Friday, January 12, 2007

Day 8

Read Daniel 10:1-14; Genesis 18:23-32; 32:24-29; Luke 18:1-7.
Each of these passages of Scripture illustrate the theme of importunity in prayer, which means “stubbornness.” They each tell a story of people who refused to stop seeking God until they got the answers they were looking for.
If you’re anything like me, and were honest enough to say it, fasting is hard work and it’s easy to get tired of fasting; of devoting yourself to abandoning the appetites and desires of the flesh to focus on God. I want to eat. I want to eat cheeses and buffalo wings and pizza and… actually, even a piece of bread would be great at this point. I am sick of the taste of water and juice! Forgive me, but the point of the fast is not to starve ourselves. But I also wonder how many miracles and answers to prayer have been forfeited for a lack of persistence. When prayer starts to not “feel” so inspired, fasting begins to loose its luster, or the “presence of God” seems to be missing from my prayer life. Do we stop? Give up? Throw in the towel?

When the devil starts hitting us where it hurts, when we get frustrated, discouraged, weary, this is not the time to quit! No! He’s hitting hard, because we’re hitting hard. He is fighting back only with the intensity with which he is being hit. So, the moment we start feeling “dry” spiritually or discouraged or doubting or defeated. This is the time to press in harder, to punch with the greatest spiritual force we can muster.
Now is the Time to BREAKTHROUGH! Daniel fasted for 21 days only because it took that long to get the answer to his prayer, but it seems to me that he would have prayed longer. And it took that long to gain spiritual victory over the demonic forces that were opposing him.
We not feel like fasting anymore, praying more earnestly, crying out to God for souls, and it may even be exhausting at this point. But don’t stop… Breakthrough! Now, when the answers to prayer are within grasp and the church will begin to see the power of God released is when we must push forward. We retreat only to our prayer time. Whatever you are praying for, keep seeking God. Don’t let the enemy have you quit right before you would have seen the hand of God work on your behalf.
Are the results worth it? We are praying for a city, for souls, for healings (financial, emotional, spiritual, physical), for leaders to be raised up. The answer to these prayers will rock this region for the Kingdom of God, heaven will be forever populated differently. STAY THE COURSE!
Day 11

A man brought his very sick son to Jesus’ disciples but they couldn’t help, so he brought his son to Jesus. When Jesus had healed the boy, the disciples asked him what was wrong with them and why they couldn’t pray healing over the boy. Jesus said, “This happens only through fasting and prayer” (Mark 9:29).
There is no power in no prayer and little power in little prayer and much power in much prayer. Throughout the Bible there are stories of people (David, Ezra, Daniel, Paul and Barnabas, church leaders) who changed the course of history through their devotion to prayer and fasting. And as we pray and humble ourselves before God, great things happen.

As Jesus began His ministry on earth after He fasted for 40 days in a quiet place of solitude, He read a portion of the Bible explaining why He had come to earth, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:16).

When we fast and pray God’s power is released to bring healing, strength, restoration into those around us. We believe that the Holy Spirit will bring physical, emotional, relational, and mental healing to those that we pray for during this time.

So, today, lift up the names of your family members, friends, co-workers, and even your own hurts- so that God can bring supernatural healing. It’s a promise!

Monday, January 08, 2007

Day 7 of 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer
As we begin week 2 of fasting, you may have noticed that this is a battle. If the enemy is trying to hit you hard (with sickness or fear or discouragement or tension in the home) recognize it for what it is, and pray even more aggressively. The devil punches with the similar intensity of the blow he receives. You hitting hard, and he’s trying to fight back. Don’t let up know, not when you’ve got him against the ropes.

· Read Psalm 91; Ephesians 6:10-18 and Romans 8:37; 2 Corinthians 10:5.

· Fasting and prayer is synonymous with declaring war or picking a fight against the enemy of our souls. We are saying, “I will not allow the devil to destroy my life, manipulate me with sin, and suck me into the mindset of the world. I will battle for my own life, my family, my co-workers, my friends, and my community. I am willing to put everything on the line to see the work of God accomplished in and through me.”

· Those sound like “fighting words” to me! And if we think the devil is just going to roll over and play opossum, we are mistaken. We’ve repented, turned from sin, and are pursuing a deeper relationship with God than ever before. And do you think that bothers the realm of hell? It can handle lazy, apathetic Christians, but Jesus-followers willing to put it all on the line, run from sin, and pursue God and His plans? That’s trouble. Trouble worth opposing. So, if you feel like you’re finding yourself in the crosshairs of the enemy, be encouraged. It may be, because your taking a dramatic step in the right direction, and it’s make the enemy mad. Read 1 Timothy 6:12.

· The great thing about spiritual warfare is that it’s a win-win for us. God fights for us (Psalm 91); God turns the tactics of the enemy into our benefit (Romans 8:28); God always wins and we are always conquerors through Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14; Romans 8:37; Isaiah 54:17; 1 John 4:4).

· So, when life heats up, things get intense, emotions flare, and crises arise, remember that we are at war. War is risky-business if you fear death or loosing. But we know we are going to win, so we fight aggressively and confidently keeping eternity in mind. Expect battle! Put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) and recognize the strategies of the devil. God is fighting on our behalf, therefore we win, every time!
Day 3 of Fasting and Prayer

Day three already! Now that we’re in high gear and focusing our attention on our Helper and only Hope, let’s kick it into “over-drive.” It’s time to turn the prayer focus inward and personal. The first key step in an prayer time, and particularly during an extended time of fasting, is to clear up our own personal spiritual lives before we can pray effectively for others. Jesus taught us to pray through His model prayer in Matthew 5, “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” So, let’s ask for inward wholeness, forgiveness, personal cleansing, and a personal renewal.

Fasting and prayer is a purging process.
Are you having a hard time, right now, staying the course? It’s tough early in the fasting process to “want to” keep going. It’s difficult, uncomfortable, even painful.
Purging is the process of cleansing, cleaning out, or “sweeping the house clean.” When I purge my computer, I sift through all the files, and delete or remove the unused, unnecessary, or damaging ones. My anti-virus software helps, as well as the defragmenater. The point: throughout the year, our lives get cluttered with sin, shame, guilt, sinful images and thoughts, pride and selfish ambition, and on and on. The spiritual dirty laundry builds up in the corner closets of our life, and a thick layer of complacent dust can lay over our passion for God, His Word, and His purposes.
This is an opportunity to clean out the dirty laundry and wipe the dust from our spiritual lives.
Read Psalm 51 and Isaiah 1:15-18.
Then pray through Psalm 51 as you begin to clean up your Spirit and allow the antivirus software of the Holy Spirit to purge the damaging files in your life, as well as take out the clutter and renew your spirit.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Stay the Course

Welcome to Day 2 of The LifeHouse 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer. Today you probably need encouragement to keep going. Did you have a rough day yesterday? Get discouraged? Want to give up on this whole “fasting and prayer” thing? Do you feel unspiritual? Yea, then you’re doing the right thing! You are receiving this email to encourage you in the Bible and prayer during this fast.

Fasting and prayer is difficult and requires discipline. Oh, and by the way, it’s a battle everyday. It doesn’t come easy or without a fight. Do you think that Satan, the enemy of your soul, wants you to become a disciplined follower of Jesus? Do you think he wants you putting aside your worldly appetites and seeking God’s face for victory in the church and in your personal life? No! I can assure you that the moment you committed to praying and seeking God, you got a bull’s eye stuck on your back.

The enemy doesn’t fight as you’d expect. Instead of shooting lightening out of the floor or your car exploding, the devil is more subtle. He throws doubts into your mind. Fears and insecurities stir up out of no where. When you least expect it, you get into an argument or get depressed or discouraged. He wants to wear you do spiritually and mentally.

Personally, I find days 2-5 to be the most difficult days of the entire fast. There are moments when I don’t want to fast, pray, or anything. But then I remember, “Oh, yea, this is a battle. I must fight to win. I won’t give up or let the enemy destroy me. Through God, I am more than a conqueror. I will fast and pray.”

Read 1 Corinthians 15:58 and Isaiah 58.

Don’t give up! When the enemy fights you, it’s a sign that you’re headed in the right direction. So, stay the course. Determine to finish. Ask someone to hold you accountable. Come out to a prayer gathering so that you can be encouraged by other Jesus-followers who are praying.

When you read Isaiah 58, journal what it means to fast and what God is calling us to do in response to our fast.
Fight to Win

Today, we are kicking off our 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer with the theme, “Fight to Win.” We believe that the most vital component of the Christian life is prayer and putting our focus on God. Fasting is simply the discipline of depriving an appetite and allow that appetite to be a reminder to put our attention where it most belongs, on God. The goal is not to starve ourselves or even sacrifice, but to genuinely be humble before God and invite Him to truly be our Center and first Love. You are receiving this email to encourage you in the Bible and prayer during this fast.

Fasting and prayer is not a merit badge for Jesus-followers! The LifeHouse doesn’t go through this to prove how spiritual we are or to demonstrate our heightened state of devotion to God.

These 21 Days are simply a time to get re-focused and re-connected with the Creator of the universe and the Savior of our souls. We realize that through the year, things distract and dampen our passion for God. We want to start off the New Year with a time to clear out the cobwebs in the corners of our spirits and re-focus the “lens of our spirit.”

We want to start off 2007 with a clear understanding of what God has called us to do this year. We don’t want to wander through 2007 haplessly going about our business. No! We want to run hard after God’s purposes for our life with the precision of a laser.

Read Psalm 51 and 1 Samuel 15.

Commit to giving up some appetite during the next 21 days (Jan 2-22 is when The LifeHouse is taking the time), and then setting aside specific times to pray (both personally and with a group) and to read the Bible. You could give up meats and sweats or TV or recreational internet use or PS3. The point is not what you are giving up, but what you are going to do with the time you gain. I am challenging us to put our time and attention on God.
The theme of these passages of the Bible: God isn’t interested in our pious sacrifices for Him as much as He is in our obedience and willingness to do what we asks. God wants us to “become” more like Him. That requires letting go of our own agenda and being “remade” to look, act, and think like Him. That requires time, attention, and discipline.

Happy Fasting and Prayer. This will be the most exciting, challenging, and intense time of the year.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

WELCOME TO 2007!

If you're a faithful reader of my blog, you'd of thought I had fallen off the face of the earth. But here I am!

Alea iacta est!

As Julius Caesar shouted, crossing the River Rubicon with his army, "The die is cast." It means, "the point of no return." Here we are in 2007. Last year can't be undone, replayed, or modified. It is what it is, and we wouldn't undo it if we could. And whether anyone likes it or not, we are running down the sands in the hourglass of 2007.

What an eventful Christmas and New Year we had in the Grach family and The LifeHouse. Here are some brief highlights from both:

* 30 people at The LifeHouse made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ as the Savior,
* My youngest daughter destroyed our nativity set (breaking off heads, arms, wings, legs) and attempted to eat a glass ornament (she's like the Grinch),
* Our second daughter spent Christmas morning in the ER with strep and a 105.3 fever- fun!
* We had Santa at church on December 3, and it was a blast. We had fun. He was jolly. Our message with Santa: you can't get off the naughty list on your own. We need Jesus to forgive us and make us whole.
* Oh, and we had a FREE holiday lunch for everyone, horse and carriage rides, professional photography, and a beautiful winter wonderland!
* In the Grach house, I made the Christmas dinner- chicken marsala and baked ziti. And no, I won't come cook for you!
* We are continuing to take up our Christmas offering and have already brought in about $9000. The LifeHouse is generous and amazing!

Need encouragement in your life- you get more daylight everyday now. And The LifeHouse has begun our 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer. You will be getting a post that pertains to our fast everyday. If you'd like to be on our email list, just send us a quick email in the "contact us" section of our website, and then you can get daily devotions and encouragements during the next 21 days.