by Anees Shehroze (Brampton)
Give me O Lord, I pray Thee
firm faith, unwavering hope
perfect charity.
Pour into my heart
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding
the Spirit of counsel and spiritual strength
the Spirit of knowledge and true godliness
and the Spirit of Thy holy fear
Light eternal, shine in my heart
Power eternal, deliver me from evil
Wisdom eternal, scatter the darkness of my ignorance
Might eternal, pity me
Grant that I may ever seek Thy face
with all my heart and soul and strength;
and, in thine infinite mercy,
bring me at last to Thy holy presence
where I shall behold Thy glory
and possess Thy promised joys
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Prayer for Knowledge
Ephesians 1: 15 – 23
The Christians that first received this letter had a great reputation. Eph 1:15, 16 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;
This would be a great thing for any church to have said of them that they had great trust in Christ and a great love for each other.
These beginning verses say such wonderful things about what God has provided us in Jesus Christ. God has chosen us from the beginning of time to be a part of His family. That God sent His own Son to be our ticket to heaven by His death on the cross. (Risen Lord) That God has poured out on us wisdom and insight and that we are part of a great inheritance, culminating in the glories of heaven. That God through Christ as implanted in our very being a part of His divine essence through the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is all enough to make you jump up and yell- Hallelujah!
Paul knew we were a great distance from being perfect but in Christ we are set on the road to eternal greatness. We should not get the big head about all this – in reality it is very humbling because we are so undeserving.
Some of the people receiving this letter were veteran Christians; they had developed much in their knowledge of God and in Christian character; their reputations were wide spread.
Yet on of the things we learn from these verses is that no matter how long we have been Christians, spiritual growth is always of vital importance. If you are satisfied with your present spiritual growth as a Christian then you could be on the road to spiritual death!
We should never be satisfied with our present condition- there is always more to learn, more to do, more to be, more people to reach out to, more lives to be changed, more creative opportunities to dream, more ground to cover, more challenges to accept to and more devil behind to kick! Amen?
It is very difficult to summarize the thoughts expressed in the 1st chapter of Ephesians. For purposes of simplicity and in an effort to understand this chapter it has been divided into two sections.
The first section – verses 1- 14 has been called
Paul’s Praise of Christ
The 2nd section – verses 15-23 is
Paul’s Prayer for the Church
Paul realizes the need for regular growth within any church and mentions this in his prayer for them. Paul’s 1st prayer request is this
Eph 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.
Paul does not pray that they have wisdom to carry on business activities or the knowledge to achieve great things for themselves or how to solve the economic problems of the Roman Empire. He initially prays that they might know God better.
The Ephesians along with many other Christians at this time came out of a heathen background. They had a very limited knowledge of the one true God. The minds of the Gentiles was filled with foreign gods and philosophies ( lit. love of wisdom)
They not only needed to grasp the new knowledge about Jesus but the needed to unlearn and disregard they pagan ideas and thought patterns. Wisdom and knowledge from God were of great need to the early church. They did not have a NT like we do today. They had to depend on the Apostle’s teachings, some circulated letters and orally transmitted stories. (Bible)
For us today the wisdom and revelation of God has been delivered once and for all- we simply call it the Bible. We do not need anything else. We do not need any extra revelations, visions, opinions, books or hidden false gospels. We do not need the Koran, or the Book of Morman, or some TV evangelist that acts like he or she has a direct line to God.
Here is something real important- and horribly misunderstood in many corners of Christendom.
We do NOT need a spirit of revelation because we have the revelation of the Spirit in the Bible. (on top of Bible)
Our faith is not and should not be based on a person’s personal experience of God. Your personal testimony and mine are NOT the revealed word of God. Our faith is based upon the Bible and the Bible alone – not church tradition, not a person’s opinion, not on visions, impressions, intuition, feelings, or spiritual fits, or some seemingly dedicated saint be it Mother Teresa, Father Time, Brother Bubba or Sister Sledge.
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Prayer For Knowledge and Strength
Give me, O Lord, I pray Thee
firm faith, unwavering hope,
perfect charity.
Pour into my heart
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and spiritual strength,
the Spirit of knowledge and true godliness,
and the Spirit of Thy holy fear.
Light eternal, shine in my heart.
Power eternal, deliver me from evil.
Wisdom eternal, scatter the darkness of my ignorance.
Might eternal, pity me.
Grant that I may ever seek Thy face
with all my heart and soul and strength;
and, in thine infinite mercy,
bring me at last to Thy holy presence
where I shall behold Thy glory
and possess Thy promised joys. St. Alcuin of York (735-804)
Prayer for Strength and Ability
Lord God, help me to know my ability, that I may not attempt with weakness that which requires strength to undertake; and make me stable that I may not relax vigilance even though victory seems assured. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Bravery
Almighty God, I thank thee for the courage that comes with a great life. Help me to be brave, even if it is only that others may be blest. May I lay a careful foundation and plan to build the best that I can afford. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Calm
Loving Father, help me to guard my inclinations. May I be able to appreciate that though I may be restless from ambition, I also may be restless through discontent. Correct my life, that my desires may meet the true demands of my soul. Strengthen me with the power of calmness, that “I may go softly all my years,” even though I walk through the bitterness of sorrow. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Compassion
Lord God, I pray that I may not neglect the help and happiness that I may give with compassion and love. Make me strong in all the senses that answer to the call of humanity. Help me to guide and protect little children, and to care for the comforts of the old. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Contentment
Gracious Father, help me to understand that while I may be content to rest with what I have gathered, I cannot preserve the strength of my soul unless I share my possessions. Give me a passion for humanity that will advance gifts through love, and offer service without the need of an appeal. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Encouragement
Lord God, if I am discouraged this morning, may I pause for thine encouragement. Grant that the fear of the night may make no decline in my morn, but that “into the future I may fuse the past,” and use what is clearest for to-day. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Endurance
Almighty God, I would learn that while thou art a forgiving Lord, nature has no mercy on them that break her laws. Forgive me for all my neglect, and help me to see the way in which thou hast through mercy led me. Give me the power to endure and the strength to resist temptation. May I seek to understand thy laws, that I may not fail through ignorance. Amen.
Prayer for Enduring Strength
Lord God, I beseech thee to give me the strength which endures. Grant that I may have the ceaseless content which is secured by choosing and continuing in the right way. From the wealth of each day renew my hope, and quiet my soul with the calm of thy peace. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Faith
Lord God, I do earnestly pray that thou wilt give me strength to break away, if I may be trying to free myself from habits that mar my character. May I not lose courage and fall back in the old ways, but by faith be led where I should go. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Guidance
Eternal God, who hath weighed the mountains and measured the seas, I pray that I may not be satisfied to wait in idleness, and let thy wisdom pass away from me as the days. Steady me in my weakness, and reveal to me my strength as I draw near and ask of thee. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Inspiration
Almighty God, make me conscious of my weaknesses, and make me ashamed of my indulgences. Give me a victory over self; and may I consider more what I put in my life. May I be eager for that which will inspire me for greater aspirations. Amen.
Prayer for Lost Strength
My Lord, my life makes me conscious of weakness, and my memory brings regret; forgive me for the lost strength I neglected to develop. In thy compassion encourage me to be more watchful of my power, that I may usefully increase it, and not willfully deplete it. May I learn the need of constancy in well-doing. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Love
Loving Father, I bless thee for thy goodness and tender mercy which is over all. May I trust thy provision and love through all circumstances, and as I trust myself to thee may I have faith to believe that thou wilt give me strength for what I may have to endure, and believe that thou wilt care for me, as thou dost care for all. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Mercy
Lord God, thou knowest what I am and where I belong. Have mercy upon me and strengthen me, that I may not through weakness stay in the darkness. Lead me out into the light; and may I find my way and be contented with it. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Motivation
Almighty God, help me in these fleeting days that I may not use my time to consider and hesitate, but be positive in my desires and pursue them. Grant that I may have the strength to hold each day precious, and live it more than consistently. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Patience
My Father, I pray that I may have patience to live through the difficulties of life. May I correct my faults, that they may not destroy my peace and take from me my strength; help me to center my life in brightness and hope. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Principles
Gracious Father, I pray that I may be willing to profit by the experience of great teachers, and appreciate the value of strong principles. May I too live for the higher ideals of life, and through a sympathetic response add power and virtue to other lives, while gaining strength for my own. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Self-control
Gracious Father, try me again by the courage I have to-day, if thou art judging me by the fear I held yesterday. Help me to see that wavering is misleading and temperament is deceptive. May I learn self-control. Amen.
Prayer for Strength and Tranquillity
Gracious Father, keep within me that cheer and courage which never has a place for weary murmurings; and with peace make the hours of solitude profitable as they pass. Help me to seek those who are in need of sympathy and encouragement, that I may help them to have a tranquil life. Amen.
Prayer for Strength in Despair
My Father, may I never be content to pass by thy beautiful offerings and keep on in wretched despair. Save me if I may be inclining toward misery. Give me the spirit of repose, and help me to confide in thee as I daily seek the strength of thy love. Amen.
Prayer for Strength in Struggle
Lord God, I pray that if I have struggled for the wrong, and have worked with weak hands, thou wilt forgive me for my lost strength. Give me more light to shine upon my work, upon thy promises, and upon my duties; and with thy wisdom may I search for the truth that is behind every wrong, and for the purpose that is beyond all journeyings. Amen.
Prayer for Strength in Times of Fear
Lord Jesus, help me to learn how to be strong and brave, that I may not remain in fear and weakness. Help me to conquer unworthiness, and to overcome discouragements, that I may be spared the needless battles that are brought on through impatience and selfishness. Keep my soul in repose, that I may add to my conquering strength. Amen.
Prayer for Strength over Disappointments
My Father, I thank thee for life and its faculties. May I not be deceived by gratification and miss the permanent satisfactions. Make me brave that I may be courageous in affliction, and not be dismayed over humiliations and disappointments. May I be kept in harmony with thy will. Amen.
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