Many of us are carrying burdens these days. Do you find it as difficult as I do to just bring them to the feet of the Lord, set them down, and ask Him to take them upon Himself? 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.”

If you are anything like me, sometimes I set a burden down then grab it up again. This is completely a lack of trust on my part. Leaving my burdens with Jesus results in freedom, joy and peace! So, I decided to study some of the Scriptures that speak of the attentiveness of God to the burdens I carry in my heart.

As I studied, I wrote prayers to go with each Scripture. I hope they will help to jumpstart your own prayers as you trust Him to lift the worry, concern and anxiety from you during stress-filled seasons:

Psalm 143:1

Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my plea! Answer me because You are faithful and righteous.

Father, no matter what burden I am carrying, I can trust that You will not only listen, but that You will also be faithful and righteous as You answer. Sometimes my burdens are heavy and difficult as I lay them at Your feet with loud frustration. Other times, I may not even be able to speak, but only utter pleas that have no words. Please give me courage and strength during these times so that I am able to lay down the burden and walk away, knowing that You will handle it as You have promised!

Psalm 3:3–4

But You, O Lord, are a shield around me; You are my glory, the one who holds my head high. I cried out to the Lord, and He answered me from His holy mountain.

Thank You, Father, for being my protector and defender. There are many days when my head is down because I am so burdened, but You are the lifter of my head. You help me to look up and out and beyond my worries. When I cry to You, asking for peace, You answer me!

Romans 8:26

Also, the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit Himself speaks to God for us, even begs God for us with deep feelings that words cannot explain.

Holy Spirit, when I am feeling week and unsure about how to pray, You are there! Sometimes there are just no words to describe the feelings and I just feel inadequate to express the depth of emotion in my soul. Thank You for crying out to God on my behalf, and for coming alongside of the depth of my pain, hurt, disappointment, fear, frustration, or whatever else I am going through when life is difficult. Instead of being ashamed before God, I can trust that You will carry my burdens to His understanding, loving heart.

Ephesians 1:19–20

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Powerful, miracle-working God, help me to remember that there is nothing I will ever walk through that You can’t handle. The same mighty power that raised Jesus from the dead is always at work in my life. I believe You are able, Lord! Walk me through this time of uncertainty, and hold my burdens as Your own. Fill me with peace and the knowledge of Your continual presence moment by moment.

 Jude 1:24

Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into His glorious presence without a single fault.

Grace-filled Father, sometimes I am tempted to doubt Your goodness when my burden is so heavy. I don’t understand why I resist giving it into Your care. I know that You are able to keep me from falling away from Your love, even when others I know walk away and turn their backs on You during difficult times in their lives. I don’t always understand why I struggle when I have placed my trust in Your heart. I know that when I can’t figure out how You are moving, Your heart is always for me. Show me how to experience great joy in Your “glorious presence” as I willingly release my burdens and allow You to carry them.

God is for us, even when life seems against us. Burdens can sometimes be gifts we carry so that God can reveal more about His character.  What burden are you carrying today that you want to prayerfully give to God? Spend some time releasing it into God’s care. He wants to help you break free and experience rejoicing. Trust His heart. He is the God of miracles who raised Jesus from the grave. His heart is for you.

© Harvest Prayer Ministries

Some of Kim’s Books

Scheduling Contact:

Email: kim@harvestprayer.com

Phone: 812-230-3130

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18-19).

In this season of uncertainty and unrest, discerning the voice of God is critical. What is He saying to us about peace, justice, mercy, forgiveness, freedom, repentance, sin, relationships, and more? If we are only listening to anger and fear, which are speaking VERY loudly right now, the Christ in us cannot be demonstrated in the midst of the clamor.

In my book, With One Cry: A Renewed Challenge to Pray for America, I share a powerful blog written by Dutch Sheets, June 16, 2015. It seems an appropriate time to hear the hope from his heart about our nation:

“Some Christian leaders teach, usually from theological influences, that America will not awaken, turn back to God and recapture her spiritual destiny. Their eschatology doesn’t allow for a “comeback;” for them, the apostasy must continue to worsen.

Many secular leaders also contend, often with an ideological fervor fueled by their personal desires, that this rebirth will never occur. “America has ‘progressed’ too far,” they assert with smug satisfaction, “having left behind its antiquated, Puritanistic ideals and outdated beliefs.” These naysayers are, indeed, correct when they euphorically and gloatingly bloviate about how far we as a nation have drifted from our original beliefs. Secularists and humanists are accurate when they condescendingly point out our moral shifts toward relativism and unbiblical values. With satisfied arrogance, these modernists gleefully vociferate that our government no longer sees itself under and accountable to an “imaginary” Creator, or even to an “outdated” Constitution He supposedly inspired.

With such a dire diagnosis, why, then, am I not hopeless? To the contrary, I have great hope for America because the depth of a fall never determines God’s ability to restore. I’m not afraid of the powerful strongholds because size and strength are completely irrelevant when measuring His ability to deliver. And I’m not intimidated because statistical odds, whether of success or failure, cease to be relevant when God is involved. His limitless ability negates the very concept of “odds” and trumps all other winning hands.”

Don’t embrace any theology or creed that allows God to lose!

I have hope, and I’m dreaming. I dream of a reborn America that is once again a shining light to the rest of the world. I believe this dream was born in God’s heart, embedded in a small group of emigrant pilgrims, and is one I am confident He still maintains. Join me as I dream. Partner with the “superintending providence” that was active in our founding, is involved with our present, and has great plans for our future.

Let it be said of our generation that when a nation teetered on the edge of destruction, having lost the ancient path of truth, we answered the divine call to war for its restoration. Let it be said of us, as it was of our forefathers, that in the face of overwhelming odds, we took our stand in the celestial courtroom, appealing to the Judge of all the earth for His saving grace, mercy, and sustaining power.”

Again, this blog was written in 2015 but it is still very relevant to us in this hour. Let’s press into the knowledge that God is looking for His people to bow in humility and repentance before Him so that He will hear our prayers, forgive our sins and bring healing to our hurting land. It is the people of God who need to respond in this time. May the Church awaken! Let’s pray together:

God of Hope, our past, present and future has always rested in Your capable hands. Open the eyes of our hearts to see and to know the hope of Your calling, the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in Your people, and the surpassing greatness of Your power toward those who believe! We repent for our arrogance, pride and lack of humility in this hour. We seek You for the restoration of our nation to its utter dependence upon Jesus Christ! Give us the strength and determination to step into the future with great hope and faith in Your ability to overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds against those who call upon Your Name. Restore us again so that we might honor You and become known once again as a nation that stands upon Your Word! We ask this with humble hearts in the Name Above All Names!

–adapted from With One Cry: A Renewed Challenge to Pray for America by David Butts.

© Harvest Prayer Ministries

We have all been told to pray for guidance when we are unsure of what to do. But, how many of us actually know how to do this in a powerful and effective way? God’s word offers us the key to approach the Father with the confidence we are looking for when we face times of uncertainty.

God clearly tells us that He desires the best for us. His best! “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). Stepping into our future apart from seeking the Father’s guidance can derail, delay or completely disrupt His best for us.

Scripture also teaches us that it is not up to our plans and our ideas to figure out what we should do in times when we need guidance. Instead, we are to: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). There is no way to figure out what is best for us to do as we make decisions apart from our God who created us and designed us for His purposes. If we put our faith in His abilities instead of our own, guidance will come with more certainty in the best outcome. Lack of trust in the Father can lead to poor decisions and to fear.

Here are 7 prayers you can simply pray just as they have been written for you and prayed by others throughout the centuries. Use them as a jumping off place for your prayers asking God for His guidance:

1. “Make me know Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day” (Psalm 25:4-5).

2. “Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; for I trust in You; teach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift up my soul” (Psalm 143:8).

3. “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground” (Psalm 143:10).

4. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

5. “For You are my rock and my fortress; for Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me” (Psalm 31:3).

6. O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling places” (Psalm 43:3).

7. Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:1-2).

Hopefully these scriptural prayers have given you a deeper confidence in the Father’s ability to guide and direct you! Remember, apart from Him we can do nothing: “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

If we will take to heart these powerful, scriptural petitions, we can know that God will hear and answer because the prayers we are offering up to Him are in His perfect purposes and will for us!

(c) Harvest Prayer Ministries

Some of Kim’s Books

Scheduling Contact:

Email: kim@harvestprayer.com

Phone: 812-230-3130

During these days of division, anger, and uncertainty, most of us aren’t quite sure how to respond. What we must not forget is that we are not powerless. Our voices are heard in heaven! We can and need to ask God to intervene and to give us insight for ways we can respond with the love of Christ.

Here are some simple prayer points that we can pray together on behalf of our hurting neighbors and our nation.                                                      

1. Protection 

“Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance” (Ps. 32:6-7).

It seems that the waters across our land are rising quickly and threatening to consume our cities.

Father, we ask for Your hand of protection to be upon our nation during these days of unrest and anger. Protect the lives of the angry as well as the officers and military personnel who are trying to restore order. Calm hearts and minds and bring restoration through justice and acts of repentance, humility and extraordinary love. Sing Your song of deliverance over our hurting nation, Lord.

2. Presence.

“I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people” (Lev. 26:11-12).

The Presence of God changes lives and meets the deepest needs—not just those of individuals, but also the needs of a culture. Welcoming the Presence of the Lord into our nation should be an essential part of our prayers.

Make Your Presence known Lord! In the midst of darkness, confusion and despair, may the light of Your glory shine. We welcome You and ask You to walk among us. Change lives, bring unity and stir Your people to be the image bearers of Jesus in this troubling hour! We long for Your presence to permeate our culture and transform our nation.

3. Peace.

 ^“Peace, peace to them, both near and far, for I will heal them all” (Isaiah 57:19).

In the midst of a badly divided nation from top to bottom, we desperately need God’s peace. He has placed His Church in a position of godly authority to stand for righteousness and justice…and to be instruments of His healing in our world.

Prince of Peace, come and walk through the streets of our cities. Rest upon the hurting, the angry and those who are bent on destruction. Awaken Your Church! Give us courage and kindness in order to be the peacemakers You designed us to be! Help us to demonstrate justice for all people and the unity of a people who is one in You, because You created us equally. We long for Your peace to come to our nation, Lord!

We are currently in a season of spiritual waiting. For Jews this was the period following Passover and leading up to Shavuot. Christians also embrace this time of waiting from Easter to Pentecost. After the Resurrection of Jesus, He spent 40 days with the disciples. He ate with them, taught them, and demonstrated His resurrected life. But after 40 days, He ascended to the Father and told them to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Spirit.

It’s rare to find someone who likes to wait. Perhaps though, that is an attribute for which we should strive. We are certainly commanded often in scripture to wait on and for the Lord. Waiting paid off for those first disciples. Ten days of prayer, worship, and waiting on the Lord led them to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. They would never be the same as they received the promise of the Father.

We are in a season of waiting. Press into that. Make it a time of prayer and anticipation. What is God about to do? Our waiting upon the Lord is an active time that places everything in the hands of the Lord. Though we live post-Pentecost and the Spirit has come to us, we still wait on the Lord and fresh fillings of His Spirit. The timing of the Lord’s work and purposes are still in His hands and we pray with increased passion and anticipation during these days of waiting. Look up, your redemption draws near!

How to Pray in a Time of Waiting

• Lord, in my waiting, help me to be strong and filled with courage.

“Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).

• Lord Jesus, in my waiting, lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation.

“Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day” (Psalm 25:5).

• God Almighty, in my waiting, help me to have patience as Your return is near.

“Now as for you, dear brothers who are waiting for the Lord’s return, be patient, like a farmer who waits until the autumn for his precious harvest to ripen” (James 5:7).

• Holy One, in my waiting, may Your integrity and uprightness preserve me.

“Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You” (Psalm 25:21).

• Father, Your word says that if I will wait for You I will gain new strength, mount up with wings like eagles, run and not get tired and walk without becoming weary! Help me to trust You for these promises.

“Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary” (Isaiah 40:31).

(c) Harvest Prayer Ministries