List Your Prayer Prompts For The Fasting, Prayer, & Bible Reading Challenge 2016 16
2 Table of Contents Page Contents 3 2016 Fast and Bible Challenge Overview 4 Fasting & Types of Fasts 5 30-Day Bible Reading Challenge - The New Testament 6 Prayer Opportunities During The 2016 Fast 8 The 30-Day New Testament Reading Plan 10 Events: Drive-Thru Prayer & Couples Prayer Breakfast 11 Devotional On Failure To Consult God 12 Cornerstone Corporate Prayer List 14 January Prayer & Fasting Calendar This period of fasting, prayer, and Bible reading should connect us with God through an intimate time of prayer and sacrifice during the fast. We will connect with His resources - the promises He gave us in His Word - as we read the New Testament. We will connect with His power through the Word of God and by seeking His face during our time of prayer. We will connect with His people as we become unified in our fasting and reading as one church on one accord, with one mind to please the Lord. 15
14 3 2016 Church-Wide Fasting, Prayer & Bible Reading Challenge Connected To God, His Resources, His Power & His People ~ Eph. 4:3-6 21-Day Daniel Fast January 3-23, 2016 Daniel Fast : Only Fruits & Vegetables & 30-Day New Testament Bible Reading Challenge January 1-30, 2016 We are setting apart the first few weeks of 2016 to seek the Lord for our families, church, city, and Nation. Our expectation is that God will speak to us and move powerfully in our life during and after this specific time of prayer and fasting. We envision this fasting, reading, and praying movement much like a seed being planted into the ground of our lives that God will water and cause to grow as 2016 unfolds. We encourage you to prepare your heart for how God will use this in your life. You may have some questions about fasting so please read through the rest of this booklet for information. We re expecting BIG things from God in 2016! Start the year off right. Discover the rewards of putting God first in all things in your life! We will have our 21-day churchwide fast beginning January 3 and ending January 23. We re asking everyone to participate in the Daniel Fast which is fruits and vegetables only. To help you stay connected during the January fast and throughout the year as you make fasting a part of your lifestyle, we re providing this fasting booklet with information.
This booklet includes information to help you stay focused as well as understand the benefits that come from the intimate spiritual discipline of fasting. The adult calendar included in this booklet has all of the prayer opportunities for the month as well as additional ministry opportunities to get involved with. There s also a calendar for youth and children to use as a reading guide for the fast. You will also find the 30-day reading challenge in the packet. We re asking the entire church to participate in reading the entire New Testament in 30 days. The Bible reading challenge will start January 1 and we will celebrate the completion of the challenge Sunday, January 31. FASTING One of the goals of fasting is to draw nearer to God. Biblical fasting always has to do with eliminating distractions for a spiritual purpose; it hits the reset button of our soul and renews us from the inside out! It also enables us to celebrate the goodness and mercy of God and prepares our hearts for all of the good things God desires to bring into our lives. We re asking the entire church to participate in the Daniel Fast for 2016. For your information we have listed the various types of fasts below. TYPES OF FASTS COMPLETE FAST This fast calls for drinking only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option. DANIEL / SELECTIVE FAST This type of fast involves removing certain elements from a diet. One example of a selective fast is the Daniel Fast, during which you remove meat, sweets, and bread from your diet and consume water and juice for fluids and fruits and vegetables for food. 4 2. Pray that the church and the people of the church will return to our first love; that we will love and know the Word of God. Rev. 2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 3. Pray that God s people will be sensitive to the Hands and Words of God in our everyday life. Eph. 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 4. Pray that we will understand the times in which we live; that we will understand the tide of our country and respond as God would have us to respond. Is 33:6 He will be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge 5. Pray that our church will become an evangelizing congregation for our community, the DFW Metroplex, and the world. Acts 13:47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth. 6. Pray that the message of the church (Cornerstone and all churches in the Body of Christ) is pure to the Word of God. Eph. 6:19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel Pray For Our Families 1. Pray for protection and peace for our families, church, and community. 1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 2. Pray that our families and individuals will encounter and be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Zeph. 3:17 "The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy." 3. Pray for and over the Bible verses that we re reading during the fasting and reading challenge (the entire New Testament) that it will make a great impact in our lives. 13
Confession & Repentance Corporate Prayer List 1. Confess before God our failure to consult HIM in all areas of our lives...the church, our families, our jobs, involvements, etc. Joshua 7:2-5 2. Repent of ALL sin in our lives. Joshua chapters 7-9 Pray For The Nation and Leadership 1. Pray for our Nation; for protection, mercy, wisdom and guidance. Ps. 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He choose for His inheritance., 1 Tim. 2:1-2 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 2. Pray for the upcoming election - for God s person to be elected. That God will raise up His person to serve in the White House. Dan. 2:21 It is God who changes the times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. 3. Pray for wisdom for our governing leaders and protectors (our Mayors, Governors, Military and Military Leaders, Police Officers, Firefighters, and First Responders) as to how they are to protect our Nation and deal with the times we are living in. Jer. 17:7-8 Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. Ps. 112:7 "They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord." Pray For The Church Body 1. Pray that this period of fasting, prayer and Bible reading will result in a closer walk with God and a more intimate relationship with God for each individual. Ps. 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 12 PARTIAL FAST This fast is sometimes called the Jewish Fast and involves abstaining from eating any types of food in the morning and afternoon. This can either correlate to specific times of the day, such as 6AM to 3PM, or from sun-up to sun-down. MEDIA FAST This fast is common for those who do not have much experience fasting foods, who have health issues that prevent the fasting of food, or who wish to refocus certain areas of their life that are out of balance. For instance, someone might select to abstain from using social media or watching television for the duration of the fast and then choosing how to carefully bring that element back into their life in an orderly fashion. TIMING OF THE FAST We re having our corporate fast for 21 days January 3 23, 2016. This is also a part of a season of high-intensity prayer as a church family. We re providing a variety of prayer gatherings and opportunities for corporate prayer as a part of the fast. In addition to our corporate prayer gatherings, it s important for you to spend time in your personal prayer life during the fast. Scripture References Matthew 6:16-18; Matthew 9:14-15; Luke 18:9-14; Acts 27:33-37; Nehemiah 9:1-3 30-Day New Testament Bible Reading Challenge Over the first 30 days of the New Year, you will have the opportunity to read the entire New Testament as one church, reading the same verses each day in our personal reading times. This will not be an easy thing to accomplish but the benefits will far outweigh the sacrifice. There may not be a lot of time for reading retention, however, we will also have weekly memory verses that should be recited weekly. This is going to be a life changing experience for all those who commit to the 5
process and keep up with the plan. The reading plan can be located on the next two pages in this booklet. In order to accomplish the challenge of reading the entire New Testament within 30 days, choose the time and place where you are going to read your Bible everyday. Come prepared to hear what God wants to tell you during that reading time. Depending on your schedule, you may need to split your reading up into 2 or 3 time periods per day. You could read a few chapters in the morning and a few each night. However you choose to do it, make it a scheduled part of your day and stick with it. If you fall behind, don t quit, jump back into the reading! Just like prayer and fasting, reading your Bible is about connecting to God in a more powerful way. It is not about duty but about relationship. When we engage God through reading His Word, we engage the very presence of God. His Word is living and active! As we read our Bible, we are drawing closer to God and positioning ourselves to hear from Him in particular ways. Remember, there is power, deliverance, and miracles happen when God's people are united as one and seek HIM. PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES DURING THE FAST 1 Samuel 1:6-8, 17-18, Nehemiah 1:4, Daniel 9:3, 20, Joel 2:12, Luke 2:37, Acts 10:30, Acts 13:2. To seek the Face of God, encourage one another, and unite as one, we will provide a variety of prayer gatherings for the month of January. Start the year off by seeking the face of our Savior. There is power and deliverance when God's people are united as one and seek HIM collectively. Don't miss this opportunity to spend time corporately and privately in prayer. SATURDAY MORNING PRAYER GATHERINGS Each Saturday from 7-8am all men are encouraged to join the brothers in prayer in room #160. The ladies will meet in room #116 for prayer every Saturday in January from 7am-8am. 6 Failure To Consult God Can Lead To Tragedy Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai and said to them, Go up and spy out the land. And the men went up and spied out Ai. And they returned to Joshua and said to him, Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few. So about 3,000 men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate And the hearts of the people melted and became as water. Joshua 7:2-5 After the victory at Jericho, the people of God seemed certain that He would give them success in the land He had promised to give them. So they didn t hesitate to move to the next city. But here they make a tragic mistake. In this account of Joshua s actions, we don t see him come before God first. Instead, we see him move forward with the plans that seem best to his eyes. He sends out spies, and based on their discernment 3,000 men are sent to the city in an attempt to take it. But they fail. What Joshua was entirely unaware of was that there was a man in Israel who had not abided by the command of God in regards to the plunder of Jericho. The man had held back some of that which was to be devoted to the Lord. God likely would have addressed this and advised Joshua on how to proceed, both in this matter and in the conquering of Ai. But Joshua felt confident enough in their defeat of Jericho to make his own plans. The reminder that we find here is this: If God is with us, it doesn t matter whether a circumstance looks impossible or like something we can handle. He will fulfill His purposes and make all His plans succeed. Similarly, without Him, it still doesn t matter what it looks like - we can do nothing without Him. Our call is not to determine the probability of success and only consult God if we think a situation is beyond us. It is to consult Him always. To seek His face, lay everything before Him, and trust that He will see us through. There will likely still be action on our part - whatever action God leads us to. But it is never up to us. We follow Christ to whatever end. The results are all dependent upon Him. 11
DRIVE-THROUGH PRAYER EVENT - Continued We will need volunteers willing to come and pray with those who come by, volunteers to hold up signs along the road encouraging people to drive through for prayer, and volunteers to give hot chocolate and coffee to those requesting it. If you are interested in participating in the Drive Through Prayer Event, sign up by sending an email to Veronica Griffith at vgriffith@cbcarlington.org or stopping by the Connection and signing up. COUPLES PRAYER BREAKFAST From Adversity To Triumph Following the fast, Saturday, January 30, the Marriage Ministry will have a couples prayer breakfast at 9am. The cost is $5 per couple and it will be an intimate time of prayer for those present. You will be encouraged by the testimony of Randy and Lisa Schoenrock as they share about the JOY God brought them during a time of crisis in their family. Tickets go on sale January 3, 2016. MARRIAGE PRAYER WALL God ordained and created the institution of marriage. His desire is for marriage to be a holy institution and one for a lifetime. We want to encourage and foster an environment for biblical, successful marriages at Cornerstone. During January and February there will be a Marriage Prayer Wall in the foyer and we re encouraging couples to place their prayer requests and praise reports on the wall. We re not looking for names of individuals, just the prayer request and/or praise report. The Marriage Ministry team will cover those requests in prayer throughout the months. If you re married, engaged, seriously dating, widowed, or divorced - we want to pray for you! Stop by the Marriage Prayer Wall and pin up your prayer request in January and February. 10 SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER WITH THE ELDERS Each Sunday from 9:15am until 9:30am everyone is invited to pray at the altar for the service that day or any personal needs that you may have. The Elders will be present at the altar to pray for those with specific needs or sickness. Simply come up and join those at the altar. EARLY MORNING WEEKDAY PRAYER GATHERINGS You are always welcome to join us for early morning prayer Monday through Friday from 6-7am in room #160. This is a coed prayer gathering that is held all year long. WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRAYER SERVICE Be sure to join us each Wednesday night in January as we gather corporately for prayer, praise and reading of the Word of God. We will end the January prayer gatherings with a testimony service Wednesday, January 27. We hope that you will be willing to share the amazing ways God has blessed your life, changed your life for the better, or brought about great miracles in your life. CORNERSTONE CORPORATE PRAYER LIST There is a prayer list in the back of this booklet that the staff would like everyone to use as a prayer list in addition to your personal prayer requests. DRIVE-THROUGH PRAYER EVENT In order to take our prayer movement from the pew to the community, we are offering a drive-through prayer event, Saturday, January 9 from 9am - 11am. We want to offer prayer for ANYONE driving or walking up and down Matlock Rd. The people will never have to get out of their car for prayer; we will walk up to the car, take their prayer requests, pray with them, give them a packet of information and send them on their way. 7
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