Founded on the Word, Saturated in Prayer
My prayer is that we would live lives founded on God’s Word and saturated in prayer.
When we aren’t regularly seeking God in His Word or spending time with God in prayer, we’ve built our lives on a foundation of sand, and when the rains fall, the floods come, the wind blows, and beats against - and it will - then our faith weakens and crumbles. God will feel increasingly silent because we’re not listening to Him speak and increasingly distant because we’re not abiding in His presence.
Founded on God’s Word
God’s Word should be the foundation on which we stand, the source of truth in which we believe, and the lens through which we view the world. Not the circumstances we face, the emotions we feel, the things we hear from others, or what we read in the news or on social media. That means we need to be feeding ourselves a regular diet of Scripture, feasting on God’s Word. That’s how we come to know God - who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised to do.
For the rest of this year I’m asking everyone to seek God in His Word every day. If you’re wondering where to start, then pick a book of the Bible and simply read through it, over and over. Some days you’ll read a few verses, some days a few chapters, some days you have even read the book a few times. Simply mark wherever you leave off and pick up there the next day.
If you need a suggestion - ask me, I’ll give you one. If you need a Bible - ask me, I’ll provide you one. If you would like a devotional or commentary to go along with it - ask me, I’ll buy you one. Just check the box to grab coffee on the Info Card.
Let’s encourage each other, challenge each other, and learn from each other by asking each other the following three questions:
What are you reading in God’s Word?
What is God saying to you about Himself - who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised to do?
What is God saying to you about yourself - what is He calling you to believe or desire - what is He calling you to change or to do?
Saturated in Prayer
Let’s not just be people founded on God’s Word, but also saturated in prayer - praying with frequency as we make prayer a priority and praying with fervency as we pray passionately.
To help unite our church family together in prayer, each morning over over the course of this week we are going to identify an area of focus for us to pray over. Prioritize your time with God in prayer by scheduling your time with God in prayer - even if it’s just a few minutes.
Our Prayer for Sunday, November 8th: God, Help us to be people founded on your Word and saturated in prayer. Grow in us a desire to seek you and spend time with you. Amen
Our prayer for Monday, November 9th: God, Help us to be a church that has “unity of mind, sympathy, brother love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” (1 Peter 3:8) Amen.
Our prayer for Tuesday, November 10th: God, Help us to be a church that is known to our world by our love for the world (John 13:35). Amen.
Our prayer for Wednesday, November 11th: God, in a season of increased worry and anxiety, help us to cast all our anxieties on you, knowing that you care for us. Amen (1 Peter 5:7)
Our prayer for Thursday, November 12th: Dear Heavenly Father, In the midst of the pandemic, help us to find ways to continue building community and encouraging each other, as we bear one another’s burdens. Amen (Hebrews 10:23-25, Galatians 6:2)
Our prayer for Friday, November 13th: Dear Heavenly Father, Stir in us a desire and lay on us a burden to reach out and share your love with those around us who do not know you and are far from you. Amen. (Matthew 28:19:20)
Our prayer for Saturday, November 14th: Dear Heavenly Father, In the midst of frustration and disappointment, fill us with hope as we look toward our eternal inheritance that you have obtained and secured for us in and through Jesus Christ. Amen (1 Peter 1:3-5)
Our prayer for Sunday, November 15th: Dear Heavenly Father, Today we pray for our pastors, elders, and staff - protect them, guide them, encourage them, and strengthen them as they lead and love your church. Amen (Acts 20:28)
If you missed Sunday’s sermon from Daniel 9, take a moment to watch “A More Glorious Future”.