Posts Tagged self-examination

Rise Spiritually: Days 12-15 of 40 Day Prayer Journey

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Rise Spiritually: -Days 12-15 of 40 Day Prayer Journey

We have arrived at the 12th Day of the 40 Day Prayer Journey. Hopefully each of you will join me in this 40 Day Prayer Journey to rise spiritually in the ways and will of God. Step into this forty (40) day prayer journey and adventure of repenting and praying toward the desires and promises of God to enable us to grow in our spiritual walk. Let each of us as individuals and as a corporate body grow in grace, in service and deed, in love for God and each other and into a lifestyle of individual and corporate prayer.
The Lenten Season (February 18 to April 4, 2015) is a time of repentance, self-examination, fasting and prayer in preparation for Resurrection Sunday (Easter). As you pray through the 40 Days of Prayer Journey allow the Lord to examine your life thoroughly.

Suggested Guidelines
During the Forty Day Prayer Journey it is suggested that you:
1. Fast at least one day per week,
2. Select a Prayer Partner or two (Triplett) to pray together at least once a week as you determine for your schedule.
3. Daily pray the intercessory daily prayer focus and prayer points for that date. Read the Bible and the scriptures.
4. Read the scriptures listed in the daily prayer focus. Answer the questions in your journal if there are any for that day and write down your reflections. Meditate on the Word each day.
5. Make an entry in your journal each day or as led by the Holy Spirit. Make sure you the complete the “Something to Act On” exercise section where it appears from time to time in the daily prayer focus.
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40 Day Prayer Journey

DAY 12 of 40 Day Prayer Journey – March 1 Follow After the Lord

Scriptures: Psalm 63 ; Luke 9:23-26

Repent: Of pursing worldly, fleshly affections; of following the ways of man and the world rather than the Lord; of inconsistency in pursuing the Lord and His ways.

Pray:
• Pray for the church to become committed to become wholly devoted to the Word and to God’s purpose and will for the Kingdom.
• Pray for the church and you to become committed to following after the Lord.
• Pray that you and the church will replace a complacent attitude and concern for the distractions of the world with a restoration of first love passion for Jesus.
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• Pray for the Lord to add to the church daily those who are being saved. Acts 2:4.
• Pray for ministry leaders to be committed to corporate prayer.
• Pray for those who are unemployed.-Pray that God will meet the needs of those without work in a way that they can thank God for his provision; that they will sound find meaningful employment and glorify God for it.
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 Something to Act On: Meditate on the scripture. Write down what you need to put in the hands of God and wait on the Lord for an answer to enable you to rise to the spiritual ways of the Lord rather than you acting in your flesh.

DAY 13 – March 2 Inquire of the Lord About What He Desires

Scriptures: Judges 20; Psalm 27:4-5

Repent: Of not inquiring of the Lord regarding what He desires, or the direction He would have us to go; and of not inquiring of the Lord regarding instructions and strategies for ministry.

Pray:
• Pray that those with mixed emotions and who stagger between both the world and the Lord would choose whom they will serve and come to know Christ.
• Pray for a desire to know the will of the Lord.
• Ask God the direction He would have you to go or His will for your life in a certain situation.
• Pray for the ministry leaders to seek direction, instruction and empowerment from the Lord first before they plan activities, events and actions.
• Pray for the military: for God to extend the gospel message through the special relationships of military life; for courage and protection in the danger of battle; for wisdom as military personnel are called upon to do the work of governing and enforcing law; for grace upon chaplains and other spiritual leaders; that God will fortify families who have been separated.
• Pray for the political leaders in the City of Detroit or your city.

 Something to Act On: Meditate on the scripture. Inquire of the Lord what action you should take to handle a situation. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you pray as you should. Pause. Listen.

DAY 14 – March 3 Serve the Lord

Scriptures: Psalm 100; Hebrews 9:11-15

Repent: Of serving without joy or unity of the Spirit with brothers and sisters in the body of Christ; of serving out of law and not of love and of serving with impure intentions, goals, and/or reasons.

Pray:
• Pray that each ministry will develop a team with one spirit and one mind that enjoy their service in the ministry.
• Pray for unity within the church.
• Poor: For God to establish the poor so that their spiritual and physical needs are met with dignity and stability; that God will release them from hidden cycles of oppression and despair; that God will reverse any curse and multiply blessing.
• Pray that believers will witness for Christ through their lives and words.
• Ask God what more can you do to serve our church and community.
• Pray for a fresh anointing to serve with joy, gladness, passion and power.

 Something to Act On: Meditate on the scripture. Examine your conduct in serving the Lord at church and in the community. What action do you need to take to truly show that you are rising in the spiritual in your commitment to serve the Lord with all your heart. Write down your response.

DAY 15 – March 4 Live a Life of Prayer and Intercession

Scriptures: 1 Samuel 12: 20-25; Eph. 6:10-18; Phil 4:4-9

Repent: Repent of failing to cultivate a lifestyle of prayer, and failing to be proactive rather than reactive in prayer.

Reflect: If someone wrote a theme for your life, would prayer be a key theme in it?

Pray:
• Ask the Lord that prayer and intercession will increase in purity, passion and power in you, the church and throughout the city.
• Pray that those who are called to mobilize, lead and encourage others in prayer will be raised up, trained and equipped throughout the church.
• Pray for the Intercessory Prayer Team Ministry. Call them by name.
• Pray that church members will seek to gather together for corporate prayer and that the manifestation of the Holy Spirit would come upon every prayer gathering or meeting in our church and in the city.
• Pray that your city will be transformed as we cry in humble and faith-filled intercession.
• Confess any shortcoming in your prayer life of which you are aware.
• Ask God to teach you to pray with love, power and authority.
• Thank God for the Holy Spirit that helps us when we don’t know what to pray for. Romans 8:26
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 Something to Act On: Examine your prayer life. Ask God to reveal to you the areas of your prayer life you need to rise to the spiritual ways of God.

Linda Fegins, “The Prayer Leader” serves as prayer leader and teacher/trainer on the “Prayer Boot Camp” with the Global Missions Prayer Force and as a guest intercessor and volunteer for Girlfriends Pray a global prayer ministry. She served as Prayer Coordinator for over 13 years( later Director over the Prayer Ministry) for the Lydia Circle Christian Business and Professional Women. As part of the Lydia Circle she has lead over a dozen prayer boot camps, and has lead prayer services and workshops in the Bahamas and in South Africa and was on the prayer team of a medical missions trips to Jamaica under the leadership of Rev. Jackie McCullough. She is also a member of the National Church Prayer Leaders Network and serves as the Prayer Leader of the Intercessory Prayer Ministry of her church.

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Repent to Obtain A Renewed Relationship With God

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The Lenten Season (February 18 to April 4) is a time to repent, of self-examination, fasting and prayer in preparation for Resurrection Sunday (Easter). Renewing your sense of who you really are before God is the core of the Lenten experience and repenting of your sins. Today seek God with a repentant heart (See Joel 2: 12-24) and honestly search your heart (Psalm 139:23-24). As you pray through the 40 Days of Prayer Journey allow the Lord to examine your life thoroughly (daily post this month).

Resist the tendency to deny the need to repent and be cleansed of the Lord. Be transparent with the Lord. God offers so many wonderful results of repentance, including healing, restoring, freedom, joy and reconciliation. In Acts 3:19 the call to repentance brings hope and renewal: “Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”.

repentance

It is important to note that a repentant heart is not limited to a special season or time of the year. If we want to have effective prayer lives which bring forth life transformation and healing of the land, repentance must become a part of our lifestyle.

It is one thing to know that you have done something that is wrong. But it is another to be saddened and sorrowful about your actions and determine that you will turn away from that sin and never do the act again. To repent “I” or “we” must come to terms with and acknowledge that we have sinned and then turn away from such sinful behavior and be reconciled back to our loving Lord. Therefore, repentance is a change of mind that involves both a turning from sin and turning to God. Christ began his ministry with a call to repentance. (Mathew. 4:17).

We must examine every attitude, every motive, every action and ever word of evil. Repentance means that you are deeply godly sorrowful and hurt about what you have done unto the Lord and that you are determined to do all that you can not to commit that sin again. “Repentance means we are sorry about our sin to the point of grief, and we have turned and walked away from it”. Stormie Omartian, “The Power of a Praying Woman” p. 40, Harvest House Publishers, (2002).

Before we can truly repent we must admit our sins and tell them to God. Confession means we recognize we have done wrong and admit it. We cannot hide from God no matter how we try. God knows what “I” have done and wants “me and you” to know and admit in detail what “I” have done. Dick Eastman, in “The Hour That Changes the World”, says, “Confession is a heartfelt recognition of what we are. It is important to God because it indicates that we take seriously our mistakes and failures. Of course, God does not ask us to confess our sins because He needs to know we have sinned, but because He knows that we need to know we have sinned”. Dick Eastman, “The Hour That Changes the World”,p.42 , Baker Book House, (1999). If we do not confess our sins one consequence is that our prayer life will suffer as God will not hear our prayers if we have iniquity in our hearts (Psalm 66:18).

God offers many wonderful results of repentance, including healing, restoring, freedom, joy and reconciliation. In Acts 3:19 the call to repentance invites you to “repent, then turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”.

Here is an example of a prayer of repentance to help you get started in initiating self-examination , prayer and a spirit of repentance.

turn-around

Prayer of Repentance

Lord, I come humbly before You and ask you to cleanse my heart of my every sin. “Have mercy on me O, Lord according to your loving kindness and blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly of my iniquity and cleanse me of all of my sin. (Psalm 51:1-2) Lord create in me a clean heart. Please Lord renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10-11). Forgive me for thoughts I have had, words I have spoken and things that I have done that are not pleasing in your sight and do not glorify you. Father, forgive me I pray for my sins of_______(state them)________________________. I confess it is a sin and truly repent of these acts, words and thoughts. ( 1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:5 Proverbs 28:13, Psalm 51:6, 10). Lord search the inwards hidden places of my heart and reveal my sin to me that I may not see. (Psalm 139: 23-24). I seek to repent of everything that You show me Lord. I confess my sins to you in the full realization that you are faithful and just to forgive me of all my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness.( 1John 1:9) I know that my sins are against You and You only. Grant me a broken, willing spirit and a contrite heart so I can offer it to You (Psalm 51:1-4, Psalm. 51:12, Psalm 51:17).

Thank you Father. I desire to obey your commandments and statutes. I choose to stop my sinful ways and to turn to walk upright. Help me, Lord God to bring forth fruits that are worthy of repentance (Luke 3:8). Lord I want to live a righteous, pure and holy life through your power (Colossians 1:11). I am determined to walk in the Spirit and in your ways and walk away from my sins by the power of the Holy Ghost. Grant me a godly sorrow that is not just full of regret because of the consequences of sin but sorrow that leads to true repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). Lord give me a tender heart that is sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit and the conviction of sin. Holy Spirit, thank You for convicting me of my sin. Forgive me for the ways I’ve ignored Your voice and quenched and grieved You. (John 16:8; Ephesians. 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Romans. 8:1-2). Lord I praise you, Father, for your goodness that leads to repentance (Romans 2:4). Lord thank you for restoring my soul so that the times of refreshing my come (Acts 3:19). Amen

So that you can begin the process of self-examination through prayer, confession, and study of the Word that leads to repentance the following action steps are suggested:

Action Steps:
1. During the Lenten season I want to encourage you to join this or a 40 day Prayer Journey even if you are beginning at day 7 or whatever day. Just begin where you are. Determine to spend quality time with the Lover(God) of your soul every day. Decide to start out with half an hour and increase it slowly. Be diligent, consistent and be faithful. We can never grow or develop an intimate relationship with God unless we spend quality time with Him.
2. Confess any sin you may be guilty of against man and God. Ask God to search you and reveal any unconfessed sin to you daily.
3. Say or write a prayer of repentance out of your heart. Above is an example of a prayer of repentance. Your prayer need not be perfect, but sincere, sorrowful and heartfelt.
4. Have a journal. God has so much to speak into your life. It may not happen overnight if you haven’t been praying on a consistent basis. But remember He is right there. Don’t give up.
5. Leave a prayer request or comment.

Linda Fegins, “The Prayer Leader” serves as prayer leader and teacher/trainer with the Global Missions Prayer Force and as a guest intercessor and volunteer for Girlfriends Pray a global prayer ministry. She has served as Prayer Coordinator for over 13 years( later Director over the Prayer Ministry) for the Lydia Circle Christian Business and Professional Women. As part of the Lydia Circle she has lead over 8 prayer boot camps, and has lead prayer services and workshops in the Bahamas and in South Africa and was on the prayer team of a medical missions trips to Jamaica under the leadership of Rev.Jackie McCullough. She is also a member of the National Church Prayer Leaders Network and serves as the Prayer Leader of the Intercessory Prayer Team of her church.

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“A Time of Repentance” by Linda Fegins

The Lenten Season (February 22 to April 7) is a time of repentance, self-examination, fasting and prayer in preparation for Resurrection Sunday (Easter). “Renewing our sense of who we really are before God is the core of the Lenten experience”. (Pastor Orville K.Littlejohn, my Pastor, “Our Focus for Ash Wednesday”). So today seek God with a repentant heart (See Joel 2: 12-24) and let us honestly search our hearts (Psalm 139:23-24). Here is an example of a prayer of repentance to help you get started in initating self-examination , prayer and a spirit of repentance. Then we will examine what is repentance and why it is important to our prayer lives and our relationship with God.

A Prayer of Repentance
Lord, I come humbly before You and ask you to cleanse my heart of my every sin. “Have mercy on me O, Lord according to your loving kindness and blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly of my iniquity and cleanse me of all of my sin. (Psalm 51:1-2) Lord create in me a clean heart. Please Lord renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10-11). Forgive me for thoughts I have had, words I have spoken and things that I have done that are not pleasing in your sight and do not glorify you. Father, forgive me I pray for my sins of_______(state them)________________________. I confess it is a sin and truly repent of these acts, words and thoughts. ( 1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:5 Proverbs 28:13, Psalm 51:6, 10). Lord search the inwards hidden places of my heart and reveal my sin to me that I may not see. (Psalm 139: 23-24). I seek to repent of everything that You show me Lord. I confess my sins to you in the full realization that you are faithful and just to forgive me of all my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness.( 1John 1:9) I know that my sins are against You and You only. Grant me a broken, willing spirit and a contrite heart so I can offer it to You (Psalm 51:1-4, Psalm. 51:12, Psalm 51:17).

Thank you Father. I desire to obey your commandments and statutes. I choose to stop my sinful ways and to turn to walk upright. Help me, Lord God to bring forth fruits that are worthy of repentance (Luke 3:8). Lord I want to live a righteous, pure and holy life through your power (Colossians 1:11). I am determined to walk in the Spirit and in your ways and walk away from my sins by the power of the Holy Ghost. Grant me a godly sorrow that is not just full of regret because of the consequences of sin but sorrow that leads to true repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). Lord give me a tender heart that is sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit and the conviction of sin. Holy Spirit, thank You for convicting me of my sin. Forgive me for the ways I’ve ignored Your voice and quenched and grieved You. (John 16:8; Ephesians. 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Romans. 8:1-2). Lord I praise you, Father, for your goodness that leads to repentance (Romans 2:4). Lord thank you for restoring my soul so that the times of refreshing my come (Acts 3:19). Amen.

It is important to note that a repentant heart is not limited to a special season or time of the year. If we want to have effective prayer lives which bring forth life transformation and healing of the land, repentance must become a part of our lifestyle. Despite the benefits of repentance, we are resistant to the thought of repentance. Repentance isn’t a popular word. Our culture encourages us to do whatever we want when we want. TV, music videos and movies very rarely show the consequences of our sins.

It is one thing to know that you have done something that is wrong . But it is another to be saddened and sorrowful about your actions and determine that you will turn away from that sin and never do the act again. To repent “I” or “we” must come to terms with and acknowledge that we have sinned and then turn away from such sinful behavior and be reconciled back to our loving Lord. Therefore, repentance is a change of mind that involves both a turning from sin and turning to God. Christ began his ministry with a call to repentance. (Mathew. 4:17). We must examine every attitude, every motive, every action and ever word of evil. Repentance means that you are deeply godly sorrowful and hurt about what you have done unto the Lord and that you are determined to do all that you can not to commit that sin again. “Repentance means we are sorry about our sin to the point of grief, and we have turned and walked away from it”. Stormie Omartian, “The Power of a Praying Woman” p. 40, Harvest House Publishers,(2002).

Charles Spurgeon writes:
Repentance is a discovery of the evil of sin, a mourning that we have committed it, a resolution to forsake it. It is, in fact, a change of mind of a very deep and practical character, which makes the man love what once he hated, and hate what once he loved.
J. I. Packer writes:
Repentance means turning from as much as you know of your sin to give as much as you know of yourself to as much as you know of your God, and as our knowledge grows at these three points so our practice of repentance has to be enlarged.

Before we can truly repent we must admit our sins and tell them to God. Confession means we recognize we have done wrong and admit it. We cannot hide from God no matter how we try. God knows what “I” have done and wants “me and you” to know and admit in detail what “I” have done. Dick Eastman, in “The Hour That Changes the World”, says, “Confession is a heartfelt recognition of what we are. It is important to God because it indicates that we take seriously our mistakes and failures. Of course, God does not ask us to confess our sins because He needs to know we have sinned, but because He knows that we need to know we have sinned”. Dick Eastman, “The Hour That Changes the World”,p.42 , Baker Book House, (1999). If we do not confess our sins one consequence is that our prayer life will suffer as God will not hear our prayers if we have iniquity in our hearts (Psalm 66:18).

God offers many wonderful results of repentance, including healing, restoring, freedom, joy and reconciliation. In Acts 3:19 the call to repentance invites you to “repent, then turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”.

Action Steps:
1. During the Lenten season I want to encourage you to join this or a 40 day Prayer Journey even if you are beginning at day 7 or whatever day. Just begin where you are. Determine to spend quality time with the Lover(God) of your soul every day. Decide to start out with half an hour and increase it slowly. Be diligent and be faithful. We can never grow or develop an intimate relationship with God unless we spend quality time with Him.
2. Confess any sin you may be guilty of against man and God. Ask God to search you and reveal any unconfessed sin.
3. Say or write a prayer of repentance out of your heart. Above is an example of a prayer of repentance. Your prayer need not be perfect, but sincere, sorrowful and heartfelt.
4. Have a journal. God has so much to speak into your life. It may not happen overnight if you haven’t been praying on a consistent basis. But remember He is right there. Don’t give up.
5. Leave a prayer request.
6. Listen to a corporate Prayer of Repentance and other prayers by Evangelist Rita Green and Missionary Minetta Hare on blogtalk radio “The New Voice”.”A Time to Pray” Click on http://tobtr.com/s/2822019 .

Linda Fegins, “The Prayer Leader” has served as Prayer Coordinator for over 13 years( later Director over the Prayer Minstry) for the Lydia Circle Christian Buisness and Professional Women. As part of the Lydia Circle she has lead over 8 prayer boot camps, and has lead prayer services and workshops in the Bahamas and in South Africa and was on the prayer team of two medical missions trips to Jamaica. She is also a member of the National Church Prayer Leaders Network and serves as the Prayer Leader of the Intercessory Prayer Team Ministry at her church.

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