ABIDE Prayer: Choosing Thankfulness
The purpose of ABIDE is to seek God through prayer, rely on the Spirit as we gather together, and pray with unity and purpose. ABIDE prayers are Scripture-led and Spirit-focused prayers.
Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful holiday that we celebrate once a year. However, “thanksgiving” is a choice we make daily to give thanks or to not give thanks. For most of us, it is difficult to give thanks when we are walking through a trial, grieving, suffering or even experiencing spiritual warfare. But we can choose to give thanks as we walk through pain, trials and storms.
Read Isaiah 40:25-31 as a prayer to God.
“To whom will you compare me, or who is my equal?” asks the Holy One. Look up and see! Who created these? He brings out the stars by number; he calls all of them by name. Because of his great power and strength, not one of them is missing. Jacob, why do you say, and, Israel, why do you assert: “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my claim is ignored by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding. He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.”
Prayers of Thanksgiving & Praise
Pray some of the attributes of God that you see in Isaiah 40:25-31. God, I praise you and thank you for _____________ (fill in the blank with an attribute of God from Isaiah 40:25-31).
Prayers for Strength with Thanksgiving
Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.” Ask God to help you and thank Him for giving you His strength where you are weary.
God, I am weary and need your strength in _____________, and I thank you for giving me your strength so that I can soar, run and walk through your grace and power within me. (Fill in the blank with whatever you need God’s help with and thank Him for giving you His strength).
Prayers for One Another
Isaiah 40: 29 says, “He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.” One of the ways that God gives strength to the faint and the powerless is through intercessory prayer. When we pray for one another God uses those prayers in a mighty way to strengthen the faint and release His power to the powerless.
Pray for those God places on your heart, and thank Him for what He is doing in their lives. Thank God for His strength, His grace and His power that is at work within us.
Closing Prayer
Thank you for those in my community. Thank you for their lives and the gift they are to you and your Kingdom. I ask you to bless them with your peace, your strength, your grace and a greater revelation of your love for them. Comfort those who are grieving, bind up the brokenhearted and strengthen the weak. Give me a spirit of praise and fill my heart with gratitude for what you’ve done for us through Christ Jesus. Open my heart and mind to how you are speaking to me today. Help me hear you, trust you and follow you, In Jesus’ name, Amen.
