KINGDOM PRAYERS FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 21, 2022
FMC PRAYER: Lord, teach me to treasure your bride as you do. The Church often gets a bad rap, and assembling together often gets the tail-end of our endeavors – physical appearances not only betray spiritual reality, they fail to grasp the centrality of the church in your eternal purposes for this world.
From men and women who were your enemies, you are assembling a community of born-again worshipers from every tribe, tongue, and nation to proclaim your matchless wisdom to the world and spiritual realm (Ephesians 3:1–10). All of history will culminate in your Son’s wedding to his beautiful bride (Revelation 21:1–2).
Father, help me treasure your bride as you do and pour myself out to build her up.
SUNDAY’S SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 1-3
FMC TEAM VALUES: Value 4 – Embrace the hill: Runners often dread hills along their route and most view them as a place to slow down. But a healthy, well-trained runner sees the hill as an opportunity to pass people and actually take ground. We want our team to function in this way. We should expect all kinds of challenges and opposition as we strive to accomplish our God-given vision. When those times come, we will choose to have a joyful mindset that is motivated by challenge rather than dismayed by it.
OUTREACH: Humility that leads to Righteousness: “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” Isaiah 66:2
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6
Pray that as we seek God’s glory in prayer that we would grow in ever-increasing humility, recognizing the extent of our sin and depravity and the lengths God has gone to rescue us, in order to give us eternal life and living hope!
Pray that God would place in us His desires – that we would long for Him, His Kingdom, and His righteousness, more than we long for anything else.
Pray that we would walk by faith, in grace and obedience to God’s Word in all we do and say.
PILLAR:
Pillar 10: Grateful Hearts (thankful/merciful/charitable/generous) Part of this pillar is acknowledging that our time, talents, and treasures don’t belong to us; all go back in the box at the end of the game. Pray that you/we would use our gifts accordingly.
APPLICATION: Progress in holiness is an expected response of gratitude to the grace of God, which is initiated, sustained, and fulfilled by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. The first response of gratitude is prayer, and the daily discipline of prayer – both individually and together – should mark the Christian life. The life of prayer includes praise to God for His nature and works, sincere confession of our sin, and intercession for the needs of those we know and for the needs of the world.
Practice: Tell God what you are thankful for each day (hint: check out the ACTS post on the prayer resources page)