ABIDE Prayer: Adopted by God
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.
“You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:15-16)
Prayers of Thanksgiving
Read Romans 8:15-16 and consider the amazing gift that we have been given by our Heavenly Father. God adopted us and we are His children. We are rescued, redeemed, set free, given new life and eternal life because we belong to God. We are His children.
Prayer: Spend a few moments thanking God for His love for you and how your life is changed because of His love for you.
Prayers for God’s Blessings
Scripture tells us that our Father poured out His blessings on us. We are His blessed children. “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3)
Where do you need God’s blessings in your life? Where do you need His provision, His peace, His love and His Spirit to empower you? Where do you need God’s love, grace and truth to be revealed to you? Where do you need God’s comfort and healing?
Prayer: Spend a few moments in prayer, asking your Father to bless you. Ask your Father to help you receive the spiritual blessings He poured out to you through Christ.
Prayers for God’s Love
Scripture tells us in 1 John 4:9-10, “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” We are deeply loved by God. The evidence of God’s love for us is the cross. He gave us His Son so that we could have a relationship with Him. God revealed His love to us through Christ and He continues to reveal His love to us through our relationship with Him.
Prayer for Our Hearts
Ask God to help you receive more of His love for you. Ask God to help you walk in the truth that you are His adopted son/daughter whom He has richly blessed.
Prayer for Others’ Hearts
Scripture tells us in 1 John 4:11, “Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.” As we receive God’s love for us, we can give His love to others.
Let’s ask God to help us love others – our family, friends, neighbors and beyond. May the love of God be known to others through us!
Closing Prayer: Father, thank you for loving us and revealing your love to us through Christ. Thank you for adopting us and giving us every spiritual blessing in Christ. We are in desperate need of you. Forgive us of our pride and independence, and help us walk in greater dependence on you and receive more of you in our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
