Today is our second day of prayer and fasting as we journey together through 40 days of prayer.
Fasting is not a way to manipulate God to do something. It is not proving our devotion to God, as if He would be motivated by our commitment. Fasting is rather a reminder to us of our complete dependence on God. In the same way that our bodies hunger and thirst for food and drink, our souls long for God. Fasting gives us an opportunity to focus on that hunger and thirst, then to seek after the presence of God that satisfies us and fills us with joy.
I would encourage you to take either the lunch hour or dinner time to fast and pray. Use the time to pray for revival in yourself and your family, in our church, in our city, and beyond. Feel free to use the guide below to help you in this time.
Habakkuk 3:2 “LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”
In the past few weeks we have learned together about our need for the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. At the same time we have been encouraged by God’s willingness to respond to our prayers and send His Holy Spirit to us. Begin your prayer time by focusing on these two truths.
John 15:4-5 “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Luke 11:11-13 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Now let’s pray and ask for the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do.
John 16:8 “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.”
Pray that the Holy Spirit would work to make sin seem distasteful. Pray that He would make Jesus and his righteousness seem beautiful. And pray that he would make judgment seem imminent.
Acts 2:43 “Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.”
Pray that people inside and outside the church would be filled with a sense of awe, fear, and worship before God.
Philippians 2:13 “…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
Pray that the Holy Spirit would give to you and to others a heart, a taste for the things of God. Pray that He would give a love for what is right and a deep desire to do what pleases God.
1 Corinthians 14:24-25 “But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!’”
Pray that you would have supernatural insight into the lives of others, that you would know just what to pray and what to say so that they would recognize the power and presence of God.
Ephesians 4:12-13 “…to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Pray that the Holy Spirit would empower the church so that we can help one another really know God.
Hey J.D,
Thank you for reminding all of us of the gospel. I really appreciate your teaching and preaching, your heart for the nations, and the books you have written. I hope to write you an email soon to encourage you with specifics.
I had a question though. I remember looking at this guide and wanting to come back to it. As I clicked on the link, it didn’t seem to work well. Is there a way I can be pointed to this resource?