1 Samuel 12:24
24 But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.

Serving God is an all out effort. It certainly includes total respect and, yes, even a fear of letting him down. I sense a deep connection to God, but I am never laid back like we are buddies. I can be a friend of Jesus, but I can’t forget he is my creator after all.

How can you connect more intentionally with Jesus today?

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1 Samuel 3:9
9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ “

At this point, Samuel didn’t even know God. Eli is wise to teach Samuel it is still his responsibility to make himself available to God, even if he doesn’t trust in him, yet. Actually, the very act of calling himself a “servant.” is an indication that trust is coming.

Pray for people you know who are seeking faith.

Ruth 2:12
12 May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

We don’t serve in order to be rewarded by God. We don’t have to. Through Jesus, we are already fully loved and accepted by God when we realize we are fully loved and accepted by God. We are rewarded when serving, however. How can we not help feel a sense of “well done” when we totally give ourselves for the sake of others?

Pray for God to guide you to a new avenue of service.

Joshua 24:15
15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

To serve God is always a choice. Even within families it is a choice. If you have a spouse or children, they are ultimately responsible for their own faith.

However, with children, before they are old enough to decide for themselves, you speak for them when it comes to God. If Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, you want to help them connect with Jesus any way you can. What kind of monster would keep this gift away from their kids? Best place to start is to model the faith yourself.

Pray for parents to nurture the faith of their children.

Deuteronomy 10:12
12 And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

To fear (awesome respect), follow, and love God, you serve him completely. One out of three, or two out of three doesn’t work the way God intends. Focus, action, and affection toward God brings meaning, purpose and joy.

Pray for God to immerse you with his glory.

Numbers 1:3
You and Aaron are to number by their divisions all the men in Israel twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army.

Absolute pacifism is not God’s biblical mandate. Yet, some day, when Jesus rules the wills of all people, there will be no need for a military. In the meantime, pray for justice and righteousness to rule in all governments.

Pray for soldiers you are acquainted with. If you aren’t, ask around until you find some you can.

Exodus 40:15
“Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come.”

Unlike the judge, the priest/ pastor does not primarily serve the people. He/ she is nor a public servant; he/ she ultimately reports directly to God. If you think this is an easy yoke for a priest/ pastor, just ask them what this is like to have God being your final authority. Actually, God is the final authority for everyone…

Pray for pastors and priests to have the courage to follow God without compromise.

Exodus 18:26
They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.

Being a judge, like all other positions of authority, is a servant activity. The moment a public servant becomes a rockstar, serving goes out the window- as does success.

Pray for your mayor.

Exodus 14:12
Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

When God’s people are complaining in the wilderness they show a reoccurring theme in human history. Giving up freedom for the false security of the tyrant. It never works in the long run. We know how this always ends up without exception: choose the tyrant and choose death of everything God created you to be. We are created to be free and the only benevolent dictator that will ever work for all people is, of course, the only true one. We are free to serve the Master and, yes, that will work. Just have to wait to see it happen.

Pray for people who are not able to live free.

Exodus 35:21
21 All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle, for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments.

God funds his mission through the obedience of his disciples. It is not by accident that those who stay close to God will be excited by giving. It is the way God designed it. Even Jesus is thrilled to get to the cross, the ultimate gift (Hebrews 12:2)

Pray for God to stir you to increase your generosity toward his mission.