Pray to Grow Deep in Christ

In this episode of Practical Faith, I share my prayer for anyone who is seeking to grow in their followership of Jesus.  It is rooted in two Scriptures – Psalm 1:1-3 and Jeremiah 17:7-8.  Listen to my prayer, and pray along with me!  Then take a moment to read and to meditate upon these two Scriptures, and think: what prayer emerges out of your heart as you meditate on those words?

Transcript

This is my prayer for anyone who seeks to grow in their followership of Jesus.  It is rooted in two Scriptures – Psalm 1:1-3 and Jeremiah 17:7-8.

Gracious Father, You are our life-Giver, Leader, Sustainer – You are our heavenly Cultivator.  With whatever authority I have as an adopted son in Your family, and as a pastor here on earth, I commend to You in Jesus’ Name those listening to this prayer.  They have placed their faith in You!  They have embarked on the lifelong journey that Your Son has set forth.  May their trust be in You alone.  May their confidence be in You!  May they recognize the competencies they have.  May they see that their competence comes from you, and is perfected in following Your Son Jesus.

May they grow deep in You.  May they grow strong in You.  May they grow up in Your love!  May they be so firmly rooted and established in Your love as to be unshakeable by earthquake, resilient against buffeting winds, and sustained during seasons of drought.

May their leaves always be green.  May they always bear fruit in season.  Not just when they reach maturity – but now!  Even now.  May they be green-leaved, fruit-bearing trees NOW!  Whatever their current circumstances, may they trust in You and find their confidence (and competence) in You!

Father, I pray that You would give those hearing these words an unquenchable thirst for Your Word – and along with it, the self-discipline to meditate upon it, day and night.  Help them to know the joys of knowing and walking with You!  Help them to see Your Word’s great value.  And give them a curiosity and a tenacity to delve deep into Your Word – to mine the great treasures inside it – all the days of their lives.

Father, I am so excited about lives fully-committed to you!  May these listeners live lives of complete abandon to You.  May they settle for nothing less than total surrender of their whole lives to the Giver of life, Your purposes and direction.

And lastly, Father, I pray that You would allow them to stand on my shoulders of those who have gone before them in the faith.  May the previous ceiling be their floor!  May they reach new heights of trusting in You and living for You.  And may their relationships with You become their own as quickly and as certainly as possible.

In the Name and Character and Nature of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Savior & Lord, I pray these things.  Amen!

Take a moment to read and to meditate upon (that means “think deeply about & pray about”) Psalm 1:1-3 and Jeremiah 17:7-8.  And think: what prayer emerges out of your heart as you meditate on those words?