Seasons of Prayer: Daily Prayer Inspirations for Winter, Spring, Summer & Autumn

By Tracey Hanson

Prayer is a mysterious and wonderful avenue in which God meets our deepest need. Through prayer we commune with our Lord and find meaning and revelation for our lives. Each entry in Seasons of Prayer is designed to facilitate application of God’s glorious word to your life today. Take time daily to enter into the throne room of God and experience His splendor and glory. Ask God to open your eyes to His precepts of wisdom and encouragement as you feast on His words of life. As you meditate on each daily inspirational thought and utter its corresponding prayer, contemplate on God’s lessons for you. Let God speak to your heart as He accompanies you through Seasons of Prayer. Tracey is passionate about prayer and has served in prayer ministries for over thirty years. Tracey enjoys observing the changing seasons from her cabin in Bozeman, Montana.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Aug 19, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483402840

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SEASONS OF PRAYER

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DAILY PRAYER INSPIRATIONS FOR:

WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER & AUTUMN

TRACEY HANSON

Copyright © 2013 Tracey Hanson.

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ISBN: 978-1-304-11144-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-0284-0 (e)

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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked (AMP) are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2006. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked TPT are taken from The Passion Translation copyright © 2017 by BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC. Used by permission. All rights reserved. thePassionTranslation.com

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DEDICATION

WINTER

To my son, Sean: You were born in the winter of God’s love. Your sensitivity and compassion make my love for you grow fonder every day. May you grow in your love and appreciation for God’s holy scriptures and may you find encouragement and wisdom in them. You are a precious grace note from God. In you, there is no guile, just a sincere heart for God.

SPRING

To my son, Paul: You were born to a season of spring in my lifetime. I anticipated your birth with hope and expectation while God used motherhood to grow me in my dependence on Him. My prayer for you is that the roots of faith, which have been firmly established in you, will grow down deep and solid, so that you will become strong and resilient in your love for God. I love and admire the strength and determination in which you approach life.

SUMER

To my daughter, Carly: All of your life you have embraced the activity of summer as a joyful pursuit. I appreciate your open and loving spirit as you fill your time with gratifying purpose. May the wisdom of God’s scriptures guide you as you pursue His intention for your life. You bring me great delight as I experience the longings of life alongside you.

AUTUMN

To my husband, Gary: Autumn is the perfect description of our season of life together. It is a time to respond to change and growth with beauty and with ease. Your ability to face each day with wisdom and creativity brings me strength and courage to embrace life’s challenges and opportunities. Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. God’s greatest blessing was the gift of marriage with a man whom I love and respect.

O God, by whose laws the poles revolve, the stars follow their courses, the sun rules the day, and the moon presides over the night; and all the world maintains, as far as this world of sense allows, the wondrous stability of things by means of the orders and reoccurrences of seasons: through the days by the changing of light and darkness, through the months by the moon’s progressions and declines, through the years by the successions of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, through the cycles by the completion of the sun’s course, through the great eras of time by the return to their starting points.

~Saint Augustine (354-430)

SEASONS OF PRAYER:

WINTER

DAILY PRAYER INSPIRATIONS FROM THE SCRIPTURES

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PREFACE

Winter is a time for preparation, a time to ready our hearts and minds in prayer. It is during this season of prayer that we discover the knowledge and assurance of our Holy God. During this season we store up God’s rich spiritual resources so that our supply of His goodness and holiness are always available to us. As you meditate on each daily inspirational thought and utter its corresponding prayer, contemplate on God’s lessons for you. Each entry is designed to facilitate application of God’s glorious word to your life today. Let God speak to your heart as He ministers to your soul and invites you into service with Him.

Prayer is a mysterious and wonderful avenue in which God meets our deepest need. Through prayer, we commune with our Lord and find meaning and revelation for our lives. It is through prayer that we can apply the Holy Spirit’s power to our supplications. Take time daily to enter into the throne room of God and experience His splendor and glory. Ask God to open your eyes to His precepts of wisdom and encouragement as you feast on His words of life. My sincere hope is that your times of devotion will be meaningful and uplifting as you seek to spend time in prayer with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May God bless the words of this book and make them living, active, and powerful in His sight.

JANUARY 1

II Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.

Blessed Father, how you love to redeem your children from their old and tired ways. My heart is filled with hope and expectation as I anticipate the transforming work of your Holy Spirit in me. All praise to your Son, who has made me a new creation. I am humbled by your steadfast love and faithfulness to me. I am grateful for your mercy and grace, which you pour out on me each new day. As you call me into divine union with you, I will give my full heart to stay in fellowship with you daily. My heart is surrendered to Jesus Christ. It is in His powerful name that I pray. Amen.

JANUARY 2

Lamentations 3:22-23

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.

Compassionate Father, what a great and mighty God you are! My heart sings your praises each morning. Your mercies are new towards me every day. How grateful I am for such a loving and gracious God. You have shown mercy on this sinner. You have poured your grace out to me and given me new hope. I am not worthy to be called your child, yet you have made me a joint heir in your inheritance. Your love is greater than the depths of the sea, your mercy higher than the tallest mountain peaks. Who can fathom the glorious riches of your character? What mind can conceive your abundant grace? My prayer is through Christ alone. Amen.

JANUARY 3

Philippians 4:8

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.

Excellent Father, you are worthy of all praise and honor. Help me to focus on the lovely things in this life. Help me to take every thought captive for you. I want my thoughts to be pure and holy. I want your Spirit to be comfortable in them. Oh, that I would not grieve your Spirit with any unclean thoughts. Forgive me, transform me, and purify me. Set my mind upon only you and the loveliness that comes with meditating on you. I ask in the name of the one who is lovely, right and true, Jesus Christ. Amen.

JANUARY 4

Luke 18:13

God be merciful to me a sinner.

Merciful Father, I stand before your righteousness and your holiness; I am humbled by my feelings of unworthiness. I measure myself to your purity, and I fall miserably short. I am amongst the greatest sinners of all, yet I am reminded that Jesus died for the inequities of us all. It is staggering to think that you could love me so much that you would send your Son to die in my place. How do I respond to such love? How do I receive such grace? I can only beg for your mercy and your compassion, and pledge my love to you in return. Accept this plea, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

JANUARY 5

Ecclesiastes 3:1-7

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak…

Father in Heaven, you are the maker of the seasons. Your timing is perfect and in every way, your hand is upon each activity under heaven. Father, teach me to acknowledge your ways. Teach me to mourn when it is time to mourn, to embrace the time I have with my loved ones, and to cherish the memories. Teach me to rejoice with laughter and song as I celebrate life’s joys. Father, life is short, life is precious, life is sweet; teach me how to live it to the fullest for you. I long to glorify you through my love for others. Let my prayers be effective for those on whose behalf I am called to intercede. I believe that you are sovereign and that your purposes will be accomplished, even when I cannot see your hand at work. In Jesus’ Holy name I pray. Amen.

JANUARY 6

II Samuel 22:7

In my distress, I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.

Ever-present Father in Heaven, you hear my cries for mercy and you respond in faithfulness. When I am in distress, I sense your calming Spirit and I am quieted by your love. You are a God of wisdom and compassion, who tenderly cares for your hurting children. Minister to my sorrowful heart and bind my wounded soul. Blessed is he who is comforted by your hand. I have learned to surrender my sorrow to the One who understands bitterness and grief. It is because of Jesus we are heard in heaven. To Him, I pray. Amen.

JANUARY 7

Genesis 3:8-9

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called the man, ‘Where are you?’

Father of Creation, your beauty is seen in all the works of your hands. How you delight in your lovely creation. I long to walk with you in the cool of the garden and spend time with you. But more often, I find myself like Adam, hiding from you, ashamed of my sin and guilt. Wash me clean with your mercy. Pour out your compassion and forgiveness so that when you call to me, I will answer, ‘I am here Lord, ready to be your servant.’ I offer you myself, a broken vessel, seeking restoration. Fill me with your glory, that I may be used mightily. I choose to walk alongside you today and every day. Through Jesus my Redeemer, I pray. Amen.

JANUARY 8

Ecclesiastes 3:11-14

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men…I know that everything God does will endure forever.

Eternal God, I find meaning and purpose in you alone. In loving you, serving you and fulfilling your purposes, I find great joy. My heart is set on eternity and my hope is placed in you alone. In the meantime, I consider the beauty of this earth and see your handiwork. I await your perfect timing and follow your Spirit’s leading. I recognize the beautiful provisions you have placed in my life. Praise to the Father who creates all good things. Praise to the Son who gives eternal life. Praise to the Spirit who makes all things new. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I pray. Amen.

JANUARY 9

Matthew 6:7-8

When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Great Provider, abundance flows from your hand. How I praise you for the immeasurable ways you provide. My every need is cared for; you know my every concern. Help me not to worry or be anxious about anything, but instead to turn to you in prayer. Give me a spirit of trust, that my prayers would be marked by greater faith. Let my words be filled with praise, coming from a sincere and grateful heart. I pray to the one who renders abundant life, Jesus Christ. Amen.

JANUARY 10

Romans 8:26

The Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings we cannot understand…He makes intercession for the Saints according to His will.

Holy Father, I praise you for your gift of the Holy Spirit. The Great Comforter and Counselor is interceding for me in the throne room of heaven. How I need my prayers to be aligned with your will. Guide my prayers and adjust them so that they will be pleasing to you, Father. Holy Spirit, transform me into the likeness of Christ. My body is the dwelling place of Jesus; may it be pure and acceptable to you. Make me holy and keep me in constant communion with you. I am fully yielded to you, Holy Spirit; lead me and work through me. In Christ’s holy power, I rest. In His name, I pray. Amen.

JANUARY 11

Hebrews 3:6

But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

Blessed Lord Jesus, you are the builder of the house of God, the Cornerstone who was placed at the foundation of time. May your church glorify you. As a bride longs to please her husband, so let the church desire to bring honor to the Savior. Give us the courage and the boldness to proclaim your name with power. Equip your saints to speak and act under the authority of your Holy Spirit. Let us share your message of hope to all who will have ears to hear. Bring your Spirit of revival to the household of faith so that we can be united in our passion for our Lord. To the keeper of our faith, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

JANUARY 12

Luke 9:48

Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all will be great.

Dearest Father, I praise you for the little children. Because of the love I have for my children, I am better able to understand your love for me. Your steadfast love is perfect and blameless. My love is weak and flawed. Show me how to love my children as you love. Guide me as I strive to raise them up in your word, which promises to gently lead those who have young. Give me