40 Day Prayer Journal

52 Pages·2014·1.04 MB·English

40 Day Prayer Journal
Prayer and Fasting 101 6
Week 1
Day 1 Grace to Finish the Race 8
Day 2 Giving Your Best 10
Day 3 Stewards on a Mission 11
Day 4 It’s All His: I Will Not Pretend I’m the Owner 12
Day 5 The Earth is the Lord’s 13
Day 6 You Can Take it to the Bank 14
Day 7 On this Christian Journey 15
Week 2
Day 8 The Good Steward 16
Day 9 Are We Really Good Stewards? 17
Day 10 Christian Stewardship 18
Day 11 Sacrificial Giving 19
Day 12 Will Your Stewardship Stand the Test? 20
Day 13 Walking By Faith 21
Day 14 Stewardship: A Sacred Trust 22
Week 3
Day 15 My God Will Provide 23
Day 16 Can’t Beat God’s Giving 24
Day 17 Stewards over God’s Children 25
Day 18 Understanding Stewardship 26
Day 19 Forgive Me Lord: You Trust Me... 27
Day 20 I am the “Steward” of My Ship 28
Day 21 Guard Your Time 29
Week 4
Day 22 Stewardship 30
Day 23 Consider Your Ways 31
Day 24 An Example of Wordly Wisdom 32
Day 25 Stewardship:Time, Talent, and Treasure 33
Day 26 Get to Giving 34
Day 27 Committed to the Kingdom 35
Day 28 Let’s Do it Again: A Deeper Dedication 36
Week 5
Day 29 The Promise Keeper 37
Day 30 We are the Haves - Not the Have Nots 38
Day 31 For Our God 39
Day 32 Be Faithful - It’s Required 40
Day 33 Use Your Riches for God’s Glory 41
Day 34 Is There a Fence Around your Gardens? 42
Day 35 My Walk, My Journey Towards My Destiny 43
Week 6
Day 36 Seek God 44
Day 37 Now is the Time to Get Off the Bench 45
Day 38 You Can’t Beat God’s Giving 46
Day 39 A Plan for Better Stewardship 47
Day 40 It’s Mine, Not Yours! 48
Notes page 56
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rayer and asting 101
In over fifty references to fasting in the Old and New Testaments, there is no
specific command to fast, with the exception of the Day of Atonement for the
Jews. In the New Testament it was assumed that fasting would be a part of the
normal devotional life of the believer.
Matthew 6:16 When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for
they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth; they
have received their reward in full.
Matthew 9:15 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom
mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be
taken from them; then they will fast.”
If these verses indicate that fasting should be a normal discipline in the church
(and the numerous examples of fasting support the idea), then what does it
mean to fast? What is the purpose of fasting? And how does one go about
fasting?
1. Definition of “Fasting” – going without food and sometimes water
voluntarily, generally for religious purposes. There are four types of fasts
referred to in the Bible.
a. Normal fast, going without food for up to 40 days (Ex. 34:28;
Ezra 8:21, 23; Dan. 6:18; Luke 2:37; Mark 2:18; Matt. 4:2; Acts
13:2-3, 14:23 and others).
b. Partial fast, abstaining from certain foods (Daniel 10:3).
c. Absolute fast, going without food or water no more than 3
days (Esther 4:16, this is very rare in the Bible).
d. Voluntary group fast, called for a specific reason for a specific group
of people (1 Samuel 7:6; 2 Chronicles 20:3; Jonah 3:5 and others).
2. Purpose of Fasting
a. Worship – it must be God-centered, God-initiated, and
God-ordained.
b. At times, fasting is an expression of distress, grief, or
repentance.
c. Fasting is a preparation for God to give guidance and renewal
(Daniel 9; Ex. 24).
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rayer and asting 101 Cont’d
d. Fasting reveals the things that control us and hinder our intimacy with God.
e. Fasting reminds us that we are sustained “by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
f. Fasting helps keep our balance in life (1 Corinthians 9:27;
Psalm 35:13).
3. Practice of Fasting
a. For an occasional fast, eat a light meal (fruit, vegetables,
yogurt, etc.) prior to beginning. Drink a lot of water. Skip 2-3
meals and break the fast with fruit juices followed by a light
meal. Avoid oils, dressings and starch for a couple of meals.
b. When starting a regular discipline of fasting, begin slowly
with a partial 24-hour (2 meal) fast once a week for several
weeks while drinking fruit juices.
c. Monitor your inner attitudes and maintain a worshipful
attitude.
d. Break the fast with a light meal of fruits and vegetables.
e. After a few weeks, try a normal fast, drinking lots of water
only.
f. Always be careful not to call attention to what you are doing.
g. After succeeding with this for several weeks, move to a 36-
hour (3 meal) fast.
h. Seek the Lord regarding extended fasts. Get additional
information on conducting extended fasts and clear the fast
with your physician. (People with certain physical conditions
should not fast.)
i. Remember that the major work of scriptural fasting is in the
realm of the spirit.
j. If skipping meals is not possible, try fasting certain types of
foods (like sweets or soft drinks), or you can fast activities (like
TV or sports). It’s important to convert that time to devotional
activities, not just abstain from them.
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Grace to Finish the Race
2 Corinthians 8:6
“So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also
to completion this act of grace on your part.” (NIV)
Ten years ago, God released the vision for what is now called the “Trans-
formation Place.” In the beginning, we had little or no idea how the
vision God gave us would come to pass. All we knew was we had heard
from God and it was time to make a move.
Since Gethsemane’s inception some thirty years ago, the church has
steadily been on the move. There’s not been one idle moment. Many
strides have been made and countless lives have been transformed. At
every juncture, God has raised up people who have supported the vision
because they believed it was what God had called us to do. We’ve not al-
ways known what God was up to, but we’ve trusted His word and walked
in obedience to His call. As a result we have seen God do things we
never thought possible; our faith has grown both corporately as a church
and personally as individuals.
Who would have believed ten years ago, we would be where we are
today? It’s truly amazing! But God has not brought us here to stop now.
He’s calling us once again, this time the call is to complete what He’s
already started. The vision has not changed; it’s ongoing, constantly un-
folding. That’s what Paul says to Titus in the above referenced scripture.
Titus was to complete what he started. He had started to collect offer-
ings from the church at Corinth to be given to the Jerusalem church.
This was not the regular giving of tithes and offerings, rather a special
one-time gift. Because of conflict in the church, the giving had ceased,
but by the time Paul is writing this letter, the issues were resolved and the
church was ready to move forward. Paul urged them to move forward
by resuming their giving. As the people gave, their giving would accom-
plish two things for them. First, for the Corinthians, their renewed giving
was evidence of their real faith and a means by which they would grow
in grace. Second, for the church, it was a demonstration of fellowship
which expressed the unity between Christian Jews and Gentiles.
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Our giving in “Operation Fast Forward” will do several things for our
church and community. One, it will allow us to complete what God
started through us, thereby giving us an opportunity to demonstrate
our faith and allow us to grow in the grace of God. Two, it will be an
illustration to the unsaved that we are willing to make an investment in
their salvation.
As Paul urged Titus and the Church at Corinth to complete that which
was begun in them, I urge all those who are with Gethsemane in this
season, to join me, and together, let’s finish the race. Let’s fast forward,
let’s give until the work is finished. I know with God, it can be done.
Pastor Dwight S. Riddick, Sr.
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Giving Your Best
Scripture: Mark 12:41- 44
41 “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and
watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury; many
rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came in and
put in two very small coins worth only a fraction of a penny. 43 Calling
his disciples to him, Jesus said, I tell you the truth; this poor widow has
put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 “They all gave out of
their wealth, but she out of her poverty, put in everything, all she had to
live on.”
When God evaluates giving, a person’s gift is determined not by the
amount they give, but by the amount of sacrifice involved in the giving.
The rich at times give only out of their wealth, it involves no sacrifice. The
gift of the widow cost her everything, she gave as much as she possibly
could. This principle can be applied to our service for Jesus. He judges
our work and ministry not by its size or influence or success, but by the
amount of sincere dedication, sacrifice, faith, devotion and love involved.
As we enter into the year 2014 it should be a year of deeper dedication for
our God. We should give him our very best.
Closing Prayer
Father, I pray as we enter into the year 2014 we will have a deeper dedica-
tion for you and honor you with not only our resources but also our time
and talent. We realize and recognize all we have is of thee and no matter
how large or small it can be used for the building up of your kingdom
here on earth and to bring honor, glory and praise to your precious name.
Amen.
Deacon Ronald Chapman

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