Jan 15, 2021 Your Weekend Prayers – Words of Grace – January 15, 2021
Let me tell you something about myself that concerns me. Sometimes I read and talk more than I pray. I would rather get the perfect book on prayer than actually pray. This morning I read a few news stories and talked to my wife about a few issues before I formed a substantive prayer. Oh, to be more devoted to prayer.
Being well read and informed is an important part of our discipleship. We need both Truth (the truth that is in Christ) and truth (facts about issues) to know how to live. As good stewards of the ability to communicate, we need to speak both Truth and the truth.
Prayer is first and foundational to being informed and to speaking. In prayer we hear God’s word and speak it back to him. Then, we humbly form our opinions and speak honestly and helpfully to our world.
If we do not pray, we are basically saying that we will not trust in the Lord with all our hearts and acknowledge him in all our ways, but rather we will lean on our own understanding and walk in our own crooked paths (the exact opposite of Proverbs 3:5-6). That’s not us. We are Christians.
So, brothers and sisters, let’s pray.
This weekend, open your Bible and from the passages you read, form prayers about real issues and needs.
If you need some help, here are a few suggestions.
- Pray for Grace Community Church from Romans 12. Use the Devoted to Prayer guide.
- Pray for Christians to have wisdom related to politics and social issues. (Micah 6:6-8, Matthew 5:14-16, James 3:13-18). Pray for the events this week in Washington and the transition of administrations (I Timothy 2:1-6).
- Pray for the persecuted church around the world (Matthew 5:11-12, I Peter 4:12-19, I Peter 5:6-11). The Voice of the Martyrs and OpenDoors are two great resources to read about specific needs.
- Pray for yourself and others who are burdened with cares, struggling with sin, and suffering with sickness (Matthew 6:25-34, I Corinthians 10:13-14, I Peter 5:6-7).
This Sunday at Grace will we gather to sing of the Lord’s grace, pray to him in faith, and hear his word. Pray with me for the evident presence and power of the Lord among us.
-Scott