Prayer For Spiritual Strength, Perseverance and Endurance

What to Pray for When You’re Feeling Spiritual Weak

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth that is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
(Ephesians 3:14-21)

In the middle of Paul’s epistle to the Ephesian church, we find this special prayer.

  Remember, Paul helped plant the church in Ephesus, so there is no doubt he had a certain level of brotherly love for them.

Here, in the middle of his letter, he expresses a desire to see his dear friends gain spiritually strength. How does he encourage them toward this? Not by commands or exhortations, but by prayer.

Paul prays for their spiritual strength

If you’re anything me, you understand the need for a prayer that. You’re probably less accustomed to feeling spiritually strong and more accustomed to feeling spiritually weak. If so, Paul’s prayer might be a great place to start for you. By studying it, we can learn how to pray for spiritual strength.

Notice that Paul does not pray for outside circumstances to change. That is not his goal in this prayer. He wants his readers to be spiritually strong; so instead of praying for their outside circumstances to change, Paul’s focus is on an inward work of God:

• verse 16: He prays that God would “strengthened [them] with power in [their] inner being”
• verse 19: He prays that they would “be filled with all the fullness of God”
• verse 20: He talks about “God’s power at work within us”

What you and I need when we are feeling spiritually weak is more than a new set of circumstances; we need an inward spiritual power and strength.

The Holy Spirit’s role

Here’s how God strengthens our inner being:

Through the Holy Spirit. It is not by our own mustering, but by His. God the Holy Spirit is the one who supernaturally works within to provide that spiritual strength (16).

He gives us new desires, helps us walk in obedience, and conforms us into the image of Christ.

If we want spiritual strength, then we are dependent on the supernatural work of God, not on the changing of our circumstances.

How do you normally measure your spiritual strength? By your feelings? Your performance? Your relationships?

How does God actually strengthen us? It’s not about having an emotional experience; it’s much deeper and greater than that. If you are longing for spiritual strength, then you need a deeper comprehension.

A deeper comprehension of the gospel

So a question we should be asking ourselves is this: Is there a deepening comprehension of Christ’s love? This is what we should pray for when we are feeling spiritually weak.

Paul says that strength comes from “being rooted and grounded in love.” The love of Jesus—His life, His death, His burial, His resurrection—is what we need to be rooted in.

To be “rooted and grounded in love” is to have a deep understanding of all that God has done for us through Christ.

Now, is Paul saying anything new here? The church in Ephesus should already know this stuff, right? I mean, Paul himself planted the church, so surely he should know that they already know all this gospel stuff, right? But Paul is not merely praying that they comprehend the gospel; he is praying for a deepening of their comprehension. He wants them to know not just the components of the gospel but the massiveness of it—how high, how long, how wide, how deep it is. He wants them to understand that this good news “surpasses knowledge.”

We should pray for this too. That’s what we need when we are feeling spiritually weak. We need to be rooted in the gospel and grounded in love. We need a deeper comprehension of the good news. So that’s what we pray for.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see more of your power. I want to see more of what you have done and what you have accomplished through Jesus Christ. Strengthen me with the wisdom of Your word, the knowledge of your sovereign work in the world, and a deeper comprehension of your love toward sinners me. Amen.

Источник: //blogs.blueletterbible.org/blb/2015/02/10/what-to-pray-for-when-youre-feeling-spiritual-weak/

5 Important Bible Verses About Perseverance

5 Important Bible Verses About PerseveranceJune 1, 2014Jack Wellman

What Bible verses speak plainly about perseverance?  What can they teach us about how we can persevere and whether a person is really a Christian or not?

What is Perseverance?

The definition of perseverance means that they have a determined continuation in something with a steady and continued action of belief that occurs over a long period of time amongst and despite especially difficult circumstances.

  That seems to fit nicely with the biblical definition of the perseverance of the saints of God who after being saved must endure many trials, tests, tribulations and persecution from non-believers.

  They continue steadfast in their faith because their faith is not their own but in God and it is not the strength of their faith that allows them to endure but their faith is only as strong as the Object of their faith and that is Jesus Christ.

Steadfastness Produces Perseverance

There is a lot here.  We not only will have to endure “trials of various kinds” but we must “count it all joy.”  The one who perseveres knows that “the testing of [their] faith produces steadfastness.”  When this “steadfastness [has] its full effect…you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

”  None of us are perfect so when we examine the Greek word for “perfect” which is “teleios” we see that it means that our faith is “brought to its end” or “finished” which is what the word complete means in Greek “holokleros” or “complete in all parts” or “whole.”  Just as metal is tested by fire and becomes stronger, so too is our faith tested and made stronger.

  Those who stand “the test…will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

Suffering Produces Perseverance

I must admit that I have my weak moments and feel that I cannot go on so it is very difficult to imagine how we are supposed to “rejoice in our sufferings.”  We can rejoice in them if we know that we are secure in the Lord (John 10:28-29) and with the knowledge that our “suffering produces endurance.

”  When I was on the track team in high school, there was suffering during training when I got what the trainer called “shin splints.”  These are actually tiny, hairline fractures in the bones and they were very painful but the continual running eventually built up the bones and I could endure the suffering because it produced a longer, stronger endurance in me.

  This endurance produced character in me to not give up and this endurance that my character had developed through the sufferings gave me hope. It gave me hope that I could endure the mile run and finish because I didn’t give up.  My suffering produced my endurance, my endurance produced character and this character created hope in my ability to finish the race.

  The same goes with the Christian who suffers.  One follows the other by necessity.

Endurance Produces Perseverance

Anytime the word “therefore” is at the beginning of a sentence, we have to ask what is the therefore, there for.  In this case, the “therefore” is there because of what preceded it in Hebrews chapter 11 which is what we call “The Hall of Faith.

” This chapter is full of the testimonies of the Old Testament saints who had to endure severe trials but were still able to complete the race and make it across the finish line.

  The author of Hebrews portrays our race to the finish line (the kingdom) a runner in stadiums that is full of previous winners, the saints of the Old Testament, who are cheering us on.

  In our running, we must imagine seeing the finish line and the cloud of witnesses and see Jesus Who is presently “seated at the right hand of the throne of God” waiting for us. To run a race we must take off every unnecessary weight (things of the world) and every “sin which clings so closely” to us that unless we rid ourselves of these we will be slowed down considerably and the race will take much longer.

Exposing False Teachers Produces Perseverance

Jesus addresses the church or church age of Ephesus.  Jesus knows their works, their toil, and their patient endurance since He is the Head of the Church and knows everything about what the church goes through.

  Jesus seems to boast about their inability to “bear with those who are evil” by testing “those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.” That is a high compliment because this is a church that doesn’t water down the truth.

  When they had to find a replacement for Judas Iscariot, they understood that the qualifications were that “one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection” (Acts 1:22-23).  The point is that if someone today calls themselves an apostle they could not be possibly qualified to be one and Luke, the author of Acts, knows this as did the other apostles and so apparently did the church at Ephesus.  That is because “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42) and the apostles were those who had been with Christ, not those who proclaimed themselves as ones.

Conclusion

We know that all Christians will persevere until the end.  They are Christ’s and the Fathers and no one or nothing can snatch them the Father’s or Christ’s hands (John 10:28-29).  It is not possible that they would not endure.

If someone claims to be a Christian and later falls away, we can know that they were truly not saved in the first place.  John says as much when he wrote that “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.

But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19).

Many will profess Christ but since they are not part of the Body of Christ, they are “neglecting to meet together” and are living in disobedience (Heb 10:25) and proving that they do not really believe in Christ.

  Tragically, for many, not a few, it is they who will think that they can enter the kingdom but “on that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matt 7:22-23).  I pray that is not you.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas.

Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book  Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon

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Источник: //www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2014/06/01/5-important-bible-verses-about-perseverance/

Spiritual prowess or human perseverance? These Japanese Monks are setting new standards of endurance

“It may well be that the greatest athletes today are not the stars of professional sports, nor the Olympic champions, nor the top triathlon competitors, but the marathon monks of Japan’s Mount Hiei.”

John Stevens, author of ‘Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei’.

Often dubbed as the “Running Buddhas” or “Marathon Monks”, an eclectic group of Tendai-shu monks living at the foothills of Mount Hiei in Kyoto, Japan are known for their amazing physical feats that can put even Olympic athletes to shame.

Legend has it that these monks can run 1,000 marathons in 1,000 days in their quest to attain enlightenment. This 1000- Day Challenge, known as ‘Sennichi Kaihogyo’, is a medium of veneration to ‘Fudo-myo-o’, who is the central deity in the Tendai sect.

Only selected monks, called ‘Gyoja’, can undertake this arduous 1000- Day Challenge. Over a seven-year training period, the Gyoja should successfully make a pilgrimage to over 250 sacred sites that are nestled on Mount Hiei.

It is believed that once he the Gyoja completes the challenge, he will have walked far enough to make a complete circle of the earth.

How do they do it?

Clad in minimal clothing that consists of a white robe, a Renge-Gasa hat, split toe socks and straw sandals, the Gyojas undertake this seven-year challenge by walking a distance of 30-40 kilometers everyday for the first four years.

They make pit stops at sacred sites – rivers, rocks, sacred trees- to chant incantations and prayers. The trek is very difficult and is aptly termed as ‘the walking hell’.

It is worst during the rains where the monks have to go through several pairs of sandals each day, often resulting in festering wounds, sore feet and other injuries.

If the journey wasn’t difficult enough the fasting period makes sure that their physical and mental strength is tested to its maximum capacity. The Gyojas become so weak after the fast that they lose sense of day and time and can no longer think straight.

The ordeal is so terrible that it is often refereed to as a living funeral.

The Gyojas have to go through 5-6 pairs of straw sandals for each day of the Kaihogyo. (Image: RocketNews 24)

If the monk has successfully survived the Do-Iri, he continues into the 6th year which involves a 60-kilometer daily trek for 100 consecutive days. In the seventh year he has to completes 84 kilometers. The final lap of the challenge is marked by a 100-day challenge of covering a distance of 30 to 40 kilometers each day.

It is a rule that once a monk starts his seven-year journey he cannot quit halfway under any circumstances. The Gyojas are even allowed to carry a rope and dagger to take their own lives if they are unable to go on with the challenge for any reason. The idea is to bring the body as close as possible to death.

Once they complete the challenge, they are given the title of ‘Daigyoman Ajari’, or Saintly Master.

 So arduous is the journey that since the beginning of this challenge in 1585, only 50 monks have successfully completed this challenge, the rest have perished on the slopes of Mount Hiei en route this ultimate quest for enlightenment.

Of the few successful Gyojas who went on to become Dai Ajaris was Yusai Sakai (1926 – 2013). He is still a revered Ajari for having completed the Kaihogyo challenge twice in his lifetime – a feat many die trying.

Sakai was known for his resilience and has been an inspiration for many Gyojas and lay people. “The message I wish to convey is, please, live each day as if it is your entire life. If you start something today, finish it today. Tomorrow is another world.

Live life positively,” Sakai preached.

What do they get from it?

Though the final goal of the challenge is largely to attain “enlightenment”, this outlook is rather subjective. When Adharanand Finn of The Guardian interviewed one of the present Ajaris, he was rather surprised at the answers he had unearthed from Genshin Fujinami, one of the few monks to have completed the grueling endurance ordeal.

 When asked why he did it, Fujinami calmly explains, “All humans are asking the question: ‘Why are we alive?’ The constant movement for 1,000 days gives you lots of time to think about this, to reflect on your life. It is a type of meditation through movement. That is why you shouldn’t go too fast. It is a time to meditate on life, on how you should live.

”

Buddhist monk Genshin Fujinami, is one of the few Gyojas who has completed this grueling challenge (Image: The Guardian)When asked ‘What enlightenment felt ?’, he continues nonchalantly “Once you do reach your end goal, there is not this one point of understanding where everything else stops and you’ve made it,” he says calmly. “Learning continues. Once you graduate from university, you don’t stop learning. The 1,000-day challenge is not an end point, the challenge is to continue, enjoying life and learning new things.”

These monks are revered as some of the wisest, most spiritual men on earth, with insight gained through incredible feats of endurance. And yet a real-life Dai- Ajari is telling us that running for 1,000 days was basically some good thinking time and that life continues to go on despite attaining “enlightenment”.

Monks vs. Olympic Athletes? 

It’s no wonder that the author of “ The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei”, John Stevens made a vague comparison of these ascetics to Olympic athletes. Though Stevens’ belief comes from a good place, as both the groups are proven to accomplish amazing feats of distance and exhibit tremendous amounts of stamina.

However, Amy Chavez of RocketNews24 seems to think it is a bit unfair to both parties, especially to the athletes “who have spent their whole lives training, and cross-training, to have someone extenuate their accomplishments by comparing them to an eclectic group of enlightenment-seekers on top of a sacred mountain in Japan.

These are two completely different worlds.”

Maybe a comparison can’t really be drawn between the Olympic athletes and the monks, but it is undeniable that a certain amount of mental strength is needed to go the distance, whether you are on a quest for spirituality on Mount Hiei or are running a marathon for gold.

Main Image: John Stevens| Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei

Источник: //www.mobiefit.com/blog/spiritual-prowess-or-human-perseverance-these-japanese-monks-are-setting-new-standards-of-endurance/

Prayers for Strength

Have you ever needed supernatural strength to face a situation head-on, but not known what to pray? God is waiting and wants to offer us strength in time of need. Do not be afraid to pray and ask God for His strength to fall upon you! When you are weak, weary or unready to stand, and unsure of what to ask, pray along with these words! 

A Prayer for Strength

Lord, I’m weary. My energy is sagging, and my motivation is lagging. And I am so in need of you. I need your strength and your fresh touch to get back on track again. Your Word says the joy of the Lord is my strength. If that's true, then I need your joy to replace all the bone-tired parts of my mind, body, and soul.

The pressures of life sometimes push me into a corner, rendering me helpless to move forward. A hundred voices call my name, and I feel paralyzed at times to answer, not knowing where to turn. Lord, help me not to quit, to keep running the race faithfully, and to find strength in that safe, secret place of yours, under the shadow of the Almighty.

I need your strength to say no when I'm tempted to surrender to harmful things, or when selfishness clings to my clothes and won't let go. I need your strength to say yes, when cowardice and fear nudge me to deny the convictions of my heart. I need your strength to reach out in love to those both close to me and all around me. When don't I need your strength, God?

You are my rock, and I run to you today, believing that you will lift up my heavy arms, that you will fuel me for the tasks you've given me, and that your joy will completely consume the weakness of my life and make me strong again. I don't want to stay grounded, crippled by limitations and failed attempts. I'm tired of feeble efforts. Lord, I want to mount up with wings an eagle and not just fly. I want to soar.

Renew my strength, Lord. Fill me with your supernatural power to overcome each obstacle in my path. With my eyes on you, Lord, with you walking beside me, working through me, I can make it. Thank you, Lord!

In Jesus's name, Amen

A Prayer for Strength and Encouragement

Lord, David, I need your encouragement in a time of trial and anguish. Thank you that you are always on the throne, always my God, ready to save. Thank you for being the same God to me that you were to David.

Thank you for always being near and always rescuing me from my fears and hurts. Lord, help me remember that daybreak might be just ahead, that this trial will not last forever.

Fill me with hope that daybreak is coming and that your love will always prevail! In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
~ A Good Thing Devotional

I know that nothing in this world can separate me from your steadfast love. Please give me a measure of your love today; give me the strength to endure this trial.

Thank you for your love for me that never ends! And thank you for the crown of joy that awaits me forever in your Kingdom!
~ Adrian Rogers, Love Worth Finding

What are you praying for strength for today? Join our large praying community in the comments below and experience the power, hope, and comfort of being joined in prayer! 

Here are more Prayers for Strength when you need God to lift you up in hard times!

Additional Prayer Resources

Here is a collection of some of our favorite Bible verses about the promises of God's strength. May these give you hope and encouragement to persevere with a bold confidence! Find the complete list at BibleStudyTools.com's Scripture page.

• “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” ~ Isaiah 40:29
• “those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” ~ Isaiah 40:31
• “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9
• “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” ~ Psalm 46:1
• “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.” ~ Psalm 28:7-8

Rebecca Barlow Jordan is an inspirational author, speaker, and passionate follower of Jesus who loves to encourage others heart to heart.

She has written 11 books and over 1700 other articles, greeting cards, and other inspirational pieces. Her daily devotional Daily in Your Presence is available for delivery through Crosswalk.com.

You can find out more about Rebecca at www.rebeccabarlowjordan.com.

Publication date: August 4, 2015, Updated: January 22,2018

This article is part of our larger Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.

Prayer for Healing
Prayer for Strength
Prayer for Protection
Morning Prayers
Good Night Prayers
Serenity Prayer
A Birthday Prayer
Sinner’s Prayer
Prayer for Forgiveness
Prayer for Guidance
Intercessory Prayer
Prayer for Peace
Prayer for Faith
Prayer for Love

Now available is our new Daily Prayer devotional! An easy way to find start your day with prayer, read today’s prayer and sign up to receive by email.

Источник: //www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/a-prayer-for-strength.html

7 Exercises for Spiritual Strength

What is spiritual strength?

building physical strength when you work out, building spiritual strength is similar but on the inside. Building your “spiritual strength” activates your spirit and connection to the divine from within, giving you the power you need to live a life of purpose and fulfillment.

  Even though you already may be living a fulfilling life, your spiritual exercises will make life that much sweeter.  

Just the feeling after a physical workout, spiritual exercise allows your energy to flow more freely, and the feelings of love and positivity will fill your being.

Negative thoughts will be forgotten and negative experiences will diminish.

When you give and receive positive energy through these exercises, you immediately feel happier. Here’s 7 simple spiritual exercises you can try right now.

1. Spend more time with loving, encouraging family/friends

Think of your relationships for a moment, does it paint a picture that you’d to improve?

Some of your best moments in life can be with family, but some others may not be so memorable.  Don’t hold on to the negative memories – they’re too much of a burden to bear.  Release them and know that they will be taken care of for you.

  You are meant to be happy and enjoy life, especially happy times with those who you are close with.  When you’re focused on being spiritually centered, you are always divinely protected.

  Some negative thoughts can come up and try to bring you down, but you can be confident in your spiritual strength,  letting it speak for you – kind of a bodyguard!

Give this time with your family or friends the attention and love it deserves. When your heart opens up to your loved ones this way, new patterns and thoughts develop in you. From these new thoughts, you can build the foundation to healthier relationships.

Take action to show those important to you how much you appreciate them. It can be as simple as a phone call or email to warm someone’s heart.  It could even turn their whole life around.

Getting outside is vital to building your spiritual strength.  An increased connection to nature and the Earth places you in alignment with the real living energy.

  Enjoy the sunshine and let it shine on your face (your pineal gland is actually light sensitive)  You can do this more by making it a habit to eat outdoors or even take a walk to watch the sunrise or sunset.

As you spend more time outside, be aware of the sights and sounds of nature.  Feel the energy of the wind as it blows past you and be sure to smell your surroundings.  You were meant to be pleased through your senses, and nature can do that in multiple ways.

3. Reduce distractions (TV, Radio, Internet, Newspaper)

Media can fill your mind with thousands of ads, episodes, and events that are nowhere near vital to living your best life.

   When you reduce the absorption of participating in these activities, there is far less manufactured stimuli being fed in, and your brain has a chance to be silent.

  These moments of silence gives you an opportunity to strengthen your spiritual connection and those around you.

And if you’re not ready to give these things up or reduce your intake (we understand), just try to sharpen your focus on what you DO want to see ( Power of Positivity), rather than what you don’t.

4. Observe your thoughts about the people around you.

It’s very important to send positive energy to others as well as opening up to receive it yourself.  There’s no room in this life to judge others, as you may be judged by others for your own actions.  Focusing on pain, gossip, fear, or sadness does not serve anyone.

The energy you send others can help them hurdle their challenge, or stumble trip and fall.  Be kind to all people.  See the good (and the God) in them and help try to amplify that voice to help lead them to their best life.  You may have no idea the kind of battle they’re fighting right now – the energy you send them is very important.

5. Step out in faith

Be confident to stand strong in the face of adversity.  Know that the Divine has got your back, and that a bigger breakthrough is in store for you beyond your challenges.

There may be forces that have an investment in keeping you from receiving your best life, but when you decide to stand up or speak out, knowing that your faith is bigger than your fear, the illusion of fear that’s trying to hold you down will diminish and eventually disappear.

You become stronger and wiser when you step out in faith.  The lessons brought about by all people and situations we come into contact with are our teachers AND our exams – take this chance to get an A+!

6. Be of service to others

History shows that the most spiritually strong, peaceful, loving people were focused on being of service to others. Jesus, Buddha, Mother Theresa, Gandhi… the list goes on. There is real power and peace in service for its own sake.

  Take time to help someone in need, or share a contact with them who can.  You don’t have to be special to be the turning point in someone’s life – every person you encounter is brought to you for a specific reason.

  Serve the situation and your spiritual strength will surely grow.

7. Make prayer/meditation a habit.

Regular observance of the “unseen” helpers and guides, angels, or whomever you call on that surrounds you, will cause a change in you.  A great exercise for spiritual strength is to pray or meditate (however you prefer) at least two times a day.

Prayer or meditation usually has a formal beginning “Dear God,” or “Dear Heavenly Father,” or “Oh Great Healing Spirit.” Other faiths have specific rituals, such as the Muslim religion reciting “The Opening” in a specific posture. It can be practiced in a variety of ways and positions, but all will ultimately help build your spiritual strength and lead you to your best life.

   As you pray/meditate, sit quietly and allow the divine to come into you to strengthen and illuminate your spirit.  Keep your requests in the positive tense, focusing on healing instead of sickness or disease, abundance instead of scarcity, and so on.  If you acknowledge the negative energy, you claim ownership to it and allow it to stay in your life.

  Flood it with the positive!

  You can practice prayer and meditation at any time however, you can connect with the divine whenever you , just by reminding yourself verbally or through thought that you are always one.

  Over time, you will see many positive results from this spiritual strength exercise.

Develop a routine from these exercises and remain steadfast in your focus of growing your spiritual strength.

As you practice, you’ll see your life improve in front of your eyes and will also see that there’s far more strength inside you than you could have ever imagined.

  Spiritual strength creates beautiful life experiences that cannot be explained in physical terms, gives you confidence, and lets you know that you’re moving in the right direction of life.

What exercises do you practice to increase your spiritual strength?

Источник: //www.powerofpositivity.com/7-exercises-for-spiritual-strength/

10 Powerful Prayers For Strength

Prayer does not need to be a flowery speech; its how we talk to God. We pray when we want to communicate thanksgiving or a need to our Heavenly Father.

He is the source of our strength and every one of our prayers is heard by Him. He not only listens and answers our prayers; He also tells us how to pray. We see the model for prayer as given by Jesus in Matthew 6.

  I list the model below amongst these ten powerful prayers for strength.

Jesus Taught Us How To Pray

Jesus Teaches Us to Pray; Physical and Spiritual Strength

Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

Amen.

Jesus Acknowledges God’s Strength in Raising Lazarus

John 11:41-42 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Jesus Needed Strength; He Petitioned The Father

 John 12:27-28 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 

Jesus Prays For All Men; the Strength of Selfless Love

John 17  1When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

 5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

 6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.

 8For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15I do not ask that you take them the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

 17Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

 20“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

24Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.

 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Jabez Prayed for Strength in an Enlarged Land

I Chronicles 4:10 Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.

Nehemiah’s Prayer; Strength For a Big Project

Nehemiah 1:5-11 …“O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

Jonah’s Prayer from the Belly of a Fish

Jonah 2:2-7 …“I called out to the LORD, my distress, and he answered me; the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me.

 Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple. ‘The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains.

I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit,O LORD my God. When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.

 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay.  Salvation belongs to the LORD!”

O Strength and Stay (John Bacchus Dykes; Ambrose of Milan)

O Strength and Stay upholding all creation,Who ever dost Thyself unmoved abide;Yet day by day the light in due gradation

From hour to hour through all its changes guide.

Grant to life’s day a calm unclouded ending,
An eve untouched by shadows of decay,
The brightness of a holy deathbed blending
With dawning glories of the eternal day.

Hear us, O Father, gracious and forgiving,
Through Jesus Christ Thy co-eternal Word,
Who, with the Holy Ghost, by all things living
Now and to endless ages art adored. 

Lead Me (Sanctus Real)

I look around and see my wonderful lifeAlmost perfect from the outsideIn picture frames I see my beautiful wifeAlways smiling

But on the inside, I can hear her saying…

Chorus:

“Lead me with strong handsStand up when I can’tDon’t leave me hungry for loveChasing dreams, what about us?
Show me you’re willing to fightThat I’m still the love of your lifeI know we call this our homeBut I still feel alone”
I see their faces, look in their innocent eyesThey’re just children from the outsideI’m working hard, I tell myself they’ll be fineThey’re in independent

But on the inside, I can hear them saying…

(repeat chorus)

So Father, give me the strengthTo be everything I’m called to beOh, Father, show me the wayTo lead themWon’t You lead me?
To lead them with strong handsTo stand up when they can’tDon’t want to leave them hungry for love,

Chasing things that I could give up

I’ll show them I’m willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, ’cause I can’t do this alone

Father, lead me, ’cause I can’t do this alone

Our God is Greater (Chris Tomlin)

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10 Popular Bedtime Prayers

Sources:

The Holy Bible, King James Version

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

.com “Our God is Greater” by Chris Tomlin

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as: Bible Verses by Topic, Jesus Christ, Prayers, strength

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