“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

Knowing the Gift of Jesus!

“And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.  Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” 
2 Corinthians 9:14-15 (NIV)

With the Christmas holiday upon us, it is good to reflect on gifts given and received.  Perhaps you have gifts that will be returned because they weren’t right for you.  I pray that there are gifts you will cherish because you know they represent the heart of the giver.  As Christians, God has given us what Paul calls an “indescribable gift”.  In context, he seems to connect this gift with the “surpassing grace” of God.  I believe Jesus is at the heart of this great gift.  This week our prayer focus will be on the indescribable gift we have through our relationship with Jesus.  As you pray this week, remember that His presence ought to be evident in your life at all times — not just when it is seasonally expected.  Pray that God’s grace in your life would overflow in such a way that the people around you would recognize that you have been with Jesus.  Pray that the gift of Jesus is not just something you receive, but that you would be active in sharing that gift through the way you love others.  Pray that God would fill you with a generous spirit as you make known the gift of Jesus.

“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 live with the gift 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:  The Gift of Joy.  Pray that you would experience and share true joy because of the gift of Jesus in your life.  Pray that the people around you would see the joy of Christ in you.  Ask God to help you be more expressive of the joy experienced through Christ.  “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.”  John 17:13 (NIV)

Tuesday:  The Gift of Energy.  Pray that you would be faithful in doing the good works God has created for you to do as you use the energy of Jesus within you.  Pray that you would trust the power of God to work within you to accomplish what you cannot.  Ask God to help His energy to be made known through you.  “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”  Colossians 1:29 (NIV)

Wednesday:  The Gift of Salvation.  Pray that you would always value the salvation you receive through Jesus Christ.  Pray that the people around you would know God’s desire for them to be saved.  Ask God to help you share the promise of God’s salvation with those who have not yet been saved.  “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Thessalonians 5:9 (NIV)

Thursday:  The Gift of Uniqueness.  Pray that Jesus would always be the only one you look to for your salvation.  Pray that the people around you would come to know Jesus as the only way to be saved.  Ask God to help you proclaim the uniqueness of Jesus as the only begotten Son of God.  “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12 (NIV)

Friday:  The Gift of Surrender.  Pray that you would surrender everything to the Lordship of Jesus.  Pray that you would have a greater understanding of both the cost and reward of being a disciple of Jesus.  Ask God to help you see your surrender to Him as a gift both from Him and to Him.  “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”  Luke 14:33 (NIV)

Saturday:  The Gift of JESUS.  Pray that you would recognize the indescribable gift of God in your life through the presence of Jesus.  Pray that God’s gift would cause you to seek Him for all that you need.  “Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’”  John 4:10 (NIV)