Thoughtful Prayers for Serious Believers
Forty Daily Prayers and Scripture Reflections for Personal Spiritual Challenge and Growth
by
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Isn’t it interesting that the disciples never asked Jesus how to walk on water, calm a storm or multiply bread?. They did ask Him to teach them about prayer. They didn’t ask him how to pray; rather they asked, “Teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1) After being with Him three years they learned that prayer is not preparation for life’s battles, it is the battle.
Over the years, I have often heard Christian leaders imply that prayer was easy, at least for them. However, for me, prayer was somewhat difficult. I knew that it required me to set aside time to be alone with God. Often I would find my mind wandering, looking for words to say and many times not knowing what to say or where to start or end. As I looked at my prayers most were primarily requests for God to meet. Although I didn’t believe that at the time, I assumed that prayer’s primary value was to rescue me or my friends or family from a crisis. It would be as if I asked my best friends to call me only if they were diagnosed with a terminal disease. Over the years, I have recognized that I needed some guidance as praise, worship, silence and requests for God to remove my character defects were absent in most of my prayers.
One day it dawned on me that I talked to my dog in a more personal manner than I did to God; as my prayers with God were filled with borrowed clichés. That insight sparked me to write down my thoughts and pray them over the following weeks and eventually years. During the following twenty years, I wrote down my prayers and based them on the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6; this was very helpful for me. I have written this book to help those who want to deepen their prayer life but struggle with how to do that. Often our prayers are shaped by spiritual clichés we have gained from listening to others in the church, prayer groups or heard prayed on Christian programs.
I have taken my prayers and listed them topically in the categories that Jesus outlined for us in The Lord’s Prayer. I have organized the prayers into short paragraphs to encourage reflection on one’s life with Christ, since the ultimate goal of prayer is to deepen one’s relationship with Him. I have placed a scripture at the beginning of each daily prayer as well as the topic for each prayer. I have put in the word “silence” after each paragraph as a reminder to listen and reflect on what one has just prayed. Each daily prayer has four paragraphs followed by one or more questions to reflect on throughout the day.
I hope these forty days of prayers help you in your prayer life. Harold Bussell
Day 26
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged for in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you,” (Matthew 7:1-2 NIV)
What is Jesus saying to you in this text?
The Theme of the Prayer: Overcoming judgmental attitudes.
LORD, I know judging is necessary and part of the faith. Remind me how dangerous judging can be. I tend to judge others in the wrong way and have a natural inclination to ignore my own issues. I know you don’t forbid critical thinking in the positive way that evaluates others’ words and actions carefully with compassion. Protect me from just looking for others’ faults without valid or sufficient reasons. Show me where I form unfavorable opinions of their qualities, words or motives. (Silence) Like spiritual cholesterol in the arteries of my soul, a critical and judgmental spirit slows the flow of your grace that eventually leads to “spiritual heart problems;” leaving me spiritually crippled and my relationships in ruins. Remind me that when I don’t forgive others I tend to look for ways to justify my unforgiving spirit and conceal the hardness happening in my own heart. When others stand in the way of what I want I admit it’s easy to remove their opposition by tearing them down and diminishing their credibility to others. (Silence)
Forgive me for closing my eyes to the good others do so I don’t interpret their actions in the worst possible way. When I become overly judgmental and someone delays answering a phone call or email, I too easily assume I am being avoided. If someone at church seems unfriendly I assume they are proud or aloof. Help me see these issues and realize that others also feel awkward, unsure of themselves and also face major difficulties in their lives. (Silence)
Instead of judging others critically grant me the grace to judge with charity. Help me believe the best about others until I have facts to prove otherwise. Believing the best about others is not simply a nice thing to do; it is what you do for me daily. Transform me as transformed people transform others. AMEN
If pride is getting one’s identity by the opposition, then how does pride spark a judgmental attitude in you?
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About the Book
As one who knows the struggles with prayer and even teaches others how to pray, “Thoughtful Prayers” gives more insight into how to pray than most other methods or how-to books. As much as you can teach others how to pray, they will never know how to pray until they experience praying for themselves. But, reading someone else’s prayers are even a greater tool than you know.
By reading each of Harold Bussell’s prayers, you gain insight into a man’s daily struggles with God about life, the church and with his own spiritual life. Harold opens up courageously as he pours out his heart and soul to God. This kind of courage gives the reader encouragement that it’s alright to pray to a sovereign God and ask for guidance for the struggles we face daily.
In taking us through The Lord’s Prayer and breaking it down into 6 weeks of personal prayers, you can see that one man’s prayers are struggles we can all relate to. We can adopt these prayers and over time transform them to fit our prayer life. We can be courageous, yet reverent to our Holy God, bold, and yet humble to a loving, gracious God that cares for us.
What is interesting to me personally is how these prayers become deeper and deeper as the week’s progress. By day 31 I am humbled by how much I am missing in my prayer life, maybe thinking too much of myself or not bearing my soul as much as Harold Bussell has in his prayers. It really creates in me a wanting to do better even in my prayer life. Not to emulate Harold’s but just noticing where I might fall short in not being humble or reverent enough in my prayers. Harold’s prayers are truly a guide to help you reflect on where you are in your own personal prayer life with God. And then maybe adopt some of his prayers to move you to a closer friendship with Jesus. Steve Wiersum
About the Author
Dr. Harold l. Bussell is an ordained Presbyterian Pastor. He served in ministry with Teen Challenge, Paris France and as the Dean of Chapel at Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts for twelve years. Harold held pastorates at Saratoga Federated Church, Saratoga California, First Congregational Church, Hamilton, Massachusetts and El Montecito Presbyterian Church, Santa Barbara, California. He is currently retired and holds degrees from Bethany College (BA), the University of Santa Clara (MA) and Andover Newton theological Seminary (D.Min).