Zeal - Our Prayer Emphasis for July

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Last month we announced the creation of a monthly prayer emphasis. You will hear this emphasis in the Sunday morning prayers and we encouraged you to make it a part of your regular prayer life, individually and as a family. 

We also created a resource to help you pray with others. More specifically, to actively engage in prayer while someone else is praying. It's a simple approach we call the ARC method. It is driven by three steps: agree, repent, and connect. If you missed the video explanation, you can access it here: Praying with Others. If you'd rather read about the method, you can find a summary here. 

Below is the outline for our July Prayer Emphasis. You can also download a version better formatted for your phone or tablet, which we hope will make it easier to pray. 



JULY PRAYER EMPHASIS: ZEAL

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Tit 2:­11–14).

 

WEEK 1:  ZEAL FOR GOD

  •  Zeal for fellowship with God

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life (Jude 20–21).

  •   Zeal for the glory of God 

Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! (Ps 115:1).

 

WEEK 2:  ZEAL FOR ONE ANOTHER 

  • Zeal in love for one another 

 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor (Rom 12:10).

  • Zeal in selflessness toward one another 

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus(Phil 2:3–5).

  • Zeal in encouraging one another 

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (Heb 10:23–25).

 

WEEK 3:  ZEAL IN SERVING

  • Zeal in commitment to serving

 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord (Rom 12:11).

  •  Zeal to use God’s gifts in serving

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Pet 4:10–11).

 

WEEK 4:  ZEAL IN SHARING CHRIST 

  • Zeal from faith 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Rom 1:16).

  • Zeal for Christ’s glory 

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth (Eph 1:7–10).

  • Zeal in compassion toward the lost

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matt 9:35–38).


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