DAY 1 WHY PRAY? “IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER
Luke 11:1, “Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."
Jesus modeled for us a life of prayer to the Father. He demonstrated that His “food” was given by God. We see throughout the Gospels that prayer fueled Jesus. Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. They recognized the importance of prayer as modeled by Jesus. They heard Jesus’ prayers vocalized to the Father. Jesus prayed with an intimate knowledge and relationship with the Father. Without God, life is hopeless. They did not ask Jesus to teach them to preach… but instead to pray.
Prayer Focus: God hears you when you pray. He is not distant but is nearby. If your unbelief is a roadblock to Jesus working in your life, confess your sin of unbelief. Ask God to strengthen your faith in Him and begin building, or recommitting, that intimate relationship with Him today.
Jesus modeled for us a life of prayer to the Father. He demonstrated that His “food” was given by God. We see throughout the Gospels that prayer fueled Jesus. Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. They recognized the importance of prayer as modeled by Jesus. They heard Jesus’ prayers vocalized to the Father. Jesus prayed with an intimate knowledge and relationship with the Father. Without God, life is hopeless. They did not ask Jesus to teach them to preach… but instead to pray.
Prayer Focus: God hears you when you pray. He is not distant but is nearby. If your unbelief is a roadblock to Jesus working in your life, confess your sin of unbelief. Ask God to strengthen your faith in Him and begin building, or recommitting, that intimate relationship with Him today.
DAY 2 WHY PRAY? “PRAYER FOR SALVATION”
Matthew 14:30 “But when he (Peter) saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me."
What must I do to be saved? If you have not yet given your life to Jesus, pray to Him today to confess your sins and surrender your life to Him. It is not by our works that saves us, but by God’s grace and mercy. If you have given your life to Jesus, then celebrate His faithfulness and rejoice in the trials of your life, even the ones that may look like giant crashing waves. Although the waves in life may appear large, God is bigger than the trial.
Prayer Focus: Pray to God today for salvation as He is the only one that can save. Give your life to Him and dedicate your time, talents, treasures, and family to the LORD. All the things we have belong to God. He can give and He can take away.
What must I do to be saved? If you have not yet given your life to Jesus, pray to Him today to confess your sins and surrender your life to Him. It is not by our works that saves us, but by God’s grace and mercy. If you have given your life to Jesus, then celebrate His faithfulness and rejoice in the trials of your life, even the ones that may look like giant crashing waves. Although the waves in life may appear large, God is bigger than the trial.
Prayer Focus: Pray to God today for salvation as He is the only one that can save. Give your life to Him and dedicate your time, talents, treasures, and family to the LORD. All the things we have belong to God. He can give and He can take away.
DAY 3 WHY PRAY? “PRAYER OF REPENTANCE
Luke 18:13, “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'
Lord help me! God be merciful to me, a sinner! This should not be a surprise to you, but none of us are perfect. We are all sinners in need of forgiveness. Repent today to the King of kings and Lord of lords and be overcome by the peace of His forgiveness. God is good and is ready to forgive the humble. Let us bow our knees before Him today.
Prayer Focus: Consider the sins of your life and those sins that overcome you regularly. Do not let another day go by without bringing them before the Lord. Let God free you from the bondage of sin.
Lord help me! God be merciful to me, a sinner! This should not be a surprise to you, but none of us are perfect. We are all sinners in need of forgiveness. Repent today to the King of kings and Lord of lords and be overcome by the peace of His forgiveness. God is good and is ready to forgive the humble. Let us bow our knees before Him today.
Prayer Focus: Consider the sins of your life and those sins that overcome you regularly. Do not let another day go by without bringing them before the Lord. Let God free you from the bondage of sin.
DAY 4 WHY PRAY? “PRAYER IN TROUBLE
Jeremiah 32:17 “'Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.”
Sometimes we forget how powerful God is. We forget the wonderful things that He has done in the past. We often allow the immensity of our own problems and challenges to overshadow the greatness of God. Jeremiah reminds us of what God has done. Creation itself is a testimony to the fact that God can do anything. God created everything out of nothing.
Prayer Focus: Have you forgotten God’s ability to do anything? Today, recall the many remarkable things that God has done. As we go before the throne of Grace, let us remember that God answers prayers. Not only does He answer, but nothing is too difficult for Him.
Sometimes we forget how powerful God is. We forget the wonderful things that He has done in the past. We often allow the immensity of our own problems and challenges to overshadow the greatness of God. Jeremiah reminds us of what God has done. Creation itself is a testimony to the fact that God can do anything. God created everything out of nothing.
Prayer Focus: Have you forgotten God’s ability to do anything? Today, recall the many remarkable things that God has done. As we go before the throne of Grace, let us remember that God answers prayers. Not only does He answer, but nothing is too difficult for Him.
DAY 5 WHY PRAY? “PRAYER FOR A PURE HEART”
Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
The Lord delights in hearing His children. The first true sign of spiritual life in a person is prayer. People cannot live physically without breathing, as spiritually without praying. Let me breathe or else I die. Let me pray or else I die. What if we treated our time in prayer as our source of life, daily bread, and food for our souls? Luke 11:3, “Give us each day our daily bread.”
Prayer Focus: Is your heart pure? Are you focused on seeing God in your life or listening to God in your prayers? Followers of God are people of prayer. Spend time in dedicated solitude and prayer today. Ask God to refine your heart and see Him as He is.
The Lord delights in hearing His children. The first true sign of spiritual life in a person is prayer. People cannot live physically without breathing, as spiritually without praying. Let me breathe or else I die. Let me pray or else I die. What if we treated our time in prayer as our source of life, daily bread, and food for our souls? Luke 11:3, “Give us each day our daily bread.”
Prayer Focus: Is your heart pure? Are you focused on seeing God in your life or listening to God in your prayers? Followers of God are people of prayer. Spend time in dedicated solitude and prayer today. Ask God to refine your heart and see Him as He is.
DAY 6 WHY PRAY? “PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL”
John 15:7, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
We learn in the book of James that when we ask God for things, we must ask Him in faith. But we must also be in a close relationship with Him - abiding in Him, obeying Him, and serving Him. When we are truly One with the Lord our motives will align with His. Believing prayer goes up to God, and an answer comes down. God said, “Call on Me and I will show you great and mighty things.” (Jer 33:3)
Prayer Focus: Prayer strengthens our faith because we see God moving. Do not neglect time in prayer for the matters of this world. Pray to God today for those things that do seem impossible because, on your own, they are impossible.
We learn in the book of James that when we ask God for things, we must ask Him in faith. But we must also be in a close relationship with Him - abiding in Him, obeying Him, and serving Him. When we are truly One with the Lord our motives will align with His. Believing prayer goes up to God, and an answer comes down. God said, “Call on Me and I will show you great and mighty things.” (Jer 33:3)
Prayer Focus: Prayer strengthens our faith because we see God moving. Do not neglect time in prayer for the matters of this world. Pray to God today for those things that do seem impossible because, on your own, they are impossible.
DAY 7 WHY PRAY? “PRAYER FOR OTHERS
Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
It is not by eloquent sermons that perishing souls are going to be reached. We need the power of God in order that the blessing may come down to save the lost. Many of our children are dead in trespasses and sins. Let us raise them up in prayer and not give up praying for the lost. Let us not grow weary in doing good or praying for those in need. We do not know what God will do through us.
Prayer Focus: We do not know what the future holds. We do not know who is next to join us at the Lord's table. Let us then persevere in prayer, never giving up on the lost. Pray today specifically for those in your life that have not received Jesus as their Savior. Pray that God will draw their hearts to Him.
It is not by eloquent sermons that perishing souls are going to be reached. We need the power of God in order that the blessing may come down to save the lost. Many of our children are dead in trespasses and sins. Let us raise them up in prayer and not give up praying for the lost. Let us not grow weary in doing good or praying for those in need. We do not know what God will do through us.
Prayer Focus: We do not know what the future holds. We do not know who is next to join us at the Lord's table. Let us then persevere in prayer, never giving up on the lost. Pray today specifically for those in your life that have not received Jesus as their Savior. Pray that God will draw their hearts to Him.