40 Days of Prayer: Day 1
Getting Started
As we kick off our 40 days of prayer, I want to encourage you to slow down a bit. Start the day in prayer... and don’t stop.
Luke 22:46
...and said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
I start each day with 4 things as my focus.
Pray-as soon as the alarm goes off. Thank you Lord for this day! I surrender ALL to you! Help me be ready for all you have for me today.
Read the Word- At a minimum-instead of checking e-mail or Face Book first thing, I have two bible apps that send me verses of the day. I read and pray over those first. Later, as I am up and moving, I pick up with where ever I am studying in Gods word.
Seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit.I ask God to fill me up (because I leak) I want to be a vessel that He fills up so I can pour out into others. I desire to be lead by the Holy Spirit in every thing I do through out the day.
Share the Hope I have with others.I pray for divine appointments, that I will be observant of who He brings across my path.
What is prayer?
The dictionary says that prayer is;
“a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship”
As Christians... Follwers of Christ we know that praying to anything or anyone other than God, is fruitless.
There is an awesome little book by Watchman Née called Let Us Pray. I’m going to use some of it as a format for a portion of our daily devotions on prayer.
He starts by saying that;
“Prayer is the most wonderful act in the spiritual realm as well as a most mysterious affair”.
Do we or can we really understand what prayer is and does?
God desires us, (His unique creation) to talk with Him. Even through we know He is omniscient (All knowing) He wants us to have open dialogue with Him. Something happens when we go to God in prayer as a first response not just a last minute cry for help.
Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Easy to read this scripture, harder to apply. But, if we can do this, we can experience the peace of God, beyond our understanding. Don’t be anxious for ANYTHING? Mindset--we must determine that God is in control and we can take everything to Him in prayer, asking earnestly and humbly for His assistance with a thankful heart.
Matthew 7:7 “ Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
This is a scripture that has been abused. This is not a magic Genie in a bottle prayer that gives you your fleshly hearts desire. But a focus on aligning our hearts with the Lords heart knowing He will indeed provide everything we need according to His will, provision and direction. But it does start with us going before the Lord and asking.
James 4:1-6
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
James 4 holds a special spot in my heart... it is this passage of scripture that God used to penetrate my heart 26 years ago. We truly battle the flesh as we pray. We don’t have because we don’t ask and when we do ask it is with wrong motivation. So as we pray we must humble our selves before Him. This speaks to the condition of our heart. Are we approaching God, the author and creator of everything we know in AWE and humility? Or arrogance, demanding Gods intervention and provision?
I challenge you in the next 40 days to talk to God more... make sure that your relationship with God is in order. Everything starts there. Then pray with other believers, pray for those God brings across your path.
Know that I am praying with and for you all!
Much Love,
Pastor Scott