Holy Father,
Preparing a heart to receive Truth is a lot of work, huh?
Just like working the ground before planting, the soil of a heart must be softened by the water of Your Word (Psalm 65:10). You know just how to moistened the hardest heart through situations and experiences designed individually for each heart-soil. Indeed, it often takes the rain of a crisis to get a life truly ready for You. Water _______’s heart-soil to make way for Your Truth.
Once moistened by the tenderness of Your showers, a soul must be tilled for planting. No matter who we are, we rarely welcome the blades of the tiller. Yet, overturning what we cling to is the only way we can grasp hold of the One we will never understand.
I think of _____’s life: trampled down and maybe even packed deeply. It’s no wonder that they have a difficult time seeing You clearly. I know that a hard life always roots in a history of pain. I welcome the Tiller, first into my own life, then into the life of my friend. Be as gentle as possible with us both.
As You continue to prepare us, remove anything that would compete with the seeds of Your Spirit: stones of jealousy, old roots of bitterness, pebbles of people-pleasing, thorns of worry. Unearth them now and get rid of them. Feeling the pain of their loss in my life will help me be more careful with what I say when I see my friend struggling through their removal.
Begin even now to grant ________ the desire to receive Your implanted Word (James 1:21). I realize that in order to have a chance to sprout, Your seed must go right to the depths of their motivation. Grant me the insight to see what is holding the reins of their heart (Psalm 51:6), so that I may pray specifically.
This takes a while, doesn’t it. Heart-soil isn’t prepared overnight. So, grant me the perseverance to continue these prayers – over and again – until I see the first sprouts of Truth coming to life within _______.
You didn’t give up on me. Help me not give up on _________. Praying in the persistent Name of Jesus, Amen.
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Other posts on Intercessory Prayer:
Silky Smooth Deception and Prayer
The Strong Man and his Opponent
Intercession and Deceit Dependence
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