Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:17-24 ESV
Before you begin to pray, take a deep breath and quiet your thoughts. Focus on being in the presence of God. Thank God for hearing your prayers. Then reread the scripture we will study next Sunday, Ephesians 4:17-24. Read it slowly, recognizing that God is speaking to you through His Word. If God puts something specific on your heart, pray about that today.
Thank. When Paul describes the likeness of God he says, “in true righteousness and holy.” The word holy has many synonyms. Some are: divine, hallowed, humble, pure, righteous, faithful, good, perfect and upright. Thank God today for being holy. And for not only being divine and pure, but for also being humble and faithful.
Adore. Let’s adore God for His holiness today. And let’s praise Him that while he is divine, pure and perfect He still loves us and wants to be in relationship with us!
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
Isaiah 57:15
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Confess. God’s holiness exposes our sinfulness. It is natural to turn toward God and confess our inadequacies. Today, ask God to forgive your sin. Turn toward him and renew your relationship to our Holy God.
Others.
| CU Church: Pray for our College Age ministry. Pray that our staff (Evan) and volunteers find ways to reach out to students on our campuses. Pray that the activities they plan draw students who are ready to hear the good news about Jesus. |
| Community: Pray for the international students on the University of Illinois campus who have traveled far from their homes. Pray that they will feel welcomed here and that they will find Christian friends and ministry groups that can show them the Good News of the Gospel. |
| Global Church: Pray for International Friendships led by the Erickson family. Pray for the Ericksons and their volunteers who work to provide life-changing hospitality and friendships to international students at the University of Illinois. uiuc.ifiusa.org |
Self. God is listening. He loves you. Pray for any specific needs that you or your family have.