We believe that separating ourselves unto God during these 21 days (Monday, January 6, to Sunday, January 26, 2020) changes things. It will sharpen your spiritual edge and brings each of us individually and collectively closer to God. We are believing God to also do greater things through us to not only impact our lives but our city, region, state and around the world. We invite you to journey with us!

WEEK ONE: AWAKEN THE HOUSE

We refuse to be a people who fall into a spiritual slumber. In this new year seek God to spiritually awaken you in areas of your life that might be asleep. Together let’s pray that God would wake us up individually to see the beauty of who He is so that anything in our lives that does not have value would fall away. We're believing with you for a greater relationship with the Holy Spirit to empower you in your relationship with God and others. We're praying for an increase of the Spirit's power and working as we gather together in our services and small groups. We're believing for each of us to get closer to Jesus by getting rid of worthless, sin-filled desires only happens when we truly delight in Christ. So wake up, enjoy God and be alert for the mission that God has called us to in our city and community. Let's walk in the power of the Holy Spirit like never before and believe for an outpouring of it in our hearts, families, church, community, state and around the world.

WEEK TWO: HEART FOR THE HOUSE

We believe our local church has an incredible opportunity to reach and serve our community. As we begin this new year, and move toward Easter, take time to pray for our congregation. Pray that we would be a place of love. Pray that no hypocrisy would slip into our church family. This is also an important time to pray over the church’s resources. Pray that this new year would see financial stability and growth. We must all learn to be good stewards of the time, money, and resources that God has given us. We do all of this for his kingdom and his kingdom alone!

WEEK THREE: FILL THE HOUSE

We believe that we will see our House filled to capacity by Easter. For this to be a reality, we must be a people of prayer asking the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of men, women, and children so they might have new life in Christ. We believe this for our neighbors, co-workers, families, and friends. Pray for opportunities to invite people to our gatherings and for the opportunity to disciple someone this new year. We believe that a move of God only happens through the power of prayer from his children who have hearts postured in humility and repentance. Together, let’s trust that God will fill the house!

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV).

Pray for those in authority and those under your authority.

MY GOVERNMENT
President
National leaders
State leaders
County leaders
City leaders

MY FAMILY
Spouse
Children
Parents
Siblings
Extended family

MY CHURCH
Pastor
Pastoral Staff
Administrative Staff
Deacons
Small group leaders

MY WORK/SCHOOL
Employer
Co-workers
Employees
Teachers/Professors
School Board

MY CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE
Close friends

Some feel that spending time alone with God in prayer can be awkward. Before we get into the specifics of how to pray, let’s look at a few basic principles learned from the life of Jesus. These will help to cultivate a fruitful time of prayer.

"And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed" (Mark 1:35 ESV).

• Set a Specific Time
Jesus got up very early in the morning to spend time with His Heavenly Father. In order for prayer to be effective we should follow this example. Make a daily appointment with God and keep it.

• Find a Particular Place
Jesus had a place to pray. Your prayer space needs to be an undistracted environment where you can pray out loud. Some people like to sit; others kneel or stand; still others like to walk while praying. Find a place where you can spend time alone with God in a way that’s natural for you.

• Follow a Clear Plan
Our minds can easily wander in prayer. Having a clear plan can help focus our minds on Jesus and minimize the distractions. You have the freedom to change the plan as the Holy Spirit leads. We do not want to become slaves to a ritual. This journal offers a few ways to help enhance your prayers.

24 Minutes of Prayer
The Scriptures encourage us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). Practically, we cannot walk around with our heads down in prayer, but we can have a continuous attitude of prayer. Therefore, we encourage you to set aside 24 minutes daily for focused prayer. This symbolically represents the desire to have an attitude of prayer 24/7.

Using the acronym A.C.T.S. will be helpful during your 24 minutes of prayer. Begin by spending 6 minutes on each topic. Of course you can spend more time, but we encourage you to stay consistent for the first week. Let the 6 minutes develop your prayer muscles. Once the consistency is set, the length can be varied according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Adoration (6 minutes)
Jesus calls us to worship the Lord God with all our soul, mind, heart, and strength (Mark 12:30). This is your time to pour out your love for God. Sing praises to Him (if you desire, use music to help). Raise your hands, kneel, bow down, each as expressions of your love. Engage your heart, body, and mind during this time.

Confession (6 minutes)
There are two parts to confession. First - ask the Lord to search your heart for areas where you need to claim Christ’s forgiveness. You may have spots where you know you have not followed God’s path. Confess that you believe in His forgiveness. State your desire to turn from these ways and follow God’s good path for your life.
Second - confession also entails claiming your belief in the promises of God. Use the section “Scriptural Confession” to acknowledge the truth of God’s Word. Profess these truths over troubled areas in your life. Declare the promises of God.

Thanksgiving (6 minutes)
To combat the negative influences of the devil and this world, speak thankfulness to the Lord for all the good in our lives. Spend time thanking Him for family, friends, food, forgiveness, and all the many blessings in your life. Verbally commit to an attitude of gratitude.

Supplication (6 minutes)
Supplication is defined as “the action of earnestly asking for something.” During this time seriously share the desires of your heart. Stand in the gap for lost family and friends; seek favor over your health, finances, and career. Even though the Lord knows what you need, He tells us to ask in Jesus’ Name, showing trust and dependence on Him.

The Prayer Hand (from Navigators ministry)

This an easy way to remember five essential aspects of prayer:
(LITTLE FINGER) Confession
(RING FINGER) Petition
(MIDDLE FINGER) Intercession
(POINTER FINGER) Thanksgiving
(THUMB) Praise

Simply put, fasting draws us closer to God. Prayer and fasting go together. When we humble ourselves with fasting, we speak to God in prayer. As we draw near to God, His Word tells us that He will draw near to us (James 4:8). In addition, Jesus assumed we would fast as we seek to grow in our relationship with God (Matthew 6:16-18).

Biblical fasting is voluntarily giving up something that our mind and flesh desire in order to refocus ourselves on God. It is a practical step every follower of Jesus can do to draw near to the grace He wants to pour on us. Fasting hits the reset button of our soul and renews us from the inside out. It also enables us to celebrate the goodness and mercy of God’s provision.

Remember: Your personal fast should present a level of challenge, but it is very important to know your body, your options, and most importantly, to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.

We give something up for a period of time – food, electronics, social media, etc.

We gain something greater for eternity – a closer walk with God

Spiritually - Set your heart right before the Lord. Do not think of fasting as earning points with God. Fasting is actually a humbling experience and God shows up in powerful ways when we simply humble ourselves through fasting.

Physically - If you have never fasted from food or not for a long time, be wise. Options are listed below. Start slow and build up your spiritual strength over time. If you have health issues, skip only one meal or even just do an electronics & social media fast and consult a doctor.

Emotional - Do not underestimate the power of the devil and the flesh to wage war against you. The devil hates when we seek to draw near to God and will tempt you to quit.

Fasting is not easy, but as you draw near to God, He will give you the strength to overcome.

Food Fast:
Partial Fast – Skip one meal or one food/drink (chocolate, coffee, soda, etc.) for a period of time.
Juice Fast – Drink only water, fruit and/or vegetable juice for a period of time.
Water Fast – Drink only water for a period of time.

*Consult your doctor before starting any food fast. Decide together what is best for your physical health. If health conditions prohibit you from abstaining from food, there are a number of other ways to fast while concentrating on prayer and Bible study.

Electronics Fast:
Give up things that would be a sacrifice for a period of time. This includes TV, DVDs, and video games for an extended period of time

Social Networking Fast:
Give up all social networking including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for an extended period of time and/or give up all texting for an extended period of time.

1. Determine why you are fasting. Do you need a breakthrough? An answer to prayer? Reconnect to God? Expect God to show up as you seek Him.

2. Determine the type of fast/length of time and make a commitment.

3. Only tell people who need to know about your fast. It is tempting to brag about it.

4. Partner with someone. The Bible reminds us that two are better than one and mutual encouragement can help in fighting the temptation of the devil and the flesh to quit.

5. Do not overindulge to end your fast. Maintain the spiritual discipline you had when you began your fast. Most often breakthroughs come after, not during your fast.

*Some of this resource has been adapted from Radiant Church (Tampa, FL) and Church of the Highlands.*