40 days - kchw.co.uk · every day, but also to pray and fast together on one speci€c day each...

40 DAYSPraying and Encountering God Together

Monday 12 June – Friday 21 July

I’m very much looking forward to our latest season of ‘40 Days’ of prayer. These have been powerful times in the past and I can’t wait to see what God will do this time as we go deeper in prayer together.

During this period, we are calling the church to pray every day, but also to pray and fast together on one speci�c day each week (usually a Wednesday) before coming to our Evening Celebration. If you have not fasted previously, there are guidelines for you to read at the back of this book (p50–52).

We begin our midweek meetings with the visit of Stef Liston on Wednesday, 14th June. Stef leads Revelation Church in Camden and is the author of the books ‘Just like us’ and ‘He was and is and is to come’. On 21st June, we will be welcoming a team from Frontiers as we come together to pray for the Muslim community in High Wycombe. Then, on Tuesday, 11th July, Brian Heasley (International Prayer Director

of 24–7 Prayer) will be coming to speak to us. We anticipate these evenings to be a time of joyful celebration, earnest prayer and powerful encounters with God – these are times not to be missed.

On each Sunday morning during this period we will be speaking on a particular aspect of prayer. The Bible notes in this booklet will follow these themes, and will provide fuel for your prayers; the whole church praying for the same things at the same time!

When the church prays, lives and circumstances are changed. So let’s come together over these 40 days to meet with God, seek his direction and pray for his favour upon us and the community in which we serve.

Neil BartlettSenior Pastor

Many thanks to Neil Bartlett, John Harbour, Richard Horne, Ron Lamb, Nicola Wade and Ruth Wainman who contributed the Bible notes for this booklet.

Dear Friends

40 Days of Prayer & Fasting 2017

40 Days of Prayer & Fasting 2017 1

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Prayer RoomDuring the 40 days, the West End Hall will be open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:00am–8:30am.

This is not a formal prayer meeting, it is a space made available for personal prayer for anyone who wishes to use it.


Luke 18:35–43 & Joshua 6:1–20

WHAT DOES GOD WANT YOU TO WANT?Monday, 12 June 2017

Does it strike you as a bit odd that Jesus asked the blind man, “What do you want me to do for you?” He was blind! Jesus knew what he was asking for, but maybe he wanted to make sure the blind man knew what he wanted.

What if Jesus were to ask you the same question? What would you ask for?

In his book, ‘The Circle Maker’, Mark Batterson uses the conquest of Jericho as a picture of what he calls ‘drawing prayer circles’. Jericho was a daunting sight with its impenetrable walls – it must have felt like God had promised something impossible, and his plan for achieving it was unorthodox, to say the least!

But God had promised.

Every time they circled the city and nothing happened, it was in response to God’s promise.

On the seventh day, the walls fell.

The fall of Jericho actually represented the ful�lment of a promise made to Abraham hundreds of years before – the �rst step in claiming the Promised Land.

What is your Jericho? What are the promises God wants you to stake claim to? If Jesus were to ask you, “What do you want me to do for you?” – what is your answer?

‘Drawing prayer circles’ starts with discerning what God wants – what he wills. Getting what you want isn’t the goal – the goal is glorifying God by circling with prayer the promises, miracles and dreams he wants for you.

As we’ll discover over the next few days and weeks, prayer is about an awful lot more than asking for things, but let’s start this season of 40 Days by praying some big, speci�c, God-given, ‘Jericho’ prayers.

DAY

1


Response1. Spend some time asking God to identify your ‘Jericho’ –

what he wants you to ask for, what promises he wants you to pursue. There may be one thing, there may be a few things – just go with what you feel he is saying.

2. Write them down below.

3. Commit to circling those things with prayer every day throughout the 40 Days and beyond until you see breakthrough.


DAY

2The theme of this �rst week is ‘Why Pray?’. In today’s Bible readings we see some pretty compelling reasons to pray:

• Jesus says, “WHEN you pray…” (3 times in 3 verses) – there is a clear expectation that followers of Jesus will pray;

• The apostle Paul commands believers to ‘devote yourselves to prayer…’ – not only in Colossians, but in all his letters, and Paul certainly leads by example;

• Jesus prayed – a lot!

So, at the very least, to pray is to be obedient.

Thankfully, though, this is not the only reason to pray. If it was, prayer would just be an abstract activity, a chore, an item on the ‘to do’ list… and it would be boring. Maybe that is your experience of prayer. Maybe that’s why you don’t pray and then feel guilty about it. If you struggle to pray, you are not alone.

Prayer was clearly a hugely important part of Jesus’ life and ministry on earth, and so it should be for us too. But, as we’ll see over the next few days, there are many wonderful, spectacular reasons to pray; and, as we’ll see and experience over these 40 Days, there are many di¦erent ways to pray. Prayer actually can be exciting, dynamic, an adventure!

John Calvin called prayer ‘the chief exercise of faith’ – the primary way true faith expresses itself. So, over these 40 Days, let’s exercise our faith and enter wholeheartedly into the adventure of going deeper in prayer!

ResponseConsider what sorts of things stop you praying (time, lack of connection, lack of belief, etc…) – ask God to show you the barriers to prayer in your life and how to overcome them.

Read Psalm 145:17-18 and ask the Lord to be near to you.

Matthew 6:5–7; Colossians 4:2; Luke 5:16

WHen You PrayTuesday, 13 June 2017

Please pray for Little Stars, meeting this morning – see page 49.

Remember to pray your Jericho Prayers.

Why Pray?

Notes & Reflections


Stef Liston leads Revelation Church in Camden where he lives with his family. Stef serves as part of the Newday team and is author of the books ‘Just like us’ and ‘He was and is and is to come’.

Wednesday, 14 June 2017

Stef Liston leads Revelation Church in Camden where he lives with his family. Stef serves as part of the Newday team and is author of the books ‘Just like us’ and ‘He was and is and is to come’.

Evening CelebrationWith Stef Liston 8:00pm at the Town Centre


Why Pray?

DAY

3Wednesday, 14 June 2017

Ephesians 1:15–19 & Psalm 27:4

Knowing God

It’s striking that Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians doesn’t mention things like protection from persecution or provision for material needs. It’s not wrong to pray for those things (just look at the Lord’s Prayer), but the most important thing for Paul is simply ‘that you may know him [the Father] better… that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened…’

How do we come to really know God better? In prayer.

Prayer is an opportunity to ‘gaze upon the beauty of the Lord’ (Ps 27:4), to know him, to experience him, to close the gap between belief and experience. Prayer is not a way to earn favour or acceptance – it’s growing in appreciation and certainty of the acceptance you already have. Our union with Christ becomes a living reality for us when we enjoy communion with him.

Consider this illustration: “A father is delighted when his little one, leaving o� his toys and friends, runs to him and climbs into his arms. As he holds his little one close to him, he cares little whether the child is looking around, his attention �itting from one thing to another, or just settling down to sleep. Essentially the child is choosing to be with his father, con�dent of the love, the care, the security that is there in those arms. Contemplative prayer is much like that. We settle down in our Father’s arms, in his loving hands. Our mind, our thoughts, our imagination may �it about here and there; we might even fall asleep; but essentially we are choosing to remain for this time intimately with our Father, giving ourselves to him, receiving his love and care, letting him enjoy us as he will.” (p220, The Signature of Jesus, Brennan Manning).

ResponseSpend 20 minutes quietly with God – no distractions. Focus on a phrase like, “Father, I belong to you. Help me to know you more.” Repeat that quietly a few times, then wait and receive. When your mind wanders and you get distracted (as you will!), just come back to that phrase. At the end of the 20 minutes, thank him and praise him for who he is.

Please pray for our Pastoral Ministries – see page 49.



Why Pray?

DAY

4Thursday, 15 June 2017

Mark 3:13–15 & Acts 4:13

EQUIPPING FOR MISSION

Following on from yesterday’s notes, knowing God through prayer – enjoying that communion with Him, ‘being with Him’ – is what equips us for the mission he has given us (see Matthew 28:18–20).

Too often we base our inner life, our inner peace, on external things – what people think of us, social status, how much we earn… This leads to a need to project an image of con�dence and assurance to the world in search of a verdict that we matter, while inwardly we experience anxiety, doubt and self-pity because of the uncertainty of this verdict. This is hypocrisy and it hinders us in the work Jesus has given us to do.

As Christians it should be the other way round, with our outward life based on our inner life with God, living out of the full assurance and security of knowing God through prayer – knowing that the verdict is already in, it’s certain because you matter greatly to God. Prayer is the starting point of living God’s mission.

“You can do more than pray, after you have prayed,” wrote A.J. Gordon, “but you can never do more than pray until you have prayed.” It is a divinely ordered sequence. When Jesus called the Twelve, he called them so that they might do three things. The �rst was simply to “be with him.” With that in place, he sent them out to do the rest: “to preach and to have authority to drive out demons” (Mark 3:14-15). All the work of the kingdom of God begins with simply being with Jesus. If it doesn’t start there, it doesn’t start at all. (p20, Deepening Your Conversation With God, Ben Patterson)

Response1. Repeat the prayer exercise from yesterday.

2. Ask God for an opportunity to share your story of faith with someone today.

Please pray for our Children’s Ministry – see page 49.



Why Pray?

DAY

5Revelation 8:3–5 & 1 Timothy 2:1–2

Power!Friday, 16 June 2017

Something that can often stop us praying is when we don’t believe our prayers really make any di¦erence. As you sit in the awkward silence that follows the leader’s invitation – “Let’s pray!” – and the prayer that emerges from your mouth to break the silence is so limp, so dull that it’s like it drifts across the ¬oor before dying in the silence that greets it…

Now look at what is happening in Revelation 8! A golden censer, �re, smoke, incense hurled down to earth resulting in thunder, lightning, earthquakes. And mixed up in the middle of all this are… ‘the prayers of all the saints.’ Regardless of what it can feel like sometimes, it seems that cosmic power is unleashed when God’s people pray!

Paul tells Timothy’s congregation to pray for those in authority – essentially that their decisions are favourable to the church… “He simply says to pray that these o¥cials do the will of God, whether they know they are doing his will or not! This takes on even greater weight when we realise that the emperor at the time was the cruel madman Nero. Could a man like that actually do the will of God against his will? Paul tells Timothy to pray that he will. Clearly Paul believes prayer gets God’s work done.” (p25, Deepening Your Conversation With God, Ben Patterson)

Could it be that our prayers are e¦ective, unleashing cosmic power? Could it be that our prayers get God’s work done? Let’s pray like we believe it!

ResponsePray for those in authority in this nation – the government, the Prime Minister, the Queen – and for conditions favourable to the spread of the Gospel.

Please pray for Element, meeting this evening – see page 49.



Why Pray?

DAY

6Saturday, 17 June 2017

Matthew 9:36–38; 1 Corinthians 3:9; Exodus 32:9–14

GOD’S FELLOW-WORKERS

Why did Jesus ask his disciples to pray for workers to be sent out? Why didn’t Jesus just pray that himself? Surely one of his prayers would be far more e¦ective than all of theirs put together?

The answer is in 1 Corinthians 3:9 – we are ‘God’s fellow-workers’! Amazing!

Sometimes we can think, “God knows the end from the beginning, everything is �xed, what’s the point in praying?” But Moses didn’t seem to believe that – he prayed boldly because he believed his prayers could change things, even God’s mind.

Somehow, in his sovereignty, God allows us to be his co-workers! As Richard Foster says, “We are working with God to determine the future! Certain things will happen in history if we pray rightly. We are to change the world by prayer. What more motivation do we need to learn this loftiest human exercise? […] It needs to be said reverently, but it does need to be said – we are co-creators with God in advancing his kingdom upon the earth.” (p44 & 56, Celebration of Discipline)

Yes, we face disappointments and struggles in prayer; yes, we sometimes, or often, want to give up; yes, we don’t understand it all… but, in prayer, we come to know God, we unleash cosmic power, we change the world, we are his co-workers.

And, in all of this, we too are changed, ‘transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory’ (2 Cor 3:18) as our desires start to line up with God’s desires, our passions with his passions.

Prayer changes the world, and prayer changes you. So, as we come to the end of this �rst week, be encouraged and keep praying!

ResponseThank God that he calls you his fellow-worker – a ‘co-creator with God in advancing his kingdom upon the earth.’ Pray for his kingdom to come.

Please pray for King’s Church Kathmandu – see page 49.



All Kinds

DAY

7Sunday, 18 June 2017

Ephesians 6:18; Psalm 38

Being honest with God – Prayers of Lament

In Ephesians, Paul writes “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers.” Life is made up of lots of di¦erent occasions. There are highs and lows; sunny days, rainy days and days where you batten down the hatches. But when life is hard, when we are struggling, where do we turn?

We can sometimes think our prayers have to be perfect and eloquent and we can’t be honest with God about how we really feel because honestly we are wondering where he even is in the situation. We feel we can’t scream and cry and express our pain and our reality to God because he is God.

The writers of the Psalms, however, didn’t seem to worry too much about that. When things were hard they told God. So much, in fact, that one third of the Psalms are prayers of lament; prayers telling God of their pain and sorrow. And they were brutally honest. There was no tiptoeing round the problem, if they were at the point of death, they were going to tell God (Psalm 88:3-5). Jesus did it as well. He cried out on the cross, “My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?”

God wants to hear about our struggles and pain (1 Peter 5:7). He cares about us and he cares about how we feel. And the great thing is that, when we tell him, he steps into our situation and says, “I understand. I know how you feel.” In our moments of pain and wondering where God is in the situation, we can go to the One who was God-forsaken.

ResponseToday, let’s be honest with God. Let’s talk to him about our pain and struggles. Let’s cry out to him, knowing that he hears our cries, cares for us and understands our pain.

Please pray for our Worship & Preaching Teams – see page 49.



All Kinds

DAY

8Psalm 145

Lifting Our Gaze – Prayers of Adoration

Monday, 19 June 2017

A friend once told me about a little girl at a birthday party. At this birthday party, there were pink and purple plates but by the time the little girl was getting her food, there were only pink plates left. It may as well have been the end of the world for this little girl, all she wanted was a purple plate and there was no way of pleasing her. She could not see past the colour of the plate to all the wonderful party food or anything else at the party. Her gaze was completely �xed on the colour of the plate and could not be shifted.

The colour of a plate may not be the most important thing in our lives and probably won’t be an issue for us. But we all have issues in our lives that can take over and become huge things, and in turn we become blind to everything else around us.

Speaking out praise and adoration to God lifts our gaze, �xes it back on God and reminds us of who God is. Thinking of who God is and praising him changes our perspective.

One third of the psalms may be prayers of lament but even in those prayers, in the dark situations that the psalmists were in, they still praised God. In Psalm 22, David follows cries of distress and abandonment with “Yet you are holy. The praises of Israel surround your throne.” (Psalm 22:3)

ResponseToday let’s lift our gaze and lift up prayers of praise and adoration to our wonderful and mighty God who is so much bigger than any situation we may face. Read through today’s Psalm, speak it out and let the writer’s points of praise be a starting point for your praise.

Please pray for our CAP Debt Relief Centre – see page 49.



All Kinds

DAY

9 Romans 3:23–24; Psalm 32:3–6

Tuesday, 20 June 2017

Lifting off the Weight – Prayers of Confession

You know when you have done something bad but you haven’t been found out yet and there is that horrible feeling that sits in the pit of your stomach? And we try to justify ourselves, shifting the blame, telling ourselves that it isn’t that bad. But still we look over our shoulder waiting to be found out or wondering if people just somehow know what we did.

We are probably all very aware of our sin. We all have things that we hope no one will ever �nd out about, and if people do �nd out, you hope that not everyone �nds out.

David de�nitely had his fair share of messing up and he tells us what keeping quiet about our sins does to us. He knows how it makes us weak and how it weighs heavy on our hearts. And he confesses to God. He shows God his sin and the blackness inside and he �nds forgiveness, not judgement – his sins are removed from him.

Confessing isn’t easy. No one wants to open themselves up and let others see the darkness that lurks inside. We all want to cover up our blemishes and wrongdoings. Confessing our sins to God means we have to humble ourselves before him, face up to the fact that we have sinned and recognise just how much we need help and a saviour. And we can trust God because he made a way for us to be forgiven and for our sins to be removed – for us to become clean, for sinners to become saints.

ResponseToday let’s let God inside. Spend some time confessing your sins to God, reminding yourself of how much you need God, and experience his forgiveness and freedom.



Notes & Reflections

8:00pm at the Town Centre



Evening CelebrationPrayer for Muslims

We’ll be welcoming a team from Frontiers to lead us through an evening of worship and praying for our Muslim friends and neighbours, and for the 20,000 Muslims for whom High Wycombe is home.


All Kinds

DAY

10Ephesians 5:3–4 & Psalm 105

Today, I am thankful for... –Prayers of Thanksgiving


There is a notice board in my house with a sign that reads, “Today, I am thankful for...” I see it most days while I am eating breakfast or grabbing my coat as I run out the door. But how many times do I actually complete the sentence? Mostly, if it does prod me enough to get a thought out of me, it is a vague “Yes, I am thankful for life” and I move on with my day. However, if the sign read “Today, I am moaning about...” or “Today, I wish this would happen...” I would spend the whole day �nishing the sentence. We aren’t always great at recognising what we have and being thankful.

In the middle of Paul giving a list to the Ephesians of what not to do, he writes, “Instead, let there be thankfulness to God” (Ephesians 5:4). He says to replace obscene stories, sexual immorality, and greed with thankfulness. He tells the Philippians to stop worrying and replace it with giving their requests to God and thanking him for what he has done (Philippians 4:6). He tells the church in Thessalonica to “keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18). The Psalms are full of prayers of thanksgiving. One writer asks the question whether we can ever list all of God’s miracles (Psalm 106:2)?

ResponseToday, let’s replace moaning, sinful thoughts and worry with thankfulness to God, no matter what is going on. Because can we really run out of things to thank God for?

Today start the day with thanking God for all he has done. Continue that throughout the day, remembering to thank God for each blessing as they come.




All Kinds

DAY

11Matthew 7:7–11; Psalm 121:1–2; Philippians 4:6

Asking for Help – Prayers of Petition

Thursday, 22 June 2017

A frequent prayer request of mine is that quick “God, please give me a parking space” as I pull into my road that has a distinct lack of parking spaces. It is a quick, easy prayer that rolls o¦ my tongue, and as much as I believe God is interested in all aspects of my life, right down to where I park my car, I wonder if God hears that prayer but thinks about other much bigger situations where I needed his help but didn’t think to ask him?

Asking for help isn’t always the easiest thing to do. We can be proud, not wanting to look weak or be a burden on someone. Asking for help means that we have to humble ourselves and own up to the fact that we can’t do everything.

When we do manage to humble ourselves enough and ask for help, we don’t just go to anyone, we go to someone whom we trust and who we hope can help us. We can always trust God and he can always help us. God will always be stronger and wiser and better than us and we will always need his help. Jesus tells us to ask, and that, just as a parent will give their child what they need when they ask, God will give us what we need. Paul knew this (Philippians 4:19) and reiterated Jesus’ words, telling the Philippians to tell God what they needed (Philippians 4:6).

ResponseLet’s humble ourselves and ask God for help, trusting him with each situation that we �nd ourselves in today, remembering that our help comes from him.




All Kinds

DAY

12Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25–26; 1 Timothy 2:1

Standing with Others – Intercessory Prayers

Friday, 23 June 2017

It is wonderful to hear someone say, “I am praying for you”. And to know that that person will be praying regularly. It is like they have come alongside you and said, “You are not alone, I am standing with you.” That is like intercessory prayer.

Intercessory prayer is us identifying with someone else, not staying on the side-lines but standing with them, pleading on their behalf. It is spiritual warfare. We are in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12). It is us being in the battle and committing to �ght on someone else’s behalf. It is sel¬ess and can be costly. Fighting for someone else’s sake, for justice, for God’s mighty name.

Our greatest example of this is Jesus. He intercedes for us. He pleads with God on our behalf. Jesus saw our need, he saw how much we needed to be saved and he made a way. He didn’t just wave his hand and sort it out. He identi�ed with us when he came down from heaven and took on human form. It cost him everything as he took on the punishment that we deserved for us. He took on Satan and won the battle going on in the spiritual realm. And he continues to �ght for us, “sitting at the right hand of God and ... interceding for us” (Romans 8:34).

Just as others in the Bible, like Moses, Daniel, Nehemiah and Paul all interceded for others, so let us intercede for those we know who are in need, for our town, our nation and our world. Let’s �ght to see others have their greatest need ful�lled, their need for God, his love and forgiveness.

ResponseToday take some time to think about who you will intercede for. Maybe it is someone you know who needs to know God. Maybe it’s a leader in your workplace or school, or of our country. Maybe it’s for a group of people or a nation. Let’s step into the battle and commit to �ght for them.




All Kinds

DAY

131 Thessalonians 5:16–18

Always talkingSaturday, 24 June 2017

Phones can sometimes be portrayed as the enemy. “The young generation are ‘addicted’ to mobile phones.” “Are mobile phones killing the art of conversation?” And they aren’t always great. I know that my phone can at times be more of a hindrance than a blessing. But there are many times when it is a huge blessing.

The majority of us have probably spoken to someone using our phone in the last 24 hours, whether that be a call, text, or WhatsApp. Because of phones we can go about our days while talking to friends and family. Life is busy and people move away so we can’t always meet up and, while conversations via short calls and messages are no substitute for actually spending time with someone, it can bene�t and help the relationship.

We have that ability with God. We can continue talking to him throughout the day whatever we are doing, whether that be work, school or doing life admin. Paul says to pray continually. We aren’t to shut ourselves away forever and spend the rest of our lives in ‘quiet time’. It is about being in contact with God regularly throughout the day, walking with him throughout our days like Adam and Eve did. Talking to him about what you are doing and being aware of when he is talking to you. Taking God out of the ‘box’ labelled “prayer meeting” or “quiet time” and talking to him throughout the day reminds us that he is with us in each activity, it deepens our relationship with him and makes room for him to move even more in our lives.

ResponseToday make it a priority to �nd those moments during your day to talk to him about what you are doing, praise him for who he is, be honest with him, thank him and listen to him. Ask him to make you aware of his presence and hear his voice in each task you go about today.




Lord’s Praye

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DAY

14Matthew 6:5–15

Sunday, 25 June 2017

A Prayer Masterclass

Imagine having a private teaching lesson with one of the greats from history: Sitting with Rembrandt as he shows you how to paint portraits. A one-to-one guitar session with Jimi Hendrix. Learning to play tennis, with Serena Williams.

The ‘Lord’s Prayer’ is mentioned twice in the New Testament – once in Matthew 6 within Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and again in Luke 11. For us, it’s a chance to sit with Jesus and to learn from God himself how to pray.

There’s probably no passage in the Bible that’s repeated so frequently. You might know it word for word. But do you understand it? Has it become overfamiliar? Has it lost its impact?

In this prayer masterclass, Jesus teaches that rather than babbling on and on (verse 7), or trying to impress people with your clever words (verse 5), there’s a way to talk to God. He teaches us to ask for what God wants, before we ask for what we want – to worship before we pull out our shopping list of requests.

It’s not that we will always pray this way, of course. There are times when “JESUS, HELP!” is all we can manage, and he hears and answers those prayers too. But in a few verses, without a word wasted, Jesus teaches us a wonderful pattern through which we can shape our daily conversations with God.

Over the next week, we will look again at this well-known prayer – slowing down to learn all we can from the Master.

ResponseTake some time today to �nd a space, and pray the Lord’s Prayer through slowly. Ask the Lord to speak to you. What do you notice that you haven’t noticed before?




Lord’s Praye

rDAY

15Matthew 6:9 ‘Our Father in heaven...’& John 1:11–13

CALL HIM PAPAMonday, 26 June 2017

There’s a right and a wrong way to address someone in authority. You don’t call your new boss ‘mate’. You don’t high-�ve the Queen.

Which is why the way Jesus teaches us to address God is so shocking: “Our Father in heaven…” As author Tim Keller writes: “It is a daringly familiar way to address the Lord Almighty”.

‘Father’ is the way that Jesus, the Son, addressed God. The one exception being on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). In that agonising moment, Jesus experienced separation from the Father, so that we could know him intimately.

Now, if we are his followers, Jesus reminds us we’ve been adopted into his family, and we can approach God as if we were as faithful and obedient as Jesus himself. We are sons and daughters. Jesus even uses the Aramaic, ‘Abba’ – a baby talk word meaning ‘Papa’, or ‘Daddy’.

You may have had a bad experience of an earthly father. But don’t let this shape your view of your Father in heaven. He is always available, always listening, never pre-occupied or in a bad mood. He loves you, and he loves the sound of your voice.

It suggests, too, that our daily prayers shouldn’t sound like prepared speeches – mechanical and formal, with carefully thought-through words – but instead, they should be spontaneous and free, passionate and warm. The way young children talk to their daddy.

ResponseIf you’re a follower of Jesus, thank God that he is your heavenly Father. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you more revelation of your ‘sonship’. If you’re not a Christian, why not ask God to make himself real to you.




Lord’s Praye

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DAY

16Matthew 6:9 ‘...hallowed be your name’

HIS NAMETuesday, 27 June 2017

‘FORMER ROCKSTAR’S FIVE-YEAR FIGHT TO CLEAR HIS NAME’

‘FOOTBALLER’S £1 MILLION FIGHT TO CLEAR HIS NAME’

Names matter. Why? Because a person’s name is linked to their reputation. And human beings have done plenty of damage to the reputation of the Lord.

Several stories in the Bible show what happens when someone grasps something of the holiness of God. Isaiah’s vision of the Lord leaves him broken and undone: “Woe to me!” he says. “I am ruined!” (Isaiah 6:5) And when Peter begins to recognise who Jesus is, he falls at his knees, crying: “Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8)

In teaching us to pray ‘Hallowed be your name’, Jesus commands us to plead that God will cause his name to be treated as holy on the earth – that people will see the Lord as Holy, and worthy of respect.

Pause for a moment. What would that look like? What would it look like for people across the world to have a high regard for the name of the Lord? What would it look like in our own nation, or in our town? At the very least, it would mean ‘Jesus’ would never be used as a swear word. But wouldn’t it mean, too, that people would see the Bible as the absolute authority? Wouldn’t it mean we’d submit to his will, acknowledging that ‘Great is our Lord, and abundant in power, his understanding is beyond measure.’ (Psalm 147:5)

Philippians 2:10 tells us a day is coming when ‘every knee will bow at the name of Jesus’. Before we get to our own list of requests, Jesus teaches us to pray that the Lord’s name be ‘hallowed’ now.

ResponsePray for God’s name to be glori�ed in our nation, in our town, in your neighbourhood, and in your own life.



Notes & Reflections




Evening Celebration Encountering God

On this evening, in the context of worship, we are going to make space to encounter God through his Holy Spirit and allow him to ‘fan into �ame’ the gifts he has put within us.


Lord’s Praye

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DAY

17Matthew 6:10 ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done’

PRAY BIGWednesday, 28 June 2017

Pray big. That’s what Jesus tells us to do in this part of the Lord’s Prayer. You’re coming to the maker of the universe, so don’t hold back with your requests. Nothing is impossible – it’s all on the table.

When we ask for God’s kingdom to come, we’re crying out for the success of the Gospel. We’re asking that Jesus be made King on earth, just as he is in heaven. We’re asking for salvation, for healings and for breakthrough.

When we say ‘Your will be done’, we’re acknowledging that God knows better than we do what’s best for our lives. Like Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (“Yet not what I will, but what you will”, Mark 14:36), we submit to the Father’s will: “Father, I trust you. Today, I’ll do what you want, not what I want.”

When we pray big prayers like this – setting our minds on the big things of God – we might even �nd that the things that were worrying us before we began talking to him no longer seem so pressing.

CS Lewis puts this perfectly when he writes:

“It would seem that Our Lord �nds our desires not too strong but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when in�nite joy is o¦ered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the o¦er of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

ResponsePray some big prayers today! Pray for loved ones who don’t know Christ, for the poor, the vulnerable, the sick. Ask God to break your heart for the things that break His.




Lord’s Praye

rDAY

18Matthew 6:11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread...’

HE PROVIDESThursday, 29 June 2017

Every year in the UK, we get through around 382 million portions of �sh and chips. We do alright for food.

Yet, in today’s verse, having taught us to cry out that his kingdom come and his will be done, Jesus invites us to pray for our daily needs. It reminds us of two important things:

First, that God is interested in us. He cares about our health and our homes and our families, how much sleep we’re getting and what’s going on in our lives. For Martin Luther, ‘daily bread’ represented “everything necessary for the preservation of this life” – things like food, a healthy body, shelter and good government.

Second, praying like this reminds us that no matter how rich or poor we are, or how well we’re doing by the world’s standards, ultimately our con�dence and security are in the Lord. He is our provider, and everything we have is a gift from Him:

‘Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.’ (James 1:17)

What do you need God to do for you? Then ask your Father in heaven. And never be worried about bringing small requests to God. For Him, every request is small.

ResponseAsk your Father for the things you need him to provide. Be speci�c.




Lord’s Praye

r

DAY

19Matthew 6:12 ‘Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors’ & Matthew 18:21-35

THE COSTFriday, 30 June 2017

The Lord’s Prayer ought to come with some sort of warning. This stu¦ is dangerous. Pray this prayer genuinely, and it will have a huge impact on your life.

‘Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors…’ As you say these words today, take a moment to re¬ect: “Have I, though? Have I forgiven the people who have wronged me? Do I choose to overlook their sin in the same way God chooses to overlook mine?”

Real forgiveness is costly – and hugely unfair. It involves cancelling a debt someone owes you, and absorbing it yourself. As Dan Hamilton puts it: “Pain is the consequence of sin; there is no easy way to deal with it. Wood, nails and pain are the currency of forgiveness.”

Later in Matthew’s Gospel, he records another of Jesus’ teachings on forgiveness – the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21–35). In it, a servant owes his King ten thousand bags of gold. The servant can’t pay, and the King cancels his debt. The servant’s response? To �nd a man who owes him much less money, and to make him pay. Our response to being forgiven our enormous debt to God must be to cancel the much smaller debts others owe to us. Forgiveness costs – but it’s also the only way we can experience the freedom and intimacy with the Father that Jesus intends for us.

As you pray the Lord’s prayer today, don’t just babble through the words. Think about the enormity of what you’re saying.

ResponseIs there anything you need to confess to your Father today, asking him for forgiveness? Is there anyone you need to forgive?


Remember to pray your Jericho Prayers..


Lord’s Praye

rDAY

20Matthew 6:13 ‘And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

Saturday, 1 July 2017

PROTECTION

Virtual reality has taken o¦. These days, you can put on a headset and be transformed into a whole new world, seeing things that no one else can see.

In this �nal part of the Lord’s prayer, Jesus reminds us that there’s evil about – and it’s very real. It’s out there (“deliver us from the evil one”) and it’s in us (“lead us not into temptation”). Not everyone sees it – but as Christians, we need to be switched on to it, and to know where to look for help.

Jesus knows what it is to be tested. Earlier in Matthew’s Gospel, we read: ‘Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.’ (Matthew 4:1). It isn’t a sin to be tempted, but the question is what we do with it. Times of trial are often when the devil seeks to establish a foothold in our lives. So Jesus teaches us to pray: “Lord, we need you! Rescue us from everything that opposes you.”

How can we have con�dence He will answer? Because of the familiar ending to the Lord’s Prayer not actually included in Matthew’s Gospel: “Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever”. Wherever this line came from (possibly it was added by the early church), you can pray it – because it’s true!

On the cross, Jesus ‘disarmed the powers and authorities… and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.’ (Colossians 2:15) Amen!

ResponseWhat temptations are you facing? Ask the Lord to protect you from falling into sin.




Hearing God

DAY

21John 10:1–17

Knowing our ShepherdSunday, 2 July 2017

Communication is a fundamental part of any relationship. Talking – whether face-to-face, by text, email or sign language – is what keeps our relationships ¬ourishing and, without it, even our best relationships will soon falter.

Our relationship with God is no di¦erent. As Christians, we know that we need to talk to God for our relationship with him to thrive. What we often forget is that we also need to hear him.

Christians can sometimes think that it’s not possible for them to hear from God. We can be tempted to think that God only spoke to his people in biblical times, or that hearing from God is ‘not our gift’. But if we look again at today’s passage, we will see that Jesus promises two things for all those who follow him: Firstly, he will speak to us and secondly, that we will know his voice (vs 3 & 4).

Our ability to recognise our Shepherd’s voice is founded upon our personal relationship with him (v14). As we follow Jesus and get to know his character, his nature, the things that please and displease him, his voice becomes ever more familiar to us. The better we know him, the less we need to worry about following the wrong voice (v5).

Prayer is never intended to be one way, a monologue or a to-do list. This week, we’re looking at how we can hear God’s voice in prayer, so let’s make time to listen to him too.

ResponseAs you spend time with God this week, you might want to write down any thoughts that come to you. It may well be that God is speaking to you through them. That’s amazing! Let’s be expectant about what God’s going to say to us!




Hearing God

DAY

221 Samuel 3:1–10

It’s not always easy recognising God’s voice. Sometimes, when God speaks to us, we �nd ourselves asking whether what we’ve heard is just our own thoughts or wishful thinking. We often worry about ‘getting it wrong’.

Hearing from God is something that is learned. Just as babies need to learn to communicate with those around them, so too Christians need to learn to talk to and hear from God. It takes time.

Samuel was one of the great Old Testament prophets (Samuel 3:21), but even he had to start somewhere. In today’s story, Samuel hears God for the very �rst time. Initially, he mistakes God’s voice for the voice of his guardian, Eli. In fact, God has to speak to Samuel three times before it dawns on Eli that God just may be speaking.

Two things then take place that allow Samuel to take his �rst steps in learning to hear from God: Firstly, he takes advice from Eli who recognises something of God in what is happening and points Samuel towards God. As a priest, Eli would have had experience in hearing God’s voice. God often uses other people to con�rm what he is saying. So, if you’re wondering whether God might be speaking to you about a situation, I’d encourage you to chat about this with a believer who is further along their journey with Christ and ask them whether they think what you’ve heard might be from God.

Secondly, Samuel responds to God with willingness and humility. I love the way he prays: ‘Speak, for your servant is listening’.

ResponseLet’s make Samuel’s prayer – ‘Speak, for your servant is listening’ – our prayer today and, like Samuel, let’s be expectant that God will speak.

Monday, 3 July 2017

Learning to Listen




Hearing God

DAY

231 Kings 19:9–18

God whispers

Do you have people in your life that you recognise over the phone even before they introduce themselves? The tone of their voice, the special name they use for you, or the speci�c words they use – these things give them away. That’s because these are almost certainly the people with whom you spend the most time.

Elijah was stressed, exhausted and ready to quit. He’d just won a devastating victory against the prophets of Baal, but now, facing a death threat, he was on the run. In the desert, God sought Elijah out and told him that he himself was about to pass by. I wonder what Elijah was expecting. What would you have expected? The hurricane, the earthquake and the �re that followed were undoubtedly majestic and powerful, but Elijah knew that God was not in them.

Then Elijah heard the sound of a gentle whisper. We don’t know what it was about that whisper, or even what words were spoken by that quiet voice, but we do know that Elijah recognised it as the voice of God. And that was enough to bring him out of the cave, so that he could better hear what else God had to say.

Sometimes we long for God to speak in powerful ways that we can’t fail to notice. We want clarity, the proverbial ‘bolt of lightning’ that will remove all our doubts. We expect God to speak at large conferences, during powerful times of worship or through in¬uential church leaders. And God certainly does speak through all those things. But if we look for God only in the big stu¦, we may miss the things that he is whispering every day to our hearts.

ResponseWhy not spend some time today listening for God’s whispers to you in your thoughts, conversations, dreams and circumstances? Bring to him the things that are on your heart and wait to see what he has to say and how he might lead you.

Tuesday, 4 July 2017



Notes & Reflections



Wednesday, 5 July 2017

Evening Celebration Baptisms

We’re going to be baptising people at our Evening Celebration this week! The church together, hearing stories, worshiping and celebrating what God has done and continues to do in the lives of ordinary people.


Hearing God

DAY

24Luke 10:38–42

Cherish God’s voice

Have you got a busy day planned today? For most of us, I expect the answer will be a resounding yes! We live in a busy world with many calls on our time: work, family, friendships and church. These are all good things and, in many cases, things that God has given us speci�cally to do.

Martha is having a busy day. Hospitality is her gift. She loves to make people feel welcomed in her home and today she wants to show her love for Jesus by making his stay as comfortable as possible.

The problem for Martha is that she allows what she is doing for Jesus to distract her from actually spending any time with him. What’s more, she allows her service for Jesus to make her so stressed that �nally she snaps and asks Jesus to intervene to get her sister, Mary, to help her.

Jesus doesn’t criticise Martha. He knows her actions are motivated by love for him, but he gently points out that what Mary has chosen – sitting at his feet, listening to him – is better.

One thing I love about this story is that Jesus speaks to Martha, despite the fact that she hasn’t prioritised listening to him. He notices her and knows what she needs to hear (v41). God can and does speak to us even when we are busy doing other things. However, setting time aside to listen to God is still important – time spent with God is better than anything else we could be doing (Psalm 84:10). Jesus wanted to be Martha’s friend and he wants to be our friend too. As we make time for him, we go from a place of simply knowing about him to knowing him as our closest friend.

ResponseLet’s make sure that developing our relationship with God is our highest priority. Today, dare to take time out, even if your to-do list is still un�nished, to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen for his voice.





Hearing God

DAY

25Exodus 3:10–12 & 4:10–17

Courageous obedience

I feel sorry for Moses. God is asking him to take on Mission Impossible: to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. The task is enormous, unprecedented and risky. Moses is well aware of his weaknesses and is terri�ed of failure. I think it’s understandable that Moses doesn’t want to do it!

But God doesn’t agree. In fact the passage tells us that his ‘anger burned against Moses’ – these are strong words. Why was God so angry? Well, Moses’ response shows a lack of faith. God has promised to go with him and help him, but Moses doesn’t believe him. Moses isn’t listening to God.

There’s a lesson for us here: if we want to hear from God, we must also be prepared to obey him. God rarely needs to speak to us speci�cally about things we �nd easy to do – we are probably doing those things anyway. When God speaks to us directly, we shouldn’t be surprised if he asks us to do things we will �nd challenging. You see, God is not particularly interested in us enjoying a comfortable life. He wants our faith to grow and so he intentionally asks us to take on tasks for which we feel ill-equipped. As we step out in trust and obedience, we will �nd that God will supply the courage, strength and resources that are needed.

Eventually, God graciously agreed to let Aaron help Moses with this mission. Moses had allowed his fears to overwhelm his ability to trust in God’s help alone. While this shows great kindness on God’s part, I can’t help feeling that Moses has missed out on the fullness of all that God had planned for him.

ResponseHas God been challenging you to do something di¥cult recently? Could you be brave enough to ask him to speak to you about this again today?

Thursday, 6 July 2017




Hearing God

DAY

26John 14:15–27

Wonderful Counsellor

The moment my children leave for school in the morning is important. This is when I make sure they are prepared for the day ahead: I check that they have everything they need for the day (homework, lunch, keys), I remind them to stay safe and I tell them I love them.

Jesus is about to leave his disciples and he is getting them prepared. The things that Jesus is saying here are important. He’s reminding the disciples that he is not leaving them alone, because once he is gone, the Holy Spirit will be poured out, giving them everything they need to live as God wants.

This is an incredible promise, with immense consequences for us as we seek to hear God’s voice. The Holy Spirit is God himself dwelling within us, allowing us to know his thoughts. The name ‘Counsellor’, which Jesus gives to the Holy Spirit (v16), can be translated as advocate, comforter, helper, encourager or companion. If we believe that the Holy Spirit is our Counsellor, it would be odd if we didn’t also expect him to speak to us.

Jesus also refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth (v17). One of the purposes of the Holy Spirit is to remind us of the truth of who Jesus is and what he has said. God will never contradict himself, so the best way we can test what we might be hearing from God is to bring it to the Bible for comparison. The things that he says to us personally will always match up with his Word and with the truth of who Jesus is.

ResponseTry to make time today to read the whole of John 14, which is rich in truth and promises. Take time to listen to what the Holy Spirit might be saying to you as you read.

Friday, 7 July 2017




Hearing God

DAY

27Isaiah 41:8–10

Life is noisy. We are bombarded with messages from many sources – TV, social media, friends, our own thoughts and feelings. So how do we single out what God is saying to us? Well, we know already that God’s words to us will line up with Scripture and can be con�rmed by wise counsel from godly people. However, there’s another important benchmark we can also use to discern whether or not we are hearing from God, and that is the presence of peace in our hearts.

Peace and assurance are hallmarks of God’s words to us. Throughout the Bible, we can see God speaking to his people in a way that expresses how much he loves them and wants the best for them. I’ve picked out just one passage today that demonstrates this, but you will be able to �nd many others. While God may sometimes seek to challenge and correct his people, he always does so in a way that brings healing, strength, hope and courage.

Fear, confusion and shame, on the other hand, are tools of the enemy, designed to restrain us and keep us from serving God wholeheartedly. The Bible tells us that Satan lies to us (John 8:44) and we need to beware, because his lies can seem compelling. If the circumstances of your life are causing you to feel troubled, or your thoughts and feelings are making you fearful or ashamed, allow God to have the �nal word. God’s words to you will bring peace (Phil 4:6–7).

ResponseBring to God any situations in your life that are causing you to feel troubled and ask him to speak. Let God’s peace guard your heart from fear and lead you forwards in faith.


Peace




Together & Alone

DAY

28Psalm 105:1–4

Seek His Face

Our ability to communicate to those on the other side of the world has been made a lot easier. Facebook, message apps, Skype, and so on can all be useful ways of keeping in touch, but there is no substitute for being face to face with someone, especially someone we love.

When we are face to face with someone, we have a greater sense of what he or she is feeling and his or her reaction to what we are saying. A smile, a tear, a nod of the head, a quizzical expression all help enhance our understanding and appreciation of that person.

The Psalmist here is seeking an intimacy with God, to behold the beauty of the Lord. When we get into that place in prayer, even if life situations may not always change, our view of them often does because we see the glory of God in the face of Jesus. We are strengthened and encouraged, seeing afresh God’s dynamic love for us.

This can happen praying on your own or praying with others. Today, spend some time seeking the Lord’s face in prayer. For you that might be with someone else, sitting where you are on your own, going out for a walk, or even lying on the ¬oor. Consider Jesus, King of Heaven, dying for you as you do this and rejoice in Him. Moreover, as you do this be open to the Lord meeting with you, revealing something of his glory.

ResponsePray to have fresh encounters with God.

Pray for someone you know to have fresh encounters with God.

Sunday, 9 July 2017




Together & Alone

DAY

29Acts 1:12–14

Constantly In Prayer

It’s inspiring when the church gets together to pray. In this passage, the church is facing strong opposition. At this time, the church does not wield political or military power. In one sense, the church is pretty powerless. Are there times in your life when you feel decidedly powerless? Powerless to change a situation? Powerless to change a person?

Our togetherness as a church is crucial. Our support for one another is crucial. Our praying together is also crucial. Our midweek Celebration evenings are both powerful and inspiring. Have you been to one?

Although weak in the eyes of the world, the church is connected to the “Sovereign Lord”. Here the believers “raised their voices together in prayer”. As they did, they were �lled afresh with the Holy Spirit and gained boldness to speak the word of God.

When we meet together for worship and prayer, it is inspiring to see the dedication, enthusiasm and faith of the family of God. It’s inspiring to hear others’ prayers. It increases our con�dence in the “Sovereign Lord”. It spurs on our faith, so that we believe that mountains can be removed and deserts can sing. We get energised.

As we pray together we also share in the vision of the church. In our vision to reach people in our local community. In our vision to reach others with the Gospel in particular places we support abroad.

So come to our next midweek Celebration meeting tomorrow evening and experience something of God’s power to change people and situations.

ResponsePray for some of those you know who don’t know the Lord that they will come to know him.

Pray for speci�c people you know in your neighbourhood, or if you don’t yet know anyone ask the Lord to help you get to know some.

Monday, 10 July 2017




Together & Alone

DAY

30Acts 4:23–31

Together In Prayer

It is interesting that although the Lord is amazingly creative in how he may do things – we certainly see that in his created works – he has also built in predictability into his creation. The rising and setting of the sun is predictable, the tides are predictable, the position of the stars and planets in the sky is predictable. The coming and going of our seasons is predictable. Consistent routines can be very helpful e.g. brushing your teeth, having a good night’s sleep, etc.

Here the church met constantly for prayer, so it wasn’t a case of just turning up if I felt like it, or if there was nothing better to do. There was a consistent pattern to their praying together. Here, at King’s, we have small groups meeting regularly, our Sunday morning meetings and our regular mid-week Encounter evenings as well as prayer going on in other situations.

At the birth of the church in Acts they found it necessary to call upon the Lord together frequently, realising that nothing could really be achieved without God’s intervention. We often undervalue our presence thinking that we don’t really matter that much, but that is simply a lie. Your presence and your prayers matter, perhaps more than any of us realise!

This evening is our next Evening Celebration when we meet for worship and prayer. Let’s make it a matter of our routine that we get fully involved.

Praying on one’s own is obviously good, but so is praying together.

ResponsePray with someone else today. Pray for each other. This might even be done over the phone if you are unable to meet someone personally.




Notes & Reflections




Evening CelebrationWith Brian Heasley

Brian Heasley serves as the International Prayer Director at the 24–7 prayer movement. Brian led 24–7 Ibiza and you can read about the incredible story of 24–7 Ibiza in Brian’s book, ‘Gatecrashing’.


Together & Alone

DAY

31Matthew 6:5,6

Close the Door

Do you ever write your prayers down? Not necessarily every one and not necessarily every day, as that might take some time, but some of the ones that are deeply on your heart? It’s really for your and Jesus’ eyes only unless you particularly want to share them with someone. Writing things down can also be a way of earthing and remembering what you have been praying about.

Jesus says, “when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen”. This is a very personal way of praying that no one else may know about. It’s also rather beautiful as Jesus clearly says that Father God is listening and will reward those who do. What an encouragement!

In our often busy lives: family responsibilities, work, church commitments, community involvement, leisure activities, appointments for this and that etc., plus our expectation of things happening at the press of a button (waiting 5 minutes for petrol can easily put us o¦), we can think that we don’t have time to “close the door” as Jesus tells us to. However, when we do, we will surely be better equipped to deal with all those things that make us so busy. After all, Jesus always had demands placed upon Him, but always found time to “close the door” and meet with his Father. Try to �nd some time when you too can “close the door”. Writing down some of your prayers may help you do that.

ResponseChoose two or three of the things you pray for regularly. Pray with thanksgiving, letting your requests be made known to God.





Together & Alone

DAY

32Ephesians 1:15–23

I Pray

In this passage, the Apostle Paul is praying as an individual for others. What big prayers they are too! He prays with thankfulness. He prays with a wild, exuberant, godly enthusiasm. He prays, for the Ephesian church, for revelation of who God is and what he has done. It’s a personal prayer, but one we can learn from.

“I keep asking”, Paul writes. This is not a one o¦ prayer that Paul is writing, but something on his heart. On a small, but no less important scale, there may be individuals on your heart, or there may well be people groups or nations on your heart as well. We know that knowing Jesus will make the di¦erence in the lives of individuals, people groups and nations.

Sometimes it may feel as if our personal prayers don’t make much di¦erence, but as we rea´rm that we are deeply loved by God and that he listens attentively to what is on our hearts then that should encourage us to “keep asking”.

Reading Paul’s prayer and indeed other biblical prayers (John 17:20–26, 1 Samuel 2:1–10 etc.) can also encourage our faith. In this individual prayer, Paul paints a glorious picture of the absolute supremacy of Christ.

What big prayers are on your heart? Keep letting your prayers ascend before God’s throne and who knows what revelation will come to those for whom you are praying!

ResponseAsk the Lord to increase your revelation of who he is. Look for opportunities during the day to appreciate his love for you.





Together & Alone

DAY

33Luke 6:12–16

On Your Own

At the outset of his ministry, Jesus had a very important decision to make; who was going to make up the team of 12 disciples, so he goes o¦ by Himself to pray about the matter. In Jesus’ case here, of course, there was no one else around who could help him make a decision apart from Father God. We can obviously seek the wise counsel of others; nevertheless, it is a good thing to �nd some time to ask the Lord personally for his guidance. This occasion seems to be an extended time of personal prayer that Jesus had. It can be very challenging to have an extended time of personal prayer.

For each of us that might well mean something di¦erent. Half an hour might well be an extended time of prayer for someone. There are no hard and fast rules and it is not meant to be a test of endurance. Jesus was faced with a very important decision here. What decisions are you facing in your life? If not you, then perhaps someone you know is facing an important decision?

Jesus went, both at a time and to a place, where he knew he wouldn’t be disturbed. Can we leave our mobile phone at home, or switch it o¦ and go somewhere where we will not be disturbed? For many of us it would have to be planned as opposed to spontaneous. Why don’t you plan to have a walk or sit and talk time with the Lord during the remainder of our 40 days of prayer?

ResponsePray for yourself, asking the Lord to increase your love for others and con�dence in Him.

One of the most helpful gifts in prayer is the gift of tongues. “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God” (1 Corinthians 14:2) The use of this gift is in the context of prayer, praise and thanksgiving – don’t neglect it, use it! If you don’t have this empowering gift – ask!

Friday, 14 July 2017




Together & Alone

DAY

34Philemon 1:1–25

Praying Together Apart

Paul encourages Philemon. Philemon encourages Paul.

“I pray that your partnership with us in the faith…” Paul writes. Those who share in the life of faith together. When �shing together, Peter, James and John were partners. Those who work together for a common purpose. But it’s deeper that just having those we work alongside. Paul mentions love, joy and encouragement. There is a profound relational connection between Paul and Philemon as they partner in the work of the Gospel.

God is love. Without love, Paul tells us (1 Corinthians 13:1–4) we are nothing. In this short letter, it is clear that, although apart, there is still mutual prayer happening.

In ministry, we are often called upon to pray for others. Let’s not simply be concerned about prayer for ourselves, important as that is, but also have prayer concern for others.

Paul is thankful for Philemon. Paul has a history with Philemon. We were never designed to live out our Christianity alone, but with others. Who are you thankful for that encourages your faith? Why not o¦er to pray for them if they are near, or tell them what you are praying for them if they are far away?

In this short letter, Paul mentions 10 people by name. He was very relationally connected. Are you? If not, please take steps to get connected through the options available at King’s as this will strengthen your faith.

ResponseGive thanks for someone, or more than one person, who has been a blessing to you. Pray some big prayers for them. Be open to receiving a word of encouragement for them from the Lord. If you do then please share it with them.





Persevering

DAY

35Ephesians 6:18

Persevering in Prayer

‘And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints’.

The scope of Christian prayer is indicated by the fourfold use of the word all.

John Stott writes, ‘Most Christians pray sometimes, with some prayers and some degree of perseverance, for some of God’s people, but to replace ‘some’ by all would be to introduce us to a new dimension of prayer.’

In this well-known passage from Ephesians, Paul highlights six pieces of a soldier’s kit that make up the whole armour of God. Finally, he adds prayer; not as an afterthought but because it pervades the whole of our life. We began our Christian life by opening the door of our life in prayer – the way in is the way on.

Ben Patterson recalls when he went back to preach in the �rst church in which he worked. As he walked to the church, his mind was full of memories, most of them embarrassing and some even foolish, but God had somehow done wonderful things both in him and through him. Gratitude and joy welled up in him and he said aloud to the Lord, ‘I was in over my head, wasn’t I? You have been so faithful.’ He felt God’s smile and rebuke as he answered, ‘So what makes you think you’re in your depth now?’

We are all out of our depth, every one of us, so we must pray.

ResponseWhatever it takes, Lord, increase my awareness of my dependence on you so that I will continually live by faith.

Ask God to keep you bringing to mind other people to pray for.

Sunday, 16 July 2017




Persevering

DAY

36Philippians 4:6,7

Daily Prayer

‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’

Tim Keller writes, ‘There should be background music of thankfulness and joy behind every incident in our day … This kind of spontaneous and constant prayer during the day should be a constant habit of the heart. We will never develop it, however, unless we take up the discipline of regular daily prayer.’

Prayer is the way we develop our relationship with God. All relationships are based on communication. Lack of communication is one of the prime causes in marriage and family breakdowns.

Daily prayer, therefore, gives us an opportunity to share all aspects of our lives with God. Paul writes, ‘but in everything, by prayer and petition…’ It’s a communication that builds emotional honesty in it. ‘Lord, this is what I am feeling. This is what I really care about. This is why I am upset!’ Daily prayer provides the ongoing honest communication that enables a relationship to develop, not a laundry list of what I want.

Daily prayer is a stepping stone to persistent prayer.

Jesus knew that any good relationship needs times of uninterrupted one-on-one conversation. Jesus frequently went to pray alone. There is a depth of conversation that is not possible when you are interacting with God on the run. Setting a certain time, place and even pattern can be very helpful when you are having a private time with God.

ResponseAsk the Lord to help you set a time, place and pattern for regular daily prayer.

Pray for the Lord to teach you to be emotionally honest with him.

Monday, 17 July 2017




Persevering

DAY

37Luke 18:1–8

Practise prayer

‘This woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests.’

The Bible is full of people of prayer – Moses, Jeremiah, Paul, the prophetess Anna, to name but a few, but in this story, Jesus highlights this persistent widow as an example of prayer. She pestered and probed until she got what she wanted. Jesus, the master of prayer, commends her tenacity.

Pray privately, pray regularly and pray genuinely.

One of the most exciting events to watch at the Olympics is the rowing, particularly the �nals. At the end of the race many of the competitors are so exhausted they can hardly get out of the boat. All the practice and training over the years were designed for this very moment. Their goal was not to start the race but to �nish it.

Our goal is to grow in our relationship with Christ. The apostle Paul writes, ‘My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you’ (Galatians 4:19). That’s why we pray; not just to change our circumstances, but to change us, to have Christ formed in our lives.

Michael Reeves writes, ‘Prayer is the antithesis of self dependence. It is our ‘no’ to independence and our ‘no’ to personal ambition. It is the exercise of faith – that you need God and are a needy receiver.’ In so doing we will be fruitful, like the Son.

Pray privately, pray regularly and pray genuinely.

ResponsePray through the Lord’s prayer. Take your time, move from the structure of the prayer to spontaneity and back to the structure again. Let it shape your heart and �ll out your prayer life.




Notes & Reflections




Evening Celebration Praying the Future Now

We have been praying ‘Jericho prayers’ during these 40 Days – praying God’s promises. God has a big vision for our church, but we cannot be passive – we must pray! For our �nal Evening Celebration of this season of prayer we will gather to thank and worship God for what he has done and pray ‘Jericho prayers’ for our church – praying the future now!


Persevering

DAY

38Ephesians 6:18

Praying at all times

‘And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests…’

Praying is not a task to be done but a relationship to be deepened. We don’t want to know ‘about’ God, we want to know him, seek his presence and the joy of his company. Because of Jesus we always have access to the Father; day or night, whether we perform well or badly, we always have access to our Father. So pray on all occasions.

‘One of the worst traps a Christian can fall into is to become obsessed with his own exceptional moments of inspiration.’ Pray on all occasions means we do not need a certain feeling to pray. Charles Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher, said, ‘We should pray when we are in a praying mood, for it would be sinful to neglect so fair an opportunity. We should pray when we are not in a praying mood, for it would be dangerous to remain in such a condition.’

Persevere in prayer, regardless of what you feel like. Hudson Taylor, a famous missionary in China, saw amazing answers to prayer. Tens of thousands of Chinese people were reached for Christ through him. He was asked if he always felt the presence of God when he prayed. He replied that his heart usually felt like wood when he prayed and most of his victories came through emotionless prayer.

So pray on all occasions. Pray when you feel like it and pray when you don’t. Pray at set times and pray throughout the day.

ResponseTake some time to thank God for your salvation, remembering how he sought you and found you.

Lord, whatever it takes, teach me to be bold and wholehearted in my prayer life.

Lord make me a good listener and help me to ‘wait on the Lord.’





Persevering

DAY

392 Peter 1:5–7

‘Where are you?’

‘For this very reason, make every e¦ort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self control; and to self control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual a¦ection; and to mutual a¦ection, love.’

There it is, right in the middle of all these qualities, perseverance. It’s at the mid-point, halfway. Halfway is an interesting place to be. You’ve gone a good distance, but you still have a good distance to go. The initial euphoria has burnt o¦, the sense of expectancy and elation has dissipated. The struggles that you experience at the early part of your Christian journey were absorbed by the freshness and newness of the journey. That’s long gone, and now you’re only halfway there.

God is always asking questions and the �rst one he asks is, ‘Where are you?’ (Gen 3:9). Halfway?

Where are you? When God comes to walk with you, where does he �nd you? So excited, he has to run to keep up? So weary he has to lift you to your feet?

Wherever you are, he is still looking out for you, to walk with you. He wants you to �nish the race and along the way he has good things for you. Sometimes we have to keep moving, sometimes we have to stay put – whatever persevering means for you. The promise of perseverance is that you will have an e¦ective and productive life in Christ.

ResponseAsk the Lord to keep you desperate for him because we tend to wander when we stop feeling the need for him.

Ask the Holy Spirit to �ll you again, ‘…by him we cry, Abba Father.’





Persevering

DAY

40Colossians 1:11

Patient prayer

‘…being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience..’

The apostle Paul told the Christians at Colosse that he was praying for them. But, he doesn’t pray that they would be strengthened to see mighty miracles and great acts of power. He prays that they would endure, tough it out, be patient. It’s hard to be patient, to endure; it isn’t a matter of sheer willpower, we need God’s help, his power, to do this.

Mark Buchanan makes the point that one big reason for needing God’s power for patience is that his sense of timing is so very di¦erent from ours. A thousand years for him are ‘as a passing day, as brief as a few hours’ (Psalm 90:4). One almost has to wait longer than seems reasonable to us humans for God to do whatever he needs to do. ‘Don’t ask me why; that’s just the way God is.’

George Muller is known to have prayed every day, whether sick or healthy, on land or sea, for the conversion of �ve young men. He never stopped praying for them. The �rst convert was after eighteen months, the second after �ve years, the third another six years later. Shortly after his death, the last two were �nally converted. He had prayed for them for �fty-two years.

‘Our prayers are hammer-strokes against the bulwarks of the prince of darkness; they must oft be repeated’ (J.C. Blumhardt).

‘Always pray and never give up’ (Luke 18:1).

ResponsePray for a holy determination to see breakthroughs in your life and the lives of others.

Whatever it takes, Lord, give me delight in you as the greatest treasure of my heart.

Friday, 21 July 2017




Each day, we will be praying for one of the following ministries in the church:

CAP Debt Relief Centre: Ian Bickersta¦e and Nicky Pearson lead our Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Debt Relief Centre, along with a team of ‘befrienders’. Pray for the team. Also pray for the clients to become debt-free and responsive to the Gospel.

Little Stars: our parent and toddler group happens on Tuesday and Friday mornings. Pray for Louise Stone, Lucy Haywood, Katie Wells and the team. Pray for good relationships to be built, great fun, safety and for salvation to result.

Pastoral Ministries – including:• Embrace: our group that supports mums parenting alone led

by Justine Turner and Val Maylor – pray for everyone to feel supported practically, relationally and spiritually.

• Ladies’ Cancer Support Group: led by Sandrine Hammerlindl – pray for the ladies to feel welcomed, supported and to experience God’s love.

• Focus: our ministry for over-55s led by Roger & Sandra Carter – pray for good friendships, good health and good connections with those who don’t yet know the Lord.

Children’s Ministry: Pray for Ben & Claire Morton and their teams. Pray for great fun, Holy Spirit encounters and salvation. Pray also for more leaders and helpers.

Element: Our Friday night youth event that attracts many non-church young people. Pray for Rich Horne, Nicola Wade and the leadership team, and for this team to grow. Pray for great fun, safety and salvation responses.

King’s Church Kathmandu: Pray for wisdom for Amos and Jen in leading KCK and for new land and premises in which to meet.

Worship and Preaching Teams: Pray for our worship team led by Mark & Katie Wells – for anointing and for more to be added to the team. Pray also for our preaching team for increased wisdom and anointing.

Church-Wide Prayer Points


Fasting Guidelines

IntroductionIt is time to seek the Lord. The primary motivation of fasting must be to seek the Lord. Fasting is a Biblical discipline which aids us in the seriousness of seeking God. To assist you in preparing for fasting please read the following and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as to how, when and for how long he wants you to fast and pray. We are encouraging everyone to fast on the days we have a midweek central church celebration meeting (mostly Wednesdays, but one is a Tuesday); we will break our fast at these meetings by breaking bread together.

Types of Fast

1. The Absolute Fast To fast completely without food or water up to a maximum of three days: see Esther 4:16, Ezra 10:6 and Acts 9:9.

2. The Partial or Daniel Fast A determined cutting back of food to vegetables and fruit only, or one meal a day. This is a practical fast for those involved in heavy work or who have medical reasons for requiring regular food intake: see Daniel 10:2–3.

3. The Normal Fast No food is eaten and drinking only water.

4. The Juice Fast Some prefer to have a liquid only fast which allows for more physical work. Many use this type of fast for their long fast.

5. Fasting from other things E.g. television, electronic gadgets, etc. and use the time to pray instead!


Spiritual Guidelines1. Fasting must �rst and foremost be unto God. Receiving from

God or seeing situations changed are secondary matters. Be sure your motives are appropriate as you enter into your fast. Desire to meet with God, to be more Christ-like and for the holiness of God to be more evident in your life.

2. Schedule in time to pray and read the Word of God. If you don’t you will miss wonderful opportunities to hear from God.

3. Be prepared for opposition. This will come from the enemy as he doesn’t want you to fast. It will also come from your own body, which is used to having three meals a day! You may also �nd that well-meaning friends, family, neighbours, work colleagues etc. will actively encourage you to stop.

4. Headaches, dizziness, tiredness, touchiness, etc. are all part of fasting too! One writer said he never new the strength of the ‘desires of the ¬esh and lust of the eyes’ to be so strong as when he fasted.

5. Expect to hear God in dreams, visions, revelations and through the Word of God in new and exciting ways.

6. Do not listen to the lie that nothing is happening. Fasting is a discipline that God has instigated, he blesses the obedient.


Practical GuidelinesThis is not a comprehensive list of guidelines but some helpful hints:

1. Fast with someone else. There is strength in numbers!

2. Make a commitment and set a duration. However, be willing to review the duration if health or circumstances change.

3. If drinking juice, drink low or non-acidic diluted juices. Watch your intake; schedule it so you are self-controlled.

4. If underweight or ill, consult your doctor even for a few days fast.

5. Don’t boast about your fast. It is to be done in secret, but don’t be legalistic about this. Tell those who need to know.

6. Schedule in regular rest breaks as you grow weary and exercise only lightly.

7. Break the fast gradually, especially prolonged fasts.

8. Remember we are under grace, not law. If at any point you feel you need to break the fast, be released to do so. Fasting is to meet with God, not to damage our bodies or create condemnation.

We are not expecting anyone to fast more than 3 days at a time; however if you are planning on fasting for longer, it is good to let someone on the leadership team know.

If you want to talk to someone about fasting, please feel free to speak to any of our Pastoral Leaders.

Fasting Guidelines continued


Coming Up

17th September 2017

Help us celebrate three years of CAP partnership with King’s Church

CAP SUNDAY

BAPTISMS

24th September 2017

Contact the church o´ce if you wish to be baptised

1st October 2017BIGOBJECTIONS

THE

DATE TOPICJune Sun 11th THE POWER OF PRAYER – Why Pray?Wed 14th Evening Celebration – Stef ListonSun 18th THE POWER OF PRAYER – Prayer of Lament – Glen ScrivenerWed 21st Evening Celebration – Prayer for MuslimsSun 25th THE POWER OF PRAYER – The Lord’s PrayerWed 28th Evening Celebration – Encountering God

July Sun 2nd THE POWER OF PRAYER – Hearing God in PrayerWed 5th Evening Celebration – BaptismsSun 9th THE POWER OF PRAYER – Praying Together, Praying AloneTue 11th Evening Celebration – Brian HeasleySun 16th THE POWER OF PRAYER – Persevering in PrayerWed 19th Evening Celebration – Praying the Future NowSun 23rd THE POWER OF PRAYER – Growing in Prayer

KING’S

The King’s Centre, Desborough Road High Wycombe, Bucks, HP11 2PU

T: 01494 459 901E: o´[email protected]

www.kchw.co.uk

40 days - kchw.co.uk · every day, but also to pray and fast together on one speci€c day each...

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