Personal Prayer
Praise “God, from whom all blessings flow!” Thank him for making his blessings available to you in Christ Jesus. Confess that you are spiritually poor in yourself. Commit yourself to gratitude to God for replacing your poverty with all the treasures of “the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:3). Ask for a renewed appreciation for this tremendous, gracious exchange.

For Your Family and Friends
Thank God for family members and friends who also have experienced God’s exchange of their poverty for his riches.

For the Church
Pray that those worshiping God this week will come acknowledging, “Nothing in my hand I bring . . . helpless, look to Thee for grace.” Ask for a profound sense of gratitude in your congregation’s worship.

For the Kingdom
Pray that Christian believers throughout the world will truly celebrate what God does in Christ.

For People to Know Jesus
Pray for those caught in addictions to drugs, sex, self-reliance, etc., to admit that they are powerless to overcome these evils by themselves. Ask God to use you this week to point at least one person to him and his resources.

Prayer Pointer
“Prayer becomes a battleground where we wrestle with what it means to live God’s life in the world.” —Maxie DunnamP