Week 3 Prayer and Fasting Focus

2 Corinthians 2: 1-5

"And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power."

Lord, we pray for those who will come to hear Johannes preach that they would encounter the living God in a dynamic, fresh and real manner. That the new visitors would walk out of our church not caring about our Church's name, but would know the name of Jesus and His power. We pray for the Word of God to be proclaimed in power and with signs following. We ask that those present would know that they had an encounter with God this weekend.

Week 2 Prayer and Fasting Focus

2 Peter 3:9: "The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent."

Lord, give us the strength and determination to believe for extended periods for those in our lives who are slow about repenting. Help us to see your plan for them and not too quickly write them off as lost or not winnable. As the time for Johannes approaches, we pray and cry out for those friends, family members, and co-workers who are lost and trapped in sin. May their heart soften, may their heart long for peace, purity and forgiveness;and  may they be willing to admit they are lost and in need of a Savior. Give us opportunities this week to be in contact with them and may we have compassion, love and kindness for them when this time comes.

Fasting, week one.

How is your fast going?

Don't forget to encourage yourself by staying in the Word and prayer! Today, try reading Hebrews 4:1-12.

From Candace:
I will share with you a little about my own journey through this fast...and maybe it will encourage some of you!


I have been studying about the Word of God....And interestingly enough, this new devotional that I got from Kenneth Copeland's ministry was labeled "Addicted to the Word" for yesterday. I feel like God is leading me through a season of deep love and respect for the Word of God.  I LOVE it! I am getting so much out of it these days...to the point where, I can't live without it....which is exactly what this day was about.

1 Corinthians 16:15, "Ye know the house of Stephanas...and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints."

So many things I love about that verse...

• first of all, the house of Stephanas was known for being Godly people.  They had a REPUTATION for being Godly, and that is something that is built by consistent actions!  I want to be known that way!  
• 2nd, they have addicted THEMSELVES. Addictions are a powerful thing.  And it usually takes some decision-making toward the addiction.  There is a knowledge beforehand that I could get addicted to this...but we do it anyway.  Kenneth wrote, "All you have to do is make a decision to give yourself to it. To focus your time and attention on it. The more you give yourself to it, the more your desire for it will grow. Eventually, it will consume your thinking."  I want to be a person addicted to the Word and ministry!  God, help me become that way.

Weekly Prayer and Fasting Focus

40 Days of Fasting and Prayer Focus for this week -


New Living Translation, 2 Cor 4:4:
"Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God."

Lord, we pray that the minds of those held captive would see the Glorious Gospel of Christ. That they would be open to your Holy Spirit's prompting, that they would not turn away from loving out reached arms, but that they would respond to our and the Holy's Spirit's invitation to come to the meetings with Johannes. We pray that those blinded would desire Good News and that our outreach would be received as a fresh opportunity to connect with God. Now in Jesus name, we bind the Satanic influences that have held (enter name) in captivity, and we declare their minds free to receive the Light of God's Good News.

83 Fast-ers and Pray-ers!

Hello!
This past weekend Pastor Gerry challenged all of us to fast and pray together for 40 days! Johannes Amritzer will be with us in that time, and we will be praying together that we can bring people to hear him speak and give their lives to Jesus!  Thank you for signing up to join with us!  We had people sign up to fast one meal a day, refined sugar, coffee (God bless them!), facebook, bread, you name it!  SO many of you--83 to be exact!

We're going to be sending out occasional verses of encouragement between now and then, and if you'd like to be part of that you can do so in one of a few ways:

• Send me an e-mail (pringle.candace@gmail.com) with your mobile number and provider.  We'll send out texts having to do with our Year of Aggressive Faith!
• Send me an e-mail and request to be put on the Year of Aggressive Faith e-mail list!
• Go to freedomvalley2012.blogspot.com to follow our posts and catch up on previous posts.
• "Like" Freedom Valley Church on Facebook! 

Thank you for partnering together to believe God and have Aggressive Faith together!