here is saying that he has given us authority. Many of us live like we're victims of the enemy. We live like we're powerless. We live like the enemy has authority over us. But that is not true. Jesus has given you authority. Jesus has given you power. The one who is in you is greater than the one in the world. God is greater than the enemy. So you have authority. You have power. You have the ability to overcome every evil thing from the enemy. So, here's what I want you to declare every morning. I have authority over the enemy in Jesus's name. Nothing will harm me or my family because God's word is powerful, living, and active. I am victorious in Christ.
Furthermore, for the fifth declaration, the Bible tells us in Psalm 18:32-33, "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer and sets me on my high places." God arms you with strength. God makes your way perfect. God gives you the ability to climb to high places. Now, many of us are trying to find strength within ourselves. We're trying to muster up enough willpower, enough determination, enough courage to face our day. But that's exhausting. It's draining. So, here's what I want you to pray every morning. Lord, arm me with the strength I need for today. He makes my way perfect. He gives me the ability to overcome. I am strong in the Lord.
This is the kind of prayer we need to make regularly. A prayer that acknowledges that our strength comes from above.
The sixth prayer point is based on 2 Timothy 1:7 which says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." A sound mind. Not a mind filled with anxiety. Not a mind filled with fear. Not a mind filled with confusion. A sound mind. How many people are struggling with their thoughts? How many people are struggling with anxiety or they have confusion about what to do, what decision to make and so forth. But God has not given you a spirit of fear. God has given you a sound mind. So we should pray every morning. Lord, thank you because your word tells me you've given me a sound mind. I do not have a spirit of fear. I have power of love and I have a sound mind. My thoughts are clear and my mind is at peace because of you.
Number seven, the Bible tells us in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." And let's focus on the word rest here. Now, it's not just physical rest. It's the kind of rest that comes from surrendering your burdens to Jesus. You know, many of us are carrying burdens that we were never meant to carry. We're carrying stress, anxiety, worry, and fear. And we are exhausted. But Jesus is inviting you to come to him. Jesus is inviting you to give him your burdens. Jesus is inviting you to find rest.
The Bible tells us in Psalm 55:22, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." Cast your anxiety on him. Give him your burdens. Let him carry what you cannot carry. So here's what I want you to pray every morning. Lord, I surrender my burdens to you. All that weighs me down, I'm giving it up to you, Lord, because your word tells me that you care for me.
Number eight, the Bible tells us in Ephesians 5:15-17. "So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do." There's so much deceit in this world. There's so many lies. There's so many false teachers. So, it's important for us as believers to be careful about how we live.
The Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:21, "My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight. Preserve sound judgment and discretion." Each day we need to be praying for sound judgment and for wisdom. With this in mind, we should be praying and saying, "Lord, help me to live with wisdom today. Help me to see through the deception of the world. Help me to understand what you want me to do. Open the eyes of my heart so that I can walk with godly wisdom."
The ninth prayer item comes from Proverbs 14:16, which says, "The wise fear the Lord and shun evil, but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure." When you unpack that verse, it's telling us to fear the Lord and shun evil. That's the mark of wisdom. You know, many people have lost the fear of God. We've become comfortable with sin. We've become comfortable with compromise. We've become comfortable with things that the Bible calls evil. But the wise fear the Lord. The wise shun evil.
Now, Proverbs 9:10 says something interesting. It says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. So when you fear God, when you respect God, when you honor God, wisdom follows. And so here's what I want you to pray every day. Holy Spirit, give me the fear of the Lord so that I may walk in wisdom. Help me to be obedient to the word of God. Help me to shun evil and never to compromise with sin. When you make that declaration, when you establish your fear of God, you're positioning yourself to walk in wisdom and to avoid the traps of the enemy.
Now the 10th and final prayer point comes from 2 Samuel 22:33 which says, "God is my strength and power and he makes my way perfect." It's important to highlight that it's God who makes your way perfect. Many of us are trying to make our own way perfect by planning every detail in our lives. We're trying to figure out the right path on our own. We're trying to navigate life on our own. But we need the Lord because God directs your steps. So I encourage you to submit to the Lord, to trust him, and he will make your paths straight. So here's what we should be praying. Lord, lead me today. Give me directions. Speak to my heart, mind, and soul. Holy Spirit, may your word be a lamp unto my feet as I submit to your will.
Dear Lord Jesus, you are worthy to be praised and adored. Thank you for your sacrifice on the cross. Thank you for dying for my sins and offering me mercy. I did nothing to deserve that kind of love. I did nothing to earn that kind of love. But yet, you still gave yourself for me. All I can do is thank you and open my heart to you so that you can use me in your kingdom.
Holy Spirit, help me to be consistent. Help me to be consistent in my prayer life. Help me to be consistent when it comes to reading the word of God. Help me to set my eyes always before the Lord so that if all is well with me, my eyes will still remain on Jesus Christ. And even if I face difficulties, I pray that I would still keep my eyes on Jesus.
Lord, I praise you because you are a savior to those who need to be saved. You are shelter to those who need refuge, a protector to those who need safety. I worship you, Lord. Your word in Isaiah 54:10 says, "For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has mercy on you." Give me peace, Lord, even if there is chaos and trouble all around me. Let my heart not be afraid of anything because you have promised that even if the mountains and hills are removed, your kindness, your promise of peace over my life will never be removed. So I will not fear or be shaken because greater is he who is in me than he who is in the world. When life appears to be unstable, my soul will not be shaken. My soul will not be moved because my God is a way maker.
I pray that your peace and joy will fill my heart. Lord, even if I am facing any obstacles, should I come against any evil opposition, I pray that you will lead me to victory. Lord, help me to overcome. I pray that you will remove everything that opposes the peace you have given me, the love and power that you have given me. I welcome you, Holy Spirit. And I pray that you will help me to realize the promises of God. Help me to realize the riches that are in Jesus Christ. I invite you to lead me, be with me, Holy Spirit. Move with me, walk with me, and speak to me always. I pray that you may be the still small voice that guides me whenever I encounter fear and worry. I pray that you will move to calm my heart when I encounter things that discourage me. And if my heart is to feel heavy, I pray that the Holy Spirit will be my comfort and remind me of God's word and lead me back into the presence of Jesus.
I find strength in you, Lord, because when I am worn out, when I feel weak, you are a God who renews my strength. I confess that I have joy in my life because Jesus Christ has saved me. I have freedom and a sound mind because I have laid my burdens before the Lord. I confess that there is peace in my life because I am washed by the blood of Christ. I praise you for your abundant mercy and grace that reigns over my entire life.
Holy Spirit, help me to pray. Let prayer be my lifestyle. May prayer become a habitual practice for me. Holy Spirit, give me a heart that is devoted to prayer. Give me an insatiable desire for prayer and a hunger for daily communion with the Lord. Holy Spirit, develop an appetite within me for Jesus Christ. Develop a hunger within me for Jesus who is the bread of life. Let me thirst for him, the one who offers living waters. Let there be a burning desire within me to fall on my knees and pray always. Holy Spirit, strengthen me to pray without ceasing. Strengthen me to continue earnestly in prayer.
Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." When I am anxious, worried or stressed, Holy Spirit, teach me to pray and cast my burdens on Jesus. When my mind is weighed down by the cares of life, Holy Spirit, help me to make my requests be made known to God and to trust in him.
Ephesians 6:18 says, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplications for all the saints." Dear Lord, quicken my spirit so that I may be able to pray on all occasions. Help me to rejoice always and to give thanks in all circumstances. Open my eyes, Holy Spirit, so that I can see the beauty of prayer and communicating with God.
Father, as I pray and seek you, may you change my character. Give me a patient heart, a thankful heart. Lord, as I pray and as I state my request to you, give me a heart that understands that you are a sovereign God who answers when the time is right. You are a God who has perfect timing. And so I will wait on you, King Jesus. I will wait on you with a heart filled with faith. I will wait on you with an expectant heart. And even as I wait, Lord, I hold on to your promise in Isaiah 40:31, which tells me that those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. As I pray, Lord, develop patience within me. Renew my strength. Let me not be distracted, discouraged, or even dismayed. You know my needs. You know my requests before I can even utter a word. I trust you and know you to be a God who is faithful to provide for me and meet me at my point of need. And so I bless your holy name, King Jesus. I thank you for the privilege of being able to come before you in prayer. You are great and mighty and I will be still and know that you are God. Thank you for hearing my prayer. Amen.
The Bible in Psalm 16:8 says, "I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand. I shall not be moved." Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another that you may be healed. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. And he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for 3 years and 6 months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
Your word in Isaiah 54:10 says, "For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has mercy on you."