“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

Learning to Pray!

“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’”
Luke 11:1 (NIV)

This week our prayer emphasis will focus on the teaching of Jesus about how we ought to pray.  I believe the disciples had noticed something different about the prayer life of Jesus, something that went beyond the teaching John had done about prayer.  Jesus was consistently making time to talk with His Father in a way that gave that conversation priority.  When you need someone to talk to, who do you go to first?  Why?  Is it easy or difficult for you to think about talking first to God about everything?  Why?  Our prayer emphasis this week will have us praying about the application points from Jesus teaching His disciples to pray.  As you pray, ask God to help you make your conversations with Him a priority in your life.  Pray that you would have a desire to grow in a lifestyle of prayer.  Pray that God would help you to have a relationship with Him that is so special that your desire would always be to go to Him first about everything.

“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 to help you learn to talk to Him first about everything.

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:  Talk Faithfully to God.  Pray that you would not let a day go by without talking to God about your needs for that day.  Pray that you would recognize, and avoid, the distractions that attempt to keep you from praying.  Ask God to help your faithfulness in prayer to be a positive influence that would cause others to have a desire to grow in prayer.  “Give us today our daily bread.”  Matthew 6:11 (NIV)

Tuesday:  Talk Intentionally to God.  Pray that you would talk to God specifically about the things that tempt you.  Pray that you would be more intentional in seeking God’s help to overcome temptation.  Pray that this intentionality would help others know of God’s help in avoiding temptation and being delivered from the evil one.  “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”  Matthew 6:13 (NIV)

Wednesday:  Talk Respectfully to God.  Pray that genuine worship of God would always be evident in your conversations with Him.  Pray that you would always view God as holy.  Pray that your reverence of God would be seen by others in a way that helps His name to be honored among believers and unbelievers alike.  “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’”  Matthew 6:9 (NIV)

Thursday:  Talk Submissively to God.  Pray that you would seek God’s will, and submit to it, in all of your requests and petitions.  Pray that you would repent of the pride that keeps you from submitting to God in everything.  Ask God to help the submissiveness in your prayer life reflect His will on earth so that the people around you would seek Him.  “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  Matthew 6:10 (NIV)

Friday:  Talk Truthfully to God.  Pray that you would always be truthful with God about the sin in your life and the debt He has paid to remove it.  Pray that you would be truthful in your forgiveness of others.  Ask God to help you show His love in the way you are truthful with your own debts and the debts of others.  “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”  Matthew 6:12 (NIV)

Saturday:  Talk FIRST to God about Everything.  Pray that you would recognize and experience the benefits of talking first to God about everything.  Pray that God would help you to see things in your prayer life that need to change in order for His truth to be more evident.  “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)