Happy New Year! As we begin 2013, our leadership believes God is once again calling our church to a time of prayer and fasting during the months of January, February and March. As we begin this New Year, I encourage you to sign up for a specific period of time for prayer and fasting or prayer. How you choose to fast, whether it is a specific food, a specific meal, or a specific amount of time will depend upon your physical condition and personal desire.
Fasting is deliberately choosing to say no to sustenance, for a period of time, in order to give our undivided attention to God. Traditionally, prayer and fasting are pursued together as Christians seek to deepen their relationship with God.
John Wesley once stated, Ӆwith fasting, let us always join fervent prayer, pouring out our whole souls before GodŔ As we discipline our bodies, by abstaining from certain foods or meals, we then choose to devote an allotted time to conversation with God, to quietly resting in His presence, or in presenting to Him the prayerful desires we have for our family, friends, neighborhoods, and, our church.
During this season of fasting and prayer, we will be seeking God’s direction, leadership, and, empowerment in the following areas:
• Spiritual Connections: please pray for 9 new families to visit our weekend services weekly and make themselves known to our ministry. In addition, pray for our people to meet and establish powerful relationships with these new families. Finally, throughout 2013, we are asking God for our families to Pray for these Divine Appointments with these families and others in our community; Prepare themselves for these Divine Appointments; and, Pursue each and every Divine Appointment God brings into their lives.
• Spiritual Climate: please pray for our Northern Arizona community to grow in their awareness of God’s presence in their lives, of His desire to eternally adopt them, and for His plan to partner with them in transforming the world in which we live – we are praying for 30 new spiritual births in the first 90 days of 2013!
• Spiritual Expansion: please pray God would empower us to establish three additional Neighborhood Groups in the first three months of 2013. In addition, please pray our existing groups will grow in their enrollment, attendance, and pursuit of the spiritual maturity for their members.
Please join me in praying and fasting for these requests and for any others God brings to your mind. It is our fervent hope God will answer our prayers and truly make His will known to each of us during this season of fasting and prayer!
We pray 2013 will be one of our greatest ministry years in our churches history! Thank you for joining us in praying for this vision to become a reality!
My Love in Christ,
Jim