Prosper Your Prayer Life

• Pray regularly. The fuel of any relationship is communication, and a relationship with Jesus is no different. Praying regularly is vital. Having a set time to pray each day is a great start, but think of ways that you can pray more throughout your day such as when you are driving, when you are brushing your teeth, and when you are waiting in lines. Prayer can turn these rather mundane times into refreshing times with God. 

• Read Scripture first. When possible, preface your time of prayer by reading Scripture. Scripture will help you focus your time of prayer properly. Instead of praying through a man-centered lens of what you want from God, spending time in the Bible first will reorient your heart and mind to want to pursue God’s glory in your prayer. 

• Don’t confine yourself to a formula. PrayerEverywhere.org offers several outlines and blogs designed to ensure you pray in a well-rounded way. While these can be helpful to keep in mind, do not limit yourself by them. Structure can sometimes lead to a wooden, formulaic prayer life and can hinder its authenticity. There will be times when you will simply want to pray thanking God for who He is. There may be other times when you will need to pray just confessing sin to God.  

• Be transparent with God. Following up to the previous lesson, strive for your prayer to be transparent. Be real with God. It’s not like you can fool Him anyway! If you are upset like Hannah, share that. If you are confused, angry, happy, worried, frustrated, or whatever else, let God know. 

• Pray for others. Enjoying a vibrant prayer life and deepening your relationship with Christ will greatly grow you as a leader alone. But it is when you also pray meaningfully for your kids, kids leaders, parents, and other church leaders that your leadership will grow to the next level. Develop the habit of asking others how you can pray for them and doing it.

Brian Dembowczyk, Contributor

http://www.PrayerEverywhere.org

The Good, Bad and Ugly

“His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.” – Job 2:9-10

When Job’s wife sees her husband’s body covered in painful sores, she seems surprised that he still holds onto his faith. She urges him to “curse God and die” iso that he might escape the pain in his body. Job reprimands her gently and asks, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

In his wife’s eyes, when life turned from pleasant to hard and ugly, she decided life wasn’t worth living. With suicide rates skyrocketing today, it’s a mindset that has stood the test of time. The book of Job, however, clearly illustrates that life is not to be measured or lived according to those terms. There is a purpose for our lives that goes beyond easy living.

When life goes south, guess what.

It’s still worth living.

We are never promised an easy life if we choose to follow Christ. The Bible reiterates this over and over again. The good, bad, and ugly all pass through God’s hands, and when trials come, Satan wants us to curse God, to stop reading Scripture, and to let our anger drive a wedge between us and God.

Yes, my friends, life can sometimes feel overwhelming, painful, and even agonizing. Yet Job, a man who was afflicted and put through unbelievable trials, shows that no matter what comes against us, taking our life and cursing our God is never the answer. In these times, we must draw near to God instead of pushing Him away. We must allow Him to work in our hearts and reveal things to us that He only can in times of testing.

Father in Heaven, Thank You because You don’t leave me alone in my suffering. Time and time again throughout Scripture and in my life, You have proven Yourself faithful. I pray that when I feel like despair for life itself, You will hold me in Your loving arms. Please help me to rest in You today with the assurance of Your goodness and faithfulness to see me through every circumstance. In the matchless name of Jesus, I pray. Amen

 tonydegruy@comcast.net 

http://www.PrayerEverywhere.org

National Day of Prayer

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;  For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth (I Timothy 2:1-4)..

The Arts

Exodus 35:29-34; Jeremiah 36:4-10; Psalm 150

Visual Artists, Literary Artists and Performing Artists. Pray that their skills will be subject to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Pray that their images and ideas would be inspired by the Spirit. Pray that sacred arts and anointed artists impact the culture.

Business

Proverbs 22:7; 22:16; 22:29

Pray that the Lord will raise up a new generation of billionaires and world leaders who will confront greed and corruption and will be used by God to change how the world treats the poor. 

The Church

Isaiah 56:7; Matthew 21:13-17; Acts 2:41-47

The primary calling of the church is be “a house of prayer for all people”. Prayer is how the kingdom of God is invited , introduced and initiated in the earth (Matthew 6:10). Pray that pastors receive a passion for prayer and lead churches into prayer.

Education

Jeremiah 9:23-24; Proverbs 1:5-9; Daniel 1:17-20

Pray that the knowledge of God would be known of our children. Pray that the next generation of believers will be stronger, wealthier and wiser. Declare them, “ten times better!”

The Family

Genesis 2:21-24, 4:1-2, 5:1-4; Acts 16:31-34; Joshua 24:15

Pray that entire families will be saved and join churches. Pray that families enter into the Ministry and serve God. Pray that godly families prosper and be in health (Ephesians 5:22-25; 6:1-4).

Government/Crime

Romans 13:1-7, 17; I Timothy 2:1-4; Revelation 11:15

Pray against the industrial and profiteering prison complex systems in the world.  Pray for police who will truly protect and serve all communities. Pray for the incarcerated and their families.

Media

Ephesians 2:1-9; II Corinthians 10:3-5; Revelation 1:7Pray that “the prince of the power of the air” be bound away from airwaves. Pray against cyberattacks and internet deceptions. Pray that the media would be God’s tool to reveal Jesus to the world.

Seven More Ministries of The Holy Spirit (III)

. The Spirit washes and renews us (Titus 3:5).

The Spirit brings unity and oneness to the body (Ephesians 4:3; 2:14-18). 

The Spirit is our guarantee and deposit of the future resurrection (2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5).

The Spirit seals us unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30).

The Spirit sets us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).

The Spirit quickens our mortal bodies (Romans  8:11).

The Spirit reveals the deep things of God to us (1 Corinthians 2:10).

The Spirit reveals what has been given to us from God (1 Corinthians 2:12).

http://www.PrayerEverywhere.org