Day 6: 90 Days of Prayer

Okay, when I started this I didn't know how hard this was going to be.  The first 3 days satan attacked me non stop.  From everything to this won't work, this won't help, your wasting your time to just straight out spiritual attacks.  Then he attacked me where I wasn't expecting and through me for a complete loop and that was, just leaving me alone and trying to tie up all my free time with busy stuff and I got off schedule.

Now that I know his scheme, I'm back at it and will continue to post.  This 90 day process may be longer than 90 days in the long run, but I will not surrender. 

We just completed week 3 of when God's people pray and can I say it was very challenging and convicting.  I learned that if I have unconfessed sin in my life that God will not hear my prayers.  This was startling to me, because I just assumed he would listen anyways.  But, there are several scripture references for this, here are just a few.

Psalms 66:18 "If I had Cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened."
Isaiah 59:27:  "But your iniquities (unconfessed sins) have separates you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that He will not hear.

Unconfessed sin grieves His Holy Spirit and breaks our fellowship with the Lord. Until it’s confessed, He will not hear our prayers.  There are several other examples in the bible of this and from a man who has been a Christian for over 30 years this was very startling.  The light bulb came on and it was like, wow, no wonder there were prayer requests in my life that didn't get answered, because I had unconfessed sin in my life at the same time.  So I want to start this out right, with a clean heart.

Lord Jesus, I come before you and confess all my sins to you.  Those that have come out of my mouth, through my eyes, or thoughts in my head.  Lord I don't want anything to come between you and me, and I understand that with unconfessed sin in my life that You cannot use me.  Please forgive me of my sins, and use me in whatever way you see fit according to your will, and for your Glory.  Amen.

Prayer Requests:
Joey:  His grandad is not doing well and has health issues.
James:  That God will continue to provide direction in my life, my work and show me his will.
Frank and Cindy:  Grank needing consistent work and his travel in the next couple of weeks out of state for work.  Provide safety and an abundant flow of work.
Purcell Small Group:  That our prayer life in our group would increase and that we would be bold about it.
Heather and Josh:  heathers sister and Josh's friend and their neighbors to receive Christ.  They have been witnessing for Christ and not seeing results.  Pray for all to have open hearts and minds.
Mark and Trina:  Pray for Mark as he had a health issue where his lungs filled up with fluid.  Pray that he not only takes his meds like he needs but also that he does his exercising that is required to help alleviate the problem.  Also pray for a job opportunity that has arised and that they will find favor in him and hire him for it.
Kelly (I know I kept putting her name up as Terry, but it is Kelly) Pray that God would move in her husband's life -Kelly that he will see that he needs God and that he can't do everything on his own.  That God will help reconcile their marriage committments and help them to grow together.
Susan and Warren:  Pray for a burden that Susan has been carrying and pray that God will help direct her on how to handle it.
Greg and Jan:  We were so glad they made it to small group and praise God for them being obedient to him in coming to small group.  Pray that they continue to come and we are able to minister to them and them to us.
Jennifer:  Pray for her husband and bitterness he may be holding.  Praise of thanks that she came to small group for the first time and prayer that she will continue to come.

I would like to continue to pray for our pastors at Ridgeway Baptist that God will continue to lead them in the direction we as a church are to go and that God will prepare the hearts of the people in the church to be moved and open to the direction we are led.

Pastor Brian:  Pray for his family that he will be able to minister to them when he's off work and not come home exhausted.  That he will be a might man of God.  That God will direct his ministry and the direction it is to go.  That God will build and improve his study habits in the bible and help develope them.  To make him be bold in preaching and teaching.  That he will be humble before God.

Finally, I lift up any unspoken prayer requests from our group.  i lift up those prayer requests that I have forgotten.  God may your will be done in those and in our lives.  Thank you Lord for loving us and sending your Son Jesus to die on the cross so we can have eternal life in heaven with you.  Amen.

Hint for tomorrow's post:  Integrity of Scripture.  Phillipians 4:6-7 and Numbers 23:19