How's Your Prayer Life?
Are you praying on a regular basis? Are you meeting Him and sharing your heart? Whether you are or you aren't, we all need help when it comes to a consistent and meaningful prayer life.
Prayer is one of the most important things a Christian can do. It is a time we are communicating with God, and while there is deep theological meaning in prayer, it doesn’t have to be something that is complicated or difficult. It’s something anyone can do anywhere at any time.
Prayer Guide
- Sunday December 21st, Fourth Sunday in Advent: Heavenly Father, how quickly we have come to this day – the fourth Sunday in Advent! We have been so busy with the buying and the wrapping and the baking and the events! Have we truly taken the time to ponder the coming of Your Son as we said we wanted to? Forgive us if we have gotten, well, too “wrapped up” in the stuff and the straw, in the tinsel and the tree, and not enough in the One Who was actually laid in the manger. Turn our eyes once again to HIM, in Whose Name we pray, Amen.
- Monday, December 22nd: Prayerfully read or listen to John 3:16. For nearly all of us, even if we don’t know very much about the Bible, we know this verse. The Greek word for “love” in this verse is agape’ (verb agapao – to love). “It means to embrace God’s will; the Father demonstrated His love for us supremely at the cross: ‘But God proves His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ Romans 5:8” (notes from Biblehub app). How do some of the Bible “characters” (Mary, Joseph, etc.) exemplify “agape’” love?
- Tuesday, December 23rd: Prayerfully read or listen to 1 Corinthians 13. Once again, in this passage, the word “love” is actually “agape.” In this passage, Paul is actually speaking to members of the Corinthian church, and explaining how they are to behave towards one another – how brothers and sisters in Christ are to behave towards each other (it is not intended to be a wedding chapter!). How does this shift your understanding of what is required of believers? How does it specifically show that we are to live in ways that, in effect, we would choose the same choices Jesus would choose if He were in our shoes; preferring what He would prefer?
- Wednesday, December 24th, CHRISTMAS EVE: Prayerfully read or listen to 1 John 4:7-11. Scripture calls us to love one another because God loved us, and again in this passage, the word is “agape.” According to this passage, how do we obtain this love within ourselves? According to these verses, why did God send Jesus into the world? What is the result of Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension? Was His birth sufficient? Was His death enough? His resurrection? If not, can you explain why all five aspects are essential?
- Thursday, December 25th, CHRISTMAS DAY: Prayerfully read or listen to Matthew 1:18-2:15; Luke 1:5-2:20; John 1:1-14, and give the Lord thanks and praise for coming into this world for us and for our salvation!
- Friday, December 26th: Prayerfully read or listen to Matthew 1:21-23. The name Jesus in Hebrew (Yeshua) means, “YHWH saves.” It is a variation of the name Joshua. What does this have to do with the prophecy Matthew quotes from Isaiah in v. 23? How does this reveal the agape’ of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? How can you connect this passage to John 1:14?
- Saturday, December 27th: In our culture, we are beginning to look over the past year, while looking ahead to the new one. Take some time today to consider how you have seen the Lord’s agape’ towards you in 2025. Ask Him to help you identify specific ways He has revealed Himself in this way. Write them down as they come to your mind today and in the days to come!
- Sunday, December 28th: Almighty God, how can we thank You for giving Your only Son to us and for us? We treated You so poorly when You lived among us, Lord Jesus, and we confess that we STILL do not treat You as You deserve! Yet You do not ask for extravagant gifts from us. You ask only for our love, for our hearts, and for us to obey You. Help us, as we come to a new year, to walk more faithfully with You by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.
- Monday, December 29th: Prayerfully read or listen to Luke 2: 8-19, and 2:51. Consider Mary’s response to these events in her life. What do you think Scripture means by the word “treasure” in these two verses? How would Mary do that? What have you pondered in your heart about 2025?
- Tuesday, December 30th: Prayerfully read or listen to Matthew 2:11. Here the word “treasure” is used differently. The word in Greek is thesaurus” and it is where we get the word “thesaurus. It means – literally, “treasure, but also storehouse, riches, wealth, a receptacle for valuables.” Consider the “treasures” the Magi brought to and “opened their treasures” to Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. All of these gifts were very valuable at that time, and therefore proper gifts for a king (gold still is!). Why might it be significant that they “opened their treasures” to Jesus?
- Wednesday, December 31st: Prayerfully read or listen to Luke 2:19 and 51, with Matthew 2:11. Take a piece of paper and make three columns titled as follows: Frankincense, Gold, and Myrrh. Frankincense refers to your prayers (see Rev.8:4). Gold is the column for all the good, joyful and wonderful things that have happened. Myrrh is the column for the hard and bitter things. Take some time today and fill out each column, pondering before the Lord which event fits where – or maybe one event fits in more than one column?
- Thursday, January 1st, New Year’s Day: Gracious God, we come before You at the start of this new year. Renew our minds, our hearts, and our spirits by the power of Your Word and Spirit. May we be transformed by the power of your Holy Spirit, leaving behind the former ways in which we walked. In this new year, may all that we do and think, help us to be obedient to Your Son, our Lord, Savior, and King, in Whose Name we pray, Amen.
- Friday, January 2nd: Prayerfully read or listen to Luke 2:19 and 51, with Matthew 2:11. As you did on Wednesday, again take a piece of paper and make three columns, again titled with Frankincense, Gold, and Myrrh. As you look ahead to 2026, and in the presence of the Lord who loves you dearly, consider what you know is to come into your life (and we know our lives are in His hands, so this will most likely change!). Of what you think might come your way in 2026, what will you put where? When you are finished, take the paper you filled out for 2025, and the one you filled out for 2026 and give BOTH up to the Lord as offerings to Him. Your life is His, and you belong to Him. May it be so, Amen.
- Saturday, January 3rd: Review each of these Scriptures, questions, and prayers that you have worked through this week. Which one, or which theme, resonated with you? Pray through it again as the Spirit leads you!
