Fresh Spirit of Prayer and Fasting

[S] Acts 14:23,27 --
23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 27 When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

[O] There is something beautiful about this scene where the apostles are in the beginning stages of establishing the churches with the new opened door (in their mind) to the Gentiles.  Their sincere desire to rely on God through fasting prayer and gathering the churches to report how God is breaking new grounds.  Exciting!

[A] In my observation and involvement in God's ministry, I can honestly say that the key foundation of bringing ministry co-workers together to carry out God's great plan is by prayer -- and furthermore, fasting and prayer.  I am humbly bowing down before God in repentance for lacking such a fervent prayer life to lay the foundation of the ministries I am part of.

[P] Dear God, would you forgive my calloused heart in doing Your ministry and replace it with the heart of flesh that pumps living and fresh blood in my life ultimately to minister to others?  I ask this in Jesus' precious name.  Amen.

Mountain-Top Prayers for Followers

[S] Mark 6:46 --
After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.

[O] Praying for those I care for came to mind as I read this passage about how Jesus after sending His discipleships away He went to the mountain to pray.  When He was with them He would teach them His ways directly and when He's away from them He leads them by covering them through prayer.  And when I think about it some more His prayers are not like mine where it is filled with doubts and unbelief, not to mention sinfulness in my life; His prayers are on target every requests He makes.  However, His perfect prayers did not make His disciples perfect but did allow them to live out for God's purpose (except for Judas Iscariot).

[A] This "perfect" picture of prayer support of those Jesus cared for is what I need to practice more.  There are times to plan for the training and showing them what to do, but as critical as those are my prayer covering for these people -- my family members and those I care for in ministry.  I also need to remember that these people I care for are still imperfect human beings as I am so I must practice my faith in God and not in these people.  God will move their hearts to walk with Him.

[P] Dear Father, please continue to uplift those I care for in this worldas I commit to pray for them more diligently with a time set aside.  I want to follow Jesus' model of caring for His followers as I ask in His name.  Amen.