Let's Pray for Our Churches!

Paul’s openings in his letters to churches we find in the Bible are so full of rich and powerful prayers! 

Using them as a backbone for praying can be such an effective way to deepen your prayer life and to ground your requests in Biblical truth. 

Join me in praying for our churches – Let’s pray all this month using this prayer framework from 1 Thessalonians. 

To the Lord 

I thank You, Lord, for your work in my church (vs 3)

• For all the work produced by faith

• For all the labor prompted by love

• For all the endurance inspired by hope in Jesus

Lord, You get all the praise, full stop!

To those who come in contact with someone or some ministry of the church 

• May the good news come to every last person!  (vs 5)

• And may it come with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction

To those in the church

• May we all become imitators of the Lord (vs 6)

• May we become a model of love and joy, even in the midst of suffering (vs 6-7)

• May our faith in the Lord be known; may it ring out everywhere (vs 8)

Wisdom

Three Types of Requests – When petitioning the Lord, it’s helpful to think about the following categories of requests. 

• Is it something the Lord has already promised?  If for example, we are asking for forgiveness as believers, He has promised it’s done (1 John 1:9).  Praying for what He has promised – that’s a prayer with a 100% ‘yes’!

• Is it something that goes against the Lord’s character?  We don’t need to say much here, but obviously, if we are praying for something evil or wrong, that’s a prayer with a 100% ‘no’. 

• The in-between – If we are praying for almost anything else, like health, etc., then it falls into the category of conditional answers.  He may not heal us, He may not give us the new job, etc. (but He will provide peace and His other promises).  We should pray confidently that He will hear us, but we also pray with deference to His will and His wisdom.

Why wouldn’t we?? – I want us to focus this week on one of those promises that falls into the first category.  Wisdom.  “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God and He will give it to you” (James 1:5, NLT).  The prayer prompts below aim to anchor our requests in the Word and to challenge us to rely on His wisdom more routinely than we may …

Prayer Prompts

• Early morning yielding – As you get up each day, think of one or two items in your schedule and bring them to the Lord in prayer.  It can be big or small things.  Ask for wisdom to know what to do, to say, to think, etc.

• Spiritual wisdom – Pray for spiritual wisdom and insight that grows your understanding of God and His ways (Eph 1:16-17).

• Wisdom discernment – Pray for insight to tell the difference from worldly ‘wisdom’ and true wisdom from above; that which is pure, peace-loving, gentle, willing to yield, and full mercy (James 3:17).

• Know how good we have it! – As you read the Word, listen to Christian music, go to church – pray that you see more deeply “the wonderful things God has freely given us” (1 Cor 2:12-14).

• Teach each other – Pray that you will be able to share “all the wisdom He gives” and that God will send people in your life that can do the same to you (Colossians 3:16).

Prayer Prompts - Week 4 of The Lord is my Shepherd

He renews my strength!

Wet wool weighs down sheep – so much so, they can actually tip over and not be able to get up from this weight.  We too can easily be weighed down with overwhelming concern for our loved ones.  Praise the Lord, our Shepherd renews our strength (Ps 23:3, NLT).  Hallelujah, He can restore us!

“I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord” (Eze 34:15, NLT)

Prayer Prompts for this Week

I need strength Lord! – In your waking up time this week, bring at least one very specific item to the Lord where you will need strength today.

Running on empty – Pay attention to those times this week when you are depleted and maybe would typically turn to your phone, food, TV, or something else to cope – instead pray for renewed strength from the Lord and trust Him to provide what you need.

Ezekiel 34:16 (NLT) – “I will search for my lost ones who have strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again.  I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak.”

Pray specifically for those in your life that need …

• To find their way home

• That need the Lord to bandage them up

• That need His strength

Lean on the Lord’s provision for these loved ones.

Use this song to move you in prayer – ‘Don’t Fight Alone’ by Jon Reddick (https://youtu.be/tl3GrkRHsvk?si=kOOsL50a61XWH8YI )