WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH A

Prayer & Devotional Guide

Prayer has always been a powerful force at Wesley United Methodist Church. As we journey together in our Fellowship of Men, prayer will be the central element to spiritual growth and many successes. Use this prayer guide each day of the week to read from God’s Word, reflect on the passage and respond in prayer. To dig a little deeper, set aside a little time to research each passage further. Use the footnotes and scripture references in your bible, or search the Internet of the books in the Wesley library to discover more about any scripture that particularly touches you. Finally, feel free to discuss scriptures that have an impact on you with other men in the Fellowship or in a small group setting. It is only through God’s power that Wesley United Methodist Church has been, and will continue to be, the life-changing church that it is.

Though the days of this guide are numbered and we hope that you do the devotionals in 15 consecutive days, we know that you may miss a day now and then. That's okay! Just pick up where you left off on the next available day. Remember, God knows what is in your heart!

Believe - Day 1

Psalm 145:4a “Generation after generation stands in awe of Your work….”

Have you ever stood in awe of God’s work - His work in creation, your life, your family, your church? God is always at work pursuing a love relationship with His creation - you! His love for you is awesome! During the next several months, we'll work miracles in our church and community, as long as we stay true to God's calling for us to gather often and be the Body of Christ. This 15-day study will reflect on the wonder of God’s work in our lives and our church family. Looking back at God’s activity in our lives encourages our faith to look ahead with confidence that God is with us, and nothing is impossible with Him!

Consider today the works of God that leave you in awe. Experience the wonder of His love for you, and praise Him for all His works.

Compare Psalm 145:4a to Psalm 8 and Isaiah 40:21-31 for a greater understanding of God’s power and greatness.

Day 2

Psalm 145:4b “Generation after generation stands in awe of Your work; each one tells stories of Your mighty acts.” Psalm

You have a faith story. It’s the story of God’s activity in your life. What has He done for you? How has He demonstrated His love for you? These stories become awe inspiring for generations to come. They form a life message to be known and read by others.

Thank God for His mighty acts in your life. Take time today to share some of the stories of God’s awesome work in your life with a family member or friend.

Compare Psalm 145:4 with Psalm 78:4-8 and Deuteronomy 6:4-9 to discover the importance and benefits of telling future generations stories of God’s mighty acts.

Day 3

Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

God wants to do more in your life and in the life of your church than you can possibly even imagine. The only way that happens is through His power, and the only way it works is if God receives the glory. God will continue to glorify Himself through generations to come.

Thank God for the unimaginable plan He has for your life. Commit to God today that you want to honor and glorify Him in every area of your life. Thank Him for the incredible opportunity you have to be a part of a generation-changing church like Wesley.

Research these verses in the context of Ephesians 3:14-21, and pray them back to God as an intercession for your church family and small group.

Day 4

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

We are to love God with everything that we are. His commands are to always be on our hearts. If you have a family, don’t let God’s Word just be something that your family hears at church on the weekends. Allow God and His Word to be the foundation of your home.

Commit to God, today, that you and your family, if applicable, are going to be faithful to spending time in His Word and in fellowship with your congregation. Ask God to show you what it means to love Him with all of your heart, soul and strength.

Dig a little deeper in Judges 2:10-22 to see what happens when one generation fails to share their faith with the next generation. Compare that with 2 Timothy 1:5 and 3:14-15.

Day 5

2 Corinthians 4:18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

The Fellowship of Men was started by acting in faith with the vision that God had for the people of Wesley UMC and the community. The Bible defines faith as being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). The new ministry may be unseen, but we can have faith that God is going to continue His work in peoples’ lives through us!

Ask God to stretch your faith. Tell God you really want to learn how to fully depend on Him in every area of your life. Here’s how:
- Commit to Him the first day of the week in worship
- Commit to Him the first part of every day in prayer and Bible reading using this prayer guide
- Commit the first part of your income in giving back to God

Research 2 Corinthians 4 to see this verse in its context, and discover the value of focusing on the unseen real.

Belong - Day 6

Deuteronomy 7:6 “For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be His own special treasure.”

When we give our lives to Christ, we become children of God (John 1:12). Isn’t that amazing? You are a part of God’s family. You are a treasure to Him. When life gets hard or you just feel down, never forget that you are a special treasure to the God of the universe.

Thank God for giving you the opportunity to become a part of His family at Wesley. If you have never received Christ, ask Jesus to come into your life today and for Him to take complete control. Thank God for His great love for you, and choose to live today like you are a child of the King.

Dig a little deeper in Deuteronomy 7:7-9, and discover why God chose Israel out of all the nations to be His own special treasure. Compare that to 1 Peter 2:9-12, and see why He chose you as well.

Day 7

2 Corinthians 1:22 “He has put his brand upon us--His mark of ownership--and given us His Holy Spirit in our hearts as guarantee that we belong to Him and as the first installment of all that He is going to give us.”

When we become Christians, the Holy Spirit enters our hearts. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we also receive purpose, forgiveness, hope, peace, love, etc. These things are only an installment of all the benefits we receive from belonging to God. We get all of these things … and heaven, too.

Ask God to reveal the purpose He has for you today. Ask Him to also reveal to you those in your life who haven’t been branded by God with His mark of ownership. As He reveals those people to you, decide today that you will begin sharing with them how they can experience all the blessings of belonging to God.

Compare 2 Corinthians 1:22 with 5:5 and Ephesians 1:13-14 to learn more about God’s mark of ownership in your life and your inheritance in Him!

Day 8

Ephesians 2:19 “…you are members of God’s very own family … and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.”

Faith is not only about believing, it is also about belonging. We not only belong to God, but as Christians, we belong to one another. We are a family. God’s plan for you is to be actively involved with other people in the local church. Your church family is here to support you, pray for you and help you in whatever ways you may need.

If you don’t feel connected to anyone at church, commit to God, today, that you are going to find a way to get involved (small groups or ministries, for example). As you pray, declare to God that you are going to be obedient to whatever He calls you to do. Thank God for such a great family like Wesley UMC.

Examine Ephesians 2:11-22 for more understanding on the unity of the church and the importance of every member.

Day 9

Romans 12:4-5 “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are all parts of His one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.”

As part of Christ’s body at Wesley, you have a special function! Every member is important. We belong to one another! We need one another, and we each have a work to do. When every member of the body does its work, the body is healthy and grows to be all God wants it to be. Your part is needed.

Ask God to show you the special function He has for you to do at Wesley. Find your place, and experience God’s awesome activity in your life as you serve Him and others doing your part.

Dig deeper in Romans 12:6-8 to discover the special gift God may have given you for service in the church body.

Day 10

Philippians 2:2 “Then make me truly happy by loving each other and agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, working together with one heart and mind and purpose.”

As a church, we need to constantly love one another and work together. Our Fellowship of Men is all about coming together as one body, wholeheartedly agreeing that we are a family and working toward the purposes of God.

Ask God to reveal to you how He would have you support and give through the Fellowship of Men. Your gift matters to God. When we all participate, we can see God accomplish great things!

Explore 1 Corinthians 12:18 and Ephesians 4:11-16 to discover the significance of each member in the body of Christ and the importance of every member doing their part.

Build - Day 11

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

It is so important to surround yourself with people who will encourage you. Encouraging people put courage in you when your faith is weak. Discouraging people take away that courage. God has called us to build each other up by putting courage into one another.

Commit, today, that you are going to build people up. Ask God to provide you with opportunities to be an encouragement to others, and ask Him for the strength to be faithful to those opportunities.

Examine 1 Thessalonians 5:12-25 to discover practical ways to build one another up in the Lord.

Day 12

Jude 1:20 “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.”

You will find it hard to build others up if you are not building yourself up along the way. We are to build ourselves up spiritually by getting into God’s Word on a consistent basis, by spending time in daily prayer and by sharing God’s love with others. If we are not building ourselves up, it will be difficult to build anyone else up in our lives.

Confess to God, today, if you haven’t been building yourself up spiritually as consistently as you should. Ask Him to grow you into the godly person He desires you to be.

Review Paul’s final charge in Acts 20:25-32 to the pastors and leaders of the church in Ephesus. What did he say would build them up in Verses 28 and 32?

Day 13 (Special Day of Prayer & Fasting)

Ezra 8:23 “So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and He heard our prayer.”

Prayer and fasting are used many times throughout scripture on special occasions to seek God’s will. Many times prayer and fasting are shared by an entire community to show unity in purpose in seeking out the will of God.

As you fast today, use the extra time to thank God for all the things that you may take for granted -- food, shelter, clothing, etc. Pray that God would continue to shower His blessings on Wesley UMC as we move into some exciting new ministries and activities to build up the Body of Christ in this place.

Study Jesus’ instructions on fasting in Matthew 6:16-18; compare that with God’s chosen fast in Isaiah 58.

Day 14

1 Chronicles 29:3a-5b, 9a “And now because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction…. Now then, who will follow my example? Who is willing to give offerings to the LORD today?… The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD….”

King David had a dream to build a great temple for God. God honored David’s dream and allowed his son, Solomon, to fulfill that dream. In preparation, David gave needed resources and offerings for the construction of the temple. Then he challenged others to follow his example. When the people did, they experienced the same joy in giving as David.

Pray that God will show you what He would have you give to and through the Fellowship of Men. David’s offering would outlive him and bless generations to come. Experience the joy of giving freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord.

Investigate David’s dream to build a temple in 2 Samuel 7. Review his plans and provisions for the temple in 1 Chronicles 28-29.

Day 15

1 Chronicles 29:14b “Everything we have has come from You, and we give You only what You have already given us!”

What do you have that God has not given you? Our gifts back to God are an offering of thanks for all He has given us. Someone once said, “Your life is a gift from God. What you do with it is your gift back to God.”

What are you building with your one and only life that will last for generations to come? The Fellowship of Men will soon host a special weekend of service to the church and the community. It will be a tangible way to exercise our faith in building something that will outlive us and affect future generations. This will be announced soon. Allow God to stretch your faith in giving your best that reflects your love for Him.

Dig deeper into Jesus’ instruction on where to invest your treasure for eternal benefit in Matthew 6:19-24. Then read Matthew 6:25-34 to discover where to find real security.

More UMM News!

We're not just pretty faces! Join us for Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. to discuss how the Holy Scriptures apply to our everyday lives. You don't have to worry about breakfast...we always have coffee, pastries and other treats!

Also, we meet for our monthly Men's Breakfast and Meeting on the Second Sunday of each month. Come and join us for one of the finest breakfasts that you'll enjoy in San Angelo. We are OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!