FASTING GOD S WAY 2017 Fasting and Prayer combined is a time when we God s people consecrate and dedicate ourselves to the purposes of God. Our church takes seriously the teachings of Christ on prayer and fasting. We believe these spiritual disciplines bring greater effectiveness in our lives and in our Ministry (Matt. 17: 14-21). When God's people fast and pray with proper Biblical motives, seeking God's face not His hand, and with a broken, repentant, and contrite spirit, God will hear from heaven and heal our lives, our churches, our communities, our nation and world. We are inviting everyone who is physically capable to unite and participate as a part of the Church s season of Prayer and Fasting. It is a time when we demonstrate our desire to honor God, to intercede for those in need, and to ask for His continued blessings. Fasting combined with Prayer is a powerful Spiritual discipline. It is the means by and through which the Holy Spirit can and will transform your life! True prayer and fasting are attitudes of the heart and cries of the soul. But we must forever remember that God's Word has a strong rebuke for those who fast for the wrong reasons and motives or in an improper manner. Here are some examples from Scripture: A. The King of Israel, Ahab, fasted with evil motives. I Kings 21:4 B. The Jews fasted to themselves, not to the Lord. Zechariah 7:1-14 C. The Pharisees fasted twice a week, hypocritically. Matthew 9:14; Luke 18:12. There are many purposes for Scriptural Prayer and Fasting. Here are just a few: To establish a deeper personal relationship with God. 1
To unite our hearts as a Church over specific areas of need in our Membership and our Commuity. To strengthen the families of our Church so that our impact upon our Community can be increased. To collectively cry out to God for His mercy and direction for our political Leaders. To interceed on behalf of our Country and our World. To collectively see God s will in His church. These and other reasons are justifiable reasons why Saints should engage in Corporate Prayer and Fasting. When our motives for Prayer and Fasting are pure and in line with Scripture, God will hear and answer according to His Divine will. So, here are some things to consider before entering into this season of Corporate Fasting and Prayer. 1. If God does not lead you to fast, don't fast! God will not lead you to fast if you are not totally open to His leadership. 2. Determine in advance the length of the fast God is leading you to undertake. 3. If God leads you to a fast, He has specific reasons and purposes in mind. Before you fast, determine the purposes of your fast and write them down. 4. Identify, confess, and repent of all revealed sin before and during your fast. Continue to ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any concealed area where you feel separated from God. Unconfessed sin and disobedience will hinder your prayer and fasting. 5. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's prompting in all areas of your life, since God will often require you to seek reconciliation or restoration in broken relationships. 2
6. Pray fervently and continually. 7. Saturate your Spirit with large quantities of scripture through hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on God's Word. Ask God to reveal what He wants you to read and study in His Word. 8. Always reserve time to be still and quiet before the Lord to hear and receive from Him. 9. Keep a journal of your purposes for fasting. This should contain specific prayer requests, written prayer, devotional thoughts, and spiritual insights you are gaining during your fast. 10. Skipping meals alone will not result in a meaningful fast. There must be quality time set aside for you to seek God s face and receive Spiritual insight. 11. While you are alone you might consider praying aloud at times. Getting on your face before God at other times is Scriptural. These postures symbolize the proper attitude in prayer and fasting. 12. Give praises to God verbally in Spiritual songs, expressing His goodness in your life (WORSHIP HIM). Daniel 9:3, And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes. Ezra 8:21, Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. Ezra 8:23, So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us. Matthew 6:16-18, Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3
If you are comfortable with your relationship with God and that you can dedicate this time to engage with your Church in a season of Corporate Prayer and Fasting, then let s begin with great anticipation that God will hear and answer us! We will begin our 30 Days of Prayer and Fasting on Friday March 17, 2017 with the final day of the Prayer and Fasting on Saturday April 15, 2017. On Resurrection Morning, April 16, 2017 we will collectively BREAK our FAST as we celebrate our deliverance from the bondages of eternal condemnation that Jesus guaranteed for us when He Rose from the grave. DAILY CORPORATE PRAYER FOCUS: DAY ONE, MARCH 17: Read Matthew 5:1-12. Ask God for your heart to be pure as you pray. DAY TWO, MARCH 18: Read Luke 11:1-8. Pray the Lord s Prayer. However, pray this prayer differently. Declare the sounds of Heaven will release the will of God and penetrate the atmosphere that surrounds you and your region. DAY THREE, MARCH 19: Read Psalm 47. Release a hand clap and a shout to the Lord for the victory that is ahead. Clapping confuses the enemy. DAY FOUR, MARCH 20: Read Joel 2. As God leads, pray this over the specific area the Spirit of God quickens in your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit for dreams, visions, and revelations of Jesus Christ to overtake his people. Declare that the sword of violence will be traded for the Sword of the Spirit. DAY FIVE, MARCH 21: Read and Declare Psalm 60 and Romans 9. Pray that Christians around the world will fervently seek and receive their "marching orders" The Lord of Armies, and that we will receive HIS strategies for dismantling or nullifying those planned by the enemy. DAY SIX, MARCH 22: Read 2 Timothy 1 and Galatians 3. Bind the spirit of fear that religion releases. Superstition, insinuations, suspicion, condemnation and fear must be brought under subjection. Bind the spirit of fear controlling individuals and causing them to remain in stagnation, ineffectiveness and dormancy. 4
DAY SEVEN, MARCH 23: Read Romans 8. Pray that those lost in the corridors of Religion will begin to understand the spirit of adoption and the true power of walking in God s Word. DAY EIGHT, MARCH 24: Read Acts 26 and II Corinthians 10. Pray that the Church begins to understand the gift of Grace. Bind the demonic forces that are holding minds in captivity. Also pray that we will move in unity and discipline, to His heartbeat and in His timing. DAY NINE, MARCH 25: Read Jeremiah 44 and Jeremiah 7:18. Pray that religious walls will be brought down, and the millions of people under its cruel dominion of religion may be set free! DAY TEN, MARCH 26: Read Isaiah 25, especially verse 10. The stage is rapidly being set for El Elyon, God Most High, to accomplish this His will. Pray that we would not get ahead or fall behind God's agenda. DAY ELEVEN, MARCH 27: Read and declare Psalm 19. As you read this Psalm, declare that God s glory will come forth into your house, Church, business, city, state, and nation. The heavens declare God s glory. Enter into Heaven s declaration. DAY TWELVE, MARCH 28: Read Psalm 120. Declare that the enemies of the Gospel will be overcome. DAY THIRTEEN, MARCH 29: Read Psalms 121 and 122. Look up beyond your circumstances. Seek Him and ask Him to help you in the areas that you need help. DAY FOURTEEN, MARCH 30: Read Exodus 19. Declare that we will begin to hear the true trumpet sound of the Lord. DAY FIFTEEN, MARCH 31: Read Numbers 10. Let the sound of the Lord that will cause you to move into a new position of victory, come forth. Declare the enemies of the Lord will be defeated. DAY SIXTEEN, APRIL 1: Read Psalm 81. Declare a revival anointing will come into our congregation and revival praying will begin to occur to our region. DAY SEVENTEEN, APRIL 2: Read Hosea 8. Lift your voice and shout with a voice of victory by the power of Heaven. 5
DAY EIGHTEEN, APRIL 3: Read Ezekiel 3 and 33. Declare a fresh anointing will fall upon you and upon His Church DAY NINETEEN, APRIL 4: Read 1 Corinthians 14. Declare that the Prophetic anointing will become clear among the people of God. DAY TWENTY, APRIL 5: Read Mark 16. Declare that signs and wonders will begin to come forth leading to the salvation of lost people of our area. DAY TWENTY-ONE, APRIL 6: Read Genesis 11. Declare that all confusion caused by demonic forces will be defeated. DAY TWENTY-TWO, APRIL 7: Read Psalm 23. Declare the covering of Yawah on your entire life. DAY TWENTY-THREE, APRIL 8: Read Psalms 100, 149, and 150. Pray that the sound of worship to the Lord would arise the Church of God. DAY TWENTY-FOUR, APRIL 9: Read 1 Thessalonians 1:5, 8. Meditate these two verses. For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. Declare His Word will begin to SOUND FORTH. DAY TWENTY-FIVE, APRIL 10: Read Genesis 12 and 15. Ask God to reveal to you His covenant plan for your life. The war that we are in is the enemy s to negate our covenent rights as sons/daughters. DAY TWENTY-SIX, APRIL 11: Read Deuteronomy 20. Understand the laws of war. Give a war cry up into heaven over your life, over your family, and over our Nation. DAY TWENTY-SEVEN, APRIL 12: Read Isaiah 40. Pray that the power of Salvation would sweep over the all nations of the world and that millions who serve other gods would come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. DAY TWENTY-EIGHT, APRIL 13: Read Isaiah 54. Declare that no weapon formed against you will prosper. Declare no weapon formed against the agenda of the Kingdom of God will prosper. 6
DAY TWENTY-NINE, APRIL 14: Read Psalm 96. Sing to the Lord a new psalm. Let it be a song of salvation. If you don t feel comfortable singing your own psalm, sing along to a worship CD. DAY THIRTY, APRIL 15: Read 1 Corinthians 15. Thank God for the power and the benefits of the Resurrection. HALLELUJAH, HE IS RISEN! 7