January 20, 2019 by Tom

Lifestyle of Prayer: Sow What?

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Sow What?

“The wicked man earns deceptive wages,
but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.”
Proverbs 11:18 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on some things we ought to be sowing in our life and in the lives of others. Growing up on a farm, I spent many winter evenings going through the various seed catalogs deciding what I would like to harvest the next summer. Even as a child it didn’t take long to realize that if I wanted a specific harvest I would have to sow a specific seed. Likewise, the harvest that is produced as we go through this life, and beyond, is related to what we do with the seed which has been planted within us and what kind of seeds we are sowing each day that we live. As you pray this week, ask God to help you examine how the seed of His Word is growing in your life. Pray that you would be careful with what you allow to be sown in your life and with what you are sowing that eventually produce a harvest. Pray that you would keep your eyes focused on Jesus to the extent that everything you sow with your words and actions would point others to Him. Pray that the good seed of God’s Word would find good soil in your life and in the lives of those around you. Pray for a spirit of unity within your church congregation and within the body of Christ as a whole. Pray each day for the individuals of your congregation and for the body of Christ as a whole.

“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 pray each day for God to help you sow the seeds which produce a godly harvest.

Sunday: Pray for your church staff, the preaching and teaching that takes place, the church leadership, the volunteers that are helping in so many areas, the spiritual and financial health of the congregation, and the work of the missions ministry of the church. Pray for the work of Impact Prayer Ministry.

Monday: Sow Righteousness. Pray that you would seek the Lord in all things as you sow righteousness that produces a harvest of love. Pray for softened and prepared lives that would allow the seeds of righteousness to grow and flourish. “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12 (NIV)

Tuesday: Sow Generously. Pray that you would learn to sow according to the expectation you have for the harvest. Pray that your generosity with God and with others would produce an abundance for all. “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” 2 Corinthians 9:6 (NIV)

Wednesday: Sow What Is Supplied. Pray that you would always look to God as the One who supplies, and increases, the seed which you sow. Pray that you would be faithful in using what God has supplied as He multiplies His righteousness in your life. “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 9:10 (NIV)

Thursday: Sow What You Want To Reap. Pray that you would consider the outcome God desires for you in this life so that you would sow accordingly. Pray that God would help you accurately evaluate what you are currently reaping in order to consider if you need to change what you are sowing. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Galatians 6:7 (NIV)

Friday: Sow To Please the Spirit. Pray that you would be ever mindful of God’s Spirit within you as you choose what to sow in this life. Pray that your desire would always be to sow the things that please the Spirit as you look toward the harvest of eternal life. “The one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:8 (NIV)

Saturday: Sow Peace. Pray that you would seek to sow seeds of peace at all times. Pray that you would desire the reputation of a peacemaker as you sow with an eye toward a harvest of righteousness. “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:18 (NIV)

Lifestyle of Prayer: Filled!

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Filled!

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Matthew 5:6 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on being filled with the things that God would have us to hunger and thirst for. In the United States culture where I live, while there is a growing number of people who experience a genuine physical hunger and thirst, more of us find we are never truly filled because we have never had a real hunger or thirst for anything. We tend to eat and drink not to satisfy a hunger or thirst, but as a form of recreation, or even just a habit, to occupy our time without acknowledging what it is we need to truly be filled. Even in our spiritual life, it is easy to go through the motions of what is expected from a child of God without really longing for Him to fill us. As you pray this week, ask God to help you honestly hunger and thirst for the things He would want to provide. Pray that you would grow in depth of understanding and insight as you long for the things of God. Pray for times of true spiritual hunger and thirst that would force you to seek God to fulfill those needs. Pray that you would live life filled by God in such a way that the people around you would take notice and want what you have. Pray for the courage to share out of the fullness of righteousness which Christ has filled you with. Pray for a spirit of unity within your church congregation and within the body of Christ as a whole. Pray each day for the individuals of your congregation and for the body of Christ as a whole.

“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 pray each day for God to help you be filled with the things He would want you to be filled with.

Monday: Filled With Good Things. Pray that you would seek first the things of God and allow Him to fill you with that which is good. Pray for a humility that recognizes your need to be filled by God to satisfy a hunger that only He can meet. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” Luke 1:53 (NIV)

Tuesday: Filled With Awe. Pray that you would be filled with awe as you pay attention to the work God does in the lives of people. Pray that your response to the work of God in and around you would be a life that praise God for the truly awesome deeds that He has done. “They were all filled with awe and praised God. ‘A great prophet has appeared among us,’ they said. ‘God has come to help his people.'” Luke 7:16 (NIV)

Wednesday: Filled With the Holy Spirit. Pray that you would live with an awareness of God’s Spirit dwelling within you. Pray that you would have courage in sharing the Word of God because of the Holy Spirit filling you. “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” Acts 4:27 (NIV)

Thursday: Filled With Joy. Pray that your life lived together with fellow Spirit-filled believers would fill you with great joy. Pray that your life in Christ would spread joy to all those around you. Pray for the wisdom needed to be filled with joy in the midst of any circumstance. “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 13:52 (NIV)

Friday: Filled With the Fullness of God. Pray that you would constantly be aware of the greatness of the love of God which fills you with His fullness. Pray that God’s love would pour out of your life into those around you as you live in the fullness of Him. “To know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:19 (NIV)

Saturday: Filled With Righteousness. Pray that your life would produce the fruit of righteousness that brings glory to God. Pray that you would be filled with the righteousness of Christ that produces good fruit that brings praise to God. “Filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:11 (NIV)

January 6, 2019 by Tom

Lifestyle of Prayer: Together!

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Together!

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Acts 2:46-47 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on God’s desire that we do life together. The early believers met together in public and they met together in their homes. The nature of their coming together was such that they enjoyed “favor with all the people.” The result of such favor was that “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” As you pray this week, ask God to help you know the value of one another as we live this Christian life together. Pray that you would interact with others in ways that promote favor and goodwill among people. Pray that God would help you to see how your interactions with other believers can be a fruitful witness for the cause of Christ. Pray that you would find joy in the coming together of the body of Christ whenever you have the opportunity to be together. Pray for a spirit of unity within your church congregation and within the body of Christ as a whole. Pray each day for the individuals of your congregation and for the body of Christ as a whole.

“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 pray each day for God to help you learn to live life together with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Monday: Together In Prayer. Ask God to help you give greater value to the practice of praying together. Pray that you would be faithful in joining in prayer with others even when you are not able to be with them in person. “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts 1:14 (NIV)

Tuesday: Together With Joy. Pray that you would bring joy to others when you are together. Pray that you would know the refreshing from God that can come through joining together with your brothers and sisters in Christ. “By God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.” Romans 15:32 (NIV)

Wednesday: Together As God’s Dwelling. Pray that you would see yourself not only as an individual dwelling of God’s Spirit, but also as a part of something larger as His body. Pray for eyes which see the household of God being built together of those who are in Christ. “And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:22 (NIV)

Thursday: Together In Unity. Pray that you would clothe yourself in the love necessary to grow in unity. Pray for a heart of love that would bind together all of the good things that Christ as put within you. “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:14 (NIV)

Friday: Together For Perfection. Pray that your life in Christ would follow in the footsteps of those who have lived by faith so that together each would be made perfect. Pray that your walk of faith would be perfected by those who follow in your footsteps. “God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:40 (NIV)

Saturday: Together For Truth. Pray that you would be welcoming and supportive of those who risk much to take the good news of Jesus to people both near and far. Pray that you would be deliberate about working together with others to share the truth of Jesus wherever you go. “We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.” 3 John 1:8 (NIV)

December 30, 2018 by Tom

Lifestyle of Prayer: Holding On!

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Holding On!

“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 3:11 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will examine some additional things that we should hold on to as we hold on to what we have in Christ. I suspect that all of us have let things slip through our hands and out of our possession that ended up having greater value much later. Yes, there are things that we need to let go of, but it is important that we spend time with God examining what He says about holding on and letting go. I pray that you and I would always seek to hold on to the things that God wants us to keep and that we would let go of the things that He would have us not to keep. As you pray this week, ask God to give you wisdom and insight as you listen to Him about some things to hold on to. Pray that you would see so much value in the things of God that no one could talk you out of them. Pray that you would guard against complacency which clouds your vision from seeing both the current value and the future value of the things of God. Pray for a submissive spirit that learns to only hold what God would have you to hold. Pray for a spirit of unity within your church congregation and within the body of Christ as a whole. Pray each day for the individuals of your congregation and for the body of Christ as a whole.

“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 pray each day for God to help you hold on to what He would want you to have.

Monday: Hold On To One Another. Pray that you would know the importance of holding on to one another in times of suffering and in times of comfort. Pray that the people around you would know the hope of Christ as you, and they, hold on to one another. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” 2 Corinthians 1:7 (NIV)

Tuesday: Hold On To What You Have. Pray that you would accurately examine the value of what you have in Christ. Pray that you would not be one who trades the thing of greatest value for the things of lesser value that this world wants to tempt you with. “Only hold on to what you have until I come.” Revelation 2:25 (NIV)

Wednesday: Hold On To Righteousness. Pray that you will always hold on to the righteousness that you are clothed with in Christ. Pray that you would live with a clear conscience as you maintain a righteousness that can only be found in a relationship with Jesus. “I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.” Job 27:6 (NIV)

Thursday: Hold On To Sound Teaching. Pray that you would hold on to the teachings of God’s Word. Pray that you would always use God’s Word as the standard by which you evaluate all of the teachings you hold on to. “So then, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.” 2 Thessalonians 2:15 (NIV)

Friday: Hold On To the Goal. Pray that you would never lose sight of the goal for which Christ Jesus called you to through His death, burial, and resurrection. Pray that you would always seek to grow as you journey toward your eternal goal. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12 (NIV)

Saturday: Hold On To Good Memories. Pray that you would hold fast to the memories of those who have taught you about Jesus. Pray that you would make every effort to share Jesus in such a way that others would remember the things that you teach about Him. “And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.” 2 Peter 1:15 (NIV)

December 23, 2018 by Tom

Lifestyle of Prayer: Complete!

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Complete!

“Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.”
Revelation 3:2 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on having deeds that would be found complete in the sight of God! It ought to be difficult, if not impossible, to read the messages in the book of Revelation that God delivers to the churches without a sense of conviction. Jesus taught His disciples about the importance of counting the costs of following Him so that we would complete the journey of life with Him. While starting is important, beginning without finishing will accomplish very little. Sometimes the finishing can be about us staying with a task without giving up, but often it has more to do with us staying connected to God so that He can finish His work in us. And then sometimes it is about us not starting something that God hasn’t called us to. As you pray this week, ask God to help you see any areas of life where He would consider your deeds to be incomplete. Pray that you would count the costs of being a disciple and ask for God’s help to complete your journey with Christ. Pray that God’s Spirit would continually make you complete as you serve God and people. Pray that you would be strengthened, and that God would use you to help strengthen others, so that the body of Christ would be made more complete because of your presence. Pray for a spirit of unity within your church congregation and within the body of Christ as a whole. Pray each day for the individuals of your congregation and for the body of Christ as a whole.

“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 pray each day for God to help you live a life that is complete in His sight.

Monday: Complete Joy. Pray that you would follow Jesus in a way that His teachings would fill you with a joy that is complete. Pray that you would hold fast to the teachings of Jesus in order to share them with others so that their joy would also be made complete. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11 (NIV)

Tuesday: Complete Unity. Pray that the presence of Jesus in your life would bring you to a unity in Him that would produce unity within the body of Christ. Pray that the love of Jesus expressed to you would lead you to love others in a way that promotes greater unity. “I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:23 (NIV)

Wednesday: Complete Knowledge. Pray that the goodness of God within you would help you to be complete in a knowledge that is helpful to others. Pray that you would see yourself and others as being competent to instruct because of a knowledge that comes from God. “I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.” Romans 15:14 (NIV)

Thursday: Complete Confidence. Pray that you would live in such a way that others would have complete confidence in you even as you are confident in them. Pray that your life and faith would be based on being completely confident in God and the work Jesus accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection. “I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.” 2 Corinthians 7:16 (NIV)

Friday: Complete Obedience. Pray that you would continually grow in Christ with a desire to be completely obedient to Him. Pray that your complete obedience would be even more of a priority to you before you would start to address the obedience of others. “And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.” 2 Corinthians 10:6 (NIV)

Saturday: Complete Humility. Pray that you would seek God’s help in removing pride from your life so that you humility would be complete. Pray that godly love would be the foundation of humility in your life as you interact with others. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)

December 16, 2018 by Tom

Lifestyle of Prayer: Great Joy!

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Great Joy!

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.”
Matthew 2:10 (NKJV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on living with great joy. Many times it is the intensity of our longing or search for something that is reflected in the joy we are able to express. For the Magi, it was seeing the star once again which prompted their great joy — the star they had first seen in the east which prompted their long journey to find the King it represented. Our seeking of God ought to fill us with great joy because He promises to be found when we seek Him with our whole heart. As you pray this week, join with the Magi in rejoicing “with exceedingly great joy” because you have experienced the light of Jesus in your life. Pray that you would know and share the true joy of the Christmas season as you celebrate the work Jesus came to do in your life. Pray for the courage to be filled with great joy in the midst of circumstances which are difficult to rejoice in. Pray for a contagious joy that helps comfort those who see little to rejoice about. Pray that you would be diligent in searching for the light of Jesus and in being the light of Jesus so that His joy would abound. Pray for wisdom in sharing the great joy that God has put within you. Pray that your expressions of joy would help others see Jesus more clearly. Pray for a spirit of unity within your church congregation and within the body of Christ as a whole. Pray each day for the individuals of your congregation and for the body of Christ as a whole.

“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 pray each day for God to fill you with His great joy.

Monday: Great Joy That Is For Everyone. Pray that you would know the fullness of God’s joy meant for you. Pray that you would take to heart the message of the angel that the good news of Jesus is meant to be for all people. Pray that fear would not keep you from experiencing the great joy found in Jesus. “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)

Tuesday: Great Joy From Worshiping God. Pray that your times of worshiping God would fill you with great joy. Pray that the joy you experience through your times of worship and pursuing God would fill you wherever you go. Pray that the joy of worship would go with you each day that you live. “Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” Luke 24:52 (NIV)

Wednesday: Great Joy That Spreads. Pray that the work of God in your life would help there to be great joy all around you. Pray that your community would experience great joy as the people embrace the transforming power of God to rescue them. Pray that you would be a part of bringing the joy of Jesus to your city. “So there was great joy in that city.” Acts 8:8 (NIV)

Thursday: Great Joy Through the Love of Others. Pray that you would know the joy that comes from the encouragement of others. Pray that the love you express to others would fill them with great joy. “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.” Philemon 1:7 (NIV)

Friday: Great Joy From Fruitful Work. Pray that the work you do in sharing the good news of Jesus would bring you great joy as it bears much fruit. Pray that the people who taught you about Jesus would be filled with great joy because of your faithfulness to the truth of who He is. “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 (NIV)

Saturday: Presented Before God With Great Joy. Pray that you would trust God to hold you and prepare you to be presented before Him with great joy. Pray that you would help others to know the faithfulness of Jesus to present them before God with great joy. “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.” Jude 1:24 (NIV)

December 9, 2018 by Tom

Lifestyle of Prayer: Forgiveness!

“A Lifestyle of Prayer”

This week’s prayer focus: Forgiveness!

“Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.”
Psalm 32:1-2 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on forgiveness. I suspect that there may be no act more powerful in all the world than forgiveness. Even “the greatest of these”, love, is only as powerful as the forgiveness it gives and receives. In fact, in the greatest love story ever told God sends His Son to earth in order to “save His people from their sins” by making a way for forgiveness of sins to take place. The blessing of having our transgressions forgiven is a blessing that we ought to be intentional about sharing with others. God’s Word makes it clear that we are to forgive others just as we have been forgiven. As you pray this week, ask God to help you grasp just how much you are in need of His forgiveness and how complete that forgiveness is. Pray about how you will extend that same amount of forgiveness to the people around you. Pray that God would reveal to you, and help you to deal with, any areas of unforgiveness that you might be harboring. Pray for the courage to find freedom in the process of forgiving just as you have been forgiven. Pray for those who believe that forgiveness is not possible, that they would find forgiveness is possible through Jesus Christ. Pray for a spirit of unity within your church congregation and within the body of Christ as a whole. Pray each day for the individuals of your congregation and for the body of Christ as a whole.

“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 pray each day for God to help you forgive and be forgiven.

Monday: Forgiveness For God’s Glory. Pray that the forgiveness you receive would lead you to glorify God. Pray that the people around you would know the forgiveness of sins that brings glory to God. Pray that your willingness to forgive others would honor God. “Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.” Psalm 79:9 (NIV)

Tuesday: Forgiveness Given and Received. Pray that your desire to receive forgiveness would lead you to be more willing to offer forgiveness. Pray that the forgiveness you give would be such that you would be comfortable in asking God to forgive you just as you forgive others. “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:14 (NIV)

Wednesday: Forgiveness By God’s Authority. Pray that you would recognize God’s authority to forgive sins no matter how “unforgiveable” you think a sin may be. Pray that God’s authority to forgive sins would also lead you to realize His authority to require you to forgive others. “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” Matthew 9:6 (NIV)

Thursday: Forgiveness Which Comes From Great Love. Pray that God’s forgiveness of your sins would be reflected in the greatness of your love for Him. Pray that you would know, and live, the love which “covers a multitude of sins.” “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” Luke 7:47 (NIV)

Friday: Forgiveness Through Repentance and Baptism. Pray that you would know the importance God has given to repentance and baptism in His offer of forgiveness. Pray that your desire to receive the gift of God’s Spirit would lead you to obey His commands. “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” Acts 2:38 (NIV)

Saturday: Forgiveness Through the Blood of Jesus. Pray that you would willingly accept the payment Jesus made for your sins as you seek His forgiveness. Pray that you would never lose sight of the price paid by Jesus for the forgiveness you and I are in desperate need of. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:28 (NIV)