Jesus often thanked his Father in his own prayers. With eyes often overflowing with joy, I thank God for the daily miracles in my life. New love for a widowed daughter-in-law. A new grand-daughter. A daughter cancer-free. A friend surviving being hit by a car. A shared dinner with friends whom we haven't seen in a long time. We each have our own daily miracles to thank God for, because God is the Source of Everything Good!
Jesus deeply loved his family, friends, the people of his village, the people who shared his faith. Following his example, we pray for everything good for all those dear to our hearts: our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, children, other relatives, friends, neighbors, church members. When I pray for my loved ones, I often mention them by name, remember what's happening in their lives, ask God to empower them to make good decisions, ask God to heal them in all the physical, emotional, and spiritual ways they need healing. And I always place them solidly in God's hands by saying "I trust You that You know what's best for them."
Jesus had an especially deep love for all those who needed healing, whether it was physical, emotional, or spiritual healing - and he healed them. We pray for ourselves, for all the different ways that we need healing - for God to heal our bodies, minds, and souls, for God to remove our spiritual blindness, our spiritual dryness, our petty faults - in the ways and times that God chooses. If we have been ill ourselves, we can understand and feel a great love for those who are suffering. I ask God to take care of everyone in the world who is ill, - people in hospitals and nursing homes, people in Hospices, people who are sick at home, people who live in poverty and have no access to medical care. I especially pray for those who are dying and those who will die that day. We can believe and trust that God can bring healing to ourselves and others through our prayers, including the healing grace of a peaceful death, and the glory of a personal resurrection.
Jesus had a great love for "outsiders," for those not of his culture or his faith, like the Romans and Samaritans. Here, our minds can review the turning sides of a globe, hovering over nations and continents with love touches. Asia. Africa. Europe. Antarctica. Australia. North and South America....and on and on. We can pray for people of all nations and religions, that God will enlighten their own individual paths to Him. I recognize that Christians don't have a monopoly on salvation. I ask God to widen and deepen my heart to be open to talking to, listening to, and learning more about others whose religions and cultures are different.
Jesus told us to love our enemies and he even forgave those who murdered him. If we put on God's mind and heart, we remember that God loves and yearns for all souls to be united with him, and asks us to forgive as we are forgiven. Forgiveness isn't a feeling. It's seeing that even the worst person in the world is a child of God. And we know how we worry about our own children! So does God worry about HIS own. So, we can especially pray for people who, by their selfishness and stupidity have hurt us and people whom we are very angry at because of their actions. I pray for the person who, at least thirty years ago, stole my purse with my money and credit cards inside right before Christmas. The person who continues to tell lies about my husband. The ex-offender high on drugs who murdered my friend. The person who raped a family member. All members of ISIS. All murderers, rapists, and thieves. I don't FEEL forgiveness for them. I don't FEEL love for them. But I know God's mind and heart. So I pray for them, saying to God "Heal them of whatever anger, hate, and hurt lies in their hearts that keeps them from You."