“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Living Pure!

“The voice spoke to him a second time,
‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’” 
Acts 10:15 (NIV)

“You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.”
John 15:3 (NIV)

This week’s prayer focus is about living pure.  While that may sound like a pretty tall order, we are made pure by the blood of Jesus and can be kept pure by the power of God at work in us through His Word and His Spirit.  Unfortunately, many people seem to be more concerned about the purity of their food and drink than they are about the purity of their life.  God has made us clean and wants us to remain clean through a continued relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus.  To live pure each day, however, requires some deliberate thought and action on our part.  We choose often each day whether we will live pure or not.  Many times we find ourselves not living in purity because we haven’t made the choice to do so.  As you pray this week, ask God to help you understand the absolute purity that exists because of the cleansing He has done in your life.  Pray that you would make wise decisions each day to maintain that purity.  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 living pure as one who has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus.

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:  Living Pure Through Godly Discernment.  Pray that a godly love would fill you with the discernment necessary to live a pure life.  Pray that your discernment would keep you pure in all of your relationships.  “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.”  Philippians 1:9-10 (NIV)

Tuesday:  Living Pure With Joy In Difficult Times.  Pray that you would be able to see beyond your trials to the pure joy that God wants to develop in your life.  Pray that you would live pure in the midst of difficulties as your faith grows through the testing.  “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”  James 1:2-3 (NIV)

Wednesday:  Living Pure In Our Religion.  Pray that you would live pure in the way you relate to God.  Pray that your practice of religion would be pure as you care for those who are overlooked and for yourself.  “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”  James 1:27 (NIV)

Thursday:  Living Pure Through Wisdom From Heaven.  Pray that you would be filled with a wisdom from heaven that guides  you in all purity.  Pray that the way you live would show the people around you a glimpse of the purity that comes from godly wisdom.  “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”  James 3:17 (NIV)

Friday:  Living Pure By a Spiritual Diet.  Pray that you would crave the pure spiritual diet that will help you to grow in your salvation.  Pray that your taste of God would make you want more of His purity in the way you live.  “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”  1 Peter 2:2-3 (NIV)

Saturday:  Living Pure Through Our Hope in Jesus.  Pray that you would desire purity in your life because of the hope Jesus has placed in you.  Pray that you would be more like Christ.  “But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.”  1 John 3:2-3 (NIV)