armor of God

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Lifestyle of Prayer: Weakness!

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“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

 

This week’s prayer focus:  Weakness!

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

As we continue to grow in A Lifestyle of Prayer, it is important to remember prayer should be a lifestyle, not an event.  This week we will focus on praying about some things that God says about Weakness.  God’s view of weakness seems to be radically different from that of most people today.  In the times when I am overcome with weakness, I need to remember the help that God gives through His Spirit, His power, and His people.  As you pray this week, jot down situations where you know you have seen God use your weakness for His glory.  Make a note of weakness that you continue to struggle with seeing how God will ever use them.  Write down ways that you can be a help and encouragement to the people around you who also struggle with their weaknesses.  Pray that you would seek God with the action steps you need to take in each of those journaled areas.  Continue to use the prayer guides/lists from the past weeks.

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”
Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)

Please spend time praying each day for God’s direction in responding to that day’s weakness focus.  With that focus in mind, pray for yourself, your family, your friends, neighbors, and all the other “one anothers” in your life.  Thank you!

Sunday:  Pray for your church, its staff and leadership, and for all of the preaching and teaching that takes place.  Pray for me (Tom Lemler) and the work of Impact Prayer Ministry.

Monday: Our Weakness in Prayer Helped by the Spirit.  Pray that you would trust the Spirit to know your heart in prayer when you struggle with the words to use.  “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”  Romans 8:26 (NIV)

Tuesday: Boasting in Weakness.  Pray that you would use God’s working in your weaknesses as opportunities to tell others about the power of Jesus.  Pray that any boasting you do would be based on God’s glory and not yours.  “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.”  2 Corinthians 11:30 (NIV)

Wednesday: Grace that is Sufficient for our Weakness.  Pray that you would trust and allow God’s power to be perfected in your weakness through His grace.  “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”  2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Thursday: Delighting in Weakness that Makes us Strong.  Pray that you would learn to see the value of weaknesses and difficulties to show the strength of Christ to the world.  “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)

Friday: Living by God’s Power through Weakness.  Pray that you would live according to the power of the resurrection in the midst of your weaknesses.  “For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you.”  2 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)

Saturday:  One who Understands our Weakness.  Pray that you would always cast all your cares on Jesus, the one who understands and sympathizes with our weaknesses.  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.”  Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)

 

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Lifestyle of Prayer: Protection Revisited!

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“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

 

This week’s prayer focus:  Protection!

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

As we continue to grow in A Lifestyle of Prayer, it is important to remember prayer should be a lifestyle, not an event.  This week we will again pray for wisdom to properly use the armor God has given us.  Please note the closing verse — it’s all meant to be used in the context of continual prayer!  View prayer as your first priority, not as the last resort.  Continue to use the prayer guides/lists from the past weeks.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  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 6:10-18 (NIV)

Please spend time praying each day for godly wisdom in using the piece of armor listed.  With that focus in mind, pray for yourself, your family, your friends, neighbors, and all the other “one anothers” in your life.  Thank you!

Sunday:  Pray for your church, its staff and leadership, and for all of the preaching and teaching that takes place.  Pray for me (Tom Lemler) and the work of Impact Prayer Ministry.

Monday: Protected by Truth.  Pray that God would help you to speak truth in love.  Pray that He would lead you in removing any elements of falsehood from your life.  Pray that truth, God’s truth, would be central in the lives of each person you pray for today.

Tuesday: Protected by Righteousness.  Pray that you would be confident that the righteousness you have in Christ will protect your heart and soul.  Pray that God would help you to remove any sense that somehow you may have enough righteousness on your own.  Pray that righteousness, God’s righteousness, would be found in the life of each person you pray for today.

Wednesday: Protected by the Gospel of Peace.  Pray that you would be filled with a peace that passes all understanding because of the gospel of Jesus.  Pray that God would help you to be a peacemaker as you live and share the gospel.  Pray that peace, God’s peace would fill each person you pray for today.

Thursday: Protected by Faith.  Pray that you would have an unwavering faith that will protect you from the accusations of Satan.  Pray that God will help you to deal with, and dismiss, any doubts that the enemy tries to plant in your mind.  Pray that faith, faith in God, will encourage each person you pray for today.

Friday: Protected by Salvation.  Pray that the salvation you have in Christ will protect your mind from the deceitfulness of Satan.  Pray that God would remind you that you are His when the enemy tries to convince you that God couldn’t save you.  Pray that salvation, God’s salvation, would be known by each person you pray for today.

Saturday:  Protected by the Word of God.  Pray that you would be an active student of God’s Word.  Pray that you would allow His Spirit to instruct your understanding so that you would accurately handle the Word of God.  Pray that the Word of God would illuminate the life of each person you pray for today.

 

by

Lifestyle of Prayer: Protection

i

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

 This week’s prayer focus: Protection!

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

As we continue to grow in A Lifestyle of Prayer, it is important to remember prayer should be a lifestyle, not an event.  This week we will pray for wisdom to properly use the armor God has given us.  While it is nice to pray for physical protection, more importantly we will pray for spiritual protection as we put on, and use, the full armor of God.  Please note the closing verse — it’s all meant to be used in the context of continual prayer!  View prayer as your first priority, not as the last resort.  Continue to use the prayer guides/lists from the past weeks.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  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 6:10-18 (NIV)

Please spend time praying each day for godly wisdom in using the piece of armor listed.  With that focus in mind, pray for yourself, your family, your friends, neighbors, and all the other “one anothers” we’ve been praying for over the past weeks.  Thank you!

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

Monday: Truth.  Pray that God would help you to speak truth in love.  Pray that He would lead you in removing any elements of falsehood from your life.  Pray that truth, God’s truth, would be central in the lives of each person you pray for today.

Tuesday: Righteousness.  Pray that you would be confident that the righteousness you have in Christ will protect your heart and soul.  Pray that God would help you to remove any sense that somehow you may have enough righteousness on your own.  Pray that righteousness, God’s righteousness, would be found in the life of each person you pray for today.

Wednesday: Gospel of Peace.  Pray that you would be filled with a peace that passes all understanding because of the gospel of Jesus.  Pray that God would help you to be a peacemaker as you live and share the gospel.  Pray that peace, God’s peace would fill each person you pray for today.

Thursday: Faith.  Pray that you would have an unwavering faith that will protect you from the accusations of Satan.  Pray that God will help you to deal with, and dismiss, any doubts that the enemy tries to plant in your mind.  Pray that faith, faith in God, will encourage each person you pray for today.

Friday: Salvation.  Pray that the salvation you have in Christ will protect your mind from the deceitfulness of Satan.  Pray that God would remind you that you are His when the enemy tries to convince you that God couldn’t save you.  Pray that salvation, God’s salvation, would be known by each person you pray for today.

Saturday:  Word of God.  Pray that you would be an active student of God’s Word.  Pray that you would allow His Spirit to instruct your understanding so that you would accurately handle the Word of God.  Pray that the Word of God would illuminate the life of each person you pray for today.