“A Lifestyle of Prayer” 

 This week’s prayer focus: PRAYER!

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  
  2 Chronicles 7:13-14

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 5:19-20 

A Lifestyle of Prayer should be just that — a lifestyle, not simply an event.  View prayer as your first priority, not as the last resort.  It is my prayer that these weeks of “topical” prayer guides have been training and equipping you in the practice of prayer.  This week we will look the instructions given to Solomon for God’s people to know how to return to Him when they have strayed.  As you are growing in the practice of prayer, I also encourage you to grow in the practice of journaling your prayers, your requests, your praises, and make note of how you see God working in each.   

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 spend time each day praying about, and writing down, how God would have you live out that day’s aspect of prayer.  With that in mind, pray for yourself, your family, your friends, neighbors, and all the “one anothers” we’ve been praying for over the past weeks. 

Sunday: Pray for Tom Lemler and the work God is doing through Impact Prayer Ministry.

Monday: Pursue.  Spend time with God considering, even writing out, what it would look like for you to pursue God wholeheartedly.  “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  Jeremiah 29:13

Tuesday: Repent.  As you pray, listen for God to reveal not just actions but even thoughts for which you need to turn to Him in repentance.   “Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.”  Acts 8:22

Wednesday: Act.  Spend the necessary time listening to God so that your prayers result in God-led action.  “If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?”  James 2:16

Thursday: Yield.  Empty yourself daily of  your will so that the focus of your prayers would be fully yielded to God.  “He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.'”  Matthew 26:42

Friday: Encourage.  Pray that you would be filled with, and share, encouragement as you cry out to God as a way of life.  “You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry.”  Psalm 10:17

Saturday:  Rejoice!  Recognize, and rejoice, in the greatness of God being found by all who would seek Him.  “Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.”  Psalm 105:3