Prayer for a Heart Set Free

In the fall of 2004 we wrote our own follow-up to our very positive experience with "40 Days of Purpose". We entitled it "A Heart Set Free: 40 Days in Philippians". We published a book of 40 devotionals, small group studies, and a DVD with six teaching segments by our Sr. Pastor. We've since made the whole package available to churches looking for a similar resource.

In addition to writing one week's worth of devotionals for the book, I wrote a series of spiritual disciplines including a prayer that each participant was invited to pray daily. We also used it most Sunday mornings of the 40 days:

Father God, there are chains that would imprison my heart today
– bonds that would hold me back from all that You have for me.
Chains of guilt or doubt, chains of selfishness or fear-
Chains formed in my past or my present,
by someone else’s hand or by my own-
Chains known and unknown to me.
But you know them all, Lord, and You can free me from their hold.
In the power of Jesus, please break the chains and release me this day,
so that I may live in the joy of a Heart set free. Amen.


© Rick Lindholtz, 2004