Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20
Mosquito Falls in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20
The Men’s Discipleship Group at my church went through R. Kent Hughes book, Disciplines of a Godly Man this past year. It was a good study. One discipline Hughes focused on was giving. He calls for a disciplined understanding of giving and a disciplined act of giving.
Disciplined Understanding of Giving
Disciplined Act of Giving
Mosquito Falls in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20
Wagner Falls near Munising in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20
I have been posting prayer guides for America for the past few weeks. This week, here is a prayer guide for Ukraine as they hold elections this Sunday:
Today we continue our focus on praying for our nation. Last week we prayed for the American people. Today we want to focus on praying for the American Church. Again, I have used parts of Isaiah 1-10 that apply to the church as a guide:
Revival – Isaiah 1:10-18
Pray for repentance; hearts and actions given completely to the Lord
Awe of God – Isaiah 6
Pray for reverence, praise, confession, amazement, and availability
Trust – Isaiah 8:11-14a
Pray that we would trust in the Lord in all things in midst of the fear around us
God’s Word – Isaiah 8:20
Pray for a commitment to God’s Word in the midst of the compromise around us
Hope – Isaiah 9:6-7
Pray that we would walk in the hope of our King in the midst of the despair around us
Last Thursday was the National Day of Prayer. It would I suppose be easy to move on to the next thing, but certainly we need to continue to pray for our nation. Below is part of the prayer guide my church used for its prayer service last week. Each point is taken from Isaiah (which we have been studying) where there are obvious similarities between Israel and our own country.
Sin, Corruption, and Turning from God – Isaiah 1:4, 3:8-9
Pray for repentance and lives transformed by Jesus
Idolatry – Isaiah 2:8, 18
Pray for a recognition and rejection of idols, and a turning to the one true God
Injustice – Isaiah 3:14-15, 5:8, 5:23, 10:1-2
Pray for justice for the weak, poor, unborn, victims of crime
Pray for the economy, businesses, jobs, and struggling families
Proud Self-Centeredness – Isaiah 3:16, 5:21, 9:9-10, 2:17
Pray for a growing humility and love for others
Pray for leaders/stars in sports, music, movies, etc.
Drunkenness – Isaiah 5:11-12, 5:22
Pray for those caught in addictions to find freedom in Jesus
Twisting Morality – Isaiah 5:20
Pray for those caught in the lies of our culture – to be set free by the truth
Fear and dis-ease– Isaiah 7:2
Pray for those caught in fear, worry, and stress – to find rest in the Lord
Division, Hatred, and Violence – Isaiah 9:18-20
Pray for civility in politics and commitment to common good
Pray for love for others regardless of race, etc.
Pray for our police and court systems
Pray for strong families, and the casualties of broken families
Below is the prayer guide my church is using for the National Day of Prayer this Thursday. May all of God’s people commit to cry out to God for our country!
Prayer Guide for National Day of Prayer
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Please spend some focused time praying for our nation.
If you are able to, you might consider fasting as well.
Breakfast/Morning – American Leaders/Government
• President Obama and his Cabinet – wisdom, strength, protection
• Congress – wisdom, ability to work together, civility, protection
• Supreme Court/Courts – wisdom, follow truth, protection
• Domestic Policies – social/family, economic, education, health, etc.
• Foreign Policies – Russia/Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, Israel, etc.
• Military – Protection/safety, leadership, training, wisdom
• State – Governor, Legislature, Judicial – wisdom
Lunch/Noon – American People/Culture
• Growing recognition of the hollowness of the idols of our age: money, material things, sex, homosexuality, technology, social media, fame, power, alcohol, drugs, entertainment, government
• Growing openness and response to the hope of the gospel
• Many people in our community to come to Christ
• Families – strong marriages, children, finances/work
• Economy – national/state growth, job growth, local businesses
• Education – federal/state policies, curriculum, teachers, safety, local schools, public schools, private schools, home-school freedom
• Entertainment/Media – Christian influence, positive impact
Supper/Evening – American Churches/Revival
• Personal revival leading to church revival leading to another great awakening in our country
• Growing commitment to worship, prayer, discipleship, fellowship
• Growing commitment to evangelism and missions
• Growing love for God, his people, and the lost
• Courageous fidelity to Biblical truth in a culture of compromise
• Wisdom for pastors and other church leaders
• Wisdom for leaders of Christian ministries, schools, missions
• Christians living with Biblical integrity in the workplace, school, neighborhood, and community
Brian J. Mikul 