Happy St. Patrick's Day!

A little background on who St. Patrick really was.  Enjoy!

What I Pray (part 6)

In this post I will briefly cover what I pray for Explore Church, other churches and church leaders.

Regarding Explore Church, I pray for the following:

• That we would be faithful and fruitful.
• That God would grant us His favor.
• That He would do great things in our church and in our community.
• That God would bless our leadership team.  That He would bless our health and grant us wisdom lead Explore Church well.
• That God would bless us with willing volunteers that will serve beyond the level of convenience. 
• That Explore Church would influence our community in a positive way by modeling the Gospel.

I usually pray for the leadership team and those who regularly attend Explore Church by name.  Unless I am aware of a specific problem or need, I tend to pray for the individual's growth, maturity, and progress in the faith.  I greatly encourage you to pray regularly for your church, the leaders, and fellow members.

I regularly pray for other churches and missional organizations with whom we have become strategic partners.  Additionally, I pray for a group of local pastors, national pastors, and several scholars who have influenced my life and spiritual growth.  A typical prayer for all of these would include wisdom, guidance, and faithfulness in their area of ministry.

This is not all I pray in these areas, but a quick overview.  Next time, I will discuss what I pray for our community and political leaders.

What I Pray (part 5)

As I pray for my family and friends here are some requests I make and some guides I use.

In general, regarding all my relationships, I ask that:

• I would be wise with my words.
• I would be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.
• I would forgive as I have been forgiven.

When praying for my wife, I usually pray specifically for challenges she is facing that day or things I am impressed to pray in the moment.  I often pray for her health and spiritual growth.  I pray for our marriage and that we would have the wisdom to parent our boys well.  Additionally, here is a guide from Desiring God that I have found helpful in praying for my wife.

When praying for our boys, I always pray that they would have the wisdom to know what is right and the courage to do what is right even when it is hard.  I pray that they would have a heart for God and a desire for Him and His ways.  I also pray for specific issues or challenges that they may be facing or dealing with individually.  Here is a guide I also use when praying for them.  There are several guides out there that you could benefit from.  Here is another one that looks good.  One more from Desiring God.  

My prayers for other family members and friends is typically driven by what I know they are dealing with in life.  Requests for them could range from their salvation to wisdom in parenting to influence in their neighborhood.  

Next time I will discuss what I pray for Explore Church and church leaders.