Prayers: Seeking First the Kingdom of God, Sealed by His Holy Spirit

By Antoinette M. Irby

God loves you more than you could ever imagine. The Creator of the universe is on demand and awaits for you to be free. Prayers are released to heaven all around the world every second, every minute, every hour, petitioning the presence of God and His Holy Spirit. Prayers rise up to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, with thanksgiving and requests for help and change. Prayers seek the supernatural, highest realm as you cry out and pray to God who patiently waits and answers you when you call to Him. The world encourages self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and self-resiliency, but life itself teaches you the urgency of becoming more dependent on God.

God allows you choices, and at the same time, He demands that you find truth, obedience, love, and rest in Him for every situation, thought, and feeling. It is your choice for the time it takes to educate yourself in His Word to learn, understand, and act upon positive thinking, healing, forgiveness, renewal of your mind, service of helping and giving, faith, blessings, and salvation. Take a moment to rethink where you are in God's-education. If temporary things were lost, will you still have joy, peace, love, goodness, gentleness, and faith? Will you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually be readily equipped with God's wisdom to help someone in your family, on your job, or simply in need at the time they need God most?

God-educate yourself to cover the people and things you value most. Ensure that you spend the rest of your life now and eternally with the inheritance that God Himself has promised you. Seek first the kingdom of God. Pray, meditate, and heal. The knowledge of God, His Word, and prayer is the ultimate power to bring change about yourself and the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9781639036011

Book preview

Prayers

Seeking First the Kingdom of God, Sealed by His Holy Spirit

Antoinette M. Irby

ISBN 978-1-63903-600-4 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63903-601-1 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Antoinette M. Irby

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations are taken from the New Life Version, copyright © 1969 and 2003. Used by permission of Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLV are taken from the New Life Version, copyright © 1969 and 2003. Used by permission of Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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

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

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

A Love Letter to All of God's Creation

Prayer Matters

Seeking God First and Praying Before Him

The Lord's Prayer

Prayer to Focus and Start Your Day with God

Chapter 1

Forgiveness

Forgiveness toward yourself!

Forgiveness toward others!

Chapter 2

Seek

Chapter 3

Healing

Humility!

Endurance!

Abide!

Love!

Instruction!

Need!

Grace!

Chapter 4

Get Back in the Ring

Fear!

Rejoice!

Believe!

Renewing your mind!

Serve!

Rest!

Chapter 5

New Heart, New You

Blessings for life!

Fruit of the Spirit!

Abiding in the presence of God!

Peace and the whole armor of God!

Sanctify!

The Word of God!

Salvation!

Prayer of salvation

Sealed by His Holy Spirit

Now, Our Testimony Together

Scriptures for Reference (KJV, unless Otherwise Indicated)

Scriptures for Reference

About the Author

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

—Matthew 6:33

All glory, honor, and praise to my heavenly Father, the Most High, who is the greatest. This dedication is to God the Father; Jesus the Son; and the Godhead, the Holy Ghost. Without the three (the Trinity), this vision would still be a thought held captive in my mind, negotiating with fear, doubt, anxiety, and the unknown of how, what, when, where, and why. Life seemed like a good place until God spoke to me and said that He has even greater—the best—for me, but it will require the best from me. It took me many years to comprehend what that actually meant without realizing it would require a change of direction from my life and myself (my heart and my mind), but it happened. The trinity began to speak, teach, guide, and transform me into what they wanted me to be, not what I wanted to be. What a great transformation it was and still is as I live renewed and boldly for Christ. Books may not seem like a miracle; however, this prayer book is because it was never a part of my plan, my dreams, or my purpose lined out in this life. It took me on a detour to an unknown place that I was nowhere else but fastened to adhere to sit, listen, and wait. I cried, and the angels of heaven surrounded me until I could hear the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit's whispers and feel their presence. Then the rebirth and regeneration began.

I thank my husband, Brian Irby, whom God sent to me as an angel here on earth, to help relieve me, to believe in me, and to silently encourage me to find my true identity in Christ. His love, gentleness, generosity, and wisdom give me hope and strength. His bold support, energy, and protection are like that of an army. God could not have sent me a better companion to help me develop God characteristics at the level that God created me to be in His own image. Thank You, God, for blessing me with my soul mate, Brian! I thank my mother, Minister Karen Murray, whose heart is like that of a beautiful arrangement of flowers that illuminates the room upon arrival at first sight. I thank her for her love, her thoughts, her encouragement, her time, her wisdom, her belief, her kindness, and her motherhood to carry me, birth me, and train me to become who I am today. She is a prayer warrior sent from above that every girl and woman would want positioned beside them—kneeling, standing, or sitting in unity in prayer. I thank my earthly father, Pastor Anthony Murray, who took his assignment from God seriously and protected me as not only his earthly child but as a child of God. I thank him for showing me that the greatest love on earth is God and for serving God passionately, faithfully, and trustworthily on earth that he would someday receive heaven's reward and the inheritance of God. I thank him for his teaching, direction, guidance, belief, joy, and obedience to fulfill God's purpose and, along with my mother, in bringing me into this world.

I thank my sisters Adrienne, Angela, Ashley, and Alisha—four beautiful women inside out—that share a bond and love thicker than the blood that flows through my body. Their support is like the roots of an established tree planted in solid ground growing from stored food that it would reach its full potential in due season. Thank you for your love, your patience, and your fervent prayers.

I thank my beautiful spirited nephews, Marlon, Ashton, and Aaden, whom I love dearly, and my grandparents, Grace, Mary Louise, Homer Sr., and Howard Sr., who are the dream behind the scene. I thank my aunts, uncles, and cousins for a solid foundation that cannot be broken for generations to come as they continue to build upward. I thank all pastors whom God has equipped from above and the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit that so freely usher the word of God into their hearts and souls to save us, God's children. I thank the Christian Faith Publishing team for their obedience to God, time, knowledge, and support.

Again, I thank God, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit for the belief that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God's word will never return to Him void. All things are possible if you only believe.

A Love Letter to All of God's Creation

Dear sons and daughters of God,

I write this letter to you first, giving all honor, glory, and praise to God, the Father, the Most High, the Creator of heaven and earth, and the Author of this prayer book. I thank God for the opportunity to partner with Him and for entrusting me to fulfill His vision from the obedience of my heart to unite in love with you. I also thank you for allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you, which led you to this prayer book at this time, at this moment, at this stage of your life. This prayer book was birthed from an unpredictable place that we all have experienced some time or another in this life—healing. Whether caused by a wound, an injury, or maybe a person, healing is the interceding effect to become functionable or healthy again. Time works its best to alleviate captivating emotions of distress, grief, fear, doubt, anguish, and pain as we wait for the heart, the broken limb, the relationship, or the mind to get better, to heal, and be made well (or whole). Only to pray that there is no tissue or organ damage, scar, or stagnant movement left as a reminder to prevent you from propelling forward to a life that you have not encountered and yet still exists. During this time, you may feel that there is no person, manufacturer, tangible object able or capable of fixing or curing your situation. It is almost as if you are in a maze all by yourself with every direction blocked. I am present to share with you that you will be made whole.

God started this healing process with me and openly (quietly) revealed to me this unbeknown mending that needed to take place and that would begin with Him. God loves me so much, and He loves you just the same. Either I can seek the kingdom of God first and submit now or delay God's promise, purpose, and will; whichever direction I choose through my tears and fears, it is very clear and evident now than ever before that my heartbeat, pulsating with the lifeline on the vital signs monitor, and the longevity of my life are dependent upon my response. I am not a man-made machine operating by the push of a button, and neither are you. I seriously need to change in my heart and with my thoughts. I choose to seek God's kingdom first and to continue in my salvation by leveling up to an intimate relationship with God as an heir in the kingdom of God. God does not intend for us to suffer. You and I are sons and daughters of God. "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that