21 days prayer & fasting guide (2016)

21 DAYS’ PRAYER & FASTING WEEK29 February – 20 March 2016

As we start this new season, let’s put God first at the beginning of every day and every moment of each day. Let Him lead us through a year of victory! If we do this, we will be the prevailing church for God!

This time of prayer and fasting will refresh us personally as we seek His Face and His ways. We pray that you will experience the presence and power of God in an extraordinary way too. May you get closer to God than ever before as you seek Him over the next twenty-one days.

Finally, make time to pray and spend time with God daily. Fix a place and time where you can seek Him every day. If you don’t plan to pray, you won’t.

In conjunction with the Prayer and Fasting week, the church will be having our Prayer Hour from 9.00am -10.00am at church on the three Saturdays during the Prayer and fasting period. Let us come together to experience God’s blessed life as we pray as a community of faith.

Lastly, remember to praise Him for all that He has done and going to do!

PRAYER & FASTING GUIDES

When is a good time of day for you to begin?

There is no fixed rule on when it is a good time. Some prefer the morning while others at night (Ps. 55:17, 63:1). The most important is we set aside a time for prayer. This requires discipline.

During the fasting weeks, you can opt to set aside your lunch time to pray.

How to begin?

The Bible says, “Let us enter the gates with thanksgiving….” (Ps 100:4)Let’s begin with praises and thanksgiving to God for all He has done and is going to do. Prepare some familiar praise and worship songs as you begin your daily session.

Take some time to read the daily verses given. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak/minister to you through these verses. You can use the prayer guides for your prayer items.

End your session also with praises and thanksgiving.

How long is enough?

Where are you in your walk with God? Maybe you never think at all about prayer. Maybe prayer is something new for you. At the beginning, it may be just few minutes. As time goes on, our communion with God goes longer.

There is no rule to say how long we should pray. The effective prayer is not measured by how loud or how long or how eloquent we are. Our prayer will be effective and touch the heart of God when we are sincere and when we ask for the right things. God looks at our hearts, not our external appearance (1 Sam. 16:7).

TYPES OF FASTING

There are many types of fasting as listed below:

Total fastAbstain from solid food for 24 hours. Take only water. If you choose to go for a total fast for over 21 days, please seek the advice of your doctor.

Partial fastAbstain from solid food for an extended part of the day. Take only water. The time frame is a matter of the individual’s commitment before the Lord. For example, some may keep it at 12 hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Others may prefer a shorter period, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., breaking fast with a light snack.

One-meal fastSacrifice one full meal a day. For example: lunch fast or dinner fast.

Daniel fastAbstain from meat and other delicacies. Take only small portions of fresh fruit, vegetables and juices.

Liquid fastDuring a fast, some people drink only water. Others take various kinds of fluid, such as fruit juices, broth, soya bean, etc. It is wise to abstain from strong stimulants, such as tea or coffee. Object fastSome people decide to fast on something completely unrelated to food such as TV or computer time and other activities that take away our attention from God.

Day 1Monday, 29 February

Be cleansed by His bloodLev. 17:11

God did not create sin. Sin comes from the devil when he tried to usurp God’s throne. It came into the world when Adam yielded to Satan’s scheme to create enmity between human and God.

When God saw Adam and Eve’s attempt to cover their sin, He made the first blood sacrifice, using skins from the slain animals to cover them (Gen.3:21). The endless cycle of blood sacrifices in the Old Testament was a reminder that our sin need to be cleansed and atoned for. Out of His love for mankind, God made a way for our redemption – Jesus came and died for our sins so that we might be forgiven (Rom 5:8).

Only the precious blood of sinless Jesus could remove the stain of sins forever (Eph. 1:7). We need to ask God for forgiveness for our sins. We can praise Him today because we have been cleansed by His blood and be assured of our new position and identity in God.

Prayer item for today:Pray for ourselves - God’s will, blessing and favor, health, protection, etc.

Day 2Tuesday, 1 March

Is Christ truly the Lord of our lives?2 Cor. 13:5

Is Christ truly the Lord of our lives? Are we ready to be whom God wants us to be and obey His Word? Are we willing and ready to come out of our comfort zone and receive what God’s plan for us which may not be to our liking?

God’s truth only comes alive and operative in our lives when we are ready to embrace it. Just like when Jesus agonised on that night in the Garden of Gethsemane, we too must come to the point where we are willing to say, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” We must come to the point of fully surrendering our will and acknowledging and accepting His lordship over our lives.

Let us conduct a spiritual “check-up”. Self-examination reveals areas of our lives that are still unconsecrated. It is time to embark on a course of abundant life and blessings as we rededicate ourselves fully to God today. Spend some time giving thanks and worshipping God.

Prayer item for today:Pray for our family – God’s will, blessing and favor, health, protection, salvation of loved ones, etc.

Day 3Wednesday, 2 March

Holy for GodRom. 12:1-2

In the beginning, God divided light from darkness. Later on, He called Abraham to separate himself from his former life of idol worship. Further down the line, God has identified Himself as the Lord who brought the Israelites out of bondage and set them apart for Himself (1 Kg. 8:53).

Therefore, we must not conform ourselves to the former lusts, as in our ignorance; but as He who called us is holy, we must also be holy in all our conduct, because it is written in the Bible, “Be holy, for God is holy” (1 Pet. 1:14-16).

When we enter into a relationship with God, we must also separate ourselves from our past and from our ungodly associations. We need to remember that we are in the world but not of the world and not to be conformed to the patterns and lust of this world (Rom. 12:1-2).

Let us ask God for strength to resist any temptation that leads us astray from God.

Prayer item for today:Pray for our Senior Pastor and the full time staff - God’s leading, fresh anointing, strength, joy, etc.

Day 4Thursday 3 March

His Word in our heartsPs. 1:2-3

Our hearts must be established in His Word. Psalm 1 gives us a clear description of those whose hearts are established in God’s Word. People who fear the Lord and delight in His commandments will be blessed and whatever they do will prosper; and vice versa.

We will reap the fruit in whatever our heart is established and rooted – fear or faith; sickness or health; poverty or prosperity; sin or righteousness. Therefore, we need to nourish and guard our hearts, for everything we do flows from it (Pro. 4:23).

We need to spend time in the Word, meditate and hide it in our hearts. We also need to ask for a greater appetite for God’s Word, and discernment and understanding of God’s Word.

Prayer item for today:Pray for our Government – righteousness, justice, wisdom, unity, godly fear, etc.

Day 5Friday, 4 March

Raising our spiritual antennaJn. 10:22-30

We are living in a noisy world today. We tune in to all social media, TV, radio and etc. just to know the latest news and updates. We search for the right channel for the right updates as not all channels of communication give the full information. Such noise distracts us from spending time with God.

The result is that many of us do not know how to tune in to God‘s channel. However, God is always speaking to us. He wants to share His plans with us. We need to be good listeners – spiritually.

Therefore, let us make sure our spiritual antenna is on and functioning correctly. Then we can hear directly from God without any disruption. If we truly listen for His voice, we will hear it. When we hear it, it will build our faith (Rom. 10:10).

Let us ask for our spiritual ears to be opened to hear God’s voice and for discernment to know His voice.

Prayer item for today:Pray for the leaders of the church – God’s blessings and favor upon their families/work/ministries.

Join us tomorrow for the Prayer Hour from 9.00 am – 10.00am at church.

Day 6Saturday, 5 March

Faith talkMk. 11:22-23

Jesus tells us to trust and believe in God. We need to learn to speak faith into our spirit and life, reminding ourselves of the promises and faithfulness of God.

While prayer is our declaration of our dependence on God, our spoken words can be the manifestation of what’s actually happening in our hearts. More importantly, there is power in our spoken words and declarations – whether they are used to build up or tear down. Our tongue will either announce our victory or our defeat. Therefore, we must refuse to open a door for the enemy’s attack with our tongue.

Let’s us begin to declare God’s Word, promises, blessings and victories over our lives and expect to see the results and breakthrough.

Prayer item for today:Pray for God’s promises and blessings over our nation’s financial and economy system.

Day 7Sunday, 6 March

Leave Lo-Debar2 Sam. 9:5

Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan and grandson of King Saul had to live in Lo-debar because of the political situation in Israel. Lo-debar means “not a pasture.” It is a dwelling place of lack, poverty, dryness and desolation. It was the wilderness, an empty field of no sowing and no harvest. Mephibosheth was lame, alone and stuck in this hopeless place. He was born of royalty, but he did not even appear like one.

Then something unexpected happened. He was called out from that place by the King and given a prince’s place in the palace. His identity was restored. All this happened simply because of the covenant his father has made with King David.

King Jesus is calling us out of our Lo-debar today and into His kingdom simply because of the covenant of salvation God has with us. God wants to show His kindness to us, and He will restore what the devil has stolen from us. He invites us to feast at His table on the blessings of God.

Will we leave our Lo-debar and follow Him? Let us tell God that we are ready to leave and ask Him to help us.

Prayer item for today:Pray for our members for the willingness to leave their Lo-debar and move into God’s destiny for them.

Day 8Monday, 7 March

The armor for daily battleEph. 6:10-18

The moment we choose to be on Jesus’ side, the devil will not leave us alone because God is his enemy. Now we too have become his enemies. We have entered into spiritual warfare - wrestling not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places.

The good news is God has equipped us for the warfare. Jesus has given us a set of weapons to stand against the forces of darkness. Our victorious lives in Christ begin with knowing each part of the armor. Know the truth about God and His righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation; and apply them in our daily lives.

Today, let us take time to read, understand and apply every piece of the armor of God in our daily lives.

Prayer item for today:Pray for the church to take her position in Christ and be strong during challenging times.


God’s check-mate1 Chron. 14:10

We read how Philistines attacked the Israelites again and again in the Bible. We also read how King David counterattacked them – but before he did that, the first thing David did was he asked the Lord for direction.

David would not move until God first moved. Only when God said, “Act!” would David take action. David relied on God’s perfect timing. When we seek God first in a matter, we can be assured of the victory. Defeat is never part of God’s plan for we are the apples of His eyes.

We must determine to acknowledge God in all our ways and ask Him for His wisdom and ways to face our daily challenges.

Prayer item for today:Pray for God’s protection over ourselves, our family and loved ones, the church and the nation.


Fervent prayerJas. 5:16b

Fervency speaks of our level of intensity, passion and persistence. Many times, we can lose our passion in prayer or stop praying for certain things altogether just because we lose heart or give up. But God asks us to trust Him for an answer in His time. The Bible commands us to pray unceasingly (1 The. 5:17).

The Old Testament prophet, Elijah, practiced a lifestyle of fervent, intense prayer and he witnessed incredible miracles in his lifetime (1 Kg. 17:17-24). He prayed fervently, repeatedly and he was not going to give up. Jesus told his disciples the need to pray consistently and never quit through the parable of a persistent widow and the unjust judge (Lk. 18:1-8).

God hears our prayers as well and will give an answer in His perfect timing. But do not be discouraged or disheartened if the answer is not exactly what we expected. Commit to praying to God with passion and persistence, trusting the answer will come in God’s perfect way and in His perfect timing.

Prayer item for today:Continue to pray for breakthrough for ourselves, our families, our church and our nation.

Day 11Thursday, 10 March

A sense of urgencyEph. 1:10

God creates time to provide a measuring stick by which mankind could recognize seasons in their lives. Time is the most valuable commodity – but the time is quickly approaching when Christ will come. By then, there will be no more time left for us to do anything (Jn. 9:4).

In the light of this, we are a steward of every minute God has given us. We are living in the last days now, and Jesus is coming soon! We are to redeem the time we have been given because the days in which we live are evil (Eph. 5:16). We must seize every opportunity to allow God to work in and through us. The harvest is already out there but the workers are few (Lk. 10:2). Let us not waste our precious time!

Let us be sensitive to His prompting and leading, and be willing to be workers for His harvest.

Prayer item for today:Pray that the church and nation will not miss God’s timing and directions.


Expect miracles!Jn. 2:11

Jesus’ first miracle was to turn water into wine. But that was not his last miracle. What Jesus began is not finished: the miracle worker has never changed: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8).

In Mark 16:15-20, Jesus says that miracles are not special gifts for a few, but for all believers. For God to hear and answer our prayers is a miracle. Miracles are signs pointing to God. Expect God to act miraculously in every moment of our lives. Miracles still do happen today. Ask for one today! Believe it and receive it!

Prayer item for today:Pray for signs and wonders, healing, breakthrough and miracles in our family, churches, offices, schools, public places, etc.



Be careful of pride!Jn. 15:4-5

When God gives us spiritual gifts or talents, do guard against it from becoming our stumbling block. Be careful that we do not reach a point where we say, “I can do this by myself. I don’t need God.” We cannot think we can do what God has called us to do without His anointing and presence. We must not allow pride to creep into our hearts.

The Bible has many examples on how pride and foolishness have caused the people to fall. Nebuchadnezzar made that statement and lost his kingdom (Dan.4:28-37). Sometimes we lose our directions. Samson did not even know that the Spirit of God had departed from him (Jud. 16:20).

Only when we recognize our need for God and our weakness can we recognize God’s supply of His strength and anointing for those who will humble themselves before Him. We need to ask for humility and to break every pride in our lives.

Prayer item for today:Pray for the ministries of the church – ushers, traffic marshal, worship team, cafeteria, altar workers, library, etc.


Have the fruitGal. 5:22-23

How many fruits are there of the Spirit? The Bible lists them as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Did we get a total of nine? Then we are wrong. There is only ONE fruit of the Spirit. In Greek, the word for “fruit” is “karpos,” and it is in the singular.

The fruit of the Spirit is given to us as a whole package, for victorious living. The Holy Spirit works in us to bear this fruit. However, when we examine ourselves, we do realize that we are lacking in some areas. It can be our impatience or lack of self-control. In other words, it simply means though the fruit of the Spirit is given to us, we still need to do our part - to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to let it manifest in our lives.

As a tree draws its life (water and nutrients) from the ground, let us draw life from the Holy Spirit. Then we can bear good fruit.

Prayer item for today:Pray for nurturing of the fruit of the Spirit and the release of the spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:7-11).

Day 15Monday, 14 March

Ready for action!Lk. 4:1-2, 14-19

Luke 4 describes the circumstances surrounding the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.

Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit after His baptism and was led by the Spirit into the desert. There He fasted and was tempted by the devil and overcame him. He returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit to begin his ministry. Being full of the Spirit is knowing God and his character; walking in the power of the Spirit is when we know that we have the God-given strength and authority in our lives to walk out His will.

The power and the anointing of the Spirit are essential for us to accomplish the assignment God has for our lives. As we are called to serve God and His people, we need the power to accomplish what He has called us to do.

God wants to refresh our spirits everyday so that we overflow with Holy Spirit power and anointing to conquer new frontiers. Let us ask for a fresh daily outpouring of the Spirit in our lives.

Prayer item for today:Pray for the fresh outpouring of the Spirit and revival of our church and nation.


Tell your storiesTit. 2:9-10

Our lives are living testimonies of the power of the gospel. We are called to be witnesses of God’s salvation and power to the people on earth (Acts 1:8) A Christ-like character can demonstrate the power of Christ to change lives and make the gospel appealing to others.

Most of the time, the gospel is shared through our lives. We are living letters. As we pray and seek to reach out to those in our circles of influence, our lives will be like books to be read by people. Then, they will decide whether it is worthwhile to continue reading.

Are our lives attractive enough for people to continue reading? Do they see Christ reflected in our lives? Let us ask God to help us to be great witnesses for others to see Christ in and through us. Also, let us ask God to reveal areas in our lives that hinder us in becoming witnesses for Him.

Prayer item for today:Pray for the salvation of our loved ones, friends, colleagues and community.


Kingdom financesMal. 3:10

Everything we have belongs to God. He owns all things simply because He is the creator and sovereign God. We are stewards of all we possess.

The power to create wealth is one of God’s gifts for us. If we submit our finances to the lordship of Christ, we will experience His prosperity, blessing, freedom and security. If we are good stewards of what God gives us, we will be rewarded.

How can we be good stewards? One way is by giving our tithes and offerings. The Bible says that we have robbed God if we do not do so. Surrendering what is due to Him opens us to receiving whatever He desires to give to us. We need to ask God to break the spirit of poverty in us which makes us stingy. Let us ask God for a generous heart to give cheerfully and sacrificially.

Prayer item for today:Pray for the financial provision, blessings and breakthrough for the church and nation.

Day 18Thursday, 17 March

God is faithfulGen. 17:7

We serve a God who supplies our needs before we even know it. Regardless of our situations, God has already provided - whether it is financial, material, physical, emotional or spiritual needs (Phi. 4:19). When He provides, He will also stop the devourer from robbing us.

However He may not provide in the ways we want it. Be assured that His way of providing is always better than ours. We will not be left helpless or wanting as He will never leave nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5).

Thank God for all his provision. Let us continue to ask for a believing heart and the peace knowing that God knows what is best for us.

Prayer item for today:Pray for our nation - God’s will, provision, blessings and protection.


To serve God togetherJos. 24:15

Our Christian lives are never intended to be solitary ones. It is never just between you and God. When God created humans, it is always in the context of relationship – between Him and Adam and Eve. In the New Testament, Jesus shared His life with his twelve disciples and then taught them to share it with others. The early believers gathered together to break bread and share the living Word as often as they could (Acts 2:42-47).

Christian life is more than just attending the Sunday service – it is about sharing lives and serving others through various ministries, lifegroups and the community. It is about a place for love, acceptance, prayer, discipleship, edification and worship (Gal. 6:2).

Let us come and serve God together. Jesus said He “came not to be served, but to serve” (Mk. 10:45). He made himself a servant (Phi 2:7). We should follow His example and serve each other.

• If you have not start serving in the church, start today. • If you have not been part of the lifegroup, join one today. • If you have not attended the prayer meeting, be there next Wednesday.

Be committed to the community of the church! When we do these things, we will experience a new level in our Christian lives and be a blessing to many. We will grow together!

Prayer item for today:Pray for the love and unity; and bind every division and strife among the leadership and various ministries of the church.



Do the right thingMatt. 5:8

Integrity is what you do when no one is looking. Does it really matter? Would you have done it differently if you knew someone was watching you?

Do you know God sees everything we do? God looks at our heart (1 Sam. 16:7) and our actions. The Lord knows the true intent of the heart. We cannot hide this from Him. He knows us very well - the core of who we are, what we do, say, think, etc.

We can learn integrity from David. He was left alone with the sheep. No one checked on him. But from the Goliath story, David was not lazing around. He has been keeping his father’s sheep securely killing the predators that sought to kill his sheep (1 Sam. 17:34-36a). Because he was doing the right thing, he was able to defeat Goliath. Success and breakthrough came naturally for him.

Let us ask God to help us to do the right thing today.

Prayer item for today:Pray for increase, enlargement, expansion and growth over every area of our lives, family, church and the nation.


Show us Your gloryEx. 33:18

Moses boldly asked God, “Show me your glory!” He made such request even after God told Him that His presence would go with him. What a bold request from him! This shows that Moses wanted more of God. He was seeking the face of God and not the acts of God.

Charles Spurgeon calls this the greatest request a man has ever made of God. To see God’s glory is to see God himself. It was as if Moses is saying, “Let me see you as you really are.” God was pleased and granted his request (Ex. 33:17).

The glory speaks of the very nature and attributes of God - His beauty, His holiness, His authority, His power, His mercy, His love, etc. So when we pray for God’s glory to come, we are praying for God to be God. We are seeking His nature to prevail over the challenging situations in our lives, families and especially in our nation.

Prayer item for today:Ask for revival and His glory be upon our nation.

No. 1, Jalan Samudera Utama, Taman Samudera, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor D.E., Malaysia.T. +603 6184 1658 F. +603 6188 3599 E. [email protected]

21 days prayer & fasting guide (2016)

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