21 DAYS GUIDE + DAILY DEVOTIONALS
In scripture we find God often called his people to consecrate themselves when he was about to move. To prepare ourselves for this new season it is essential that we too position our hearts and spirits for what God has in store for us by drawing close to God. Fasting is sacrificing something dear to you and replacing it with more of God e.g. bible reading, praying, worshipping, surrender and confession. Reading what God says about fasting in His word indicates that there are many ways to fast.
FULL FAST PARTIAL FAST DANIEL FAST COMBINATION FAST
Drinking only water or fluids Abstaining from one or more meals a day Eating no meat, sweets or rich food A combination of one or more of the above
In the end fasting is a personal matter between God and oneself, in obedience to what we believe He is saying to us. We always grow stronger when we draw closer to God. You may choose to fast one meal a day, one day a week, three days, a whole week etc. Fasting can also include for a time abstaining from TV, Facebook, music or other time consuming things and then using that time to draw near to God. Remember fasting is not a bargaining chip for God to be forced to hear your prayer but rather an opportunity to humbly position ourselves to love and serve Him, to surrender ourselves to His purposes, as well as believe Him for breakthrough. During these 21 days we will be praying for our community, family, church, personal lives and salvation of the lost. We’ve equipped you with this daily devotion booklet to inspire and guide you during this time. In the final week of this fast we will hold a prayer gathering and unite our faith like never before to believe for breakthroughs at many levels.
James 4:10 - As we humble ourselves before God in utter dependence upon Him, He will lift us up.
JOHN AND LOIS SPINELLA
PRAYER MEETINGS Come join our prayer team during ‘21 Days of Prayer and Fasting’ on the following dates for a time of powerful fervent prayer:
MONDAY 8 TH, 15 TH AND 22 ND OF FEBRUARY 7 - 8 AM MPR TUESDAY 9TH, 16TH AND 23RD FEBRUARY 9.30 - 11 AM MR5 WEDNESDAY 10TH, 17TH AND 24TH FEBRUARY 7.30 - 9 PM PLAYGROUP PORTABLE FRIDAY 12TH, 19TH AND 26TH FEBRUARY 7 - 8 AM MPR
TO HELP YOU IN FOCUSED PRAYER
A ADORATION, WORSHIP C CONFESSION T THANKSGIVING S SUPPLICATION/PRAYER REQUESTS P PRAISE R REPENT A ASK Y YIELD/SURRENDER TO GOD.
PRAYER POINTS 1)
KINGDOM FOCUS
Souls - Evangelism - New Christians - Discipleship - Spiritual growth
Read: •
2 PETER 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand
slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but
everyone to come to repentance.
•
COLOSSIANS 1:10 - So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and
please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the
knowledge of God.
•
PHILIPPIANS 1:6 - Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in
you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
2)
OUR COMMUNITY
Bundoora & surrounding suburbs
Read:
•
ACTS 13:47 - I have made you a light for the other nations, to show people all
over the world the way to be saved.
•
MARK 16:15 - Go everywhere in the world. Tell the Good News to everyone.
•
ROMANS 1:16 - I am proud of the Good News, because it is the power God uses
to save everyone who believes – to save the Jews first, and now to save those
who are not Jews.
•
PSALM 105:1 - Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among
the nations what he has done.
3) SENIOR PASTORS, PASTORS, LEADERS, MINISTRY LEADERS, VOLUNTEERS Read:
•
COLOSSIANS 3:23-24 - In all the work you are given, do the best you
can. Work as though you are working for the Lord, not any earthly master.
Remember that you will receive your reward from the Lord, who will give you
what he promised his people. Yes, you are serving Christ. He is your real Master.
•
1 CORINTHIANS 15:58 - So, my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Don’t let
anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. You
know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.
•
JEREMIAH 3:15 - Then I will give you new rulers who will be faithful to me. They
will lead you with knowledge and understanding.
•
GALATIANS 6:9 - We must not get tired of doing good. We will receive our
harvest of eternal life at the right time. We must not give up.
4)
SPIRITUAL ,FINANCIAL & PHYSICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
•
HEBREWS 6:12 - So that you will not be (spiritually) sluggish, but (will instead be)
imitators of those who through faith (lean on God with absolute trust and
confidence in Him and in His power) and by patient endurance (even when
suffering) are (now) inheriting the promises.
•
1 JOHN 5:14-15 - This is the (remarkable degree of) confidence which we (as
believers are entitled to) have before Him; that if we ask anything according
to His will, (that is, consistent with His plan and purpose) He hears us. And
if we know (for a fact, as indeed we do) that He hears and listens to us in
whatever we ask, we(also) know(with settled and absolute knowledge) that we
have (granted to us) the requests which we have asked from Him.
•
PSALM 34:10 - The lions may grow weak and hungry but those who seek the
Lord lack no good thing.
5)
ALL MINISTRIES, SUNDAY CELEBRATION SERVICES
•
JOHN 4:24 - God is spirit (the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind),
and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
•
PSALM 59:16 - But as for me, I will sing of Your mighty strength and power;
Yes, I will sing joyfully of Your loving kindness in the morning; For you have been
my stronghold, And a refuge in the day of my distress.
•
PSALM 100:4 - Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise.
6)
PROTECTION FROM THE ENEMY
•
PSALM 34:19 - Many hardships and perplexing circumstances confront the
righteous, But the Lord rescues him from them all.
•
PSALM 91:7 - A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right
hand, But danger will not come near you.
•
2 CORINTHIANS 4:8-9 - We are pressured in every way , but not crushed;
perplexed, but not driven to despair; hunted down and persecuted, but not
deserted; struck down, but never destroyed.
7)
AUSTRALIA & THE WORLD
•
EPHESIANS 6:18 - With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit,
and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition (interceding in
prayer) for all God’s people.
•
2 CHRONICLES 7:14 - ...and my people, who are called by my Name.
•
LUKE 19:10 - For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
8)
STRENGTHENING OF MARRIAGES & FAMILIES
•
1 PETER 4:8 - Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a
multitude of sins.
•
EPHESIANS 4:2-3 - Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with
one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the
bond of peace.
•
EPHESIANS 6:1-2 - Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a
promise.
9)
SUPERNATURAL DEMONSTRATION OF GOD’S POWER
•
MATTHEW 19:26 - ...with God all things are possible.
•
PHILIPPIANS 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
•
JOHN 14:12 - ...anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.
10)
WISDOM AND DIRECTION
•
JAMES 1:5-7 - If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when
you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like
a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect
to receive anything from the Lord.
•
PROVERBS 16:16 - How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight
rather than silver.
•
EPHESIANS 1:17 - I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you
may know him better.
11) HUMBLING YOURSELF BEFORE GOD AND DRAWING CLOSER TO HIM •
JAMES 4:8 - Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
•
PSALM 145:18 - The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on him in
truth.
DAY 1 BREAK OUT OF SELF DEPENDENCE (INTO FULL DEPENDENCE ON GOD’S UNLIMITED POWER)
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5 We have all heard of the Declaration of Independence that it is important for nations in regard to their ability to self govern especially from previous rules which were oppressive. However as followers of Christ as we commence our 21 days of prayer and fasting we make a declaration of our absolute dependence upon God. I stand before you as your Pastor and declare that I am completely unqualified to do all that God has called me to do. Yes I have been trained and have been doing ministry for more than 32 years but I cannot do all God has in mind on my own skill set, on my talent or degrees. I am completely dependent upon God. I am more desperate and reliant upon God than ever before. Jesus said if you remain, abide, draw continually upon my resources, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. The good news is that when you are dependent on God, He will help you do that which is exceedingly abundantly more than you can ever ask or think. He will enable you to BREAK OUT into new ground. So join me in humbling ourselves before God as we commence this journey of drawing nearer to God, Putting God first this year.
Ponder Point: How will you set aside time to draw nearer to God during this 21 days of prayer and fasting?
DAY 2 BREAKOUT OF DANGER (INTO THE GOD PROTECTION) There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.” So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. - Ezra 8:21-23 God used Ezra to bring back a number of Jewish families from captivity in Babylon to Jerusalem to build the temple. The King of Babylon graciously donated a large shipment of gold and silver. However the road to Jerusalem was filled with thieves and robbers. There was a high likelihood of them being attacked on the road. They were like sitting ducks! So Ezra proclaims a fast so that they will be protected on the road and that they would travel safely to Jerusalem. The word of God says God heard their prayers and protected them. They got to their destination safely and unharmed. In the same way the road or journey for each one of us during the next twelve months is also filled with many challenges. Life has many twists and turns. There is no doubt there is some kind of trouble that awaits us and there are some ‘thieves and robbers’ along the way. However as we follow Ezra’s example in praying and fasting we too will arrive safely. We will experience God’s protection and blessing. See and expect that God will turn trouble into blessing!
Ponder Point: What are some danger points that you need to seek God; as you travel through 2016 so you can accomplish all his purposes for you?
DAY 3 BREAK OUT OF MY BONDAGE (INTO FREEDOM) Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 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.” However this kind comes out only by prayer and fasting. - Matthew 17:19-21 Most of the time when you give your life to Christ almost all of the bondages of the past are removed. But there is usually one stubborn area of resistance, one area that will not let you go. The disciples also experienced resistance when they prayed for healing and deliverance of a young boy. They prayed and nothing happened. Jesus told them ‘this one will not come out except through prayer and fasting.’ The bible calls it a stronghold. This year you can experience freedom from strongholds like pornography, alcohol and cigarette addiction and other bondages in your life by seeking the face of God. The stronghold could be in the area of emotions like depression. We read that even the great prophet Elijah became depressed BUT while he sought the Lord 1 Kings 19:9 says ‘The word of the Lord came to him. God lifted him out of the dark place he found himself in.’ God can speak to you during this time of prayer and fasting and give you keys as to how you can overcome that stronghold in your life.
Ponder Point: What is a stronghold that you are determined to find freedom from in 2016?
DAY 4 BREAKOUT OF UNCERTAINTY (INTO GOD’S WISDOM FOR MY FUTURE) ...while they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” - Acts 13:2-3 During a fasting period you can get the mind of God in a situation. Should I take this job or should I quit? Should I marry this person? Should I move to this city? Should I speak to that person or not? God is able to give you supernatural wisdom – not just the ‘what’ but the ‘when’. Right up at the top of my list is prayer for supernatural wisdom. Not every opportunity that presents, even good ones, are God blessed or His idea. I don’t want to step out of the will of God. The Bible promises that the steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord and that will certainly be the outcome as we seek the Lord.
Ponder Point: What are some big decisions you need to make this year that you will bring before God in prayer?
DAY 5 POSITIONED FOR BREAK OUT “Dear, dear Corinthians, I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!” - 2 Corinthians 6:11-13 God has a vision for us to live large expansive lives, but sometimes words spoken over us by a parent, teacher or someone we entrusted with our dreams, has killed off the vision we had for our bright expansive life. Maybe it was a marriage relationship that soured and broke down, or you find yourself struggling with an addiction or feeling absolutely overwhelmed with financial pressure or circumstances and you are asking how can I possibly break out of where I am. It is first allowing God to speak life and value over you, allowing His truth to seep deep into your soul. There is nothing like hearing the Gentle Whisper of the Holy Spirit speaking life into us, to rebuild what we thought could never be whole again. Allow the presence of the Holy Spirit to break open the things that have held you captive long enough. We are on the edge of something new, but for some of you it will take a risk, because you may have tried to break out in the past and failed, or maybe for some of you, you are feeling paralysed with fear, but we know that as you make a decision to step into this amazing life that God has for you, breaking out of the constraints that have held you captive long enough, that a new day is coming your way.
Ponder Point: What area is God challenging you to break out of in 2016? What first step will you put in place to change the projectory of your life?
DAY 6 BREAK THE LIMITS OFF!! “...enter this wide-open, spacious life.” - 2 Corinthians 6:11 As you know I had surgery in October last year on my leg and my progress to full health has been slow. I was using two crutches, then one and am now endeavouring to progress to none. At first the medical specialist told me I must use the crutches, but at each visit, as my leg has become stronger and as the wounds have healed I have been able to put away the things that I was holding onto for support. We can be the same with things in our life, things that have become a crutch to us that have held us up in our most vulnerable time. We need to take off the limits that we have allowed to contain us and hold us back from reaching our fullest potential in God. 2 Corinthians 6:11-13 encourages us to ‘enter this wide-open, spacious life’.
Ponder Point: In what area is God challenging me to break the limits off, something that has consumed my thinking or way of doing things? How does this Scripture challenge me to live today with limitations taken off me? If I could do anything, what would I attempt, in God?
DAY 7 BREAK OUT! “Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us.” - Hebrews 12:1 From time to time we hear of a prisoner breaking out of jail, risking life and limb to get outside of the walls, routine, scrutiny and discipline of life that has held them captive and confined within those four walls. Most of us have never been in a physical prison, but emotionally and physiologically we have been confined and boxed in by our thinking and living. God wants us to break out of the walls and thinking that has confined us, so that we get to live the amazing, full and rich life that He has for us to enjoy. It’s time to ‘break out’ of those things that have held us captive.
Ponder Point: What is God speaking to me about the way I think of myself and what is His plan is for my life? What attitude shift will I make today to align myself to what God’s word is for me? What have I allowed to contain me and limit my effectiveness?
DAY 8 PRESSING FORWARD I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. - Philippians 3:14 (NLT) Driving a car by using your rear-view mirror while driving forward is an accident waiting to happen, yet how often do we live our life like this. The pain and struggles from our past can so consume us that they take our attention away from us living the amazing and full life that God has for us. Sadly we carry baggage from one year into the next, from one relationship into another, year after year and we wonder why things haven’t changed. The things that we have allowed to fill our life like, disappointment, fear, addictions or broken relationships, all impede and slow us down from moving forward into what God has for us. Carrying these things is like trying to live our life looking in the rear view mirror, but God wants us to run our race, with Him as our focus.
Ponder Point: What is one thing that you believe God has called you to do, that you have got side tracked by doing other things? What encouragement do you receive from God’s Word today in pressing forward?
DAY 9 THE POWER OF ‘BREAK OUT’ PRAYER AND PRAISE Reading: Acts 16:16-40 In the books of Acts we read about how Paul and Silas were put into prison for commanding a demonic spirit to come out of a young woman. They were stripped and beaten and thrown into prison. Why? They were doing a good thing, they were doing the will of God, they hadn’t done anything wrong, yet this bad thing happened to them. Often when bad and painful stuff comes our way unexpectedly we say ‘God why did you let this happen to me?’ But instead of feeling sorry for themselves and asking why it happened to them, Paul and Silas began to pray and sing. The impact of their trust in God was so great that the Bible says in Acts 16:26 “....the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off.” If ever there was a break out, then this was it. What caused the foundations to be rocked was prayer and praise. Two powerful combinations of our expression given to God.
Ponder Point: Do I tend to ask ‘why?’, first when bad stuff happens or am I more conscious that God is overseeing my life and He is in control? How can I get better at running to God in prayer and praise first, before allowing my emotions and thoughts to spiral into a negative place? What can I do today to begin the journey to spiritual, mental and emotional health?
DAY 10 SURRENDER The story in the Bible of the little boy with the five loaves and two fishes is a constant reminder of what it means to break out of the confines of what is natural and step into the supernatural. We live in a natural world but we have a supernatural God and He does things outside of the confines of what we would deem normal and usual. For God to do His best work, it requires us to hand over to Him what is in our hand. This little boy had the bread and fish but when he surrendered it to Jesus, what was small became big. This young lad didn’t know if he would get anything to eat yet he still gave it over for Jesus to do a miracle. The disciples when asked what food there was in Matthew 13:17-21 replied,
“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” Jesus said, “Bring them here!” Then Jesus told the people to sit down on the grass and He took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!” When we fully surrender our life, saying, Jesus I don’t know what is ahead, but I totally trust you to do me good, then we are positioning ourselves for a break out experience in our life. God wants to pour out over us more than we can ask or think, but we need to hand over what we already have in our hands entrusting the Father to look after all our needs.
Ponder Point: What is God challenging you to hand over to Him? How does this scripture apply to where you are at and what you are sensing is the next step in your life of faith?
DAY 11 BREAKING OUT OF THE THINGS THAT HOLD US BACK For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you. - Mark 7:21-23 (NLT) This is a very confronting scripture, but one that really gets to the heart of things. How often have we been envious of what another person has, we are happy for them when they get that new home, or receive a promotion at work, but quietly we wish we had what they had. We are deceived about our own heart condition thinking that we are doing better than we really are. Our self reflection is done hurriedly and without any depth or allowing the Holy Spirit to penetrate the walls of self protection that we have put around us. To really break out of the things that have defined us, have contained us and held us captive, we need to first allow the search light of the Holy Spirit to do His penetrating work. An honest assessment is in order, and although it may be painful, it will stand us in good stead to break out of the things that have confined us.
Ponder Point: As I read this scripture again, what is the Holy Spirit asking me to deal with in my life? What is one thing I need to think about today, to begin to live in a different way with a different mindset and view of my life?
DAY 12 INSIDE OUTSIDE I have heard of people who have bought a home without getting the necessary checks done to make sure that the foundations and general structure of the home are sturdy and well built. On the outside, everything looked amazing...the dream home, but once they started to live in it for a while, they began to see the cracks and how badly the house was built. Their dreams were shattered!!! This can be the same with us, on the outside, we can look amazing. We post our very best photos on Facebook and social media, we add the great quotes that we see, but on the inside we are left empty, broken and feeling a total failure. The outside of our lives which we show to everyone is that we have it all together, but on the inside we know it is a different story. In Matt 23:27 Jesus is speaking to the religious leaders....
”What Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs--beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity.” Oh dear, they are pretty harsh words, but ones that we need to hear and heed. More and more we present this perfect picture of a perfect life yet with just the slightest challenge, disappointment or conflict it could all fall apart and our world comes tumbling down. What a great time to present the real us to God, asking Him to reveal what and who we really are. Why not begin to journey this road of truthfulness and discovery of the real you, as you partner with the Holy Spirit. Don’t be fake, don’t pretend, rather begin to deal with the foundations of your life so that when tempests come, you will stand strong.
Ponder Point: Have I created an illusion of someone that I am not? Am I the same person in public as I am in private? Do I need to begin to journal (write down my Holy Spirit promptings) so that I can grow in an area of my life as the Holy Spirit directs?
DAY 13 DIGGING UP THE WELLS I was recently challenged by a question that was presented to me in my daily devotional readings. “Have you been limiting or impoverishing the ministry of Jesus to the point that He is unable to work in your life?” We can carry things from our past, that run so deep that we do not feel that we can live in freedom from the things that have held us captive. This can be presented in our thought life or in addictive behaviour and our hearts are heavy and despondent. Jesus says in John 14:1:
“Let not your hearts be troubled.....” Do we dare say to God, ‘my problem is too big, I have carried this too long for You. You can’t fix this God, I will just have to learn to deal with it myself!’ The work that Jesus did on the cross is for all of us and nothing is too big or too small for Him to deal with , yet oh so often we don’t really believe He is interested in our problems and circumstances or that it is just too deep or too big for Him to deal with. The beautiful promise of 1 Peter 5:7 says “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.” This builds strength, hope and faith in us even in the most trying of times knowing that our God is far bigger than anything that can come against us. We may not see victory immediately, but we have our Father who will journey through with us.
Ponder Point: Do I ever limit the effective power and working of God in my life because of my small thinking? What stops me from totally trusting God to see me through? What change do I need to make in the way I think about my problems versus who God is?
DAY 14 BREAK OUT- WHO IS GOD TO ME? “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so welladjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” - Romans 12:1-2 We can believe in God but live as if He doesn’t exist. Wow, that is a pretty powerful statement, but one that I think if we are truly honest, is something we should all be asking ourselves, ‘do I live this way’? We can be a full time student, business person or mum, but become a part time Christian. The fire has gone out in our hearts, where once we burnt bright and strong for God, He now takes a back seat and He doesn’t carry the same weight in our decision making as He once did. A very good way to determine this is to ask the question, ‘do I crave His presence, do I recognise His still small voice or am I just getting on with life and all that this entails with it consuming my every waking moment? Spiritually we can fall asleep and the God that we once enjoyed a vital living relationship with, is now just someone we go to in our times of greatest need. We barely give Him a thought in our day to day living and if we find ourselves at this point, it is a good time to stop and take stock of what has happened to our first love and where we need to go.
Ponder Point: God, have I slipped away slowly from that place of intimacy and love that I once had for You? Am I living as a part time Christian, inviting you only into my life when a crisis comes my way or I want something? God what are you challenging me to do differently from today onwards to rekindle the fire in my heart for You?
DAY 15 TIME IS OUR FRIEND We live in an instant society where we want everything quick. We don’t like to wait in queues, we pop our food into the microwave to be cooked quickly, we send a message on Facebook or email and if we don’t get a reply straight away we think there is something wrong and the list goes on and on. Just as we want everything to be quick with no waiting or delay in our everyday life, we can carry the same thinking into our spiritual life. We give our life to Christ, make a commitment to change an aspect of our life but when we make a mistake, seem to take two steps backwards in our walk, or change takes much longer than we anticipated, so we want to throw in the towel. When a baby is learning to walk, we don’t berate the child for not getting up and walking well, rather we encourage them, praise them and clap our hands at each endeavour to get up and try again. Healthy children will eventually find their feet and not only will they walk but they will begin to run. When we fall, make a mistake or struggle with an area in our Christian walk, we can allow discouragement to take hold and we are tempted to give up. Let’s not underestimate the power of time. Making little changes, little adjustments over a period of time, what an incredible difference this can make in the long haul.
Romans 8:25 ...we must wait patiently and confidently.” The good work that God has started in us will be brought to completion, we need to endure and keep pressing in. It won’t happen overnight but it will happen, if we stay the course and entrust our life into God’s hands. - Romans 8:25 Ponder Point: What area am I impatient for God to work in my life? What issues do I seem to be going around and around and never seem to have a breakthrough in? What is God speaking into my life about waiting patiently?
DAY 16 A POWERFUL WEAPON (TO BREAK OUT OF CONTAINMENT)
“So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” - Romans 10:17 Do you read your Bible for information or revelation? Information will never change you but revelation will. The danger for many Christians is that they become full of information which can lead to a religious spirit and even legalism. The Greek for ‘word’ in our verse is “rhema” not “logos”. “Rhema” means a living Godspoken word that jumps out at you especially when you are seeking direction from God. The writer of Hebrews describes it
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires” (Hebrews 4:12) If you want to break out of a mundane, flat-lined Christianity then don’t just read your bible as a discipline but with an attitude of Lord speak to me, change me and guide me. Be prepared to be challenged. Here’s a great Old Testament example:
“The gracious hand of his God was on him because Ezra had determined to study and obey the word... ”(Ezra 7:10) Approach God’s Word with an open and prepared heart and before you know it, you will be inspired to step out of your cosy Christian comfort zone and begin to taste the fruit of a faith filled life of adventure and impact.
Ponder Point: What is God speaking to me from His Word today? What has He exposed in my life that needs an adjustment?
DAY 17 BREAK OUT IN FINANCES We can be generous with finances but not necessarily wise! I have see people give money away to family like they had a ‘money tree’ in their back yard, but there was no wisdom attached to the giving, with little thought about their own personal financial security and planning for their retirement. As they got older, they had nothing, their ‘money tree’ had dried up.
“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. - Matthew 6:19-21 (MSG) I believe that God wants us to be generous, but also be wise. To give to those who will give back to us in some way, is not the giving that God is talking about in this passage. I believe that God wants us to give with abandonment, to His cause and towards the things that move His heart. Where we give our finances, it tells us where our heart is. If we give to God, counting out every dollar that we feel we ‘owe’ Him, then maybe we need to reexamine where our heart is. Let’s believe for a ‘break out’ year in our finances and giving, as we are wise in where we invest.
Ponder Point: Am I truly generous with my finances, or do I just give what is my act of worship as a Christian? Am I planning for my future, with God’s wisdom and good advice from sound wise people?
DAY 18 OUR NAVIGATOR “Do not come near it that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.” - Joshua 3:4 DGPS navigation is one of the best inventions, because it can take you from where you are; to where you want to be - even if you have never been to your destination before. Wouldn’t it be great to have that same GPS guidance for our lives? In this passage of scripture, Joshua and the Israelites are planning to cross the Jordan River to get to where God wanted them to be. It was the Ark of the Covenant (which in the Old Testament, is the very presence of God) which went before the people to guide the way. The people were to stay a distance from the ark, as the presence of God guided the way. If we are to break out into new things – from where we are to where God wants us to be – this is key:
Only God can guide us from where we are to where He wants us to be. He knows the way to go, how to avoid road blocks/hazards, and the most direct/successful route. Imagine what our church (and your life) would look like if we were all 100% dependant on God to be our spiritual GPS? Let God be the guidance to take you from where we are to where He wants us to be!
Ponder Point: Am I allowing God to be my GPS and guide my path or do I keep taking the reigns? What do I need to do differently in my thinking to see the direction of my life change?
DAY 19 A FRESH OUTBURST When you are weary, it feels like you are carrying a weight on your shoulders. It’s as though you are wearing an anchor around your neck that weighs you down. This weariness whether physical or emotional - has only one solution. The Lord Jesus! Countless numbers of times I have entered into an encounter with the Lord, either through prayer, a celebration service or life group gathering only to walk away refreshed and rejuvenated. Isaiah 40:31 says,
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint”. As we take part in this season of prayer and fasting, this is our opportunity to wait on the Lord and see Him break us out of anything that is weighing us down. God’s word is like iced water on a hot summer’s day, it rejuvenates and refreshes. Wait on Him in this season and allow Him to speak afresh into your situation to bring a restoration and a fresh outburst of His blessings in your life!
Ponder Point: Do I feel rejuvenated after spending time with God? If not, what do I need to do differently? How can I ‘wait on God’ to hear His voice?
DAY 20 WHO HOLDS YOUR CONTROL PANEL? A majority of people live life in a comfortable zone. It’s a day-to-day routine, with comfort and familiarity. The control panel of their life is set on ‘safe’. Their schedule is not to be interrupted. Things have been planned for the week, month and even a year in advance. It’s as if they are in a boat just drifting along close to shore; not venturing any further, life is safe and predictable. It’s time to leave the shore line and shallow waters. In Luke 5:4 Jesus challenges Simon to ‘launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught’. Jesus is challenging us to ‘Break Out’ from our comfort zone, our safe zone and launch out into the God zone. If you want to live life to the full and maximize the potential that God has for you, then step out in faith. Let your prayer be, ‘God, expand my borders, direct my steps as I start stepping out. I am willing!!!’
Ponder Point: What is stopping you from stepping out? Who is controlling your life..... Fear, routine, business, other people or are you allowing God to be in control? Step out and try something NEW for God this year.
DAY 21 THROUGH CHRIST WE CAN BREAK OUT! Philippians 4:12-13 “ I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” The apostle Paul here gives his perspective, experience and secret on the ability to break out from one tough circumstance or another…it’s through Christ! Many times I have let the boundaries and limits set by others, and my failures and short comings, determine my next step. I have found myself playing it safe and fence in what God truly has for me. I need to continually remind myself that ‘Through Christ I can break out!’ As a child, I dreamed about being a pilot. Due to this I loved reading about planes and the history of flight. Recently contemplating about the Wright Brothers…the guys who made flying around the world possible today! Did you know that their first flights had very limited success? Flight 1 on Dec 14th 1903 – they were only airborne for 3 seconds Flight 2 on Dec 17th 1903 – they were only airborne for 12 seconds Flight 3 on Dec 17th 1903 – they were only airborne for 59 seconds Those times in the air don’t seem like much do they? They only flew for a few seconds at a time. However, the fact is, it’s not about how long they flew but rather that they actually flew! They broke out and left the ground in controlled flight… a feat that man had been chasing since we first saw birds fly!
Ponder Point: What areas is Christ wanting you to break out from today? Through Christ we can break out and fly!
THIS IS MY STORY
ALL CHURCH
BREAKOUT PRAYER MEETING SUNDAY 21ST FEBRUARY 5 PM AT BUNDOORA CAMPUS