21 Days of Prayer Study Guide JAN 20-FEB 10, 2019 DEVOTE YOURSELVES TO PRAYER, BEING WATCHFUL AND THANKFUL. Colossians 4:2 21 DAYS OF PRAYER CALVARY CHURCH
TABLE OF contents 21 DAYS OF PRAYER Ways to Engage...1 WEEK 1 Credible Witness 2 Timothy 2:1-13...3 WEEK 2 It's a Battle 2 Timothy 2:14-3:9...7 2019 Calvary Church All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, without the express written permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Calvary Church, 2120 Lexington Ave N, Roseville, Minnesota 55113. WEEK 3 Expectant Followers of Jesus 2 Timothy 3:10-17...9 Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, ESV Copyright 2001, 2016 Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. PRODUCTION TEAM Curriculum Developers Emily Miller & Ben Tyvoll Copy & General Editor Cheryl Brunkow Design Cheryl Brunkow & Christa Granlund www.calvarychurch.us 651.487.2855 Printed in the United States of America
WAYS TO engage From January 20-February 10, Calvary Church will be one of many Converge churches around the world participating in the 21 Days of Prayer initiative. We would love to see the whole Calvary Church community engaging in 21 Days of prayer by sharing how God is moving, and encouraging each other through prayer and testimony. Our theme verse, Colossians 4:2 sets an example for us. "Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Over the next three weeks, make a conscious effort to reach out to our Heavenly Father to devote yourself to prayer. Try to open your hearts and minds to what the Lord is doing around you by watching and listening for Him and then thanking Him as you encounter breakthroughs, transformation, and blessings. Here s how you can participate: Follow Calvary Church on social media for weekly themes, or visit the website at calvarychurch.us/events/21-days-of-prayer. Facebook Twitter Instagram facebook.com/calvarychurchtwincities @calvarychurchus @calvarychurchus Download the app Echo Prayer so you can view the corporate and visionary prayers for Calvary. Go to FEED and type in Calvary Church Prayer, then tap on our name and logo. We will be using this app for community prayer after the 21 Days of Prayer as well! Post your powerful prayer experiences and include #calvarychurchus in your post. Or share how God is working through prayer with Ben Tyvoll. (ben.tyvoll@calvarychurch.us or 651.558.2610) Come to a Wednesday night community prayer gathering: January 23 & 30 / 6:45-7:45pm / Roseville and White Bear Campus Come to prayer and worship gathering: Vertical / Friday, February 8 / 6:30-8pm / Roseville Campus fasting guide Here's a quick breakdown of what fasting is and tips on how to get started from Converge's guide to 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting. In Mark 6:17 it says, when we fast, not if we fast. Fasting is required of us! Fasting can be defined as deliberately abstaining from the normal routines of life and replacing them with God. The purpose in fasting is to spend focused time in prayer and the study of God s word. To fast is to fill your life with God instead of food, social media or entertainment. Seek satisfaction and enjoyment in God alone. Pick your fast. Pray about it and ask the Lord how He wants you to fast. Some things to fast from: food, sugar, carbs, dairy, social media, spending, watching TV, internet, or sports. Be creative. Fasting doesn t have to be just abstaining from food. Set a goal and write it down. Begin with clear personal goals as well as breakthrough goals for your church. Be specific. Do you need direction, healing, restoration of your marriage, or resolution of family issues? Are you facing difficulties? Pray and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance with whatever you are facing. Feast on the Word of God. Fasting is about replacing the daily intake of food, entertainment, and human contact with focused times of prayer. You will spend large amounts of time feeding on the Word of God and listening for the Holy Spirit. Open your life before God. One of the great benefits of spiritual fasting is a heightened awareness of God s presence and power in our lives. We ask that you fast for spiritual breakthroughs for your church family and its mission as well as for yourself. Expect God to move. Spiritual fasting is a supernatural endeavor that has shaped and transformed God s people for centuries. If you have doubt, ask God to meet you in your doubts and lead you in overcoming them. Post your prayers on the prayer walls in your Worship Center during Worship Services or anytime buildings are open. 1 2
intro CREDIBLE witness We have two main goals in our walk with Jesus. The first is to GO and make disciples to share His love as it comes from heaven to us and then through us to someone else. The second is to GROW into the likeness of Christ and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). One could say these two goals are the outward and inward movements of God. The two are inseparable. During the 21 Days of Prayer, Pastor Shawn will challenge us to see and get involved in what the Lord is doing around us the outward movement. The weekly prayer guide will have you looking within your heart, taking it deeper the inward movement. WEEK 1 January 20-26 fast & pray This week, pick a day to fast and pray. For more information about fasting check out the 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting guide at converge.org/prayer What's your story? To be a credible witness to what God has done, we need to be keenly aware of how He is at work in our lives. Sometimes we need to ask Him to point out His work to us because we are unaware. So, as you fast this week, ask God to bring to mind what initially drew you into a love relationship with Him and ask Him to remind you of all the ways he has taken care of you. Thank Him for it as He brings these things to mind! (Colossians 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful AND thankful.") 4
Write it down. Read Habakkuk 2:1-2. In these verses, it talks about praying and seeking the Lord, and writing down what He reveals to you so that it can be shared with others. Our challenge to you is to write down what the Lord reveals to you as you fast this week. Find a medium that works for you pen and paper, Google docs, journaling on your phone, etc. Whatever will keep you engaged! This could be a wonderful way for you to keep a record of how God has remained faithful in your life and it will strengthen your spirit as you wait expectantly, for Him to move again. Be willing to share it. Your testimony of how Jesus has worked in your life and shown you love, is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). In Paul's letter to the Corinthians, we read that prophecy's purpose is to strengthen, encourage, and comfort the Church (God s people). As you experience reminders of how God has loved you, know that it is meant to be shared with others. Your testimony can bring hope, encouragement, and comfort to others, and point them to Jesus. Revelation 19:10 says, "...for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesy." Anytime you testify, you point others towards Jesus and bring encouragement to the body of Christ. Revelation 12:11 says "And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." There's amazing power in the word of your testimony! Ask and act. Ask God for ways to share your story with others AND THEN ACT on it out of obedience, using words if necessary. Testimonies are usually shared, but our acts of service show the world how we have been changed. Your obedience, no matter what He asks you to do, will change the world! Isaiah 55:8 says, My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. Ask God, who is the originator of creativity, for ideas on how to share your story. He might surprise you. notes 5 6
7 WEEK 2 January 27February 2
intro IT'S A battle Last week the focus was on our love relationship with the Lord. We suggested that you ask the Lord to remind you of how He has shown you His love and then respond by sharing your testimony with someone else. God s love is designed to flow through you to someone else. In his sermon on Sunday, January 27, the passages that Pastor Shawn referred to have lists of behaviors that the Lord wants you to avoid. None of us can afford to get stuck in the muck if our true desire is to run after the incredible, unique destiny God has designed for each of us. These passages help us bypass the enemy s plans by following God s design for our lives. This week we are going to look at the inward battle that is happening in our hearts. How we respond to a situation reveals what is most influencing us. When we squeeze an orange, we get orange juice. When we squeeze an apple, we get apple juice. It then stands to reason that others should see Christ whenever a Christian gets squeezed. Our response to difficulties and trials reveals what we really believe. Sometimes what we say we believe and what we actually believe in our hearts and what dictates our actions aren t the same thing. Do people see Christ in you when things get tough? What is so amazing about our Heavenly Father is that He loves us NO MATTER WHAT and He has given us each an identity that is rooted in Him. He sees us as His sons/daughters and heirs to His throne. As a child of God, He is pleased with you and He no longer sees your faults or sin as a part of your identity. Jesus made it possible for you to reflect the glory of God to the world here and now. However, we often feel that our faults or sins are like a weight on our shoulders, holding us down. With the help of the Lord, that weight can be lifted. fast & pray As you pick a day (or more) to fast and pray, ask the Lord to reveal the weight on your shoulders. What barriers in your life are keeping you from fully displaying God s Glory and fully embracing the freedom and abundant life available in Christ? (John 10:10) Write it down. Are there lies you're believing about yourself that don't line up with How God sees you? Ask God to reveal them to you and then repent for believing the lies that doesn t match up with your Godgiven identity. After you have repented, ask the Lord to reveal His truth about you and write it down! This is called a divine exchange. You repented for believing a lie from the enemy and asked God to replace it with His truth. So here is the truth you should claim. Romans 6:6 & 11 say "We know that our old self is crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin... So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." Ask and act. Are there relationship(s) in your life that need to be restored? Ask God to reveal areas where you need reconciliation. Then ask for wisdom to determine what steps you can take this week towards making things right. Is there sin in your life that you need to confess? Ask the Lord to reveal what may be weighing you down. He may reveal something you didn't know was an issue. Jeremiah 33:3 says, Call to me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. He wants you to live a life full and free from the enemy s schemes. Let Him show you what is getting in the way of His plan for you. 9 10
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intro EXPECTANT FOLLOWERS OF Jesus One of the paramount foundations to any relationship is getting to know one another. As expectant followers of Jesus, it's imperative for us to dive into that aspect and learn all that we can about God s character. What is so fun about this relationship journey, as we are promised in Hebrews 13:8, is that Jesus never changes. What is written in scripture holds true for us in the present. With hope and faith that God will act on our behalf and cause everything to work together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28), we can be expectant for Him to move in any situation that is placed before us. fast & pray This week as you fast and pray, think about what you are waiting on the Lord to do in your life and then take it one step further. WEEK 3 February 3-10 Write it down. What part of God s character do you need to answer your prayer? Do you need healing from the Healer? Do you need provision from the Provider? Do you need teaching from the Teacher? Do you need comfort from the Comforter? Do you need love from the Father? Do you need counsel from the Counselor? 14
In a posture of thankfulness and praise, pick a character trait of God and write down everything you know about that trait. Nehemiah stood before the Lord and recounted what had happened in his life (Nehemiah 1). Jehoshaphat prayed and reminded God of what He had done (2 Chronicles 20). They did this, not because God forgot who He is or what He does, but rather, to be reminded of His character, goodness, and action in their lives. We do this to remind ourselves of God's character. In addition, this builds our confidence and sets our minds on His faithful work in the past, and deposits hope for the future. Have your written words be your prayer to God and tell Him what you know about Him from personal experiences and from Scripture. Ask and act. Now bring this revelation of God s character into your life and into your current situation. As an expectant follower of Jesus, does this change how you view your situation? As you wait for Him, do you sit idly, or do you actively participate in your relationship with Him? Psalms 37:7 says, Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. The word wait in this passage can be translated to mean to whirl in the dance or to labor. In both instances it indicates that great focus is needed and movement is involved. In the upcoming days, weeks, months and maybe years, how will you wait? What will you be focused on? How will you be involved? The Lord has so much in store for us! He desires to have our full attention and for us to be actively waiting on Him. In a sermon by associate pastor Ralph Gustafson (Volunteer Development & Community Life Pastor) a few weeks ago, we were challenged to pray continuously, exercise our faith, and serve fearlessly. He asked the four questions below. Pray into one or all of these and see how your attitude and situation might change as you wait on the Lord. 1. What is one thing you will do this year to change your prayer life? 2. Who will you pray for without ceasing? 3. What is the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do through your prayers? 4. What is the most helpful way you can strengthen our Church? 15 notes 16
Roseville Campus / 2120 Lexington Ave N / Roseville, MN 55113 White Bear Campus / 4604 Greenhaven Dr / White Bear Township, MN 55127 www.calvarychurch.us / 651.487.2855 Rev 01-14-19