A Prayer for Discernment and Revival in a World of Deception - Prayer Journal 242

Holy Father, You are so merciful and slow to anger. Why do You allow human beings, mere mortals, to blaspheme Your name as their lives continue and their influence grows? The spirit of anti-Christ is very active in the world and sadly even in the Church. So many wolves in sheep clothing leading people astray. There is so much deception from the evil one.

I pray that You'd grant Your children great discernment, knowledge of the truth, and a desire and diligence to spend time in the Word. Help Your children to stand in Your grace and truth as we contend for the faith. May we not spend time swimming in the brackish waters of this fallen world but in the salty seas of Your holy presence. Keep us salty and do not allow us to hide our lights. May we be holy as You our God are holy!

Empower us to live lives that are distinct and distinguishable from those who are in the world. As those who have received Your light by repenting of our sins and believing in the Lord Jesus, help us to rejoice in Your light. Help us to walk in intimate fellowship with You by confessing and forsaking sin as we live by the Spirit's power. May our lives and lips reflect the light of Jesus as we declare that He is Lord and invite others to receive Him.

God open our ears to hear what You are saying. Anoint and use me to be one of Your spokesmen in this hour of human history. I have nothing to say if You do not speak. We do not need points from Your Word. We need You to reveal Yourself to us through Your Word and manifest Your presence to us so that we may encounter You, the One who transforms lives.

We get excited to hear people preach but what we really need is to hear You speak Your Word through anointed and consecrated vessels. For all those You have called to preach use us to preach Jesus Christ and not ourselves. May we speak as those who speak the very words of God. Hold us up to Your lips, like a microphone, to amplify Your voice in the earth. Speak Lord!

Lord Jesus put us on as Your suit of clothes and wear us. Help us to daily clothe ourselves with Christ. Hear through our ears. See through our eyes. Think through our minds. Speak through our lips. Love and obey through our hearts. Serve others through our hands. Lead us where You will through these legs set on beautiful feet. Do not let us go anywhere or do anything that You have not appointed.

Prepare us for the people that You will send us to for the purpose of ministering Your presence and Word. Prepare them for a holy encounter with You through us. Don't let us just ponder Your Word but move us to action: to repent, to return to You, to walk in intimacy with You, and to take the hope of the gospel to our neighbors and the nations. Do this first in me, I ask.

I know that I am a work in progress. I need You to revive me so that I may rejoice in You again. Then use me to spark revival fires in others in Your body. I pray for those outside of Your fold that they will hear the voice of the Good Shepherd inviting them in. Make my life holy ground where the consuming fire of God burns deep in my soul. May that which resides deep in me cause the entirety of my life to be captured and conquered by Christ. In Jesus' name, Amen!!!