“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Living With Compassion!

 “Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains!  For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.”
Isaiah 49:13 (NIV)

This week’s prayer focus is about living with compassion.  Many times we try to substitute pity, instruction, warnings, judgment, or even good deeds for true compassion because we want to help but we don’t want to suffer.  Yet godly compassion means to suffer with those who are suffering so that they may receive the same comfort from us that we have received from God.  There is no greater example of compassion than Jesus coming to earth and suffering alongside mankind so that we may be comforted with the same comfort He received from His Father.  Living with compassion means that we will not only take notice of the suffering that takes place in our world, our neighborhoods, our churches, and our homes; we will join in suffering with those who hurt so that together we can find the comfort God desires for us.    We can learn a lot about the compassion we ought to  have by looking at the compassion God has for us.  As you pray this week, ask God to open your eyes to the sufferings of others.  Pray that you would have the courage to suffer with them — not for the purpose of having a pity party, but in order to find the avenues of comfort that are needed.  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 with compassion.

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 With the Compassion to Forgive.   Pray that you would live with a greater understanding of the ‘suffering with us” that was required in order for God to forgive our sins.  Pray that your love for God and people would fill you with the compassion necessary to forgive.  “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.”  Psalm 51:1 (NIV)

Tuesday:  Living With a Compassion that Gives Life.  Pray that you would allow God’s compassion to come to you in a way that brings life.  Pray that your delight in God’s law would lead you to show compassion to others in a way that leads them to the life God offers.  “Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.”  Psalm 119:77 (NIV)

Wednesday:  Living With a Compassion that Restores.  Pray that you would know the compassion of God that restores you to Himself.  Pray that you would deepen your compassion in order to restore those whom you may have abandoned.  “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.”  Isaiah 54:7 (NIV)

Thursday:  Living With a Compassion that Shows Mercy and True Justice.  Pray that your willingness to suffer with those who suffer would lead you to seek true justice for those who have been wronged.  Pray that this same compassion that seeks justice would be filled with great mercy.  “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.’”  Zechariah 7:9 (NIV)

Friday:  Living With Compassion for Those Who are Harassed and Helpless.  Pray that you would pay attention to the “crowds” and notice when their actions are the result of being harassed and helpless.  Pray that your compassion would cause you to suffer together with those being harassed as you help them find the Good Shepherd.  “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”  Matthew 9:36 (NIV)

Saturday:  Living With Compassion for Those Who Need to Return Home.  Pray that you would know the joy of the Father’s compassion as He welcomes you back home.  Pray that you would have great compassion for those who are a long way from home and need to return.  “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”  Luke 15:20 (NIV)