Dear Member, The Greater Shiloh Church would like for the congregation to participate in a 30 day consecration. This time has been set aside for all families to pray that God would manifest Himself as we embark on year 2010! Included in this booklet, are detailed instructions for you to follow. Along with your chosen fast, set aside time to read a devotion each day. The fast will begin on January 4, 2010 and will end on February 1, 2010. Get ready to be abundantly blessed! fxç ÉÜ ctáàéü c{ ÄÄ Ñ 9 _twç ^Ü áà Çt Wtä á
2010 PRAYER & FASTING INSTRUCTIONS Some key points to prepare you for fasting are: 1. Prepare Spiritually Confess your sins and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas of weakness you may have. Most importantly, forgive all that have offended you and ask for forgiveness from those you have offended. Surrender totally to Jesus Christ and reject any desires that may try to hinder you in your fast. 2. Prepare Physically Please consult your physician prior to beginning your fast if you take any prescription medication or have a chronic illness. 3. Be specific with your goal Are you in need of healing, restoration of your marriage or family issues? Do you need direction or are you facing financial difficulties, just to name a few? Pray and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance on the specific area you are fasting for. The Greater Shiloh Corporate fast will begin on January 4, 2010 and end February 1, 2010, for a total of 28 days. Please seek the Lord for your specific fast from the Types of Fasts page. During the fast, pray three times a day. Our focuses are specifically for the body of Christ to receive a spirit of Prayer and Intercession, for the restoration of marriages, for a spirit of servant hood, and for increased discipleship and fellowship. The church will be open from 6:00AM to 7:00AM for corporate prayer Monday - Friday starting January 4, 2010 through January 29, 2010 Here is a detailed list of the prayer focuses for each week. Week 1 - pray for your family, our Pastor and his family and for the family of God. Pray for a spirit of prayer and intercession for the Greater Shiloh Church, and for the Holy Spirit to give us renewed hearts for the nations. Pray for the harvest of souls, the peace of Israel and for President Obama as he leads this nation in 2010. Week 2 - pray for the restoration and healing of marriages. Begin to claim God s promises for your marriage, your family, your finances, your jobs and your communities. Claim God s promises to save our children and to protect them from evil forces. Pray and intercede that our teens will have strength against peer pressure and will make the right choices. Pray for the Children's Home and schools. Pray for your unsaved family members and for the preservation of family relationships. Week 3 - pray for a spirit of servant hood. that the Body of Christ will be united in serving our communities and evangelizing shelters. Pray for our continual giving to the community and for the opening of Nehemiah House. Pray for the promotion of the Gospel in our church, in our community, in the prisons, and on the mission field, (foreign and local) and via television, internet and movies. Week 4 - pray for consistency in our tithes and offerings, debt elimination, faithfulness in our sacrificial giving, a building for Greater Shiloh North, the building of Phase 2 and the harvest of souls.
TYPES OF FASTS The majority of the fasts mentioned in the Bible were public and initiated by the priest. The Bible gives the model for corporate fast in these scriptures: 1 Samuel 7:5-6, Ezra 8:21-23, Nehemiah 9:1-3, Joel 2:15-16, Jonah 3:5-10, & Acts 27:33-37. Full Fast Drink only liquids (Consult your doctor). Daniel 10 day Fast Eat no meat, no sweets, and no bread, drink water and pure juice. Eat fruits and vegetables. Veggie burgers are an option as well if you are not allergic to soy. You may also have a protein drink if you would like. Listed below are: 1. Foods we can eat Whole Grains: Brown Rice, Oats, Barley Legumes: Dried Beans, Pinto Beans, Split Peas, Lentils, Black Eyed Peas Fruits: Apples, Apricots, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries, Cantaloupe, Cherries, Cranberries, Oats, Figs, Grapefruit, Grapes, Guava, Honeydew Melon, Kiwi, Lemons, Limes, Mangoes, Nectarines, Papayas, Peaches, Pears, Pineapples, Plums, Prunes, Raisins, Raspberries, Strawberries, Tangelos, Tangerines, Watermelon Vegetables: Artichokes, Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chili Peppers, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Gingerroot, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Mustard Greens, Okra, Onions, Parsley, Potatoes, Radishes, Rutabagas, Scallions, Spinach, Sprouts, Squashes, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watercress, Yams, Zucchini Seeds, Nuts, Sprouts Liquids: Spring Water, Distilled Water, 100% All-Natural Fruit Juices, 100% All Natural Vegetable Juices 2. Foods we must avoid Meat, White Rice, Fried Foods, Caffeine, Carbonated Beverages, Foods Containing Preservatives or Additives, Refined Sugar, Sugar Substitutes White Flour and All Products Using It, Margarine, Shortening, and High Fat Products Partial Fast Fast from 6a.m. to 3p.m. or from sun-up to sundown for 30 days. This fast can also be any type of fast. Fast of Sacrifice Give up television or anything that would be a sacrifice for you personally.
30 Day Prayer & Devotional Guide January 1 30, 2010
Day One January 1, 2010 DIRECTION IN PRAYER And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6:13 Jesus taught us much about prayer in example and in word. The Lord s Prayer, or as it could be known, The Disciple s Prayer is a part of Jesus teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. It is the model prayer, and it gives us an outline of the subjects we should pray over. At the close of the prayer, Jesus instructs us to pray for the Father s direction for our day. It includes a healthy understanding of our enemy and his ability to deceive us away from the Father s will for our lives. Satan loves to bring the child of God into the place of temptation and ultimately, after we have surrendered to temptation, to the place of bondage. We should pray every day for God to lead us in the paths of righteousness for His name s sake. Pray that He will give us daily deliverance from the enemy s power and deceit. Yesterday s deliverance was great, but we must depend on the Father to lead us daily. The enemy never ceases his relentless attacks. He plans and schemes to control us constantly. Therefore, prayer should be a vital part of our daily life. Of course, we have opportunity for complete victory over all of the enemy s attacks. As believers in Jesus Christ, we know who is the King of the Kingdom. It is His kingdom to which we belong, and after prayer, we are refocused on kingdom priorities. We know that it is His power, which is able to accomplish all of these things and also know that it is all about His glory. Prayer Focus: Pray that God will give the people of Greater Shiloh Church a spirit of prayer. Pray that He will clearly direct us in bringing the vision to past that God has given to our Pastor. Pray that we might declare His praises in the earth. Pray that He will reveal to you how you can use your time, talents, and treasures to further this vision for His glory. re: Spiritual Journey
Day Two January 2, 2010 WHY PRAY? The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16 Can prayer really make a difference? Can my prayers actually change things? Is it possible for the will of God to be thwarted because I don t pray? These are legitimate questions. The answers you give them reflect the very foundation of your relationship with the Lord. On one hand, if God is Sovereign, He s going to do everything the way He wants, so why pray? On the other hand, if He is waiting on my prayers to execute His will, then I had better get serious about praying really quick. How does His Sovereignty and my prayers go together? God uses prayer to make the impossible, possible and the ordinary, extraordinary. Prayers make our efforts effective and help us to define God s will more clearly. C.H. Spurgeon said, Whenever God determines to do a great work, He first sets His people to pray. Faithful praying releases the Holy Spirit to act and allows us to see God in His full glory. Someone once said, God does things when we pray that He does not do when we do not pray. May today s devotional be an inspiration for you to seek the Lord in prayer. Look up prayer in your Bible s concordance. Then read and study those verses it gives you. It will help you become endeared to prayer and to realize just how vital prayer is. Prayer Focus: Thank God for hearing all the prayers that will be lifted up on behalf of the Greater Shiloh Church. Pray that the people will be willing and obedient to the voice of God. Pray that everything we do as a church will be labored over in prayer. Re: Spiritual Journey
Day Three January 3, 2010 Scripture Reference: 1Chronicles 29:14 IT ALL BELONGS TO HIM But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee. To offer anything to God is a perfect mystery. Consecration is a miracle of grace. All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee. Within these words are four precious thoughts that I want to make clear to you: - 1. God is the Owner of all, and gives all to us. 2. We have nothing but what we receive. But everything we need, we receive from God. 3. It is our privilege and honor to give back to God what we receive from Him. 4. God has a double joy in His possessions when He receives back from us what He gave. When I apply this to my life, to my body, to my wealth, to my property, to my whole being with all of its powers, then I understand what consecration ought to be. It is the glory of God, and His very nature to constantly GIVE. God is the owner of all. There is no power, no riches, no goodness, and no love outside of Him. It is the very nature of God in that He does not live for Himself, but for His creatures. His is a love that always delights to give. It is important that we recognize that everything we have is given by God. It is His and His only, and it is His delight to give always. Oh, ponder that precious thought. There is nothing God has that He does not want to give. When God asks us for something, He must first give it to Himself. Never be afraid when God asks for something from you for God only asks for what is His own. What He asks you to give; He will first give to you. The Possessor, Owner, and Giver of all.this is our God. Apply this to yourself, to all you are and to all you have. Study it, believe it, and live in it every day, every hour, and every moment. PRAYER FOCUS: Heavenly Father, I thank You and love You with all of my heart. I thank You that You have given me all that I have, and that You provide for all of my needs according to Your riches in glory. You are Jehovah-Jireh (My Provider). I willingly take on Your character of giving back to You and to others so that my life will be a blessing. Thank You for Your love and Your mercy that is new every morning. In Jesus name. Amen. Pastor Phillip Davis
Day Four January 4, 2010 OUR PASSION FOR THE CHRIST Let us fix our eye on Jesus the author and perfect or of our faith who for the joy set before him endured the cross scorning it s, shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 We know the passion of Christ speaks of Christ s sufferings after the Last Supper through His death on the Cross. We know how He endured it all just for us. Jesus submitted Himself to the will of the Father with joy because of the triumphant outcome it would provide. What I want you to think about is: where is your passion for Him? Passion is the object of any strong desire or, intense emotional excitement. In these last days that we are living in we have to be on fire for God. He has to be the center of all we do. We cannot allow anything to enter in our lives that can turn our desire for Him lukewarm. Daily we must reach to touch His presence and keep Him close to us. Love Him, talk to Him, worship Him, dance with Him and tell Him daily how much you love Him. He s worth the extra attention. besides who else had the passion to suffer and die to save your soul. So by any means necessary keep your passion burning strong for Christ. Prayer Focus: Lord Jesus we commit to a deeper level of passion for you. I will let nothing take Your place in my life. I love You more than life itself and I am not afraid to die to myself so that You can live greater in me. Ignite my passion for You so that there can be great love and devotion in our relationship. In Your precious name. Amen Minister Cassandra Sturrup
Day Five January 5, 2010 Take Up Your Cross And Follow Me Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 In a Wisdom Cries Out Bible Study class, the facilitator asked the question what does the cross look like, and why is it so difficult to carry? As you can imagine I became very uncomfortable. But here s a portion of what God said to me, and I want to share it with you. I pray it blesses and encourages you. The cross is the difficult thing. It is a struggle and a challenge. It is that which hurts or causes discomfort when addressed, touched or moved. If you do not take up your cross, you are allowing yourself to be stagnant, paralyzed or even to die because you are not willing to confront the problem. You are not willing to pay the cost. This is not My will. My will is for you to be made whole. I have a plan and a path for you to follow to your deliverance. Follow Me. No, it s not a random path. It is specific, and purposeful, and designed just for you. It is to be traveled by you and you alone. No one can take this path to your deliverance for you. Lo, I am with you always. Do you want to be made whole? Oh, how He loves you and me!! He gave His life... what more could He give? Oh, how He loves you! Oh, how He loves me! Oh, how He loves you and me! Prayer Focus: Father: Thank You so much for my way of escape. Yes, Lord, I want to be made whole, but this is not something I can do on my own. I need You, Jesus, to empower and equip me for this journey. I need Your strength in my weakness to endure and take courage. In Jesus precious name, with thanksgiving. Amen! Minister Sherri Henderson
Day Six January 6, 2010 MOUNTAIN MOVING SEED He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [ that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. Matt. 17:20 Amp. If you are burdened with a Mt. Everest of unforgiveness, a hardened mass of fear, slippery slopes of doubt, chaos as wide as the Andes Mountain in Bolivia, or pride the height of Mount Mauna Kea; plant a seed. A seed, complete in composition and purpose, is a life force that is rich, wealthy, abundant and substantial in the material required to sustain plant growth. In short, a seed is life, and life has the ability to move the dead weight of your circumstance and penetrate the soil. At the proper planting depth (Mark 4:5) the roots will penetrate deep into the earth and life pushes upward toward the surface, toward its purpose. Even though the ground is a zillion times heavier, the mountain will be removed for a seed does not know if it is planted in a mountain or into a clay pot. It just does what it s created to do!! Therefore, with enough water (Eph 5:26), and Sonlight (John 1:5), and patience (James 1:4) a new thing will spring forth and you shall know it (Is. 43:19) because your mountain will not be a mountain any longer. It will become a beautiful garden of forgiveness in place of unforgiveness, courage in place of fear, faith in place of doubt, order in place of chaos and humility in place of pride, for with God all things are possible (Matt. 19:26). Go on, plant that seed and see salvation grow. Prayer Focus: Father: Thank You for the seed within that is You, the hope of glory. I pray that by the power of the Holy Spirit and the breath of Your Word the very character of You will be cultivated in me that I might be like You. In the mighty name of Jesus the Christ. Amen and thank God. Minister Sherri Henderson
Day Seven January 7, 2010 SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." Matthew 7:1-2 Scripture References: Matthew 7:1-5 "Man is like an onion," said A. T. Pierson, "layer after layer, and each a layer of self in some form. Strip off self-righteousness and you will come to self-trust. Get beneath this and you will come to self-seeking and self-pleasing. Even when we think these are abandoned, self-will betrays its presence. When this is stripped off, we come to self-defense, just as the Corinthians did with puffed up words and last of all, self-glory. When this seems to be abandoned, the heart of the human onion discloses pride that boasts of being truly humble." Very often our inclination is to spend time focusing on the short-comings of others. In doing so we miss the great opportunity to see the best in them. The Holy Spirit was given primarily so that we can know where we are with God, not so that we can identify the faults of others. People who are always finding fault in others are usually missing their own. Christ directs us to the proper way of forming an opinion of others, and of reproving and correcting them. By first looking at and correcting our own faults, or casting the beam out of our eye, we can "consistently" advance to correct the faults of others. There will then be no hypocrisy in our conduct. We will be able to "see more clearly" to help them. The beam, the thing that obscured our sight, will be removed, and we can more clearly discern the "small" object that obscures the sight of our brother. The sentiment is the readiest way to judge the imperfections of others is to be free from greater ones ourselves. This qualifies us for judging, makes us candid and consistent, then enables us to see things as they are, and make proper allowances for frailty and imperfection. Prayer Focus: Thank You Lord for the Word of Truth today. Help me to focus on You and the work that You are doing in me. I will examine myself today and by Your grace begin to make changes in my life so that I may glorify You in all that I do. Pastor Phillip Davis
Day Eight January 8, 2010 MIRACLES When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" John 6:5 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" John 6:9a Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. John 6:11 God demonstrated His covenant of grace and power through numbers. In this Scripture, Jesus took five loaves of bread, (five = grace), plus two small fish, (two = covenant), totaling seven (seven = completion) and fed 5,000 men, not including women and children. God s multiplication is not like ours. There have been times in my life that I have been hungry and prayed for food for my family. I have personally experienced God s power to supply all my needs just like He did for the 5,000. If you need a miracle, preparation is essential. Let us begin by first surrendering everything we have to the Lord, just like the little boy, and watch the Lord multiply grace in our lives. You may need your finances multiplied, pay your tithes. You may need a medical miracle, seek wise medical attention, pray and do not fret because He is able to heal all your diseases. God is still in the miracle working business! Prayer Focus: Dear Lord, I thank You that You are Sovereign. There is nothing to worry about when we trust in You with our whole heart and lean not to our own understanding. Thank You for being a Big God. Amen Minister Jacqueline Saunders
Day Nine January 9, 2010 SEASONS IN MY LIFE To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. Eccles. 3:1 You have an appointment with God that has been set from the foundation of the earth. And that appointment isn t over until God says it is over. The very fact that you are still here proves it is not over yet. You must fulfill your appointment with Destiny. When you make an appointment, you set a date and time in the present for the future. That s exactly what God does, God s destiny for you to go to the next dimension was set before you were born. Because He is God He knew that you would go there, there are no surprises with God. It took that to get you to where you are right now, no mistakes. There is still something on His calendar with your name on it, Hallelujah! The devil knows there is something special about you; he can smell the anointing on you. He didn t want you to reach your destiny or your divine purpose. He tried hard to make you give up BUT Praise God you are yet here. He sent trials, temptations, marriage problems, fear, anger, and bitterness. But Praise God because of your God given appointment it didn t work! So lift your head, square your shoulders and start moving forward. This is your time, your season, there is something good just over the hilltop for you. Everything you lost will be restored. Where you are right now is not where you are going. Prayer Focus: Father in the name of Jesus Christ the anointed Son of God. Thank You for a second chance, thank You for Your faithfulness to me. Help me to forget my past and press on to my awesome future. Thank You Lord, Thank You Amen. Pastor Juanita Davis
Day Ten January 10, 2010 LOVE And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 Hope keeps us going when the situation we face seems impossible. Hope is the expectation that we will obtain something specific that we desire. Think of how life would be without hope. Hope is there for the single mom, who doesn't know how she is going to feed her children or keep a roof over their heads. She might give up, if it were not for the hope that some type of breakthrough is right around the corner. Hope is a gift from God that can bring joy in the midst of a very difficult circumstance. I wouldn't want to live a life without faith, and I wouldn't want to live a life without hope. However, in spite of how wonderful, important, and life-changing both faith and hope are, LOVE is important. The Bible states that love is greater than both faith and hope. The Greatest of These is Love God s love is so amazing; because it motivated the Father to send His only Son to die for us. Without love, there would have been no redemption for mankind. Not only would we be without love, but without the redemption that was precipitated by love, there would also be no faith, and no hope. You see, nothing else matters, without love. It is foundational for every other good thing in our lives. Prayer Focus: Father, help us to have hope and faith in You that whatever situation we may be facing today that You will bring us out. Lord, I thank You for loving us enough to give up Your life for us, so we can have eternal life. Now that is LOVE. Minister Stephanie A. Shaw
Day Eleven January 11, 2010 SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9 We all have skeletons in our closets. One thing that we don t like to admit is that sometimes it s challenging to follow after God. Once we leave the place of our salvation experience, it s a challenge going back to the same environment: the same home, the same family members and friends, the same employer. It is difficult to let go of our past to embrace our future. Skeletons. We don t talk about this because we re supposed to be happy and everything is coming up roses, but the truth of the matter is that we sometimes get blind-sided by the enemy. He knows you are all alone out there and He whispers in your ear, You are not saved. You are not like them. You can be saved and still continue to do that. Then discouragement sets in and we neglect to come out to Bible Study or even fellowship with other believers. Skeletons. We attend Sunday service trying to maintain that feel good sensation. We find ourselves utterly discouraged and soon we begin to question whether our salvation experience even occurred. I used to be that person. I was all confused, but then one day I realized if I did not change I was going to die in my mess. I heard the preacher preaching out of the Book of I John and when he got to verse nine, my spirit man leaped inside of me. Finally, I had hope in the midst of my struggle. Finally, I had peace knowing that all I had to do was confess those skeletons in my closet. And more than anything, I found out once again that God had made a way of escape for me to be delivered from my past sins. Prayer Focus: Lord, You know where I am right now. You know my hurts, my pains, and my struggles. I tried Lord to follow, but somehow I got lost once again. I tried to follow You but I came up short. Please forgive me Lord as Your Word tells me You will. Cleanse me Lord of all those unwanted skeletons and allow me once again to walk in fellowship with You and Your people. In Jesus Name, Amen. Minister Alvin James
Day Twelve January 12, 2010 THE ANOINTING BRINGS HARMONY Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 1Peter 3:8 Remember the television show M*A*S*H? It was based on an American emergency medical unit in the Korean War. This group of people were composed of some very different personalities. There was Hawkeye Pierce, B.J., and Father Mulcahy. There was Colonel Potter, Radar, and Hotlips Houlihan. They were always playing jokes on one another and arguing over different political views and the war. But there was always one thing that brought these characters together. It did not matter what particular argument was going on or what particular practical joke was being pulled, when they heard the sound of the choppers bringing in the wounded, they always were united in the operating room. In our day of hurting and wounded people, we cannot afford to be one more church that spends all of its time arguing over things that will not matter in the light of eternity. We must bring our differences together and allow the Lord to merge them in unity of the Spirit. Just as Aaron, the high priest was anointed on his head and the oil ran down his body, so the Holy Spirit descends from our great High Priest, Jesus Christ. Anointing always brings harmony. Prayer Focus: Pray that throughout the fulfilling of the dream that the Lord has given Greater Shiloh Church, we will experience genuine harmony resulting from the Holy Spirit s presence among us. Ask God to show you specific ways that you can show the love of God even more to the people at Greater Shiloh Church, as well as outside of Greater Shiloh Church. Re: Spiritual Journey
Day Thirteen January 13, 2010 CHEERFUL GIVING "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." 2Co 9:7 Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 William Allen White, a famous newspaper editor in Emporia, Kansas, once gave a 50 acre tract of land to the city for a park. At the dedication, he made the strange statement that there are "Three kicks in every dollar." He explained, "One kick is when you make it-and how I love to make a dollar! The second kick is when you save it-and I have the Yankee lust for saving. The third kick is when you give it away-and the biggest kick of all is the last one." It seems Mr. White discovered on his own what Jesus taught 20 centuries earlier: "It is more blessed to give than to receive". Do you believe that? Want a big kick? Make a lot of money! Want an even bigger kick? Give your money to a worthy cause. There is a "kick" in seeing needy people helped. There is a "kick" in seeing your money carry the good news everywhere. There is a "kick" in seeing your church touch the spiritual needs of the unsaved. You, too, can get three "kicks" out of every dollar. The main idea in this verse is, that the act of giving should be voluntary and cheerful. It should not seem to be extorted by others ; nor should it be given from urgent necessity, but it should be given as an offering of the heart. The heart is usually more concerned in the business of giving than the head. If generosity is suggested, it will be the heart which prompts to it; if it is not suggested, it will be because the heart has some negative passions to gratify, and is under the influence of selfishness, or something else has our hearts attention. Very often a man is convinced he ought to give liberally, but a narrow heart and a selfish spirit prevents it. We should follow the dictates of the heart in giving. I mean that a man will usually give more correctly who follows the first prompting of his heart when an object of charity is presented, than he will if he takes much time to deliberate. The instinctive prompting of a benevolent heart is to give liberally and cheerfully. Let your giving be an opportunity to express the heart of God who is our model of giving. Give out of love for the Lord for all that He has done. When we give cheerfully we are in position to receive according to God's heart. This passage of scripture reinforces Gods law of reciprocity. Prayer Focus: Father, Thank You for being the model of a giver. You gave Your best and set the standard for us. We give You our lives cheerfully, and purposefully to use as You choose for the building of Your kingdom. If You can use anything Lord, use me. Amen Re: Spiritual Journey
Day Fourteen January 14, 2010 Scripture References: Matthew 14:22-33 WHO DO YOU SEE? What s going on? The winds are boisterous, the rain is torrential, and the sea is violent. The thunder is clapping, lightening is cracking, and the boat is tossed to and fro. What s going on? The shipmates are fearful, discouraged, complaining and whispering, or jumping ship. What s going on? It s a storm! Beloved, in ministry, or in this Christian life in general we will always have winds, rains, thunder and lightening. It s called weather. It s doing what it s created to do, and it s something over which we have no control. Now, the question is: Who Do You See in the midst of your storm? Don t allow the weather to cause you to follow the shadow of man instead of the reality of God. Don t allow the voice of the weather to drown out the voice of Him who calls. Don t allow the false security of the boat to keep you from stepping out on the water. Don t be dismayed, Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid! Prayer Focus: Father: You said in Your word according to Job 22:28 that I shall also declare and decree a thing and it shall be established for me. You also said that the light of God s favor shall shine upon my ways. So, I declare and decree that I will not be drowned by my circumstances, but I will walk on them as stepping stones to You. In Jesus name, Amen. Minister Sherri Henderson
Day Fifteen January 15, 2010 Scripture References: Matthew 4:1-11 CAN I GET A BREAK? Just when life is going well, and everything is finally falling in line, Bam! A train wreck. We seem to have run head on into a locomotive at full speed. We have problems with our home life, financial difficulties, health problems, emotional distress and/or even spiritual depression. Can I Get A Break? God, where are You? We try to call the Pastor, but where is he? We try to call our ward servant or even a brother or sister in the church, but yet again, no one is available. When Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, He too was all alone. He had no one to call on and no one to help Him. All He had was the God-given tools that He was entrusted with, and those tools were the Word of God, His faith, and His mouth. The Bible says that He spoke the Word, and because He spoke the Word in faith believing what He spoke the devil had to flee. When you feel that everything in your life is going wrong, maybe God has allowed circumstances to happen to you for a reason. Recognize that you are empowered to fight the battle with the same tools Jesus used: The Word of God, your faith, and your mouth. Prayer Focus: Father God, Help me to live by the faith that You have given me to walk out my destiny. Help me to become a man/woman that is able to use the weapons of my warfare to achieve the victory that You have already given to me in order to stand strong when the enemy comes my way. You said, The battle is not mine, but it belongs to You. In Jesus name Amen. Minister Alvin James
Day Sixteen January 16, 2010 CONTINUING THE "FIGHT FOR THE FAMILY" OUR CHILDREN: AN ENEMY STRONGHOLD "And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee." Isa 54:13-14 Is Satan actually interested in our children? After all, children from babe to teens could not be any real threat to him and his forces of darkness. Or could they? Scripture tells us that Timothy, while still young enough to have to be fed, dressed and carried, knew the Holy Scriptures (2Ti_3:15). He had an experiential knowledge of them; they meant something to him. Samuel's heart was already submissive at weaning when taken to the temple to serve God (1 Sam. 1). John the Baptist leaped in the womb at the presence of Jesus in Mary's womb. The battle lines in the warfare for our children's souls are clear. God says, "All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children" (Isa_54:13, NKJV). When children are born with an "I-want-what-I-want-when-I-want-it" nature, they are ripe to fall prey to a love for the world and all that is in it. (1Jo_2:15-16). Satan's snares are everywhere. The Saturday morning cartoon lineup is just one classic example. Constant scenes of violence and moral decadence purposefully desensitize impressionable minds. Hidden behind many of the seemingly cute and innocent cartoons are occult symbolisms. "Magic" lures them to eventually practice witchcraft. Our children are bombarded with appeals to materialism. They plead, Buy that for me, Daddy or Mommy! So they can then fit in with the imagery they see on television, videos, internet, movies or in books and magazines. Bit by bit, our children are taken captive because what they think upon, they will become. (Pro_23:7). We must still continue to Fight for our families! Satan wants our children by any means necessary. So, we must stay alert to his tactics and teach our children how to put on the whole armor of God to withstand his attacks (Eph_6:10-12). Along with teaching our children to fight we must intensify our prayers for our children's lives. (1Th 5:17). We must not get weary in this fight. We must remind ourselves that 'no weapon formed against us shall prosper.' We have Victory in Christ and so do our children! Prayer Focus: Father, teach us to teach our children Your way. We have been assigned to care for them and we need Your guidance. This Fight for the Family sometimes gets rough but we know that the "battle belongs to You" so we step back and allow You to destroy the plots and plans the enemy has for our children and we will continue to 'Fight for our families'. We decree that the battle has already been won, and we have VICTORY!! Amen. Lady Kristina Davis
Day Seventeen January 17, 2010 A GOD YOU CAN TRUST Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 God expects His people to trust Him, and He is a trustworthy God! We were created to live our lives in dependence to Him. Our knowledge is incomplete, our wisdom is inadequate, our power is ineffective; thus, we need our Creator. Sin in its very essence is failing to trust God. These verses in Proverbs tell us how we are to trust Him. We are to trust Him entirely (verse 5). God wants us to trust Him with all of our heart. That means everything from our salvation to physical, mental, and social needs. That includes trusting Him with our families, marriages, jobs, relationships, finances, abilities, weaknesses, health, accomplishments, and failures. We are to trust Him exclusively (verse 5). God commands us not to depend on our own understanding. Why? Because it is fundamentally flawed with an infection of sin. God is truly omniscient. He knows it all from beginning to end. He even knows the number of hairs on your head. So follow His leading from His Word, prayer, and Godly counsel. He is on your side, so trust Him! We are to trust Him uniformly (verse 6). In all we do, in every decision we make, we are to trust His wisdom, not just with big things, but also with the little things. Prayer Focus: Pray that Greater Shiloh Church will be fully convinced of His trustworthiness. Pray that while we fast we will grow closer to God, and that He will increase our faith to trust Him more. Take time to praise Him today for who He is and what He does. Take time to thank Him today for His direction of our church s path. Re: Spiritual Journey
Day Eighteen January 18, 2010 REFLECTIONS OF GOD And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 When I reflect about who God is I behold the heavens. I see the stars, the moon, and the sky. I stand in AWE at the grandeur of His beauty! When I reflect about who God is I hear the sound of the birds, the ocean, and the laugher of children at play. When I reflect about who God is I smell the flowers that grow, the trees that bear fruit, the spring rain and freshly cut grass. I feel God in the warmth of the sun without which nothing would grow or exist, and the moon and stars would be dark without its reflection. Like the moon and stars we need to reflect the life of Jesus, so that all who are in darkness can see the light of hope and declare their need for salvation to live a new and regenerated life that comes only from the Son. Prayer Focus: Heavenly Father, help us to reflect the wonder of Your love. May we yield our bodies to be transformed into the likeness Jesus, so that the world will not only see You in all creation, but also in Your creative power in the lives of Your people. Amen. Minister Jacqueline Saunders
Day Nineteen January 19, 2010 WAITING ON GOD Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. HABKKUK 2:19, 20 KJV Habakkuk warned that we must place our trust in God Himself. While idols are created things God is the Creator. He is our Shield and Defender, our Rock and Fortress. We must not take Him for granted or approach Him the same way we approach any other person. He is a Holy God. It can be easy for us to forget about God s nature and lose sight of who He really is. We need to remember that He created the universe. He is worthy of all praise. He is high and lifted up. He is holy, pure and righteous. He is perfect and dwells in approachable beauty and splendor. Today, do not take God for granted. Humble yourself in His sight and approach Him with reverence, respect and honor. Wait on Him. Listen to His voice. Meditate on His word. Draw close to Him. Allow your heart and mind to focus on Him. Praise His name and worship Him In true holiness. Prayer Focus: God, You are awesome and mighty. Thank You that You are merciful to me. I humble myself before You. Help me to serve You with my time, talent and treasure. I worship You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Day Twenty January 20, 2010 DON'T WORRY, PRAY Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (NIV) 2 Kings 19:14 - Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. (NIV) Matthew 7:7 - Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (NIV) Often when we have problems, we worry about them until we are at our wit s end. We tried to work and figure things out on our own and then when all else fails, we pray. Now, why waste all of that time and energy? We probably have read the above Scriptures, so many times, but when trouble comes, we find ourselves following the same old pattern of worry, doubting and walking in unbelief. Instead of taking our problems to God first. We continue to attempt to solve them ourselves. Even after years of answered prayers, there is still a tendency to drag our feet. Hezekiah gives us a good example to follow. In 2 Kings chapter 19, he received a letter from a messenger of the King of Assyria, challenging him to surrender Jerusalem or be destroyed. When Hezekiah read it, he went to the house of the Lord and prayed, asking the Lord to save Jerusalem. Through the prophet Isaiah, God already promised deliverance. Hezekiah followed instructions and his prayer was answered. Instead of worrying, Hezekiah saved his energy by turning to God first. Like Hezekiah, we also, can turn to God first and ask, rather than wasting all our time and energy worrying about the situation. Remember all we have to do is seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be added unto us. Prayer Focus: Lord, teach us to follow Your instructions and ask in prayer for what we need, rather than wasting our time and energy in useless worry. Give us the faith to believe in Your Word, so we can receive answers to our prayers. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen. Minister Stephanie A. Shaw
Day Twenty-one January 21, 2010 BUT YOU PROMISED But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. II Peter 3:8-9 But you promised! I wonder how many times we remember saying this to someone. They said that they would do something for us, but then when the time came, we got nothing. In fact, a lot of those times we had to hunt the person down just to find out that they were letting us down. Thanks be to God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has not forgotten about the things that he has promised you and I. He is faithful to do all that He said that He would do. Just think, if we can be patient all of the promises that God has made us in His 66 books will come to pass. His promises can be taken to the bank. If He said it, you can believe it. Never will you be able to say to Him, But you promised, if you can just hold on. Prayer Focus: Lord, help me to hold on and increase my faith. Help me to keep strong in spite of my situation, in spite of my circumstance. Your word says that You are not slack concerning your promises towards me. I know, therefore, that my blessing is on its way. In Jesus Name, Amen. Minister Alvin James
Day Twenty two January 22, 2010 DO YOU NEED A PUSH? So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work. Neh 4:6 Scripture Reference: Neh 4-1-6 How long would you keep an automobile that had to be pushed everywhere it went? How much would it be worth to you? How much pleasure would you find in it? You might keep an automobile that just had to be pushed occasionally, but you would not have one for long that just could not be depended on, that would not go whenever you wanted it to go. The Lord is no more pleased with one of His servants that continually has to be pushed than you would be with an automobile that continually has to be pushed. God wants men and women of initiative and fervency of spirit. Paul taught us to be diligent, not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord (Rom_12:11). A person who has to be pushed continually in order to keep them in service and attending worship is not devoted to the cause. It is understandable that a newborn babe in Christ, a young convert, might need to be pushed or encouraged, but if one who has been a Christian for many years must still be pushed, they are not growing spiritually as they should. Do you have to be pushed or are you pushing? Children of God this is the season when God is taking us out of our comfort zone and challenging us to get busy for the Kingdom of God. He is placing us in strange waters and assigning us to do strange things. If we don t do it then who will? Our families should not suffer; our marriages should not suffer because we know that God s perfect order is GOD, FAMILY and Others. But we ve got work to in the building of His kingdom. Let us not get weary in well doing. Let s do all that we do with a spirit of Excellence because we are Children of the Most High. Prayer Focus: Father, Please don t allow us to lose our passion for serving You and Your people. Give us a mind to work so that no one gets burdened down. Teach us how to balance our lives so that we can be effective in everything that You have called us to do. We commit our lives to serving You and desire to be used to Your glory. Women of Excellence Devotional
Day Twenty-three January 23, 2010 WAKE UP Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Matthew 26:45 Are you sleeping? Is the Lord calling your name and you don t hear Him because you are sleeping? To sleep is to slumber, or it is as of a state of death. Is the body of Christ dying because we are asleep? Distractions, so many distractions TV, cell phones, computers, work, etc. All these things that were supposed to make life easier are causing us to fall asleep. We are so tired by the beginning of the day; yes, the beginning, because we have been worn down from the day before. Satan is trying daily to tick away the minutes of our lives so that by the end of the day we are so far from God we can t hear Him when He is calling us. We better wake up because the time is drawing nigh. Prayer Focus: Lord, please forgive us for falling asleep and resting. Help us to make use of our time wisely. May we remove the wax of life s distractions from our ears and hear the sound of our Heavenly Father calling us to take up arms. In Jesus Name. Amen. Minister Jacqueline Saunders
Day Twenty-four January 24, 2010 Scripture Reference: Daniel 1 STANDING FOR HOLINESS Many of the Hebrew nation had been carried off into captivity far from their culture, their traditions, and most of all their faith. They were now being exposed to a false religion, immoral acts, and moral degeneration. In the process, many of them abandoned their faith, beliefs, and commitment to purity and consumed the forbidden fare set before them at the King s table. Daniel and his friends on the other hand were unlike the majority. These young men had committed themselves to purity and they were accountable to one another. These boys had a mindset that when immorality came their way, they would not be moved, but would stand for holiness. As Christians and followers of the Most High God, we need to resolve within ourselves what it is that we are going to stand for in our lives. We need to determine in our minds ahead of time what we are planning to do and be prepared on how we will respond to certain situations that may come our way. And listen, don t just stop there! Share it with others that you can trust so that you can be held accountable for your actions. I do mean accountable and not judged. A friend once told me, If you don t stand for something, you ll fall for anything. Prayer Focus: Lord, help me to stand for holiness. Help me to use wisdom and not to bow my heart to the things of this world, but to stand for You as an example that it is possible to overcome the many temptations this world has to offer. In Jesus Name. - Amen Minister Alvin James
Day Twenty-five January 25, 2010 THE BLESSING IN UNITY How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life forevermore. Psalm 133 This Psalm was written on the occasion of David s coronation as King over all of Israel. And what a struggle it was between the times he was anointed king by Samuel until the day of his coronation when he ruled over a united twelve tribes. It was David who united these warring tribes. David understood that harmony could only be achieved when they practiced the unity of their faith. These days of unity for Israel under David, and later his son Solomon, were without question the most glorious days of their history. Never has Israel possessed all of the land that God gave her except in these days. Even in our current time, Israel is but a shadow of what she was, despite her being in a united state. In fact, Israel will know no greater glory until Jesus rules in regal splendor from His throne in Jerusalem. There is a message in these verses for the church. For as the people of God united under one king in the Old Testament, so the people of God must unite today under the King of Kings. As they experience great glory in this unification in the Old, so we will experience a greater glory in the New. As they experienced a tremendous victory over their enemies because of unification, so we will enjoy freedom from the enemy s control in the New. Unity is not uniformity. You can tie two cats tails together and have unity but not peace! Seek ways to be harmonious. Prayer Focus: Heavenly Father, I pray that as we fast You would grow us up closer to You. I pray that fasting would increase our faith and trust in You. Teach us to make every effort to maintain the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. Remind us to focus on what is right for the entire body and not just for ourselves, because You said if we commit our ways to You, You will make our righteousness shine like the dawn. In Jesus name I pray all these things. Amen Arria Washington
Day Twenty six January 26, 2010 I AM AN OVERCOMER: HANG IN THERE!! Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:13-14 We are encouraged everyday through God s word to continue on with scriptures like Phil 3:13-14 where we diligently work to forget, reach and press. We repeat over and over again, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil 4:13, or Your grace is sufficient for me or His strength is made perfect in my weakness II Cor. 12:9, and on and on. But here is a glimpse of what all of this is for, the culmination of all that is God s plan. These are two of my favorites that bless my socks off and I ve listed the remainder. As you read these be encouraged, and HANG IN THERE FOR THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!! Thus shall he who conquers (is victorious) be clad in white garments, and I will not erase or blot out his name from the Book of Life; I will acknowledge him [as Mine] and I will confess his name openly before My Father and before His angels. (Rev. 3:5 Amp.) He who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant Him to sit beside Me on My throne, as I Myself overcame (was victorious) and sat down beside My Father on His throne. (Rev. 3:21Amp) Listing: Rev. 2:17, 26-28, 12:11, 21:4, 7:13-14 Prayer Focus: Father, You are the only wise God and our Savior. Today and forever all glory, majesty, dominion and power, belong to You now and forever. (Jude 1:25) Amen. Minister Sherri Henderson
Day Twenty-seven January 27, 2010 DISEASES OF THE TONGUE The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has more power than we may realize. God spoke and the world came into existence. We can speak and shape our future and the future of our children. According to a book by Derek Prince entitled: Does Your Tongue Need Healing, he lists six diseases of the tongue. They are excessive talking, idle or careless words, gossip, lying, flattery, and hastiness of speech. In excessive talking we find in Proverbs 10:19a when words are many, sin is not absent. In other words if we say too much we are bound to say something wrong. In idle or careless words Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:36 that we will have to give an account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word we have spoken. We are to let our words be seasoned with salt. Salt is a preserver. The words we speak may preserve someone s life. Prayer Focus: Heavenly Father, help us to bridle our tongue. May we allow You to use our tongue as a weapon of warfare in the Kingdom of God. May the power of Your Word, flow richly out of our months as we read and study daily. Amen. Minister Jacqueline Saunders
Day Twenty-Eight January 28, 2010 Scripture Reference: Acts 9 A DATE WITH DESTINY I wonder how is it that God loves us so much that while we are running away from our destiny on Grown Man/Grown Woman Boulevard, He somehow allows it to intersect with Destiny Highway. That s what happened to Paul, who went on to become one of the greatest of all the Apostles. He wrote more books in the Bible than any other, and he was used of God to birth many churches. That s what happened to me. I was on my way to a place of pharmaceutical distribution when I realized that there had to be something better. God was far from my thoughts and me, at least so I thought. But as I got closer and closer to my destination I remember looking up at the midnight moon and saying, God! If You be God, You have to save me. Save?! Something shouted back in my mind. What are you talking about? It seemed that no matter how focused I was on getting those pharmaceutical supplies, something in me kept saying in a still soft voice, God! If You be God, You have to save me. Let me ask you something: Have you found your destiny yet? Or are you still traveling down Grown Man/Grown Woman Boulevard? Prayer Focus: Lord, this day, help us to find that road that You want us to travel down. Help us to be a faithful people that have a zeal for Your work just as much as we had when we did the things of the world. Help us to look up and say, Who art thou Lord?, and see You for who You really are. In the Name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Minister Alvin James
Day Twenty-nine January 29, 2010 THE COST OF SANCTIFICATION May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely (1 Thessalonians 5:23) When we pray, asking God to sanctify us, are we prepared to measure up to what that really means? We take the word sanctification much to lightly. Are we prepared to pay the cost of sanctification? The cost will be a deep restriction of all our earthly concerns, and an extensive cultivation of all our godly concerns. Sanctification means to be intensely focused on God s point of view. It means to secure and to keep all the strength of our body, soul, and spirit for God s purpose alone. Are we really prepared for God to perform in us everything for which He separated us? And after He has done His work, are we then prepared to separate ourselves to God just as Jesus did For their sakes I sanctify Myself (John 17:19). The reason some of us have not entered into the experience of Sanctification is that we have not realized the meaning of sanctification from God s perspective. Sanctification means being made one with Jesus so that the nature that controlled Him will control us. Are we really prepared for what that will cost? It will cost absolutely everything in us which is not of God. Are we prepared to be caught up into the full meaning of Paul s prayer in this verse? Jesus prayed that we might be one with Him, just as He is one with the Father (John 17:21-23) The resounding evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person s life is the unmistakable family likeness to Jesus Christ, and the freedom from everything which is not like Him. Are we prepared to set ourselves apart for the Holy Spirit s work in us? Prayer Focus: God, I commit to Your will, I leave behind everything that is not pleasing in Your sight. Help me to take up my cross daily and follow You wherever You lead. In Jesus name. Amen. W.O.E. Devotional Book
Day Thirty January 30, 2010 YOU ARE NOT ALONE I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because. The children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life Yet I have reserved Seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him. I Kings 19:13;18 NKJV Elijah felt alone and vulnerable. He had served God faithfully and done great things for His Kingdom. Yet, when threatened by Queen Jezebel, he became terrified and hid in a cave. He felt that he was the last faithful prophet, and that he was all alone in resisting evil. He seemed completely overwhelmed and outnumbered. But God revealed that He had no reason to be afraid or feel alone. Seven thousand others had not bowed to Baal. Even more important, God still was in control! And He was still with him. Elijah did not need to give up or become discouraged. How often we can feel like Elijah in that cave. We can sense that we are alone and vulnerable, and that there is no hope. But God wants us to realize that He is with us in every situation we face. We: may not always see His hand or feel His presence, but He still is sovereign, and we can trust our lives to Him. God wants you to be encouraged. You are not alone. He is with you. Do not worry about circumstances or allow fear or worry to dominate your life. Concentrate on fulfilling His call on your life. Sow seeds into His Kingdom with the time, talent, and treasure that you have been given. Do not give up. Be persistent, and stay faithful. Trust in Him today. Prayer Focus: God, thank You for being with me right now. Free me from fear and worry. Help me to remain faithful with the things You have given me. I commit my life to You. In Jesus name. Amen. W.O.E. Devotional Book