Let’s do something a little different today. As we pray I want us to take some time to examine our hearts, to examine our minds, and to examine our souls. This coming Sunday we are going to look at Luke 4:1-13
“And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.”
Luke 4:1-13 ESV
In a way Jesus is taking time, while we read that He is being tempted by the devil, it is a deep time with the Holy Spirit. The temptations that the devil is putting forward helps to show a deep reliance on the Holy Spirit. The prayer below will be but a skeleton that you and the Holy Spirit will need to bring fullness to.
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus may Your Holy Spirit help us as we pray. Guide us as we face the depths of our hearts. Reveal to us what we are hiding in our minds. Open up our eyes to see the brokenness in our soul but also Your grace working in us.
As You faced the temptations put before You Lord Jesus, You were not alone. Lord we confess that we are tempted by…..
Lord at times these temptations have become actions and words. You know our hearts and our minds but we admit consciously these sins to You. . . . .
In our busyness we have become tired. We have not always given You the time You deserve. We have tried to fill our lives with these idols . . . . .
We have tried to sate the soul hunger that yearns for Your divine love with these idols.
Our souls are crying out for You Lord Jesus but we are too easily distracted by appointments, and meetings, by visits and calls to be made, by new thoughts and old complaints. Our souls are hurting because . . . . Help us Lord to find healing. To hear Your voice calling to us speaking the words of life and forgiveness that will truly nourish our broken souls and bring healing and wholeness.
Lord break the power of these idols in our lives . . . .
Lord we know that we are not worthy of Your forgiveness but we ask You to forgive these sins . . . .
Lord grant us the strength of will, the discernment of Your Holy Spirit to resist these temptations . . . .
Lord we hold on to Your eternal promises to never leave us or forsake us, to forgive our sins and release us from their bondage and soul marring effect, to draw us closer and provide us with refuge in the tumultuous times and to hear our cries to You for help and grace. Jesus we trust in Your faithful love to surround us in our fallenness, our sinfulness and wash away our sins by Your grace and Your life renewing blood to bring us to Yourself in life preparing us for eternity with You. We pray this in Your Holy Name, Amen.
