“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Goodness!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

Our prayer focus will continue a look at specific parts of the fruit of God’s Spirit.  The last couple of weeks we have focused on self-control and kindness.  This week we will focus on praying about the goodness God’s Spirit produces in us.  The fruit of God’s Spirit within us brings great benefit to our lives but more importantly, it is designed to help us represent Christ well to the people around us.  As with all parts of the fruit of the Spirit, God says there is no law against being good.  As you pray this week, ask God to help you understand goodness from His perspective.  Pray that you would allow His Spirit to produce goodness in you that overflows from your life.  Pray that you would have an increasing goodness in your life as you grow in Christ.  Pray that God’s goodness would be seen in a way that the people around you would be attracted to Jesus.   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 goodness God desires for you to have through the power of His Spirit.

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:  Equipped by God’s Word for Goodness.  Pray that you would be a student of God’s Word so that you would be equipped for all goodness.  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

Tuesday:  Goodness of Sharing Your Faith.  Pray that you would know the goodness of actively sharing your faith.  Pray that a sharing of your faith would help you to understand what you have in Christ.  “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”  Philemon 1:6 (NIV)

Wednesday:  Goodness that Pleases God.  Pray that you would seek to live with a goodness that honors God.  Pray that God’s goodness would be seen in the way you share with others.  “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”  Hebrews 13:16 (NIV)

Thursday:  Live with the Wisdom and Humility of Goodness.  Pray that you would be filled with God’s wisdom that leads to goodness.  Pray that your goodness would come from wisdom that is expressed in humility.  “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”  James 3:13 (NIV)

Friday:  Build a Reputation of Goodness.  Pray that God would help you see how the goodness of your deeds represent Him.  Pray that you would live in a way that glorifies God.  “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”  1 Peter 2:12 (NIV)

Saturday:  Imitate the Goodness of God.  Pray that you would know the difference between good and evil.  Pray that you would imitate the good that comes from God.  “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.”  3 John 1:11 (NIV)