21 Days of Prayer

Daniel 6:10: Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

• After reading Daniel 6:10, what are your thoughts about Daniel and his commitment to the Lord?

Scripture:

Psalm 24:3-4: Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.

Psalm 32:5: Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Reflection:

• According to Romans 2:4, what leads us to repentance?

• Is repentance something that you regularly do in your life? Why or why not?

Pray:

• Spend some time allowing God to search your heart today. Confess your sins to Him and repent.

• Praise God for His forgiveness and grace. Thank Him that because of the cross there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

Scripture:

Psalm 111:1: Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

Psalm 27:8: My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Reflection:

• How does your worship of God look in the everyday mundane tasks of life?

• Do people see your worship of God through the way you interact with them, work, or do everyday common tasks?

Pray:

• Take time today for personal worship. Express your love and thankfulness to God in prayer.

• Pray for your love of God to overflow in joy and be evident to all you come in contact with today.

Scripture:

Psalm 27:4: One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

Psalm 37:4: Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Reflection:

• What does “taking delight in the Lord” look like in your life?

• According to Matthew 6:33 what should you seek first? Is this something you do well?

Pray:

• Pray for God to reveal what is most important to you. What has the potential to steal your deepest affection from God?

• Spend some time simply enjoying God’s presence today. Enjoy Him through His Word, your favorite worship music, or simply sitting and listening for His voice.

Scripture:

Psalm 61:3 & 5: For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

Romans 15:13: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Reflection:

• What areas of your life are not bearing fruit and can be pruned?

• Where will you find time in your schedule to stay connected to the Vine?

Pray:

• Think through your schedule. Pray for God to help you discern what you should and should not be involved in for the sake of your spiritual health.

• Pray for spiritual hunger to make you crave connection with God daily.

Scripture:

Psalm 139:24b: …lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 18:36: You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.

Psalm 37:23: The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him.

Psalm 44:18: Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path.

Reflection:

• What areas of your own life are you holding back from God?

• Are you willing to surrender your plans to discover and live out His plans for you?

Pray:

• Confess the areas of your life that you are holding back from God. Ask for forgiveness and beg for the boldness to truly surrender to Him.

• Pledge today that God’s plans will be your plans. Pray for the strength to carry this commitment out.

Scripture:

Psalm 139:24b: …lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 18:36: You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.

Psalm 37:23: The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him.

Psalm 44:18: Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path.

Reflection:

• What areas of your own life are you holding back from God?

• Are you willing to surrender your plans to discover and live out His plans for you?

Pray:

• Confess the areas of your life that you are holding back from God. Ask for forgiveness and beg for the boldness to truly surrender to Him.

• Pledge today that God’s plans will be your plans. Pray for the strength to carry this commitment out.

Scripture:

Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

1 Corinthians 13:4: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Reflection:

• What is the purpose of Spiritual fruit in your life?

• Who might God be trying to reach through the fruit He is bearing through your life with Him?

Pray:

• Prayerfully consider the qualities listed in the scriptures above. Ask God to reveal what must develop in your life in order to love others in a Christ-honoring way.

• Pray for God to stir awareness in your spirit for those who need to experience His love through you.

• Yesterday at Rush Creek we read the account of the woman to be stoned recorded in John 8:1-11 and learned we should be gracious like Jesus. Examine your heart. Is it full of grace for the brokeness in people around you? How should God increase your graciousness today?

Scripture:

Psalm 18:2: The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 16:11: You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Acts 16:31 (AMP): Believe in and on the Lord Jesus Christ—that is, give yourself up to Him, take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping, and you will be saved; [and this applies both to] you and your household as well.

Reflection:

• Who have you prayed for recently to be saved or delivered? Who has God placed on your heart?

• In your prayer life, is it hard to turn your heart towards the salvation of others?

Pray:

• Pray, by name, for the people in your life who need to know the saving power of Jesus Christ. Pray they can understand Jesus is the only truth path of life, the only real source of lasting joy, and the only refuge from this chaotic and broken world.

• Ask God to give you eternal perspective today. Pray for help to see that eternal matters should be our highest priority, and that the problems of today are nothing more than distractions that move our focus away from what really matters in life.

Scripture:

Psalm 92:1: It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High.

Mark 12:31: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Philippians 2:3: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.

Reflection:

• How do you value others above yourself in your life?

• Do you regularly engage others to invite them to church, Small Group, or to your home for a meal? Why or why not?

Pray:

• Pray for your neighbors today. Pray for opportunity to engage with them, bless them, and to show them the Father’s love.

• Ask God to give you a “gathering heart.” Pray that God would create in you a desire to see people connected to each other and confronted with the Gospel.

Scripture:

Psalm 107:20: He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.

Psalm 147:3: He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Galatians 6:2: Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Reflection:

• How does God use His people to help others?

• What does it look like to carry a burden with someone who is struggling in life? Who in your life may need a burden lightened so they can see Jesus better?

Pray:

• Bring the burdens of others to God today. Do you have loved ones who need healing? Do you have friends in crisis? Share all of these troubles with God on behalf of the people in your life.

• Pray for God to use you as an intercessor (one who intervenes on behalf of another ) in prayer. Thank Him for the privilege of praying on behalf of your loved ones.

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 12:4: There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.

Ephesians 4:12: to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

Romans 12:6: We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.

Reflection:

• How has God gifted you to build His kingdom?

• What ways might He be calling you to get more involved in your church and in your community?

Pray:

• Pray for God to reveal His spiritual gifts in your life. Do you already know your gifts? Ask God to reveal how you might use those gifts to build His Kingdom.

• Pray for opportunities to use your gifts specifically with your church family at Rush Creek. Pray for opportunities to use your gifts to serve your community.

Scripture:

1 Samuel 16:7b: The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Proverbs 4:23: Above all else, guard your heart. For EVERYTHING you do flows from it.

Matthew 5:8: Blessed are the PURE in heart, for they will see God.

Reflection:

• Do you value integrity?

• Why does God choose to look at the heart of a person?

• How might God use your integrity to impact the people around you?

Pray:

• Ask the Spirit to examine your heart. What are your actions revealing to those close to you?

• Pray for love, grace, justice, and truth to flow from your heart to the people around you.

Scripture:

Psalm 25:18: Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.

Nehemiah 1:6b, 8-9 (NIV): I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

Reflection:

• Imagine what our community would look like if a true transformation occurred among Christ followers. What are some things that would look different?

• Will you join us and pray for an awakening to begin in us?

Pray:

• Pray for awakening to occur in your own life. Pray for God to utterly transform you into a humble and willing servant, empowered by the Holy Spirit, living on mission in your community.

• Pray for awakening to occur in the people of Rush Creek. Pray that revival would sweep through our church family and set our hearts on fire with the urgency of the Gospel.

Scripture:

Psalm 78:24: He rained down manna for the people to eat; he gave them the grain of heaven.

Habakkuk 2:1: I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me.

Proverbs 29:18: Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.

Reflection:

• Why is it important for the local church to be rallied together around the vision God has given?

• Is there anything in your heart holding you back from jumping all in with vision God has given our church? What will it take for you to jump all in?

Pray:

• Pray for God to make you forerunner of the faith. Pray that God would use your life to help people find and follow Jesus.

• Pray for your heart to be all in on the vision God has given Rush Creek Church.

Scripture:

Psalm 85:6: Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?

Psalm 80:18-19: Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.

2 Chronicles 7:14: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Reflection:

• We want to be a body that seeks God in everything we do. How will you commit to pray for our church long after these 21 days are over?

• What areas do you sense the Lord calling you to become more involved in our body?

Pray:

• Pray for the Spirit to reveal your role in Rush Creek’s vision to be Forerunners of the faith, United to help people Find and Follow Jesus.

• Pray for God to heal our neighborhoods and communities in the DFW area. Ask Him to use us, the ones called by His Name, to bring that healing.

Scripture:

Romans 15:5-6: May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 17:20-21: My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Reflection:

• The Bible talks a great deal about unity in the Body of Christ. Is this something you have spent any amount of time fighting for?

• How can you assist in creating more unity around the vision of our church?

Pray:

• Pray for unity among the Rush Creek family. Pray for grace in our differences, compassion for each other, and emphasis on what brings us together.

• Ask God to make you a conduit of His unity. Ask Him to make you a person of peace among His people.

Scripture:

2 Peter 3:18: But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Psalm 119:105: Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Reflection:

• What does spiritual maturity look like? What does it mean to be “spiritually mature?”

• What are areas of your life do you sense the Lord calling you to grow in maturity?

Pray:

• Ask the Father to grow the people of Rush Creek in our discipleship. Pray that as we grow closer to God, we grow closer together.

• Pray for the discipleship ministries of Rush Creek (small groups, care groups, children’s ministry, student ministry, etc.) to truly foster growth in our church family.

Scripture:

2 Timothy 2:15: Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

Proverbs 11:14: Where there is no guidance, a people fall, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13: Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

Reflection:

• Do you pray for the leadership of the church? If not stop for a moment and pray for our leaders and staff that lead our church.

• How can you personally take ownership in the vision God has given our church?

Pray:

• Pray for the leaders of Rush Creek. Pray everyone in leadership positions would have wisdom, strength, and discernment to follow God boldly on behalf of our church family.

• Pray for new leaders to rise up at Rush Creek. Pray that people in our church family would rise up and lead as new group leaders, worship leaders, greeters, technical leaders, children’s leaders, and all other roles that are vital to the vision of our church.

Scripture:

Psalm 2:8: Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.

Acts 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

1 Chronicles 16:24: Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Reflection:

• Throughout scripture God has given a clear directive to His people; to spread His glory throughout the earth. Have you ever given thought to where you and your family might fit into this calling?

• Have you ever prayed an open-ended prayer? Asking God to show you where He would have you go with no limits on His answer? Have you ever really put your “yes” on the table and told God to use you however HE wanted to, then listened?

Pray:

• Pray for the boldness to put your “yes” on the table. Ask God for the courage to fully surrender to His plans

• Pray for the discernment to clearly hear God’s voice from among all the other voices competing for our attention.

Scripture:

Amos 3:7: For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.

Acts 2:17: And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Reflection:

• What has God been speaking over your life as you’ve spent these 21 days fasting and praying, turning your heart towards Him? Has there been a theme to these three weeks? What is it?

• What action steps are you committing to take?

Pray:

• Pray that what God started in you over the last 21 days would continue in your heart and mind.

• Pray for faithfulness in prayer, fasting, and Bible study as the Lord leads you. Pray for faithfulness in your church family as well.