May 2014
Pray continually (1
Thessalonians 5:17)
Could you
use this monthly outline of suggested prayers as part of the impact you are
making for Jesus through the church?
Fast days for May: 6th, 13th,
20th, 27th. Could
you join others across the church in fasting each Tuesday through May?
Proverbs
This
month our prayers will include using the ‘Proverbs’ God has given us in the
Bible. Why not use the month reading
Proverbs yourself – it is God’s words ‘for gaining wisdom and instructions…doing
what is right and just and fair’.
(Proverbs 1:1-3) There are 31
chapters in Proverbs and 31 days in May?
May
1: List
ten things you are thankful for - big and small. Thank God for them.
'I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving'
(Psalm 69:13)
2: Pray
for yourself and family and friends, that you would ‘accept (God’s) words and
store up my commands within you, turning our ear to wisdom and applying to your
heart…’ (Proverbs 2:1-2)
3: Who
will you see today? Pray you would live
and speak of Jesus in small ways to those around you. Pray you would be
‘mindful of God’s unfailing love and live in reliance on his faithfulness.’
(Psalm 26:3)
4: Pray
that as churches gather together we would ‘take hold of my words with all your
heart; keep my commands, and you will live.’
(Proverbs 4:4) Pray especially
for those responsible to lead our gathering and who preach.
5: Pray
for how you use your words. Pray ‘that
you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.’ (Proverbs 5:2) Reflect on any apologises for how you have
misused your words you should make. ‘The mouth of the righteous is a foundation
of life…’ (Proverbs 10:11) ‘An honest
answer is like a kiss on the lips.’ (Proverbs 24:26)
6: FAST
DAY: Pray across the areas identified in Proverbs 6:16-19. ‘There are six things the Lord hates, seven
that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed
innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to
rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up
conflict in the community.’
7: Think
of three people you know in the church - pray they ‘may be encouraged in heart
and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete
understanding.’ (Colossians 2:2)
8: Think
of three people you know who are not yet Christians. Pray they may know that ‘everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved’ (Romans 10:13). Pray you might speak something of Jesus to
them (Romans 10:14-15).
9: Pray
for Anusuran, who we support in India and Smile, who we support in Nepal.
‘Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look
after orphans and widows in their distress…’ (James 1:27)
10: Pray
that you would receive and give good advice.
Pray for a situation you need advice for, or are giving advice into. ‘Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to
life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.’ (Proverbs 10:17) ‘The way of the fool seems right to them, but
the wise listen to advice.’ (Proverbs 12:15)
11: As
churches gather together pray we would be ‘eager for the gifts of the Spirit’
but particularly ‘try to excel in those that build up the church’ (1
Corinthians 14:12) so that people might ‘worship God, exclaiming ‘God is really
among you’ (1 Corinthians 14:25)
12: Pray
for wives and wives-to-be. ‘A wife of
noble character is her husband’s crown…’
(Proverbs 12:4) ‘…a prudent wife
is from the Lord…’ (Proverbs 19:14) Equally pray for husbands and husbands-to-be.
13: FAST
DAY: Pray for Christians living out Jesus on their 'frontline' of home, work
and leisure that we may be 'Christ's ambassadors, as though God was making his
appeal through us.' (2 Corinthians 5:20)
14: Thank
God and pray for the provision and good stewardship of our finances & buildings,
and that we might ‘excel in the grace of giving’ (2 Corinthians 8:7).
15:
List ten things you are thankful for.
Thank God for them. ‘The eyes of
the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.’ (Proverbs 15:3)
16: How
do you view money, provision, wealth and stability? Pray about this. ‘Better a little with the fear of the Lord
than great wealth with turmoil. Better a
dish of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.’ (Proverbs 15:16-17)
17: Who
are your friends? Who are you a friend
to? ‘A friend loves at all times, and a
brother is born for a time of adversity.’
(Proverbs 17:17)
18: As
churches gather together pray they ‘will sing of the Lord’s great love for
ever: with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all
generations. I will declare that your
love stands firm forever’ (Psalm 89:1-2).
19: Pray
for your productivity and good use of your talents, in home, work, church and
leisure time. ‘A sluggard buries his
hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth.’ (Proverbs 19:24)
20: FAST
DAY: Spent the day reflecting and praying about your own heart. ‘The purposes of a person’s heart are deep
waters, but one who has insight draws them out.’ (Proverbs 20:5) ‘Where your treasure is there your heart will
be also.’ (Luke 12:34)
21: Pray
for our national and regional leaders. Remembering
‘In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels
towards all who please him.’ (Proverbs 21:1)
22: Pray
for your parenting and/or those with a responsibility as parents. ‘Start children off on the way they should
go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.’ (Proverbs 22:6)
23: ‘Do
not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are
gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an
eagle.’ (Proverbs 23:4-5) Pray for your trust, and the church’s
corporate trust to be in God.
24: Pray
for some of our local and national leaders and those in influential positions
of power. ‘Fear the Lord and the king,
my son, and do not join with rebellious officials…’ (Proverbs 24:21)
25: Pray
that as churches gather together they will 'devote themselves to the apostle's
teaching and to fellowship and to the breaking of bread and to prayer.' (Acts 2:42)
26:
Pray for the leaders of the church that we might 'strenuously contend
with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in us.' (Colossians 1:29)
27: FAST DAY: Pray for those who you are friends
with. ‘Wounds from a friend can be
trusted but an enemy multiplies kisses.’
(Proverbs 27:6)
28: Spent some time praying in confession and
saying sorry to God. ‘Whoever conceals
their sin does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds
mercy. Blessed is the one who always
trembles before God, but whoever hardens their hearts falls into trouble.’ (Proverbs 28:13-14)
29: List ten things
you are thankful for - big and small. Thank God for them. 'I will
praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving' (Psalm 69:13)
30: Pray for how we as a church teach the Bible
and how you as an individual obey the Bible.
‘Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge
in him.’ (Proverbs 30:5)
31: Pray
for our role as a church and yours as an individual in bringing justice and
righteousness into the world. ‘Speak up
for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are
destitute. Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.’ (Proverbs 31:8-9)
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