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PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 5PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 6PrayerColossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it withthanksgiving.FastingMatthew 4:1–2 “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into thewilderness to be tempted by the Devil. After He had fasted 40days and 40 nights, He was hungry.”September 5, 2020Because Christ has removed the barrier of our sin, Hisfollowers have the privilege of coming to God in prayer. Theword “devote” here is an imperative. It is a command thatwe sacrifice our time and continue to spend focused time inprayer. Worldly concerns can wait until after we spend timewith the One who gives us life. As we approach the tasks ofthe day, we can continuously go before the Lord in prayer.This is the task and privilege of the Christian, to spend time inprayer with Christ.What is it that we should bring to the Lord in prayer? ALLTHINGS! Praise Him for His goodness and grace. Confessyour sin to the Lord, and repent of it. Pray for the salvationof others. Pray for those in need. Pray for leaders. Pray forLongview Point. God is a loving Heavenly Father who wantsto hear from His children. The things that we pray about unveilthe concerns of our heart to the Father. Lift your heart to theOne who cares for you.Prayer Focus: Thank Christ for removing the barrier of sinand enabling us to come before the throne of God in prayer.Ask God to mold your heart to look like His.September 6, 2020Fasting is always accompanied with prayer. My experience isthat prayer and fasting have led to some of the most significantspiritual breakthroughs and victories in my life and the life ofmy family. Fasting is designed to lead us to humble ourselvesunder the mighty hand of God and allow Him to work. He willteach us more about Himself and show us the sin and issuesin our own life that need to be dealt with. There is power inprayer and fasting that will open us up to the supernatural workof God. This begs the question: Why do we so often refuse touse this great resource that God has made available to us?Prayer Focus: Pray that God would lead you in cultivating thediscipline of fasting that you might experience Him in a greaterway.Missions Focus: Pray for Lawson and Beth Harlow andMercy Hill Church, Olive Branch, MS. Pray that God wouldgive Lawson wisdom and discernment as he leads thiscongregation. Pray that God would protect their marriage andbless their family. Pray that Mercy Hill will faithfully share thegospel and see people come to faith in Christ.Missions Focus: Pray for the Bandhi Nagalu, a people groupof 117,000 in South Asia. The vast majority of the BandhiNagalu are Hindu. Pray that they will submit to Christ alone.1112

PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 7PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 8Bible IntakePsalm 1:1-2 How happy is the man who does not follow theadvice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a groupof mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, andhe meditates on it day and night.Praying the BiblePsalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light onmy path.September 7, 2020What does this passage say makes a person happy orblessed? Where do you tend to go for advice? Do you see apattern of seeking advice from the Bible in your life? Often wetalk about and think about what we delight in. Do you delight inthe Word of God? Do you have a plan in place to spend timedaily reading the Bible and meditating on it? These days ofprayer and fasting are a great opportunity to ask God to giveus a hunger for His Word. Through the Bible we have accessto the mind and heart of God. We can fellowship with God!When our delight is in the Word we will read it and meditate onit day and night. It will guide us and bless our path.Prayer Focus: Pray that God would help you hunger for HisWord. Pray that God would help you to focus your thoughtson His Word. Determine to make the goal to draw near to theLord through reading and meditating on the Word during thistime of fasting.Missions Focus: Pray for James Langston who is serving inSub-Saharan Africa. Pray for him to hunger for the Word andfor his ministry to be blessed as he delights in the Word andmeditates on it day and night.13September 8, 2020Do you sometimes struggle with knowing how or what to pray?Do you ever get distracted when you are trying to focus onprayer? Do you sometimes wonder if your prayer is in line withthe Father’s will? The answer: go to God in prayer throughScripture. When we use God’s words by praying Scripture,we are aligning our hearts with His. Then we can be sure weare praying according to His will. When you don’t know whatto pray, open your Bible and allow Scripture to be your prayer.Praying through Scripture is a wonderful way to draw close tothe Father.Prayer Focus: Pray through some passages of Scripture.Pray Psalm 139:23-24 and ask God to search your heart.Pray Psalm 51:1-4 and seek forgiveness. Pray Psalm 103 andpraise the Lord. Pray Psalm 96 and ask that God’s glory will bemade known amongst all the nations.Missions Focus: Pray for church planters, Stephen and KayeCarson, serving at Connection Church Belle Fourche, SD.Pray for the unity of Connection Church as they experiencegrowth. Pray for surrounding communities and towns wherethey are seeking to plant other churches.14

PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 9PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 10Scripture MemorizationPsalm 119:9-11 How can a young man keep his way pure? Bykeeping Your word. I have sought You with all my heart; don’tlet me wander from Your commands. I have treasured Yourword in my heart so that I may not sin against You.Pray without Ceasing1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray constantly.September 9, 2020While Scripture memorization may seem daunting, it is oneof the most rewarding practices in the life of a Christian.Scripture memory is essential to the Christian life in so manyways. It conforms us to Christ. It helps us have victory oversin, flesh, and Satan (think of Jesus’ temptation in Matthew4). Having Scripture memorized allows us to comfort othersand encourages our own hearts. It also helps us communicatethe gospel clearly (John 3:16, Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9).Enjoy the riches and blessings of hiding God’s Word in yourheart.Prayer Focus: During these 40 days of prayer and fastingdetermine to hide portions of God’s Word in your heart. Prayfor opportunities to use Scripture to minister to others and toencourage your own heart.Missions Focus: Pray for the Pa-O and Intha peoples ofMyanmar. Pray that even in the midst of persecution that thefew believers would be bold in proclaiming the Gospel. Prayfor ongoing Bible translation. Ask that, as people receive God’sWord, they would believe.15September 10, 2020Do you find yourself praying constantly throughout the day?Do magnificent sunsets prompt you to tell God thank you?Does an ambulance on the road cause you to voice a prayer?Do you stop to pray before a meal during the day? Do you findyourself asking the Lord for wisdom when you’re stumped?All of these things are evidences of praying without ceasing.It’s not as much about how long your prayer is, but a constantawareness of His presence. It’s a continual relationship. He isalways everywhere! We can pray to the King of the universeand seek Him throughout the day!Prayer Focus: Pray that God would help you realize Hispresence. Pray that God would help you to practice Hispresence. Determine to make a goal of this time of fasting todraw near to God by praying constantly!Missions Focus: Pray for Richard and Amber Crowsonand Redemption Hill Church, Sioux City, IA. Pray for theirrelationship with God to continue to grow and overflow intotheir marriage and ministry. Pray for their mission field to beripe and for many to come to Christ.16

PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 11PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 12Praying for Personal Health1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Don’t you know that your body is asanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you havefrom God? You are not your own, for you were bought at aprice. Therefore glorify God in your body.Praying for MarriagesMatthew 19:4–6 “Haven’t you read,” He replied, “that He whocreated them in the beginning made them male and female,”and He also said: “For this reason a man will leave his fatherand mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will becomeone flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore,what God has joined together, man must not separate.””September 11, 2020Our bodies are to be presented to the Lord as a livingsacrifice. Disease and sickness are an ever present reminderof the fallen nature of our humanity. We often take for grantedor neglect the body God has given us. We put a dangerousdistinction between the physical and spiritual life. But the Bibleclearly teaches us to glorify God in our body. In the context of1 Corinthians 6, this means fleeing sexual immorality. But thetext also means abstaining from other sinful practices: gluttony,drunkenness, laziness, overwork, and addictive or destructivebehaviors. As a believer, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit.Consecrate your life to the Lord.Prayer Focus: Pray that God would help us establish healthyhabits. Pray that we would maximize our life’s potential toadvance His kingdom and glorify His name. Pray for the sick,that God would help, heal, and comfort.Mission Focus: Pray for Chad and Alicia McCord who areserving in South East Asia.17September 12, 2020Our marriages are under attack today. Our culture hasdrifted far from a biblical world view of marriage and family.People are giving up on marriage and opting for divorce foralmost any reason at all. God calls for men to love our wiveslike Christ loved the church and for wives to respect theirhusbands in everything. This love and respect is unconditionaland sacrificial. Our nature is to love and respect based onperformance. This is contrary to God’s command. Doingmarriage God’s way will lead to great joy and fulfillment in therelationship.Prayer Focus: Husbands pray for the grace to deny self andlove your wife with a sacrificial, unconditional love. Wivespray for grace to respect your husband even when he doesn’tdeserve it. All of us should pray for the grace to forgive and nothold the past up to the other but move forward in unity.Missions Focus: Pray for John Allen and Austin May andEastPoint Baptist Church, Lewisburg, MS. Pray for faithfulpreaching of the word and abundant gospel sowing in theircommunity.18

PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 13PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 14Praying for ChildrenEphesians 6:4 “Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children,but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”Praying for Extended FamilyPsalm 145:4 One generation will declare Your works to thenext and will proclaim Your mighty acts.Parents and grandparents are the primary influencers anddisciplers of our children. Fathers have that primary rolebut 2 Timothy makes clear the influence Timothy’s motherand grandmother had on his faith. We are all needed andresponsible in the training of our children. Our children willultimately make their own decisions. That is why praying forour children is so important. When we have done our part,prayer martials the power of God to do in their lives what wecannot. Maybe you are struggling today with a prodigal child.Release them to God and pray without ceasing. You can trustHim.We have a family responsibility to physically care for ourrelatives, even outside our homes. We also have a sacredresponsibility to spiritually care for our extended family fromgeneration to generation. We must be committed to prayingfor our families’ spiritual needs. The Bible teaches that ourprayers are part of the spiritual struggle against evil (Eph6:12). A physical crisis is easy to recognize and easily lifted upin prayer. Spiritual obstacles are often harder to identify in theextended family. Trust the Holy Spirit to lead you in praying forfamily members outside of your home. Even when you don’tknow how to pray, God knows their need. Even though wemay not be in close physical proximity to our family members,we know God is.September 13, 2020Prayer Focus: Pray that God would draw our children toHimself and save them and use them for His glory. Pray forthem to know Him and be faithful witnesses. Pray for the graceto release them to God to do with them whatever He desires todo.Missions Focus: Pray for Dr. Paul Chitwood, IMB President.Pray for the thousands of IMB personnel that he leads to haveopen doors to advance the Gospel. Pray that God’s wisdomwould prevail in his leadership.19September 14, 2020Prayer Focus: Pray that God would work in the spiritual needsof your extended family. Pray that God will open doors to havespiritual discussions that build up the family, either face to faceor by other means. Pray for the next generation of your familyto know and serve God faithfully.Missions Focus: Pray for families engaged in adoption andfoster care. Ask that God would raise up more families to loveand care for children in need of a home. Pray that in the midstof often difficult and painful situations there could be healingthrough the power of the gospel.20

PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 15PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 16Family WorshipDeuteronomy 6:6-7 These words that I am giving you todayare to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talkabout them when you sit in your house and when you walkalong the road, when you lie down and when you get up.Connect Group MinistryPhilippians 1:3-6 I give thanks to my God for everyremembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you inmy every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospelfrom the first day until now. I am sure of this, that He whostarted a good work in you will carry it on to completion untilthe day of Christ Jesus.September 15, 2020As a parent, Christ has entrusted you with the care of aneternal soul in each of your children. When they are babies,we often commit to raising them in the Lord, but it is easy tolose our focus as they grow older and there are more demandson our time. We have to realize that the time with our childrenis limited before they are launched out on their own. View thattime as an opportunity to make an eternal investment. Make ita priority to study God’s Word together. It has multiple benefitsfor you and your children, no matter their age. It demonstratesthe importance of time with Christ. It teaches them howto study God’s Word and helps your children to develop aChristian worldview. There is an intimacy that comes when westudy together, pray together, and sing praises together.Prayer Focus: Pray that God would give you urgency toinvest your time spiritually in your children. Pray for joy as youseek the Lord together. Finally, ask Him to point you to peersof your children who need discipleship, too.Missions Focus: Pray for Stephen and Holly Wright who areIMB missionaries serving in Bangkok, Thailand.21September 16, 2020We are wired for community. Connect Groups providecommunity to grow in grace and to partner together in ministry.We need others to walk alongside of us, to encourage us,teach us, and spur us on. Our Connect Group vision is“Expanding God’s Kingdom by Making Disciples that MakeDisciples.” Are you in a Connect Group? If not, this is a greatopportunity to pray and take the steps to visit some groups. Acomplete list of Connect Groups is available atlongviewpoint.org.Prayer Focus: Pray that God would bless our Connect Groupministry as we seek to make disciples that make disciples.Pray for the Lord to raise up more Connect Group leaders.Pray that our groups will be used to reach people in thecommunity. Pray that every member at The Point will be in agroup.Missions Focus: Pray for Brian Tillman as he pastorsRiverbend Church in Hernando, MS. Pray for their fellowshipto grow in grace and numbers as they partner in the Gospel.22

PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 17PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 18Connecting to the Local Church1 Peter 4:10 Based on the gift each one has received, use it toserve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God.Church MembershipHebrews 10:24-25 And let us be concerned about oneanother in order to promote love and good works, not stayingaway from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, butencouraging each other, and all the more as you see the daydrawing near.September 17, 2020There are no “lone ranger” Christians. God’s plan for Hispeople is for them to regularly gather for teaching, worship,fellowship, encouragement, and accountability. God alsointends for believers to serve as members of His body, thechurch. Every follower of Christ is created to connect withthe local church and to bring glory to God as they faithfullysteward their spiritual gifts. We are better together than we areapart. Do you have a meaningful connection to the church?Are you a member of a church? Are you serving? Are you in aConnect group? There is not time like the present to establisha healthier connection to the local church.Prayer Focus: Examine your connection with the church.Pray for believers across our nation to reconnect with the localchurch after times of separation during the pandemic. Ask theLord to make clear to you your spiritual gifts and where theyneed to be put to use.Missions Focus: Pray for the people of Japan. Less than .3%of the 125 million Japanese are born again believers. Pray forworkers in the harvest and ask the Father to prepare hearts forthe Good News.23September 18, 2020Church membership is about more than just attendance. Beinga member of the church means being a part of the team.Church members are concerned for each other through faith.The members of the church are to be involved together inpromoting love and good works. Service and commitment aregreater markers of church membership than being added toan attendance roll. God has blessed each member with gifts touse in the church body. If we are concerned with one another,we look for ways to serve one another. A committed membercheerfully supports the church through attendance, service,tithes, and prayer.Prayer Focus: Pray for our church and its members. Pray forGod to reveal ways for you to serve and support the church.Pray that God will show you church members that you canencourage. Pray for your pastor and staff.Missions Focus: Pray for Celebrate Recovery and theLanding, ministries for adults and teens with hurts, habits, andhangups. Pray many would find hope and healing that canonly come through a relationship with Jesus, walking daily withHim. Examine your heart. Ask God to show you areas wherehealing needs to take place. Come join us at CR on Fridays.24

PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 19PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 20Helping Others ConnectActs 11:25-26 Then he (Barnabas) went to Tarsus to searchfor Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch.For a whole year they met with the church and taught largenumbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.The Andaman IslandsPsalm 96:1-3 Sing a new song to the Lord; sing to the Lord, allthe earth. Sing to Yahweh, praise His name;proclaim His salvation from day to day. Declare His gloryamong the nations, His wonderful works among all peoples.Barnabas was an encourager (Acts 4:36). God used him toconnect Paul with the other disciples that were afraid of him.God used Barnabas to bring Paul to Antioch and connecthim to ministry. We all need a Barnabas in our lives. We canall learn from His example. Are you allowing the Lord to useyou to connect others to The Point? Are you in a ConnectGroup and helping others connect? Most importantly, are youhelping those that are far from God connect to Him throughthe Gospel? As we pray and fast together God will burdenour hearts for those yet reconciled. Let’s be intentionallyconnected. Let’s help others connect.John Piper says, “Missions exist because worship doesn’t.”There are people groups on the Andaman Islands that haveno contact with the outside world. None. Let that sink in. Theyhave no idea of electricity, television, Covid 19 They have noidea of God’s love, mercy, justice, or salvation. God deservestheir worship, and they need His salvation. Our church hasadopted the Andaman Islands to engage them with theGospel. We take several trips a year to cast vision and trainlocal believers in the core missionary task. You are a part ofthat as a member of The Point!September 19, 2020Prayer Focus: Pray that God would use you to connectothers. Pray that God would help you be intentional. Ask theLord to show you who to share the Gospel with.Missions Focus: Pray for Levi and Lindsay Lance servingin South Asia. Pray for their fam

PRAYER & FASTING - DAY 5 September 5, 2020 Prayer Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. Because Christ has removed the barrier of our sin, His followers have the privilege of coming to God in prayer. The