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INTRODUCTIONOur churchwide goal this year at Cityview is Pursue God in Prayer. We have always been a praying church, but the elders sense the need to focus our efforts on growing in prayer during the 2019-2020 ministry year. Part of the goal is encouraging each person in the Cityview family to grow in their personal prayer life. Jesus warns us in Matthew 6:5-8 about being people who pray publicly for show, but fail to pray privately before the Lord. We want to be a church that has an active prayer ministry AND is full of people who pray when no one is watching.

This prayer guide is intended to encourage your personal (and family) prayer in two ways: first, by providing biblical and historical language for prayer; and two, by providing a daily rhythm for prayer. Both are important.

The prayers included in this guide are given to launch you into personal, spontaneous prayer before the Lord. The prayers come from Scripture (which has a long catalog of prayers) and from church history. Many people struggle to pray because they don’t know what to say. These prayers are designed to help you develop the language of prayer – to know what kinds of words to use when you talk to God. But these prayers are not exhaustive. Start with the words of Scripture and the words of church history, and then use your own words, spoken from the heart. God our Father wants to hear from His children.

The guide is set up around three prayer times a day – morning, midday, and evening. The Bible commands us to “pray constantly” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), meaning that our life should be marked by on-going prayer. The morning, midday, evening rhythm of prayer has been used throughout church history to give structure to our prayer life.

The beauty of morning prayer is that you start your day with the Lord, looking up to Him and casting your cares at

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His feet. The power of evening prayer is that you finish your day with the Lord, thanking Him for His provision and trusting Him with the work of your hands. The midday prayer is given to encourage us to stop during the middle of our busy day and spend a few minutes in prayer with the Lord. The midday prayer reminds us that we are dependent on God for every breath we take and every success we achieve.

The elders at Cityview want to encourage you to pursue God in prayer this year. As you seek God in prayer, remember the gospel: God pursued you first. All of our prayers are a response to the knowledge of God revealed in the Scripture and the grace of God revealed in Christ. Because of this beautiful truth, we seek God in prayer as adopted children who know that we are forgiven and secure in His love. We don’t pray to get God to love us. We pray because we know that God loves us.

Join us in prayer this year! We can’t wait to see how God grows us in faith and moves in response to our prayers.

-Pastor Keith

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SUNDAY MORNING

“Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Matthew 6:9-13 (The Lord’s Prayer)

“Grant to me, O Lord, to know what I ought to know,to love what I ought to love, to praise what delights You most, to value what is precious in Your sight, to hate what is offensive to You. Do not suffer me to judge according to the sight of my eyes nor to pass sentence according to the hearing of ignorant men; But to discern with true judgment between things visible and spiritual and above all things to inquire what is the good pleasure of Your will.Amen.”

Thomas A Kempis (1380-1471)

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SUNDAY MIDDAY

“Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You have created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”

Revelation 4:11

“Keep us, O God, from all pettiness, let us be large in thought, in word, in deed. Let us be done with the fault finding, and leave off all self-seeking. May we put away all pretense, and meet each other face to face without self-pity and without prejudice. May we never be hasty in judgment and always generous. Let us take time for all things, and make us to grow calm, serene, and gentle. Teach us to put into action our better impulses, straightforward and unafraid. Grant that we may realize that it is the little things of life that create differences, that in the big things of life, we are as one. And, O Lord God, let us not forget to be kind! Amen.”

Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland (1542-1587)

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SUNDAY EVENING

“I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep. The Lord protects you; the Lord is a shelter right by your side. The sun will not strike you by day or the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life. The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever.”

Psalm 121

I thank You, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day, And I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, And graciously keep me this night. For into Thy hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

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MONDAY MORNING

“Pay attention, heavens, and I will speak; listen, earth, to the words from my mouth. Let my teaching fall like rain and my word settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass and showers on tender plants. For I will proclaim the Lord’s name. Declare the greatness of our God! The Rock—his work is perfect; all his ways are just. A faithful God, without bias, he is righteous and true.”

Deuteronomy 32:1-4 (The Prayer of Moses)

“Let Your mighty outstretched arm, O Lord, be my defense;Your mercy and loving-kindness in Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, my salvation; Your true Word, my instruction; The grace of Your life-giving Spirit my comfort and consolation,To the end and in the end; Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

John Knox (1505-1572)

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MONDAY MIDDAY

“My heart rejoices in the Lord; my horn is lifted up by the Lord. My mouth boasts over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. There is no one holy like the Lord. There is no one besides you! And there is no rock like our God. Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogant words come out of your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and actions are weighed by him. The bows of the warriors are broken, but the feeble are clothed with strength. Those who are full hire themselves out for food, but those who are starving hunger no more. The woman who is childless gives birth to seven, but the woman with many sons pines away. The Lord brings death and gives life; he sends some down to Sheol, and he raises others up. The Lord brings poverty and gives wealth; he humbles and he exalts. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the trash heap. He seats them with noblemen and gives them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; he has set the world on them. He guards the steps of his faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness, for a person does not prevail by his own strength. Those who oppose the Lord will be shattered; he will thunder in the heavens against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. He will give power to his king; he will lift up the horn of his anointed.”

1 Samuel 2:1-10 (Hannah’s Prayer)

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“O Lord, this is my desire, To walk along the path of life that You have appointed me, In steadfastness of faith, in lowliness of heart, In gentleness of love. Let not the cares or duties of this life press on me too heavily; But lighting my burdens, that I may follow Your way in quietness, Filled with thankfulness for Your mercy, Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Maria Hare (1798-1870)

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MONDAY EVENING“Be gracious to me, God, according to your faithful love; according to your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion. Completely wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me. Against you—you alone—I have sinned and done this evil in your sight. So you are right when you pass sentence; you are blameless when you judge. Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me. Surely you desire integrity in the inner self, and you teach me wisdom deep within. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Turn your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt. God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit. Then I will teach the rebellious your ways, and sinners will return to you.”

Psalm 51:1-13

I thank You, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, That You have graciously kept me this day, And I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, And graciously keep me this night. For into Thy hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

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TUESDAY MORNING“I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. May they all be one, as you, Fa-ther, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world’s founda-tion. Righteous Father, the world has not known you. How-ever, I have known you, and they have known that you sent me. I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.”

John 17:20-26 (High Priestly Prayer of Jesus)

Deliver me, O God, from a slothful mind, From all lukewarmness, and all dejection of spirit.I know these cannot but deaden my love for Thee;Mercifully free my heart from them, And give me a lively, zealous, active, and cheerful spirit,That I may vigorously perform whatever Thou commands,Thankfully suffer whatever Thou chooses for me,And be ever ardent to obey in all things Thy holy love.Amen.

John Wesley (1703-1791)

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TUESDAY MIDDAY“You have shown great and faithful love to your servant, my father David, because he walked before you in faithful-ness, righteousness, and integrity. You have continued this great and faithful love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today. “Lord my God, you have now made your servant king in my father David’s place. Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership. Your servant is among your people you have chosen, a people too many to be numbered or counted. So give your servant a recep-tive heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?”

1 Kings 3:6-9 (Solomon’s Prayer)

“Lord, be with me, and help me by Your Spirit, To perform all my duties to Your praise. I pray You be very near to us all; Protect us by Your providential care over us, And above all, further visit us by Your love, power, and Spirit. Oh Lord! Turn us, and we shall be turned; Help us, and we shall be helped. Keep us, and we shall be kept. Amen.”

Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845)

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TUESDAY EVENING

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet wa-ters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.”

Psalm 23

“Watch, dear Lord, With those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, And give Your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend Your sick ones, O Lord Christ. Rest Your weary ones, bless Your dying ones, Soothe Your suffering ones, pity Your afflicted ones, Shield Your joyous ones; And all for your love’s sake. Amen.”

Augustine of Hippo (354-430)

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WEDNESDAY MORNING

“Master, you are the one who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them. You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David your servant: Why do the Gentiles rage and the peoples plot futile things? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers assemble together against the Lord and against his Messiah. “For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your will had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

Acts 4:24-30 (Prayer of the Apostles)

“O Lord our God, as Thou has in mercy Preserved me to the beginning of another day, Enable me by Thy grace to live for Thee, And to set my affections on things above, not on things upon this earth. Pour into my mind the light of Thy truth, And cause me to rejoice in Thy Word. Shed abroad Thy love in my heart, And bestow upon me abundantly the peace and comfort of the Holy Spirit; For the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Isaac Ashe (d. 1888)

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WEDNESDAY MIDDAY

“May you be blessed, Lord the God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to you. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head over all. Riches and honor come from you, and you are the ruler of everything. Power and might are in your hand, and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your own hand. For we are aliens and temporary residents in your presence as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. Lord our God, all this wealth that we’ve provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand; everything belongs to you. I know, my God, that you test the heart and that you are pleased with what is right. I have willingly given all these things with an upright heart, and now I have seen your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to you. Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our ancestors, keep this desire forever in the thoughts of the hearts of your people, and confirm their hearts toward you. Give my son Solomon an undivided heart to keep and to carry out all your commands, your decrees, and your statutes, and to build the building for which I have made provision.”

1 Chronicles 29:10-19 (David’s Prayer)

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“Great, O Lord, is Your Kingdom, Your power, and Your glory; Great also is Your wisdom, Your goodness, Your justice, and Your mercy; And for all these we bless You,And will magnify Your name forever and ever. Amen.”

George Wither (1588-1667)

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WEDNESDAY EVENING“Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your name throughout the earth! You have covered the heavens with your majesty.From the mouths of infants and nursing babies, you have established a stronghold on account of your adversaries in order to silence the enemy and the avenger. When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place, what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him? You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all the sheep and oxen, as well as the animals in the wild, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea that pass through the currents of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!”

Psalm 8

“I thank You, O God, for Your care and protection this day,Keeping me from physical harm and spiritual corruption.I now place the work of the day into Your hands, Trusting that You will redeem my errors, And turn my achievements to Your glory. And I now ask You to work within me,Trusting that You will use the hours of rest To create in me a new heart and new soul… Let me rest tonight in Your arms, And so may the dreams that pass through my mind be holy. And let me awake tomorrow, strong and eager to serve You. Amen.”

Jacob Boehme (1575-1624)

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THURSDAY MORNING

“Listen to my words, Lord; consider my sighing. Payattention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for I pray to you. In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you and watchexpectantly. For you are not a God who delights inwickedness; evil cannot dwell with you. The boastful cannot stand in your sight; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who tell lies; the Lord abhors violent and treacherous people. But I enter your house by theabundance of your faithful love; I bow down toward your holy temple in reverential awe of you. Lord, lead me in your righteousness because of my adversaries; make your way straight before me.”

Psalm 5:1-8

“Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, All desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, That we may perfectly love Thee, and worthily magnify Your Holy Name; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.”

Book of Common Prayer

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THURSDAY MIDDAY

“Lord, the God of the heavens, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands, let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to hear your servant’s prayer that I now pray to you day and night for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against you. Both I and my father’s family have sinned. We have acted corruptly toward you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses. Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. But if you return to me and carefully observe my commands, even though your exiles were banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have my name dwell.” They are your servants and your people. You redeemed them by your great power and strong hand. Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today, and grant him compassion in the presence of this man.”

Nehemiah 1:5-11 (Nehemiah’s Prayer)

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“Lord, in union with Your love, Unite my work with Your great work, and perfect it. As a drop of water poured into a river Is taken up into the activities of the river, So may my labor become part of Your work. Thus may those among whom I live and work be drawn into Your love. Amen.”

Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)

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THURSDAY EVENING

“May God be gracious to us and bless us; may he make his face shine upon us Selah so that your way may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, God; let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations rejoice and shout for joy, for you judge the peoples with fairness and lead the nations on earth. Selah Let the peoples praise you, God, let all the peoples praise you. The earth has produced its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.”

Psalm 67

“Spirit of God, with Your holy breath You cleanse the hearts and minds of Your people; You comfort them when they are in sorrow; You lead them when they wander from the way; You kindle them when they are cold; You knot them together when they are at variance; And You enrich them with many and various gifts. We beseech You daily to increase those gifts which You have entrusted to us; That with Your light before us and within us we may pass through this world without stumbling and withoutstraying. Amen.”

Erasmus (1466-1536)

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FRIDAY MORNING

“My soul, bless the Lord, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. My soul, bless the Lord, and do not forget all his benefits. He forgives all your iniquity; he heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the pit; he crowns you with faithful love and compassion. He satisfies you with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle. The Lord executes acts of righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He revealed his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love. He will not always accuse us or be angry forever. He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his faithful love toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”

Psalm 103:1-13

“Lord Jesus Christ, You stretched out Your arms of loveon the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of Your saving embrace. So clothe us in Your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know You to the knowledge and love of You; for the honor of Your name. Amen.”

Charles Henry Brent (1862-1929)

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FRIDAY MIDDAY

“I know that You can do anything and no plan of Yours can be thwarted. You asked, “Who is this who conceals my counsel with ignorance?” Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wondrous for me to know. You said, “Listen now, and I will speak. When I question you, you will inform me.” I had heard reports about you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I reject my words and am sorry for them; I am dust and ashes.”

Job 42:2-6 (Job’s Prayer)

“Keep me, O Lord, while I tarry on this earth, In a serious seeking after Thee, And in an affectionate walking with Thee, Every day of my life; That when You return, I may be found not hiding my talent, Nor serving the flesh, Nor yet asleep with my lamp unfurnished, But waiting and long for our Lord, Our glorious King, forever and ever.Amen.”

Richard Baxter (1615-1691)

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FRIDAY EVENING

“Listen, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Protect my life, for I am faithful. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. Be gracious to me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant’s life, because I appeal to you, Lord. For you, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive, abounding in faithful love to all who call on you. Lord, hear my prayer; listen to my plea for mercy. I call on you in the day of my distress, for you will answer me. Lord, there is no one like you among the gods, and there are no works like yours. All the nations you have made will come and bow down before you, Lord, and will honor your name. For you are great and perform wonders; you alone are God. Teach me your way, Lord, and I will live by your truth. Give me an undivided mind to fear your name. I will praise you with all my heart, Lord my God, and will honor your name forever.”

Psalm 86:1-12

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“How brief is our span of life compared with the time since You created the universe. How tiny we are compared with the enormity of Your creation. How trivial are our concerns compared with the complexity of Your universe. How ignorant we are compared with the genius of Your creation. Yet during every minute and every second of our lives You are present, within and around us. You give your whole and undivided attention to each and every one of us. Our concerns are Your concerns. And You are infinitely patient with our stupidity. I thank You with all my heart-Knowing that my thanks are so small compared with Your greatness. Amen.”

Fulbert of Chartes (970-1028)

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SATURDAY MORNING

“I will exalt you, Lord, because you have lifted me up and have not allowed my enemies to triumph over me. Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me. Lord, you brought me up from Sheol; you spared me from among those going down to the Pit. Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning. When I was secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” Lord, when you showed your favor, you made me stand like a strong mountain; when you hid your face, I was terrified. Lord, I called to you; I sought favor from my Lord: “What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your truth? Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.” You turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, so that I can sing to you and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.”

Psalm 30

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“You taught us, Lord, that the greatest love a man can show is to lay down his life for his friends. But Your love was great still, because You laid down Your life for Your enemies. It was while we were still enemies that You reconciled us to Yourself by Your death. What other love has ever been, or could ever be, like Yours? You suffered unjustly for the sake of the unjust. You died at the hands of sinners for the sake of the sinful. You became a slave to tyrants, to set the oppressed free. Amen.”

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

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SATURDAY MIDDAY“Out of the depths I call to you, Lord! Lord, listen to my voice; let your ears be attentive to my cry for help. Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that you may be revered. I wait for the Lord; I wait and put my hope in his word. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning—more than watchmen for the morning. Israel, put your hope in the Lord. For there is faithful love with the Lord, and with him is redemption in abundance. And he will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.”

Psalm 130

“I take God the Father to be my God; I take God the Son to be my Savior; I take God the Holy Spirit to be my Sanctifier; I take the Word of God to be my rule; I take the people of God to be my people; And I do herby dedicate and yield my whole self to the Lord; And I do this deliberately, freely, and forever. Amen.”

Matthew Henry (1662-1714)

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SATURDAY EVENING“Answer me when I call, God, who vindicates me. You freed me from affliction; be gracious to me and hear my prayer. How long, exalted ones, will my honor be insulted? How long will you love what is worthless and pursue a lie? Selah Know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him. Be angry and do not sin; on your bed, reflect in your heart and be still. Selah Offer sacrifices in righteousness and trust in the Lord. Many are asking, “Who can show us anything good?” Let the light of your face shine on us, Lord. You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and new wine abound. I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, Lord, make me live in safety.”

Psalm 4

“Give us a thankful sense of the blessings in which we live,Of the many comforts of our lot; That we may not deserve to lose them by discontent or indifference. Be gracious to our necessities, and guard us, And all we love, from evil this night… Above all other blessings, O God, for ourselves, and our fellow creatures, We implore Thee to quicken our sense of Your mercy In the redemption of the world, Of the value of that holy religion in which we have been brought up, That we may not, by our own neglect, Throw away the salvation You have given us, Nor be Christians only in name. Hear us, Almighty God, for His sake who has redeemed us. Amen.”

Jane Austin (1775-1817)