I became convinced that I needed some sort of lists if I was really going to persevere in bringing the same requests before God long term.  A small stack of 3×5 cards has many advantages over a big sheet of requests.  I find it less overwhelming to look at just one category at a time.  A stack of 3×5 cards with a clip also travels well in a pocket.

Some people asked on Sunday night for some sample categories.  Mine are:

• Spiritual Formation – These are areas in my own life where I want God to change my heart.  I pray over specific verses that describe what I’m after
• Areas of Surrender -On this card I put all the areas of my life that tend to cause me anxiety.  When I pray over this card I am surrendering these areas over to God’s care.  I will sometimes do this flat on my back, arms stretched out with palms up as a physical display of my surrender.  TMI? 
• Weekly Goals – These are specific things I want the Spirit-empowered discipline to accomplish every week, including: reading, praying through the cards, time with each kid, exercise, etc.
• My Wife and Kids – each has a separate card with specific requests for each
• My Parents, Brothers, In-Laws, Nieces and Nephews – listed with specific requests
• Extended Family – listed with specific request
• A Few Close Friends – each have their own card
• Kaleo People - if you ask me to pray for you, you’re on it
• People I’m Currently Discipling/Counseling – each has their own card
• Our Church Elders/Pastors – listed with specific needs next to their names
• Pastors/Writers – listed on one card – some I know personally, others are big names I don’t know personally – if they have had an impact on me they are on here
• Kaleo Leadership - listed on one card with specific needs next to their names
• Kaleo – specific things we would like to see God do  with us
• Work – for patients, clients, office staff and colleagues
• Kingdom – persecuted church, revival, the poor, human trafficking, church planting, stewardship of the environment, unreached peoples, end to abortion
• President Obama - for him personally, his family, for wisdom and protection
• Salvation – a list of people that don’t know Jesus but I’m praying God will save
• Missions – a list of specific missionaries and missions agencies that God has put on my heart
• Our Neighbors – listed on one card with specific needs next to their names

Here are Paul Miller’s general guidelines for using his prayer cards (pp. 225-226, A Praying Life):

1. The card functions as a snapshot of the person’s life, so use short phrases to describe what you want.
2. When praying, I usually don’t linger over a card for more than a few seconds.  I just pick one or two key areas and pray for them.
3. I put the Word to work by writing a Scripture verse on the card that expresses my desire for that particular person or situation.
4. The card doesn’t change much.  Maybe once a year I will add another line.  These are just the ongoing areas of a person’s life that I am praying for.
5. I usually don’t write down answers.   They are obvious to me since I see the card almost every  day.
6. I will sometimes date a prayer request with the month and year.

Erick

Using cards has really helped me a lot.  The goal is to become the kind of people that keep bringing the same requests before God like Jesus taught us to.   And I majorly stink at this naturally.

It has also been awesome to see how many things God has already done in response to prayer – something I would not have noticed without these cards.

Hope this helps you to pray more each day

Answer:

Peter

To “live godly in Christ” means faithfully living a life that puts Jesus on display, showing and sharing Him in a world that rejects His message and His gospel.  Jesus said in the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matt 5-7) that we are blessed when we live in a way that pursues and manifests His righteousness.  We are not blessed by the world, that’s for sure! No! Jesus says we are blessed by our faithfulness to Him, both in this life and the life to come!  Being persecuted for Christ results in a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him.  He goes on to say what true persecution looks like — casting insults against you, hunting you down, ridiculing you and falsely accusing and slandering you (Matt 5:10-11).  He then gives the reason for this type of  verbal and physical abuse — it is on “account of Me.” We will be despised and persecuted for reflecting Him . . . for attitudes and actions that look like Jesus!  So where’s the blessing??  The apostle Peter says it this way, “if you are reviled for the name of Christ you are blessed, because the Spirit  of glory and God rests upon you (1 Peter 4:14).”

So, here’s the point:

First, our identification with Christ and the faithful display of His character is to be the cause of genuine “persecution.”

Second, because we as Christians are fallen sinners, we  are sometimes guilty of avoiding persecution.

Why do we avoid persecution sometimes? Because there is a cost to following Jesus . . . “deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Me” (Matt 10:24).  Dying to your ways, your ideas of right and wrong, your view about what’s good and fair and just is all part of what it means to be a Christian.  By definition, a Christian is a Christ-follower!

Third, Jesus’ call to “deny ourselves” and our faithfulness to follow Him is directly related to the fervency of our love, trust and obedience toward Him and His Word (John 15).

Are you purposing to live for Christ and put Him on display? Are you passionate about pursuing  a life of purity? Are you faithfully reflecting His righteousness at home, work, even during times of recreation? If not, why not? It may be that you’re consumed with the things of this world and yourself!

If  you have no desire to follow Christ, to serve and glorify Him, then there is serious reason for concern (Matt 10:33).  Examine your heart  and life to see if you’ve  become too comfortable with living for self and the world? If you have repent and return to your first love! (Rev 2:4-6)

. . .”if anyone suffers as a Christian let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let Him glorify God” (1 Peter 4:16)

Answer:

John

but to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

All Christians have been gifted by God for the good of others.  1 Corinthians 12:4-30 and Romans 12:3-8 both describe how the Spirit of God gives a variety of spiritual gifts to believers so that the church would grow (spiritually & numerically) as believers utilize their gifts.  Ephesians 4:16 emphasizes that the growth of the church body is contigent upon “the proper working of each individual part.”

God has gifted every Christian SO THAT they would minister to others. That is why Peter writes,

As each one has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Pet 4:10)

Your ability to minister is a stewardship from God, for which you will give account to Him.  Just like the money, food and clothing which He provides to you, He calls you to use your spiritual gift in a way that brings Him glory (1 Pet 4:11).

Is it a sin not to serve? YES!  You’re commanded to.  Jesus calls you to be a servant, “for even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:42-45).

Answer:

Erick

“The Gospel shows us that we are more sinful and flawed than we would ever dare admit and yet – at the same time – in Christ we are more loved and accepted than we ever dared hope.”

Spiritual health would be to believe both of these things about ourselves. God’s love in acceptance is not based on our worthiness but on the worthiness of Jesus. This security gives us a humble confidence that self-esteem never can never produce. For more on this, read Tim Keller’s article on the Centrality of the Gospel.

Answer:

Peter

Scripture presents two categories, relative to the issue of lawsuits:

1.) Legal Action Against Unbelievers

• Believers should  be cautious and seek counseling and wisdom before suing (Prov 25:8-10; Rom 12:18)
• Every effort should be made to settle out of court (Matt 5:25)
• We must pursue a humble, selfless attitude, even when being treated unjustly (Matt 5:40)

2.) Lawsuits against another Christian

• Christians must not bring a lawsuit or court action against a brother or sister (1 Cor 6:1-7)
• Christians  will be granted the ability to judge the world and heavenly beings ( 1 Cor 6:2-3) and, therefore, are able to judge the issues of this life
• Non-believers passing judgment between believers brings shame and  dis-honor to Christ and His Church

“Does any one of you,when he has a case against neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?…Actually then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?” (1 Cor 6:1, 7)

It is clear from Scripture that lawsuits between believers is prohibited.  So we know God’s will about this issue.

Participation in lawsuits against unbelievers should be undertaken with the greatest of care, prayer, biblical inquiry and the advice of trusted, mature believers.  Our greatest goal should be to  trust and honor Christ and to bring Him glory.  If, after careful  and diligent consideration of the above  teachings of Scripture and counsel, the proposed lawsuit passes these important filters, then it may be entered into with caution, respect, charity and humility (Acts 25:1-2; Rom 13).

Answer:

Peter

When God saves a person, the Scripture says that He draws them to Himself, makes a dead heart alive (Eph 2:1-3) and gives them “saving faith.”  What is “saving faith”? Saving faith is that “gift of God” which brings a person into intimate relationship with Christ (Rom 10:9-10). It is based on God’s grace alone rather than a person’s efforts to “make themselves right” with God or ”earn favor” with God (2 Tim 2:25).

So, based on the finished work of Christ, every true believer is brought into a personal relationship with God (aka saving faith) by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for God’s glory alone!

So how does that answer your question? Well, oftentimes a person who has been granted the gift of saving faith may display a Christ+ something else life. That does not mean that they are not saved.  For example, frequently after we’ve  been saved, we become acutely aware of our utter depravity and sinfulness. As such, we have a deep passion for personal holiness — “to them that are forgiven much, love much” (Luke 7:47).

It is quite natural to deeply desire to please God for His mercy. When we are  truly aware of the sacrifice that was made for us, we will deeply desire to work hard for Christ.  That is good and perfectly normal, but over time can lead to a misplaced emphasis in our lives; it can lead us toward what is commonly referred to as the “performance trap.”  In our zeal to please God and pursue obedience to Him, we work hard to please God by our efforts.  This performance trap can often be  manifest as Christ + ministry, or Christ + parenting, or Christ + missions.  We need to be reminded that it’s a “person” — Jesus Christ — whom we are to preeminently love and worship!  Not a ministry or our families or even our church!

Because we are saved by grace, the quality and continuance of my relationship with Christ is not based on what I do for Him.  On the contrary, because of  who He is and what He’s done, we are freed from the performance trap!  The just shall live by faith (Rom 1:17) Amen!

Nothing else pleases God more than that our  pursuit of a fervent, grace-based, love-relationship with Him (Rev 2:1-3).  So we need to always check to see if that is true of us.  If we drift into Christ+ anything, we need loving encouragement, by means of the Word and shepherding, to continually embrace the power and purpose of God’s grace alone.

Now…if you mean Christ+ idols, then we are dealing with a heart issue of a different order and impact.  If , with my lips, I say I love Him but my heart is far from Him, then I will struggle with letting that idol go!  It will become increasingly  obvious to me as I’m confronted by the Word and led by His Spirit that something is competing with my love for Christ!!   It may be  Christ+money or +sex, or +possessions or +prestige or +anything.  Believers can struggle with idols!  That’s why John wrote, “my little children guard yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).

True believers (those indwelt by the Spirit and the gift of saving  faith) will recognize and turn from idols (ie, 1Thess 1:9-10).  Those without God’s Spirit and saving faith will not, no matter what they may profess. The only way out  for you or I or anyone who worships themselves and the things of this life is to hear the gospel of the  “good news of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24), repent and trust in Jesus Christ  alone!

Answer:

Peter

Hebrews 12:3-11 says that God corrects or disciplines those who are his children, those whom He loves, for their good (Heb 12:6, 10).  His purpose is to bring about greater purity of  character. This discipline then is good, in that it produces “the peaceable fruit of righteousness” (Heb 12:11).

In the classic passage on believers experiencing trials or tests , James 1:2-4 says:

Count it all joy my brethren when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its  perfect result, so that you may be complete lacking in nothing”

Both discipline and trials  produce something good!…”the peaceable fruit of righteousness” and “endurance.” They both produce good fruit: righteousness, endurance and joy! They both result in greater communion with God and a deeper trust in His faithfulness.

In the end, both of  these things – discipline and trials – are designed by God to produce greater stability, godliness and righteousness in our lives as believers!

They are two sides of the same coin!  God’s discipline and our trials  both reflect His desire to display His great love and  transform us into the image of Christ!  And that, ultimately, brings  great glory to His name and lasting good into our lives!

Answer:

Peter

So each of us needs to regularly examine our hearts through the filter of Scripture.  When God’s Word is being preached from the pulpit or studied in personal devotions,  God’s Spirit in tandem with His Word will often identify areas of disobedience in our hearts (Heb 4:12).  That’s a good thing! We need to embrace the love and care of God through the purifying work of His Spirit and Word in our lives! (Jn 17:17)  True growth as a Christian means overcoming lack of obedience through dependence on His Spirit by the application of His Word!

Because we are sinners saved by grace, we will see areas of disobedience, defiance, attitudes or actions that violate God’s Word. Repeated disobedience brings dishonor to His name!  When  unrepentant sin  becomes a pattern, the Bible says that we are caught in a trespass (Gal 6:19).  All of us from time to time will be caught in a trepass (ie, violating God’s Word).  When you  look closely at Gal 6:1, it becomes clear that God desires for us to shepherd one another in our battle with sin through involvement in each other’s lives.  Scripture says that we need trusted believers to help us in the battle! Confession is our first and best weapon in the fight.  For men that means confessing sin to another trusted brother and for women, they need a  faithful trusted sister in Christ.  Disciples are learners, and followers of Christ.  One question I would ask you is: Are you currently in a biblical discipleship relationship?

If you have no heart whatsoever to follow Christ and the Spirit of God is not moving you to confess sin and trust and apply God’s Word  to your life… If you consistently find more joy in the things of the flesh than the things of the Spirit and the Word, then you should seriously heed Paul’s admontion to the church at Corinth:

“Test yourself to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-unless indeed you fail the test”(2 Cor. 13:5)

Answer:

Peter

And when we do, we should humbly apologize and seek the injured parties’ forgiveness, whether they be Christian or not!  I would offer that the  key point here is to not be one who speaks in “Christian-ese” to others all the time!  By “Christian-ese,” I mean quoting Scripture all the time to those around you and flippantly using Christian phrases like “praise the Lord” or “it’s God’s will” for everything that happens to you or others!

A good rule of thumb is to follow Matt 7:12… “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the law and the Prophets”

Having said that, we should be prepared to be treated poorly for being identified as a follower of Jesus Christ and sharing our faith with unbelievers (Matt 5:11-12).

Peter said it best in 1 Peter 4:14-16:

“If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of  glory and of God rests on you.  Make sure that no one suffers as a murderer or thief or evil doer or a troubelsome meddler, but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name”

Erick

“What do you want so badly today that it is making you depressed, anxious, covetous, bitter or angry? What is making you sick of soul? That is the idol you need to repent of today! Pray and confess it to your Father.”

I wrote that on the back of my Bible in a time of deep anxiety, depression and covetousness. It has been something I frequently use as a reminder to repent and receive the peace and joy that is should always be mine in the Gospel.

Enjoy!
Erick.

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols”
1 John 5:21