January: Forgive!

Begin the new year by building your prayer-life on the foundation of forgiveness. Jesus told us to pray, "...and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us." He said, "Your heavenly Father will forgive you if you forgive those who sin against you; but if you refuse to forgive them, He will not forgive you" (Matthew 6:12-15). He also linked prayer with forgiveness when He said, "...and when you stand praying, forgive..."

As you pray each day this month, ask God if there is anyone that you need to forgive. If He brings anyone to your mind, then follow these steps:1) Decide to forgive! Forgiveness is an act of your will; it is not a decision made by your emotions. 2) Admit that the person was wrong to hurt you. You are valuable to God; you never deserve to be mistreated. 3) Realize that the person who hurt you did so because they were blinded by the god of this world. Ask God to bless this person, calling them by name; and ask Him to open their eyes to see the situation as He sees it. 4) Release! In prayer release all of your hurt and anger to God, casting all your care on Him because He cares for you. As an act of your will, release the person from any debt that you feel they owe you because of their mistreatment of you. (For instance, you may feel that they "owe" you an apology, a retraction or acknowledgment of what they said or did, some action to make it right, etc.) In Matthew 19:23-35, Jesus equated forgiveness with marking someone's debt "Paid in Full" even though you have not received full payment. If there is someone that you need to forgive, mark their debt to you "Paid in Full!" 5) Realize that forgiveness is both a one-time event and an on-going process. Once you have forgiven someone, refuse to allow feelings or thoughts of offense to come back on you. Whenever you think about that person from now on, say "Thank You, Father, for helping me to forgive them!" Then focus on God, practicing allowing His love and forgiveness to flow through you.

February: Pray about Everything!

In 1st Timothy 2:1-3 (Message Bible) we are told: "The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live." In Psalm 37:5 (Message) we are told: "Open up before God, keep nothing back; He'll do whatever needs to be done." God knows what you are thinking and what is happening in your life -- and He wants you to share it all with Him!

March: Cover Your World with Blessing!

Each day when you wake up, begin to cover every aspect of your world with blessing; and keep doing it throughout the day! God tells us many times in the Bible that we are to bless. For instance, Psalm 103 says, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me; bless His holy name." Jesus told us to bless those who curse us. Bless means: 1) To dedicate to the service of God. To make or declare sacred. 2) To sanctify. To make holy, pure, and free from sin. 3) To make productive of or conductive of spiritual blessing. 4) To have divine favor or good of any kind bestowed upon. 5) To protect or guard from evil. 6) To make blissfully happy and contented.

Throughout the day, ask God to bless you and everyone around you!

April: Pray the Prayer that Jabez Prayed

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel,

"Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain."

And God granted him his request. (First Chronicles 4:10 NIV)

May: Pray the Scriptures

As you read through the Bible, personalize and pray what you read. For example, pray Exodus 23:25, 26 by saying, "I worship You, God. Thank You for blessing what I eat and what I drink; and for using it to drive sickness out of my body. Thank You for giving me a long, good life -- full of blessing!" Pray Psalm 106:4, 5 by saying, "Thank You for remembering me, Lord; and for blessing me and saving me. Thank You for giving me prosperity and joy!" Pray Psalm 103 by saying, "My soul blesses Your holy name, Lord. Thank You for all Your benefits! Thank You for forgivng every one of my sins, healing every one of my diseases, and redeeming me from hell. Thank You for crowning me with love and mercy, wrapping me in goodness, and renewing my youth. Thank You making everything come out right!" (Message version). Pray God's Word!

June: Pray Prayers from Ephesians

Pray Ephesians 1:1-10 (Message version): "Thank You, God, for taking me to the high places of blessing in Jesus Christ. Thank You that even before You made the earth, You had settled on us as the focus of Your love, to be made whole and holy by Your love. Thank You that because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, His blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, I am abundantly free! You thought of everything, provided for everything I could possibly ever need, and let me in on the plans that You took such delight in making.

Pray Ephesians 1:17-19 (Message version): "Father, please make me intelligent and discerning in knowing You personally. Help my eyes to stay focused and clear so that I can see exactly what You are callilng me to do. Help me to grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life that you have for us Christians. Help me to realize the utter extravagance of Your work in us who trust You -- endless energy, boundless strength working in me!"

Pray Ephesians 3:14-21 (Message version): "Magnificent Father, strengthen me by the glorious inner strength of Your Spirit. I open the door and invite Christ in; so He lives in me! Help me to keep both of my feet planted firmly on love, so I will be able to take in the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Thank You, God, that You can do immeasurably more than I could ever imagine or guess or request in my wildest dreams! Thank You that You do it by Your Spirit working deeply and gently within me!"

July: Pray in the Spirit

First Corinthians 14:1-2 (Message version) says that when you pray in the Spirit, you are sharing intimacies just between you and Him! Pray in both your native language and in tongues that the Holy Spirit speaks through you. First Corinthians 14:13 (Message version) says, "So, when you pray in your private prayer language, don't hoard the experience for yourself. Pray for the insight and ability to bring others into that intimacy...Do both. I should be spiritually free and expressive as I pray, but I should also be thoughtful and mindful as I pray. I should sing with my spirit, and sing with my mind."

In your private prayer-time, pray in the Spirit in order to worship God and be intimate with Him!

August: Pray Your Love for God

Express your love for God. He knows that you love Him; but He wants to hear you say it! We are told to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our resources. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son ... and we love Him because He first loved us! In 1st Corinthians 14:1 (Message version), we are told "Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it -- because it does!" Express your love to God with everything that you have and everything that you are!

September: Focus on Worship and Praise

Enter God's gates with thanksgiving; enter His courts with praise. God inhabits the praise of His people; so surround yourself with awareness of God's presence by praising Him throughout the day and night! If you need help getting started, go to Psalms and pray the worship and praise written in them. For instance, Psalm 48 (Message version) says : "Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise." Psalm 75: "We thank You, God, we thank You -- Your Name is our favorite word; Your mighty works are all we talk about." Psalm 89: "Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it! I'm forever telling everyone how faithful You are. I'll never quit telling the story of Your love -- how You built the cosmos and guaranteed everything in it. Your love has always been our lives' foundation, Your fidelity has been the roof over our world...God! Let the cosmos praise Your wonderful ways...You own the cosmos and everything in it, everything from atom to archangel. Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of God!"

October: With Jesus, Come Boldly Before the Throne of God

Colossians 3:17 says, "Whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, and come with Him into the presence of God the Father to give Him your thanks." As you pray, focus on coming into the Father's presence with Jesus -- your Savior, your Lord, your High Priest, and your Intercessor. See yourself approaching God the Father with Jesus at your side. Come boldly before God's throne!

November: Thanksgiving!

Psalm 100:4 (NIV) tells us, "Enter God's gates with thanksgiving; enter His courts with praise!" Psalm 28: 7B (NIV) says, "My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." Psalm 92:1-2 (Message): "What a beautiful thing, God, to give thanks, to sing an anthem to You, the High God! To announce Your love each daybreak, sing Your faithful presence all through the night..." Psalm 116:17 (Living Bible) says, "I will worship You and offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving." Thanksgiving is the daily sacrifice that God wants from you! Romans 1:21 (Living Bible) says, "Since earliest times men have seen the earth and sky and all God made, and have known of His existence and great eternal power. So they will have no excuse [when they stand before God at Judgment Day]. Yes, they knew Him all right, but they wouldn't admit it or worship Him or even thank Him for all His daily care."

Each day, remember to thank God for His daily care of you!

December: Focus on Intercessory Prayer

God is not willing that any should perish. Pray for salvation and prosperity for everyone that you know. Pray that God's perfect will be done in their life. Ask God to open their eyes to the truth of the Gospel, and to send effective workers of the harvest across their path. Pray for all those in authority in your country -- political leaders, judicial leaders, spiritual leaders, business leaders, leaders in the field of education, and leaders in the
media. Pray for your family, all of your relatives, co-workers, boss, friends, neighbors, etc.
Especially pray for God's ministers who are working for Him throughout the world!

This is the month in which we celebrate the fact that Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth as a human being. We celebrate His birth on earth, while looking ahead to His sacrifice on the Cross and His resurrection. We celebrate His life! Pray that everyone you know will get their focus off what they consider a "perfect" holiday season, and spend this month celebrating God and all that He has done for us!