Pray Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

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Bethany Horn
5 years ago
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1 Day 1: Pray Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. NIV Anytime we desire to be refreshed in God it will begin with repentance. This scripture highlights what we are to do, how this looks, what happens when we obey, and what promise we can believe God for. 1. What Should I Do? Repent Repentance is a biblical term which means to change one s mind and turn away from sin which is opposed to God. 2. How This Looks? Turn to God Our natural tendency when we feel ashamed or embarrassed of our sins is to run away from God, but true biblical repentance is not a feeling that we experience, it is an action that we take by intentionally turning from what we know is wrong and turning towards what we know is right. 3. What Happens When We Obey? Sins Are Cleansed When we acknowledge what is wrong in our lives by turning away and then we intentionally turn to God and his ways, God promises that He will cleanse our sins. 4. What Promise You Can Believe? Refreshing Will Come If we will turn from what is wrong and turn our lives toward God, He promises us that He will forgive our sins, and that He will refresh us. With the hectic pace of life and the constant vying for our attention, we are often left with a weary and worn out feeling of emptiness and exhaustion. We need to be refreshed. If you desire to be refreshed, start by taking an inventory of your life and ask the Lord if there is anything you need to repent of. When God reveals something to you, don t hesitate, but take action. When you do this, God promises to wash away your sins and then you can believe that God will refresh you in His presence.

2 Day 2: Pray: Psalm 145:18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. NIV We will periodically go through seasons of life when we feel that God is far away. While these moments can feel overwhelming and hard to go through, we must remember two things that David highlights which will help us to navigate through these seasons. 1. The Lord is near to all who call on him. If we desire God to be near, we must be willing to pray. Prayer not only draws us closer to God, but it also draws God closer to us. Do not allow dry seasons to convince you to quiet your prayers, but instead press through these moments and believe that God will draw near to you even if you do not feel him. 2. God draws near to those who call on him in truth. Sometimes we do not know how to pray for a situation, or we may be overcome and overwhelmed with life. David reminds us that when we pray the truth of God's word we can trust that God will draw near to us. If you feel stumped in prayer or you feel your prayers are being hindered, stop and repent of any unknown sins that could be hindering your walk with God. Secondly, make a list of promises found in God's Word or scriptures which speak to your heart and begin to pray those. God responds to His Word! Again, this is not based on a feeling, it is based on our obedience. A few promises you could pray are: -Deliverance (Psalm 50:15) -Freedom (John 8:36) -Strength to overcome fear (Isaiah 41:10) -God s Spirit for our children (Isaiah 44:3) -Restoring broken family relationships (Malachi 4:6) -God goes before you (Deuteronomy 31:8)

3 Day 3: Pray: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. NIV We may go through struggles and trials in life, but we must be reminded that God desires to renew us inwardly. He will touch our minds, our will and our emotions. This renewal from God is a process it happens day by day. You must be willing to commit to God s renewing process if you are going to find the peace which comes from God. When we recognize that life is more than what we can see, what we can obtain, or even how we physically feel, we can begin to focus our eyes on the eternal things that God has prepared for us. There is a dimension to life that is far beyond what you can taste, touch, feel and see, it is the unseen world. When God renews you day by day, He will develop your taste for His Word. He will develop your vision to see things which others can t see. He will tune your ear to hear what the Spirit is saying. 1. Renewal is a process- Be committed to God s renewal process. Allow God to touch you deeply in your hidden parts. When we allow God into our secret places, He begins to transform us for His glory. 2. Focus on Eternity- Remember that the life you live now is merely preparation for the eternity you will inherit. Don t allow temporary struggles or temptations to cause you to lose your focus on eternity.

4 Day 4: Pray: Psalm 103:1-5 1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle s. NIV The act of praising God comes from the depths of who we are and flows out of our lives. One of the ways to make praise a habit in your life is by choosing to focus on the benefits that come from being a child of God. When we begin to verbalize in faith what God has done in our lives it becomes very difficult to not feel your faith begin to rise and your spirit feel refreshed. 1. Live a life of praise- God responds to those who praise His name. David did not just say words of praise, David embodied a life of praise. Praising God touched the depths of his life and became a lifestyle. Consider whether or not your praise to God is words that are simple spoken or a life of praise that is lived. 2. Refreshing comes through remembering- Spend some time reminding yourself where God has brought you from and what God has done for you. Whenever you feel overwhelmed and discouraged remind yourself that God knows who you are and what you are presently going through and He has a plan for your life.

5 Day 5: Pray: John 7:37-39 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. c 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. NIV Being filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit requires us to thirst and believe. If we desire to be refreshed in the presence of the Lord by being baptized in the Holy Spirit, we must desire to experience all that God has for us. Once our desire is cultivated, we will act upon our desire through believing that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is available today and that it is God s desire for me to experience what He has made available. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was made available for anyone who thirsts for the experience and believes. Jesus came to this earth, died on the cross for our sins and was raised to life on the third day and ascended into heaven. Now that Jesus has been glorified, we can and should experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit. When the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs in our lives it is an empowering moment where we relinquish complete control of our lives to the Holy Spirit and we are equipped for service in the Kingdom and refreshed by the empowering of the Holy Spirit. If you desire to be baptized in the Holy Spirit all you need to do is repent of your sins, believe that God desires you to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and begin to worship and praise God. As you do this, God promises to baptize us in the power of the Holy Spirit. 1. Thirst First- You must desire to experience what God has made available for you before you will receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Ask for God to cultivate a desire and a thirst for the presence of God at a new dimension in your life. Intentionally place yourself in environments where God s presence is felt and experienced. The more you experience the Holy Spirit the more you will develop a thirst and desire for the Holy Spirit in your life. 2. Believe to Receive- After we develop a thirst for the baptism of the Holy Spirit we must believe if we are to receive. Belief is the precursor to receiving. Belief opens the door for the Holy Spirit to fill your life and flow through you and develop the fruits and gifts that accompany the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Abba, Father. Romans 8:14-17

Abba, Father. Romans 8:14-17 Romans 8:14-17 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by