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DEVOTIONAL
7 days of Prayer and Fasting Dedicating this year to the
Lord
Sunday 1st January– Saturday 7th January 2017
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Fasting January 2017
Growing in the knowledge and likeness of Jesus Christ our Lord
and saviour
Dear PCF family, My beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, we
can make a powerful statement as a church fellowship in the
spiritual realm, when we fill this church each evening during the
primary week of 2017 and dedicate ourselves to the Lords will in
prayer and in fasting. The passage of scripture which we shall be
concentrating on, gives us a tremendous encouragement concerning
the security and state of our salvation, especially if we are
prepared to incorporate these principles into our lifestyle. So,
during these seven days of prayer and fasting, we shall be reading
together 2 Peter 1:3-11. We shall give special attention to verses
5-7, but it’s important to take into consideration the immediate
context, hence the encouragement to read from verse 3. My dear
brothers and sisters, are you ready to move out and away from a
position of comfort and start the New Year in the presence and will
of the Lord? Do you believe that by praying and fasting together
that the Lord will speak, that the Lord will bless us with His
presence that the Lord will be near? My brethren, this is my very
firm belief, I believe that transformation is coming. The Lord led
us to focus on ‘Prayer’ in 2016; this year will be about ‘being the
Lords witnesses’ (Acts 1:8). I hope that you are ready to make this
sacrifice in Jesus name. Let us please come together in great
numbers, let us shake off the spirit of complacency and lethargy
and radically seek His kingdom in Jesus name.
Pastor David Daniel
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This year we are focusing on Witnessing
The Lord led us to focus on ‘Prayer’ in 2016; this year will be
about ‘Being the Lords Witnesses’ (Acts 1:8).
Focus/aim
Knowledge of Jesus and Christlikeness
Assurance of salvation as transformation occurs, the result
being – Christlike!
Being confident in our own faith so that we can be effective
witnesses for the Lord
Essential equipment
Bible, notepad and pen and this devotional handbook
Very useful extras
Appropriate reading materials including other devotionals or
bible reading plans (see YouVersion bible app or Bible Gateway)
Christian music
Christian podcasts or sermons
Daily planner (here you could include times of fasting and what
you plan to eat once you have broken your fast for the day).
PASTORAL WARNING
Please read and study 2 Peter 1:3-11 as many times as you
possibly can, because YOU MAY BE CALLED UPON TO SHARE
YOUR THOUGHTS AT ANY TIME.
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2 Peter 1:5… do your best to add goodness to your faith. (Good
News Translation) In writing to the believers of that day (and us
now) Peter wanted to encourage them to develop not just in faith.
He knew having faith was important, but to mature spiritually would
require the believers to grow in the right character and
personality. In 2 Peter 1:5, Peter tells the believers to add
‘goodness’ to their faith. Why? Because he understood that faith
was more than just believing in certain things. True faith requires
action, growth in character and the practice of moral principles.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary says that
‘goodness’ in man is not a mere
passive quality, but the deliberate
preference of right to wrong, the firm
and persistent resistance of all moral
evil, and the choosing and following
of all moral good.
But if you were to ask most people in the world if they were
good, they would probably all say yes. But it’s not the goodness of
man God is looking for; it’s the goodness of God in man.
So how can we as Christian believers live out God’s goodness in
our life? Through the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22, tells us one of
the fruit of the Spirit is ‘goodness’. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t
just leave us to our own devices to live for Him, He equips us, but
we must want to be equipped. Reflection for today: Take 5min at the
beginning and the end of this day, and allow Father God to remind
you of His goodness towards you. Prayer for today:
Father God, teach me how to live a life that reveals your
goodness to me and others.
Show me where I am failing to allow the Holy Spirit access in my
life.
Thank God for His goodness
towards me.
Sunday 1st January Goodness- ‘The quality of being good’
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Monday 2nd January
The Knowledge of Faith (1 Peter 1:3-5)
Knowledge is an awareness or familiarity gained through
experience. In Christianity, this awareness happens as the believer
consciously chooses to live in the light of God’s great promises
(v. 4). The more a Christian grasps the significance of who Christ
is the more they become empowered to trust in his promises. Note
how the Apostle Peter connects these two important concepts: Faith
and knowledge (1 Pt. 1:3; 5). Faith is not something that humans
naturally possess; it is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8). However, just
like any other gift, faith needs to be experienced to enjoy its
benefits. This happens “through the knowledge of him who called us
to his glory and excellence” (cf. Ps. 34:8). It is one thing to
have faith in Christ but quite another to experience (know) him as
Lord. Last year I felt God telling me to leave my job (security).
However, I was fearful because of the fear of the unknown. Although
I believed that God was and remains faithful, I was unwilling
to
experience his faithfulness. Thankfully, God graciously granted
me the courage to walk in the knowledge of his truth and I can now
say He is faithful indeed!
The faith-walk affords you the opportunity to experience (know)
the promises of God in Christ. The fruits of faith are in the faith
that produces them, just as a tree is in its seed.
Therefore, it is impossible for you to experience God’s promises
without a conscious effort to grow in your
knowledge of God. Therefore, Peter encourages you “to make every
effort to supplement your faith with knowledge” (v 5).
Prayer Point:
Perhaps there are areas in your life that you are reluctant to
entrust to God. This could be because of your failure to become
familiar with the significance of God’s promises.
Remember, those unwilling to walk in faith will never grow in
their knowledge of Christ.
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Tuesday 3rd January
to knowledge self-control, to self-control… perseverance
The etymology (root word) of ‘Self-control’ in the Greek is
enkráteia (ἐγκράτει), from the word ‘egkrates’ which means, ‘the
virtue of one who masters his desires and passions’, esp. his
sensual (carnal, fleshly, bodily) appetites. It means ‘strong’,
‘robust’, ‘having power over’, ‘possessed’ of (a thing)
‘mastering’, ‘controlling’ ‘curbing’ ‘restraining’. It can be
defined as the ability to control one’s emotions and behaviour in
the face of temptations and impulses. Have you wondered why
scriptures state we should have self-control? There are many verses
about self-control/self- discipline in the bible. In Galatians 5 v
22 it is listed as a fruit of the Spirit. As Christians, we are to
grow in Christ and resemble him, God wants to produce his character
in us, to do this he instructs us to be self-controlled and have
self-discipline this occurs not by our own efforts & strengths
but by the power of the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:25. Read Romans
7:15-25
Sounds familiar in your life? I know it does in mine, but verse
25 (Romans 7:25), gives us direction and freedom. The power of the
Holy Spirit is exceeded by our Human strength, with this verse in
mind, how can we apply self-control to our lives? How can we master
it? Can we?
Proverbs 25v28 states ‘A man without self-control (no rule over
his own spirit) is like a city broken into and left without
walls.’ One are of lack of self-control can lead to devastating
consequences.
Do you have self-control over your thoughts? Allowing all sorts
of mindless things to fill our minds, what about money? our
actions? our eating habits? In our own strength, we will find it
difficult to master our desires and passions (Galatians 5:17). We
need the Holy Spirit to help us, we need a Christ centred mind
(Philippians 2v5).
Prayer Points:
Think of an area(s) in your life where you desire self-control
/self-discipline, pray asking the Lord to search your heart, many
areas may spring to mind, chose one that you want God to help you
with (This may even include addictions to various types of social
media).
Commit that to God in prayer, (you can share this with a trusted
friend for prayer support and accountability).
Write it out
Think of the result first (Ecclesiastes 7:8), ask yourself how
will you accomplish it?
What will it look like?
What will you have to do daily to begin to achieve that?
‘What consumes your mind controls your life’
Allow Christ Jesus to consume your mind allowing him to control
your life.
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The Greek word used here is hupomone and can be translated as
perseverance, endurance or patience. This surly is an important
quality to possess, for we must be patient regarding so many
things. We must be patient when praying for healing, for that
breakthrough, for our deliverance and more. Our faith is truly
tested as we wait, still this is the truth about our faith, if we
endure or persevere then this is a clear sign that we truly do have
saving faith (Hebrews 10:32-39). What do you think you need to
enable you to persevere? Don’t you need clarity as to where you are
going? If you know that the end will be worth it, then that kind of
encourages you to hold on (2 Peter 1:10-11). The marathon runner,
runs for the glory of achieving something special and unique. Their
effort requires great endurance despite those internal voices
suggesting that they quit. But because of what will be achieved in
the end, one keeps on running. This then leads us to another
important word and it’s the word sacrifice. In order, to keep on
going, we firstly need to be clear regarding the value of the
result, but then we
also must be willing to make the necessary sacrifices to achieve
it. And that’s our task for today; firstly, spend some time
thinking about the value of your faith. Then think about the
importance of knowing The Christ. Then take care to consider
essential sacrifices that you should make to stay on track.
Prayer points:
Help me to keep my focus on the prize and grant me the gift of
patience
Lord help me to endure, to persevere, to hold on to the promise
of your word
I pray against and name those things which can cause me to be
distracted, those things that a slowing me down
We pray also for those we know of who are struggling with their
Christian faith
Extra reading
Romans 5:3-5
Look especially at:
2 Thessalonians 1: 3-12
Hebrews 10:36-39
James 1:3
Wednesday 4th January
Perseverance (2 Peter 1:6)
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Thursday 5th January
Godliness
If you were asked ‘what is Godliness’ what would you say?
Possible replies might include statements such as ‘the attributes
of God’, ‘being more Christ like’ or “living holy”. There is some
truth in all such responses. Godliness comes from the Greek word
‘Eusebia’ and is used in the New Testament to express the idea of
inner piety or spirituality. There are two aspects to Godliness
that may be helpful to expand upon here. First there is the inner
respect and reverence for God coupled with a desire to have a
spiritual relationship with Him. Secondly there is a manifestation
of this reverence and desire for relationship in the attitude and
behavior of the believer. There can be little doubt that it is
through the Word of God that we get to know Him, it is imperative
that we all spend time seeking Him in his Word; personal study,
bible studies and conversations with other believers are ideal
practical ways of getting to know God through his word. Prayer and
fasting are prescribed activities mentioned in the bible for
developing a personal spiritual relationship with God.
It is this mix of activities along with the guidance and witness
of the Holy Spirit that enables us to deepen our love, reverence
and respect for God. As we grow in the knowledge of God and deepen
our spiritual relationship with Him our desire to see the will of
God done in the physical realm will also grow. God’s concerns
become our concerns, God’s desires become our desires and the
things that are pleasing to God become our main activities.
Godliness is this wonderful coexistence of desire with relationship
and duty with ministry all directed towards the all-powerful yet
ever loving God. Prayer points:
Father help me to study your word so I can know you better
Guide me Lord in fasting and prayer so that I may get closer to
you.
Lord prepare me for your service. Lord I desire to live a Godly
life so work on me Lord.
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Brotherly kindness is sandwiched between Godliness and Charity
in 2 Peter 1:7. The word brotherly (Brethren) covers both male and
female in Scripture. The Greek word for brotherly kindness is
transliterated “Philadelphia.” “phileo”(love) and
“adelphos”(brother). It means the love of brothers. In the New
Testament, this describes the love Christians cherish for each
other as Brethren. Your godliness must not be selfish but must
exhibit love for the brethren, and love for your brethren must have
charity. Romans 12:10-11(Amplified)- Be devoted to one another with
[authentic] brotherly affection [as members of one family], give
preference to one another in honour, never lagging in diligence
aglow in the Spirit, enthusiastically serving the Lord. We are
encouraged in Ephesians 4:32 (Amplified) Be kind and helpful to one
another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving
one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also
forgave you. Colossians 3:12 (Amplified) So as God’s own chosen
people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and
well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion,
kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience [which has the power to endure
whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes with good temper]. Here
are a few well-known acts of Brotherly Kindness found in Scripture
that you could read.
The Good Samaritan....St Luke 10: 30-37
The Jailer who washed the wounds of Paul and Silas...Acts 16:
22-33
Genesis 50: 19-21 is a perfect picture of brotherly kindness.
Even though Joseph’s brothers were unkind to him, Joseph showed
them kindness. I believe that is part of God’s plan for us as
Christians. We hold no grudges or hatred but always willing to
forgive and forget from the depths of our heart.
Prayer: Dear Father, As you have forgiven me of all my sin and
awful deeds that I may have done, said or even thought about.
Please help me today to be able to forgive those who have done me
wrong. Fill me Lord with your Holy Spirit, place your seal of
brotherly kindness upon my heart and open my eyes and ears so that
I can be an active member of your Body that show forth Christ like
qualities. Thank you Father for answering my prayer in Jesus Name,
Amen.
Friday 6th January
Brotherly Kindness (2 Peter 1:7)
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Three things to say Love is a Choice – All those wonderful
descriptions about love and what it does, will remain in black and
white until we choose to put them into practice (see 1 Corinthians
13) Love is a Command – Jesus told the enquirer that Loving God
with everything you have and loving your neighbour as yourself,
were the greatest commandments (Mark 12:28-31). Love is the
Characteristic of the
believer – Love is a characteristic of
Gods nature; God is love and He
expresses His love toward us without
conditions.
We may love a person because of
what they do for us but God loves us
even while we were rebellious
sinners (Romans 5:7-8). Love is
providing the very best towards the
object of ones’ love. I like the
dialogue between Jesus and
Nicodemus in John chapter 3. Jesus
says you must be born again to
partake in His kingdom. But
Nicodemus is confused about this
term, so Jesus explains that it refers
to a spiritual birth as opposed to a
physical one.
In describing the working of the Holy Spirit in this spiritual
rebirth, Jesus states that the wind goes where it will, you cannot
see it but you can hear its sound and see the effect. So it should
be for the born again believer, you cannot see their reborn spirit,
but you should see and feel the effect of their spiritual birth
through their faith acted out in love (John 13:35).
Prayer points:
Lord may my love for Jesus grow deeper and deeper
Help me to make the conscious choice to see the needs of your
children and do the best I can to be a blessing to them
Lord I confess that I have been full of myself, and I ask you to
forgive me
Help me to see others as you see them, help me to be
compassionate and full of grace
Extra Reading 1 John 4
Saturday 7th January Love (2 Peter 1:7)
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Prayer & Fasting Information
When will we meet, together?
We will be meeting at the church from Sunday 1st at 2.00pm then
Monday through to Friday 6th January from 8pm to 9pm. Fasting times
for each day (for your preference):
Track 1 Commence your fasting with prayers at 8pm in the evening
(you would need to start on Sunday evening on this track). This
continues through the morning when you wake for prayer, continuing
with your fast up until 3pm that afternoon where you could
momentarily break your food fast. At 8pm that evening, you would
again resume food fasting until 3pm the next day, and so on. Track
2 Commence fasting at 12am (Midnight) and finish 6pm that evening
(18 hours) Track 3 Commence fasting either at 9am or as soon as you
wake up, and break your fast at 6pm that evening. Track 4 If you
have health issues related to food, such as diabetes, you should
check with your doctor first before doing a ‘normal food fast’. A
‘partial fast’ may be the best form of fasting for you. (The Daniel
fast could be the one for you. You could see sis Jemma for more
info).
Fasting gives us the opportunity to receive from God direction
regards His specific will. The church prayed and fasted for
direction and the Holy Spirit led them in appointing Barnabas and
Saul. So, in fasting we seek the Lord’s face and He helps us in
making decisions (Acts 13:1-3).
Please turnover for FAQ’s
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FAQ’s
Q: What if I’m on medication, should I do the fast? A: Consult
your doctor before going on the fast. Still, you could restrict
yourself from indulging in other things like TV, social
activities and spend the time prayerfully, reading and listening to
spiritual material. I do believe you can still partake in this week
of consecration.
Q: Pastor, what is one thing a first time ‘faster’ like me
should
remember? A: This is a fast; it is not a hunger strike. We are
not starving ourselves to
make God do something on our behalf. The most important thing is
not the amount of sacrifice you have made, but what you do doing
during this period of sacrifice. It’s not a diet either; it’s about
spending time on spiritual matters as opposed to physical ones.
Q: Is it wrong to entertain myself with things just to pass the
time? A: This is a week of prayer and consecration; prayer must
increase this
week. The time you spend in God’s word should increase. You
should be meditative and listen to what the Lord will say to you.
This must be the priority.
Always keep a paper and pen nearby so that you can write down
the things the Lord lays on your heart.
In the night, it might be good to fill out a journal which
recaps
your thoughts and feelings throughout the day
Put on Christian radio, Christian TV, ask the Lord to direct you
to a book that you should read or a Christian magazine. Don’t let
non-spiritual things cloud your mind. If you watch the news or TV
do not allow things to cause you to lose focus.
Call a Christian friend and entertain them with Godly words of
comfort and encouragement.
The People’s Christian Fellowship
89 Broad Lane, Tottenham, London, N15 4DW
Tel: 020 8801 1873 – Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @tpcf_church – Website: https://tpcf.org.uk
Charity Number: 1031255
mailto:[email protected]://tpcf.org.uk/
