DAY ONE 1.6.20 Why 21 Days Hey everyone, this is Pastor Steve and I am so glad that you are participating in 21 days of prayer and fasting. Our aim in this season as a church is to pursue a Jesus-centered life together. You are listening to the Prayer Guide for Day 1. Each day we will send you a brand-new audio prayer guide with scripture, a short devotional thought, and a guided prayer time… So let’s jump in! Scripture And behold, a hand touched Devotional Thought Reading me and set me trembling on my Daniel 10:10-14 hands and knees. And he said You may remember these verses we have to PUSH, to Pray Until to me, “O Daniel, man greatly from yesterday’s message. I Something Happens. We have to loved, understand the words that wanted to start our 21 days keep praying until God gives us I speak to you, and stand upright, with a reminder of why we are clarity on His answer. for now I have been sent to you.” doing this. We are in this season And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then because we want to pursue the Over the next 21 days, you are he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for Jesus centered life together. going to be tempted to give up, from the first day that you set your But you may wonder, why 21 to give in. If you are fasting, you heart to understand and humbled days? The reason is simple, this are going to feel the pressure of yourself before your God, your is a biblical time period of prayer, what you are abstaining from words have been heard, and I have from the book of Daniel… the begin to creep up on you. If you come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia same one who was thrown in are praying, you may feel like withstood me twenty-one days, the lion’s den. Daniel was in a your prayers are just bouncing off but Michael, one of the chief season of deep prayer and fasting the ceiling. But don’t give up… princes, came to help me, for I in Daniel chapter 10. The Bible Don’t give in! Persevere. was left there with the kings of tells us that he began calling Persia, and came to make you out to God and fasted, eating As Daniel 10 teaches us, when understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. no delicacies, meat or wine. He we pray we are engaging in a For the vision is for days yet to was serious about seeking God. spiritual battle. The angel sent come.” But the interesting thing is that from God spoke of a spiritual God did not immediately answer battle that raged even while Daniel’s prayer. Daniel prayed. The same thing is true as we fast and pray. The As we talked about in the good news is that God has message yesterday, Daniel had already won the battle. Jesus to persevere in prayer in order to said, “take heart; I have overcome experience the breakthrough he the world.” So as we pray, let’s was looking for from God. Don’t persevere together. get this twisted… I’m not saying that the more that you prayer the more you get what you want. But I am saying that sometimes Prayer Time Let’s take a moment right now as you are listening to stop and pray. This will be a guided prayer time, so I’ll give you specific prompts on what to pray from God’s Word. If at any point you need some additional time to pray, simply press pause and resume whenever you are ready. 1. In Daniel 10:10, Daniel is referred to as a “man greatly loved” by God. Jesus and ask for His power to repent. Ask for God’s strength to That description is also true of you. You are a man or woman greatly remain humble. loved by God. Lift a prayer of praise to God for His steadfast love in 5. The angel told Daniel, “your words have been heard.” Realize that your life. no matter your feeling or emotions as you pray, your words are being 2. “Fear not” is what Daniel heard from the angel in Daniel 10:12. In the heard by the God of the universe. Life a prayer of praise for God’s midst of his trembling and fear, Daniel was reassured that God had willingness to listen and respond to our prayers. heard him. Take a moment to pray about any fears or anxieties as you 6. For 21 days, a spiritual battle unfolded as Daniel prayed. Ask God for enter into this 21 days of prayer and fasting. Ask God to remove that strength to persevere in prayer over the next three weeks. Commit to fear and replace it with the reassurance of His peace. seek Him no matter the opposition in this time. 3. We are told that when Daniel started to pray at the beginning of those 7. When the angel appeared to Daniel following his 21 days of prayer 21 days that he set his heart to understand and humbled himself and fasting, it was to deliver a vision. Ask that God would use this 21 before the Lord. Express your desire to understand more about God days to bring you a fresh vision for your life, whether that is in your as you seek Him in these 21 days. relationship with God, your circumstances, or your future impact. 4. Now humble yourself before the Lord. Confess any sin that may create distraction in this season. Trust in God’s forgiveness through Father, thank you for hearing my prayers. We’re committing this 21 days to you in prayer and fasting. Like Daniel, we know we are engaging in spiritual battle, but we acknowledge your victory today. Give us the strength to persevere that we may know you more and the vision that you have for our lives. In Jesus name, Amen. Thanks for participating today in 21 days of Prayer and Fasting. Look for a new prayer guide available at 6:00am tomorrow morning. For more prayer and fasting resources, please visit fbca.com. DAY TWO 1.7.20 Becoming People Of Prayer Hey everyone, this is Pastor Myles and I am so glad that you are participating in 21 days of prayer and fasting. Our aim in this season as a church is to pursue a Jesus-centered life together. You are listening to the Prayer Guide for Day 2. Each day we will send you a brand-new audio prayer guide with scripture, a short devotional thought, and a guided prayer time… So let’s jump in! Scripture The word of the Lord came to Devotional Thought Reading Jeremiah a second time, while he When the Lord comes to the vehicle that brings us to our Jeremiah 33:1-3 was still shut up in the court of the guard: ”Thus says the Lord Jeremiah, he gives him simple destination, but rather, what if it who made the earth, the Lord instructions: “Call to me and is the destination? who formed it to establish it—the I will answer you and will tell Lord is his name: Call to me and I you great and hidden things that Paul said in 1 Thessalonians will answer you, and will tell you you have not known.” These are 5:16–18, “Rejoice always, pray great and hidden things that you have not known. such powerful words; a promise continually, give thanks in all from God. Our heavenly father circumstances; for this is God’s desires to know us and to walk will for you in Christ Jesus.” in daily communion with us. Here, Paul gives clear instruction Many of us have experienced the to the church at Thessalonica: power of prayer in our own lives pray continually. We are to pray and we’ve heard stories of lives without stopping. An ongoing changed through prayer. So, how conversation with the One who can we live a lifestyle of ongoing laid the foundation of the earth. conversation with our Heavenly Father; the one who formed us, Prayer is essential in our pursuit knows us, and in spite of our to live a Jesus-centered life. failures… He loves us. Whatever has gone on in the past, you can decide today All too often we reserve prayer that you’re going to become for times of need. We need a person who prays. I believe provision, so we pray. We need that when we fully embrace a anointing, we pray. We need lifestyle of prayer, we will begin healing, or deliverance, or to experience the breakthrough cleansing, we pray. But what if power of the holy spirit in we talked to God not out of need, our lives, in our families, but out of relationship? What in our churches and in our if we viewed prayer as not just communities. Prayer Time Let’s take a moment right now as you are listening to stop and pray. This will be a guided prayer time, so I’ll give you specific prompts on what to pray from God’s Word. If at any point you need some additional time to pray, simply press pause and resume whenever you are ready. 1. In Jeremiah 33:3, the Lord instructs Jeremiah to call out to Him.