This last Sunday I shared about an opportunity here at CCC to join together in a 21 day prayer focus. After all the fun, distractions and chaos of the holiday season, it’s good to refocus once again on our personal priorities. Joining together with other members of our church family helps us to stay committed and focused, knowing there are others standing faithful and strong in community.
Our new prayer area in the youth building will be open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. The doors are open for you to come into this quiet space and seek the Lord for personal and church prayer requests. If you’re not quite sure how or what to pray for, there will be white boards around the room helping you to guide your thoughts and requests.
Some will also be joining in a 21 day fast. For the Christian, a fast is when an individuals interrupts their normal eating routine in some way in order to spend that time focusing on their pursuit of God, His will, His purpose, His direction and HIs provision. It might be one meal a day during the 21 days or one day a week during the tim. Some will be fasting completely from solid foods for the entire 21 days. It’s completely up to each individual. If it is your first fast, I really recommend you start out with the easiest possibilities first, and then work your way up to the kind of fast that requires a greater commitment. Be sure to check with your doctor before making any fasting commitment. Please feel free to call either Pam or me at the office if you have any questions concerning the spiritual nature of fasting. Whether we choose to fast or not, they Lord will be delighted in our commitment to seek Him.
What would be a good recommendation for starting this new season of prayer? I would recommend asking the Lord to help you set some goals for this season of prayer. Sit with some paper and a pen and ask the Lord to show you what is on His heart for this year. Ask Him for direction for this year, for open doors and opportunities for service, and for deeper revelation of who He is, how much He loves us and all His desires and plans for us. I have always tried to keep a habit to pray Ephesians 1:18-23, especially during a time of prayer focus. I believe this is one of the most important prayers found in the Scriptures. Paul prayed this prayer: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.” This prayer will reap great rewards for you as you make Paul’s prayer your own.
The Lord bless you. I will be staying in touch through this blog. I am looking forward to hearing the answered prayers that will come through this season!
Jim