Serve

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Lifestyle of Prayer: Restored!

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“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus:  Restored!

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
1 Peter 5:10-11 (NIV)

This week’s prayer focus is on being restored.  I remember as a pre-teen boy wanting to restore one of several cars from the fifties that had been abandoned in a woods near the house.  It never happened because while I had the desire, I had no ability.  Most of them probably would have been considered lost causes due to a variety of issues including trees growing up through them.  It is comforting to know that regardless of how much of a lost cause I may look like, God still has the ability and desire to restore me to Himself.  As you pray this week, ask God to fill you with the hope of His glory as He continues His work of restoration in your life even through suffering.  Pray that you realize His current restoration work in your life as well as anticipate the complete restoration when you see Jesus face to face.  Pray that you would carry with you a message of restoration to the people around you who are losing, or have lost, hope.  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 God has restored you and about how He can use you to help others know they too can be restored.

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.  Pray for the opportunity I have coming up in a couple of weeks to put more prayer-based resources into the hands of camp leaders.

Monday:  Restored to Joy.  Pray that God would fill you with an indescribable joy because of the salvation you have in Christ.  Pray that your joy would be sustained by a steadfast spirit within you.  “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”  Psalm 51:12 (NIV)

Tuesday:  Restored to Life.  Pray that you would have a confident hope in Christ that even the midst of great troubles, and even death, God will restore you to life with Him through His Son, Jesus.  “Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.”  Psalm 71:20 (NIV)

Wednesday:  Restored Through Repentance to Serve God.  Pray that you would always repent of any sin and wrongdoing that keeps you from serving God.  “Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.'”  Jeremiah 15:19 (NIV)

Thursday:  Restored by the Return of Jesus.  Pray for a patient understanding that complete restoration will not take place until Jesus returns.  Pray that you would be involved in living the process of restoration until that time.  “He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.”  Acts 3:21 (NIV)

Friday:  Restored Gently.  Pray that the restoration you receive from God would help you be willing to restore others with gentleness.  Pray that your compassion in restoring others would not lead you to participate in wrongdoing.  “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”  Galatians 6:1 (NIV)

Saturday:  Restored Through Prayer.  Thank God for the opportunity to pray for one another in their times of need.  Pray that you would be more diligent in praying that the people around you would be fully restored to Christ.  “And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.”  Philemon 1:22 (NIV)

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Lifestyle of Prayer: Called to Serve!

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“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus:  Called to Serve!

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  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 10:42-45 (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.  As we consider the commands and example of Jesus, our prayer emphasis this week will be on serving.  As Christians, each one of us have been called by God to serve.  What are you doing to serve and who are you serving?  Pray that each of us would better grasp the necessity of serving as a way of life.  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 about the call of Jesus for His followers to serve.  Pray for the courage to serve in the way God has created and called you to do.   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: Called to Share.  Pray that you would understand and practice your responsibility to share with those in need.  Pray for wisdom to know how to do that well.  “Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”  Romans 12:13 (NIV)

Tuesday: Called to Equip.  Pray that you would be a student of God’s Word so that you would be equipped, and be able to equip others, for every good work.  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

Wednesday: Called to Rebuke and Repent.  Pray for the wisdom and grace to rebuke others in love and to repent when you are rebuked.  “So watch yourselves.  ‘If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.’”  Luke 17:3 (NIV)

Thursday: Called to Visit.  Pray that you would notice the stranger, the needy, the sick, and the imprisoned and visit them as if you are visiting Christ.  “When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’”  Matthew 25:38-39 (NIV)

Friday: Called to Encourage.  Pray that your life would be an encouragement to others as you meet together on a regular basis.  “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)

Saturday:  Called to Serve Like Christ.  Pray that you would follow the example of Christ in serving others for their benefit.  “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Matthew 20:26-28 (NIV

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Lifestyle of Prayer: Serve!

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“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

 

 This week’s prayer focus: Serve!

“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)

Week of July 28, 2013

“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. 

We are holding a “As Each Part Does Its Work” work week here at Deer Run as we tackle the huge project of scrubbing & re-waxing the tile floors throughout the building.  With this, and the command and example of Jesus, in mind our prayer focus for the week will look at various aspects of serving.  Pray that each of us would better grasp the necessity of serving as a way of life.  As you pray, listen for what God would have you to do.  Pray each day for the individuals of Deer Run as well as the body of Deer Run.  Continue to use the prayer guides/lists from the past weeks.

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 serve.  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, July 28: David Honeycutt, Paul Stearns, Kristen Nicks,  volunteers, the preaching & teaching at DRCC, the DRCC supported missions, and the DRCC finances.

Monday, July 29: In The Spirit.  Pray that each believer would experience the freedom found by serving in the Spirit.  “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.”  Romans 7:6

Tuesday, July 30: With Power.  Pray for the courage to serve in God’s power even when you feel weak.  “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

Wednesday, July 31: One Another.  Pray for the compassion needed to serve one another even when you think you are free not to.  “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”  Galatians 5:13

Thursday, August 1: Wholeheartedly.  Pray that you would serve others with a whole heart, just as you would if it were Jesus.  “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.”  Ephesians 6:7

Friday, August 2: Faithfully.  Pray that you would be faithful in using God’s gifting in your life to serve others.  “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”  1 Peter 4:10

Saturday, August 3:  Eagerly.  Pray that you would eagerly desire, and look for, opportunities to serve.  “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers — not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve.”  1 Peter 5:2

Sunday, August 4: David Honeycutt, Paul Stearns, Kristen Nicks, volunteers, the preaching & teaching at DRCC, the DRCC supported missions, and the DRCC finances.