Topical Prayer Guide

1 Timothy 2:1-4 NKJV: “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

James 1:5 NKJV: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Psalm 19:14, GOD'S WORD® Translation May the words from my mouth and the thoughts from my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my defender.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 NKJV: "Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Joshua 24:15 NKJV: "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” 2 Peter 3:9 NJKV: "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."

Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV: “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”

Matthew 6:13 NKJV: "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

Matthew 5:43-45, NKJV relates one of Jesus’ teaching on prayer: “You have heard it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute, so that you maybe sons of your Father in heaven. For, He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rains on the righteous and unrighteous.”

“Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request” (1 Chronicles 4:10). To pray like Jabez is to submit our lives to God as a blank canvas. Amidst a string of genealogy in the Old Testament we find Jabez’s prayer. His name literally means, pain! He prayed for God to deliver Him from his namesake. Oh, how we fight who we are sometimes. Materialistic gain is not the point and purpose of Jabez’s prayer, but rather an expansion of the heart. God promises us provision, not prosperity. God created each person with a unique purpose and place amidst the people that surround our everyday lives. When we pray, it’s important to stay open to the type of territory God wills to expand and enlarge in our lives. First and foremost is the growth of godly knowledge and spiritual gifts in our hearts. He will lead us into our purpose as we obediently repent of our sins and pursue Jesus Christ. We were meant to honor Him in all we do and with all we have.

1. Please do stay connected.
There is already a huge hole in my universe. I don't need "space" to grieve.

2. Please do say you are sorry for my loss.
Don't say you understand, or tell me your story of loss. I may be able to listen to your story later, but not now.

3. Do call and ask specifically:
"Can we go for a walk together? May I run errands for you? Meet you for coffee?" Do not say, "Call me if you need anything.".

4. Do refer to my husband's words or acts-serious or humorous.
I am so comforted by knowing my husband has not been forgotten.

5. Invite me to anything.
I may decline but will appreciate being asked. Do not assume I no longer want to participate in couples events.

6. Do accept that I am where I am.
Marriages are brief, long, healthy, dysfunctional, intense, remote. Death comes suddenly or in tiny increments over years. We are all so different, as is our journey through grief. No one grieves "by the book".

7. Walk the talk.
Do not say, "We'll call you for a dinner date" and not follow up. I'd rather hear, "I've been thinking of you" than make an offer for sake of conversation.

John 14:1 - "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me."

2 Timothy 1:7 - "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Proverbs 14:29 - "He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly."

James 3:16-18 - "For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

Psalm 27:14 - "Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!"

Psalms 27:13-14 - "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!"

Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 - "We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."

Hebrews 12:1 - "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

2 Thessalonians 2:16 - "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work."

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 - "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus."

1 Peter 2:13-15 - "Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men."

John 14 - "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me...I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you...Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Psalm 2 - "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.' He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His hot displeasure: 'Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.' 'I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.' 'Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.'"

Psalm 51 - "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight--that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart--these, O God, You will not despise. Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem. Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then they shall offer bulls on Your altar."

John 15 - "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

Matthew 6:19-34 - "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

Psalm 139 - "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall fall on me,' even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You."

Colossians 3:12-17 - "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Romans 8:31-39 - "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.' Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Psalm 121 - "I will lift up my eyes to the hills--from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore."

Psalm 67 "God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people righteously, and govern the nations on earth. Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him."

Psalm 37 - "Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity; for they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday."

Mark 10:28-31 - "So Jesus answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.'"

Matthew 11:28-30 - "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Romans 8:1-3 - "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."

Hebrews 11:1-3 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible."

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 - "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

Joshua 1:8-9 - "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Psalm 90 - "Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born, or You brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting, You are God."

God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. Psalm 46:1-2

Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:16.

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT

Though he stumbles he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand. Psalm 37:24

The joy of the Lord is my strength. Nehemiah 8:10

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30: 5

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. Isaiah 54:10

And he said, go forth and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by and a great and strong wind, rent the mountains and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind ; and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the the earthquake : and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a still small voice. 1 Kings 19:11-12

And now, all glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and who will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy.

For our present troubles are quiet small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:17

I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

And they that know my name will put their trust in thee, for thou Lord has not forsaken them that seek thee. Psalm 9:10

Let us therefore come boldly before the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Cause me to hear your lovingkindness in the morning, for in you do I trust; cause me to know the way I should walk, for I lift up my soul to you. Psalm 143:8

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast and which entereth into that within the veil. Hebrews 6:19

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He knows those who trust in him. Nahum 1:7

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8

Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. Proverbs 3:25-26

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? Isaiah 40:11-14

The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever; forsake not the works of thine own hands. Psalm 138:8

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. John 10:28-29

I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure. Psalm 16:8-9 (NIV)

Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God-my God-will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. 1 Chronicles 28:20

You have enclosed me behind and before and laid your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5

You are my hiding place. You shall preserve me from trouble. You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7

The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee, and shall say, Destroy them. Deuteronomy 33:27

And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let no man prevail against thee. 2 Chronicles 14:11

Therefore we do not lose heart, even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

In my distress, anxiety, and fear, Lord, teach me to rely on You and draw close to You. Then I know I'll be able to stand strong in Your power and won't be dependent on my own strength. Psalm 31:14