My Prayer To Open Advanced Boot Camp This Weekend

Well, in my never-ending quest to fashion my morning prayer, we are getting ready for our Masculine Journey Advanced Boot Camp this week.

Very fun. It's going to start Thursday evening. And so, as of Wednesday, I'll be leaving on that adventure. And this morning, God had me preparing the opening prayer. I get to do the very first talk.

I love that. It's advanced walking with God. And so, incredibly important is if you have an event and Jesus doesn't show up, that ain't good. Because apart from Him, we can do what?

Yeah, absolutely nothing. And so, it's neat to be able to concentrate and bring this in. And I feel so blessed to have in my life so many amazing men of God, wonderful people of prayer. Clearly, John Eldredge, as I listen to his Advanced Boot Camp opening prayer, just a spectacular prayer. And of course, James Banks, my good friend, the author of so many books on prayer. Just a really neat thing that God continues to hone this idea of Scripture and prayer. And so, this morning, he and I, we spent a lot of time crafting this prayer that hopefully I can have some sense of when I open the boot camp on Thursday evening. So, I thought it would just be fun to do this with you, my podcast listeners, this morning.

So, here we go. My new daily prayer is Jesus, my Father, our Father, who is in heaven with us right now. Lord, that place of refuge, as is your holy name, a refuge for me here in the fellowship of men and of women, of my friends that listen to my podcast and all my family. Lord, your Son, Jesus, and your Spirit, O Father, thank you that you called me into this in your name.

Yahweh, what a refuge. Lord, your kingdom, Lord, bring it, bring it, bring your life, the river of life. Part the sea, please, part the sea and allow us, with our backs up against the wall, to rely on nothing, nothing but you, your strength. Come to that place of your promises. Drown our adversary, drown him in your blood.

Take off his chariot wheels, drown his captains, his wolves, his horsemen. Lord, let that blood cleanse me of my weakness, of my sin, of my brokenness. Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, into your hands, into your hands, I want to commit my life, my righteousness, that it would be your righteousness, your will. Lord, I desperately need your will for my spirit.

My spirit longs for intimacy and into me see, right, that I would be in union with you to see you and you to see me. Lord, my soul needs to believe. Lord, help, help my unbelief. Show me that you are right here with you, right here. You've been here all along, Lord, and I'm so grateful for that. My heart, Lord, dig into that treasure today. Lord, dig into my heart, that I would see your heart. Help me to see your heart so that I might see mine. Lord, into your hands, into your nail scarred hands, I commit my mind. Lord, anoint my mind with wisdom, with understanding.

Give me your understanding. Give me counsel and might and knowledge. Lord, anoint my fear of you and that you might allow me to delight in that fear, that I know that I have the biggest, baddest dad ever.

I have nothing to worry about. Lord, give the spirit of a sound mind to all of us. Give that spirit of a sound mind and sound imaginations. Lord, help us to commit every thought to you. Lord, your will, we, Lord, we delight in that. Let us see your will be done. Lord, align our sense of what is right with what is yours and let it be done on earth at this camp this week where we are right now as it is in heaven. Help me to taste that heaven afresh. Father, give us today right now in this session, in this time, in this time with you, give us our manna, right?

That manna, that place of remembrance. Lord, the bread that I will eat and remember who you are and in doing so, I'll know who I am, my true name. Father, Lord, forgive me and help me to accept that by calling to mind my unforgiveness, the agreements that I've made and the unforgiveness that I need to break.

Lord, help me to accept your forgiveness, even the forgiveness of my own, you know, not forgiving myself, I guess is the best way to put that. Father, lead me away from that place where I test you, that place where I doubt that you care, that you are enough. Lord, help me to not test you, but to know that you are sufficient for everything. Father, your son, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Lord, show me that Jesus is that word, salvation, and save me to deliver me into that place tonight, like where the woman was caught in adultery, right? To know that in your presence, right, I can have no accusers, right?

Where are your accusers? Well, Lord, in your presence, I have none, so deliver me from that evil. Father, breathe your kingdom here, your life, your hope, your joy, your grace.

Help me to know again that I'm your favorite. Help me to see and experience your love like I never have before today, that love that will protect my home, my family, my ministry, my job, my friends, so much I have nothing to worry about. Lord, it's under your authority we bring this time today, this coming camp, our deepest intimacy, Lord, over this time into the fellowship of men and women. Lord, we bring you. Lord, come. Lord, come. In Jesus' name, in his wonderful name we take refuge. Amen and amen.