Thursday, September 17 – Cry out for understanding that business does not draw us closer to God but may create a false sense of spirituality. Ask God to help us focus on Him and His activity. Beg Him to cause us to seek Him more intentionally.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33, NASB).

Friday, September 18 – Petition the Lord to teach us that our tendency toward independence and self-sufficiency debilitates our desire to draw closer to God. Plead with God to give each of us a desire to spend more time with Him in prayer.

“ . . . One of His disciples said to Him, ‘Teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1, NASB).

Saturday, September 19 – Entreat the Lord to teach us that prayer does not begin with us but that it originates with God. Ask Him to help us understand how serious and grievous it is to the Holy Spirit to ignore His promptings to prayer. Beg God to convict us deeply of our prayerlessness and to bring us to repentance for it. 

“Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thess. 5:19, NASB)

Sunday, September 20 – Implore the Lord to teach us that He has brought us into the throne room so that we can know what is on His heart. Ask God to teach us to pray in identifying with Him in prayer by becoming more like His Son and by asking for things that advance His kingdom.

^“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me . . . they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me” (John 17:21-23, KJV).

Monday, September 21 – Beseech the Lord to help us become more like Him. Ask Him to help us yield to His Spirit’s prompting to involve us in His work.

“For who He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son . . . “ (Rom. 8:29, NASB).

Tuesday, September 22 – Beg God to make us sensible of our need for Him. Ask Him forgive us for failing to cultivate a deepening relationship with Him and to renew our desire for deeper intimacy.

“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first . . . “ (Rev. 2:4-5, NASB).

Wednesday, September 23 - Plead with God to remove the barriers in our lives to knowing Him in a more personal and intimate way. Ask God to bring us into the cleansing needed to go deeper with Him. Beg Him to do whatever is necessary to bring us closer to Him and to form Christ in His prayer life in us.

“ . . . According to . . . Thy compassion blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin . . . Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Thy sight . . . Create a clean heart in me . . . “ (Psa. 51:1-4, 10, NASB).