Prayer for Hope and Guidance
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Spurgeon
Beloved of All
Your honest confession has been heard, and we have carried it to the throne of grace on your behalf. You say you are lost through bad decisions and self sabotage, and that your past now shuts doors before you. This is a painful place to be, yet it is not a strange place to the people of God.
There is a word in the prophet where it is written, They said, There is no hope. Many a soul has felt that very sentence written upon its own heart. When a man says there is no hope of heaven for me, he is apt to throw the reins upon the neck of his own lusts and go from bad to worse. You will thoroughly misunderstand the gospel if you think it leaves you there. For there is no hope for you in yourself, but there is hope for you in Him whom God has provided to be the Savior of such as you. There is the brightness of a ray of hope this very morning, if God will turn a possible hope into an actual hope and give you a good hope of eternal life through believing in Jesus Christ.
You ask for guidance, and well you do. Naturally we do not like being guided, but a work of grace upon the heart teaches us our need of a guide. The psalmist says, Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. David began to experience that guidance while he was yet a shepherd boy, and it was well for him that it was so. Do not seek guidance by superstition, as some do by opening the Bible at random in hope that the first text to meet the eye will direct them, for you will often be misled if you act thus. Nor be hasty, for haste is the author of a great deal of mischief in human life. True guidance comes as you bow with submission to the will of God, as you avoid everything that is evil, and as you are furnished with great principles infused into every man who takes God for his Guide. Say from the heart, My hope is in Thee. There is no vanity in that declaration. When a man trusts in the unchanging God and hopes in the ever blessed Savior, he has come out of his state of vanity and stands upon the Rock.
You ask also for confidence and a miracle. Let your confidence not be in yourself, for self confidence has been your snare, but let it be in Christ. We are saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. Our hope consists of belief, desire and expectancy, and if we hope for what we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. The worldling cries, Where is your hope, and we confess we do not yet see the objects of our hope, but we have tasted and handled and lived upon these things in Christ, and being established in them we are not to be moved from the hope of our calling.
You have been as a prisoner in a pit wherein is no water, looking upon your past life and finding it stained and spoiled by sin, getting no comfort from the recollection of past religious exercises. Well do many remember that period. Do not remain long in that pit and blame yourself afterward for having done so. Hear the word of the prophet, Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope. Though you have put yourself in prison again by your own folly, as prisoners of hope you are called to turn at once to Christ, who is the stronghold.
And take heed of those bad lodgers which have troubled you, vain thoughts which lodge within and pay no rent. How long shall vain thoughts lodge within you. They will plunder you of heart and hope and leave the mind a wreck and ruin if they are not sent adrift. They must be cast out by repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and by daily washing in His precious blood.
Let us pray for you.
O Lord God, we bring this lost and weary soul before Thee. Deliver him from all his transgressions, for his hope is in Thee alone. Forgive his bad decisions and his self sabotage through the blood of Jesus Christ, the only Savior of sinners. Give him not confidence in the flesh, but a humble confidence in Thy mercy and Thy promises. Guide him with Thy counsel, teach him to hate evil and to choose the good, and keep his feet from hasty paths. Work in him the miracle of a new heart and a right spirit, and turn his possible hope into a sure and living hope by faith in Christ. Open doors in Thy providence as it pleases Thee, but above all open to him the door of grace and glory, that he may be guided here and received hereafter. For Jesus sake. Amen.
Have hope in God and look up and expect His blessing. Turn you to the stronghold, and wait with patience for Him who will not fail you.
There is a word in the prophet where it is written, They said, There is no hope. Many a soul has felt that very sentence written upon its own heart. When a man says there is no hope of heaven for me, he is apt to throw the reins upon the neck of his own lusts and go from bad to worse. You will thoroughly misunderstand the gospel if you think it leaves you there. For there is no hope for you in yourself, but there is hope for you in Him whom God has provided to be the Savior of such as you. There is the brightness of a ray of hope this very morning, if God will turn a possible hope into an actual hope and give you a good hope of eternal life through believing in Jesus Christ.
You ask for guidance, and well you do. Naturally we do not like being guided, but a work of grace upon the heart teaches us our need of a guide. The psalmist says, Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. David began to experience that guidance while he was yet a shepherd boy, and it was well for him that it was so. Do not seek guidance by superstition, as some do by opening the Bible at random in hope that the first text to meet the eye will direct them, for you will often be misled if you act thus. Nor be hasty, for haste is the author of a great deal of mischief in human life. True guidance comes as you bow with submission to the will of God, as you avoid everything that is evil, and as you are furnished with great principles infused into every man who takes God for his Guide. Say from the heart, My hope is in Thee. There is no vanity in that declaration. When a man trusts in the unchanging God and hopes in the ever blessed Savior, he has come out of his state of vanity and stands upon the Rock.
You ask also for confidence and a miracle. Let your confidence not be in yourself, for self confidence has been your snare, but let it be in Christ. We are saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. Our hope consists of belief, desire and expectancy, and if we hope for what we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. The worldling cries, Where is your hope, and we confess we do not yet see the objects of our hope, but we have tasted and handled and lived upon these things in Christ, and being established in them we are not to be moved from the hope of our calling.
You have been as a prisoner in a pit wherein is no water, looking upon your past life and finding it stained and spoiled by sin, getting no comfort from the recollection of past religious exercises. Well do many remember that period. Do not remain long in that pit and blame yourself afterward for having done so. Hear the word of the prophet, Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope. Though you have put yourself in prison again by your own folly, as prisoners of hope you are called to turn at once to Christ, who is the stronghold.
And take heed of those bad lodgers which have troubled you, vain thoughts which lodge within and pay no rent. How long shall vain thoughts lodge within you. They will plunder you of heart and hope and leave the mind a wreck and ruin if they are not sent adrift. They must be cast out by repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and by daily washing in His precious blood.
Let us pray for you.
O Lord God, we bring this lost and weary soul before Thee. Deliver him from all his transgressions, for his hope is in Thee alone. Forgive his bad decisions and his self sabotage through the blood of Jesus Christ, the only Savior of sinners. Give him not confidence in the flesh, but a humble confidence in Thy mercy and Thy promises. Guide him with Thy counsel, teach him to hate evil and to choose the good, and keep his feet from hasty paths. Work in him the miracle of a new heart and a right spirit, and turn his possible hope into a sure and living hope by faith in Christ. Open doors in Thy providence as it pleases Thee, but above all open to him the door of grace and glory, that he may be guided here and received hereafter. For Jesus sake. Amen.
Have hope in God and look up and expect His blessing. Turn you to the stronghold, and wait with patience for Him who will not fail you.
The Encourager
The Encourager
May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!
Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, the way You want me to know You. So that I will trust You with my life and anyway that You move in my life. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, lean not to my own understanding, acknowledge You in all my ways, and allow You to direct my footsteps and actions. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.
God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net
Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body
be-an-encourager.blogspot.com
Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, the way You want me to know You. So that I will trust You with my life and anyway that You move in my life. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, lean not to my own understanding, acknowledge You in all my ways, and allow You to direct my footsteps and actions. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do. God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net
Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body
Healed Spirit Soul And Body
be-an-encourager.blogspot.com
Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Your honest cry has been heard, and it is good that you have brought it openly before God. To say I am lost through bad decisions and self sabotage is not a small thing. It is the beginning of wisdom to see the truth about ourselves and to ask for guidance instead of hiding.
God does not always remove every consequence at once, nor does He always open every door immediately. Even the prophets waited and were sustained by what was still to come. What He does give now is a hope that can hold you steady while you wait. Scripture describes this hope as an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast, because it is fastened not to your own strength but to Jesus Himself, who has already entered within the veil as our forerunner. He has gone ahead for you, and because He lives as our High Priest forever, your hope is not a wish but a firm place to stand while you are still in this world.
You feel that your past has closed off opportunities and that your own failures have left you without confidence. Remember Abraham. The promise came against hope. His body was as good as dead, Sarah's womb was dead, there was no example before him to look to, only God. Yet he trusted God who gives life to the dead. When obstacles seem to multiply, that is often where God shows that the work is His and not ours. Your past decisions have consequences, and it is right to own them, but they do not have to be the end of your story. With God there is forgiveness through Jesus Christ alone, and with forgiveness there is power to walk a new way.
Part of that new way is learning to break the habits of self sabotage. Habit is strong to deceive, but it can be corrected. Do not try to fight alone. Set watchers over yourself at home, a trusted pastor, a mature friend, a small group who will ask you hard questions and pray with you daily. If you will submit to that close restraint and walk faithfully for a short season, even ten days of consistent obedience, you will find a new habit beginning to take root. Pursue what is good not only for a reward or for confidence, but because you love God and want to please Him. Confidence will then grow not from pretending you are strong, but from knowing Christ is strong for you.
Let me pray for you.
Heavenly Father, I lift up this dear one who feels lost and weary. You see every bad decision, every act of self sabotage, and every closed door that has followed. Have mercy and forgive through the blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son, who alone is our salvation. Wash away guilt and give a clean conscience. Where hope has grown weak, be an anchor. Where the heart is against hope, give faith to trust Your promises. Grant clear guidance for the next step, not necessarily the whole road at once, but light enough to walk by today. Restore confidence that is rooted in Christ, not in past success. Open right opportunities in Your timing, and give grace to be faithful with small things while waiting for greater ones. Teach this soul to love what is good, to turn from what harms, and to walk with faithful friends who will help keep watch. Do a miracle as You will, above all the miracle of a changed heart that perseveres. In the name of Jesus, our forerunner and our hope, amen.
Keep praying, keep seeking counsel in a local church, and keep taking the next faithful step as God shows it. He is able to steady you and to lead you forward.
God does not always remove every consequence at once, nor does He always open every door immediately. Even the prophets waited and were sustained by what was still to come. What He does give now is a hope that can hold you steady while you wait. Scripture describes this hope as an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast, because it is fastened not to your own strength but to Jesus Himself, who has already entered within the veil as our forerunner. He has gone ahead for you, and because He lives as our High Priest forever, your hope is not a wish but a firm place to stand while you are still in this world.
You feel that your past has closed off opportunities and that your own failures have left you without confidence. Remember Abraham. The promise came against hope. His body was as good as dead, Sarah's womb was dead, there was no example before him to look to, only God. Yet he trusted God who gives life to the dead. When obstacles seem to multiply, that is often where God shows that the work is His and not ours. Your past decisions have consequences, and it is right to own them, but they do not have to be the end of your story. With God there is forgiveness through Jesus Christ alone, and with forgiveness there is power to walk a new way.
Part of that new way is learning to break the habits of self sabotage. Habit is strong to deceive, but it can be corrected. Do not try to fight alone. Set watchers over yourself at home, a trusted pastor, a mature friend, a small group who will ask you hard questions and pray with you daily. If you will submit to that close restraint and walk faithfully for a short season, even ten days of consistent obedience, you will find a new habit beginning to take root. Pursue what is good not only for a reward or for confidence, but because you love God and want to please Him. Confidence will then grow not from pretending you are strong, but from knowing Christ is strong for you.
Let me pray for you.
Heavenly Father, I lift up this dear one who feels lost and weary. You see every bad decision, every act of self sabotage, and every closed door that has followed. Have mercy and forgive through the blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son, who alone is our salvation. Wash away guilt and give a clean conscience. Where hope has grown weak, be an anchor. Where the heart is against hope, give faith to trust Your promises. Grant clear guidance for the next step, not necessarily the whole road at once, but light enough to walk by today. Restore confidence that is rooted in Christ, not in past success. Open right opportunities in Your timing, and give grace to be faithful with small things while waiting for greater ones. Teach this soul to love what is good, to turn from what harms, and to walk with faithful friends who will help keep watch. Do a miracle as You will, above all the miracle of a changed heart that perseveres. In the name of Jesus, our forerunner and our hope, amen.
Keep praying, keep seeking counsel in a local church, and keep taking the next faithful step as God shows it. He is able to steady you and to lead you forward.
Silas
Beloved of All
Your honest cry about feeling lost because of past decisions and self sabotage is heard, and God has not turned away from you. Feeling that opportunities are closed because of what has happened before can make you feel as though you have no value or future, but Scripture shows how God sees those who are lost.
Jesus taught that a shepherd who has a hundred sheep will leave the ninety nine to go after the one that is lost until he finds it, and when he finds it he lifts it onto his shoulders with joy and calls his friends to rejoice with him. He taught too about a woman who searches carefully until she finds a lost coin, because while it is lost it cannot be used, even though it is still valuable. And He taught about a father who watches for his straying son, ready to forgive and to celebrate when that son comes home. In each picture the lost one is sought, searched for, welcomed, and heaven rejoices when the lost is found and restored. The Holy Spirit is still searching for the lost, and Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost. That grace is for you. Your past decisions do not put you beyond His reach.
There is also a personal responsibility that comes with this hope. Each person will answer for his own life, not for the failures of others, which means there is a greater call to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit now and not make further mistakes. Part of that is learning to deny the old life that lives for self and to take up the commitment to follow the will of the Father. The old nature that pulls toward self sabotage does not have to rule you any longer.
Confidence does not come from staring at the problem or at closed doors. It comes from turning the problem over to God and fixing your heart upon Him. When you call upon God for help and place the burden on the Lord, you are in a good position because you can trust Him to take care of it. Do not fear what people may think or do because of your past. Fear God and trust His mercy. When you cry to Him, you can know that God is with you, and as you look away from the situation and look to Him in prayer, He gives assurance and peace to ride out the storm. Your heart can rejoice in His salvation even while you wait.
I am praying for you that God will give you clear guidance by His Spirit, that He will replace fear with confidence that rests in His presence and mercy, and that He will open the right doors in His timing and provide what only He can do. May He lift you as a shepherd lifts a found sheep, put you back into useful service as a coin put back into circulation, and welcome you as a father welcomes a returning child. Keep bringing your need to Him, asking Him to lead each step, and trust that the One who seeks the lost is able to restore and to make a way forward through Jesus Christ.
Jesus taught that a shepherd who has a hundred sheep will leave the ninety nine to go after the one that is lost until he finds it, and when he finds it he lifts it onto his shoulders with joy and calls his friends to rejoice with him. He taught too about a woman who searches carefully until she finds a lost coin, because while it is lost it cannot be used, even though it is still valuable. And He taught about a father who watches for his straying son, ready to forgive and to celebrate when that son comes home. In each picture the lost one is sought, searched for, welcomed, and heaven rejoices when the lost is found and restored. The Holy Spirit is still searching for the lost, and Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost. That grace is for you. Your past decisions do not put you beyond His reach.
There is also a personal responsibility that comes with this hope. Each person will answer for his own life, not for the failures of others, which means there is a greater call to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit now and not make further mistakes. Part of that is learning to deny the old life that lives for self and to take up the commitment to follow the will of the Father. The old nature that pulls toward self sabotage does not have to rule you any longer.
Confidence does not come from staring at the problem or at closed doors. It comes from turning the problem over to God and fixing your heart upon Him. When you call upon God for help and place the burden on the Lord, you are in a good position because you can trust Him to take care of it. Do not fear what people may think or do because of your past. Fear God and trust His mercy. When you cry to Him, you can know that God is with you, and as you look away from the situation and look to Him in prayer, He gives assurance and peace to ride out the storm. Your heart can rejoice in His salvation even while you wait.
I am praying for you that God will give you clear guidance by His Spirit, that He will replace fear with confidence that rests in His presence and mercy, and that He will open the right doors in His timing and provide what only He can do. May He lift you as a shepherd lifts a found sheep, put you back into useful service as a coin put back into circulation, and welcome you as a father welcomes a returning child. Keep bringing your need to Him, asking Him to lead each step, and trust that the One who seeks the lost is able to restore and to make a way forward through Jesus Christ.
We thank you for giving us the privilege to pray on your behalf and we are glad that you asked us to stand in agreement with you in prayer. We have continued to lift you up before the Lord, asking Him to bring you hope and clear guidance in this season where you feel lost because of past bad decisions and self sabotage and where closed doors have made opportunities feel out of reach.
We have prayed that God will show you His mercy and new beginnings, for we know that if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation as it says in 2 Cor 5:17, and that He will guide your next steps as He promises in Psalm 32:8 to instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. We have also asked Him to restore your confidence and to remind you that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you according to Phil 4:13, and that He is still able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think according to Eph 3:20, so we have prayed for the miracle you are seeking.
We pray in Jesus Name that the Lord will lift the weight of your past, open doors that no man can shut, fill you with His peace and hope for the future, and lead you into His good plans for you spoken of in Jer 29:11.
If your request was answered, please post a praise report and let us all know how God has worked in your life. If your request does not seem to have been answered, please post it again as a new request and allow us to continue with you in prayer. May God bless you as you continue to seek Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
We have prayed that God will show you His mercy and new beginnings, for we know that if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation as it says in 2 Cor 5:17, and that He will guide your next steps as He promises in Psalm 32:8 to instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. We have also asked Him to restore your confidence and to remind you that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you according to Phil 4:13, and that He is still able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think according to Eph 3:20, so we have prayed for the miracle you are seeking.
We pray in Jesus Name that the Lord will lift the weight of your past, open doors that no man can shut, fill you with His peace and hope for the future, and lead you into His good plans for you spoken of in Jer 29:11.
If your request was answered, please post a praise report and let us all know how God has worked in your life. If your request does not seem to have been answered, please post it again as a new request and allow us to continue with you in prayer. May God bless you as you continue to seek Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
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