ABIDE Prayer Guide
We need God’s Love
See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children- and we are! (1 John 3:1a).
God created us with a desperate need in our hearts for His love. We do not “outgrow” our need for God’s love. The enemy has certainly lied to us about God’s love and our need for God’s love causing us to feel weak, selfish or perhaps even ashamed for needing God’s love.
Today’s ABIDE is an invitation to step out of the lies of the enemy and into the truth of what God says to us about His love.
Opening Prayer
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, “Father, I need your love.”
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.
Prayers of Thanksgiving
Take a moment to listen to how God describes His love for you through His Word and then thank God for specific ways He shows love to you.
Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
Though the mountains move and the hills shake, my love will not be removed from you and my covenant of peace will not be shaken, says your compassionate LORD. (Isaiah 54:10)
Prayer: Father, thank you for______________________________(fill in the blank with prayers of thanksgiving for your Father’s love for you). In Jesus Name.
Prayers for our Hearts
God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you. I thirst for you in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water. (Psalm 63:1)
We desperately need God’s love. We can’t experience true fulfillment in Jesus Christ apart from receiving God’s love. Our lives can’t be transformed apart from God’s love. Yet, past hurts and lies from the enemy and sin create “walls” that keep us from receiving God’s love in a deep and personal way.
Let’s ask God to tear down whatever walls that are separating us from receiving God’s love in a deep and personal way.
Prayer: God, tear down the wall of_________________________(fill in the blank with whatever hinders you from God’s love – examples: pride, independence, lies from the enemy, trying to earn His love, past hurts) and help me receive your love in a deeper way. In Jesus Name.
Prayer for Other’s Hearts
Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7)
People are hurting all around us and are in desperate need of God’s love. As God’s sons and daughters, we have the honor and the power through the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s love to others. Let’s ask our Father to help us and teach us to love others the way He loves us.
Prayer: God, help __________________________to know your love for him/her and teach me how to love him/her (fill in the blank with the name of someone the Spirit brings to your mind). In Jesus Name.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank you for loving us unconditionally and creating us with a desperate need for your love. Help us to daily acknowledge our desperate need for your love. Align our hearts with you so that we can receive your love and extend your love to those around us. In Jesus Name, Amen.
