EACF 40 Days of Prayer 2020
Day 31: Pray for the Encouragement of God's Attentive Presence
Matthew 6:5–6 The Lord's Prayer
"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
We have ten days left in our prayer initiative. Let's finish up strong! We'll pray according to our Lord and Savior's own instruction on prayer - His words are authoritative so may God make us attentive and obedient!
Jesus said not to pray like the hypocrites who do it to be seen and applauded. He said to focus only on the interaction with our Father. It's not that we are to avoid praying with others or in public, but rather it is about the heart - the whole Sermon on the Mount is about checking our heart motives.
The beauty and goodness here is this: God sees what we do in secret. He knows what's on our hearts. He loves to hear us pray. He rewards us for our obedience. That means...your prayer efforts these past weeks are noticed by God, and He is pleased, and He will reward you. What does that mean? Well, there are rewards in heaven (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:14-15). But we also experience God's goodness now. He is listening. He is paying attention. He never stops hearing us. Amen!
Would you pray for two others to be encouraged by God's good and attentive disposition toward us? Would you pray for two others to be encouraged with the knowledge that God is watching over them right now? Maybe there are two people who've wandered or who are struggling. Pray for them. Write down their names, and encourage them to by sending them a note! This is day 31 of praying for good.
Friday, January 31, 2020
Thursday, January 30, 2020
EACF 40 Days of Prayer - January 30, 2020
EACF 40 Days of Prayer 2020
Day 30: Pray in the Name of the Lord
"I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. ...I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. - John 17:6-10, 14-17
In the aftermath of the tragic helicopter crash that took basketball star Kobe Bryant's, his daughter's, and seven other lives, there has been an outpouring of appreciation and affection for Kobe. Though his primary work was on the basketball court, he apparently influenced many in this era of social media influence and celebrities. His name, just that one first name, means something to many.
Jesus said I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. What does that mean? He made the Father known again to a people who had grown distant from God. He brought God's love to life, showed grace to those who were hurting, performed miracles that demonstrated God's supernatural power, and taught with authority that convicted some of sin and spoke words of peace to others. Jesus made the blessings of God the Father known. People experienced God because Jesus was and is God (the Son).
You know God's name - He is the one and only God, YHWH (Yahweh-Jehovah), the Lord Almighty. You can call upon His name because He has made us His children. You are labeled with His name, claimed as His possession, a member of His family, a citizen of His state, a part of His Kingdom. You can pray in the name of the Lord and you are calling upon the power of God Most High. It's okay to use His name. Call on Him. Pray to Him. Walk with Him. Enjoy God!
Pray for two people who need to remember the power of God's name today. Write down their names, and encourage them to by sending them a note! This is day 30 of praying for good.
Day 30: Pray in the Name of the Lord
"I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. ...I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. - John 17:6-10, 14-17
In the aftermath of the tragic helicopter crash that took basketball star Kobe Bryant's, his daughter's, and seven other lives, there has been an outpouring of appreciation and affection for Kobe. Though his primary work was on the basketball court, he apparently influenced many in this era of social media influence and celebrities. His name, just that one first name, means something to many.
Jesus said I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. What does that mean? He made the Father known again to a people who had grown distant from God. He brought God's love to life, showed grace to those who were hurting, performed miracles that demonstrated God's supernatural power, and taught with authority that convicted some of sin and spoke words of peace to others. Jesus made the blessings of God the Father known. People experienced God because Jesus was and is God (the Son).
You know God's name - He is the one and only God, YHWH (Yahweh-Jehovah), the Lord Almighty. You can call upon His name because He has made us His children. You are labeled with His name, claimed as His possession, a member of His family, a citizen of His state, a part of His Kingdom. You can pray in the name of the Lord and you are calling upon the power of God Most High. It's okay to use His name. Call on Him. Pray to Him. Walk with Him. Enjoy God!
Pray for two people who need to remember the power of God's name today. Write down their names, and encourage them to by sending them a note! This is day 30 of praying for good.
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
EACF 40 Days of Prayer - January 29, 2020
EACF 40 Days of Prayer 2020
Day 29: Pray for God's Protection
"I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. ...I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. - John 17:6-10, 14-17
Jesus prayed for His disciples, acknowledging that we are hated by the world because we are not of the world, just as Jesus was not of the world. Do you experience this? If you do not experience a sense of discord or opposition with the way the world operates, you may not be living the life Jesus died to give us. If we follow Jesus, then we will be hated by the world.
But Jesus prayed not that we would be extracted from the world, but that the Father would keep [us] from the evil one. Do you know that there is such a thing as spiritual warfare? The battle is raging and we are in the midst of it! We are hit with temptations and distracted by non-Kingdom concerns. But Jesus prayed for us! And Jesus is still interceding for us from His seat in heaven. God is watching over us and His plan for us will not be thwarted. God protects us. Ask God for His help when you're feeling distant. Ask God for His help if you're encountering troubles. God is with us!
Pray for two people who need God's protection or God's Spirit to give them strength in their battles. Write down their names, and encourage them to by sending them a note! This is day 29 of praying for good.
Day 29: Pray for God's Protection
"I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. ...I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. - John 17:6-10, 14-17
Jesus prayed for His disciples, acknowledging that we are hated by the world because we are not of the world, just as Jesus was not of the world. Do you experience this? If you do not experience a sense of discord or opposition with the way the world operates, you may not be living the life Jesus died to give us. If we follow Jesus, then we will be hated by the world.
But Jesus prayed not that we would be extracted from the world, but that the Father would keep [us] from the evil one. Do you know that there is such a thing as spiritual warfare? The battle is raging and we are in the midst of it! We are hit with temptations and distracted by non-Kingdom concerns. But Jesus prayed for us! And Jesus is still interceding for us from His seat in heaven. God is watching over us and His plan for us will not be thwarted. God protects us. Ask God for His help when you're feeling distant. Ask God for His help if you're encountering troubles. God is with us!
Pray for two people who need God's protection or God's Spirit to give them strength in their battles. Write down their names, and encourage them to by sending them a note! This is day 29 of praying for good.
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
EACF 40 Days of Prayer - January 28, 2020
EACF 40 Days of Prayer 2020
Day 28: Pray for Growth in Knowledge of God's Word
"I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. ...I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. - John 17:6-10, 14-17
After the Last Supper and before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed for His disciples. John, perhaps Jesus' dearest disciple, relayed some of that prayer. Jesus says He gave the disciples God's word, and that the disciples kept it. Then Jesus prays for that word to be used to sanctify the disciples.
This is how it works: God's Word has been given to us and that Word makes us wise for salvation by identifying our Savior, showing us our sin, and deepening our awareness of God's grace calling us from sin and into new life. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly (Colossians 3:16); His Word guides us into right living in Christ. Without God's Word, the path is dark, but His Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105). Thank God for His good Word and pray for growth in knowledge of His Word, that through it we would encounter God, be transformed in His presence, and understand how to live. This is Jesus' own prayer for us!
Pray for a deeper appreciation and understanding of the gift of God's Word. Pray for two others who need to get into His Word more. Write down their names, and encourage them to by sending them a note! This is day 28 of praying for good.
Day 28: Pray for Growth in Knowledge of God's Word
"I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. ...I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. - John 17:6-10, 14-17
After the Last Supper and before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed for His disciples. John, perhaps Jesus' dearest disciple, relayed some of that prayer. Jesus says He gave the disciples God's word, and that the disciples kept it. Then Jesus prays for that word to be used to sanctify the disciples.
This is how it works: God's Word has been given to us and that Word makes us wise for salvation by identifying our Savior, showing us our sin, and deepening our awareness of God's grace calling us from sin and into new life. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly (Colossians 3:16); His Word guides us into right living in Christ. Without God's Word, the path is dark, but His Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105). Thank God for His good Word and pray for growth in knowledge of His Word, that through it we would encounter God, be transformed in His presence, and understand how to live. This is Jesus' own prayer for us!
Pray for a deeper appreciation and understanding of the gift of God's Word. Pray for two others who need to get into His Word more. Write down their names, and encourage them to by sending them a note! This is day 28 of praying for good.
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