This is a continuation of the 40 Day Prayer Journey “Growing By the Power Within to Please God” which began on March 5, Ash Wednesday. – The First 7 Days we will focus on “Repenting For A Renewed Relationship With God”.
Day 4 March 8 through Day 8 March 12. You may look at the prior days on the blog. During the Forty Day Prayer Journey daily read the suggested scriptures. Meditate on the Word asking the Holy Spirit to speak to you and reveal in your heart how He wants you to respond personally and on behalf of your church or city. This is an opportunity for personal repentance. Ask the Lord to search your heart for thoughts and actions that are sinful. (Psalm 139:23-24) Allow the Lord to examine your life thoroughly. Resist the tendency to see sin in other people without being transparent with the Lord in your own life. Repentance always comes back to the individual heart. Respond as the Lord gives you liberty and genuine conviction.
No one is perfect. But we all can surrender our lives to God and let Him work through us. It is important that each of us possess a clean heart. This is required as a part of God’s call for you to get right before Him for a closer relationship with Him, to enable you to do the work He has called you to do and to receive the blessings He has in store for you.
To do that you must examine yourself carefully. You have to confess your sin and repent. You must be brave enough to say “Lord, show me what is in my heart, soul, mind and spirit and life that shouldn’t be there. Convict me where I am missing the mark. Tear down my arrogance, pride, fear and insecurities and help me to see the truth about myself, life and my circumstances. Expose me to myself, Lord and help me to take it. Enable me to correct my ways.” Prayer by Stormie Omartian.
Pray and intercede the specific prayer points and what the Holy Spirit brings to your heart. It is suggested that you write in a journal your reflections and what the Lord is saying to you.
DAY 4 March 8 “Growing By The Power Within to Please God”:
Repenting For a Renewed Relationship With God
Scriptures: Esther 4:1-4, 16-17; Matthew 11:20-23; 2 Chronicles 34:27(NLT)
Repent: Of the times you have not responded to the call for personal and corporate times of fasting.
Meditate, pray, and write down areas for which you should repent.
Pray:
• Praise God that He responds to humble hearts and that His grace will search out every hidden place of sin if you surrender to Him.
• Confess to the Lord the ways you have not understood repentance as a lifestyle.
• Ask the Lord to give you a tender heart that is sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit and the conviction of sin.
• Pray for pastors and ministry leaders to live out lifestyles of repentance.
• Pray that the message of repentance as a way of life will be preached in churches in your community.
• Pray that your lifestyle of repentance will glorify God and attract unbelievers to Him.
• Pray that the Word of God will be revered and honored in you and in your church.
• Pray that believers in your community will see a truer picture of idolatry and sin- and be willing to repent.
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DAY 5-March 9 “Growing By The Power Within to Please God”:
Repenting For a Renewed Relationship With God
Scriptures: Psalm 51:6, 10; Joel 2:12-15
Repent: Of failing to examine every attitude, motive, every action and every word of condemnation and sin and to ignore our sins.
Meditate, pray, and write down areas for which you should repent.
Pray:
• Ask God to cleanse your heart of every fault and sin and renew a right spirit within you.
• Specifically I confess to You Lord______________________________________.
• Ask the Lord to show you any place in your life where you harbor sin in your thoughts, words, or actions that you have not recognized.
• Welcome the Lord into those inward places and repent of everything He shows you. Rejoice in His peace.
• Ask the Lord to enable you by the power of the Holy Spirit to make changes where you need to do so.
• Ask the Lord to “wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin: and create in me a clean heart”. Psalm 51:1-2, 10-11.
• Pray that the thoroughness of repentance will be embraced by you, others and at your church.
• Praise the Lord that the Blood of Jesus will cleanse and redeem every part of your repentant heart.
• Intercede for the church in our community to be filled with a fresh love for God and to demonstrate His love to those around us—both in the church and among those who do not yet know Christ.
DAY 6-March 10 “Growing By The Power Within to Please God”:
Repenting For a Renewed Relationship With God
Scriptures: Acts 3:19; Isaiah 55:6-8; Acts 3:2
Repent: Of ________________________________________________________.
Meditate, pray, and write down areas for which you should repent.
Pray:
• Give thanks that God will hear our cries of repentance.
• Ask forgiveness for delaying repentance because of pride or negative motives.
• Pray for the Lord to reveal every area in your community where He requires repentance.
• For Christ to bring people near enough to God to experience the Father’s loving delight in His Son for people to love and follow Jesus.
• Pray that the church in your city would be overwhelmed with a spirit of humility and repentance, turning from the ways of the world and toward the Lord.
• Pray that the number of believers following the ways of humility and repentance would increase exponentially.
• Pray that the promise of revival would be poured out upon the people of God as we walk in His ways.
• Intercede for the church in our community to be filled with fresh love for God and to demonstrate His love to those around us-both in the church and among those who do not yet know Christ.
DAY 7 – March 11 “Growing By The Power Within to Please God”:
Repenting For a Renewed Relationship With God
Scriptures: 2 Kings 22:19-20 (NLT); Jonah 3: 8-9; Daniel 9: 3-6, 20-23
Repent: Of ________________________________________________________.
Meditate, pray, and write down other areas for which you should repent.
Reflect on repentance.
Pray:
• Praise the Lord that He delights in responding to a heart of repentance and humble hearts.
• Confess the ways you have ignored God’s call to repent.
• Offer your heart to the Lord in repentance.
• Pray that the cycles of violence and revenge be ended. Pray that we repent as a community and nation from hatred, fear, and anger.
• Pray for the spirit of repentance to sweep across the city of Detroit or your city.
• Pray that the grace of God would impact the world through you as you follow Him in humble obedience and repentance.
• Pray that many in our city, family and community will turn from their evil ways .Pray that that they open their spiritual eyes and ears to hear the gospel, to see their sin, such they will turn and follow the Lord.
• Pray that God will use your prayers of repentance as a powerful spiritual weapon in your church and city.
DAY 8 – March 12 Growing to Please God by Loving the Lord With All Your Heart
Scriptures: Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Matthew 22: 34-40
Repent: Of not loving God with all your heart, soul and mind; of allowing other things to fill and occupy your life.
Pray:
Ask God to search your heart and to reveal to you any sin for which you need to seek forgiveness.
• Intercede for your church and the churches in our community to be filled with fresh love for God and to demonstrate the love to others.
• Pray that the love of Christ will compel believers everywhere to share the gospel with others in love.
• Ask God to give you clarity about your purpose.
• Pray for a deeper relationship with Christ through prayer and to help you pray consistently.
• Pray for Youth – Psalm 144:12 – that they will commit themselves to Christ; for moral strength to choose wisely; for older mentors; for friendships with those who are following Jesus, for good relationships and open communication with parents.
• Pray that you will show how you love the Lord with all your heart by your love for others and your obedience to the Lord.
Linda Fegins 2014