March 6, 2016 by Tom

Lifestyle of Prayer: Reconciled!

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Reconciled!

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (NIV)

This week’s prayer focus is on our being reconciled to God with the task of facilitating reconciliation with others. Each month I receive a bank statement and my accounting software asks me to reconcile my account. The purpose, I think, is to bring my record of expenditures and deposits into balance and agreement with what the bank has recorded. Webster’s dictionary says that reconcile means “to bring one thing into correspondence with another.” When we are reconciled to God, it is through the blood of Jesus that the line of communication has been opened between us and God. It is only through Christ that we can be brought into balance and agreement with God. As we are reconciled to God, He calls us to be involved in not only helping others to experience reconciliation with God, but to work at the ministry of reconciliation with one another. As you pray this week, ask God to help you walk in balance with Him. Pray about the reconciliation you need with God and with others. Pray for a unity of spirit among believers in general and among your church family in particular.

“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 about both the reconciliation that you have in Christ and any aspect of your life where you need to work at being reconciled to someone.

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: Reconciled Before Worship. Pray that you would have the courage to be reconciled to others so that your worship would be pleasing and acceptable to God. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24 (NIV)

Tuesday: Reconciled with Adversaries. Pray that you would make a sincere effort to be reconciled to those who are against you. “As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.” Luke 12:58 (NIV)

Wednesday: Reconciled with One Another. Pray that you would listen to the attempts of people when they try to help you be reconciled to others. “The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’” Acts 7:26 (NIV)

Thursday: Reconciled through Jesus Christ. Pray that you would always seek to be reconciled to God through Jesus and that you would see Jesus as the means for all reconciliation. “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Romans 5:10-11 (NIV)

Friday: Ambassador of Reconciliation. Pray that you would actively be involved in calling people to be reconciled to God. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV)

Saturday: Reconciled to Be Holy. Pray that you would value the cost of reconciliation by pursuing a holy life in Christ. “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” Colossians 1:22 (NIV)

January 17, 2016 by Tom

Lifestyle of Prayer: Excel!

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Excel!

“But just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”
2 Corinthians 8:7 (NIV)

What are some things that you are good at doing? Are there things that others say you excel in? How much work, or effort, is usually required to excel in a given area? This week’s prayer focus will use a list of things that Paul states the Corinthian Christians excel in, or need to excel in. Paul’s letter was not only written to the Corinthians, but as scripture it is useful to us for training in all righteousness. As you pray this week, ask God to give you His grace and the courage necessary to excel in the things that matter to Him. Pray that you would be diligent applying each day’s topic to your life with the work necessary for you to become good at it. Pray that your pursuit of excelling in these areas would come from the very source and foundation of all things excellent — Jesus Christ. Pray for a unity of spirit among believers in general and among your church family in particular.

“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 about each day about the things that God wants you to excel in through the power of His Spirit within you. 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: Excel in Faith. As you pray for God to increase your faith, look for the situations He will give that requires your trust of Him to grow. Pray that your trust of God would cause others to know you as one who excels in faith. “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’” Luke 17:5 (NIV)

Tuesday: Excel in Speech. Pray that God would put a guard over your mouth so that your speech is pleasing to Him. Pray that your speech would bring about good days for you and for the people around you in this life and the life to come. “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.” 1 Peter 3:10 (NIV)

Wednesday: Excel in Knowledge. Pray that your life would be lived in pursuit of a greater knowledge of Christ. Pray that your excelling in knowledge would not puff you up but would help others know Jesus. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV)

Thursday: Excel in Complete Earnestness. Pray that there would be nothing fake about your pursuit of God and relationship with Him through Jesus. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

Friday: Excel in Love for One Another. Pray that you would daily learn from the love that Jesus excelled at. Pray that you would desire to excel in your love for Christ and for one another. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

Saturday: Excel in the Grace of Giving. Pray that a recognition of God’s ownership of everything would help you to excel in the gift of giving He has placed in your life. “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38 (NIV)

November 29, 2015 by Tom

Lifestyle of Prayer: Feasting!

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Feasting!

“On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine — the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.”
Isaiah 25:6-8 (NIV)

Yes, you read it correctly, this week’s prayer focus is on feasting! Many of us have probably done quite a bit of that over the past few days, with more likely on the way as the Christmas and New Year’s Holidays approach. When we think of our spiritual life and food, most often it is fasting that comes to mind so we prefer not to connect food with our prayer life. While fasting should have great importance in the life of each Christian, feasting is also a tool given by God that can bring joy and benefit into the lives of believers and those around us if we pay attention to God’s instructions about feasting. As you pray this week, ask God to help you feast with joy and purpose as you honor him with your feasts. Pray for a unity of spirit among believers in general and among your church family in particular.

“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, writing down, and doing how God would have you live out that day’s aspect of prayer. 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: Feast of Celebration. Pray that you would understand, and have, the Father’s heart in celebrating the finding and restoration of those who are lost. Celebrate the lost who return home. “‘Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:23-24 (NIV)

Tuesday: Feast of Contentment. Pray that you would understand the feasting of contentment that comes from living with a cheerful heart. “All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.” Proverbs 15:15-16 (NIV)

Wednesday: Feast of Joy. Pray that your desire, and practice, of feasting would bring joy not only to yourself, but to those around you as well. “Be joyful at your Feast — you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns.” Deuteronomy 16:14 (NIV)

Thursday: Feast of Remembrance. Pray that you would always remember the purpose behind the various feasts that you celebrate. Be sure to teach about the reminders God has given. “Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.” Exodus 12:17 (NIV)

Friday: Feast of Giving. Pray that you would be filled with a heart of giving in the way you feast. “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:13-14 (NIV)

Saturday: Feast of the Kingdom. Pray that you would always live a life surrendered fully to Christ in preparation for your place at the feast in the kingdom of God. “People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.” Luke 13:29-30 (NIV)

November 30, 2014 by Tom

Lifestyle of Prayer: Giving!

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Giving!

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”
Acts 20:35

As we continue to grow in A Lifestyle of Prayer, it is important to remember prayer should be a lifestyle, not an event. View prayer as your first priority, not as the last resort. As we prepare to begin a study series on taking God at His word, we will focus our lifestyle of prayer this week on Giving. While giving can be a controversial topic to speak about in many churches, our giving is something we ought to speak with God about on a regular basis! Just as we’ve been talking about the need for prayer to be a lifestyle, giving ought to be a way of life for every believer as well.

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 God’s direction in responding to that day’s giving focus. 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: Give To Those in Need. Pray that you would recognize the expectation of Jesus that you give to the needy without seeking notice. Pray that God would help you find ways to truly help those in need. “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” Matthew 6:3 (NIV)

Tuesday: Give What You Owe. Pray that you would not overlook any area of what you owe as you give. Pray that God would use you as a blessing to others as you give what you owe. “Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” Romans 13:7 (NIV)

Wednesday: Give Cheerfully. Pray that you would listen intently to God so that your giving is done with cheerful obedience because you “get to”. Pray that your cheerfulness in giving would be a genuine expression of thanksgiving to God. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)

Thursday: Give Thanks. Pray that God would continue to grow within you a heart of thanksgiving in all that you do. Pray that you would learn to give thanks in all circumstances. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

Friday: Give An Answer. Pray that your life in Christ is lived in a way that people notice and that you are ready to give an answer about your hope. “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

Saturday: Give Everything. Pray that God would reveal to you anything you have held back from His control and then fully surrender it 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)

August 4, 2013 by Tom

Lifestyle of Prayer: Give!

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Give!

“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.

While giving can be a controversial topic to speak about in many churches, our giving is something we ought to speak with God about on a regular basis! Just as we’ve been talking about the need for prayer to be a lifestyle, giving ought to be a way of life for every believer as well. 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 about the call of Jesus for His followers to give. With that focus in mind, pray for yourself, your family, your friends, neighbors, and all the “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: To Those in Need. Pray that you would recognize the expectation of Jesus that you give to the needy without seeking notice. “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” Matthew 6:3

Tuesday: What You Owe. Pray that you would not overlook any area of what you owe as you give. “Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” Romans 13:7

Wednesday: Cheerfully. Pray that you would listen intently to God so that your giving is done with cheerful obedience because you “get to”. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

Thursday: Thanks. Pray that God would continue to grow within you a heart of thanksgiving in all that you do. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

Friday: An Answer. Pray that your life in Christ is lived in a way that people notice and that you are ready to give an answer about your hope. “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15

Saturday: Everything. Pray that God would reveal to you anything you have held back from His control and then fully surrender it to Him. “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33

June 30, 2013 by Tom

Lifestyle of Prayer: As Each Part Does Its Work

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Each Part Doing Its Work!

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 focused around the good works God has created for you to do. 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: Serving. Pray that God would help you see, and do, your part in serving the physical needs of the church property and of one another. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

Tuesday: Teaching. Pray that you would recognize your responsibility from the Great Commission to teach the things of Christ. “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

Wednesday: Encouraging. Pray that your attitude, words, and actions would be an encouragement to the people around you. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Thursday: Giving. Pray that your giving of time, money, and ability would be done cheerfully and in response to God’s great gift of everything through His Son. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

Friday: Leading. Pray that all areas that you would lead in would be lead from the very heart of God. “Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.” Jeremiah 3:15

Saturday: Mercy/Visiting. Pray for the ability to see Jesus in the lives of people as you extend mercy to them through your acts of visiting, sharing, and kindness. “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