“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

 This week’s prayer focus:  What Does God Want?

“And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?”
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (NIV)

“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)

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 pray specifically about what God wants as we look at Deuteronomy 10:12-13.  As you consider each day’s topic, pray that God would help that quality to grow in your life and in the lives of others.  We will begin the week praying for a submissive will that not only seeks to know what God wants, but that has the desire to do it.  Keep Monday’s prayer focus in mind each day as it sets the foundation for the value of the rest of the topics for the week.  Pray that the question, “What does God want?”, is more than a nice catch-phrase but becomes the driving force in all your decisions.  As you pray, listen for what God would have you to do.  

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 praying each day for godly wisdom in applying that day’s quality.  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: What does God want?  Pray that the significance of doing God’s will is never lost in your life nor in the life of the church.  “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 7:21

Tuesday: Fear God.  Pray that the fear of the Lord would help make what God wants matter in your life, in the life of the church, and in our nation.  “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”  Proverbs 1:7

Wednesday: Walk with God.  Thank God for His forgiveness that allows you to walk with Him.  Pray that your walk with God would be a good example to others.  “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.”  Genesis 3:8 

Thursday: Love God.  Pray that your love of God would be complete and with everything you have.  Pray for courage to love God in the way He deserves.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”  Mark 12:30

Friday: Serve God.  Pray that your desire to serve God would be seen in the way you serve people.  “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'”  Matthew 25:40

Saturday:  Obey God.  Pray that as you seek to know what God wants, that you would have the strength and courage to do it.  “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”  Luke 6:46