trust

by

Lifestyle of Prayer: Not Afraid!

i

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

 

This week’s prayer focus:  Not Afraid!

“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)

As a follow-up to last week’s prayer focus of fear, this week’s prayer focus is Not Afraid!  While we need to have a “reverent fear” or “holy fear” of God, He also repeatedly tells us to not be afraid.  Often it seems as if we are afraid of people and have no fear of God.  As we pray about not being afraid, we will look at some of the reasons that God tells us to have no fear of the people of this world.  God has promised to fill us with His peace through the power of His Word and His Spirit as we learn to trust Him and not be afraid.  As you pray this week, ask God to help you to have a greater trust of Him when He calls you to not be afraid.  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: Trust in God makes me Not Afraid.  Pray that your trust in God would grow so that you can praise Him and His Word when you are tempted to be afraid.  “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.  What can mortal man do to me?”  Psalm 56:3-4 (NIV)

Tuesday: God’s Presence makes me Not Afraid.  Pray that you would learn to recognize God’s presence in your life as a reason to not be afraid.  Pray that the people around you would recognize God’s presence living in you so they could learn to not be afraid.  “The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?”  Psalm 118:6 (NIV)

Wednesday: Salvation from God makes me Not Afraid.  Pray that you would live with a confidence of salvation from God that keeps you from being afraid.  “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.  The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”  Isaiah 12:2 (NIV)

Thursday: God’s Rescue makes me Not Afraid.  Pray that your remembrance of the ways God has rescued you will help you to not be afraid in times of trouble.  Pray that you would help others to know of God’s rescue from being afraid.  “‘Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the LORD.”  Jeremiah 1:8 (NIV)

Friday: God’s Good News makes me Not Afraid.  Pray that you would live out the joy of the good news of Jesus and share it in ways that others would know they need not be afraid.  “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”  Luke 2:10 (NIV)

Saturday:  God’s Peace makes me Not Afraid.  Pray that the presence of God’s Spirit within you would fill you with a peace that helps you to not be afraid.  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  John 14:27 (NIV)

 

by

Lifestyle of Prayer: Guard Your Heart!

i

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus:  Guard Your Heart!

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV)

This week we will focus our prayer time on our need to guard our heart!  Jesus taught that the command to not commit adultery was more about a heart problem than it was a physical problem.  God’s desire is that we would learn to guard our heart and mind from the temptations that want to take root and destroy us.  It is much easier to blame someone else when we give in to temptation than admit we have failed to guard our heart in Christ Jesus.  As you pray this week, ask God to help you to not only guard your heart and mind, but that you would not be a stumbling block in another person’s efforts to guard their heart.  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, and writing down, how God would have you live out that day’s aspect of prayer.

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:  Guard Your Heart With Truthfulness.  Pray that you would have a heart guarded by words of truth.  Pray that you would both seek truth and speak truth at all times.  “He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart.”  Psalm 15:2 (NIV)

Tuesday:  Guard Your Heart With God’s Counsel.  Pray that you would always heed the instructions of the Lord’s counsel.  Pray that your heart would be protected at all times by the counsel of God’s Word.  “I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.”  Psalm 16:7 (NIV)

Wednesday:  Guard Your Heart With a Steadfast Spirit.  Pray that you would not become weary in doing good but that God would put a steadfast spirit within you.  Pray that your heart would be protected by an unrelenting commitment to pursue God.  “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  Psalm 51:10 (NIV)

Thursday:  Guard Your Heart With Trust.  Pray that  you would learn to trust God completely even in the midst of bad news.  Pray that your trust of God would protect your heart from pursuing wrong actions.  “He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.”  Psalm 112:7 (NIV)

Friday:  Guard Your Heart With Understanding.  Pray that  you would have an understanding of God’s laws and their purpose in protecting you from sin.  Pray that an understanding of consequences would protect your heart from wrongful pursuits.  “Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.”  Psalm 119:34 (NIV)

Saturday:  Guard Your Heart With Obedience.  Pray that your heart would be protected by a desire to obey God’s laws.  Pray that you would always have a steadfast determination to obey the commands of God through your entire life.  “My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.”  Psalm 119:112 (NIV)

 

 

by

Lifestyle of Prayer: Trusting God!

i

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

 

 This week’s prayer focus: Trusting God!

“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 we will look to the Psalms for some instruction on trusting God to help us focus our prayer time each day!  As much of the book of Psalms was written by David, “a man after God’s own heart”, we can learn much from them as we pray about Trust.  Use the topics this week to help you pray through difficulties, through weakness, through loneliness, through concern for others, and most importantly through the eyes of Jesus.  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 focused around the reminder to trust God in everything.  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: Trust God in Giving.  Pray that your giving is done with a sacrificial attitude that reflects your trust in God.  “Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD.”  Psalm 4:5

Tuesday: Trust God in Conflict.  Pray that you would seek God during times of conflict and trust Him to be your source of deliverance and protection.  “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”  Psalm 20:7

Wednesday: Trust God in Decisions.  Pray that you would seek God in all of your decisions and allow Him to shine forth as you walk in His ways.  “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”  Psalm 37:5-6

Thursday: Trust God in Fear.  Pray that you would not forget God’s everlasting presence when you face times of fear.  “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.”  Psalm 56:3

Friday: Trust God in Trouble.  Pray that you would have the wisdom and humility to “retreat” more fully into God’s presence when you face overwhelming trouble.  “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”  Psalm 91:2

Saturday:  Trust God in Persecution.  Pray that you would have a confidence in God’s word so that it will be your answer in times of persecution.  “Then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in your word.”  Psalm 119:42