TUESDAY — YOUR COMMUNITY

Today I want to quickly encourage you on the topic of fellowship and your prayer life. So often, people tend to see prayer as a duty instead of a delight and I believe the key to unlocking the pleasure of prayer is fellowship with our creator and the pleasure of His company.

The first part of verse 10 in Philippians 3 from the Amplified Bible says:

[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly]…

This verse is the key to a powerful prayer life, that we may know Him, progressively becoming more and more acquainted with Him!

Spending time with a stranger is very different then fellowshipping with a dear friend or loved one. Your prayer life can become a delight when you are able to develop and enjoy fellowship with your Father.

Relate this to a married couple. When they joined in marriage, they immediately had a relationship, one of husband and wife, but that does not necessarily mean they have fellowship. They must cultivate their bond by spending time communing together. In a healthy marriage, this creates a connection that is a delight not a duty.

Now relate that to your relationship with Christ. When you accepted Him as your Lord and Savior you were immediately in a relationship with Him, however, you equally must cultivate your bond with Him by spending time with Him, learning to abide in Him.

If you find your prayer life is feeling like a duty or a drudgery, check your priority level on abiding and fellowshipping with your Savior.

John 15:4-7 AMP

Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.

5 I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

6 If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

Think of it as the ABCs of Prayer. Prayer is more than asking seeking and knocking. Prayer is a moment-by-moment communion with God.

A= Abiding

B = Believe

C = Continue to pray

We read in James 5:16 that the “Earnest, continued prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available” (AMP)

Today we are focused on the “A” in the ABC’s of prayer, which is abiding. We will discuss the other two later this week. With that thought in mind, let’s start our prayer time with praise and worship today and then the prayer focus and Scriptures are listed for you below.

Prayer Focus:

• Pray for unity in your community.
• Pray for local government, schoolteachers and administrators, first responders, and civil servants.
• Pray that God would use you to reach your neighbors with the message of Jesus.

Scripture Focus:

Matthew 5:14-16 NLT: “14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

Proverbs 16:3 NKJV: “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.  but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.”

Jeremiah 29:7 NLT: “And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”

Titus 3:1-2 NLT: “Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. 2 They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.”

Romans 13:1-2 NLT: “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.”

Proverbs 11:11NLT: “Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper,

2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”

1 Timothy 2:1-3 NLT: “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior,”