The Power of ONE! There is ONE body and ONE Spirit just as you were called in ONE hope

Transcription

1 The Power of ONE! There is ONE body and ONE Spirit just as you were called in ONE hope of your calling; ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism; ONE God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. ~ Ephesians 4:4 6 ~ Dear New Birth, We are moving forward in The Power of One. God has called us into these 21 days of prayer and fasting to focus on being one with the Lord, one with one another, and calling others into oneness with Christ. Our first priority is making sure that our vertical relationship is strong. In other words, as individuals, we renew our union with Christ and commit to strengthening our relationship with Him each day. Secondly, we focus on our horizontal relationships by rededicating our commitment to one another. In doing so, we prepare great groundwork to build upon as we continue to fulfill the Great Commission, which is our third focus as we consecrate ourselves. Jesus told His Disciples to Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you (Matthew 28:18 19). For the remainder of this fast, we will study John 15 and John 17 together. Each day, meditate on God s Word. As you read the selected passages, ask yourself: To answer these questions, read the passage listed for the day, ask the Holy Spirit for understanding, restate the text in your own words, and then put the Word into practice in your life, in our church and in your community. We will also pray daily for ourselves, our church and the unsaved. I look forward to meeting each of you in prayer on the Morning Prayer Call at 6:30 a.m. EST ( , code: #), and in service on Sundays at 9:00 a.m, on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m., and in Corporate Prayer on Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. New Birth, let s continue to Love, Live and Lead like Christ. We are moving forward in The Power of One. Amazed by His Grace, Bishop Eddie L. Long The Power of One

2 Devotional Monday, February 13, 2012 Read: John 15:1 4 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 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. Thank the Lord for abiding in you. Commit to maintaining this vital union with Christ through prayer, study of His Word, and obedience to Him. Thank Him for pruning you so that you will bear greater fruit. Pray that all of New Birth will draw nearer to the Lord and submit to His Pruning. Declare that those who are not saved will cry out, What must I do to be saved? Tuesday, February 14, 2012 Read: John 15:5 8 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. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

3 Acknowledge that without Christ you can do nothing. Pray that your desires will be one with the Word of God. Declare that our unity with Christ is evident to the world because New Birth bears much fruit. The fruit of our lives and the fruit from our corporate body brings so much glory to God that it causes others to want to be Disciples for Christ as well. Pray that those who do not know Christ will surrender to Him, deny themselves, take up their cross, follow Him and become His Disciples. Wednesday, February 15, 2012 Read: John 15:9 11 As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. Pray for yourself to maintain joyful obedience that comes from abiding in Christ s love. Pray that New Birth follows hard after God and keeps His Commandments, so that our joy may be full. Pray that your neighbors are drawn to Jesus Christ in true faith and godly repentance, so they can experience the joy of the Lord. Thursday, February 16, 2012 Read: John 15:12 13 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one s life for his friends. Think about how much Jesus loves you and thank Him for His Love.

4 Declare that New Birth has a sacrificial love for one another, the Body of Christ and the unsaved. Pray that the hearts of the lost be softened to receive the love of Christ. Friday, February 17, 2012 Read: John 15:14 15 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. Give gratitude for your friendship with Christ and His Revelation Knowledge of His Will. Pray that Bishop Long will always hear the voice of the Lord clearly as the Lord makes His Will known to him. Declare that all of the Staff and Leadership of New Birth operate on one accord. Prepare the way of global salvation by declaring that multitudes around the world renounce friendship with the world and receive the friendship of Christ by accepting Him as their Lord and Savior. Saturday, February 18, 2012 Read: John 15:16 17 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another. Ask God to show you what assignment He has chosen and appointed for you to fulfill. Thank Him that you bear fruit and fruit that remains. Pray that every New Birth member walks in their God given assignment and bears good fruit, and as they become active and grow effective in ministry, their fruit will remain.

5 Decree and declare that your family and friends are being prepared to hear and understand the Good News that God has chosen them, and that they will not reject Him when the Gospel is presented but will experience authentic conversion. Sunday, February 19, 2012 Read: John 15:18 27 If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, They hated Me without a cause. But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. Thank the Lord for showing you how to handle haters and bless God for your Heavenly Helper who is the Holy Spirit. Declare that New Birth is awakened and is activating the power within to obey Matthew 5:44 which commands us to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use us and persecute us, that we may show ourselves to be sons of our Heavenly Father. Declare that the Spirit of Truth opens the eyes of the unsaved and they will be delivered from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God s dear Son. Monday, February 20, 2012 Read: John 17:1 5 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may

6 know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. Even though you are not done, thank God for causing you to finish all of the work that He gave you to do just as Jesus did. Ask Him for wisdom so that He will be glorified by your work. Declare according to Habakkuk 2:14 that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Ask God to use New Birth to fulfill His Word. Pray for opportunities to advance the Kingdom of God, subdue the seven mountains (arts and entertainment, business, education, family, government, media and religion) and share the Gospel with the world. In the name of Jesus Christ and by His Authority, declare that eternal life comes now to the lost in our communities. They will know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. Tuesday, February 21, 2012 Read: John 17:6 8 I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. Pray that your life will provide such a strong witness for Christ that others will hear your testimony, see your good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Pray that all New Birth Leaders and Members will faithfully study God s Word, meditate upon it and keep His Word daily. Declare and decree that New Birth will not harden her heart, but will listen to and obey the Holy Spirit s voice when He speaks. Pray that God will continually send people into the lives of the unsaved so that they will believe in Jesus Christ and be saved. Declare that they will not die in their sins, but they will trust God and confess salvation through Christ.

7 Wednesday, February 22, 2012 Read: John 17:9 11 I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 2. How will I apply what I read today in my personal life my church, and my community? Thank the Lord for keeping you, as one with Him, through every circumstance. Decree and declare according to I Corinthians 1:10 by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among us, and that we be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Pray that the world will see unity in the Body of Christ, and they will be attracted to become a part of the Kingdom of God because of what they see. Thursday, February 23, 2012 Read: John 17:12 13 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. Thank the Lord today for your salvation. It is because of Christ that you are not lost. Thank Him for continually speaking a proceeding word to you that gives you direction so that His Joy and His

8 Strength is fulfilled in you every day. Ask God to lead you to someone today who needs to hear your testimony. Declare that New Birth is kept by the Lord and none who are ordained by God to be a part of New Birth will be out of place. Declare according to 2 nd Peter 3:9, God s promise of longsuffering with the lost. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Friday, February 24, 2012 Read: John 17:14 19 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. Ask God to sanctify you (purify, consecrate, separate you for Himself, make you holy). Declare that New Birth is sanctified by God s Word. Pray according to Ephesians 4:13 (New Living Translation), that all New Birth Members will come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Thank God for sending us as witnesses into the world to minister truth to every person. Pray that they will see their need for Christ and receive His Forgiveness and Love today. Saturday, February 25, 2012 Read: John 17:20 23 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in

9 one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Pray for compassion for those who are lost and boldness to share the Gospel with people daily so that others will believe in Christ through your words. Decree and declare that the glory of the Lord has risen upon New Birth. We are one and the world knows that we are God s Disciples because we have love for one another. The spirit of love permeates through our church. Prophesy salvation for those who need Christ. Declare that they will not be deceived, but will accept Christ s love and be born again. Sunday, February 26, 2012 Read: John 17:24 26 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. This day, thank God for placing His Love in you to share with others. Decree and declare that New Birth is full of God s Love. With singleness of heart, we love one another as a close knit family. Pray that entire families are drawn to Christ by His Love. Generations are blessed as divine order is set in the bloodline and children yet unborn will praise the Lord!