“No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people.“ Isaiah 58:6
What we are asking you to do is to join us in prayerful discipline so we can hear God clearly, chasten our lives so we can be used more effectively as a church, and prepare for service to our community. If we do it together, we believe God will also give us direction to help where we will be the most effective.
Here is what you will need for today;
A prayer closet or a place you can go to find peace and to pray
A prayer track with questions so that we walk this together
A prayer journal or some place to write down what you hear as you spend time with God
What we are asking you to do is to join us in prayerful discipline so we can hear God clearly, chasten our lives so we can be used more effectively as a church, and prepare for service to our community. If we do it together, we believe God will also give us direction to help where we will be the most effective.
Here is what you will need for today;
A prayer closet or a place you can go to find peace and to pray
A prayer track with questions so that we walk this together
A prayer journal or some place to write down what you hear as you spend time with God
Day 2: Upward Spiritual Insight (How am I being impacted by what is going on?)
1 Corinthians 4:5 (NASB) Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God.
Once we clean ourselves up spiritually, we can see more clearly. Once we repent of obvious tings that stop our intimacy with God (because of shame or condemnation) we are ready to receive some new insights from God. All of this is done by His Spirit. The scripture is helpful to set the right truth in our hearts, but the Spirit both reveals it and reminds us of it.
As we walk into that place where we are clean before God, and can judge situations more clearly. The dark places in our hearts can make it difficult to see what is truly wrong in this world. It is because it is sometimes hard to see what is behind the curtain. What we can see with our natural eyes is not always the real deal. Pictures can lie, if you do not know the context or you cannot see the spiritual source of them. Someone can manipulate you by your fears by showing you what you fear in a graphic manner. You will become defenseless against it until you can face it and then take authority over it. God is bigger than any of our fears, and justice only comes when we we can all seek righteousness. That righteousness is only found in the Lord, not in men. That is because we are all "respecters of persons", we all have our favorites and biases and they cause us to make unrighteous judgement.
Justice in this world is what GOD wants. Never forget that He is a Just God and as such He sets things up so that righteousness can govern the lives of people. Someone has to administer that justice. The hands of the authorities must be clean and they must be fair so that God is not grieved and people are not harmed. Evil prospers when good people do unrighteous things. Doing something is not enough, we must be challenged to do the right things. Only a just God knows what they should be, and this is why we pray.
Topics, timing and questions
This guide will help you focus on some questions we all should ask God in our prayer times. The questions are a kick-start, you take it from here. The timing is a guide which will help you build staying power in your prayer time. If you are a regular prayer then it will go quickly so you should feel free to spend more time with God if you decide it is needed for the topic. If not, stretch yourself to pray and listen for the time allotted. Many people think you need to do all of the talking in prayer, but I find my greatest strength when I just make myself take time to listen!!
Morning Prayer focus (Inward)
1 Peter 2:1-2 (NASB) Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
Commit 5-10 minutes (or more) to God for opening your spiritual eyes
God, I want to see what is going on behind the scenes of current events.
Lord, Help me to see beyond the headlines into the spirit realm.
Father, open my spirit to see and to understand what it is you need me to understand so I can act properly.
Midday Prayer focus (Upward)
1 Corinthians 2:9 (NASB) but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM."
Commit 5-10 minutes (or more) to seeing behind the veil more clearly
God, please show me where you are working in these troubling times.
Lord, please help me to align myself properly so that I do not sin against you, help me know where to stand.
Father, as I am opening my eyes, calm my fears and open my eyes so I know what needs to be known.
Evening Prayer focus (Outward)
Luke 10:8-9 (NASB) "Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'
Commit 5-10 minutes (or more) for understanding His truth as it applies to your walk in this life
Lord, please help me to receive what is true, what is real but what is your truth.
God, help me to then confess what is true and refuse to align with what is false, help me take a Godly stand.
Father, help me to lead others to truth, so that they can know you and be saved.
How to build your journal
As you pray, speak the scriptures and ask God to respond in your heart. Take notes and make comments either during or after your prayer time. Feel God's impressions on your heart and do not look for an audible voice even though that is possible. Then as you close, thank God for being with you and speaking to you (even if you don't get a thing). Tell God you will see Him tomorrow!!
Our Prayer for you
Heavenly Father, your purpose is always to bring to light what has been hidden by the devil. You do not want any to perish so you reveal these things and invite people to see and be made free by what is true. The spirit realm is where the battles are so we pray that you would open our eyes and cause us to become activated by our new found gifts. In that we will always give you the glory, and return to you for guidance and wisdom. Bless our vision so that we can bless others!