ABIDE Prayer Guide
Psalm 18
Aligning our Hearts with God
Let’s begin ABIDE by taking a moment to quiet our hearts and minds before God. Simply take a deep breath and exhale slowly. You may want to pray a “breath prayer” as you inhale and exhale, such as, “Jesus, you are my deliverer.”
Note: If you are leading a small group through ABIDE, pray the first prayer below over those you are leading. If you are praying ABIDE alone, use the second prayer.
Small Group Prayer: Father, we love you and we need you. Holy Spirit, fill us and lead us as we gather to pray and study Scripture. We dedicate this time to you and what you have for us to receive from you as your sons and daughters. Remove any distractions and help us to focus our hearts on you. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Personal Prayer: Father, I give my heart to you. I surrender every area of my life to you. I choose to trust you with my whole heart and with everything in my life. You are my good, good Father who loves me. Thank you for being faithful, all-knowing and all-powerful. Remove any distractions from me and help me focus on you. Holy Spirit, fill me and help me discern your voice as I pray. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Today’s Focus for ABIDE is on God’s promises to be our strength, deliverer and rescue. You may want to read all of Psalm 18 if you have the time as we will focus on just a few of the verses in Psalm 18 in ABIDE.
I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I was saved from my enemies (Psalm 18:1-3).
As we walk through life, we experience a variety of disappointments, rejections, losses, illnesses and simply the stress of everyday life can feel overwhelming. The daily spiritual battle for our attention – for our hearts – can cause us to become weary. We need God’s rescue and that is exactly who God is for us!
As God’s sons and daughters, we are never alone. Our Father is always with us and He is our rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield, horn of our salvation and our stronghold. We can receive God’s strength and deliverance as we align our hearts with Him through confessing our need for Him, our desire for Him and asking our Father to help us trust Him with our whole hearts.
Prayers of Praise
Let’s take a moment and choose to praise God and exalt Him over everything – our emotions, our thoughts, our trials – anything that you are feeling or walking through that is exalting itself in your life.
Prayer: Father, we/I praise you and exalt you over___________________________(fill in the blank with what the Spirit is bringing to mind) and declare that you are greater! You reign over all and I exalt your name over ____________________________. In Jesus Name.
Prayers for Our Heart
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he pulled me out of deep water. He rescued me from my powerful enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me. (Psalm 18:16-17)
What do you need God to “rescue” you from today? Do you need rescue from stress, fear, anxiety, unforgiveness, illness, pride or perhaps a sin or lie the enemy tells you about yourself?
Prayer: Take a moment to silently ask the LORD to speak to your heart. Ask God to show you what you need Him to rescue you from today. Then ask God to rescue you – save you, deliver you.
Prayer for Other’s Hearts
He brought me out to a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. (Psalm 18:19)
Our Father rescues us because we are His sons and daughters and He delights in us! We did not “do” anything to deserve or earn God’s rescue. God’s rescue is all about His love and grace that was poured out to us through sending the Deliverer – Jesus Christ our Rescue!
As the Spirit continues to lead us, let’s pray for those He puts on our heart. Let’s pray for God to reveal Himself to him/her today in ways that show them that God delights in them and He desire to rescue them and lead them to freedom (a spacious place).
Prayer: God, we/I pray for_____________________________and ask that you reveal yourself to him/her. Help him/her to experience your rescue and the truth that you delight in him/her and desire to walk with him/her in a deep and personal way. In Jesus Name.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you that we are never alone. You are our strength, our refuge, our rescue and the One who illuminates our darkness (Psalm 18:28). Help us to continually align our hearts with you so that we can receive all that you have for us as your sons and daughters, and extend your Gospel to those around us. In Jesus Name, Amen.
