Introduction
As we turn the corner and begin a new year, our dependence on God seems as obvious as ever. In new ways, we feel the reality of Jesus’ words “... apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) We as a church, and as individuals, can do nothing apart from God’s work. For that reason, we want to start the year by having our church family come together for 21 days of fasting and prayer. Our hope is for this experience to anchor us to our purpose as the people of God at Clearwater Baptist Church in 2025. Here are a few examples of what fasting and prayer can look like over the next 21 days.
Fasting
Why do we fast? Simply put, the goal of fasting is to turn ourselves from worldly things and set our minds and hearts fully on God. It is not a way to manipulate God or coerce him to hear and answer our prayers, but rather it acknowledges our complete dependence on him. Fasting awakens us to the reality that we are so often driven by our fleshly desires and appetites. It humbles us and awakens us to our great need for and reliance on God. As you consider fasting, we want to encourage you to listen to the Holy Spirit in silence and solitude alongside spending time in prayer & The Word. Ask God to lead you in this time of seeking his face. Whether you choose to fast for one day, sets of 3 days at a time, or longer, the point is to humble yourself in a new way and draw near to God. Here are some ideas of what you could choose.
You might choose a selective fast, eliminating certain things from your diet. Eating only fruits and vegetables, what some might call a “Daniel fast,” is an example of this type of fasting.
Another option is a partial fast, which is refraining from eating for a set period of time each day. You could choose to fast from a single meal or from sunup to sundown.
Some of you may feel led to engage in a complete fast, refraining from eating and only drinking water for a day or even an extended period of time (3, 4, or up to 7 days).
If fasting from food is not possible, you may feel led by the Lord to refrain from something else, such as social media, television, or certain times or activities on your cell phone...replacing that time with Prayer, Bible Study, and Silence & Solitude.
Prayer
Praying is spiritual breathing, essential for our life in God. It is communion with our Creator and should be connected to The Word of God. As we meditate on God’s Word, we breathe in the promises and purposes of God. In prayer, we breathe out, responding to God’s Word to us. Each day in this guide, there will be one verse and a few prayer responses for you to guide your praying. This is simply a starting point for your praying. The hope is we, as a church, pray in unison and these prompts will spark a deeper personal prayer time for each of us each day. Throughout the 21 days, you will be praying for specific areas in your life, our church, and our mission. Together, let’s put our faith into action, trusting in the promises of God for us and our church as we look to TAKE OFF, PUT ON, & BE INVESTED. Below are some helpful tips on how to make the most of this guide.
Commit to a specific time each day to devote to prayer. Find a place where you can be free of distractions and be alone with God.
Use the prayer points and Scripture in this guide to focus and fuel your praying. Write the Scripture and prayer point on a card and carry it with you, post it on your social media, make it the screensaver on your phone— whatever you can think of to keep these prompts in front of you. Use them throughout the day and invite others to join you in praying.
You can take it a step further by journaling your prayers each day, simply writing out your prayers to God. It’s a great opportunity to hide God’s Word in your heart, working to memorize the verses as you meditate and pray.
In addition, you may consider ways to pray with others during this season. Set up a Zoom call with friends or members of your small group. Pray together as a family.
Church family, let’s earnestly seek the face of God with great expectation as we wait for his revelation and instruction through these 21 days of fasting and prayer.
“‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’”
Jeremiah 33:3
Week 1: Take Off
Day 1: Draw near to God.
Confess to God if you have strayed. Scripture promises that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. The psalmist, King David, said that God will not despise a broken and humbled heart (Psalm 51.) So, let us humble ourselves, pray, and draw near to Him.
2 Chronicles 7:14, “And if my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
Day 2: Approach the throne of grace.
Mercy and grace are terms that are often mistaken as being synonymous, however, they are different but related. Mercy is God not punishing us as our sins deserve. Grace is receiving God’s favor even though we don’t deserve it. Take some time and thank God for both His mercy and grace in our lives.
Hebrews 4:16, “Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”
Day 3: Agree with God - Confess known sin.
Now that we have drawn near to God, we acknowledge His holiness and confess our sinfulness. Theologians over time have categorized sins. Today, we focus on sins of commission. Sins of commission are simply sins that we knowingly and proactively do and engage in. If we’re honest with ourselves, how often can we say that we’ve sinned accidentally? Today, spend some time in prayer confessing your known sins to God.
1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Day 4: Holy Spirit, reveal my sin.
Today, we focus on sins of omission. Sins of omission are sins that result from not doing something God’s word commands or teaches us to do. Perhaps you remember a time when you knew the Holy Spirit was prompting you to act, but you ignored it and quenched the Spirit’s working in your life at that moment. Sit quietly and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas of sin that you’re unaware of.
James 4:17, “So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.”
Day 5: Lord, break me.
Having God reveal and confront us with our sin will be painful and difficult. However, God will not waste the hurt. We see in scripture that God will be as firm as He needs to be with His children, yet always as gentle as He can be. God’s grace is sufficient. Pray and thank God for his mercy and grace in your life today.
2 Corinthians 12:9, “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Day 6: Give Us Clean Hands, Pure Heart.
Psalm 51 is a beautiful heartfelt cry to God from King David. David has just been confronted over his sin with Bathsheba by the prophet Nathan. Just as we have confessed and invited the Holy Spirit to confront us with our sin, we now seek to have the joy of our salvation restored to us. Just as King David prayed, we now pray, “God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:11.)
Psalm 24:3-4a, “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart.”
Day 7: Lord, change my walk.
Remember that repentance leads to a change of action. Purpose in your heart that you will walk uprightly in a manner that pleases the Lord. It is our goal to be as a tree that is firmly planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in season (Psalm 1:3.) Pray and thank God for being the Living Water.
Colossians 1:10, “So that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.”
Week 2: Put On
Day 8: I give You thanks, Lord.
Elisabeth Elliot said, “Let thanksgiving be the habit of your life.” Thank God for His faithfulness even when we are not always faithful. The introspective nature of last week may have been difficult, but the psalmist said, “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand anywhere else.” Let’s begin this 2nd week with thanksgiving. Gratitude gives glory to the giver of grace, pray and give thanks to God, for He alone is worthy.
1 Chronicles 16:34, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His faithful love endures forever.”
Day 9: Loosen my grip, Lord!
It is okay to have things, but it is not okay for our things to have a hold of us. Where are you placing your trust? Money? Job? Status? Do you have a hold of your things, or do they have a hold of you? Today, pray that God would help you to have a loose grip on the things of this world and that you would cling tightly to the cross instead.
1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Day 10: Teach me...less is MORE.
John tells us that the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14.) The apostle Paul in Philippians 2:6-7 says Christ Jesus did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited, but instead made Himself nothing, and took on the form of a servant. Let’s set the tone for the rest of this week by focusing on the following verse...
John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Day 11: Have a funeral and a coronation.
Following Jesus takes intentionality, it’s not something we fall into accidentally. We cannot be self-serving and serve Jesus at the same time. We must begin each day with a funeral and a coronation. That means we begin each day by dying to self and our selfish desires and we crown Jesus as King. When you pray today, praise Jesus and let Him know that you want Him to occupy the throne of your heart.
Luke 9:23, “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone want to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.’”
Day 12: Lord, satisfy me in my hunger and thirst.
The Bible teaches that we are filled with the Holy Spirit; however, we do not always allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit. As believers we have been saved from the penalty of sin, and by the Holy Spirit we are being saved from the power of sin in our lives. The good news is that Jesus promised that if we desire righteousness, we will be satisfied! Pray and thank the Holy Spirit for His guidance in your life.
Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Day 13: Give me a Holy Desire.
Satan doesn’t have many methods and doesn’t change tactics often because he doesn’t have to. Christians are all tempted by the same three things found in 1 John 2:16...”the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”. The psalmist said if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4.) Pray and ask God to help you walk uprightly, focused on Jesus and not the things of this world.
1 Peter 1:14-16, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct, for it is written, ‘Be holy, because I am holy.”
Day 14: Walk Worthy...The significance of 1 word!
Pastor Bo has said, “We do not work for acceptance, but we work from acceptance.” We cannot live up to a perfect standard, but the good news of the gospel is that Jesus did! So, we walk in His victory. We have repented of our sins, been filled with the Holy Spirit, and now we get ready to focus on bearing fruit.
Ephesians 4:1, “Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received.”
Week 3 Be Invested
Day 15: Be driven with purpose.
As Christians we know what we’ve been saved from, eternity in hell apart from God, but what have we been saved for? We know that we are not saved by good works, but for good works. This week we are going to focus on being empowered to be used by God for His glory. Pray and thank God that we are fearfully and wonderfully made!
Psalm 139:14, “I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.”
Day 16: Be the Master’s masterpiece.
You are a masterpiece! If you’re like me you allow Satan to get you to focus on your faults sometimes. Satan doesn’t want us to be used by God because he doesn’t want to see God glorified. However, Scripture says you are God’s masterpiece! In Ephesians 2:10 the Greek word for masterpiece is poiēma, and it is where we get our English word for poem. What a beautiful picture. Pray and thank God for the good works He planned for us.
Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”
Day 17: Be in tune with your Helper.
It is interesting that we know more about Jesus who was on this earth for 33 years than we do about the Holy Spirit who has been indwelling believers for over 2,000 years. However, Jesus said it is beneficial to us for Him to return to the Father so we could be sent the Holy Spirit. Today, thank the Holy Spirit for His presence and power in your life.
John 16:7, “Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.”
Day 18: Be abiding in Him.
We all have been guilty of trying to do things on our own, and then running to God for help when things don’t work out. We often have things backwards...we shouldn’t run to God for help when we’ve exhausted ourselves &/or resources, we should first abide in Him, then we can live in His strength and wisdom that is at work in us. Today, pray and thank Jesus for being the true vine.
John 15:1-5, “1I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
Day 19: BE we Are Ambassadors.
Sing your song with confidence, a beautiful melody is within you, share it with the world! Let these words resound in your hearts in 2025! As disciples they take on a new meaning. As Christ-Followers, we have the best news in the world. I don’t know about you, but I think the world around us could use some good news. Today, pray that the Holy Spirit would make you aware of the opportunities to be salt and light.
2 Corinthians 5:20, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf: ‘Be reconciled to God.’”
Day 20: Be Transformed.
Someone once said, “Your talk talks and your walk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.” As disciples we are called to live distinctly differently and be set apart from non-believers. The way we live can be our greatest testimony or it can ruin our testimony. Today, pray and thank God that by His power we do not have to be conformed to the ways of this world.
Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.”
Day 21: Be the Difference.
Congratulations, you’ve journeyed with us and now we’ve reached the end of our 21 days of prayer and seeking more of God. Our prayer is that you have developed new habits of a Time With God or have strengthened existing ones. Our hope is that you have prayed earnestly to be an honorable vessel, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
Today, pray that the Holy Spirit will help you persevere in doing good for the glory of God.
Galatians 6:9, “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”
How Do We Respond Now?
This isn’t the end; it’s just the beginning. Samuel Chadwick said, “The greatest answer to prayer is more prayer.” My prayer has been that we have seen God move and answer prayers. But that has only served to increase our awareness! Awareness of God at work around us! Awareness to His transforming work in us! Awareness of our need for His presence in our lives. My hope has been that the last 21 days with God has created a greater longing to see Him move in you, your family, our church, our community, and our world! He has increased our delight and satisfied us with his great love. Because of this I pray He has stirred us to have a greater desire and yearning to be with him. My hope is that by praying & fasting he has called us to desire to pray even more!
Jesus made an astounding promise to us: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you” (John 15:16, emphasis added). God chose us to bear fruit and bring him glory. What would it look like for you to continue to call out to God for his people and his purposes in the world? What might God do if we continued to pray, fast, spend time in silence and solitude with our God? I believe 2025 will be different and OUR NEXT CHAPTER will be amazing!
I want to encourage you to continue these disciplines you’ve developed over the last few weeks. Maintain a set time to pray each day. Commit to fasting as you continue to seek God. Sit and be quiet as you spend Time With God. Meditate and memorize The Word. IN HIM, Pastor Bo