honor

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Lifestyle of Prayer: Godly Fear!

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“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

 

This week’s prayer focus:  Godly Fear!

“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.  But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.  Yes, I tell you, fear him.”
Luke 12:4-5 (NIV)

This week’s prayer focus is on Fear!  There are times that an unhealthy fear dominates our life and we need to hear the repeated message that God gives throughout the Bible of “do not be afraid!”  The other side of the pendulum is when we don’t have the fear of God that we ought to have.  While the Bible contains many calls to not be afraid, it also contains a consistent message of our need to have a “reverent fear” or “holy fear” of God.  As a Christian, this is not an “afraid” fear but rather an expression of utmost respect and honor.  As you pray this week, ask God to help you see healthy fear from His perspective.  Pray that your fear of God would lead you to be the best representative of Jesus that He would have you to be.  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: Fear of God that Leads Us to Do Right.  Pray that you would reject favoritism and prejudice as you understand God’s acceptance of all who fear Him and make the choice to do what is right.  “Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.’”  Acts 10:34-35 (NIV)

Tuesday: Fear that Causes the Lord’s Name to be Honored.  Pray that God’s victory over evil would cause a fear that causes His name to be held in highest honor.  “When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.”  Acts 19:17 (NIV)

Wednesday: Fear that Leads to Persuading Others.  Pray that your personal knowledge of a fear of the Lord would compel you to make every attempt to persuade others to see their need for Christ.  “Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.”  2 Corinthians 5:11 (NIV)

Thursday: Fear as a Holy Expression of Faith.  Pray that you would have a complete obedience to God as you express your faith in holy fear.  “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”  Hebrews 11:7 (NIV)

Friday: Fear as Proper Respect of God.  Pray that your life would show a proper respect to all of those around you.  Pray that your respect of others would come from a respect that has a proper fear of God.  “Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.”  1 Peter 2:17 (NIV)

Saturday:  Fear that Leads to Praise.  Pray that constant praise would flow from your lips and life as your fear of God reveals to you His great love.  “Then a voice came from the throne, saying: ‘Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!’”  Revelation 19:5 (NIV)

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Lifestyle of Prayer: Honor Parents

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“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus:  Honor Parents

“Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”
Deuteronomy 5:16 (NIV)

This week our prayer emphasis will focus on some of the instructions that God gives about our need to honor our father and mother and some practical ways that we can do that.  Many times we hear God’s instructions regarding the relationship of children to their parents and we mistakenly think they no longer apply when the child becomes an adult.  I believe God wants children of all ages to honor parents of all ages regardless of the level of honor we “think” they deserve.  What that honor looks like may vary because of life choices our parents have made but their choices do not “let us off the hook” when it comes to our responsibility to give honor.  As you pray this week, ask God to help you give and show honor in a way that prepares you to honor Him more faithfully.  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 how you honor your parents.  Pray for God to show you how this command applies to you today.

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:  Honor Your Parents.  Pray that you would understand the connection God makes between honoring your parents and long life in His Land.  “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”  Exodus 20:12 (NIV)

Tuesday:  Protect Your Parents.  Pray that God would give you wisdom in being a protector of your parents, particularly as they age.  “Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death.”  Joshua 2:13 (NIV)

Wednesday:  Please Your Parents.   Pray that you would live you life in a way that pleases them and gives them reason to be glad.  “May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice!”  Proverbs 23:25 (NIV)

Thursday:  Respect Your Parents.  Pray that your relationship with God would help you to have a greater understanding and practice of respect for your parents.  “Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.”  Leviticus 19:3 (NIV)

Friday:  Help Your Parents.  Pray that you would joyfully use your resources to be a help to your parents.  “But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.”  Matthew 15:5-6 (NIV)

Saturday:  Obey Your Parents.  Pray that your desire to be obedient to God would lead you to be obedient to your parents.  “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”  Ephesians 6:1 (NIV)

 

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Lifestyle of Prayer: Honor!

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“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

 This week’s prayer focus: Honor!

“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)

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.  This week we will focus our prayer emphasis on the subject of honor.  Most of us want honor but many times we struggle with how to give honor and how to live with honor.  The honor that we give and receive can only be proper when it flows from the honor that we give God.  Pray that God’s Spirit would fill you with a proper view and practice of honor when it comes to God, people, and yourself.  Pray each day for the individuals of the church congregation you attend as well as for the body of believers that meet together.

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.    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: Honor Father and Mother.  Pray that you would faithfully live out this command throughout your entire life (I don’t read any qualifiers in the text).  Pray that the people around you would know you as one who honors your parents at all times.  “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”  Exodus 20:12 (NIV)

Tuesday: Honor God for Deliverance from Trouble.  Pray that you would recognize daily how God has delivered you and honor Him for it.  Pray that the people around you would see how God delivers you in the midst of trouble.  “Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”  Psalm 50:14-15 (NIV)

Wednesday: Honor God with your Wealth.  Pray that you would always honor God with your possessions and not just your words.  Pray that the people around you would be blessed because you honor God with your possessions.  “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”  Proverbs 3:9-10 (NIV)

Thursday: Honor Others Above Yourself.  Pray that you would live with the humility that honors others above yourself.  Pray that the people around you would be honored by you.  “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”  Romans 12:10 (NIV)

Friday: Honor God with Your Body.  Pray that the way you use and treat your body would honor the price God paid for it.  Pray that the people around you would recognize the honor you give God by the way you live.  “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”  1 Corinthians 6:20 (NIV)

Saturday:  Honor Faithful Christian Workers.  Pray that you would notice and honor faithful servants of Christ.  “Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.”  Philippians 2:29-30 (NIV)