Day 7 - Sunday, October 18th
LIFE Journal
This Week's Memory Verse
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23
Devotional
Besides the how, we want to know what exactly we should be praying for. Over the next few days, we are going to look at some of the ways in which people prayed throughout scripture. The goal is to move our prayers from general, occasional, routine utterances to specific, continuous, ongoing conversations. If you are in a relationship of any kind as a spouse, a parent or a friend, you’d start to question how strong the bond was if the other person only spoke the same few words to you first thing in the morning, just before a meal, or at the end of the day. You’d question whether they truly loved you if they didn’t make the effort to speak to you regularly. Relationships have constant back and forth conversations, sharing thoughts, asking questions, expressing fears or concerns.
In the same way, our relationship with God needs to be ongoing, turning ordinary daily thoughts into a conversation with Him. Instead of thinking about the ways in which people may be annoying us, we talk to God about our frustrations. Instead of worrying over and over again in our minds, we share with God our fears.
The apostle Paul, the author of many of the books we read in the New Testament, was trying to teach this exact concept to a group of believers in a town called Philippi. Paul wrote a letter in the middle of what most of us would view as a bit of a difficult situation. You see, Paul was writing from jail awaiting trial, most likely chained to a Roman guard, but nevertheless, Paul wrote some encouraging instructions on what to pray. It’s because of his own situation that his words seem even more impactful. How can a guy so uncertain of his future be so sure about the power of unrelenting prayer? Perhaps it was because Paul saw that prayer had an effect in his own life and he knew it was important to share it with others:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
What do we pray about according to Paul? EVERYTHING! There is nothing outside the realm of what we can communicate to God. No matter what situation, we tell Him about it, thanking Him every step of the way. The result, Paul says, will blow your mind. You won’t understand it, but if you choose to pray about everything instead of worrying, God’s going to give you something in return. Unexplainable peace. If you’re looking for that in your life, start by making prayer your first response to every situation you face, not your emergency last resort.
Think On This Verse:
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. James 5:13-15 NIV
Ask and Answer:
Is anxiety a struggle for you? Look at your typical response to situations that produce worry in your life. Do you first respond with prayer or fear? What about in times when things are going well? Do you remember to thank God for blessings in your everyday? How can you remind yourself to pray in every circumstance?
In the same way, our relationship with God needs to be ongoing, turning ordinary daily thoughts into a conversation with Him. Instead of thinking about the ways in which people may be annoying us, we talk to God about our frustrations. Instead of worrying over and over again in our minds, we share with God our fears.
The apostle Paul, the author of many of the books we read in the New Testament, was trying to teach this exact concept to a group of believers in a town called Philippi. Paul wrote a letter in the middle of what most of us would view as a bit of a difficult situation. You see, Paul was writing from jail awaiting trial, most likely chained to a Roman guard, but nevertheless, Paul wrote some encouraging instructions on what to pray. It’s because of his own situation that his words seem even more impactful. How can a guy so uncertain of his future be so sure about the power of unrelenting prayer? Perhaps it was because Paul saw that prayer had an effect in his own life and he knew it was important to share it with others:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
What do we pray about according to Paul? EVERYTHING! There is nothing outside the realm of what we can communicate to God. No matter what situation, we tell Him about it, thanking Him every step of the way. The result, Paul says, will blow your mind. You won’t understand it, but if you choose to pray about everything instead of worrying, God’s going to give you something in return. Unexplainable peace. If you’re looking for that in your life, start by making prayer your first response to every situation you face, not your emergency last resort.
Think On This Verse:
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. James 5:13-15 NIV
Ask and Answer:
Is anxiety a struggle for you? Look at your typical response to situations that produce worry in your life. Do you first respond with prayer or fear? What about in times when things are going well? Do you remember to thank God for blessings in your everyday? How can you remind yourself to pray in every circumstance?
Prayer
Holy Spirit, show me the things that I immediately run to other solutions for instead of you in prayer. Help me to develop a mindset and habit of praying over everything that happens in my life. I want to trust you enough to be content in the peace that you give even when I do not understand. Amen.