Category Archives: New Year

Focus on the Father, Not on Fasting

02 Monday Jan 2017

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We begin every year with a time of prayer and fasting. We choose 21 days and the Daniel Fast for our congregational fast at El Shaddai Bethlehem.

“The 21-Day Daniel Fast is a partial fast, based on Daniel 10:2-3 in the Bible, in which Daniel says he fasted for three weeks. During the fasting period, only certain foods are eaten. Prayer, meditation and giving the results of the fast to God are also important components of this fast.” – Casey Holley livestrong.com

Preparation requires commitment. Commit to be intentional about praying and fasting.

Set a specific time in the day when you will read your Bible, meditate on it and respond in prayer. Don’t overwhelm yourself by requiring of yourself to spend hours of daily prayers or to read several chapters of the Bible in one sitting. It is not about doing, it is about being. Being in the moment where your focus is on God, His Word and your response to Him.

Remember, abstaining yourself from food is not as important as making this season of prayer and fasting an opportunity to grow closer to God.

“Focus on the Father not on fasting.” – Pastor Gerry Hartman.

If you are not using a Bible Reading Plan, then I encourage you to check this blog daily for a Daily Devotional, January 2 – January 22, 2017.

I will be using the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 60 as the basis for this Devotional and I encourage you to memorize our 2017 Verse of the Year.

2017 Verse of the Year

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. Isaiah 60:1 NIV

I pray that the next 21 days will provide for you the opportunity to grow closer to our Heavenly Father, discern the mind of Christ and become familiar with the leading of the Holy Spirit. May you be blessed to bless others.

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Getting Ready for 2017

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2016 will be history in 31 days.  We begin a New Year. Some of us are busy getting ready for the Christmas Holidays and others are planning are new year’s eve celebration. Some have taken some time to reflect on what 2017 will bring.

We plan, we journal, we reflect, we ponder. And yet, we have no idea how 2017 is going to turn out. Yet there is one who knows. One who holds our future in His hands.

In the Book of Amos in the Hebrew Scriptures it is written, “For sure the Lord does not do anything without making His plan known to His servants who speak for Him.”

“His servants who speak for Him” – His prophets. I believe that what the Paul says in Ephesians 4: 11 -13 is true for today.

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,  to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Christ has given the church, us, prophets as a gift so that we will be equipped for works of service….

Prophets – “His servants who speak for Him”.  “For sure the Lord does not do anything without making His plan known to His servants who speak for Him.”

Let us pray and call upon the name of the Lord that He will make known His plan for 2017.

“Heavenly Father, I am asking You, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that we may know you better. I pray that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which You have called us, the riches of Your glorious inheritance in your holy people,  and Your incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephesians 1:17-19). Reveal Your secrets unto us as You did to Daniel (2:27-30).

As we prepare ourselves for 2017, Holy Spirit manifest yourself in our lives with the gift of prophecy and empower us to align to the plans of our Creator. Align our steps to your path and lead us. In Jesus’ name.”

 

 

 

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