Day 1: Vision

Ephesians 5:13 (NASB 2020) But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

As the dark of night was slowly overcome by the dawn of a new day, I sat quietly, anticipating what my eyes might behold in the fullness of light. Having been to the location countless times, I knew the landscape well. Just outside the front window was an open field, spotted with a few shrubs and a line of trees in the distance.

Beyond what I could see with the limited light stood a feeder. A feeder that would soon dispense corn and beckon the deer, birds, and squirrels to come and dine. Again, I had beheld it in the day and was convinced of its existence. Nevertheless, I couldn’t see it…

To my natural eye, the view before me was dim and lifeless. In my understanding, nothing but darkness stood before me.

But as I lifted my binoculars, I began to see a whole new world. It wasn’t lifeless after all. Where I saw a void, a young deer stood dining on the remnants of yesterday’s meal. Though nothing was scheduled to happen for another thirty minutes, it was already present.

What was the difference? Light. Vision begins with light. In fact, vision is the process of light. And what my eyes were not able to process naturally, the binoculars accumulated all available light and projected it into the lenses.

As I meditated on that lesson, I couldn’t help but think how much I’m missing in the natural realm, without the illumination of God’s Spirit. Before us, there are realities, not projections of our imagination, desires, or hopes, but spiritual realities that we cannot see without the Holy Spirit.

As we begin a New Year and this dedicated time of Prayer and Fasting, let’s ask God to give us vision—supernatural vision to see what already exists, but we fail to see without His light.

-- Pastor Allen

Prayer:
Father, as I enter into this season of prayer and fasting, will You illuminate the natural and spiritual realities that I cannot see in the natural? Allow me to see what already exists but I have not seen. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Day 2: Humility

James 4:10 (NASB 2020) Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. 

Humility is the foundation of all prayer. Humility says, “Lord, I am empty without Your fullness; I am broken without Your wholeness; I am helpless without Your strength; I am clueless without Your wisdom. Apart from You, I am nothing. I need You! I need you so desperately that I am pouring myself out to You in prayer.”

Andrew Murray once said, “Humility is the displacement of self by the enthronement of God. Where God is all, self is nothing.” Let us come to God with humble hearts knowing that He is God and we are not. Let us forsake any effort of promoting ourselves, instead let us trust God to promote His Kingdom through us as we more fully depend on Him.

But where does humility come from? Not false humility, but the real deal. The kind you can’t fake.

I believe it comes from a deep-seated belief that God is the source of all that we are and all that we have. And it’s the belief that any “success” in this life ultimately comes from Him. Humble people believe that whatever they’re being praised for wouldn’t be if it weren’t for God. Whether it’s His hand in the events and circumstances, His hand in the building of godly character, whatever is good in them, it’s ALL from Him.

If you really stop and think about what we’d be without God, it’s not a stretch to give Him the credit. He has utterly transformed us. He continues to work powerfully in and through us. All by ourselves, we’d be a lot less than we are with Him living inside us.

One of my favorite Proverbs (23:7 NKJV) says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” If we truly think in our heart that we deserve the credit, that it’s really our tenacity, our brains, our personalities that’s making us successful, then we will never be humble.

God is the Creator and Sustainer of every bit of our life and success. He can end it in a heartbeat or allow a heart to stop its beat. Only with this realization will we be able to gain true humility. So whenever praise comes our way, we say thank you (it’s rude to reject someone’s kind words). But then we look for a way to immediately deflect the credit to the One who really deserves it.

-- Pastor Brian Mosley

Prayer:
Father, please cultivate within me a heart of authentic humility. Help me to focus more on You than I do on myself—to promote Your agenda rather than my own. Be enthroned upon my heart without rival and help me to remember that my life and success ultimately comes from Your Hand. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Day 3: Forgiveness

Mark 11:25 (NASB 2020) And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you for your offenses.

When I was younger, one of my siblings got their feelings hurt by someone from school. I don’t recall the situation of the event, but I do remember my response. In my youthful zeal, I found verses about forgiveness, wrote them onto a piece of paper, and delivered the paper to my sibling. Can you imagine what happened to that paper? Yeah… it was crumbled and thrown into a trash can. I remember being so concerned and confused as to why my sibling wouldn’t listen to my “wise” advice.

Although my understanding of forgiveness was accurate, I lacked empathy and my approach was awful. A few years later, I found myself in the same shoes that my sibling had been in. I had been hurt; actually, I had been cut deeply. Like my sibling, I didn’t want anything to do with forgiving. And, before I knew it, my unforgiveness birthed bitterness and my relationship with God became affected.

In that season, there were two major lessons I learned that I want to share.

First, Jesus was hurt by my sins, yet He still forgave me. The hurt that I had experienced could not compare to the hurt that Jesus endured on the cross for my sins. Second, Jesus loved the person who hurt me just as much as He loved me. This was a hard lesson for me to learn. I was quick to say, “But, I’m in the right! They’re in the wrong!” But, it didn’t matter. God loved that person just as much as He loved me.

When reading Mark 11:25, I was reminded of the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35. Jesus’ story involves a servant who has a debt that he cannot pay but is forgiven. Yet, immediately after the servant is forgiven, he goes and demands payment from someone who owes him money. Crazy right? The servant received forgiveness but didn’t give forgiveness. The unforgiveness of the servant became known and, to say the least, it didn’t end well.

Let’s be honest. We’re quick to receive forgiveness, but we’re slow to give it. But, Mark 11:25 and Matthew 18:21-35 teach us that our relationship with God is connected to our capacity to forgive– like He forgave us.

There will be hurt, pain, and heartache in life. There will be many opportunities for unforgiveness; nevertheless, we must live in forgiveness. In this season of prayer and fasting, let us remember how God has forgiven us and give forgiveness to others.

-- Pastor Caleb Flowers

Prayer:
Father, I thank you for your forgiveness. You endured the cross for our sins– all so that we can be forgiven. I ask for your strength to forgive others and to live a lifestyle of forgiveness. Amen.

Day 4: Hunger

Matthew 5:6 (NASB 2020) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Have you ever had one of those moments when the ‘all you can eat’ buffet became ‘more than you can bear’? Those endless trips through the line, working to ensure you get your money’s worth, soon become not worth what you paid.

So it is with life. We live in a world of unending pleasure. A smorgasbord of fleshy delicacies is set before us daily. From TV ads to social media feeds, we are inundated with the things we deserve. And yet, when we consume them, they often leave us feeling worse than we felt beforehand.

Financially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually, we bear the pain of indulging ourselves in the pleasures of this life. And unfortunately, our flesh will never acknowledge that enough is enough.

Throughout this season of prayer and fasting, God has most likely shown you areas of your life where you have indulged yourself on the pleasures of this life rather than on the riches of a relationship with Him. For many of us, we have sought to satisfy spiritual hunger with physical pleasures. All the while, our souls are craving time with the Lord.

The discipline of spiritual fasting is a matter of voluntarily setting aside the things we can afford, have, and/or eat, to invest in our relationship with God. We do so, knowing this:“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

As your flesh complains of hunger pains, headaches, and irritations, may they remind you to press into the promises of God; He will satisfy those who hunger and thirst for His presence.

-- Pastor Allen

Prayer:

Father, I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness, more than I desire the pleasures of this world. In this season of prayer and fasting, satisfy me with Your eternal goodness and riches.

Day 5: Purity

Matthew 5:8 (NASB2020) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Purity is not exactly a popular buzzword in today’s culture. In fact, when was the last time you heard someone use that word in a sentence? Unless you work as a jeweler, it probably has been quite a while. And when the topic is mentioned, most people only think it pertains to sexuality. Although that’s definitely an important aspect of it, purity is primarily a characteristic of the HEART that affects every part of our lives—and the lives of others—both now and in eternity.

Purity of heart can be defined as a heart “free from contamination” or “absent of mixture.” It describes a person who is all-in with God and wholeheartedly devoted to love Him above all others. Purity is about who you are and then, what you do. It applies both to your character and as a result, to your conduct. Purity is a dynamic work of God centered in your heart and then flows out to affect your head (your thinking), hands (your actions), and habits (your everyday lifestyle).

As we pray today, let’s ask God to work powerfully in us and form in us pure hearts.

Let’s desire to please God in our lives by fearing Him, worshiping Him, obeying Him, cherishing Him, and loving Him. And the resulting promise of Scripture is that we will see God:

• We will see God because the Spirit will provide us with “eyes to see and ears to hear.”
• We will see God as His Holy Spirit moves in our circumstances.
• We will see God as His plans and purposes unfolded in our lives; we will see His hand of provision in our everyday experiences, we will be perceptive to His ways, discerning of His heart and understanding of His Word.
• We will see God as He lives in us and He reveals Himself to us in new ways every day.
• We will see God as He lives His life through us.

The pure in heart will see God because they are living life, filled with His Holy Spirit. If we have been washed in the blood of Jesus, if we have been made new in Him, if we are living our life under His lordship, filled with the Holy Spirit, we will invariably and inevitably see God. What a promise!

-- Pastor Brian Mosley

Prayer:
Father, help me to pursue purity of heart in my relationship with You. Please cleanse me from any ungodly contaminants or mixtures. I commit to living in prayerful anticipation to see You work powerfully in my life, in my family, and my church. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Day 6: Listen

Matthew 13:15 (NASB 2020) For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and return, And I would heal them.

From an early age, we receive intentional and focused training in reading and writing. Research has taught us the importance of teaching our children the skills of reading, writing, and speaking. These are necessary for our development throughout life.

Unlike these taught skills, research has shown that the skill of listening has been assumed to be an involuntary activity. And while our ability to hear is a natural ability, listening is a choice. It is an area we exercise control over what we choose to do with what we have heard.

For example, when someone moves from a rural to an urban setting, they will often be sensitive to the various unfamiliar sounds of a new place. Eventually, those sounds become white noise in the background. And it’s not that they become any less frequent or any quieter in volume; it’s just that the brain is no longer alerted by them.

In our fast-paced, ever-moving, never-silent world, we hear a lot. But we listen far too little. Unlike the attention given to how well we comprehend what we read, we are not often taught how to listen, to glean the significance or value of what is being heard.

Is it possible that God is speaking far more than we are willing to listen? When Jesus stepped into the lives of humanity, He had lots to say. But many were unwilling to listen to what He had to say.

Seasons of prayer and fasting are not about contriving efforts to have God speak. Instead, they are far more focused on disciplining ourselves to listen to what God is saying.

As you devote yourself to hearing God, silence some of the noise around you and reawaken your spiritual ears to the still, small voice of God. In doing so, you’ll find that God has lots to say if we are willing to listen.

-- Pastor Allen

Prayer:
Father, grant me ears to hear Your voice again. May the noise of this world be muted and may the clarity of Your voice be heard once again.

Day 7: Wisdom

Jeremiah 33:3 (NASB 2020) ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ 

I remember my inner turmoil one day in school as I was taking a test, and I didn’t understand the instructions on a particular segment. It seemed like everyone else understood their assignments perfectly—practically burning holes onto their pages from their rapid writing while I stared at my blank page at a total loss of how to proceed. Because it was a standardized test, they weren’t all the same. I felt like I had gotten the hardest version while everyone else could just coast through. I was praying that someone else would raise their hand and ask the teacher my question or say the words I was too scared to say: “What do I do?” Or “I don’t understand.”

You may not be taking a standardized test, but you just might be in the middle of one of life’s tests. Your test may not be exactly like your neighbor’s, but you have some questions and need understanding. You’re experiencing the “paralysis of analysis.” Whether we’re in seasons of testing or turmoil or just trying to be faithful disciples, what we need to face any season is wisdom. Wisdom, in the biblical sense, is simply God’s perspective.

In Jeremiah 33, Jeremiah was taking a test of his own. He was in prison—actually for saying what God had told him to say! Then, in that cold and lonely prison cell, the Lord sends word to Jeremiah: “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” In that moment of persecution and loneliness, the Lord cuts through the atmosphere with a stirring promise based on a simple premise: “If you call on Me, I will answer you.”

We don’t need to sit alone in our trepidation. We don’t need self-pity. We need Him. To get to Him, we don’t have to jump through any theological “hoops”; we simply need to call out to Him. And then, there’s this precious promise: “I will answer you, and I will tell you…” When we call out to the Lord, He will hear us and He will tell us wonderful things and give us wisdom for what we don’t know. Isn’t that spectacular news?

Why then are we often afraid to ask the questions? Maybe we grew up in an environment where it was seen as weak to ask for help. Maybe we’re embarrassed to admit that we don’t have all the answers.

But as Christ-followers, we’re not called or expected to have all of life’s answers. We’re called to call on the One who does. Paul prayed that God would give the believers of the church of Ephesus wisdom and revelation, and that the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened. (Eph. 1:17-18). James told his Jewish readers that if any of them needed wisdom, “let them ask.” (Jas. 1:5). We don’t have to figure it out alone. We can ask our God and He will hear us, and He will help us.

-- Pastor Dan Westbrook

Prayer:
Lord, I don’t have all the answers, but You do. Please give me wisdom in this season to know what to do and how to proceed, so I can bring glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Day 8: Freedom

Galatians 5:1 (NASB 2020) It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

It happened every year. As we sat awaiting the final bell to ring, my friends and I discussed how we would spend our Christmas vacation– free from school and responsibilities. We would stay up late, eat a lot of food, see distant family, get presents, and play tons of video games. We couldn’t wait to rest and relax.

When the bell rang, we hurriedly rushed out of the building toward the school bus. Excitement and adrenaline filled the hallways as we said goodbye to school and hello to freedom.

One year, my excitement and adrenaline soon faded when I realized I had to go back to school again after two weeks. I realized my freedom was only… temporary.

That realization became a constant reminder throughout the break that my freedom wouldn’t last. When it was time to go back to school, I left my freedom behind and grumbled my way until summer break– all to repeat the cycle.

Someone once said, “we’re free to struggle, but we’re not struggling to be free.” In other words, the prison door is unlocked, but we must choose to walk through it.

When the bell of faith rang, and we answered Jesus’ call to salvation, we walked out of spiritual slavery. And the Good News is that we don’t have to return to our old ways or continue the cycle of sin. Since we’re new creations in Jesus, we can walk in the fullness of His freedom.

Although I had to return to school after the holiday break, we don’t have to return to our old ways. Isn’t that Good News? The freedom He offers isn’t temporary but eternal.

Through His grace, we can say goodbye to sin and hello to freedom.

As we begin this new year, let’s live in the freedom of Jesus and introduce others to this freedom.  

-- Pastor Caleb Flowers

Prayer:
Father, thank you for the freedom You have given us. We could never earn or deserve Your freedom, but You give it anyway. May we live in the fullness of Your freedom and continue to grow closer to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Day 9: Power

Zechariah 4:6 (NASB 2020) Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of armies.

It’s that time of year. The time when the trees dump their leaves, which in turn covers our lawns, driveways, etc. So, we find ourselves gathering the leaf blowers to remove them.

For convenience's sake, I grabbed a battery-powered leaf blower. It was set to be a quick and easy job. I began with great fervor. The lightweight blower moved the leaves rather easily. Or so I thought…

As the job lingered on, I found it taking more effort to move the pile than expected. And eventually, the small battery exhausted its charge. Prepared for the task, I replaced the battery with a fully charged one.

When I added the new battery, I was shocked by the amount of power it brought. Slowly and without notice, the effectiveness of the blower was lost as the battery drained. It had been so subtle that I hadn’t even noticed. But to compensate for the loss of power, I began to exert more energy.

Eventually, that battery died, also. So, I went old school and found a corded version. Once again, I was blown away by the power it possessed. If I had utilized it first, I would have completed the job much sooner.

How often do we live our spiritual lives in this manner? Where do we rely upon our own power, strength, and energy rather than the Holy Spirit? When our strength begins to wane, we work harder and exert more of ourselves.

God never intended for us to live our lives in our own strength. We require the work and power of the Holy Spirit. In this season of prayer and fasting, ask God to show you any area where you may be relying on your strength and not His Spirit.

-- Pastor Allen

Prayer:

Father, forgive me for trusting in my strength. Today, I want to plug into the power of Your Holy Spirit. The strength that never wanes nor is exhausted.

Day 10: Boldness

1 Chronicles 28:20 (NASB 2020) Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.”

My sister was preparing to embark on a new season of her life. She was confident that she had heard from God, and was prepared to do what He had called her to. But why had she felt a tightness in her chest? Why were her hands clammy? My mom sat down beside her, recognizing the weight she was carrying and said three words, “Do it afraid.” The admonition was from the missionary pioneer, Elisabeth Elliott: “Sometimes when we are called to obey, the fear does not subside and we are expected to move against the fear. One must choose to do it afraid.”

These words aren’t meant as an invitation to fear, but really an invitation to boldness, in spite of feelings of fear. The Lord spoke to Joshua in Joshua 1:9, “…be strong and courageous,” much as He had spoken to Moses in Deuteronomy 31:6. Fear is a default enemy of the human race, but the Lord enables us to operate in a new default. See what Proverbs 28:1 says: “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”

The author of this Proverb, likely Solomon, is not insinuating that the wicked are always cowardly and the righteous are always courageous. Rather, he was pointing out that the enemies of God have no peace. They’re always looking over their shoulders and watching their backs. Adam and Eve hid after they ate of the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:8). They felt the need to hide from the God who fashioned them, and breathed the breath of life into them.

But the righteous know Whose they are. The righteous ones know that the One seated on the throne looks upon with them mercy, and that we can approach His throne boldly. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

David, who had so desired to build the Temple for the Lord, was not permitted to carry out the assignment, but he continued to carry it in his heart. In his final days as king, he commissioned his son, Solomon to finish the work—knowing that it was a monumental undertaking, and the toll that kingship could have on his son, as it had on him. What was David’s clarion cry? What would be the counsel he would dispense to encourage his son to face the days ahead? “Be strong and courageous, and act…” In other words, “Be bold and do it.” But this boldness isn’t because of how great David was, or how great Solomon would be, but how great God is.

In this new year ahead, as you shoulder the weight of your calling and obedience, “do it afraid.” Be strong and courageous, and do it. Go to your Father with bold confidence. Your God is with you and He is for you.

And if God is for you, who can be against you? (Rom. 8:31)

-- Pastor Dan Westbrook

Prayer:
Father, as I do all I can to carry out Your calling on my life, in my family, and in my community, I confess that at times it feels daunting. But I thank You that I can come to You courageously and walk out the days ahead in Your boldness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.