LIFE Church 2023 Consecration Guide

PASTOR TERENCE A. MERRITT, M.D. ● WWW.LIFECHURCHOFATLANTA.ORG

DECLARATION

I declare that 2023 is the Year of Order. This year, with the help and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I will bring more order and structure into my life.

God is a God of order, and He moves best in order. As I create more order in my life this year, I will experience God moving in my life like I have never experienced before.

Every area in my life, where there is disease , dysfunction, and stress, is an area that is in need of more order. So, as I create order in these areas, I will experience peace, wholeness, and prosperity there.

I commit to this time of self assessment. I will not ignore what the Father shows me. I commit to do whatever is needed to correct and to adjust what I’m shown. I will endure the discomfort of change.

I realize that in order for me to go to the next level, in order for the Father to release more into my life, I must prepare for more. My capacity must increase. Therefore, I will add whatever additional structure and order that is needed, so I can receive as well as manage more.

I will be faithful over my now, as I prepare and anticipate the great future that the Father has for me. I commit to being consistent, steadfast, and unmovable this year. This year I will not get tired or weary doing what is right. I will be consistent and persistent, even when it does not look like right is paying off, even when doing right is uncomfortable. I will not get weary doing right. I will reap because I will not give up. I will not quit.

I will allow myself to stay planted where the Father has planted me. I will not uproot myself. I will remain planted, and I shall be productive where I’m planted.

I choose to disconnect from everything, from every person, from every relationship, from every mindset, and from every habit that hinders me from establishing order in my life.

This year, I commit to the prosperity of my soul. I commit to faithful church attendance, to service, to the Word, to prayer, and to worship in order to ensure that my soul experiences prosperity. As my soul prospers, my entire life will also prosper. My commitment to order will benefit every area of my life, spiritually, physically, mentally, relationally, and financially.

In 2023, the Father’s grace and goodness will supersede all that Satan attempts to do.

His favor has gone before me, and it has found willing participants to assist me in every good-God thing this year. This year, I will greatly increase, and I shall supernaturally advance.

In Jesus name, all of this is so!! Amen

Fast & Consecration

Guidelines

What is Fasting?

Fasting, by definition, is going without food and/or drink for a period of time. Typically it is done for spiritual reasons and involves a person refraining from both food and drink (Esther 4:16), in various forms. It heightens and strengthens our spirit. At LIFE Church, we teach that fasting is something for everyone, including our children.

Instructions about fasting

The Bible also gives instructions about the attitude and approach we should have in fasting. Jesus warned about hypocritical fasting, trying to show off or make others feel sorry for us (Matthew 6:16 - 17). Instead we should not “appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place” (verse 18). Isaiah also contrasts selfish fasting with godly fasting marked by care and concern for others (Isaiah 58:3 - 10). What is fasting and why do we fast? We see from the biblical examples that fasting should be used as a means to humble ourselves before God and seek His face for comfort, help, guidance, strength and His will. Fasting literally allows us to draw closer to God.

Biblical Support

Matthew 6:16- 18

Moreover when yefast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Matthew 17:21

Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Fast & Consecration Guidelines

January 8 - 9 ▸ [First 2 Days]

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LIQUIDS ONLY: Water, 100% fruit and vegetable juices [without sugar, preservatives or additives].

Jan u a r y 10 - 12 ▸ [ D a y s 3 - 5] Foodstoadd: ▸

ALL FRUITS: These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Fruits include but are not limited to apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon. ▸

ALL VEGETABLES [FRESH]: Vegetables include but are not limited to artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini [avoid canned]. Veggie burgers are an option, if you are not allergic to soy.

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ALL LEGUMES: Legumes include but are not limited to dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, white beans [avoid canned].

Jan u a r y 13 - 22 ▸ [ D a y s 6-15] Foodstoadd: ▸

ALL WHOLE GRAINS, including but not limited to whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, and rice cakes. ▸

ALL NUTS AND SEEDS, including but not limited to sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame. Also, nut butters including peanut butter. ▸

ALL QUALITY OILS, including but not limited to olive, canola, grape seed, peanut, and sesame.

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OTHER: Tofu, soy products, vinegar, seasonings, salt, herbs and spices.

Fast & Consecration Guidelines

PRAYER FOCUSES

This “Prayer Agenda” will ensure that we are praying concerning the same thing on the same day. Matthew 18:19-20 (Agreement in Prayer)

Day 1

Pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal to you the areas in your life that are in need of order and structure.

Psalm 37:23 - 24: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”

Proverbs 16:9: “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”

Day 2

Pray for wisdom and for courage to make the needed adjustments, changes in 2023 that will bring more order in your life,

Romans 12:2: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Day 3

Pray for commitment/stability to the new order that God brings to you, your family and at LIFE

Proverbs 10:17 NLT: People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray.

Day 4

Pray for Pastor Merritt, for his family and for his ministry. Pray that the grace on their life will increase.

1 Timothy 2:1 - 2: I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

Jeremiah 3:15: And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.

Luke 14:18 - 19: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Fast & Consecration Guidelines

DAY 5

Pray for peace with and trust in God’s will and process for your life.

Proverbs 3:5 - 6 NLT: Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

DAY 6

Pray for unity at LIFE.

Ephesians 4:2 - 4 NLT: Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future

Hebrews 13:17: Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

DAY 7

Pray for physical, mental, and emotional healing.

Isaiah 53:4 - 5: Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."

Psalms 30:2: LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.

Isaiah 41:10 NLT: Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

DAY 8

Pray that the Father will send souls, willing workers and new members, both in - person and online.

Acts 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 6:7: The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

Fast & Consecration Guidelines

DAY 9

Pray for gifts to be sharpened and to be uncovered at LIFE.

1 Corinthians 12:7 - 11: To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

1 Peter 4:10 - 11: As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

DAY 10

Pray for financial resources for our home, for Pastor, and for LIFE

Deuteronomy 8:18: But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Proverbs 21:5: The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty

Day 11

Pray for the ministries and for the ministry leaders at LIFE, and for leaders in local, in state, and in national government.

Proverbs 21:1 - The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.

1 Thessalonians 5:12 - 13: “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you, and to regard them very highly in love because of their work”.

DAY 12

Pray for miracles, for signs and for wonders in the lives of LIFERS.

Matthew 17:20: He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 21:21:And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

Fast & Consecration Guidelines

Day 13

Pray for a new anointing for your life and for ministry.

Acts 1:8: But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

John 15:4 - 5: Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

DAY 14

Pray for favor, for new opportunities, and for businesses and creative ideas

Psalms 5:12

Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Psalms 90:7: May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us yes, establish the work of our hands.

Psalms 37:4: Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart

Proverbs 16:3

Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed.

Day 15

Thank and Praise God for answered prayer.

Psalms 34:1 - 3: I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!

Psalms 103:1 - 5: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Isaiah 25:1: Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.

Fast & Consecration Guidelines

FOODS TO AVOID

poult r y , an d fish ▸

All meat and animal products, including but not limited to beef, lamb, pork, ▸

All dairy products, including but not limited to milk, cheese, cream, butter, and eggs. ▸

All sweeteners, including but not limited to sugar, raw sugar, honey, syrups, molasses, and cane juice and substitute sweeteners. ▸

All leavened bread, including Ezekiel Bread [it contains yeast and honey] and baked goods. ▸

All refined and processed food products, including but not limited to artificial flavorings, food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, and foods that contain artificial preservatives. ▸ All deep fried foods, including but not limited to potato chips, French fries, corn chips. ▸

All solid fats, including shortening, margarine, lard and foods high in fat. ▸

Beverages, including but not limited to coffee, tea, herbal teas, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and alcohol.

GENERAL FASTING REMINDERS

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Monitor salt and sodium intake.

▸ You can find a variety of fruit/vegetable juices which do not contain any additives, sugar, and preservatives. [You may also consider purchasing an inexpensive juicer.] in prayer and the Word. ▸ Decrease unnecessary talking, secular television, music, etc. and increase your time ▸ Remember to ANOINT yourself, and your entire family with oil daily. Increase your time in prayer and in the word almonds before taking medications.. ▸

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READ THE LABELS! ALL foods should be sugar-free, preservative free, and chemical-free. ▸ Consult with your physician if you have a chronic or serious illness.

If you are on medication which must be taken with food, eat a handful of unsalted ▸

Diabetics and others who have glucose (sugar) regulation disorders should do Phase 3 for the entire 15 days of the Fast.