River's Edge Community Church

Wednesday is a day of worship, a day where we give praise to our God for his amazing love and grace.

My prayer goal for this week is _________________________________________.
Our goal for last week was ____________________________________________.


Let’s pray:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us, not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.


Read the following passage from Ephesians 1:15-23
     For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.


Reading to Worship
The normal response to encountering God is worship. When that doesn’t happen, our first question must be to ask why. Why isn’t our heart moved when we hear his voice in his Word? Do a heart-check to see if there is anything blocking your way to worship as you read this passage.

Using some words and thoughts from our passage, answer one of the following questions as we prepare our hearts and minds to worship (please make these statements as personal to you as possible).

• What strikes you as you read this passage?
• How is worship modeled here?
• Again, what is the role of thanksgiving in worship and prayer (it is amazing how many times this shows us underscoring again and again just how important this is)?
• Paul’s prayer is that we might know God. What do we need to do that?
• Paul also prays for hope and power. How do these two gifts function to shape our spiritual lives?
• How could this passage lead you to worship?

Question:
Paul often ends his prayers with a doxology. How can praise (doxology) shape your prayers and give you a fresh perspective on life?


Two Thoughts to Ponder
"Some people pray just to pray and some people pray to know God."  (Andrew Murray)

"Faith in a prayer-hearing God will make a prayer-loving Christian."  (Andrew Murray)


The One Thing
Today as you go throughout your day, sing the doxology so that your heart is given to praise:

“Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen."

Closing Prayer
Abba Father, pour out your love upon us so that we may love you and love our neighbor as ourselves. Teach us to pray and forgive us our prayerlessness. May we become so consumed with your glory that our hearts constantly seek your face in prayer. May we become so consumed with your kingdom and will that our hearts constantly seek your face in prayer. May we become so consumed with your grace, our sinfulness, and our need for you that we constantly seek your face in prayer. Today, we give ourselves to you, body, soul and spirit and ask that you would make us a people of prayer. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.