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The Apprentice Prayer

the apprentice prayer

A simple prayer of the heart propelled me into a great spiritual renewal when I was forty years old. It’s now many years later, and I’m continuing in this prayer! My friend Pastor Bucky Dennis, dubbed this “The Apprentice Prayer.” It’s brought me great peace and power. 

Thousands of people, even whole churches, have prayed this prayer with me and experienced spiritual rejuvenation. If you study the lives of “the great ones” for Jesus you’ll see that they used Consecration Prayers to devote themselves to love and serve the Lord.

I used to wake up worrying about all the things I needed to do for that day and rushing to get going on them. But I’ve learned to wrestle the wild animals of anxiety off of me and begin my day by quietly praying, “I love you Jesus!…”

When you give a few minutes to focus your heart and mind with this prayer, you’re ready to face the day! When stress hits or opportunity comes, you have the mind of Christ in place.

The Apprentice Prayer


Jesus, I love you! Father, I adore you! Holy Spirit, I rely on you!

Lord Jesus, I seek to live as your apprentice in all that I do today. My life is your school for teaching me. I relinquish my agenda for this day and I submit myself to you and your kingdom purposes. In all situations today I pray, “Your will, your way, your time.”

Dear Father, I ask you to ordain the events of this day and use them to make me more like Jesus. I trust you, Sovereign Lord, that you won’t let anything happen to my family or me today, except that it passes through your loving hands. So no matter what problems, hardships, or injustices I face today help me not to worry or get frustrated, but instead to relax in the yoke of your providence. Yes, today I will rejoice because I am in your eternal kingdom, you love me, and you are teaching me!

My Lord, I devote my whole self to you. I want to be all and only for Jesus! Today, I seek to love you with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, all my strength, and all my relationships.

Today, I depend on you, Holy Spirit, not my own resources. Help me to keep in step with you.

Today, I look to love others as you love me, dear God, blessing everyone I meet, even those who mistreat me.

Today, I’m ready to lead people to follow you, Jesus.

Amen.

Click Here for a Printable Version

How to Use The Apprentice Prayer


I pray this prayer to train my heart and body and whole self to live as Jesus’ Apprentice. It helps me to rejoice in the Lord in trials, submit to his kingdom in all that I do, and listen to what God is teaching me through the events of my day. It also helps me to entrust myself and my loved ones to God’s providential, loving care.

Try offering this prayer each morning for the next thirty days.

You might want to use the button above to print it out and set it beside your bed or on your bathroom counter to form a morning prayer habit of the heart.

I’ve been asked, “But how do you keep the habit from being rote and dull?” 

This prayer is still fresh to me even though I have prayed it many thousands of times and memorized it. I keep it fresh by altering the wording, spinning off prayers on these themes, and inviting the Holy Spirit to guide me as I pray.

Discover How Apprenticeship to Jesus Can Change Your Life!

In Your Best Life In Jesus’ Easy Yoke: Rhythms of Grace to De-Stress and Live Empowered I show you how to pray The Apprentice Prayer to overcome stress-related issues like worry, low self-esteem, people-pleasing, and performance pressure. I share with you what I learned from a decade of being personally mentored by Dallas Willard, best-selling author of The Divine Conspiracy.

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Testimonies

I love this prayer! It’s helped me release my anxiety over the day to God’s loving control and given me courage. I’ve shared it with many people.”
Ron Thompson
Lead Pastor of Twin Cities Church in Grass Valley, CA

Your Best Life In Jesus’ Easy Yoke came to me when I felt stressed out. Jesus was relaxed, why was I anxious? I couldn’t put it down! From the opening ‘Apprentice Prayer’ I was hooked! I needed to come to Christ and learn from Him — Bill pointed the way. The clear teaching and engaging Scripture meditations showed me that it was possible to actually walk in the peace and power of the Lord — not by trying harder, but by training in His easy yoke and light burden.”
Steve Harper
Associate Pastor at Grace Church in Cleveland, OH

This book is so rich and practical. I identified with the personal stories from Bill and Kristi and clients they’ve helped. Being Jesus’ apprentice is helping me not to be stressed out in ministry and to overcome my anxiety and hurt from the past.”
Karen Mazzeo
Children’s Pastor in Riverside, CA

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Hear Bill and Kristi share how this prayer has made a powerful impact on their lives in this Soul Talks Podcast: Soul Talks 202: Re-Soul in The Apprentice Prayer. Through the challenges of work, family, and ministry, it can help you strengthen your relationship with Christ.

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