Prayer Changes Everything

How would you answer someone who asked you about prayer? Or wondered what you pray about? Or wanted to know how often or when you pray? Do you pray intentionally? Do you ever wonder where to look for biblical text related to specific topics? 

Check out these guides, provided by Family Matters, a non-profit ministry dedicated to educating, encouraging, and equipping family members with strategies for making positive choices.

Each of the 31 Days of Prayer calendars can be emailed directly to you via the Family Matters website, or, you may simply click on either calendar, save it to your personal device, and access it directly.           

Many additional PRAYER resources are available in both App Stores for use on your tablet or phone.

 

It's okay if it takes you a minute to think about how you'd answer questions about prayers. Are you happy with your response? Will you continue praying as usual or do you have a desire to change your pattern? Strengthening your relationship with God is an ongoing journey. Seek Him and listen to His commands. Let His grace be sufficient.

The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. James 5:15-16

Back To School Prayers

Many children will be heading back to school in the next weeks, likely experiencing a range of emotions from excited anticipation to anxious uncertainty. These emotions aren't reserved only for students, but for parents, teachers, and school personnel, as well.
As a church community, we can lift up our youth, their families, and their leaders in daily prayer. Don't know exactly where to start or what to say? Here are some examples:

*(click on each picture to view it larger)*

Are you an educator? The list of responsibilities is great and often, seemingly unending. May you begin each day with peace and comfort as you influence the lives of your students everyday.

Julie Sanders, from The Mom Initiative, writes about the importance of prayers FOR teachers in addition to those we pray for students.

How to pray for the new teacher in your child’s life:

• Pray for the teacher as she looks at her summer to do list; she might not’ve had a vacation or success in taking care of needs.
• Pray for the teacher as she needs to be refreshed and healthy; her summer may’ve included loss, grief, disappointment, or trial.
• Pray for the teacher as she has concerns about how her relationships will change with the school year starting: daycare, marriage, family, needy children.
• Pray for the teacher as she gets her classroom ready; she may have to move rooms, may not have supplies yet, or might have issues to address.
• Pray for the teacher as she attends staff development and meetings; she may have requirements to meet or assignments to finish.
• Pray for the teacher as she re-connects with fellow staff & faculty; some working relationships might be challenging.
• Pray for the teacher as she sorts through curriculum; a change in grade level, publisher, or requirements can be difficult.
• Pray for the teacher as she begins to do her planning; teachers have so much to pack in, and the unexpected will enter in.
• Pray for the teacher as she receives information about her students; she needs openness, insight, wisdom, and compassion.
• Pray for the teacher as she meets a whole new group of parents; parent relationships are crucial to the success of students & teachers.

Every teacher is a real person who goes to the grocery store, does laundry, has dinner with friends, cries, hurts, and worries. She needs the Kleenex and the hand sanitizer, but most of all, she needs your prayers.

Whether you put someone on the school bus this week or watch a bus drive by, talk to God.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

One Nation Under God

Around the nation this weekend, people will celebrate the 4th of July. They’ll attend parades, family BBQs, fireworks displays, and most events will include music: God Bless the USA, the National Anthem, God Bless America, and the like.

Pastor Terry O’Brien, of Saint Paul Lutheran in Pana, IL believes “the true independence that we Americans, that we Christians, that we Lutherans truly have is in Christ Jesus our Savior. For as we hold our celebrations it is entirely fitting for us to pause and remember that our true independence comes not from a piece of paper signed by men like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, but by the suffering, death and resurrection of God’s own precious Son.”

Pastor O’Brien’s sermon continued with these words: “Because Jesus suffered and died for our sins, we have been freed from the death sentence of sin. We have been freed to live our lives as Christians who thank God for our blessings. We have been freed to show and demonstrate our faith through good works and good deeds. Our constitutional freedom of religion – and more importantly, our unshakable belief that we have been saved by God’s grace and not by anything that we have ever done or ever will do – allow us to stand up and proudly confess our faith to anyone and to everyone, believer and nonbeliever alike.”

  

He suggests that each day, and especially this Friday, July 4th, “Thank God for the blessings and privilege of living in a nation where we truly can worship whenever and wherever we wish. Thank God for the blessings and privilege of living in a nation where we can freely and without fear proclaim Jesus Christ and the true eternal independence that He has won for us. Thank God the Father for sending His beloved Son to suffer and die for our sins. Thank God the Son for willingly suffering the agonies of the cross so that we can enjoy the eternal bliss of heaven. Thank God the Holy Spirit for bringing us to faith.”

As you step out into the city for good this weekend, enjoy your fellowship with family and friends, and celebrate your gifts in God's grace.

John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. 

Psalm 119:45 I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your commandments.