“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

 This week’s prayer focus: Growing Up FAST!

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to one hope when you were called — one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” 
Ephesians 4:1-6 (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’s prayer focus is based on a 5th & 6th grade camp theme that I put together, “Growing up FAST!”.  The idea came from Luke’s use of one verse to tell of Jesus growing up from age twelve to thirty.  Each day our prayer focus will be based on a characteristic that God wants us to grow in as we share the good news of Jesus with others.   Use the suggestions each day but most of all allow God’s Word to soak into your life and direct how you pray and who you pray for.   As you pray, pay attention to any changes and/or actions God would be calling you to make in that area.  Pray for a unity of spirit among believers in general and among your church family in particular.  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 a life that Grows Up FAST!.  Pray this for yourself, your family, your friends, neighbors, and all the other “one anothers” in your life.  Thank you!

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

Monday: Grow up like Jesus.  Pray for godly wisdom and spiritual stature that will show God’s favor on you and lift up Jesus to all who are observing you.  “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”  Luke 2:52

Tuesday: Grow up Faithful.  Pray for the courage to remain faithful to the truth of God’s word no matter what.  “It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth.”  3 John 1:3

Wednesday: Grow up Accepted.  Pray for a clear recognition of how Christ has accepted you and then pray for the strength to accept others in that manner.   Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”  Romans 15:7

Thursday: Grow up Surrendered.  Pray for an openness to God’s Spirit revealing any area in your life that you have not yet given up, then surrender it to God’s control.  “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”  Luke 14:33

Friday: Grow up Trained.  Pray for the humility to be trained in the things of God for the purpose of training others.  “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”  Luke 6:40

Saturday:  Grow up ! Exclaiming.  Pray for a boldness in proclaiming the good news of Jesus with excitement and enthusiasm as you should.  “When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely he was the Son of God!'”  Matthew 27:54