“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus:  Restored!

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
1 Peter 5:10-11 (NIV)

This week’s prayer focus is on being restored.  I remember as a pre-teen boy wanting to restore one of several cars from the fifties that had been abandoned in a woods near the house.  It never happened because while I had the desire, I had no ability.  Most of them probably would have been considered lost causes due to a variety of issues including trees growing up through them.  It is comforting to know that regardless of how much of a lost cause I may look like, God still has the ability and desire to restore me to Himself.  As you pray this week, ask God to fill you with the hope of His glory as He continues His work of restoration in your life even through suffering.  Pray that you realize His current restoration work in your life as well as anticipate the complete restoration when you see Jesus face to face.  Pray that you would carry with you a message of restoration to the people around you who are losing, or have lost, hope.  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 God has restored you and about how He can use you to help others know they too can be restored.

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.  Pray for the opportunity I have coming up in a couple of weeks to put more prayer-based resources into the hands of camp leaders.

Monday:  Restored to Joy.  Pray that God would fill you with an indescribable joy because of the salvation you have in Christ.  Pray that your joy would be sustained by a steadfast spirit within you.  “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”  Psalm 51:12 (NIV)

Tuesday:  Restored to Life.  Pray that you would have a confident hope in Christ that even the midst of great troubles, and even death, God will restore you to life with Him through His Son, Jesus.  “Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.”  Psalm 71:20 (NIV)

Wednesday:  Restored Through Repentance to Serve God.  Pray that you would always repent of any sin and wrongdoing that keeps you from serving God.  “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. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.'”  Jeremiah 15:19 (NIV)

Thursday:  Restored by the Return of Jesus.  Pray for a patient understanding that complete restoration will not take place until Jesus returns.  Pray that you would be involved in living the process of restoration until that time.  “He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.”  Acts 3:21 (NIV)

Friday:  Restored Gently.  Pray that the restoration you receive from God would help you be willing to restore others with gentleness.  Pray that your compassion in restoring others would not lead you to participate in wrongdoing.  “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”  Galatians 6:1 (NIV)

Saturday:  Restored Through Prayer.  Thank God for the opportunity to pray for one another in their times of need.  Pray that you would be more diligent in praying that the people around you would be fully restored to Christ.  “And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.”  Philemon 1:22 (NIV)