Praying the Good News

  Last year our church's women's ministry went through a study that washed us in the good news of the life, substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus. We learned how the gospel has the power to transform us daily and that reminding ourselves of the great covenant love of God to us changes the way we think about Him, ourselves and those around us. It continues to be an ongoing process, but a beautiful one where we are learning to discipline ourselves to remember. When we struggle with ongoing sin, when we long to love like He loves, when we feel invisible and insignificant, when we are proud and arrogant and self-assured...every day...the gospel. I struggle so much to remember and yet it is this very weak faith and amnesia that Jesus came to rescue and redeem. It proves how much I need Him. I can face my darkest parts with hope because He knows me, He pursues me and He loves me there. This was a prayer I put together for us to read a loud in our small groups, and as a reminder to myself, I thought I would share.

A Prayer of the Gospel

Thank you God that my past, present and future sin is forgiven.

"In Him (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." Ephesians 1:7

Thank you, Jesus for your sacrifice. Thank you for the truth that when you look at me and my list (or record) of sins that You see Christ's perfection. You see me as if I always obeyed every commandment, always loved, never doubted, never coveted, lied, stolen, hated, never worshiped beauty or popularity, never believed that I could find love in anyone but You, never sought the personal destruction of someone's character and never defended myself. Perfect. Like Jesus. You say about me as you said about Him with the tenderness and joy of a new dad holding his newborn baby, "THIS!!...this is my beloved one. I am well pleased."

"Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God." Romans 5:9

"...and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus." Romans 3:24

Thank you Jesus, for being our wrath-bearer. We know our sin deserves punishment. We know that our relationship with you is broken from our first breath. Thank you for your promise to redeem us, for taking God's justified wrath; every last drop. Thank you that there is no longer any separation, shame, and no veil that separates us from fellowship with You. We can "...draw near (to God) with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:22

"In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (wrath-bearer) for our sins. 1 John 4:10

Thank you for the the gift of the Holy Spirit. He is like a seal, or a wedding band that assures my heart of my inheritance in Heaven with You. He reminds me that I am a child of God. He reminds me of the gospel. He whispers truth to Me and leads me, He aides me in my sanctification and prays for me when I don't know what to say.

"For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, whom we cry, "ABBA! FATHER!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ." Romans 8:15-17

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." John 14:26

Thank you that Your love for me is not conditional on my love for you. That is has never been about my love for you. That you have loved me at my darkest. It has always been about your "Never stopping, never giving up, always and forever love." In spite of sin, doubt and idolatry that You are like a man in love who will never stop chasing me and today, like every day, you sing over me a love song that is meant only for me.

"...God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses and sin made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved...and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:4,8

"The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

Thank you, Father, for your commitment to my santification. When my flesh tempts me to despair that I will never grow in my obedience and in my love for you and others that I can lean hard against the truth of Your unfailing, unchanging commitment to me once again. May this truth cause me to worship with humility and thankfulness lest I once again put my faith in my faith and not Your work in my life.

"And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6 

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?...For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."Romans 8:35-39