Welcome to AWAKENING! 21-days of Prayer, Fasting and Worship.

January 8-28, 2017 1

Welcome to AWAKENING! 21-days of Prayer, Fasting and Worship. For the last five years we have chosen to set aside the first weeks of the New Year to intentionally pursue God. We believe God deserves our best and not second best; our first and not our leftovers. He gets the first part of every day through our time of personal Bible reading, prayer and worship. He gets the first day of every week in worship at His Church with His people. He gets the first part of every paycheck His tithe. And we dedicate the first month of the New Year to Him because God comes first. We need God s active Presence in our lives. His very first command is Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. He is the Supreme God among other gods. The Psalmist decrees All the gods of the nations are idols. It s no different in the 21 st century. So many people, pleasures and things are vying for our time and attention. And we get to choose. We get to choose who or what comes first. As Joshua declared to the people of Israel we declare: As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. If you want to know where God is on your list of priorities take some time to look over your checkbook (credit/debit card statement) and your calendar. What I do with the time and money I ve been entrusted with gives great insight into what I value in life. AWAKENING is that opportunity at the first of the year for me to examine again or for the first time where God really is in my life. Our world desperately needs to see what real God-chasers look like. They deserve the opportunity to witness a Church on fire for Jesus; to see genuine Christianity in action. And we are carriers of His Presence through His Holy Spirit. We are carriers of the goodness and glory and love of God. Forgiveness, healing, salvation, guidance, hope, strength all these and more stem from the love of God which He has lavishly poured out on us. It s this awakening to His love and compassion toward His world that He is stirring us up for. And you are positioning yourself to encounter God. 2

We pray as Moses prayed: Show me your glory. Get ready to encounter God s Presence and don t let up until He shows up and your answers break through. God will honor your commitment to pursue Him and He will help you. Remember this: when set yourself aside to pray, fast and pursue God you will experience opposition. And know this: you will experience opposition if you do not pursue God. Pursue God and He will help you overcome the opposition you encounter. Just keep pressing in to the Father s heart no matter what. Daniel teaches us a war is being waged when we pray, fast and worship God. Daniel 10:11-13 11 And the man said to me, Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you. When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling. 12 Then he said, Don t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. 13 But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. (NLT) Consider this: we are at war. And God is hearing you and watching over you as you fast, pray and worship Him! Fast on. Pray on. Keep worshiping Him. Help is on its way. As you prepare for the next 21 days, think about why you are fasting. Is it for: spiritual renewal? Guidance? Healing? The resolution of problems? Activation of spiritual gifts? Understanding? Direction in a major decision? God will help you decide. Just ask Him. Jesus said keep on asking, seeking and knocking and the door shall be opened unto you. Your answer may come during the Fast or it may come after the Fast. The kingdom of God operates on the principle of seed planting, time and harvest. Rarely in life do we plant today and harvest tomorrow. Nonetheless, in our pursuit of the King of kings and the Lord of lords we believe what He said: the door shall be opened unto you. Glory to God! Make Jesus your primary focus during the Fast. He said, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you. Make God s Kingdom your focus and believe Him for the rest. 3

As you prepare for the Fast, determine when you ll spend time with Him and what kind of Fast you ll be doing. Have a plan and modify the plan as God directs. This Guide is exactly that: a guide; a launching pad for you into His presence and glory. Read and Pray. Don t overcomplicate it. Just talk to God and listen to Him as He speaks. Commit yourself to do what He says to you. NOW, take a moment and verbalize as simply as you can why you re fasting. Then write it down. During this fast, I am praying and believing God AWAKENING! Because there s more of Him He wants us to encounter. Pastors Randy and Kim Hill New Beginning Fellowship Church About this fasting guide This Fasting Guide is adapted from a variety of sources including: Your Personal Guide to Fasting and Prayer, by Dr. Bill Bright, CRU; Awakening America; Dick Eastman International and Every Home for Christ; Fast Forward America Why fast? Someone has wisely said, If America doesn t see revival, nothing else matters. If America does see revival, nothing else matters! America needs revival and the key to this revival is the Church. As we look at the world around us there s very little question the godly foundations of our 4

culture are eroding. The Church needs a divine visitation from God to awaken our great nation and transform our culture. Of all levels of prayer and intercession, fasting in prayer seems to terrify the forces of evil more than any other. As a saint once wrote, satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees. When the people of God begin to fast and pray strongholds are pulled down; breakthrough occurs and the power of Jesus Christ goes forth to revive the Church to win lost generations to Jesus. Fasting has the potential for significant personal and corporate impact. Through fasting and prayer, the Holy Spirit can transform your life. You re positioning yourself to hear Him speak to you in new and dynamic ways. God has given us the prescription the key the only solution to what s going on in our world. America s only hope to derail the luciferian cycle of organized chaos going about us is for the Church to humble herself, fast and pray, seek God s face and repent of callousness and sin. Only then will He heal us. Do you believe God wants to hear from us, heal our lives, revive our churches, restore our families; awaken our communities, our nation and world? We do. Fasting and prayer are the forerunners to revival; the ingredients to revival; the only solution to turn the tide of evil. Biblical fasting is very simply, denying oneself nourishment for the sake of seeking and honoring God. Prayer connects us to God and Fasting disconnects us from the control of the world and the fleshly nature. In addition to a food fast, you can also fast from other things that keep you connected to the world. These may include television, social media, video games and more. Why you should fast If you do not already know of the power and importance of fasting, here are some very important facts: 5

Fasting is an expected discipline among the people of God. Moses went on two 40-day fasts. Jesus fasted 40-days and said to us when you fast not if you fast. Fasting and prayer can ignite or re-ignite your passion for God launching you to embrace and carry out His purposes for you. God honors humility and fasting is a Biblical way to humble yourself before Him (Psalm 35:13; Ezra 8:21). Fasting can result in a dynamic personal revival in your life restoring and releasing in you the power of God to those around you. You will gain a new awareness of God a greater desire for God leading to repentance of unconfessed sin; releasing God s power and blessing into your life. How to fast As you prepare to fast, it is important to choose a fasting plan that works for you. There is nothing more spiritual about one type of fast as opposed to another. Fasting can include going without food, types of foods, social media, entertainment, etc. Fasting is about giving up something that you like and/or enjoy. It should be something that stretches you to give it up. Giving up something you like for a period of time enables you to focus on God. For example, when those hunger pangs happen, turn to prayer. When you usually watch TV read your Bible and pray instead; or put on worship music and worship. Fast from social media or watching sports and use that time to focus on God. Don t let what you eat or do become the focus of your fast. Our focus is on drawing closer to God. Fast safely: As you begin your fast, you may hear from concerned loved ones and friends who urge you to protect your health. And they are right. You should protect your health. And we want to encourage you that if done properly, fasting will not only prove to be a spiritual blessing, but a physical blessing as well. If you have a physical problem / health conditions that would make fasting unwise or dangerous include your doctor in your decision on how to fast. 6

Also, if you are pregnant or taking medication you may want to talk with your doctor before changing your regime. Fasting while nursing or pregnant: Strict fasting while nursing or pregnant is not recommended. If you are in this season of life, here are some great options for you to consider with the approval of your physician: a modified Daniel fast including whole grains, legumes, whey protein, calcium and iron supplements fasting sweets and desserts fasting red meat fasting non-food activities like television, Facebook/Twitter, movies, etc. Fasting and eating disorders: If you are battling an eating disorder, you can find healing and overcome through the power of Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:13)! Remember, fasting is a tool used to get closer to God, and it actually should keep us from being preoccupied with food. If your method of fasting is going to cause you to obsess about what you eat in any way, you will either need to change your approach or your mindset. If giving up food is a stumbling block to you, then consider fasting TV, Facebook, gaming, reading (other than the Bible), or shopping. There are many distractions and ways that we use to stay in control that we could eliminate from our daily routine. If you can identify such other things, maybe you can give those up instead of food. God will show you what to do and give you His peace. Remember, the Awakening Fast is a time to disconnect from your regular patterns and habits in order to connect more closely to God. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before getting started. 1. Start where you are. We are all at different places in our walk with Jesus. Likewise our jobs, daily schedules and health conditions are all different and place various levels of demand on our energy. So most importantly, whether you ve fasted before or this is your first time, start where you are. Your personal fast should present a level of challenge to 7

it, but it s very important to know your own body, know your options and, most importantly, seek God in prayer and follow what that Holy Spirit leads you to do. 2. Make your commitment. Pray about the kind of fast you should undertake. Jesus encouraged us to fast in Matthew 6:16-18. For Him it was a matter of when believers fast, not if they would do it. Before you fast, we encourage you to decide up front the type of fast God wants you to undertake and how much time each day you will devote to prayer and reading God s Word. Making these commitments ahead of time will help sustain your fast when physical temptations and life s pressures tempt you to abandon it. You may choose to fast all 21 days. Or you may choose to fast several days out of the 21 days, such as three or four days a week throughout the 21-day period or a meal each day. Maybe you will do that and do three to seven consecutive days at the end. This is your personal decision and should be prayerfully considered as it applies to your circumstances. It is important to fast in a way that works for you. The goal is that you choose a fast that will be challenging for you but will work within your life. You should choose a plan that will cause you to rely on God and will create space in your life for Him to work. 3. Prepare your heart: Remind yourself: God is my Father. He loves me and is for me. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any sin in your life. Then confess every sin He calls to your remembrance. Then receive God s forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Seek forgiveness and/or forgive those who have hurt you (Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4; 17:3-4). Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit according to his command in Ephesians 5:18 and His promise in 1 John 5:14-15. Surrender your life fully to Jesus Christ as your Lord; refuse to obey your worldly/fleshly nature (Romans 12:1-2). Begin your time of fasting and prayer with anticipation of how God is going to show up. (Hebrews 11:6). Do not underestimate spiritual opposition. Satan sometimes intensifies the natural battle between body and spirit (Galatians 5:16-17). 8

4. Final fasting tips: Keep your fridge and pantry stocked with the items you need for the fast. Being unprepared to fast sets you up to give in to temptation. Don t fast alone. Make it a priority to be at church every Sunday during the Fast and participate in a Life Group during the week. Being around other believers will encourage you to keep on going when fasting gets difficult. You can share what God is showing you in your devotional time as well as spend time in prayer together. If you mess up, don t get discouraged. Just get back on track and keep going. God s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). He wants you to finish, and He will give you the grace and strength to do it! If you sincerely humble yourself before the Lord, repent, pray, and seek God s face; if you consistently meditate on His Word, you will experience a heightened awareness of His presence (John 14:21). The Lord will give you fresh, new spiritual insights. Your confidence and faith in God will be strengthened and you will feel refreshed. Pursue Him with focused intensity. Anticipate hearing from God. Expect Him doing a mighty work in your life, your family, your church and the nation. Be sure to share your story with us about what God is doing in your life! Different types of fasts Specific food or activity fast: In this type of fast you omit a specific food item(s) from your meal plans. For example, you may choose to eliminate all red meat, processed or fast food, or sweets. Most people can incorporate this type of fast relatively easily. It can also prove to be a great solution for people with specific dietary needs or medical conditions that may cause certain limitations. While fasting typically refers to refraining from food or specific food items, you may also find it extremely beneficial to fast from a regular activity or habit. This might include things such as television, social media, gaming and the like. Prayer and fasting are about connecting to 9

God and disconnecting from the world. Try to tune out some of the regular distractions from your day as much as possible. Replace that time with things that will nourish you spiritually. Daniel fast: The Daniel fast is effective for spiritual focus, bodily discipline and purification of the body and soul. It is probably one of the most commonly referred-to fasts; however, within the Daniel fast there is room for broad interpretation. In the book of Daniel we find two different times where the prophet Daniel fasted. Daniel 1 states that he ate only vegetables and water, and in Daniel 10, while the passage does not give a specific list of foods that Daniel ate, it does state that he ate no rich (or choice) foods, as well as no red meat or wine. So based on these two verses, we can see that either of these, or combinations of the two, constitute a Daniel fast. Again, it is important to mention that there is nothing inherently spiritual about one type of fast as opposed to another. The foundation of the Daniel fast is fruits, vegetables and water (i.e. no meats or sweets ). Some starchy vegetables and dairy could be included, but that depends on the individual. Your goal should be to seek God in prayer about this and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do. If you are interested in learning more about the Daniel fast, be sure to check our resources web site at www.findhope.us/awakening for more information including sample recipes. Juice fast: A juice fast is simply consuming vegetables, fruit juices and water instead of solid food. Many people include whey protein in their liquid plan as well. Even if you choose not to make your entire fast liquidsonly, substituting one or two meals for liquids could be a great alternative. This is not a complete list of Bible Fasts. There are no food fasts; water fasts (for a short time period); partial fasts; etc. Fasting is not so much about food as it is about focus. Fasting is not so much about saying no to the body as it is about saying yes to the Spirit. 10

Fasting is not about doing without; it is about recognizing God is more than enough. Fasting is an outward response to an inward attitude and cry of the soul. Beginning and ending your fast well: Depending on the type of fast you choose, it may be important to prepare your body ahead of time before beginning the fast. Take a few days to transition into your fast; otherwise it may be difficult on your body (and those around you :-). For example, if you would like to go on a fruits and vegetables or juice fast, start eliminating meat, white grains, and refined sugars from your diet the week before. Also you may want to start to cut back on dairy products and some of your caffeine intake. The same principle applies to breaking your fast. When your fast is over, add foods back in gradually. The goal of AWAKENING is to Pursue His Presence and Connect with God. Awakening devotional This devotional is designed to guide you through your 21-day Awakening experience. There is a prayer focus and suggested Scriptures to read and pray through for each day. Take time to practice the presence of God and pray the Word of God. Record your thoughts, impressions and prayer requests in the space provided for each day. This is our time to disconnect from the world and connect with God. Day 1. Praise God Praise God for His sovereignty over the whole earth, every nation, race and language; rest in the assurance that He is the I AM Who gives strong support to those whose hearts are seeking Him. Revelation 4:11; Isaiah 40:18, 21-26; 2 Chronicles 16:9 11

Day 2. Thank God Thank God for His supernatural favor, abundant blessings and the opportunity He has provided for us to pray and seek His face. His will is that His kingdom come into our lives; that we encounter His presence and make known to our church, community and nation His power, works, grace and provision. Psalm 17:1, 6-8; 105:1-5; 2 Chronicles 20:12b Day 3. Petition God Petition God to divinely cover every aspect of our 21-day Fast with His anointing, guidance and protection. Humbly ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten God s Word and reveal areas of unconfessed pride and our need for repentance. John 16:13-15; 1 John 2:20, 27; 2 Corinthians 1:21; 2 Chronicles 7:14 Day 4. Believe God Believe God to call, anoint, inspire and engage a generation of mighty intercessors, worshipers, ministers, and servants to be used of Him; 12

express your trust in His ability and desire to use His Church as instruments in His hand to loose the bands of wickedness, demonstrate compassion to those in need, and live in unity with one another as the Church and the nation prepares for Christ s return. Isaiah 58:6-12; Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 4:11-15; Psalm 45:7 Day 5. Surrender to the Holy Spirit Surrender to the Holy Spirit, submitting fully in new and fresh ways to the Lord, releasing Him to fulfill His purposes for our individual lives and for our prayer time together as He positions His people throughout the nation to humble ourselves and pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways that He might hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land. Psalm 24:1-6; 2 Chronicles 7:14 Day 6. Pray for the homeless Pray for the well-being of the homeless. Ask the Lord to show you how the Church can rise up to help meet this growing need. Pray for the Cookeville Rescue Mission and other ministries you know of that are devoted to this specific challenge. Pray for opportunities to show the love of Jesus and share His message of hope with them. 1 Samuel 2:7-8; Psalm 61:2-4; 12:5 13

Day 7. Thank God Thank God for sending His Holy Spirit, who convicts, calls, regenerates, renews, empowers, anoints, comforts, and guides believers toward His purpose in the world; pause to reflect on how the Spirit still points people to Jesus and brings glory to Him. John 16:5-15 Day 8. Ask God Ask God to send a refining fire to cleanse the entire Body of Christ (His Church) of any hindrances things in our lives that have become a distraction and are separating us from Him; listen as He reveals those things that may be hindering a mighty move of the Holy Spirit to empower His people to speak His Word boldly and do His works expressing His love and compassion with kindness. Malachi 3:1-2; Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:1-5; Psalm 24:3-5 Day 9. Acknowledge Acknowledge problems resulting from patterns in your life because of sowing wrongly, dishonoring authority, reacting inappropriately to wrongs or perceived wrongs against you, and for judging others; recognize your power and strength are not sufficient and you need Christ to? ; remember that you were once dead in your transgressions, and He has made you alive with Christ as you sense 14

being seated in a heavenly place with Him. Galatians 6:7-10; Ephesians 1:3; 2:6-7; 6:1-3; Romans 2:1-4; 12:14 Day 10. Believe and declare aloud Believe and declare aloud that the fruit and gifts of the Spirit will begin to be more fully realized within the Body of Christ that has been cleansed, renewed and restored to right standing with Him. Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; Romans 12:6-8 Day 11. Pray for the unborn Pray for the unborn children; for protection over them and that they will be treasured and seen as gifts. Pray for healing of mothers who have undergone abortions (and fathers) that they will experience the forgiveness and healing grace of Jesus. Pray the citizens of the U.S. will see all life as a sacred gift worthy of our protection and love. Psalm 139:13-16 Day 12. Ask God 15

Ask God to fill each of us with His Spirit that we might unite together in prayer during the Awakening Fast; believe the Spirit will help our weaknesses, intercede for and through us as Hs teaches us to pray according to the Father s will. Ephesians 5:15-20; Romans 8:26-28; John 6:40; 15:10 Day 13. We Turn to our Heavenly Father We turn to our Heavenly Father asking Him to protect our Nation during this time of transition and to disrupt any efforts intended to cause mayhem. Father protect those who protect those who lead us. We pray for healing in our Land and restoration of the godly principles our founding fathers established. We pray President Trump, Vice President Pence, their cabinet, senators, representatives and their staffs will continually seek guidance from our Lord in personnel choices and policy decisions. May they implement steps to right our course as a Nation. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 Day 14. Pray for all that are in authority Pray for all that are in authority from our local government to the State and National government. Ask the Lord to raise up patriots who will point this Nation back to the godly roots of our founding fathers. Let righteousness be restored that we will be one Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Romans 13:1, 6-8 16

Day 15. Petition the Lord Petition the Lord to give wisdom and insight for directing the affairs of our families from what seems insignificant to the most major decisions involving every area of our lives to create a new depth of love, honor, and respect between husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters in our homes. Ephesians 1:15-23; 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-21 Day 16. Pray Pray for a great youth awakening in our Church and on our school campuses; an historic awakening breaking all records because God is on a mission restoring this generation. Recognize the responsibility to teach and train youth in the way they should go intellectually, spiritually and emotionally. Trust God to keep a host of angels around them to protect and keep them, guarding them from the traps that are set to destroy and steal their godly influence in our world. Psalm 78:1-8; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Proverbs 9:10; 2 Timothy 1:6-14 Day 17. Ask Christ 17

Ask Christ to restore our communities, giving us a heightened awareness of how we can live to reach into and win our community to Jesus, empowering us through His Holy Spirit as He removes any barriers (cultural, financial, spiritual, etc.) that would hinder the accomplishment of His will and His work through us. Ask God to raise up godly businessmen and women and employees to be witnesses for Him where they work. Matthew 10:7-8; Daniel 4:34-35; Psalm 46; Isaiah 60:1-5 Day 18. Intercede Intercede for those you know personally who are unsaved or away from the Lord; proclaim these verses from God s Word asking the Lord to make them a reality in their life. Ask God to grant access for the gospel through: Open heavens to reveal the gospel, open minds to hear the gospel, open hearts to embrace the gospel, open doors to spread the gospel. Isaiah 42:6-7; 45:8; John 8:12; 14:6; Acts 26:17-18 Day 19. Ask God to restore our economy Ask God to restore a healthy recovery in all sectors of the economy and that a spiritual awakening will take place to help overcome the temptation of greed. Pray the people of God will depend on God for prevision and reject the ways of the world resulting in true revival. Ask God to allow Hebrews 13:5 to come alive in the hearts of His children. Pray God s people will put Him first and honor God with His tithe and give to worthy ministries. Hebrews 13:5; 1 Timothy 6:5-10 18

Day 20. Thank God Thank God for the gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of God for salvation to all who believe, remembering your personal moment of salvation and thanking Him for the privilege to share the Good News of eternal life with others. Romans 1:16; Psalm 40:1-3 Day 21. Praise God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ Praise God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer, Who came to seek and save those who are lost, to preach the gospel to the poor, to proclaim release to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, and to set free those who are oppressed. Embrace the calling of God on your life to do what Jesus did. Ask God to bring 20 families to New Beginning this year as a solid base for what He s doing among us and what He s going to do through us. Psalm 18:46; Luke 4:18-19; 19:9; Jude 1:24-25 When I really enjoy God I feel my desires of Him the more insatiable and my thirstings after holiness the more unquenchable. O this pleasing pain. It makes my soul press after God (David Brainerd). 19

EXERCISE FAITH. The only way our faith will ever strengthen is for us to use it. We need to apply thought and prayer to our decisions and then trust God for the outcome. We need to set our sights on growing in faith, not shrinking back for fear of failure. Lysa TerKeurst YOU NEED IT. All lack of faith is due to not feeding on God s Word. You need it every day. Smith Wigglesworth POWER IN JESUS BLOOD. If believers only knew about the power of the precious blood of Jesus Christ, they would no longer have a guilty conscience. Kenneth Hagin BE CONVINCED In revival the Church becomes more convinced of a big God than a big devil. Such a shift in focus changes what s possible. Bill Johnson LEARN TO LOVE The commitment call to Christ is also to the community of Christ, the Church. This means we must learn to love the people we wouldn t necessarily even like. John Wimber 20