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Day 2: “The Heartbeat”

“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 7:25 NLT

“Nothing shows a weak spiritual life—whether in a minister or a congregation—more clearly than a lack of steady, faithful prayer. Prayer is the heartbeat of spiritual life. It is the channel through which God pours out His blessing and power on both ministers and people. Consistent, believing, persevering prayer always brings strength and abundance.” (Murray, Andrew, The Prayer Life, Kindle Edition, p. 6)

As Jesus continues to intercede for us, let us not neglect but run toward the source of power, the heartbeat of a fervent life in the Spirit, through prayer.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we commit our hearts to you once again. May we come before you to be refreshed; our source of life and power may be renewed by the filling of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, amen.

Let’s sing this song by Keith Green “My Eyes Are Dry” as a prayer (click here)

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-MK

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Day 1: “Use Them Well”

Let’s read aloud this passage.

10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. 1 Peter 4:10-11 NLT

“Praise God that He knows us so well with all our needs and challenges that He has given the gift of helps to special individuals, those who can come alongside others in mercy, grace and love. These precious saints can lift the heart by assisting and helping to carry a variety of burdens that we cannot, and should not, carry alone.” (gotquestions.org/gift-of-helps.html)

Prayer: Lord, may we be encouraged and trained to use well the wonderful gift of help. And we ask that in all things we do, God will be glorified through Jesus Christ our Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Let’s sing to the Lord with the song “Because of Jesus” by Charity Gayle (click here).

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-MK

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Day 5: Perfect Peace

Let’s read aloud together the following passages and prayer:

Philippians 4:5b-9 (NIV)
5 …The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Isaiah 26:3-4 (NIV)
3 You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.
4 Trust in the LORD forever,
    for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.
 
2 Thess 3:16 (NIV)
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

Prayer: Yes Lord! Give us your peace at all times and in every way. Lord of peace, be with our churches, leading us by your Spirit into your word, into prayer, into thoughts fixed on you and trusting in you, into putting what is good into practice. Thank you for your presence and your ways that keep us in perfect peace. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship as we sing “Anchor” by Hillsong (click here).

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-KW

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Day 4: Take Action!

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)
7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

“Peter finishes…with the remarkable invitation to throw all our cares on God himself. The verb is a strong one: pick up everything that is bothering you, everything that is weighing you down, and fling them on God’s back. He will carry them. He will be delighted to do so. He loves you, after all.” (N.T. Wright, Early Christian Letter for Everyone)

“So the Bible gives us a very simple way to [respond when we feel anxious]…He just says, ‘cast’ or ‘place it on me, the one who can reconcile everything that is going on in your mind and heart right now. I’m going to put it together, I’m going to shape your life, and through this, you are going to get through.’ Because he cares for you. That’s our Jesus. And that’s the peace he gives you today.” (P. Tim’s message)

What do you feel anxious about today?
What are you wrapped up in trying to figure out or make work?
However big or small, Jesus is inviting you to throw it all on him right now, because he loves you.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know that you care for me. I have seen it in so many ways, and as I hear it again today, I lay down trying to figure things out, trying to make things work. I cast all my anxieties on you in this moment and receive your peace! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to “Singing Over Us” by Worship Central (click here).

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-KW

 

 

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Day 3: Take Heart!

John 16:33 (NIV)
33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

“But the last word isn’t one of warning. It’s one of good cheer. Somehow, even in the worst that is to come, the disciples can have a peace that will carry them through. This peace…is a matter of standing on the ground that Jesus is going to win – indeed, that he claims to have won already.” (N.T. Wright, John for Everyone)

Jesus loves you, he desires peace for you, so he does not sugarcoat the realities of this world. Jesus speaks clearly that you will have trouble, and in trouble you can still have his peace. Yes, you will face persecution. You will have days when nothing seems to go right or when pressures feel overwhelming. You will face difficult circumstances and grief. But Jesus is equally clear that he has defeated this world and his victory over it is already complete. So let’s face today with courage, standing on the ground that Jesus has already been victorious over the troubles of today.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I receive your word of encouragement into my heart that you have already overcome every difficulty this world can produce. Holy Spirit, remind me of these words of Jesus in the troubles I face today, and fill me with joy and courage. In Jesus’ name, amen.

In encouragement from Jesus’ word to us, let’s worship him as we sing “Overcome” by Elevation Worship (click here).

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-KW

 

 

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Day 2: Jesus Gives Me Peace

John 14:27 (NIV)
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

“So in the last hour of his life, Jesus is helping you not be anxious…on his mind is: ‘You look troubled. Your faces look troubled. I love you. I don’t like it when you look that way. I don’t want to leave you that way.’ It’s that simple. It’s that precious. It’s that personal.” (John Piper, Perfect Peace for Anxious Souls sermon)

Where does peace come from? The world tries to buy peace, work for peace, pretend peacefulness, fight for peace, negotiate peace, but it never gives peace because it has no peace to give. But Jesus freely gives you his peace because he wants your heart and life to be whole and well. And his peace will never fade or be taken back.

Is your heart troubled or afraid? Allow Jesus to get personal with you – his peace given to you – soaking into every piece of your heart to make you whole and well.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for seeing when I am troubled and afraid. Thank you for giving me your peace, a peace the world cannot give and cannot take away. Help me to stop looking for peace in this world. Help me to trust you, receive from you, and rest in you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s thank Jesus for his peace as we sing “It Is Well” by Matt Redman (click here).

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-KW

 

 

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Day 1: Jesus Is Our Peace

Isaiah 9:6-7a (NRSVUE)
6 For a child has been born for us,
    a son given to us…
   and he is named…Prince of Peace.
7 Great will be his authority and there will be endless peace.

Ephesians 2:13-14a (NIV)
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace…

Jesus is our Prince of Peace. He himself is our peace. Peace is not the absence of difficulty, but the presence of Jesus. This means that there will never be a moment when his peace is inaccessible to us. On the contrary, peace is always readily available because Jesus has been given to us as God’s gift. He came near to us, and then brought us near to him. So today, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in, may our only longing be for his presence, his dwelling place.

Psalm 84:1-2 (NIV)
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
    LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your presence and nearness that bring me peace. My only longing today is to be in your dwelling place. My heart and my flesh cry out for you, Jesus! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s continue to come near to Jesus as we worship with “My Peace” by Elijah Oyelade (click here).

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-KW

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Day 5: We Belong To The Lord

As God’s Church, let’s read this aloud together:

Isaiah 44:1-5 NIV
“But now listen, Jacob, my servant,
Israel, whom I have chosen.
This is what the LORD says—
he who made you, who formed you in the womb,
and who will help you:
Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant,
Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
They will spring up like grass in a meadow,
like poplar trees by flowing streams.
Some will say, ‘I belong to the LORD’;
others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand, ‘The LORD’s,’
and will take the name Israel.” 

We are reminded anew today that we belong to the Lord, and more than a label on our hands, we have been marked by the blood of Christ. We belong to God as his dearly beloved children and servants of the Lord, who listen as he says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world.” Let’s proclaim a resounding “Yes!” today, for God has emboldened us by his Spirit to live in the reality of his heavenly kingdom. We are emboldened to see the beauty of the Lord take hold in the lives of others as we pray, and let’s pray for God’s salvation, healing and power to be poured out on all for our upcoming Sunday worship celebrations.

Prayer: Lord our God, we belong to you! We have been formed in your love, given life through your Holy Spirit and set apart to be your holy servants in this world. We pray for many others from our families, our campuses and our cities to step into your kingdom, testifying that they belong to the Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship the Lord and pray as we sing “Never Stop Singing (Psalm 95)” from The Worship Initiative (click here).

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– JLiu

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Day 4: Going Through The Impossible

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 NIV
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

“Have you ever heard people say, in the midst of their hardships, that they can tell people are praying for them? What they are saying is, ‘When I imagined something like this, I always thought it would be impossible. I could never bear it. But now that I am in it, God is faithful. I can’t explain it, but somehow he is carrying me along.’” (Ed Welch, When I Am Afraid)

In his great love for us, God upholds us in every impossible situation, and as Christians, this is our reality. The things in life that are able to break a human being cannot destroy us, because our God is faithful and we belong to him. What an incredible thing this is, that in the midst of hardships, we get to live in the awe, wonder, joy and confidence that comes from being in our Father’s care. So we do not fear the storms, the impossible situations, because when they come we find more of the supernatural depths of God’s love and power for us, and he emboldens us to pray for and love others who are going through the same things.

Prayer: Father, thank you for loving us, strengthening us and protecting us through every hardship and impossible situation. May our lives proclaim your faithfulness and love for all our days! Fill us with your Spirit today to pray for those who are currently going through impossible situations, and may they undeniably experience your love and power during this time. In Jesus’ name, amen.

In worship and thanksgiving, let’s sing “Peace Be Still” from The Belonging Co & Lauren Daigle (click here).

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– JLiu

 

 

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Day 3: You Will…

Isaiah 41:13, 15-16 NLT
For I hold you by your right hand—
I, the LORD your God.
And I say to you,
‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.
You will be a new threshing instrument
with many sharp teeth.
You will tear your enemies apart,
making chaff of mountains.
You will toss them into the air,
and the wind will blow them all away;
a whirlwind will scatter them.
Then you will rejoice in the LORD.
You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

“Take notice God does not say “He will,” but rather says, “You will….” He will do by making us able to do. God will equip and empower us to exercise his will and purposes. And along with that, to rejoice in the Lord as we do it. That is usually the last thing we think of doing when we’re caught up in our fears, but we can now come anew and differently to these moments. God gives us opportunities to grow in our trust for his deliverance. [excerpt from Anne Kim]

There is no better place to be than to be close to God, hearing him say, “Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.” Let’s trust in God, not ourselves, for the help that we need, for every fear and impossible situation, and find that he gives us all we need to do everything that is set before us.

Prayer: O God, we rejoice in you! Thank you for saving us from a lifetime of trusting ourselves and trying to figure out every problem on our own. We trust in you to receive the strength and resources to exercise your will and purposes in our lives and in the lives of others. In Jesus’ name, amen.

In worship and thanksgiving, let’s sing “Unto Him (Jude 24-25)” from Shane & Shane (click here).

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– JLiu

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