GOSPEL :: FAMILY :: MISSION
Acts 16:25 teaches us that we are to pray and praise even in the midst of our most difficult circumstances and at the most inopportune times. Paul and Silas were locked up in prison but they chose to pray and praise at midnight. The result of this is that other prisoners listened to their prayers and praises. In the midst of our suffering, the world sees and hears our response. What will the watching world see and hear in you?
Acts 12:5 reminds us to pray for other people by name. The members of the early church prayed earnestly or passionately for Peter as he sat in prison. They knew his difficult circumstances, they knew the responsibility he carried for the spread of the gospel and they cried out to God in prayer on his behalf. This pattern is a great example of how we should pray for others.
God’s Word reminds us that he is the Lord our God. He hears our prayers, he sees our tears and he offers us healing through the cross of Christ.
This week’s prayer passage is a core passage that informs our prayer lives. We are Christians. As Christ’s possessions we come to him humbly in prayer. We seek the presence of Christ. We turn in repentance from our sin. As we do this, God hears our prayers from the throne of Heaven, forgives us and heals us. This is such a great privilege and promise!
Spend some time praying according to the points below:
:: Spend some time recounting how God saved you and express your gratitude for his work in growing you in the gospel.
:: Confess any known areas of pride and sin in your life and in the life of your church family.
:: Ask for forgiveness and renewal in Christ’s presence and ask the Lord to provide true sorrowful repentance in the lives of his people.
:: Pray for the 26,000 people in our community. 17,000 do not know Christ. Divorce rates are high, addictions are devastating and broken families are systemic. Ask the Lord for healing throughout our community.
1 Timothy is written by a pastor and church planter named Paul. He wrote this letter to his young son in the faith named Timothy. Timothy is an elder or pastor at the church in Ephesus.
Paul’s encouragement to young pastor Timothy is to get the men praying everywhere. He’s encouraging them to lift up hands of praise and holiness instead of lifting up hands of anger, conflict and sin.
Spend some time praying according to the points below:
:: What has disrupted your practice of prayer this week? Spend some time confessing your struggle with sin, anger and conflict and ask the Lord to help you live in a peaceful, righteous posture of prayer.
:: Ask the Lord to move on the hearts of our church members and leaders to become people of prayer and the Word. When God’s Word is open he speaks and then in prayer we speak back to him.
:: Ask the Lord to help people in our GC’s, our Sunday gatherings, our leadership teams and our discipleship meetings to make prayer the priority of being together.
It is the will of God that we give thanks in every circumstance we face. He calls us to be in a continual attitude of prayer and always be full of joy. This is his will. His desire for us. His command to us.
It can be disturbing to hear Peter say that the end of all things is near. It causes us to think of all the terrible things we see throughout the world like, war, unspeakable evil, poverty, death, mass genocide, natural disaster, political upheaval, racial conflict, crippling addictions… the list could go on and on. Continue reading
Our Heavenly Father sees everything. He sees every thought, desire and action. He loves to answer the prayers of his children and he opposes his enemies. He is both loving and just. He blesses his children and he executes justice upon his enemies.
Our Father in Heaven hears our prayers. There is nothing too big, too complicated or too insignificant for our Heavenly Father. He loves to answer our prayers and requests.
Sometimes our hearts feel to heavy, too sinful, too needy or too weak to approach the Lord in prayer. This is precisely the time to approach him with confidence in his character and promises…
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