(These devotional entries were written by Stovall Weems and intended to accompany 21 days of prayer and fasting at the beginning of the year.)
What’s Your Assignment?
Luke 4:1-2, 14-15 NIV
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them He was hungry…Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised Him.
Fasting and prayer are essential to receiving a clear vision of God’s specific path for our lives. Many times following a season of prayer and fasting we have a more defined understanding of the part that we play in the body of Christ and a greater sense of our particular spiritual giftings. (1 Corinthians 12)
This chapter in the Gospel of Luke describes the circumstances surrounding the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Notice that He went into the desert “full of the Holy Spirit.” However, He returned to Galilee, “in the power of the Holy Spirit.” Being full of the Spirit is knowing God and his character; walking in the power of the Spirit is when we know that we have the God-given strength and authority in our lives to walk out His will.
The power of the Spirit is essential for us to accomplish the assignment God has for our lives. God could be leading you to fast so that you can receive His specific instructions for your life. He will empower you, not just to know Him, but to walk in His power to accomplish what He has called you to do.
Are there areas of your life that need more clarity? Are you walking in the power of the Spirit and living in God’s purpose for your life? Write down those things God is speaking to you. As you conclude your fast, pray that God continually reveals His purpose and gives you ever increasing clarity and strength to walk it out.
Categories: 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - New Year · Church at the Gate Prayer
Tagged: Awakening 2010, Fasting in the new year, Prayer and Fasting, Praying in the new year
(These devotional entries were written by Stovall Weems and intended to accompany 21 days of prayer and fasting at the beginning of the year.)
A New Wineskin
Luke 5:37-38 NLT
“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins.”
Two things do not mix: new wine and old wineskins. The reason is simple: old wineskins cannot grow and stretch to hold the new wine. The new wine God wants to fill you with is expansive; it is a picture of God’s Spirit. It always brings an enlargement. A container that is dead, dry, stiff and shrinking back cannot be entrusted as a storehouse for God’s valued treasure. Our vessels must be prepared for the fresh, dynamic, living presence of God – everything we do will flow from it. This preparation comes through prayer and fasting, producing a container that is ready for the new thing God wants to do. God’s new wine always changes us – it expands our faith, enlarges our purpose, and brings renewed vision.
Everything God does is expansive, He is not into shrinking wineskins – it is up to us to shed them. As we seek Him in this season, let’s shed the old wineskin and ask God to fully prepare our hearts for what’s to come.
What has caused you to shrink back in your expectation of what God wants to do in your life? Are you ready to be expanded beyond recognition? That’s what God’s new wine will do in and through you. Pray the Lord will expand your life to glorify Him, giving you boldness to step out and be
Categories: 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - New Year · Church at the Gate Prayer
Tagged: Awakening 2010, Fasting in the new year, Prayer and Fasting, Praying in the new year
(These devotional entries were written by Stovall Weems and intended to accompany 21 days of prayer and fasting at the beginning of the year.)
Walking in the Power of the Holy Spirit
Luke 4:14
Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out throughall the surrounding region.
After praying and fasting for 40 days, Jesus returned to Galilee empowered to do all the Father had called Him to do. To accomplish the assignment God has for our lives, we also need the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us. God does not expect us to go through the challenges of life without it.
Prayer and fasting brings us to the place where we can “power up”. Walking in the power of the Holy Spirit is living with a comprehension of the God-given strength and authority in our lives to walk out His will. Through prayer and fasting, God can prepare us for what lies ahead. We might not know what obstacles we’re going to face, but we can know that God will be faithful to us. He will never leave us and He will empower us to meet whatever challenges life may bring.
Today as you worship God in prayer, let Him know that you refuse to go into the future
without His power and that you want all that He has for you.
Categories: 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - New Year · Church at the Gate Prayer
Tagged: Awakening 2010, Fasting in the new year, Prayer and Fasting, Praying in the new year
(These devotional entries were written by Stovall Weems and intended to accompany 21 days of prayer and fasting at the beginning of the year.)
Don’t Worry – Pray Instead
Philippians 4:6-7 MSG
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Worry seems to be an inescapable fact of modern life. No doubt there is plenty to worry about: our kids, the economy, global warming, war, disease… the list could go on forever! Sometimes it might seem that worry has even replaced Jesus as the focal point of our lives. Jesus Himself admonished us several times not to worry. And the great apostle, Paul, tell us in the passage above that there is an antidote to worry…prayer.
When we worry about something, we are spending energy on it, wondering what might happen, rehearsing the “if only’s” and “what if’s” in our mind. Why not take that same energy and refocus it on prayer instead? When we worry, we are simply talking to ourselves about our fears, but when we pray, we are taking those fears to God. We can’t control the future, but in the words of Anne Graham Lotz, God is already there! He knows exactly what is going to happen and he promises to be with us every step of the journey.
As we are nearing a close to this season of prayer and fasting, let’s make an effort to convert our worry into prayer. As Paul says in the verse above, “let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers,” and you will find that the peace of God will guard your heart.
Are there things that you consistently worry about? As you go through your day today, recapture each worried thought and send it up to God as a prayer. See how dramatically your outlook improves when the peace of God is activated through prayer!
Categories: 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - New Year · Church at the Gate Prayer
Tagged: Awakening 2010, Fasting in the new year, Prayer and Fasting, Praying in the new year
(These devotional entries were written by Stovall Weems and intended to accompany 21 days of prayer and fasting at the beginning of the year.)
Humility
Matthew 17:14-16
And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and
saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often
falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they
could not cure him.”
What a great example of humility – this man approached Jesus and knelt before Him in the midst of a crowd. As the father approached Jesus, he believed that Jesus would bring his son relief. But even in his belief, his approach was humble and submitted to what Christ would choose to do. Looking further into the story, we find the father was also persistent and resisted taking offense. Though the disciples were not able to help him, he set aside his temporary disappointment in their failure and continued to seek after Jesus – the solution to his circumstance, the source of relief through his trial.
Being humble before God is realizing our need of Him, submitting to His will, pursuing Him and being confident the outcome will occur in God’s perfect timing.
Be encouraged that approaching God with a heart of humility will always position you to find relief in Jesus. Don’t be ashamed to humble yourself before God, even in the midst of others looking on. Offenses and disappointment may come but continue in your pursuit of Jesus. You may not get relief right away but know that God is never late and His solution is always perfect.
Prayer is a posture of humility. Humble yourself before the Lord each day and bring your cares to Him. He wants to meet you where you are and answer your every need. Pray too, that God help you with the disappointment and discouragement that we each face along the way. Is there discouragement in your heart today? Write it down and release it to our perfect God.
Categories: 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - New Year · Church at the Gate Prayer
Tagged: Awakening 2010, Fasting in the new year, Prayer and Fasting, Praying in the new year
(These devotional entries were written by Stovall Weems and intended to accompany 21 days of prayer and fasting at the beginning of the year.)
Taking Off the Grave Clothes
John 11:44 b NIV
…Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
When it comes to the transforming power of God working in someone’s life, God often uses people to bring about divine life-change. The story of Lazarus in John 11 illustrates it was the power of Jesus’ prayer and spoken word that resurrected Lazarus from the dead – but the disciples played a role in this miracle too.
Lazarus was bound hand and foot with grave clothes and his face had been wrapped with a cloth during his time in the tomb. When he arose from his death and came out of the tomb, Jesus called on the disciples to help in the transformation process. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” The disciples needed to help Lazarus. Likewise, we all have a part to play in the lives of those around us.
God has done some incredible things around us during the fast. Could it be that someone around you is still walking around in grave clothes? What do you need to help them let go of?
Who in your world is still walking around in grave clothes? Think about friends and family or those around you who may not know God. What part has God called you to play in the life change He wants to bring?
Categories: 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - New Year · Church at the Gate Prayer
Tagged: Awakening 2010, Fasting in the new year, Prayer and Fasting, Praying in the new year
January 24, 2010 · 1 Comment
(These devotional entries were written by Stovall Weems and intended to accompany 21 days of prayer and fasting at the beginning of the year.)
Spoken Word
John 11:43 NIV
When He had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
The story of Lazarus’ death and resurrection reflects the power of Jesus’ spoken Word. He already knew in His heart the miracle that was about to take place, but His words spoke the miracle into existence.
While prayer is our declaration of our dependence on God, our spoken words can be the manifestation of what’s happening in our hearts. There is power in our spoken words – whether they are used to build up or tear down. It is so important to keep our hearts filled with the truth from God’s Word so that our words will produce good fruit.
As you seek God in prayer ask Him for the words and discernment that may help someone today. Pray that your words would be encouraging, edifying and aligned with the truth of God’s word. Building others up around us with our words allows us to be God’s instrument — a vessel for His good work.
As God continues to fill us through this season of prayer and fasting, He wants to take what is now in our hearts and share it with others. How can you use the power of your spoke words to speak God’s truth in the lives of others?
Categories: 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - New Year · Church at the Gate Prayer
Tagged: Awakening 2010, Fasting in the new year, Prayer and Fasting, Praying in the new year
January 23, 2010 · 1 Comment
(These devotional entries were written by Stovall Weems and intended to accompany 21 days of prayer and fasting at the beginning of the year.)
Alignment with Heaven
Matthew 6:10 KJV
“Thy kingdom come, They will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
We have all heard the phrase, “just like heaven on earth.” When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, in Matthew 6:9-13, He provided some insight into what “heaven on earth” might look like. In reality, heaven is a place where God’s will reigns supreme. If we want to have a taste of heaven on earth, then our prayer should be like Jesus’: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done…” The purest motivation for our prayers is that God will be glorified and that His will would reign supreme in our lives, just like it does in heaven.
On a more personal level, we can pray that His will be unhindered in our own lives. Rather than imposing His will upon us, God gives us the choice to surrender to it with trust and gladness. As we yield to the Lordship of Christ over every area of our lives, we come into agreement with Him. We experience alignment with heaven and position ourselves to taste a little bit of heaven here on earth. His will then becomes what we desire and the thing we most seek after. We enter into the incredible adventure of participating in God’s plan to move His kingdom forward on the earth. This is where we find the most fulfilling and joyous life, but it all starts with one, personal “yes, Lord” on our part.
What does God’s will “on earth as it is in heaven” look like in your life? Do the desires of your heart line up with the will of God? As we seek God together, let’s pray as Jesus taught us, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.”
Categories: 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - New Year · Church at the Gate Prayer
Tagged: Awakening 2010, Fasting in the new year, Prayer and Fasting, Praying in the new year
(These devotional entries were written by Stovall Weems and intended to accompany 21 days of prayer and fasting at the beginning of the year.)
Cultivating Spiritual Hunger
Mark 1:12-13
Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.
Even Jesus disconnected from the world to fast and pray. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke speak of Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. They also describe other times Jesus pulled away from the demands of the crowds, His ministry and even His closest friends to pray.
There are times that we, too, need to pull away from the things of the world and focus on God. “The things of the world” can certainly include more than just food. In fact, in our world, it is more likely to be television, movies, Facebook, Twitter, cell phones and internet that keep us “tuned in” to the world. None of these things are wrong in and of themselves, but they are avenues for a mental and spiritual “crowd” to gather around us and drown out the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit.
Fasting is a means of disconnecting from the distractions of daily life and consciously choosing to bring God into greater focus. Giving up physical nourishment is the first step in engaging that process. If you think about it, though, we nourish our souls as well as our bodies. We do so through reading, talking, socializing, playing and leisure. When we fill our souls up with all those things, we don’t feel a hunger for God.
During this time of fasting, we are sure to feel physical hunger, but let’s be intentional about cultivating spiritual hunger as well. Let’s draw away from the crowds, and lay aside for a season the activities we use to nourish our souls. Instead let’s allow ourselves to enter a state of spiritual hunger – a hunger for righteousness. Jesus said that being spiritually hungry is a blessed state, because we can be sure of being filled with food that truly satisfies our deepest needs. (Matthew 5:6)
During this time, you will find that being still before the Lord will set you in a place of increased strength, peace and hunger for God. Are you disconnected from the things that nourish your body and soul? What do you need to deny yourself so that this can be a powerful time in your life?
Categories: 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - New Year · Church at the Gate Prayer
Tagged: Awakening 2010, Fasting in the new year, Prayer and Fasting, Praying in the new year
(These devotional entries were written by Stovall Weems and intended to accompany 21 days of prayer and fasting at the beginning of the year.)
Praying Boldly
I Kings 18:36 KJV
And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet
came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You
are God in Israel and I am Your servant…”
The sacrifice referenced above was a declaration that Elijah was a servant of the Most High God.Elijah belonged to God, and he represented God to the people. However, Elijah’s boldness was not a result of who he was; it was the result of knowing God!
As children of God under the new covenant of Jesus, we don’t have to be timid or fearful when coming to God in prayer. We can approach God boldly. The Amplified Bible puts it like this:
Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and welltimed help, coming just when we need it]. Hebrews 4:16 AMP
It’s hard to imagine taking a fearless, confident, bold attitude when coming before God in prayer. Yet this is exactly what we are admonished to do! God has already settled the issue of our access to Him, but we can be assured, our access is not because of our own righteousness. It’s because of what Jesus did on the cross. We can come to the throne in such outrageous boldness because Jesus was outrageously righteous! When we pray, we come to God in the authority of Jesus’ name, and we can be confident that we will find grace, mercy and perfectly-timed help.
Do you approach God with timidity of confidence? Seek God boldly today knowing you are
fully forgiven and Jesus has made you righteous. When you approach God in prayer, seek a
fresh revelation of who He is in your life.
Categories: 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - New Year · Church at the Gate Prayer
Tagged: Awakening 2010, Fasting in the new year, Prayer and Fasting, Praying in the new year
