He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” Matthew 21:13 (ESV)
As we begin this new year, our focus now more than ever, is on winning souls for Christ. He has called us to be fishers of men, seekers of truth and prayer warriors for those who haven’t met him yet. To be a good fisherman requires wisdom. Proverbs 11:30 tells us that “the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures (wins) souls is wise.” The word “capture” here in Hebrew means to catch or to win. There is great wisdom in winning souls for Christ and at the same time, we as fishermen need wisdom to be able to do so. So how do we get wise? The Bible says “if any man lacks wisdom let him ask” ; when we ask God for anything, that’s prayer.
Prayer is the way we communicate with our God, a beautiful, overwhelming God of love and grace. God is calling our church to grow deeper in prayer which ultimately helps us grow in our intimacy with Him. Our mission is to lead others into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ but how can we effectively lead if we aren’t taking the steps to follow Him? As we pray, we get closer to God and as we get closer to Him we lead others in the same direction. This includes praying for those “lost souls” that haven’t developed a relationship with Jesus yet.
We are starting this prayer blog for you, to help you in many ways and encourage your prayer life with Jesus. Through this platform, we will provide teachings on prayer, invitations to prayer events, a section for prayer requests, and much more. Each week we will give you a different theme with related scriptures for each day that you can pray for as individuals and as families. The Bible calls us not only to pray on our own but also as a Church, as the bride and body of Christ. This week our focus will be developing a deeper, more fulfilling prayer life. Here are some foundations to get us started.
MONDAY
Scriptural Prayer
One of the best ways to pray is according to the Scriptures. If God’s Word is in our hearts, then his desires become our desires and we can have assurance that He will answer our prayers. Make sure your prayers are in line with Scripture.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, Today we ask for your guidance as we read the Scriptures and seek your Word. We ask that you may give us wisdom to pray in line with your Word and your will for us. Amen.
TUESDAY
Pray According to God’s Will
God doesn’t just give us whatever we ask for. In 1 John 5:14 it says, “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” This means that when we pray in line with His will for our lives, we can expect an answer.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, Today we come before you asking that our prayers be aligned to your will for our lives. Let us not stray from your divine purpose and help us to keep our eyes on you. Amen.
WEDNESDAY
Pray in Jesus’ Name
Real prayer is focused on Jesus Christ. There are tons of Bible references that talk about the importance of praying in His name. Jesus Himself said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give you” (John 16:23). When we pray in the Name of Jesus, God the Father hears us. He responds to the prayer offered in the name of his Son because our relationship with God is through his Son.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, We bring before you our families, especially those of us who are not saved. We claim them today for Your kingdom and seal this prayer in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
THURSDAY
Believe
God wants us to have faith that He hears us when we pray to Him. Jesus said, “Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22). The Lord promises to respond to our prayer of faith.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, Faith is the key to unlocking access into your throne of grace. Today we pray to you believing you will give us what we ask so long as it is aligned to Your will, so let your will be done in our lives Lord. In the Name of Jesus, amen.
FRIDAY
Pray in the Spirit
Paul tells us to pray at all times in the Spirit. Romans 8:26 reads, “Likewise the Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered.” We don’t always know what to say to God. Sometimes we just can’t find the words to express our hearts or the desire to come before Him. We need the Spirit’s power to help us pray.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, We come before you today praying in the Spirit. You know our hearts Lord and You hear our petitions and intercessions. Thank you for the gift of the Spirit, that speaks for us when we don’t have the words to express ourselves to you. In the Name of Jesus, amen.
SATURDAY
Persistence
Don’t give up if you haven’t received an answer to your prayers yet. Throughout the Bible there are stories of men and women who persevered in prayer. In Luke 18:1-8 there was a little old widow who did not lose heart. James tells us that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, Today we bring before you our church: our pastors, leaders and members of the congregation. Lord we pray to you in full faith and without losing heart that you hear us and provide for us beyond all understanding. In the Name of Jesus, amen.
SUNDAY
Pray with Humility
Lastly, we are to humble ourselves in prayer. James 4:10 tells us to “humble ourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt us.” We are told that God hears the prayer of the humble. If we humble ourselves in the sight of God, He will lift us up.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, Help us to humble ourselves before you today so you may receive all the glory in our lives. Thank you for loving us enough to exalt us daily as we worship you in all we do. In the Name of Jesus, amen.
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