A Personal Prayer Journal
Another thing I update each year is my personal prayer journal. That is a fancy name for a prayer list. Of course, it is more than a list. It is a notebook. In fact, this year I bought a new 3 section notebook with pockets, so I could organize my prayer lists and my journal for my unhurried time. I have used different kinds in the past, but the ones with sections and pockets help me the most.
This is an essential item for us as Christians if we are going to take the Bible seriously. Read II Timothy 2:1-3. Did you see who we are to pray for? "All men" or all people covers a lot of territory, doesn't it? Now, we can't pray for every person on earth by name, but we can realize that God wants us to have a systematic way of praying for everyone in our lives, even the leaders of our country and the other countries of the world. The only way to do this well is to have a list or a notebook, in which we have different groups of people and topics we pray for each day, each week, and each month. In that way we can pray for "all men."
As a pastor, I believe this is one of the most important things I do every day. I can't visit everyone all of the time. It is physically impossible. However, I have a list of everyone associated with our church both members and non-members, and I have divided that list into 5 sections, so I can pray for one section each day, Monday through Friday. By using this list I can continuously lift up everyone to the Lord in a personal way by name. I believe the Lord honors that in a marvelous way. I also have a pages for family members, extended family, church needs, missions needs, and other categories. Then, I pray for all of our SBC missionaries on their birthdays, as published in the Open Windows devotional. That's how I try to be faithful to pray for "all men."
How do you obey II Timothy 2:1-3? A lot of times we make excuses for why we can't do certain things which God commands in His Word, but there is no excuse for a believer to fail in prayer. We all have 24 hours a day, and we all have access to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are commanded to come boldly to the throne of grace. We are exhorted to spend time with the Father who loves us. There is no way we are going to get away with failing to pray. So, I urge you to have a plan, a list, or a notebook, and a daily time of prayer. It will change your life, and you will see God's power in a great way, just because He loves the prayers of His children.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 7-9 and Matthew 3.
This is an essential item for us as Christians if we are going to take the Bible seriously. Read II Timothy 2:1-3. Did you see who we are to pray for? "All men" or all people covers a lot of territory, doesn't it? Now, we can't pray for every person on earth by name, but we can realize that God wants us to have a systematic way of praying for everyone in our lives, even the leaders of our country and the other countries of the world. The only way to do this well is to have a list or a notebook, in which we have different groups of people and topics we pray for each day, each week, and each month. In that way we can pray for "all men."
As a pastor, I believe this is one of the most important things I do every day. I can't visit everyone all of the time. It is physically impossible. However, I have a list of everyone associated with our church both members and non-members, and I have divided that list into 5 sections, so I can pray for one section each day, Monday through Friday. By using this list I can continuously lift up everyone to the Lord in a personal way by name. I believe the Lord honors that in a marvelous way. I also have a pages for family members, extended family, church needs, missions needs, and other categories. Then, I pray for all of our SBC missionaries on their birthdays, as published in the Open Windows devotional. That's how I try to be faithful to pray for "all men."
How do you obey II Timothy 2:1-3? A lot of times we make excuses for why we can't do certain things which God commands in His Word, but there is no excuse for a believer to fail in prayer. We all have 24 hours a day, and we all have access to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are commanded to come boldly to the throne of grace. We are exhorted to spend time with the Father who loves us. There is no way we are going to get away with failing to pray. So, I urge you to have a plan, a list, or a notebook, and a daily time of prayer. It will change your life, and you will see God's power in a great way, just because He loves the prayers of His children.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 7-9 and Matthew 3.