Month: August 2015

by

Lifestyle of Prayer: Justice

i

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus:  Justice

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.  Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor.  In your hearts do not think evil of each other.’”
Zechariah 7:9-10 (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 our prayer emphasis will focus on some of what the Bible says about justice and how it ought to be evident in our life.  God has a lot to say about His justice, about the way we ought to treat others with justice, and about the consequences of rejecting true justice.  As you pray this week, ask God to help you see and practice justice with all fairness and impartiality.  Pray that the people around you would receive justice as they turn to God to make all things right.  Pray for a unity of spirit among believers in general and among your church family in particular.  

“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 praying each day about God’s view justice and how that looks lived out in your life.  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:  Follow Justice.  Pray that you would know the gift of God to you as you follow justice as a way of life.  “Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the LORD your God is giving you.”  Deuteronomy 16:20 (NIV)

Tuesday:  Administer Justice.  Pray that you would be filled with godly wisdom to administer justice in every role of authority that you have.  “When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.”  1 Kings 3:28 (NIV)

Wednesday:  Maintain Justice.  Pray that you would have the courage to constantly work at maintaining justice in all situations.   Pray that the people around you would see justice maintained in their life.  “Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right.”  Psalm 106:3 (NIV)

Thursday:  Seek Justice.  Pray that you would actively seek justice, not only for yourself but for those who need your voice to speak for them.  “Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!  Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”  Isaiah 1:17 (NIV)

Friday:  Shepherd with Justice.  Pray that the people whom God has put in your life for you to watch over would receive justice from you.  Pray that  you would seek out those who need justice.  “I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.”  Ezekiel 34:16 (NIV)

Saturday:  Proclaim Justice.  Pray that your Christ-like living would include proclaiming justice both near and far.  Pray that God would be delighted by the way you proclaim justice.  “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.”  Matthew 12:18 (NIV)

by

Lifestyle of Prayer: Being Strong!

i

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus:  Being Strong!

“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
2 Chronicles 15:7 (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 our prayer emphasis will focus on being strong according to God’s definition.  Throughout scripture God is constantly calling for His children to be strong — at times even commanding them to be strong and courageous.  The strength that God calls for doesn’t always look like the world’s definition of strength so we will pray about adopting God’s view of strength.  As you pray, look for ways that your life can show godly strength to the people around you.  Pray for the courage to live strong each day that God gives you.  Pray for a unity of spirit among believers in general and among your church family in particular.  

“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 praying each day about God’s view of being strong and how that looks lived out in your life.  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:  Be Strong in Patience.  Pray that you would have strength and courage in the times that God calls you to wait.  Pray that your times of waiting would strengthen your trust in the Lord. “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”  Psalm 27:14 (NIV)

Tuesday:  Be Strong in Hope.  Pray that you would be strong in hope as you continually put your faith in God.  Pray that your life would help others to see a living hope that is found in a relationship with Jesus.  “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.”  Psalm 31:24 (NIV)

Wednesday:  Be Strong to the End.  Pray that you would not become weary in doing good and that your strength in Christ would keep you to the end.  “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Corinthians 1:8 (NIV)

Thursday:  Be Strong in Weakness.  Pray that  you would allow the strength of Christ to be seen in the midst of your weaknesses.  “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)

Friday:  Be Strong in the Lord.  Pray that you would find all of your strength in the Lord and live according to His mighty power.  Pray that the people around you would know your strength comes from the Lord.  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”  Ephesians 6:10 (NIV)

Saturday:  Be Strong in Grace.  Pray that you would experience and give grace according to the strength that is found in Jesus.  Pray that your strength would flow from the grace you have received from Christ.  “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”  2 Timothy 2:1 (NIV)

by

Lifestyle of Prayer: Repentance

i

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus:  Repentance

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 (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 our prayer emphasis will focus on repentance.  The Bible says all have sinned but the unfortunate truth is that we not only have sinned, we still sin even after coming to Christ.  Therefore, repentance is not only for the unsaved, but perhaps more importantly, it is for those of us who seek to walk with Christ daily.  Repentance is more than a change of action, although the Bible is clear that it must be visible in our actions.  It is a complete change of heart — a change of thinking about that which we are repenting of.  As you pray this week, pray that you would see the need for repentance in your life and that you would learn to see the things you are repenting of from God’s perspective. Pray for a unity of spirit among believers in general and among your church family in particular.  

“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 praying each day about the things you need to repent of, the attitude you should have in repentance, and the joyful benefit of repentance that can be seen in your deeds.  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:  Repent in Godly Sorrow.  Pray that the sorrow you experience when doing wrong would be Godly sorrow that leads you to repentance.  “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”  2 Corinthians 7:10 (NIV)

Tuesday:  Repent in Obedience.  Pray that you would be obedient to God’s command to repent even of acts done in ignorance.  “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”  Acts 17:30 (NIV)

Wednesday:  Repent of Pride.  Pray that God would help you to identify and repent of all traces of sinful pride in your life.  “Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the LORD’s wrath did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.”  2 Chronicles 32:26 (NIV)

Thursday:  Repent of Wickedness.  Pray that  you would turn to God and repent of all aspects of wickedness — even wickedness that currently only resides in your thoughts.  “Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.”  Acts 8:22 (NIV)

Friday:  Repent for Refreshment.  Pray that your repentance would bring a time of refreshment in your life as you experience the penalty of your sins being wiped away.  “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.’”  Acts 3:19 (NIV)

Saturday:  Repent for Restoration.  Pray that you would experience God’s restoration in your life as you turn to Him in repentance.  “Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman.”  Jeremiah 15:19 (NIV)

by

Lifestyle of Prayer: Speak!

i

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus:  Speak!

“What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.  Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 10:27-28  (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 our prayer emphasis will focus on what we speak.  The Bible has much to say about what we speak and how we speak.  As you pray this week, ask God to help you speak the right things in the right way.  Pray that you would always look for, and make the most of, every opportunity to speak words of truth and life.  Pray that the people around you would know of your relationship with Jesus and seek that for themselves as they hear you speak.  Pray for a unity of spirit among believers in general and among your church family in particular.  

“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 praying each day about how you speak and who God would have you speak to.  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:  Speak Plainly.  Pray that your ears would be opened to God’s Word and that your tongue would be set free to speak plainly.  “At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.”  Mark 7:35 (NIV)

Tuesday:  Speak Praise.  Pray that your mouth would be filled with praise of God every time you speak.  Pray that praise of God would continually flow from who you are.   “Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.”  Luke 1:64 (NIV)

Wednesday:  Speak Boldly.  Pray that God would enable and empower you to speak boldly on His behalf even in the face of opposition.  Pray that you would not allow anything to keep you from speaking God’s Word with boldness.  “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.”  Acts 4:29 (NIV)

Thursday:  Speak Encouragement.  Pray that God’s Word would fill you with words of encouragement for others.  “After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, ‘Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.’”  Acts 13:15 (NIV)

Friday:  Speak Wisdom.  Pray that you would have the maturity to see through the deceit of the wisdom of this age in order to speak true wisdom.  “We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.”  1 Corinthians 2:6 (NIV)

Saturday:  Speak Truthfully.  Pray that you would actively put off all falsehood so that you would be free to speak truthfully to the people around you.  “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”  Ephesians 4:25 (NIV)

by

Lifestyle of Prayer: Your Path

i

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus:  Your Path

“The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”
Proverbs 4:18  (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 our prayer focus will be the path you take in life.  The Bible makes it clear that there is a way, a path, that leads to life eternal and one that leads to destruction.  As you pray this week, ask God to help you see the path that grows brighter each day.  Pray that you would always look for, and stay on, the path of the righteous.  Pray that the people around you would know of the good path and that they would follow it as they observe your life in Christ.  Pray for a unity of spirit among believers in general and among your church family in particular.  

“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 praying each day about the path you take each day and where it leads you.  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: The Path of Life.  Pray that you would be filled with joy as you walk the path of life.  Pray that your joy would lead others to seek the path of life through Jesus.  “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”  Psalm 16:11 (NIV)

Tuesday: The Path of Protection.  Pray that you would follow God’s path and trust Him to broaden it beneath your feet so that your walk is steady.  Pray that those around you would not stumble on the path.  “You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.”  Psalm 18:36 (NIV)

Wednesday: The Path of God’s Way.  Pray that you would be a student of God’s way so that your path would not be disrupted by the enemy.  Pray that you would teach others the way of God.  “Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.”  Psalm 27:11 (NIV)

Thursday: The Path of Freedom.  Pray that you would daily experience the freedom of walking in the path of God’s commands.  Pray that the people around you would see a heart set free in Christ.  “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.”  Psalm 119:32 (NIV)

Friday: The Path of Light.  Pray that you would use God’s Word to illuminate the path you walk each day.  Pray that you would shine the light of God’s Word on the path that those around you walk.  “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”  Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

Saturday:  The Path of Justice.  Pray that your practice of administering mercy and justice would lead you on a path that is good.  Pray that you would continually grow in your understanding of God’s definition of justice.  “Then you will understand what is right and just and fair — every good path.”  Proverbs 2:9 (NIV)