“A Lifestyle of Prayer”
This week’s prayer focus: Thankfulness!
“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
As we approach the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, it seems fitting to bring back a former prayer guide focused on being thankful. It is too easy to let the cares of the world steal our joy and thankfulness, so this week we will pray about a variety of reasons to be thankful as well as things to be thankful for. God connects our attitudes and conversations with one another with our life of thankfulness to Him. As you pray, ask God to help you live a life of thankfulness each day. Pray that you would see His gifting in your life as reason to be thankful. Pray that your sharing of God’s gifting in your life would cause others to give thanks to God. 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: Thankful for Faithful Reputation. Thank God for those people who inspire you because of their reputation of faith in Jesus. Pray that you would be one whose faithful reputation inspires others. “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.” Romans 1:8 (NIV)
Tuesday: Thankful for Changed Lives. Thank God for the desire and strength to turn from sin and live obediently to the truth. Pray that the people around you would wholeheartedly obey the teaching of the gospel. “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.” Romans 6:17 (NIV)
Wednesday: Thankful for Received Grace. Thank God for His amazing grace that He offers to all who would accept it. As you pray, recognize it is that same grace extended to you that allows you to be thankful for the people around you. Pray that the people around you would see God’s grace extended through you. “I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 1:4 (NIV)
Thursday: Thankful for Real Victory. Thank God for the victory over sin and death, as well as for the daily victories, through Jesus. Pray that the people around you would experience true victory through a relationship with Jesus. “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NIV)
Friday: Thankful for Shared Concern. Thank God that He draws believers to a common concern for one another and pray that you would always remember it. Pray that you would be filled with a concern for others. “I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you.” 2 Corinthians 8:16 (NIV)
Saturday: Thankful for Generous Giving. Thank God for the ability, and opportunity, to supply the needs of one another through His provision. Pray that your giving would cause others to give thanks to God. “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:12 (NIV)
