Pray rstnetchurch.cc/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/PrayerBooklet_2016.pdf · combination of them...

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1 Prayrst A PERSONAL PRAYER GUIDE

Transcript of Pray rstnetchurch.cc/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/PrayerBooklet_2016.pdf · combination of them...

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PrayfirstA PERSONAL PRAYER GUIDE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Thoughts on Fasting 7

Thoughts on Prayer 13

Getting Specific with Your Prayers 19

What to Pray 25

21 Day Devotional 29

Journal Notes 37

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. -Ephesians 6:18 NLT

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Dear Net Family,

It seems like just yesterday we started our 2nd campus. Though since we have, more stories of life change have surfaced than we could fathom seeing done in one day. So no, it wasn’t yesterday. Time is passing. But, with each turn of the clock our influence for Christ is growing stronger. Collectively we’re making a difference in many lives and I can only imagine the best is yet to come!

So, as we head into another new season, let’s do as we’ve done before - cover everything in prayer! Prayer must be at the heart of all we do - whether it’s something as bold as starting a campus or as simple as waking up to face a new day - we need God at all times, in every situation. Which is why we are once again asking you to PRAY FIRST!

• When you wake up… pray first. • When you go to bed… pray first. • When you don’t know where to turn… pray first. • When you’re sure about where to turn… still pray first! • When you’re about to open the door… pray first. • When you’re about to walk out the door… pray first. • When you’re about to open your mouth… pray first. • When you’re about to post to Facebook… PRAY FIRST! • In all things… PRAY FIRST!

To help us learn to do this we’ve put together this prayer guide coinciding with our 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting.

I love being your pastor and look forward to what awaits us as we begin to call on our Daddy upstairs for everything in life!

Ryan May

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THOUGHTS ON FASTING

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WHY FAST?

At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”

Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.

Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. But this kind of demon won't leave but by prayer and fasting." -Matthew 17:14-21 NLT

Question. How do we experience big breakthroughs in our lives? Prayer and fasting. That seems to be the insight Jesus is giving his disciples in the above passage. But, what does prayer and fasting look like practically? A thought from what Jesus says in Matthew 17.

First, notice what Jesus says in response to the disciples inability to heal the boy: "You faithless and corrupt people!" Faithless and corrupt. Interesting words. What do they mean? Consider this.

• What makes a person faith-less? Disconnecting with God. The less we connect with God, the less faith we have in Him.

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• What causes corruption? Overly connecting with the pleasures of this world. When we get too connected (or entrapped) to the things around us, we’re more easily tempted and tolerable of things that aren't always best for us.

So in this passage, we could say, Jesus is warning against being too disconnected from God and too connected to the world. But, notice what he says to the disciples later in private: "this kind of demon won't leave but by prayer and fasting." Prayer and fasting.

• What is prayer? Connecting with God.

• What is fasting? It's essentially disconnecting from the pleasures of the world. Most often practiced by abstaining from food, but by definition fasting could be abstaining from any pleasure.

All of which is to say, the reason we pray and fast is to reconnect with the God we too easily disconnect with and disconnect from the pleasures that we too easily connect to! And according to the Bible, these two are in opposition to one another. Notice what Paul says in Romans 8.

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. -Romans 8:5-9 NLT

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What this means is as we do these things together: pray AND fast, we are able to send our spiritual self into hyper-drive, which has the wonderful effect of creating big breakthroughs in our lives!

WHAT TO FAST?

Since fasting is simply disconnecting from one thing, so we can reconnect with another thing, then there are several options when it comes to what to fast. Typically fasting involves food in some way because food is an extremely easy way to remind ourselves that we are starving the “flesh” part of us. But, there are other options, as well - especially for those who cannot fast food for medical reasons. Consider the following options:

• Complete Fast: This fast calls for drinking only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option for a set period of time. We recommend talking with your doctor before beginning a complete fast.

• Selective Fast: This type of fast involves removing certain elements from your diet. One example of a selective fast is the Daniel Fast, during which you remove meat, sweets, or bread from your diet and consume water and juice for fluids and fruits and vegetables for food.

• Partial Fast: This fast is sometimes called the Jewish Fast and involves abstaining from eating any type of food in the morning and afternoon. This can either correlate to specific times of the day, such as 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, or from sunup to sundown.

• Soul Fast: This fast is common for those who do not have much experience fasting food, who have health issues that prevent them from fasting food, or who wish to refocus certain areas of their life that are out of balance. For

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instance, someone might select to abstain from using social media or watching television for the duration of the fast, and then choose to carefully bring that element back into their life in an orderly fashion at the conclusion of the fast.

Feel free to use any of of the above suggestions or a combination of them during our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting.

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THOUGHTS ON PRAYER

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MAKING PRAYER A PRIORITY

How do we make prayer a part of our everyday lives? We can learn from three things that Jesus did…

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. -Mark 1:35 NIV

• A CERTAIN TIME

Jesus got up very early in the morning to spend time with His Heavenly Father. To assist us making prayer a routine part of our lives, we should do the same. Make a daily appointment with God and keep it.

• A CERTAIN PLACE

Jesus had a prayer place. Most of us would benefit by praying in an undistracted environment where we can pray out loud and perhaps have some worship music playing in the background.

• A CERTAIN PLAN

Go into your prayer time with a plan. If it changes that’s fine, but in scripture we see Jesus teaching His disciples how to pray by giving them a prayer outline known as the Lord’s Prayer. This outline is at the heart of what follows in this booklet.

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PRAYING THE LORD’S PRAYER

Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray…” -Luke 11:1 NLT

Pray like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” -Matthew 6:9-13 NIV

Within the Lord’s Prayer there are six main thoughts that can guide your time of prayer. In fact, it may be helpful to see these as parts of a hexagon, with each side representing the thought behind the part.

This is especially true since these parts tend to naturally progress from one to the next, moving you along toward a deeper understanding of how we are to relate to God, others, and the world around us.

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OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN

DELI

VER

US

HELP US LET GO

GIVE US BREAD YOUR

WIL

L BE

DONE

YOU ARE HOLY

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However, within this prayer there is also much freedom. Don’t feel you have to give equal weight to each part, nor should you feel you have to cover every part every time you pray. There is certainly strength in taking each one in order, but allow God’s Spirit to guide you as you talk to Him.

For now, let’s begin at the top… Our Father in heaven!

Since this part of the prayer sits at the top of the shape, think of this as the covering. So, the fact that you have a Father in heaven means whatever you’re facing… he’s got you covered! He has everything under control. YOU have a Daddy who runs the show and is looking down on all you’re facing saying, “I’ve got this!”

Allow this truth to be expressed in your prayers by affirming it. “Daddy in heaven, I know in the middle of all I’m facing, you have me covered. You are protecting me. You are in control!” Take time to thank Him for being so much bigger than what you’re facing.

Once you’ve done this, it’s time to move on to the next logical conclusion which is… He is holy!

Holy means “set apart”. It’s an acknowledgment that your Daddy in heaven is so big, so strong, so wise, so other-worldly, we can only do one thing… fall to our knees (as indicated by the downward slope of the shape) and surrender our lives to His sovereignty.

We do this by verbally laying down every agenda, desire, fear, concern, and view of life that doesn’t line up with His plan for us. We acknowledge that “Dad knows best” and so anything in us that pulls away from what is best goes away in this moment!

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Allow yourself to do some soul-searching and confess any part of your life that you’re struggling to let loose. And once you’ve emptied yourself out, ask God to fill that void by bringing more of Himself into your life or… your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

So, ask God to bring more of heaven into your marriage, your home, your workplace, your attitude, your conversations. Pray that the things that are important to God would become important to you. Pray that you would begin to see life through His eyes!

Now, let’s stop here for a moment. At this point we’re half way through the Lord’s Prayer. And so far what we’ve done is aligned ourselves with Him by recognizing His position and power and acknowledging our need for him. Question. What parent, if their child is approaching them with this kind of sincerity and humility, wouldn’t be more than ready to meet that child’s need? I believe this is why the next part of the Lord’s Prayer is give us this day our daily bread.

It’s an invitation, now that our heart is in the right place, to express to God our deepest (notice where we are in the shape - at the bottom) needs.

Take time to share with your Father in heaven every need you have in this moment. Don’t hold back. Don’t be afraid. Yell if you need to. Whatever you do, don’t let this moment pass without getting it all out!

And once you have, know that God has no desire to leave you in a place of want and need. Which is why we are then told to pray forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us!

Let me explain this… I believe it’s important that after we’ve asked God for all we need to move forward with an

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understanding that whatever is responsible for our lack in the first place, isn’t something we need to carry back into life. So, if the reason you have the needs you have is because of a mistake you’ve made, now is the time to realize you are forgiven! And if the reason you have the needs you have are because of someone else, now is the time to forgive them!

In fact, the word Jesus uses here for forgive literally means “to send away”. So, imagine as you’re moving out of your prayer time and back into life, all the hurt, bitterness, frustration, and pain exiting your life out the back side of the hexagon! Leave it all here with God! Move forward free and unencumbered by your sins OR the sins of others!

And then lastly, we are told to pray lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. So, take a moment to engage in a bit of spiritual warfare against the enemy as you stand now, moving up and out into life! Pray for God’s power and strength to prevent you from being consumed again by all the things you just released in His presence!

And then, as a way of stamping your prayer with a strong finish, say: For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen! Which simply reaffirms all you’ve just expressed - that God is in control. He runs the show! And nothing will ever be able to change that truth! AMEN!!

Congrats! You just prayed the Lord’s Prayer!

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GETTING SPECIFIC WITH YOUR PRAYERS

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GETTING SPECIFIC WITH YOUR PRAYERS

While it’s good to pray for the needs in our own lives, we are also told to pray for others around us. Consider the following:

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. - 1 Timothy 2:1-4 NLT

Take some time to fill out the sections below and be intentional about praying for these in your time of prayer.

My Government

President:________________________________________________

National Leaders:_________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

State Leaders:____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

City Leaders:_____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

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My Family

Spouse:__________________________________________________

Children:_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Parents:_________________________________________________

Siblings:_________________________________________________

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Extended Family:_________________________________________

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My Church

Pastors:__________________________________________________

Coach & team leader:_____________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Net group leader:_________________________________________

Net group members:______________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

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Other members within the church:_________________________

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My Life

Employers:_______________________________________________

Co-workers:______________________________________________

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Employees:______________________________________________

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Teachers/Professors:_____________________________________

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Professionals who service you: ____________________________

_________________________________________________________

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Customers you service: ___________________________________

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Those I Influence

Close friends: ____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

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Acquaintances: __________________________________________

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Those Who Need God

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What to pray…

1. That God would draw them to Jesus.

For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me… -John 6:44 NLT

2. That the enemy would not succeed in keeping them from seeing the truth.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. -2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT

3. That they would embrace the truth and come to know Christ.

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. -Ephesians 1:17 NIV

4. That God would send more and more leaders into The Net so we can reach more and more people for Him!

Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. -Matthew 9:28 NLT

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MY NEEDS

Request

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Date Date Answered ___________________________ ________________________

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21 DAY DEVOTIONAL

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21 Day Devotional (from bible.com)

Day 1: This passage is a source for the idea of a 21-day fast. As you set apart these three weeks to seek God, know that God has already heard your prayer. He is already at work on your behalf. What specific clarity of vision are you seeking from God during this time? Write down your prayer so you can reflect on it at the end of the 21 days. Spend time praying for God to speak to you and give you strength.

Read: Daniel 10

Day 2: During this fast, build an altar and lay a sacrifice on it that honors God. It will cost your convenience, your comfort, and take some serious willpower and commitment. What will your sacrifice be during this fast? Make sure it's a sacrifice that will cost you something. Make your commitment in writing and share it with a friend who will hold you accountable to your commitment. Pray for God to show you what He wants you to sacrifice.

Read: 1 Chronicles 21:18-27

Day 3: Nothing but vegetables and water. And not just for three weeks, but more likely for the duration of their training in Babylon! This response from these four young men didn't come from a fear of getting caught. It came from a devotion to God's commands already formed in them before being taken from their homeland. During this fast, you'll have many opportunities to deviate from your commitment--especially if you're fasting alone or if no one will find out. Pray that God will give you the resolve and courage to stick to the standards you've set and honor Him no matter what.

Read: Daniel 1

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Day 4: This longest psalm in the Bible is primarily about a passion for God's Word. These 21 days you've set apart will be much richer by combining Bible reading with your fasting and prayer. You may want to make plans to start a reading plan that takes you all the way through the Bible. How would you describe your passion for God's Word at this moment? Pray today that God will increase that fire in your heart during this time.

Read: Psalms 119

Day 5: Isn't fasting supposed to be a secret? You may have started this journey with a group that is fasting along with you. Many fasts in the Bible were corporate fasts called by authority figures for a whole group to participate in together. Reflect on the heart of what Jesus is saying in this passage. What has been the motive behind any conversations you've had about fasting? Is it to encourage others or receive support? Is there some secret wish to be seen as holy or spiritual? Only two know the answer to those questions--you and God. Pray today asking God to uncover your motives for fasting and ask for ways you can seek the encouragement you need without clouding your heart with pride.

Read: Matthew 6:5-18

Day 6: This is a message from God to His people who were frustrated with His lack of response to their fasting. It's easy to confuse fasting with a hunger strike to get God to do what you want. But this chapter says what He wants. Pray that God will use your experience with hunger and discomfort to permanently alter how you see those in the world who are lost and needy. Pray that God will empty you of all that is you and fill you with all that is Him.

Read: Isaiah 58

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Day 7: Broken and poured out. You see those words in both the story of the woman and the last supper. Since bread and wine are likely not options for you to remember Jesus during these 21 days, do what the woman did. Do what Jesus did. Live your life broken and poured out in remembrance of what He has done for you. How can your life be a living memorial to Christ? Talk to God about things in your life that need to be broken and poured out like that vase of perfume.

Read: Mark 14:1-26

Day 8: You are entering week two of your fast! This psalm talks about entering God's presence with thankfulness, gladness, joy, and praise in your heart. If you've become focused on the physical hardships you're facing or the burdens you're bringing to God in prayer, then spend today just being joyful in the Lord. Write down some things that bring you joy today. Sing a song of praise to Him. Pray that God will stir an urgency to press in and see what God has for you beyond His gates.

Read: Psalms 100:2-5

Day 9: This is a great time to explore how you can present your body as a living sacrifice to God. This passage starts with that challenge and offers many ways to express it. In what ways has your fast been helping you experience true worship in new ways? Pray today and ask God to continue to reveal His will for you during this time of sacrifice and worship.

Read: Romans 12

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Day 10: Forty days of nothing? Not hardly. Even though Jesus fasted for forty days, He clearly came out stronger than ever based on the events following it. How is your fast strengthening you? Do you feel like you're floundering? Maybe you're not experiencing the outcomes you expected. Ask God to lead you into the same kind of preparation, power, and purpose that Jesus gained from His time of fasting.

Read: Luke 4

Day 11: This chapter has many convicting challenges--one being for you to match your faith with action. Don't just contemplate God's Word--do what it says. You are now beginning the second half of your fast. Reflect on whether your fast would be characterized more by listening or doing. Ask God for wisdom about where He wants to lead you during this second half of your fast.

Read: James 1

Day 12: Food is a source of comfort for many. Reflect on how much your thoughts have been overtaken with craving certain foods, missing the things you're fasting from, or even how much weight you could lose. Is it often? If it were alcohol or a harmful drug, would you consider yourself addicted if you were this consumed with your desire for them? For many, this fast can begin an awareness of a harmful place food may have in your life. It can reveal an addiction. Pray that the God of compassion and all comfort will become your primary source of comfort. Ask Him to use this experience with suffering to remove anything in your life that has taken the Holy Spirit's place as your Comforter.

Read: 2 Corinthians 1

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Day 13: You are chosen, holy, set apart, a royal priest--you are a child of God. You may be in need of an anchor right now. Set Christ as your cornerstone today. Write down the ways He has brought you from darkness into light. Spend time in prayer today thanking God for beginning a work in you with His Son set as the foundation for Him to build upon.

Read: 1 Peter 2

Day 14: Blessed are those who hunger... If you can relate to that, spend time meditating on this passage called the Beatitudes or Blessings. Make a point today to count your blessings. Keep a journal with you all day to write down the blessings that God brings to your mind. Pray to thank Him for the blessings, even the ones that come as a result of enduring hardships or trials.

Read: Matthew 5:1-14

Day 15: You're starting the third and final week of your fast. If you're fasting with a group, take time to reflect together and celebrate what God has begun. If you've been fasting alone, be sure to write down your experiences. Even though you may feel like you're in a groove now, for many this final week will be harder than the others. Ask God to search you and begin to shine a light on all the dark corners of your heart. Ask Him to use this last week to refine you and cleanse you.

Read: Psalm 51

Day 16: The title of today's reading is A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God. It talks about seeking one thing. During this time of seeking, it's easy to focus on seeking things from God instead of just seeking God--to seek His hand and not His face. Think of the difference between approaching a king to kiss his hand and approaching a loving father to kiss his face. God is both our King and Father. He is capable of meeting

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your needs and answering your prayers. But He also loves you more deeply than you can ever know. When you seek His face, you end up in a much closer posture to Him. Pray today that you will seek God's face and get closer to Him than you ever have before.

Read: Psalm 27

Day 17: This is one of the most dazzling stories in the Bible. You can surely relate to the situation these three young men faced--when facts fly in the face of truth. The facts were that they had broken the law, the punishment was death, Nebuchadnezzar was the most powerful man in the world, the fire was hot enough to kill a nearby guard, there were plenty more guards to throw them in, and they were either going to bow or burn. Period. But the truth opposed those facts, and truth was what the three men stood upon. The truth was that either their God was going to deliver them or they would willingly die in His service. The truth is that the Son of God walked with them through the flames. What facts are you facing that defy God's truth? Take the facts to God in prayer today and believe with boldness that your God will be with you in the fire.

Read: Daniel 3

Day 18: Tear your hearts instead. You can finish strong by making sure you are weeping and mourning and tearing your heart open wide to allow God's power and presence to sweep across the landscape of your life. Tell God today that you are baring your heart before His mercy, compassion, and unfailing love. Ask Him to give you the courage to join His advancing army. Ask Him to open your eyes to dreams and visions.

Read: Joel 2:12-32

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Day 19: Do your heart and flesh feel faint? As you near the end of your fast, think of the marvelous joy of spending this one day in His courts. Praise Him for the ways you are growing and seeking Him more. No matter where you are, read this psalm out loud today as your prayer to God. Personalize it or add to it. Sing it loudly or just whisper.

Read: Psalm 84

Day 20: Are you considering continuing your fast or maybe beginning new habits of regular fasting? In this chapter people are wondering if they should continue the fasting calendar they had kept and the Lord answers through Zechariah. Since Moses' time, God instituted a whole calendar of fasts and feasts. Both were designed to draw His people closer to Him. If drawing closer to God is your goal every day, both times of fasting and feasting can be holy to the Lord. Take time to allow God to speak to you about your fasting experience. Ask God to help you reflect on the ways your fast has softened your heart and influenced you to treat others differently.

Read: Zechariah 7

Day 21: No matter how deep you are now, wade in deeper still. Don't worry about what's going to get wet. Don't stop at the point where you can keep your feet underneath you. Get swept away. What are you holding on to? What are your hesitations to living a more Spirit-led life of faith? What illusion of control are you clinging to? Go all in. Pray today that this fast will be just the beginning of a deeper relationship with God. Pray that He will continue to beckon you to dive in and let Him take complete control of your life.

Read: Ezekiel 47:1-12

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