The Word is full of prayers that we can read and use to help us express our heartfelt states. They have a special power to open our minds to influx from heaven and to give us strength against evils and falsities.

"The Word in its literal sense, or the natural, is in its fullness, and also in its power; and by means of it man is in conjunction with the heavens" (The Word 5)

This power becomes effective when the Word is read or recited reverently by people on earth (Divine Providence 256, Apocalypse Explained 1066[4]).

Through prayers from the Word the Lord literally can "give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11).

Here are some examples from the Word, of prayers for personal strength:

"Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me. Redeem me from the oppression of man, that I may keep Your precepts. Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes." (Psalm 119:133-135)

"Lord, help me stop worrying anxiously about tomorrow, and give me strength to face the troubles of this day." (Adapted from Matthew 6:3-4)

"I am a little child O Lord; I do not know how to go out or come in.... Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil." (1 Kings 3:7, 9)

Of course, there are many more. Here are just a few more references that you can look up:

Prayers for troubled states: Psalm 4:1, Psalm 7:1, Psalm 42:1, Psalm 86:6-7.

Prayers for mercy and forgiveness: 2 Samuel 24:10, Psalm 25:7, 11, Psalm 130:1-5, Luke 18:13.

Prayers of personal commitment: Mark 12:30, Psalm 37:5.

Prayers of comfort: Psalm 90:1-2.

In so many instances, these prayers have great spiritual power and beauty - not just because of their natural language, but also because, when we read them, we open our minds to the Lord's influx. He says,

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)

When we pray, we are hearing His voice, and opening the door.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For you, Lord, are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4)

(References: The Word 15)

226. Verses 14-22. And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the working of God. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; would that thou wert cold or hot. So because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to vomit thee out of My mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried by fire, that thou mayest be enriched, and white garments that thou mayest be clothed, that the shame of thy nakedness be not manifest, and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see. As many as I love I reprove and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent. Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. He that overcometh I will give to him to sit with Me in My throne, as I also have overcome and sit with My Father in His Throne. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

14. "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write," signifies those who are in faith alone, thus those who are in faith separate from charity (n. 227); "These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness," signifies from whom is every truth and everything of faith n. 228; "the beginning of the working of God," signifies faith from Him, which in appearance is the first thing of the church n. 229.

15. "I know thy works," signifies the life of faith alone (n. 230); "that thou art neither cold nor hot," signifies that it is between heaven and hell, because it is apart from charity n. 231; "would that thou wert cold or hot," signifies that it were better that there should be no faith or that there should be charity alone n. 232.

16. "So because thou art lukewarm," signifies those who live according to the doctrine of faith alone and of justification by faith n. 233; "and neither cold nor hot," signifies that they are between heaven and hell, because they are without charity (n. 234); "I am about to vomit thee out of My mouth," signifies separation from the knowledges from the Word n. 235.

17. "Because thou sayest, I am rich and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing," signifies their faith that they believe themselves to be in truths more than others n. 236; "and knowest not that thou art wretched," signifies that they do not know that their falsities have no coherence with truths n. 237; "and miserable and poor," signifies that they do not know that they have neither knowledges of truth nor knowledges of good n. 238; "and blind and naked," signifies that they are without the understanding of truth, and without the understanding and will of good (n. 239, 240).

18. "I counsel thee," signifies the means of reformation of those who are in the doctrine of faith alone (n. 241); "to buy of Me gold tried by fire, that thou mayest be enriched," signifies that they should acquire for themselves from the Lord genuine good, that they may be able to receive the truths of faith n. 242; "and white garments, that thou mayest be clothed," signifies genuine truths and intelligence therefrom (n. 243); "that the shame of thy nakedness be not manifest," signifies that filthy loves may not appear (n. 244); "and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see," signifies that the understanding may be somewhat opened (n. 245).

19. "As many as I love I reprove and chasten," signifies temptations then n. 246; "be zealous, therefore, and repent," signifies that they must have charity (n. 247).

20. "Behold I stand at the door and knock," signifies the perpetual presence of the Lord. n. 248); "if anyone hear My voice," signifies if one attends to the Lord's precepts n. 249; "and open the door," signifies reception in the heart or the life n. 250; "I will come in to him," signifies conjunction (n. 251); "and will sup with him, and he with Me," signifies the communication to them of the felicities of heaven n. 252.

21. "He that overcometh I will give to him to sit with Me in My throne," signifies that he who is steadfast to the end of life shall be conjoined with heaven where the Lord is n. 253; "as I also have overcome and sit with My Father in His throne," signifies comparatively as Divine good is united to Divine truth in heaven n. 254.

22."He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies that he who understands should hearken to what Divine truth proceeding from the Lord teaches and says to those who are of His church (n. 255).