Things to Pray For - Goodness

None of us wants to be a 'goody-two-shoes' but I think we can all agree that there is plenty in this world that is not good including you and me.  I know that I often don't do the good things that I would like to do and give in to the selfish desires of my heart and I would like to do better in this regard. Join with me in praying for goodness in our own lives and also goodness in the world around us.  Its time to stop feeding the evil in our lives and to start feeding the good!

Things to Pray For - Kindness

I'm sure we would all agree the more kindness in this world would make life better for all of us.  Join with me in praying for this. Join with me also, though, in praying for true kindness to be seen in the world.  Too much of what goes for kindness these days is just a hidden way for people to further an agenda or make themselves look good.  Pray for a kindness that flows from a heart filled with love for God and man.  A kindness that is done out of a true desire to help those around us and to give of ourselves freely and unconditionally just as God has given to us.

Things to Pray For - Patience

We live in a fast paced society and we can start to internalize the instant gratification ideals that area  part of our culture. In the age of high speed trains, high speed internet, and instant connection through facebook, chats and phone calls, we can forget that sometimes good things take time.  Pray with me this week for patience. Patience to wait for the good things God has in store for us. Patience to continue pursuing those good things that take time and energy.  Patience towards those around us.  Pray that we will be a patient people, not just passively but also actively.  That we would pursue patience.

Things to Pray For - Peace

This week join me in praying for peace.  I'm not just talking about military peace (although you could certainly pray for that too!).  I'm talking about personal peace.  Pray for peace in our hearts, churches and countries.  External peace can only come when there is first internal peace.  Pray that we would pursue peace in our lives by confessing wrongs and by making amends and by giving forgiveness. Pray that we would find peace in the Lord.

Things to Pray For - Joy

May our hearts and lives be filled with joy. Not just joy in the passing pleasures of the time we have here on earth, but also joy in the things that have been done for us on the cross.  Rejoicing in the Lord. Rejoicing in the things he has blessed us with. Rejoicing in the life he has given us. Rejoicing in the promises we have received, and rejoicing in the nature and glory of our Saviour. 

Join with me this week in praying for family, friends and churches that are full of the joy of the Lord!

Things to pray for - Love

Prayer is important and we should all be spending time talking to God.  I think it is easy to get stuck in a rut as the saying goes, and just repeat the same things over and over. "God bless my family and protect me and forgive my sins and help me to be a better person...."  But prayer can (and should) be so much deeper than that.  There is of course a need to spend time in adoration and thanksgiving for what God is and what he does, but God also delights in hearing the requests of his saints (Matt. 7:7-11) so I am trying to pray for some more specific things in my life.  Things that go beyond the daily functions of life and that affect character. I am praying that God will apply these things specifically in my life and in the life of my wife and also that his church will be increasingly marked by these characteristics. If you would like, feel free to join me in prayer for these items.

The first of these is Love.  Pray that love would abound more and more.  That we would grow in love toward God and each other and that our hearts would expand to include love as God has defined it.  That our love for Christ would overflow into love for those that our lives touch and that we would express our love well in both words and actions.  Pray that we would have a love that is more than a feeling and that is an active living love. Pray for love.