Breakthrough 2023 Prayer Guide
Each morning you will find a new Prayer Guide that will help facilitate a time of prayer and meditation. We encourage you to reflect, be still, and listen as you pray and read through the guides. Each guide is structured around the acronym P.R.A.Y. For more information check out this post.
May the next 14 days be marked by transformation and depth of intimacy with the Lord.
El Olam // The Everlasting God
Pause
As we enter into a time of prayer and meditation, take a moment to quiet your soul. The Psalmist invites us to be still and know that He is God. Be still. Take a deep breath. Clear your mind and ask the Lord to protect your thoughts.
Pray the following prayer:
El Olam, The Everlasting God, I might not have much but what I do have is a heart that beats for You. Stir up a hunger in my soul to sit in Your presence, and to taste and see that You are indeed good. Come, Holy Spirit.
Reflect
Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
For God to truly be El Olam, Everlasting, He must be the God who is, and who was and who is to come. He is the God that was there at the beginning and will be forever. To acknowledge God as Everlasting must also mean we acknowledge that nothing will ever threaten the throne in which He resides and rules from.
Ask
To acknowledge God as the one who is, and who was, and who is to come means that we acknowledge His faithfulness in the past (who was), as well as His faithfulness and provision for the future (who is to come). It also means that we trust Him today (who is). Often times the latter is the most difficult.
Yield
Isaiah 40:28
"Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom."
As we near the end of our Breakthrough prayer guide it is tempting to box the Lord into a “special weekend.” Perhaps this morning you are already wondering if this has all been nothing more than a ‘spiritual high.’ But if we are to accept God as everlasting then we must also accept that no event or weekend can ever contain or corner God. Instead, He desires to continue to reveal Himself to you, as He did yesterday, as He will today, and forever.
Philippians 1:6
"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
End your time by praying the following prayer:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with me: wherever He may send me.
May He guide me through the wilderness: protect me through the storm.
May He bring me home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown.
Adonai // Lord, Master
Pause
As we enter into a time of prayer and meditation, take a moment to quiet your soul. The Psalmist invites us to be still and know that He is God. Be still. Take a deep breath. Clear your mind and ask the Lord to protect your thoughts.
Pray the following prayer:
Adonai, Lord of my life, I might not have much but what I do have is a heart that beats for You. Stir up a hunger in my soul to sit in Your presence, and to taste and see that You are indeed good. Come, Holy Spirit.
Reflect
Adonai is the Hebrew word for lord, or master. It was often used in reference to, rulers, masters, and kings. Scripture teaches us that God is the sole ruler and master of our lives; yet we often live with a divided heart, entertaining multiple masters.
Matthew 6:24
24“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."
Ask
God is not interested in sharing the affections of your heart. He gave all of His Son so that we could call Him master, and in return He desires all of us.
Romans 12:1
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship"
Our Heavenly Father desires to provide for His children. He does not want us to be parched in the desert but instead eagerly provides refreshment.
Our response to God being our Adonai, or master, is to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice back to God
Yield
Allowing something, or someone, to be master or ruler over ourselves requires submission. If we are to honestly live forth from a place of recognizing God as our Adonai then we must take up the posture of total submission, yielding to His ways and His rule.
End your time by praying the following prayer:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with me: wherever He may send me.
May He guide me through the wilderness: protect me through the storm.
May He bring me home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown.
Jehovah Raah // The Lord is My Shepherd
Pause
As we enter into a time of prayer and meditation, take a moment to quiet your soul. The Psalmist invites us to be still and know that He is God. Be still. Take a deep breath. Clear your mind and ask the Lord to protect your thoughts.
Pray the following prayer:
Jehovah Raah, The Lord who is my shepherd, I might not have much but what I do have is a heart that beats for You. Stir up a hunger in my soul to sit in Your presence, and to taste and see that You are indeed good. Come, Holy Spirit.
Reflect
In the most literal understanding of the word shepherd, two key elements are required: To be a constant presence with one’s flock (a shepherded could not abandon his flock for fear they might wander away) and to be an ever-present protector and caretaker. With those characteristics and qualities in mind, read Psalm 23:
Psalm 23:1-4
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
Ask
Unlike sheep or goats, we are not blind or mute subjects. Instead, our Good Shepherded allows us, and wants us, to spend time in His presence making our request known. This morning, what do you need from your Shepherded? What valley or shadows (see Psalm 23:3-4) are you walking through?
Yield
A shepherded has so much responsibility, as we’ve contemplated; however, for the flock, only one thing is required: trust. Do you trust your Shepherd? Do you trust that your Shepherded will faithfully guide you towards green pastures and still water?
John 10:14
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—
We do not blindly follow an unknowing or removed Shepherded. God knows our needs, and He cares deeply. Do you trust the Lord knows you? If the answer is yes, then are you willing to follow?
Pray the following prayer:
My Good Shepherd, today there many different ways and persuasions that I can follow. But, like You warned, they are nothing more than ferocious wolves in sheep’s clothing. You say that Your sheep know Your voice. Help me know and recognize Your voice.
End your time by praying the following prayer:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with me: wherever He may send me.
May He guide me through the wilderness: protect me through the storm.
May He bring me home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown.
Jehovah Jireh // The Lord Will Provide
Pause
As we enter into a time of prayer and meditation, take a moment to quiet your soul. The Psalmist invites us to be still and know that He is God. Be still. Take a deep breath. Clear your mind and ask the Lord to protect your thoughts.
Pray the following prayer:
Jehova Jireh, Lord who will provide, I might not have much but what I do have is a heart that beats for You. Stir up a hunger in my soul to sit in Your presence, and to taste and see that You are indeed good. Come, Holy Spirit.
Reflect
In Exodus 16 we find the Israelites tired, hungry, and in desperate need of relief. The situation for the People of God had become so dire many of them wished they had died at the hands of the Egyptians (Exd. 16:2). Read how the Lord responds:
Exodus 16:4
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.
The Lord provides for the Israelites in miraculous fashion, but notice the last few words spoken to Moses.
Ask
Like a caring and loving father, the Lord is eager to provide for His Children.
Luke 11:11-13
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Our heavenly Father desires to provide for His children. He does not want us to be parched in the desert but instead eagerly provides refreshment.
Yield
Returning to Exodus 16, the Lord could have provided an endless buffet of manna but notice the last few words in verse four, “enough for that day.” Many scholars suggest it is this passage that Jesus is referring us back to when He teaches us to pray.
Matthew 6:11
Give us this day our daily bread.
The Lord did not supply unlimited manna, instead He wanted the Israelites to rely on Him daily and maybe this is why Jesus instructs us to ask for our daily bread. The Lord longs and desires to provide for His children, but He also wants to stir in us a spirit that is utterly dependent on Him and His provisions.
Pray the following prayer:
Jehova Jireh, I know that everything rests in the palm of your hands. Lord this morning I am comforted by your perfect, sovereign control. I ask that you provide for me in the wilderness today. Surprise me with the taste of freshly baked manna and may it create a hunger in me for more of You.
End your time by praying the following prayer:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with me: wherever He may send me.
May He guide me through the wilderness: protect me through the storm.
May He bring me home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown.
Jehovah Shalom // The Lord is Peace
Pause
As we enter into a time of prayer and meditation, take a moment to quiet your soul. The Psalmist invites us to be still and know that He is God. Be still. Take a deep breath. Clear your mind and ask the Lord to protect your thoughts.
Pray the following prayer:
Jehovah Shalom (The Lord is Peace), I might not have much but what I do have is a heart that beats for You. Stir up a hunger in my soul to sit in Your presence, and to taste and see that You are indeed good. Come, Holy Spirit.
Reflect
There is a kind of peace that is offered to us that surpasses all understanding. It’s not the kind of peace that only comes from moments in solitude, though it often can be found there. It is the kind of peace that swells within and overflows, washing away the tension of fear. Not a peace that neglects the realities of this world, but one that comes face to face with it all and declares God as greater and better.
He is the solid rock we can place our trust in when faced with adversity. Is there an area in your life you have neglected the peace offered to you? Spend the next moments and ask the Holy Spirit to bring these particular areas to mind so that you might lay the worry at His feet.
Ask
One of the great invitations of prayer is to ask the Lord to meet our needs.
The Lord is kind and gracious toward us. His heart is for us to understand and grip onto the peace He is offering right at this very moment. All we need to do is put ourselves in a posture to receive it and He’ll place it in our hands as we reflect on Him as larger than our circumstance.
Pray the following prayer:
Father, I come to you weary of striving in my own efforts for peace. Like pushing against a stone wall, the weight of it all feels immovable. Thank You for Your word that declares Your power is made perfect in my weakness. Would Your Spirit wash over me and replenish the energy I’ve spent in vain? I ask that You would, in this very moment, blow a fresh breeze that brings a rejuvenating rain. Fill the rivers that seemed long gone and allow me to shout Your praises right where You have me. In Jesus name, amen.
Yield
Take a moment to reread the scripture for today’s prayer guide. Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight something new or reemphasize the things He may have already drawn to your attention.
End your time by praying the following prayer:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with me: wherever He may send me.
May He guide me through the wilderness: protect me through the storm.
May He bring me home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown.
Jehovah Mekoddishkem // The Lord who Sanctifies You
Pause
As we enter into a time of prayer and meditation, take a moment to quiet your soul. The Psalmist invites us to be still and know that He is God. Be still. Take a deep breath. Clear your mind and ask the Lord to protect your thoughts.
Pray the following prayer:
Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies), I might not have much but what I do have is a heart that beats for You. Stir up a hunger in my soul to sit in Your presence, and to taste and see that You are indeed good. Come, Holy Spirit.
Reflect
Sanctification is a process that sets us apart. Apart to be in the world, yet not of it. Apart to glorify the Lord with our very reflection, and to be holy as He is holy through the power of the Holy Spirit within.
Knowing the names of God are a testament to His character, we breathe deep and realize the kindness of His hands that refines us. The Father heart of God is revealed to us by the loving act of sanctification. Spend the next few moments reflecting on your posture toward God as The Lord Who Sanctifies. Is it hostile? Or is it welcoming to the warmth of His refinement?
Ask
One of the great invitations of prayer is to ask the Lord to meet our needs.
The Lord knows intimately the needs of His children, and we know His heart toward us. Paul says in Romans 8, we know He is working all things for the good of His people. In response, Paul exclaims, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (v.31). He is FOR us!
Because we can know this with a great confidence, we are able to come to God as Jehovah Mekoddishkem, ask for Him to refine us, and not respond in a worrisome flinch. Instead, we can relax in His hands and trust what He has said is true.
Pray the following prayer:
Father, I confess I have neglected to honor You in word and deed to the extent You are worthy. I come to You now in a spirit of humility and ask for You to sanctify the entirety of my being. You are kind and gracious in Your dealings and I ask that You would give me eyes to see this. Melt what is hardened in Your sight and allow me to pool before You in surrender. Have Your way, Jehovah Mekoddishkem. In Jesus name, amen.
Yield
As you finish your time, take a moment to reread the scripture for today’s guided prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak vibrantly through His words by either reemphasizing something or highlighting something new.
End your time by praying the following prayer:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with me: wherever He may send me.
May He guide me through the wilderness: protect me through the storm.
May He bring me home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown.
Jehovah Qanna // Jealous God
Pause
As we enter into a time of prayer and meditation, take a moment to quiet your soul. The Psalmist invites us to be still and know that He is God. Be still. Take a deep breath. Clear your mind and ask the Lord to protect your thoughts.
Pray the following prayer:
Jehovah Qanna (Jealous God), I might not have much but what I do have is a heart that beats for You. Stir up a hunger in my soul to sit in Your presence, and to taste and see that You are indeed good. Come, Holy Spirit.
Reflect
He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He alone is worthy of our praise and adoration. He declares that there is to be no other gods before Him. Jesus exclaims He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. His jealous heart was on display for all to see as He hung from a tree and was crucified. The perfect atonement for our sin, which separated us from the Father, was paid at the great expense of His one and only Son.
He yearns to be in perfect relation with His children as He once was in the garden of Eden before sin entered the scene. If we only understood that His heart of jealousy is pure and perfect, maybe we wouldn’t run away from His kind and purifying presence.
Ask
One of the great invitations of prayer is to ask the Lord to meet our needs.
Because we know our God is kind and merciful, we can come to Him, lay the muck we’ve held at His feet, and look up only to be met with eyes that are tearfully proud of us. Those that believe and confess Jesus is Lord, are clothed in the righteousness of God and there is no thing that can separate us from His hands.
Pray the following prayer:
Father, I am keenly aware of the great mercy You offer that I am undeserving of. Thank You for bestowing Your grace upon me—despite me. I ask that You would continue to soften the areas within me that have grown callused. Search me, Lord, and help me move forward in such a way that honors You. In the same breath, I ask for You to be tender toward me. I ask that as I step forward in faith, You would enable my eyes to be purified so I can see Your loving and jealous gaze upon me. In Jesus name, amen.
Yield
Spend a moment rereading the scripture for today. As you do so, allow the Holy Spirit to either reemphasize what He spoke to you the first time, or reveal something you might have missed.
End your time by praying the following prayer:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with me: wherever He may send me.
May He guide me through the wilderness: protect me through the storm.
May He bring me home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown.
Jehovah Saboath // The Lord of Host
Pause
As we enter into a time of prayer and meditation, take a moment to quiet your soul. The Psalmist invites us to be still and know that He is God. Be still. Take a deep breath. Clear your mind and ask the Lord to protect your thoughts.
Pray the following prayer:
Jehovah Saboath, the Lord of Hosts, I might not have much but what I do have is a heart that beats for You. Stir up a hunger in my soul to sit in Your presence, and to taste and see that You are indeed good. Come, Holy Spirit.
Reflect
Jehovah Saboath is a name for God which means “the Lord of Hosts.” In the Bible, hosts were a word which described military, powerful heavenly beings, and natural phenomenas such as stars. Jehovah Saboath means that God is the Lord of earthly and heavenly armies and that He controls even the laws of nature.
Psalm 46:11
“The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
God is powerful. Because He is the Lord of hosts, He is our fortress and our stronghold.
Ask
All throughout the New Testament Jesus portrays examples of His power. He heals the sick, frees the demon oppressed, calms storms, walks on water, and even raises the dead. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can experience true freedom in our lives in multiple different ways.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”
God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is able to destroy and break the power of sin in your life. The Holy Spirit is able to heal bodies, break addictions, give peace to anxiety, and joy for depression.
Yield
Take some time to sit in His presence and to let Him minister to you. God rewards those who ask diligently.
End your time by praying the following prayer:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with me: wherever He may send me.
May He guide me through the wilderness: protect me through the storm.
May He bring me home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown.
Jehovah Tsidkenu // The Lord is our Rightousness
Pause
As we enter into a time of prayer and meditation, take a moment to quiet your soul. The Psalmist invites us to be still and know that He is God. Be still. Take a deep breath. Clear your mind and ask the Lord to protect your thoughts.
Pray the following prayer:
Jehovah Tsidkenu, Lord of our Righteousness, I might not have much but what I do have is a heart that beats for You. Stir up a hunger in my soul to sit in Your presence, and to taste and see that You are indeed good. Come, Holy Spirit.
Reflect
Jehovah Tsidkenu is a name for God which means “The Lord our Righteousness.” It appears in Jeremiah and describes what happens to God’s people as a result of the work of Jesus.
Jeremiah 33:15-16
“In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David a Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In those days Judah shall be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: “The Lord our Righteousness.”
Despite our own sin and unrighteousness, the work of Jesus Christ on the cross has made us righteous before God.
Ask
The work of Christ on the cross has made us righteous in status before God, but we are still learning how to walk in this righteousness.
Micah 6:8
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Because of the righteousness of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to do the good works that God has called us to do. To do justice, to be kind, and to walk in humility.
Yield
Take some time to sit in His presence and to let Him minister to you. God promises to give us what we need to do the works He has prepared for us.
Pray the following prayer:
Father, I know that I am often selfish, prideful, and incapable of doing any good works on my own. I yield myself over to You, trusting that by the blood of Christ You have clothed me in righteousness and equipped me with the Holy Spirit to do good works.
End your time by praying the following prayer:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with me: wherever He may send me.
May He guide me through the wilderness: protect me through the storm.
May He bring me home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown.
Yahweh // Lord, Jehova
Pause
As we enter into a time of prayer and meditation, take a moment to quiet your soul. The Psalmist invites us to be still and know that He is God. Be still. Take a deep breath. Clear your mind and ask the Lord to protect your thoughts.
Pray the following prayer:
Yahweh, the ‘I AM’, I might not have much but what I do have is a heart that beats for You. Stir up a hunger in my soul to sit in Your presence, and to taste and see that You are indeed good. Come, Holy Spirit.
Reflect
Yahweh is the true name of the God of Israel. It is often translated as Lord, but at its core means ‘I AM’. This is the ultimate statement about who God is. That He created all things, is before all things, and is the end of all things.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
To believe in God as Yahweh is to believe that He is the One True God. The beginning and the end. Not one thing exists that He did not allow to exist. We are invited to love God with all of our heart, mind, and soul.
Ask
Throughout the book of John, Jesus makes seven ‘I AM’ statements which refer to His nature as God. Here are the seven statements:
“I am the bread of Life.” (John 6:35)
“I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12)
“I am the door.” (John 10:7)
“I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11)
“I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25)
“I am the way the truth and the life.” (John 14:6)
“I am the true vine.” (John 15:1)
These seven statements show how Jesus, who is the God of the universe, is uniquely our source of hope and salvation in this dark world.
Which of these I AM statements stand out most to you? Find that verse in your Bible and read what Jesus says about Himself.
Yield
At the end of days all of creation will be restored and reconciled to God once and for all. The purpose for your existence is to worship God as Yahweh- as the “I AM.”
End your time by praying the following prayer:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with me: wherever He may send me.
May He guide me through the wilderness: protect me through the storm.
May He bring me home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown.
