A prayer based on 1 John 5:14-21.

<aside> 🙏🏻 We praise you our God, the only God, the true and living God. We praise you that we can approach you with confidence because the Lord Jesus has dealt with our sins and made us righteous in your sight. We praise you that we can come right into your very presence now with our prayers and petitions. And we pray that our prayers and this prayer would be according to your will and in line with your Word says, that you would not only be delighted to hear it, but be pleased to answer it.

Father in heaven, God of our salvation, in your grace and mercy, we plead with you to powerfully act in the lives of those we know who are currently dead in their sins, blinded by the evil one, unresponsive to your gospel, and facing your wrath. Seek them by your Word and Spirit, give them the gift of the repentance and faith, save them on the basis of your Son, Jesus’ blood and righteousness. We know that your desire is for people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. We know that there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. And so we pray that we would be able to share in this joy by seeing you add to your church, so that their sins would not lead to death and hell.

We thank you that because of our faith in your Son, all our sins have been forgiven. Every single one of them. Those we have committed in the past. Those we have committed in the present, including those we have today. And those who will commit in the future. We thank you that all of them have been washed away. That the punishment we deserve for even the smallest of them won’t lead to death. Help us, by your Spirit, to remember that we have not just been set free from the penalty of sin, but its power too. That because we have been born again, we can live differently, no longer how we used to. Grow in us a strong hatred of sin and unrighteousness and of all the different ways we can disobey your commands - including those we might be unaware of currently. Cause us to flee from them and to separate ourselves from the dark ways of the world, and to live distinctly by following the commands that Christ has given and the example He has set. Increase our love and desire for you, that it would be far more than any other thing. Keep us from idols. Help us to see your beauty and loveliness and perfection and excellencies more clearly and have hearts that adore you. May that happen as your Word is preached every Sunday, and that what we hear does faithfully represents who you are.

And Lord, we are grieved that the whole world is under the sway of the devil. That he is keeping the offer of peace with you and eternal life in your presence hidden from the eyes of millions upon millions of people from every nation, from every people, from every language. But we thank you that you came to give understanding through the gospel so that they, like us, may know you. Lord Jesus, advance your cause and build your church in all the earth. We pray that the good news of your death and resurrection would spread from village to village, from town to town, from city to city, from country to country, and that all your people, wherever they may be found, may believe and be saved, until the last one has been rescued by you. So, hear our prayer, be pleased to answer what we have asked of you. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, the true God and eternal life. Amen.

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