Praying through the Church Covenant

As we consider the church covenant together on Sunday mornings in August, a member of the church reminded me about the week of prayer we had back in January that also focused on the church covenant.  To help us pray effectively, I made up a guide for each of the five points of the covenant. 

If any of you would like to pray intentionally during this series, I will post the different portions of the prayer guide on the weeks corresponding to those points of the covenant.  Though I am posting this one a bit late, I'll try to do it on Monday in the weeks to come, so you can spend a whole week praying for these various points.

Here is what I wrote up in January for the first point of the covenant, on pursuing personal purity and seeking spiritual growth:

I will maintain personal purity and seek spiritual growth

Give thanks for...

The ways you have seen the word of the gospel growing and bearing fruit in you over the past year (Colossians 1:3-6)

The righteousness of Christ credited to you, so that your performance as a Christian is not the basis of God's love for you (2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:12-21, Philippians 3:1-9)

The indwelling Holy Spirit, who empowers you to live a life of godliness (Romans 6:1-11, 8:9-11, Titus 2:11-14)

Pray for...

A heart of submission to God's will (Matthew 26:39, James 4:7, Psalm 131, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

Increased love, longing and delight in God as our treasure and joy (Psalm 16, 27, 63:1-8, Philippians 1:20-21, 3:7-8)

Deepening fellowship with God in the Word and prayer (John 8:32, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Psalm 119, Colossians 4:2, Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 4:6-7)

To not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of your minds (Romans 12:1-2, 1 John 2:15-17, Colossians 3:5-10)

That Jesus would reign over every aspect of your life (Colossians 1:18, 3:17, 1 Corinthians 10:31)