Each day, we will be following the acronym ACTS (Adoration-Confession-Thanksgiving-Supplication)
Monday - Praying for God's glory (that He would be glorfied above all things by all people)
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name" (Matt. 6:9)
"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." (Hab. 2:14; cf. Num. 14:21; Isa. 11:9)
"Please show me Your glory." (Exo. 33:18)
"Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified." (Lev. 10:3)
"Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name" (Psa. 96:7-8)
"For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and glorifies Himself through Israel." (Isa. 44:23)
"My glory I will not give to another." (Isa. 48:11)
"You are my servant, Israel, through whom I will reveal my glory." (Isa. 49:3)
"All of Your people will be godly; they will possess the land permanently. I will plant them like a shoot; they will be the product of My labor, through whom I reveal my splendor." (Isa. 60:21, NET)
"Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:13)
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor. 10:31)
"...that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you..." (2 Thes. 1:12)
"...in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ." (1 Pet. 4:11)
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jude 24-25)
"The twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created."
"The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." (Westminster Shorter Catechsim, Q.1)
"The glory of God is the heartbeat of all biblical revelation. Whether we speak of creation, the fall, redemption, or the final restoration, God's purpose is to bring glory to His name. God's name is honored in both salvation and judgment. And yet the Scriptures focus on the glory of God in saving His people...God is [especially] glorified in Jesus Christ, particularly in the salvation He accomplished in His cross and resurrection." (Thomas Schreiner)
"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." (John Piper)
Tuesday - prayer for the gospel to advance around the world (i.e. "foreign missions")
"Your will be done through the coming of Your reign on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10, rbac)
"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people...This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Tim. 2:1, 3-4)
"For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe." (1 Tim. 4:10)
"Go and make disciples of all nations." (Matt. 28:18)
"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You judge the nations with equity and guide the nations upon the earth. Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You! The earth has yielded its increase; God our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear Him." (Psalm 67)
"Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD all the earth! Sing to the LORD, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth!" (Psa. 96:1-3, 9)
"This is God's plan: at the right time He will bring everything under the authority of Christ." (Eph. 1:10, rbac)
"Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood Your ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." (Rev. 5:9)
- Pray specifically for Heart Cry Missions & Training Leaders International, whom we support.
- Pray for the brothers whom we are supporting in India (names not be posted for security reasons).
- Pray that God would increase our missions budget this year.
- Pray for our persecuted brethren around the world (cf. Heb. 13:3)
- Pray for Caleb, who is hoping to go to PNG as a pioneer missionary next year
Wednesday - Prayer for the gospel to advance in Lethbridge (i.e. "local missions")
"As you go, make disciples of all people groups." (Matt. 28:18)
"As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you." (John 20:21)
"And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:31)
"For I am indebted to preach the gospel to all." (Rom. 1:14 paraphrase)
"Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter." (C.H. Spurgeon)
- pray for other evangelical churches to keep pressing on
- pray for non-evangelical churches to either be closed or reformed
- pray for Lethbridge's many Mormons
- pray for our church specifically (e.g. various ministries, preaching)
- pray that our church would be more evangelically minded (or, intentionally "missional")
- pray that God would give us a greater burden for, and love of, the lost
- pray for sovereign opporutunities, as well as the courage (i.e. be Spirit-filled) to preach the gospel to all
Thursday - Thanksgiving & Prayer for God's Continued Provision (so that we may use our riches rightly)
"Give us this day our daily bread." (Matt. 6:11)
"Instead, lay up your treasures in heaven." (Matt. 6:20)
"As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, and ready to share...so that they might take hold of that which is truly life." (1 Tim. 6:17-19)
- prayer for us to realize our utter and continual reliance upon God's grace for everything (hard to do when our freezers and bank accounts are full)
- prayer that we would be much more generous with the superabudance we have been given (2 Cor. 8:14-15)
- prayer to learn the secret of contentment in Christ (Phil. 4:11-13), which leads to generosity
- various needs of individuals in the church (to be distributed upon arrival)
Friday - Prayer for Holiness
"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." (Matt. 6:12-13)
"And pursue the holiness, without which no one will see the Lord." (Heb. 12:14)
"Rather train yourself for godliness." (1 Tim. 4:7b)
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age." (Tit. 2:11-12)
"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called youis holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy'." (1 Pet. 1:14-16)
"And everyone who thus hopes in Jesus purifies himself as He is pure." (1 John 3:3)
God has "saved us and called us to a holy calling." (2 Tim. 1:9)
"For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." (Rom. 6:14)
"If by the Spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you will live." (Rom. 8:13)
"Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you." (John Owen)
"Study universal holiness of life. Your whole usefulness depends on this." (Robert Murray M'Cheyne)
- pray that we would love what God loves, and hate what God hates
- pray that ultimately we would be made into the image of Christ, who is thrice holy!
Saturday - Prayer for Prayer
"When you pray...pray then like this." (Matt. 6:5, 7, 9)
"Lord, teach us to pray!" (Luke 11:1)
"Pray without ceasing!" (1 Thes. 5:17)
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God." (Phil. 4:6)
- As we read through Acts, the early church was characterized by two things: prayer & Holy Spirit boldness to preach the gospel of Jesus.
- We have a great prayer book in the Psalms.
"Praying is the same to the new creature in Christ as crying is to the natural." (William Gurnell)
"You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed." (John Bunyan)
"Prayer is the saints' wartime walkie-talkie." (John Piper)
"Prayer is the splicing of our limp wire to the lightening bolt of heaven." (John Piper)
- pray that our church would recognize our helplessness & impotence apart from God Almighty
- pray that prayer would characterize our church
- pray for God the Holy Spirit to reveal the necessity and importance of prayer to us
- prayer for us to be disciplined in our setting aside special time for prayer everyday.
Sunday - Prayer for the Word of God
"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine godl; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." (Psa. 19:7-11)
"Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." (Psa. 119:18)
"Sanctify them by Your truth; Your word is truth." (John 17:17)
"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the message of Christ." (Rom. 10:17)
- pray that we would see the power of God's Word that He has given us.
- pray that we would see the beauty of God's Word as He has revealed Himself to us in His Word.
- pray that we would be doers of the Word
- pray that we would love and hunger after the Word the way the psalmist did in Psalm 119.
- pray for the preaching of the Word as it goes forth every Lord's Day