“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

 This week’s prayer focus:  Choose!

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
Joshua 24:15 (NIV)

As we continue to grow in A Lifestyle of Prayer, it is important to remember prayer should be a lifestyle, not an event.  View prayer as your first priority, not as the last resort.  This week we will focus our prayer time on the choices we make!  Every day we make choices that determine, or show, who we really serve.  Our prayer life should help us to be in line with God’s will so our choices will honor Him.  Pray that you would regard no choice as too insignificant for prayer.   Pray that your church congregation is a place where each person is a valued part of the family, regardless of how they fit in their “real” family.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) 

Please spend time each day praying about, and writing down, how God would have you live out that day’s aspect of prayer.    Thank you!

Sunday:  Pray for your church, its staff and leadership, and for all of the preaching and teaching that takes place.  Pray for me (Tom Lemler) and the work of Impact Prayer Ministry.

Monday: Choose Instruction.  Pray that you would always value godly instruction.  Pray that you would choose the instruction of God’s wisdom over anything else you may value.  “Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold.”  Proverbs 8:10 (NIV)

Tuesday: Choose Knowledge.  Pray that you would choose knowledge based on the truth of God’s Word.  Pray that your choice of this knowledge would help others see Jesus.  “Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold.”  Proverbs 8:10 (NIV)

Wednesday: Choose Understanding.  Pray that you would choose an understanding that can only come from God.  Pray that you would choose to apply that understanding in all of your interactions with people.  “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!”  Proverbs 16:16 (NIV)

Thursday: Choose What Pleases the Lord.  Pray that your life would be lived choosing the things that please the Lord.  “For this is what the LORD says: ‘To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant — to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.'”  Isaiah 56:4-5 (NIV)

Friday: Choose Spirit-filled Workers.  Pray that you would choose to value God’s presence in the lives of people.  Pray that you would choose to be one who is full of the Spirit and wisdom.  “Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them.”  Acts 6:3 (NIV)

Saturday:  Choose Faithful Messengers.  Pray that you would choose, and be, a faithful messenger in carrying the gospel.  “Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers.”  Acts 15:22 (NIV)