21 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2020

YOU’RE INVITED!

Last year God called us to engage in a dedicated season of prayer and fasting. For 21 days and nights we sought God for revival. And it happened. We experienced supernatural healings physically, relationally and spiritually. Over 100 people were baptized. Those 21 days were transforming, divine, supernatural, and beyond all human expectation.

So, now, as we enter 2020, I am inviting and challenging you to seek God in prayer and fasting from January 6 to 26. This year our focus is simply to “Know God.” For these 21 days, we will hold nights of worship and prayer at the McKinney campus, each night beginning at 7:00 pm. Over these 21 days, my hope is that we will each personally pray and fast to know God, intimately and personally. 

I’m particularly moved by what the early Christian leaders did in Acts 1:

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. Acts 1:14

 The leaders, men, and women prayed constantly together. In the next chapter, it says that 3,000 people were saved and baptized after the Spirit came at Pentecost. My hope is that the Spirit of God will move with the same supernatural power in our lives, in our church, and in our community.

What will God do in your life at the start of this new year, this new decade, as we seek to know him? How will he reveal himself? How will he move in the relationships around you? How will Christ Fellowship shine the love of Christ ever brighter in our community?

Let’s find out together. As he begins to reveal himself to you and move in your life, I invite you to email me at [email protected] so I can celebrate with you. Let’s share the stories of what God does.

Bruce, 

Senior Pastor

HOW TO GET STARTED

Fast

Choose something to fast from. Check out the Christ Fellowship Home mobile app or visit 21daysCF.org for tips on fasting and ideas about what you could sacrifice over the 21 days.

Personal prayer:

Set a time to pray every day and use this guide to help you. 

United worship:

Join us for nightly worship and prayer at the McKinney campus. We will start each night at 7:00 pm.

How to use the Engage God Daily for these 21 Days

To begin 2020, a new decade, we will read 21 beginnings. We’ll read 21 first chapters in the New Testament starting with Mark chapter one and ending with Revelation chapter one. In each, we will prayerfully seek to know God better, and listen for what he is saying to us personally.

Each day:

• Open with a brief prayer along the lines of (Philippians 3:7–10a). Ask to know God in Christ by the Spirit.

 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ… (Philippians 3:7–10a NLT)

• Read the passage from the Bible for that day. (Each chapter is from the New Living Translation, NLT)
• Pray along the themes provided in the guide.
• Journal what you sense God is saying to you.

ONE

BEGIN

Pray to know God using our theme verse:

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ…(Philippians 3:7–10a)

READ

Read and meditate on this passage today:

Mark, the Gospel-writer, shares the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Look for what you learn about God and listen for what the Spirit is saying to you through the Word of God.

Mark 1

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began ² just as the prophet Isaiah had written:

“Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

and he will prepare your way.

³ He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!

Clear the road for him!’”

⁴ This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. ⁵ All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. ⁶ His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.

⁷ John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. ⁸ I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”

The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

⁹ One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. ¹⁰ As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹ And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

¹² The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, ¹³ where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him.

¹⁴ Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. ¹⁵ “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

The First Disciples

¹⁶ One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. ¹⁷ Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” ¹⁸ And they left their nets at once and followed him.

¹⁹ A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. ²⁰ He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.

Jesus Casts Out an Evil Spirit

²¹ Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²² The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law.

²³ Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, ²⁴ “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

²⁵ But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. ²⁶ At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.

²⁷ Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” ²⁸ The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.

Jesus Heals Many People

²⁹ After Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went to Simon and Andrew’s home. ³⁰ Now Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away. ³¹ So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them.

³² That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. ³³ The whole town gathered at the door to watch. ³⁴ So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak.

Jesus Preaches in Galilee

³⁵ Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. ³⁶ Later Simon and the others went out to find him. ³⁷ When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”

³⁸ But Jesus replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.” ³⁹ So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons.

Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy

⁴⁰ A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.

⁴¹ Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” ⁴² Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. ⁴³ Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: ⁴⁴ “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

⁴⁵ But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.

Briefly reflect on the passage. What is it about?

PRAY

As the Spirit leads, let these themes guide you in your prayer today:

• Thank God that he communicates with us and seeks relationship with us.
• Confess any sin God is bringing to your mind.
• Ask God to show you how you should fast for these 21 days.
• Thank him for sending Jesus into our world to heal us.

JOURNAL

As you seek to know him better, what is God (Father, Son, Spirit) revealing about himself in this passage?