Scripture: Matthew
4:1-11
Having had this reading earlier in the week, please resist
the temptation to skim it over (although if you have time for nothing more,
please skim!) and take your devotion time to re-read the Gospel lesson slowly.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to teach you as you read the
Scripture lesson, and ask him to teach you to pray, opening your heart and mind
to pray according to God’s will.
Prayer
On Fridays you will be encouraged to pray for a variety of
prayer requests. The hope is that through these prayer requests we will,
obviously, intercede for those need prayer, and that we will learn to think
more broadly in our prayers. If time is short, you could simply pray the Lord’s
Prayer.
For deliverance from temptation. Pray, “that God would guard
and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive
us or mislead us into false believe, despair, and other great shame and vice.”[1]
For those who have power and authority. That they be
protected from the temptation to use their offices in selfish ways, but use
them as a blessing to others.
For God’s will to be done, remembering, “God’s will is done
when He breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world,
and our sinful nature….”[2]
For all who are burdened by sin, that they find forgiveness
in Christ.
For your neighbors that the Spirit of God would be at work in
their lives to either grow their faith if they are Christians, or to work in
their lives to draw them to faith.
For your family that God would protect and defend your
specific family, friends, and loved ones from temptation. Pray for them
individually by name.
For those who fast through the Lenten season, that their
fast would not satisfy the desires of sinful motivations, but would lead them
to prayer and deeper reliance on God.
For sinners, especially those whose sin repulses you, that
they would know God’s love and forgiveness in Christ, and that your own heart
would be moved to compassion for those who are trapped in spiritually deadly
behaviors.
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