Message from the Senior Pastor

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,

The Lord our God is really an amazing and faithful God! We prayed to the
Lord that He would enlarge our borders and He did. Looking back at 2011,
we saw several new churches planted, existing frontiers in government,
military, police and the corporate world expanded, and several more new
opportunities opened.

But Pastor Britt Merrick, pastor and author, reminded our leaders during a
recent Leaders meeting that the chief end of man is to love God and enjoy
Him forever. Therefore, ministry for God has to flow from our ministry to
God. We were created to love Jesus and enjoy Him every moment of our
lives.
Because of this, we need to live a life that is intimately dependent on God.
And the most practical way to do this is to make prayer the central activity
of our lives.
Ronnie Floyd says:

Prayer occurs when you depend on God. Prayerlessness occurs

when you depend on yourself.

Many Christians say that they are dependent on God, but it is in ones daily
prayer life that we see the reality of this. When we become intimately
dependent on God, prayer becomes as natural as breathing. Everything we
do is brought before the Lord, and there is no aspect of life that is outside
the realm of prayer.
As we begin 2012, we have an excellent opportunity to start on the right
foot. This week of Prayer and Fasting will help us develop the attitude. It is
my ardent desire that we use this time, not just as an end itself and try to
experience total dependence on God for one week in a year, but that it will
prime the pump in us to become more and more intimately dependent on
the Lord every day of our lives.
May the Lord grant us success in this!
Pastor Peter Tan-Chi

Table of Contents
Guide .................................................................................................................................................. 2

Prayer and Fasting ................................................................................................................... 4

Why Fast? ..................................................................................................................................... 5

Four Kinds of Fasting .............................................................................................................. 7

Preparing to Fast ....................................................................................................................... 8
Caution........................................................................................................................................... 9
During a Fast .............................................................................................................................10

Breaking the Fast ....................................................................................................................12

Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................13

Schedule .......................................................................................................................................14
Devotions ....................................................................................................................................16

Day 1 Who Am I? .....................................................................................................................18

Day 2 Having the Right Attitude ......................................................................................20
Day 3 Cursed or Blessed? ....................................................................................................22
Day 4 Rest under Gods Shadow ......................................................................................24
Day 5 Gods Problem or Ours? ..........................................................................................26
Day 6 Our Ever-Present Helper ........................................................................................28

Day 7 Fruitfulness by Dependence .................................................................................30

Prayer List ..................................................................................................................................32

Jesus has many lovers of His kingdom of

heaven, but he has few bearers of His

Cross. Many desire His consolation, but

few desire His tribulation. He finds many

comrades in eating and drinking, but He

finds few hands who will be with Him in

His abstinence and fasting...But those who

love Jesus purely for Himself, and not for
their own profit or convenience, bless
Him as heartily in temptation and

tribulation and in all other adversities as

they do in time of consolation. And if He

never sent them consolation, they would

still bless and praise Him.

Thomas a Kempis

Guide
2

We tend to think of fasting as going

without food. But we can fast from

anything. If we love music and decide to

miss a concert in order to spend time with

God, that is fasting. It is helpful to think of
the parallel of human friendship. When
friends need to be together, they will

cancel all other activities in order to make

that possible. There's nothing magical

about fasting. It's just one way of telling

God that your priority at that moment is

to be alone with him, sorting out

whatever is necessary, and you have

cancelled the meal, party, concert, or

whatever else you had planned to do in

order to fulfill that priority.

James I. Packer

Prayer and Fasting

Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly;
gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to
the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.

Joel 1:14
Throughout history, God has called on His people to humble themselves
through prayer and fasting. As a spiritual family we practice prayer and
fasting to deepen our intimacy with God. Fasting is a spiritual weapon God
used to advance His kingdom, move nations, spark revival and bring victory
to the lives of His people.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says, If My people who are called by My name

humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked
ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their
land. Prayer and fasting fulfill these requirements.
If you fast, you will find yourself being humbled. You will discover more
time to pray and seek Gods face. And as He leads you to recognize and
repent of unconfessed sin, you will experience special blessings from God.

Fasting is part of a believers life of faith in Christ. In a fast, the believer

chooses, for a set period of time, to do without something that is hard to do
without.

Biblical fasting is not just not eating, but it is abstinence from food with a
spiritual goal in mind. It always occurs together with prayer in the Bible
and is also a form of worship. Luke 2:37c says that fasting is a way of
serving God, while Acts 13:2 says that fasting is ministering to the Lord.
As we begin our fast this year, let us all be reminded that whatever we do,
we do for the glory of God.

Why Fast?
Let fasting be done unto the Lord with our eye singly
fixed on Him. Let our intention herein be this, and this
alone, to glorify our Father which is in heaven.

John Wesley
God expects us to fast.
Matthew 6:16-17
And whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do,
for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men. Truly I
say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint
your head, and wash your face.
Jesus said When you fast, not if you fast. This means that fasting, like
prayer, is not an option. Fasting is part of the Christian life.

Jesus Fasted.

Matthew 4:2
And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.
Before He began His ministry, Jesus fasted for forty days. He knew He was
going to need spiritual strength to fulfill His purposes. Fasting may make us
feel physically weak, but we will become spiritually stronger and more
prepared to do Gods work.

The early Church fasted.

Acts 13:3 (See also Acts 14:23)

Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they
sent them away.

The Church fasted for Saul (Paul) and Barnabas whom the Holy Spirit had
set apart for His use. Later, Paul and Barnabas appointed leaders in various
churches, fasting and praying before commending these leaders to the Lord.

Fasting demonstrates humility before God.

Psalm 35:13 (See also 1 Kings 21:27-29; Ezra 8:21)

But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled
my soul with fasting; and my prayer kept returning to my bosom.

Humility allows us to experience the grace of God, who delights in

answering the prayers of His children. When we humble ourselves in prayer
and turn from our wicked ways, God promises to hear us and answer us
according to His perfect will.
5

Fasting makes us sensitive to the leading and power of the Holy

Spirit.
Luke 4:1-2 (See also Acts 13:2, Luke 4:1-2, Matthew 17:21, Mark 9:29)
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led about
by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil.
And He ate nothing during those days; and when they had ended, He became
hungry.
We are prone to forget our priorities. Fasting is a visible reminder to us that
God takes precedence over all our needs. Fasting lifts up the matter at hand
to God who is able to bring about awesome works that bring Him great
glory.

Fasting brings about personal and national spiritual revival.

2 Chronicles 7:14
If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and
seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,
will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Daniel 9:3
So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and
supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

Fasting prompts revival to an individual and to the country. It brings forth a

stirring that will heal and change us and prepare us for greater things in
Gods kingdom.

Fasting is good for our health.

Fasting improves our physical condition. Many impurities in the body are
burned up when the body is denied food, thus, clearing the mind, cleansing
and healing the body. Even people who are underweight who fast for
spiritual purposes have been known to gain weight after completing their
fasts. Many Bible teachers say that a three-day fast is especially beneficial
for spiritual cleansing and also for breaking addictive habits.

(What Does the Bible Say About Fasting?, Christ Unlimited Ministries, www.bible.com)

Four Kinds of Fasting

There are probably as many ways to fast as there are ways to pray, but
these four ideas are a starting point:

1. Normal fast.

In a normal fast, a person goes without food for a predetermined amount of

time - 1 day, 3 days, 1 week or longer. Water is allowed and necessary of
course. Extreme care should be taken with long fasts, especially if there are
any underlying medical conditions. It is wise to consult your physician if
you are planning on embarking on a long fast.

2. Partial fast.

This fast allows certain foods, or is on a schedule that includes limited

eating, possibly one meal or two meals a day, or only eating vegetables for
several days. Daniel and John the Baptist followed this sort of fast, while
John Wesley ate only bread and water for many days as his fast. This is a
better option for those who cannot do a water fast.

3. Juice fast.

This is the same as normal fast in 1. above, except the one fasting also eats
fresh vegetables or drinks fruit juice.

4. Object fast.

Some people decide to fast on something completely unrelated to food, such

as TV or computer time. This is a very commendable type of fasting also.
There are very valid reasons to choose this sort of fast, but for the rest of
this article series we will deal with food.

Preparing to Fast
My spiritual drought ended, but this taste for the
majesty of God only made me thirst for more of HIM.

John Piper
1. Set your objective and commit to a type of fast.

Why are you fasting? Is it for spiritual renewal, for guidance, for healing, for
the resolution of problems, for special grace to handle a difficult situation?
Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify His leading and objectives for your prayer fast.
Once you know the reason you have for fasting, you must make a
commitment. Pray about the kind of fast you should undertake.

Choose the type of fast God wants you to undertake (such as water only,
water and juices, what kinds of juice, and how often).
Determine how much time you will daily devote to prayer and Gods Word.

2. Be expectant.

Be reminded that the Lord listens to a prayer from the heart. Be true and
contrite as we expect results from our God.

3. Prepare yourself spiritually.

The very foundation of fasting is repentance. Unconfessed sin hinders your

prayers. Seek forgiveness from all whom you have offended and forgive all
who have hurt you. Make restitution as the Holy Spirit leads you.

4. Prepare yourself physically.

Fasting requires physical precautions. If you are taking medication or have

a chronic ailment, consult your physician first before beginning the fast.

5. Lessen physical activities.

Limit your physical and social activity during this period. Conserve your
physical energy, and devote more time to prayer and reading the Bible.

6. Be in faith.

Be strong and vigilant in prayer as you dedicate more time in fellowship

with the Father. Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Be clear and specific about
your faith goals in your personal life, family, finances, and church. These are
what you will be believing God for during the fast and the entire year.
Expect God to answer. Maintain a thankful heart throughout and after the
fast.
8

Caution
In spite of the absolute safety and benefits of fasting, there are certain
persons who should not fast without professional supervision.
For example:

Persons who are physically too thin or emaciated.

Persons who are prone to anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorders.
Those who suffer weakness or anemia.
Persons who have tumors, bleeding ulcers, cancer, blood diseases, or who
have heart disease.
Those who suffer chronic problems with kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, or
other important organs.
Individuals who take insulin for diabetes, or suffer any other blood sugar
problem such as hyperglycemia.
Women who are pregnant or nursing.
For people taking prescription drugs, do not abruptly stop without
consulting your attending physician.

Consult your doctor before you begin your fast but be aware that many
doctors have not been trained in this area and so their understanding may
be limited.

Albert Haase
Fasting can be a painful admission that I am not free, that my life is
enslaved, obsessed or addicted to external things such as food, drink,
codependent relationships, sex, television, privacy and the like.
9

During a Fast
The greater the satisfaction you experience from God
while still in this world, the greater your desire for the next.

John Piper
1. Seek the Lord.

Commit to prayer and Bible reading during the times you usually allocate
for meals. Remain accountable to your small groups, for what you dont eat
physically you should compensate for spiritually. One way is by attending
the daily evening prayers in CCF at 7-8pm. Be ready to respond when you
hear from God.

2. Commit to change.

Whatever God tells you or puts His finger upon, apply it immediately. If you
need to make restitution, immediately contact people you have broken
relationships with. If there are habits that need to change, make the
adjustment immediately. Ask your small group leader to hold you
accountable.

3. Pray for suggested items.

Pray for the items on your prayer list and other items as the Spirit leads. Let
us use this time to intercede for our family, for CCF, our country, the
government, our D-group and D-12 members, Christians around the world,
mission, etc.

4. Saturate your mind with the Word of the Lord.

We must fill our mind with the Word of God and saturate it fully. Although
our body may hunger, our soul must be filled with the spiritual food that we
crave and that is enough to strengthen us to deny our flesh. Consider a fast
from food as a spiritual feast.

5. Put yourself on a schedule.

For maximum spiritual benefit, set aside ample time to be alone with the
Lord. Listen for His leading. The more time you spend with Him, the more
meaningful your fast will be.

Praise and worship.

Confession and repentance of sin.
Read and meditate on Gods Word, preferably on your knees.
Pray for His vision for your life and empowerment to do His will.
10

 Spend time in intercessory prayer for your communitys and nations

leaders, for the worlds unreached millions, for your family and special
needs.
Take short, spiritual walks.
If others are fasting with you, meet together for prayer.
Avoid television, computer games, internet entertainment surfing, movies,
parties, or other distractions that may dampen your spiritual focus.

6. Attend evening watches.

Try to attend the daily evening prayer time at 7-8pm. D-group and D-12
meetings during the fasting period are at the discretion of the D-Leader in
order to give the members the option to attend the evening watches.

7. Have the right motive.

Remember that your motive in fasting must be to glorify God, to listen to

Him and be more intimate with Him and to bring your burdens to Him.
When your motives are right, God will honor your seeking heart and bless
your time with Him in a very special way.

11

Breaking the Fast

Every fool can fast, but only the wise man knows how to break a fast.

G.B. Shaw
1. End your fast gradually.

Begin eating gradually. Do not eat solid foods immediately after your fast.
Suddenly reintroducing solid food to your stomach and your digestive tract
will likely have negative, even dangerous, consequences. Try several
smaller meals or snacks. If you end your fast gradually, the beneficial
physical and spiritual effect will result in continued good health. You may
start with fruits, fruit juice, salads, and soups, then gradually eat more solid
foods.
Overall, the following four factors represent what we are trying to
accomplish when breaking a fast:

Frequent meals to less frequent meals

Small meals to larger meals
Easy to digest to harder to digest
Less variety to more variety

2. Continue to pray.

Dont let your prayer end on the day you finish the fast. Build from the
momentum you gained during the fast. Let it transform your prayer and
devotional life. Carry the newfound passion with you throughout the year.

3. Expect greater intimacy with God.

If you sincerely humble yourself before the Lord, repent, pray, and seek
Gods face, if you consistently meditate on His Word

4. Experience the joy of Gods presence.

Psalm 16:11
Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; In Thy presence is fullness of
joy; In thy right hand are pleasures forever.
Let us bask in the fullness of joy in the Lord as we abide in His glorious
presence. When we have denied our flesh, empowered our spirit with
prayer, and solely depend on God for nourishment, there is a joy in the
moment we experience Gods magnificent power.
12

Conclusion
Now to Him who is able to do exceeding
abundantly beyond all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works within us.

Ephesians 3:20
Our seven-day prayer and fasting gives us the opportunity to realign our
lives according to His will and consecrate the rest of the year to Him. As we
humble ourselves corporately before Him in prayer, we can expect Him to
move mightily in our midst.
Gods will is for each and every one of us to grow in our understanding of
Him. Every year we need to experience a greater awe of His inexhaustible
love, power and holiness. So seek Him with all your heart, and the promise
is that you will find Him!

James Hudson Taylor

In Shansi I found Chinese Christians who were accustomed to spend
time in fasting and prayer. They recognized that this fasting, which so
many dislike, which requires faith in God, since it makes one feel weak
and poorly, is really a Divinely appointed means of grace. Perhaps the
greatest hindrance to our work is our own imagined strength; and in
fasting we learn what poor, weak creatures we are - dependent on a
meal of meat for the little strength which we are so apt to lean upon.
13

Schedule
14

Day 1. Monday

Day 2. Tuesday

Drink water only

Drink juice only
Eat one meal only
Eat two meals only
Other: ___________

Drink water only

Drink juice only
Eat one meal only
Eat two meals only
Other: ___________

Day 3. Wednesday

Day 4. Thursday

Drink water only

Drink juice only
Eat one meal only
Eat two meals only
Other: ___________

Drink water only

Drink juice only
Eat one meal only
Eat two meals only
Other: ___________

Day 5. Friday

Day 6. Saturday

Drink water only

Drink juice only
Eat one meal only
Eat two meals only
Other: ___________

Drink water only

Drink juice only
Eat one meal only
Eat two meals only
Other: ___________

Day 7. Sunday

Drink water only

Drink juice only
Eat one meal only
Eat two meals only
Other: ___________

15

If our fasting is not unto God,

we have failed. Physical
benefits, success in prayer, the
enduring with power, spiritual
insights these must never
replace God as the center of
our fasting. Richard Foster

Devotions
16

But what I would like to say is that the

spiritual life is a life in which you

gradually learn to listen to a voice that

says something else, that says, "You are

the beloved and on you my favour

rests."... I want you to hear that voice. It is

not a very loud voice because it is an

intimate voice. It comes from a very deep

place. It is soft and gentle. I want you to

gradually hear that voice. We both have to

hear that voice and to claim for ourselves

that that voice speaks the truth, our truth.

It tells us who we are. That is where the

spiritual life starts - by claiming the voice

that calls us the beloved.

Henri J.M. Nouwen

17

Day 1 Who Am I?
Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house
that You have brought me this far?

1 Chronicles 17:16
Reflection
1. Read 1 Chronicles 17:1-20. Trace the blessings of David from verses 7 to
14 by marking the verbs used to describe Gods actions on David. What
tenses were used? What do the changes in tenses indicate?

2. David wanted to honor God by building a house for Him (v. 1). Instead what
did God do for David (v. 10)? What does this tell about the Lord?

3. Name some of the blessings mentioned (vv. 7-10). Who are the other
beneficiaries of Gods blessings in Davids life?

4. How did David respond to all of Gods blessings to him (vv. 16-20)? How did
David regard himself in verse 17?

Application

1. In accordance to the past, present and future blessings that God gave David,
spend time to write down the blessings that the Lord has given to you
including the future blessings that He has promised you.

2. Despite Davids intimacy with the Lord and his being the leader of Israel, he
didnt have any entitlement mentality. He recognized how God has brought
me this far (v. 16). Reflect on this reality in your own life and spend time
now to humble yourself before God and worship Him.

Anonymous
You aren't loved because you're valuable.
You're valuable because God loves you.
18

Day 1 Prayer Journal

Passage on Fasting: Jonah 3:4-10
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Day 2 Having the Right Attitude

We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us.
We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.

2 Chronicles 20:12
Reflection
1. Read Isaiah 22:5-13 (preferably from a paraphrase). What situation was
the land of Israel facing in verses 5 8a? Describe what was going on.

2. What was the reaction of the leaders of the land to the problem they were
facing (8b-11)?

3. What was their attitude in facing such a situation (12-13)? In verse 13, what
do the feasting and partying reveal about their attitude?

4. What was the result of their disregard for God in their problems (v. 14)?

Application

1. As you ponder on your own life, how dependent are you on the Lord? On a
scale of 10, 1 being Not at all Dependent on God and 10 being Fully
Dependent how would you rate yourself? In what ways do you express
your dependence on Him?
2. When someone places his dependence on God fully in addressing his
problem, does that make human efforts unnecessary?

3. The attitude to eat, drink and be merry demonstrates the peoples

resignation to defeat or lack of hope. What are the ways in which this
attitude creeps into your own life? (E.g. when a prayer is not answered a
person tends to stop praying or he prays without any expectation anymore)
4. How does fasting and prayer help you in this kind of a disposition?

E.M. Bounds

When trust is perfect and there is no doubt, prayer is simply the

outstretched hand ready to receive. Trust perfected is prayer
perfected. Trust looks to receive the thing asked for and gets it. Trust
is not a belief that God can bless or that He will bless, but that He
does bless, here and now. Trust always operates in the present tense.
Hope looks toward the future. Trust looks to the present. Hope
expects. Trust possesses. Trust receives what prayer acquires. So,
what prayer needs, at all times, is abiding and abundant trust.
20

Day 2 Prayer Journal

Passage on Fasting: 2 Chronicles 20:1-25
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21

Day 3 Cursed or Blessed?

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD
And whose trust is the LORD.

Jeremiah 17:7
Reflection
1. Read Jeremiah 17:5-8. The Hebrew concept for cursed, means to
deliver over a transgressor to misfortune. It includes the idea of divine
withdrawal or displeasure such as Gods hiding or turning away the face.
On the other hand blessed is a pronouncement of Gods favor upon a
person. The effect is that the person advances or progresses and therefore
attains success and prosperity. Who are the two persons being contrasted
in this passage (vv. 5 & 7)?

2. To whom are these two persons likened (vv. 6 & 8)? In the two columns of
your prayer journal, write down the words or phrases by which they are
contrasted. Write as many as you can find.
3. Reflect carefully on these differences what they represent in real life
(Consult a paraphrased bible for difficult translations or a dictionary,
preferably bible dictionary, for unclear words).

Application

1. Who do you first run to whenever you have a problem? God? People? Self?
2. When do you depend on God the most?
3. When do you depend on God the least?

4. What changes do you need to do in your daily activities in order to develop

greater dependence on God?

Horatius Bonar
Seeing that distance and distrust will do nothing for
you, try what drawing near and confidence will do.
22

Day 3 Prayer Journal

Passage on Fasting: Isaiah 58:3-11
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23

Day 4 Rest under Gods Shadow

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1
Reflection
1. Read Psalm 91. What are the names of God used in verse 1-2? Why is He
introduced using these different names? Write the significance of each?

2. Why is it important for us to know His name (vv. 14-16)? Is this mere head
knowledge or does it mean an intimate experiential knowledge?
3. What are the different dangers from which God promises to deliver His
people (vv. 3, 5-6, 10 & 13)? Compare the NASB or NIV with a Bible
translation (e.g. NLT) and identify what are the general areas that each of
those dangers represent?
4. What are the different instruments He uses to protect His people (vv. 4 &
11)?

5. What are the action words in the Psalm which describe our response to God
for who He is (vv. 1, 14, 15)? Reflect on how you can live them out and
develop the habit of doing them.

6. In verse 7, the psalmist recalls the plagues that afflicted the Egyptians in
Exodus 7-12 but not the Israelites. Read Exodus 9:4-6, 9:18-26 and chapter
12. How were the Israelites exempted from the last plague?

Application

1. Shield and buckler in verse 4 are powerful armor pieces for protection.
According to the verse (NIV) what do they represent? How do you
appropriate them in your own life? What spiritual disciplines will you do to
ensure constant protection using this armor?

2. What practical steps will you take to increasingly make God your own
refuge?

3. In number 6 above, from what last plague or curse is the believer in Jesus
sure to be exempted? How is this made possible? Are you sure to be
exempted? What are you basing it on?

Bruce Wilkinson

Dependence upon God makes heroes of ordinary people like you and me!
24

Day 4 Prayer Journal

Passage on Fasting: Ezra 8:21-23, 31
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25

Day 5 Gods Problem or Ours?

When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, This place
is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away,
that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.

Matthew 14:15
Reflection
1. Read Matthew 14:14-21. What situation did the disciples face in verse 15?

2. What did Jesus want the disciples to do in verse 16?

3. How many people needed to be fed? According to verse 20 how much did
each of the people eat? In todays economy, how much would such feeding
project cost? (Assume each person needs 50 pesos worth of food).
4. With such a huge task that Jesus wanted His disciples to do, how did He
want them to respond? What was the role of human effort and available
resources in this situation?
5. Does the story teach passivity and do-nothingness? Why are those 2
incompatible with dependence on God?

6. This lesson is so important that Jesus taught this to His disciples again not
long after (Matthew 15:32-38). Did the disciples learn the lesson already
after this (Read Matthew 16:5-11)?

Application

1. What are the needs and concerns in your life that you are convinced to be
Gods will for you for which He is willing and able to help you (check as
many as applies to you):

Provide for your family despite economic recession (1 Tim. 5:8).

Make disciples despite busyness (Matt. 28:18-20)
Overcome sinful habits by Gods grace despite difficulty (Gal. 5:16).
Completely forgive someone despite your feelings (Mark 11:25-26).
Others: __________________________________________________________________________

2. When facing a huge problem, what do you need to do?

Joseph Garlingen

The Christian life isn't difficult - it is impossible. If we don't know that, we will
try to do things ourselves. Faith is not necessary when we think we can do it
ourselves. Faith comes along when we realize that we cannot do it on our own.
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Day 5 Prayer Journal

Passage on Fasting: Zechariah 7:2-10
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Day 6 Our Ever-Present Helper

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.

Romans 8:11
Reflection
1. Compare Romans 8:9-11 and Ephesians 1:19-20. According to these
verses, what are the things that the amazing resurrection power accomplish
in our own lives as the Holy Spirit lives in us?

2. Explain in simple words how you understand Romans 8:12-14 (specifically

v. 12) in relation to our sinful desires.

3. Read Ephesians 5:18-21 and Galatians 5:16-25. How should we relate to the
Spirit of God in order to be victorious over sinful habits (Eph. 5:18 and Gal.
5:16)? What are the results in our lives as we constantly relate to the Holy
Spirit (Eph. 5:19-21 and Gal. 5:17-23)?
4. Stephen was repeatedly described as a man full of the Holy Spirit. Study
Acts 6:1-7:60 and enumerate the effects of the filling of the Spirit in his life.

Application

1. The word Helper in John 14:16 (NASB) literally means the One called to

be alongside as a helper. How would you describe your dependence on

Him? Moment by moment? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Seldom? Never?

2. Since we are no longer bound by the spirit of slavery to commit sin or to

satisfy our sinful desires (Romans 8:12-14), what unhealthy practices or
habits in your own life should you avoid or get rid of so that you may not be
led to follow your sinful nature again?

3. Walking in the Spirit is attained as we constantly ask for the filling of the
Spirit. This condition will become more and more enduring in our lives as
we develop the habit of spiritual breathing. How do you plan to make this
a regular habit?

Charles Stanley

God is looking for imperfect men and women who have learned to walk
in moment-by-moment dependence on the Holy Spirit. Christians who
have come to terms with their inadequacies, fears, and failures.
Believers who have become discontent with 'surviving' and have taken
the time to investigate everything God has to offer in this life.
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Day 6 Prayer Journal

Passage on Fasting: Acts 13:1-3
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Day 7 Fruitfulness by Dependence

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself;
it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

John 15:4
Reflection
1. Read John15:1-17. What is the purpose of Jesus for all disciples in verse 2?
2. If a disciple is already bearing fruit, is God already satisfied (v. 2)? What
does God the Father do to such disciples?

3. What do you think is meant by God pruning His disciples so that they bear
more fruit? What are some possible ways God prunes them?

4. When a disciple is being pruned what should his attitude be (v. 4)?

5. What is the secret to bearing much fruit for the Lord (v. 5)?

6. What are the ways by which disciples, as branches, are to abide in the vine
according to verse 7? According to verse 10?
7. What is the evidence that we are abiding in Christ (vv. 12, 17)?

8. Compare John 13:35 and John 15:8. If we do not love one another what
does this show about us (also 1 John 4:7 & 8)?

9. According to the following verses, what are some fruits of abiding in Jesus?
a. John 15:7 b. Galatians 5:22-23 c. Eph. 5:9 d. Matt. 12:33-37 e. Col. 1:3-8

Application

1. Evaluate your own fruitfulness. Are there fruits that reveal a life of abiding
in Jesus? Ask for feedback from a family member and a co-Dgroup member.
2. When was the last time you felt Gods pruning work in your life? How did
you respond, positively or negatively?

3. Is there any person in the church that you are not in good terms with that
does not show you to be Christs disciple in accordance with John 13:35?
Knowing that the solution here is not prayer but obedience, what
immediate steps will you take to correct this situation?

Phillips Brooks

Feed on Christ, and then go and live your life, and it is Christ
in you that lives your life, that helps the poor, that tells the
truth, that fights the battle, and that wins the crown.
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Day 7 Prayer Journal

Passage on Fasting: Matthew 6:1, 5-18
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Prayer List
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When we rely upon organization,

we get what organization can do;

when we rely upon education,

we get what education can do;

when we rely upon eloquence,

we get what eloquence can do.

And so on.

But when we rely upon prayer,

we get what God can do.

A.C. Dixon

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Prayer List
A.

The Philippines

B.

The Church

C.

Israel

D.

Personal Breakthrough

E.

Family

F.

Finances

G.

Other Personal Prayer Items

1.
2.
3.
4.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

President Aquino and government leaders honesty and competence

Righteousness, justice, peace and economic prosperity
Evangelization of the country
Protection from calamities

Love, purity, zeal and graciousness of CCF members

Faithfulness to Gods mission and vision for CCF
The Leaders and their families Elders, Pastors, Dgroup Leaders
Staff, volunteers and workers
Worship and Training Center, Prayer Mountain
Global Leadership Center
Church planters, missionaries and families
Missions and church planting efforts

1. Peace and protection from hostile nations

2. Evangelization
1.
2.
3.
4.

Spiritual revival
Physical healing
Breaking of bad habits, curses
Christ-like character

1. Restoration of relationships
2. Household salvation
3. Others
1. Freedom from debt
2. Financial blessings
3. Rich generosity

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