Week 1 Prayer Guide

Thank you for participating with us in a season of spiritual focus and renewal as we begin a new year.  Setting aside 21 days for prayer is a powerful way to start a new season and to seek revival in our hearts, intercede for the needs around us, and seek God for His wisdom in our lives.

May the Lord richly bless you as you participate in these daily devotions.

Each day, we will pray: P. R. A. Y.

DAY 1: GOD'S GOODNESS

P. Pausing to be still.

Go to your quiet place.
Clear your mind from the day’s demands, as best as you can.
For a few minutes be still, be silent, and know God is near.

Start your day with this brief prayer:
“Heavenly Father, thank you for your presence. Prepare my heart now Lord, through your Spirit, to receive your goodness and meet the obligations of the day so that all my interactions express the love of Jesus Christ and glorify you. Amen.”

R. Rejoicing and reflecting on a Psalm.

“Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wondrous works to the children of man!
For he satisfies the longing soul,

and the hungry soul he fills with good things.”
Psalm 107:8-9 (ESV)

A. Asking God to help us and others.

“Almighty Father, it is your special mercy to give your Son, and with him all things, to the highly favored objects of your love.
"From all eternity, you planned, ordered, willed, appointed and prepared the great salvation of the gospel. You chose Christ as the head, and the church as the body of this amazing work of redemption.
"Blessed, holy, and compassionate Lord God! For the sake of Jesus fulfill your promises daily in my soul. Bear me up, carry me through, and strengthen me in Christ, That I may walk in his name, until you bring me to see his face in your eternal home, and I will dwell under the light of his countenance forever, Amen.”  
Robert Hawker (1753-1827)

Y. Yielding to God's will in our lives, come what may.

God Eternal, help me to yield to your will through the Holy Spirit. Give me a desire to participate in the activities of the church that I might develop the holy habits that you have commissioned through your servants.

May I never take for granted the gift of your Goodness. Help me to love you, love others and live out my faith as a living sacrifice for your honor and glory.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

DAY 2: FASTING

P. Pausing to be still.

Go to your quiet place.
Clear your mind from the day’s demands, as best as you can.
For a few minutes be still, be silent, and know God is near.

Start your day with this brief prayer:
“Heavenly Father, thank you for your presence. Prepare my heart now Lord, through your Spirit, to receive your goodness and meet the obligations of the day so that all my interactions express the love of Jesus Christ and glorify you. Amen.”

R. Rejoicing and reflecting on a Psalm.

“Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good God is.

Blessed are you who run to him.
Worship God if you want the best;

worship opens doors to all his goodness.
Young lions on the prowl get hungry,

but God-seekers are full of God.”
Psalm 34:8-10 (MSG)

A. Asking God to help us and others.

““Father, thank You for cleansing me—spirit, soul, and body. All my ways seem innocent to me, but my motives are weighed by You, my Lord and my Master. I commit this fast to You, and my plans will succeed.”
Germaine Copeland

Y. Yielding to God's will in our lives, come what may.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the opportunity to participate in the ancient practice of fasting. Help me, through this discipline, to learn to depend on you more, to reestablish appropriate boundaries for my disordered desires, and to realize it is ok not to always get my way. Strengthen me through your Holy Spirit as I abstain from this object. Enable me to give myself grace if I stumble and give me a humble heart if I succeed. This I pray in Jesus’ name,  Amen.

DAY 3: DEFEATING ADDICTION & SIN

P. Pausing to be still.

Go to your quiet place.
Clear your mind from the day’s demands, as best as you can.
For a few minutes be still, be silent, and know God is near.

Start your day with this brief prayer:
“Heavenly Father, thank you for your presence. Prepare my heart now Lord, through your Spirit, to receive your goodness and meet the obligations of the day so that all my interactions express the love of Jesus Christ and glorify you. Amen.”

R. Rejoicing and reflecting on a Psalm.

“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

    and he delivered them from their distress.
He sent out his word and healed them,

   and delivered them from their destruction.”
Psalm 107:19-20 (ESV)

A. Asking God to help us and others.

“Heavenly Father, save me entirely from sin.  I am your child and should bear your image, enable me to recognize my death to sin.
  When it tempts me may I be deaf to its voice.
  Deliver me from the invasion as well as the dominion of sin.
  Grant me to walk as Christ walked, to live in the newness of his life, the life of love, the life of faith, the life of holiness.
  Forgive me of all these vices, have mercy on my corrupt and wandering heart.
  Cleanse this spiritual duplicity and purify me; close my heart to all but you.
  Sin is my great curse: Let your victory be apparent to my consciousness, and displayed in my life.
  Fill me with grace daily, that my life may be a fountain of sweet water.”
-The Valley of Vision

Y. Yielding to God's will in our lives, come what may.

Lord God Almighty, I need your grace and mercy and love every moment of my life. I struggle with things that dishonor you and are bad for me. I cry out to you for deliverance from this addiction and sin. Provide wise counsel and Christian support that I may see my sin for what it is; so very very costly, debilitating, and destructive to me, my family and friends.

I have tried in my own willpower without success. I surrender this addiction to you now. I yield my will to be in control to you and your Spirit for you are the only way to a  healthy life . I thank you for your promise to hear your children who cry out to you. Help me to receive Christ’s healing for it is in his powerful name I pray. Amen.

DAY 4: WEAKNESS

P. Pausing to be still.

Go to your quiet place.
Clear your mind from the day’s demands, as best as you can.
For a few minutes be still, be silent, and know God is near.

Start your day with this brief prayer:
“Heavenly Father, thank you for your presence. Prepare my heart now Lord, through your Spirit, to receive your goodness and meet the obligations of the day so that all my interactions express the love of Jesus Christ and glorify you. Amen.”

R. Rejoicing and reflecting on a Psalm.

“My flesh and my heart may fail,

      but God is the strength of my heart

      and my portion forever.”
Psalm 73:26 (NIV)

A. Asking God to help us and others.

“O Spirit of God, help me with my infirmities;
 Help me when I am pressed down with a load of sorrow,
  perplexed and knowing not what to do.
If you see in me
  any wrong thing encouraged,
  any evil desire cherished,
  any delight that is not your delight,
  any habit that grieves you,
  any nest of sin in my heart,
  then grant me the kiss of your forgiveness.
Teach my feet to walk the way of your commandments,
  lead me safely to the eternal kingdom,
  and be brought to your house in peace.”        
-The Valley of Vision

Y. Yielding to God's will in our lives, come what may.

God Eternal, help me to yield to your will through the Holy Spirit. I am weak but you are strong. I am imperfect but I have a Perfect Friend standing for me in your presence. My spirit is frail but I have your mighty Spirit indwelling in me. Dismantle those things that weaken and injure me. Then build me back up to receive the life I was meant to live. Work through my weakness that I may be shown strong in your power. I pray this in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

DAY 5: SPIRITUAL REVIVAL

P. Pausing to be still.

Go to your quiet place.
Clear your mind from the day’s demands, as best as you can.
For a few minutes be still, be silent, and know God is near.

Start your day with this brief prayer:
“Heavenly Father, thank you for your presence. Prepare my heart now Lord, through your Spirit, to receive your goodness and meet the obligations of the day so that all my interactions express the love of Jesus Christ and glorify you. Amen.”

R. Rejoicing and reflecting on a Psalm.

“Restore us, God Almighty;

      make your face shine on us,

      that we may be saved.”
Psalm 80:7 (NIV)

A. Asking God to help us and others.

Holy Father, bring spiritual revival to my life and to the life of the Church. I know you don’t need me to initiate restoration. You are All-sufficient. But, I do know you can work through me if I will obey your calling to act. Let me respond as Isaiah did, ‘Here I am Lord, send me.’ I commit myself to a season of prayer and fasting and I pray that others will do the same. History shows us repeatedly that great revivals happen when your Spirit moves among those who seek and hear him through disciplined prayer and fasting. Restore us to a right relationship with you. O God, may we be a congregation that abides in your will for your honor and your glory, Amen.

Y. Yielding to God's will in our lives, come what may.

“O Lord, I have no grace by nature. I have no power to cleanse my own heart.

I have defaced your image, but I cannot repair it. I can say with the apostle that when I want to do well, evil is present with me, but I find no means to do what I desire.

Lord, I have heard of your grace and truth. Your grace is unsearchable. Your word is purer than silver, seven times refined. Oh make good your promises! Replenish me with your grace! Amen.”   
     -Isaac Ambrose (1604-1663)

DAY 6: SABBATH REST

P. Pausing to be still.

Go to your quiet place.
Clear your mind from the day’s demands, as best as you can.
For a few minutes be still, be silent, and know God is near.

Start your day with this brief prayer:
“Heavenly Father, thank you for your presence. Prepare my heart now Lord, through your Spirit, to receive your goodness and meet the obligations of the day so that all my interactions express the love of Jesus Christ and glorify you. Amen.”

R. Rejoicing and reflecting on a Psalm.

“Let my soul be at rest again,

       for the Lord has been good to me.”
Psalm 116:7 (NLT)

A. Asking God to help us and others.

Gracious and Merciful Father, thank you for giving us Sabbath, a day of rest. Without this rhythm we would be haggard and destitute of joy. I often fail to use this time wisely. Help me now Father to experience your sabbath rest. A time for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.

Help me to be mindful of the unhealthiness of the frantic pace the world calls me to. Let me reject the notion that my worth is based on activity. My only worth is found in you. Grant me, therefore to embrace this day of relaxation and savor this quality time with you, family, and friends. I pray all this in Christ Jesus’ name, Amen.

Y. Yielding to God's will in our lives, come what may.

“Blessed Creator, You have promised your beloved sleep.
Give me restoring rest needful for tomorrow’s toil.
Let your Spirit make my time of tranquility a blessed temple of his holy presence.
Keep me always ready, waiting on your presence.
Weaken my attachment to earthly things.
May I hold life loosely in my hand, knowing that I receive it on condition of surrender.
Show yourself to me as the God of all grace, love and power.
Permit me to commit myself to you awake or asleep. Amen.”
-The Valley of Vision

DAY 7: WORSHIP & PRAYER

P. Pausing to be still.

Go to your quiet place.
Clear your mind from the day’s demands, as best as you can.
For a few minutes be still, be silent, and know God is near.

Start your day with this brief prayer:
Heavenly Father, prepare my heart, through your Spirit, that the praise and worship I give you today will be an acceptable expression of my love for you, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

R. Rejoicing and reflecting on a Psalm.

Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;

    praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;

    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,

    praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing,

    praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,

    praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  
Psalm 150 (NIV)

A. Asking God to help us and others.

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise him all creatures here below;

Praise him above, ye heav’nly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”
- Doxology

Y. Yielding to God's will in our lives, come what may.

“Eternal One, there can be nothing better than to praise your name, O Lord, and to declare your lovingkindness in the morning, on your holy and blessed Sabbath day! For it is your will and command that we set aside this day to serve and praise you.

We declare your greatness and power. You reign over all. You give grace to all. Power and strength are in your hands. Yours is the glory and the victory, forevermore, and we praise you. Amen.”
- Lewis Bayly (1575 - 1631)