We believe in the power of prayer. We believe that the act of prayer can transform lives and communities. We believe that every prayer matters as it opens us to knowing and sharing the love of God! This Lenten season, you are invited to join Clay Church in the practice of prayer using the Gospel of Luke as our guide. This devotional book, which connects with our sermon guides for Circles, will lead us in daily prayer all the way to Easter. Each page of this guide includes a quote, a passage from Luke to read as a starting place, and a short prayer. Each Sunday you ll find a prayer activity and space to take sermon notes. You ll also find space to write your own prayers, reflections, or to journal. At the back of the guide, you ll find prayers and Scripture readings for Holy Week as well. Our prayer is that this Lenten practice together as individuals and Clay Circles will unleash the Holy Spirit and create a time of learning, sharing, and spiritual growth for all. LET S PRAY!
The Lord s Prayer in Luke Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. - Luke 11:2-4 (NIV) Names for God you use when you pray. Praises to God. Prayers for God s will and kingdom. Prayers for daily needs; thanks for God s daily provision. Prayers for and of forgiveness. Prayers for strength in facing temptation.
"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?" - Corrie ten Boom Reading: Luke 1:1-38 I am the Lord s servant, Mary answered. May your word to me be fulfilled... Luke 1:38 Lord, not my will but Yours be done. Help me to see your path for my life. Guide me to see Your Holy Spirt at work, that I may follow where You lead. Amen.
For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. - St. Therese of Lisieux Reading: Luke 1:39-56 And Mary said: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior - Luke 1:46-47 Holy and Amazing God, I thank you today for all You have done. Thank you for (list below what you ve witnessed God doing in your life that you are thankful for):
"To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." - C.S. Lewis Reading: Luke 1:57-80 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins - Luke 1:77 Jesus, forgive me for the things I ve done wrong and the times I ve turned away. And Lord, in this forgiveness You offer, empower me to forgive others.
In the morning, prayer is the key that opens to us the treasures of God's mercies and blessings - Billy Graham Reading: Luke 2 Then [Jesus] went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. - Luke 2:51 Creator of All Things, sometimes I forget that You made everything that is. So today I want to thank you for these things that I treasure in my heart but so easily take for granted:
"God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil." EM Bounds Reading: Luke 3 John answered, Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same. - Luke 3:11 Lord, may Your kingdom come! Help me in the way I live my life today, and every day, to prepare the way for others to know the grace and love of Jesus, for Your kingdom.
"Every time you defeat a temptation, you become more like Jesus!" - Rick Warren Reading: Luke 4:1-13 Jesus answered, It is said: Do not put the Lord your God to the test. - Luke 4:12 God, the things I list here are those that tempt me to be unhealthy or turn away from You. Help me to resist these temptations in my life:
Write down both the highlights and the challenges of the past week. Where did you feel close to God? Where did God seem far away? Share two or three questions or challenges that you are facing right now in life. Write down two or three things you think God might want to say to you today.
"Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays." - Soren Kierkegaard Reading: Luke 4:14-44 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. Luke 4:14 Lord, may my prayers this week create room for the Holy Spirit to guide and direct my life and move in powerful ways. Guide me to be a faithful follower who shares Your love!
Our world is saturated with grace, and the lurking presence of God is revealed not only in spirit but in matter. - Brennan Manning Reading: Luke 5:1-26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, We have seen remarkable things today. Luke 5:26 Jesus, as I reflect on the last 24 hours, fill me with a sense of awe and wonder in the blessings and how You were at work in each and every moment. (List below how you ve experienced the Holy Spirit at work in your life.)
Use me, God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself. Martin Luther King, Jr. Reading: Luke 5:27-39 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. Follow me, Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. - Luke 5:27-28 Holy Spirit, as I list my gifts, talents, connections, and relationships below, show me how I can answer Your call to reach one more person with Your love.
Prayer lays hold of God's plan and becomes the link between His will and its accomplishment on earth. Elisabeth Elliot Reading: Luke 6:1-26 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles - Luke 6:12-13 Lord, I want to share with you these areas of my life where I need your guidance. Show me Your will and Your way for my life.
[Prayer] gives us relief from the melancholy burden of self-absorption. Tim Keller Reading: Luke 6:27-49 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. - Luke 6:28 Spirit of God, help me to see others in my life as You see them so that I may care as You care for me, forgive as You have forgiven me, comfort as You have comforted me, and love as You love me. Today I pray for Your will in my relationships with:
Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts. Mother Teresa Reading: Luke 7:1-35 They were all filled with awe and praised God. A great prophet has appeared among us, they said. God has come to help his people. - Luke 7:16 God, this week I give thanks for the ways that I ve witnessed Jesus at work in my life through the Holy Spirit. Thank you for (list the ways)
Who do you know who is struggling with illness, life s challenges, or grief? Who do you know who doesn t have a relationship with Jesus or doesn t have a church community loving them? What groups of people in our community do you see struggling, facing injustice, or as underserved? Who gets under your skin easily? Who do you find hard to love or hard to understand? Who would you consider an enemy? Pray every day this week for these names or groups of people!
"Discernment is God's call to intercession, never to faultfinding." - Corrie Ten Boom Reading: Luke 7:36-50 The other guests began to say among themselves, Who is this who even forgives sins? - Luke 7:49 (Write the name of someone you know who you hope can come to know the love of Jesus or grow in relationship with Jesus.) God of Grace, I pray today for (name). I pray for a deeper relationship with Jesus, and for a sense of Your grace, forgiveness, and love.
The great people of the earth today are the people who pray, (not) those who talk about prayer. S.D. Gordon Reading: Luke 8:1-25 No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. - Luke 8:16 Holy Spirit, show me how I can offer not just words, but let this prayer guide me to witness Your love and grace to another through a kind word, a note, or a gesture of kindness.
No [person] can do me a truer kindness in this world than pray for me. Charles Spurgeon Reading: Luke 8:26-56 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. - Luke 8:44 Jesus, I know you as our Healer and Redeemer. As I write these names below of those who suffer or struggle, I pray for healing, comfort, and hope for each one.
Let our chief work as God's messengers be intercession; in it we secure the presence and power of God to go with us." - Andrew Murray Reading: Luke 9 [Jesus] replied, You give them something to eat. - Luke 9:13 Lord of Life, I pray today for those who are hungry and thirsty, literally and figuratively. I pray that we who follow You, Your church, may answer Your call to feed the hungry and create a world where no one goes without.
"If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer: Intercession is a way of loving others." - Richard J. Foster Reading: Luke 10:1-24 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, The kingdom of God has come near to you. - Luke 10:9 Lord, the names below are those I encountered today or will encounter tomorrow. I pray for each one, that in my witness they may experience the kingdom of God coming near, sensing Your joy, love, and peace.
"Prayer for others is very beneficial to the [person] who prays; it purifies the heart, strengthens faith and hope in God, and arouses love for God and our neighbor." - John of Kronstadt Reading: Luke 10:25-42 The expert in the law replied, The one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, Go and do likewise. - Luke 10:37 Jesus, I pray today for all of my neighbors, and particularly those I m listing here who I know need a sense of Your mercy and love. Send me, Lord, to be Your light and witness.
Write a letter to God. Imagine how God would respond to your letter with grace and encouragement.
Let others say what they will of the efficacy of prayer, I believe in it, and I shall pray. Thank God! Yes, I shall always pray, Sojourner Truth Reading: Luke 11 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. - Luke 11:10 Lord, help me deepen my relationship with You. May I never stop seeking to know You better. Remind me that in the good times and in the difficult times, you are always ready to share in them with me.
If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back to the point quite gently and replace it tenderly in its Master's presence. St. Francis de Sales Reading: Luke 12 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Luke 12:34 Forgiving God, as I list these things below that stand in the way of my relationship with Jesus or distract me from following You, forgive me. Help me set aside that which holds me back from a life-giving relationship with Jesus.
A little child cannot do a bad coloring; nor can a child of God do a bad prayer. - Brennan Manning Reading: Luke 13 Then Jesus asked, What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches. - Luke 13:18-19 Lord, let Your love grow in me as I share in these words below the hopes and dreams that you ve put on my heart and my thanks for ways that Your kingdom is growing around me.
"The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.'" - Billy Graham Reading: Luke 14 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Luke 14:11 Jesus, I humbly come before You knowing that I need You in my life. As I list these things important to me, hear my invitation for You to enter in and be Lord of all.
Be not forgetful of prayer. Every time you pray, if your prayer is sincere, there will be new feeling and new meaning in it, which will give you fresh courage, and you will understand that prayer is an education. Fyodor Dostoevsky Reading: Luke 15:1-10 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. - Luke 15:1 Jesus, as I rest now in a few minutes of silence, open my heart to Your word and Your teaching. Then as I write and reflect below on these moments, may You speak into my life the truth and guidance I need to hear.
I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. Abraham Lincoln Reading: Luke 15:11-32 So he got up and went to his father. - Luke 15:20 God of grace, sometimes I wander off the right path, and sometimes I forget to acknowledge Your presence. Remind me now and in every time of prayer of Your constant invitation to repent, turn around, and be welcomed back into Your love.
Memorize these breath prayers! Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior, Have mercy on me, a sinner. (from Psalm 123:3 and Luke 18:13) Be still and know that I am God. (from Psalm 46:10) Speak, Lord For your servant is listening (from 1 Samuel 3:9) Here I am, Lord Send me. (Isaiah 6:8) Come, Lord Jesus. (from Revelation 22:20)
Lord, order our steps and help us order our priorities, keeping You above idols and material possessions - Martin Luther King Jr. Reading: Luke 16 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. - Luke 16:13 Holy Spirit, as I pray by listing what I value most below, remind me of what matters. Help me prioritize my time and resources, and help me let go of being controlled by the things culture says are important that have no eternal value.
Go where your best prayers take you. Frederick Buechner Reading: Luke 17 The apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith! - Luke 17:5 Jesus, increase my faith! As I list the temptations of my life below, give me the strength to avoid those things which are not life-giving.
I know that when I pray, something wonderful happens I'm grateful that I'm heard. - Maya Angelou Reading: Luke 18 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? - Luke 18:7 God, as I share below these things that seem unjust, in the world and in my life, I cry out to you as Judge and Redeemer to be reminded that Jesus taught the path to life is love and forgiveness, not anger and bitterness.
I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer. Martin Luther Reading: Luke 19 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. - Luke 19:3 Jesus, these things I list below can sometimes cause me to lose sight of You in my life. In those moments when life seems overwhelming or these things are happening, remind me nothing is more important than stopping to look for You.
We pray when there's nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all. Oswald Chambers Reading: Luke 20:1-26 Tell us by what authority you are doing these things, they said [to Jesus]. Who gave you this authority? - Luke 20:2 Lord Jesus, I list below the voices that can sometimes drown out Your voice in my life. Guide me in those times first to Your word and Your church so that Your voice can call me into the life of love and joy that You offer.
Our prayers do make a difference. Max Lucado Reading: Luke 20:27-47 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. - Luke 20:27 All-Knowing God, sometimes I am confused and unsure of what voice to listen to. As I share these questions that I wrestle with, guide me to keep asking, to keep seeking You even in the uncertainty!
Seven Minutes Somewhere Prayer Challenge for This Week Everyone need a place somewhere. Somewhere Somewhere somewhere else. Places to Pray
Prayer is our way of entering into the happiness of God himself. Tim Keller Reading: Luke 21 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. - Luke 21:33 Holy Spirit, wherever I am, wherever I go, may I know you are always there. Remind me as I write my favorite Scripture below that I can call to mind Your presence by repeating these words anywhere.
Finally, [prayer] is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus. St. Therese of Lisieux Reading: Luke 22:1-38 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. - Luke 22:19 Jesus, help me remember. Each time I break bread with others, may I pause and take a moment to pray, to remember, and to know Your presence through Your church.
Help is a prayer that is always answered. It doesn't matter how you pray with your head bowed in silence, or crying out in grief, or dancing. Anne Lamott Reading: Luke 22:39 23:25 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. - Luke 22:39 God of Strength and Power, as I share here the challenges I face in life, hear my prayer for fortitude, faithfulness, and a powerful sense of Your abiding presence.
According to Jesus, by far the most important thing about praying is to keep at it. - Frederick Buechner Reading: Luke 23:26-56 Then he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. - Luke 23:42 Jesus, my Lord and Savior, as I offer a prayer today in the shadow of the cross, I remember the sacrifice You made for me and the promise that not even death can separate me from Your love.
Churches are good for prayer, but so are garages and cars and mountains and showers and dance floors. Anne Lamott Reading: Luke 24:1-35 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them - Luke 24:15 Holy Spirit, as I list all the places I know I will be this week, remind me that You will already be there!
Believe Somebody is listening. - Frederick Buechner Reading: Luke 24:36-53 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you. - Luke 24:36 God of us all, as I list the communities and families I m a part of, call me to see You in our midst and to share Your love as a witness in these groups of people!
Reading: John 12:12-19 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel! - John 12:13 Lord, let my life be a witness to You in my community and beyond through what I say and how I live. Reading: John 13 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. - John 13:15 Jesus, show me how I can live by your example in my daily life.
Reading: John 14:1-31 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. - John 14:27 My Lord and Savior, grant me the kind of peace that surpasses understanding. In those moments when my heart is troubled or the world seems cruel and difficult, help me put my trust in You. Reading: John 15-16 This is to my Father s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. - John 15:8 Heavenly Father, let my life bear fruit for You and Your kingdom. Help me to live in such a way that Your love flows through me.
Reading: John 17 My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. - John 17:20-21 God of us all, I join Jesus in prayer that all may be one, that we might be united in Your love and the call to share that love with everyone. Reading: John 18 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow. - John 18:27 Lord Jesus, when I deny you in word or by the example of my life, forgive me. Show me the path to restoration, to hope, to faithfully witness to Your love and grace.
Reading: John 19 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night - John 19:38-39 God of Light and Darkness, these stories of Joseph and Nicodemus remind me that change is possible, that Your love transforms lives. In the darkest places of life and our world, help me bear witness to Your love. Reading: John 20 And with that he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. - John 20:22 Thank you, God, for saving us and saving me. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the promise that the worst thing will never be the last thing. Amen.