“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: A Prayer of FAITH!

“Is any one of you in trouble?  He should pray.  Is anyone happy?  Let him sing songs of praise.  Is any one of you sick?  He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.  If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
James 5:13-16 (NIV)

This week’s lifestyle of prayer emphasis will focus on the faith aspect of our prayers.  God says that without faith it is impossible to please Him.  Without some element of faith, our prayers may not really be prayers at all.  It is faith, even if just the seeds of faith, that cause us to cry out to God in prayer.  Faith believes that God exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  A prayer of faith will make a sick person well — not always by removing the sickness, but always by being raised up by the Lord.  This week we will spend time asking God to help us grow in some areas that will increase the faith in our prayers.  As you pray, ask God to help you overcome any doubts that hinder your faith.  Pray that you would seek God diligently and believe that He will reward you through a relationship with Him.  Pray that your understanding of “being well” would take on an eternal perspective.  Pray each day for the individuals of your congregation and for the body of Christ as a whole.

“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 pray each day for God’s help in praying with faith in all circumstances.

Sunday: Pray for your church staff, the preaching and teaching that takes place, the church leadership, the volunteers that are helping in so many areas, the spiritual and financial health of the congregation, and the work of the missions ministry of the church.  Pray for me (Tom Lemler) and the work of Impact Prayer Ministry.

Monday: A Prayer of Focus.  Ask God to give you the wisdom to know what is good and right.  Pray that you would stay focused in your belief in God’s desire and ability to answer your prayers.  “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”  James 1:6 (NIV)

Tuesday: A Prayer of Acceptance.  Pray that your faith would accept God’s Word as the holy instructions which bring salvation.  Ask God to help you have prayers which are filled with an acceptance of His Word and His ways being the foundation of His answers.  “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”  James 1:21 (NIV)

Wednesday: A Prayer of Insight.  Pray that God would fill you with an insight and understanding that could only come through His Word and His Spirit.  Ask God to fill your prayers with the insight that comes from doing the things He teaches.  “But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does.”  James 1:25 (NIV)

Thursday: A Prayer of Trust.  Ask God to increase your trust of Him as you submit to Him in all things as you go to Him in prayer.  Pray that  you would learn to humble yourself as you pray and trust that He will lift you up.  “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”  James 4:10 (NIV)

Friday: A Prayer of Hope.  Pray that you would have patience as you wait for the hope you have in Christ to be fulfilled.  Ask God to help you pray with hope in all things because of the coming of the Lord.  “You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.”  James 5:8 (NIV)

Saturday:  A Prayer of Exclamation!  Pray that you would know the healing that comes from living in agreement with God, and others, about the harmfulness of sin.  Ask God to help you have powerful and effective prayers that exclaim to others the power of God to heal and forgive.  “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”  James 5:16 (NIV)