ALL life is sacred, holy, and precious to God. During the month of January, the West Park Prayer Ministry Lead Team would like to encourage our church family to use this weekly prayer guide as we focus on life from the “womb to the tomb.”
Set a time to do this together with your household whenever possible. One method would be to use the family devotions format. After a meal, or at the time you choose, follow these simple steps:
Step 1. Have someone or several people read the passage(s).
Step 2. Discuss the passage(s) by asking: What does it say about God and us? What should we do in response to what we have read?
Step 3. Review what you have learned or have been reminded to think or do based on the passage(s). Take time to turn these back to God in prayer. Praise Him for what His word has shown you. Ask Him to keep His promises in situations in your life.
Step 4. Take time to sing a hymn, song of praise, or spiritual together.
Step 5. Take opportunities to encourage those in your community with what God is teaching you.
Prayer Guide
Week One – The Womb
Jan. 1 – Psalm 139:13-16
God formed us in our mother’s womb. He knows us intimately—even better than we know ourselves. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Praise God for His marvelous works.
Jan. 2 – Psalm 127:3-5
Children are a reward and heritage from heaven. They bring happiness to a family. Let us praise and thank God for this incredible blessing.
Jan. 3 – Psalm 27:10
God has promised to never leave us or forsake us. We can trust Him because He is faithful and His promises are true. Let us remember this when we face challenges.
Jan. 4 – Jeremiah 1:4-5
God knew all about us even before we were formed in our mother’s womb. He has a plan for our lives and has set us apart for a special purpose.
Children are a precious gift from God. Let us recognize the awesome responsibility of being a parent, grandparent, or guardian. May we seek His wisdom as we train our children in the ways of the Lord. Let our prayer be that our children will desire, seek and follow the Lord all the days of their lives.
Jan. 6 – Galatians 1:15
From the time of our birth, God set us apart for His service. It was by His grace alone that we were chosen. May we walk worthily according to His holy will.
Jan. 7 – Genesis 1:27
God is the creator of all things and we give Him praise. He made us in His very own image—male and female. By His divine design He created us physically diverse to be fruitful and multiply.
Jan. 8 – Psalm 22:10
God has known us before the beginning of time and continually watches over us. May we walk in step with Him and keep our eyes on Him for wisdom and guidance.
Week Two – Children & Teens
Jan. 9 – I Timothy 4:12
For all believers, regardless of age, obedience to the word is required to please God. May we submit to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to guide our words, actions and testimony at the point of salvation so that young and old alike can impact the world for Christ.
Jan. 10 – Deuteronomy 6:7-9
Parents are to teach children by their words and by their actions, their talk and walk. God’s statutes are to be taught at church and at home; not just at morning devotion, but throughout the day. God’s word affects our lifestyle and the daily activities of our households.
Jan. 11 – 2 Timothy 3:14-15
Teaching God’s word to our children imparts wisdom and discernment so that they, at salvation, can grow in spiritual maturity.
Jan. 12 – Matt 19:13-15
As we pray, we teach our children how to pray, and even more so the importance of prayer. May we set aside business and daily take time to pray with our children. May our homes be houses of prayer.
Jan. 13 – Deuteronomy 4:9
May we diligently and with discernment, share our faith walk with our children and grandchildren, in our mountaintops and our valleys.
Jan. 14 – John 3:16
Because of His great love for us, God spared not his innocent Son, though Jesus asked if it were possible. May we love our children and by using godly discernment, let them suffer consequences of sinful actions. They will grow in their faith through trials by depending on Jesus.
Jan. 15 – Prov 1:8-9
May the things parents teach their children be grounded in God’s word, and so impact their inner person that their outer person—behavior–reflects one who is favored by God.
Week Three – Adulthood / Justice & Unity
Jan. 16 – Romans 2:9-11
May we treat all people as those made in the image of God. Help us as believers to regard everyone as being worthy of love regardless of their race, ethnicity or socioeconomic background/status.
Romans 12: 9-18
May our fellowship with the Father be reflected in our fellowship with my brothers, sisters, and others that I interact with daily. Otherwise, we are in opposition to the Father. Help us as believers to understand that we must attempt to reconcile our differences, as much as possible, when conflicts arise.
Jan. 17 – Micah 6:8
God has called us to himself because of His unlimited grace; thank Him for unmerited favor. May I show the same grace, mercy and love to those around me.
Deuteronomy 6:20-25
We remember the blessings and the difficult times that God brought us through during our childhood and teenage years. These experiences made us who we are today. Let us share those things with our children so they can know the faithfulness of God. We know that a reverent fear of God will always be for our good.
Jan. 18 – James 2:1-4
We are commanded in the Word to show no favoritism. Rich and poor come before God with equal standing and in need of the same mercy and grace. May God help us to be obedient in responding to those around us with equality.
1 Peter 3:8
Forgive us for being haughty in our actions toward others. We know that the only way those around us will come to know Jesus is by seeing us as sympathetic, tenderhearted and humble in all our ways. We do not have an excuse for mistreating anyone because God has made us reconcilers to those who do not yet know Jesus.
Jan. 19 – Colossians 3:14,15
May God help us to love as He loves so that we can live together in unity and harmony bringing God glory.
Ephesians 5:25
The Father has tasked the husband with an awesome responsibility to be a leader in the home and especially a lover of his helpmate. God has compared the relationship of the husband in the home with the wife to our relationship of Christ and the Church. Let husbands not take this role lightly, and ask God to help us to better understand the giving of ourselves for our wives. It is sometimes difficult to place our wives and others above ourselves.
Jan. 20 – 1 Corinthians 1:10
As believers in Christ may we have a testimony before the world that shows perfect unity.
James 3:17-18
May we understand that the fear of the Father is the beginning of wisdom. This fear is not a fear of terror but reverence. When we are at peace with the Father we can become a conduit of peace, gentleness, open to reason, mercy, good fruits, impartiality, and sincerity to those in our family, church, work, and daily encounters.
May believers ensure that the underprivileged and the marginalized always be treated with dignity and respect and never be deprived of justice. But for the blood of Jesus Christ none are worthy to stand before God. We were all slaves to sin, now redeemed by Jesus.
Psalms 139:1-4
We are aware that nothing is hidden from God, and He is aware of those things treasured in our hearts that are not pleasing to Him. Our thoughts sometimes lack the luster of the cross–redemption, grace, and mercy has faded into familiarity. God is fully aware of our thoughts even before our tongue expresses them. May God reveal those ungodly thoughts to us and give us the ability to abandon them and fill that space with pure thoughts in order to live a holy life that portrays Jesus.
Jan. 22 – Isaiah 40:31
We all know that patience is not a strong suit for most of us. God tells us to wait on Him in all our endeavors. Waiting is difficult for us! The world tells us that if we do not get it now, it will not be there for us in the future. When we wait on the Father our strength is renewed.
Week Four – Seniors
Jan. 23 – 2 Timothy 4:1-8
As the world drifts farther away from God and what He has taught us, help us to be faithful and strong to stand on God’s Word. Help us to teach the Word to our children and grandchildren at every opportunity. Open our eyes to see the teachable moments that pop up every day. Help us to purposefully invest the years we have remaining in the lives of others.
Jan. 24 – Luke 2:25-32
The bible records the account of faithful Simeon who watched and waited patiently, expectantly, for God to reveal the Messiah as foretold in the scriptures. Simeon was well-acquainted with God’s Word and immediately recognized when the prophecy came to pass. Let us keep God’s Word in our hearts that we, too, may be aware that God is at work all around us.
Jan. 25 – Psalm 37:25
When we get anxious about our circumstances, when there seems to be no way out, God makes a way! When resources are nowhere to be found, help us to hear the bleating of the ram in the thicket. The experience of the lifelong believer is that God’s timing is always perfect and His supply is more than sufficient.
Jan. 26 – Job 12:12
God’s clear commandment is that we should honor our earthly fathers and mothers that our days may be long on the earth. Help us to submit to the authority of our parents and come to appreciate their knowledge and wisdom, born from experience.
Jan. 27 – Isaiah 46:4
God is all knowing and all powerful; yet He gently carries us even into our final years, as a loving shepherd would a new lamb.
Jan. 28 – ll Corinthians 4:16
God helps us even in our later years to stand strong for Him regardless of the trials we face in our flesh. May our spirits be renewed every day as we spend time with God in prayer and meditation on His Word.
Jan. 29 – Ecclesiastes 12:13
At the conclusion of his life, King Solomon the Wise realized a great truth. He concluded that nothing a man could do was more important than to live a life of reverence for God and to obey His commandments. The sooner in life we learn this lesson the better. May we impress this truth on the hearts of those around us by our words and behavior.
Jan. 30 – Psalm 112:1-3
Let us remember that we are to lay a foundation of spiritual and material blessings for our descendants to help sustain them for the future. May the decisions that we make today not be a burden to our descendants in the days ahead.
Jan. 31 – Psalm 71:17-21
Sometimes it is difficult for senior adults to keep up with changes in society and technology. May we be protected from those who seek to do us harm through technologies that we do not fully understand. We know that God is not finished with us yet, so let us be active learners that we may communicate His unfailing love to our families and peers who need guidance and encouragement.