Prayer Guide: FELLOWSHIP

Ten Prayers to Receive Strength in the Inner Man

To be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. (Ephesians 3:16)

F - Fear of God:

• Father, release the spirit of the fear of God into my heart. (Psalm 68:11)

E - Endurance (perseverance, patience):

• Strengthen my spirit with endurance to do Your will (Colossians 1:11)
• Don't let me quite pursuing the deep things of God. Don't let me lose my spiritual fervor!
• Help me to follow through on my commitments.
• Help me to fulfill my ministry callings when they're difficult.

L - Love: 

• Father, pour out Your love into my heart so it can overflow back to You and others. (Philippians 1:9)

L - Light of glory:

• Father, let me see the light of Your glory. (Acts 22:6-11; Exodus 33:18; Psalm 4:6)
• Let me encounter the "glory realm" in dreams, visions, etc. 
• Let me be a light to others, pointing straight to You. 

O - One thing life focus:

• Let me maintain a life in Your words with desire for it. 
• Alert me when I need to recommit my priorities and schedule so that I can live as a person who regularly sits at Your feet. (Psalm 27:4)

W - Count me worthy:

• Help me to walk in a worthy way in response to God in my life (2 Thessalonians 1:11)
• Help me to escape all compromise. 
• Let me see that the opposite of worthiness is to waste or receive Your grace in vain. 

S - Speech:

• Father, set a guard over my lips and free me from sinful speech. (Ephesians 4:29; Psalm 141:3)
• May I only give edification and impart grace to the hearers of my words. 

H - Humility:

• Jesus, I want to learn from You how to walk in lowliness of heart. (Matthew 11:29)
• Let me consider others better than myself. 

I - Insight unto intimacy (wisdom):

• Let me know the secrets of Your heart. What are you thinking and feeling? (Colossians 1:9)
• Father, give me insight that I may walk under the Spirit's leadership so that we may partner together in every issue in my life including my finances, schedule, emotions, circumstances, physical body(diet, health), relationships (in the home, work, ministry), my future, fears, addictions, etc. Give me new ideas in each area of my life. 
• Father, I long to walk in the fullness of Your will in every area of my life. 
• Holy Spirit I ask for insight into God's end-time purposes, eternity, the new Jerusalem, the judgment seat of Christ, and hell. 

P- Peace and joy:

• Strengthen my heart with supernatural peace and joy that overpowers fear and anxiety. (Philippians 4:7)

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Spark Notes (IGNITE 9/24)

Spiritual Warfare: The Blood of Jesus

In our third week of the Spiritual Warfare series, Bret Engelkes spoke about the blood of Jesus. 

Bret first took a few moments to emphasize that we are all created for something. David was first created as a man of war, but also a man of worship. This is why David could not build the temple because he had shed much blood. When David did not go to war, he found himself wrapped in many sins. We have been created for specific things. Bret encouraged everyone to ask themselves the question, "What am I created for?"

Spiritual Warfare is the war continuously going on around us, the blood of Jesus is our help in this battle. 

1 John 1:3 says that "we proclaim what we have seen and heard". The testimony of the cross is proclaimed in many epistles. The authors of the epistles also write of what they have endured, yet they have endured with gladness. We are to find joy in tribulations and encourage others in that. To love is to encourage and to invite in. 

Leviticus 17:11 says, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." There is a requirement of blood, and Jesus was the atoning sacrifice. We have complete agreement with the blood of Jesus when we declare it, it makes it known.

What does it mean to speak or plead the blood of Jesus? 
The word "plead" is an actual legal term. Like a lawyer "pleads his case", the wrongs are vocalized, evidence is presented, action is taken. To plead the blood of Jesus is to present the facts and evidence of what Jesus did on the cross. It is to present faith-filled words of agreement. When we declare, He acts, He "releases it from heaven". It may not be in the timing we prefer, but He moves when we plead the blood. 
The blood of Jesus speaks a better word: mercy. It was the full demonstration of His love. His blood shed for us gives us authority and dominion over the enemy.

To listen to the full message, click here. 

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Prayer Guide: The Lord's Prayer

The Lord's prayer is found in Matthew 6:9-15.

Approach

1. Read through Matthew 6:9.Think of all the names you've heard God Called (if you need inspiration, read Genesis 21:33; Exodus 3:14; Judges 6:24; Deuteronomy 7:9; Deuteronomy 10:17; Isaiah 5:16; Psalm 136:26; Isaiah 7:14; John 8:58)
2. Which name do you most use when speaking to God? 
• What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us" - A.W. Tozer
• Do you use the name "Father"?
3. Read Matthew 7:9-11. How does your identity as God's child affect the way you approach Him now? 

Ask

1. Read Matthew 6:10-11. Grab a piece of paper and write your name in the center. Surround it with the people, situations and places that you want God to move in. Include anything that has been worrying you. 
2. Ask God to teach you to pray in His will for His kingdom in each of these situations. 
3. Make a paper airplane out of what you've written and as you throw it across the room, thank God that He has your whole life and all you requests in His hands. 

Examine

1. Read Matthew 6:12. Think back through your last 24 hours - the things you've done and the people you may have met. Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight things you've done wrong. 
2. Next, ask the Holy Spirit to show you times you should have acted and did not. 
3. Write everything that has come to mind on a piece of paper. As you repent, through the paper into the trash. Thank God for His forgiveness and grace. 
4. Is there someone that you need to forgive today? Ask God to show you. 

Extol

1. Revelation 1:6. Stand and speak the names of God aloud adding after each one, why this is true in your life. 
1. i.e. "I know you're my Provider because you provided for the debts I needed to pay"
2. Write something that expresses your love to the Father. Find inspiration in the book of Psalms.

"I arise today through the strength of heaven...

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, 

Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, 

Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me

Christ in every eye that sees me

Christ in every ear that hears me"

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Spark Notes (IGNITE 9/17)

Spiritual Warfare: Speaking the Word of God

Continuing in our series on Spiritual Warfare, Lyle Schut spoke about speaking the Word of God, with an emphasis on this week's VOW, 

"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Ephesians 6:17

Jesus is the Word

In John 1:1, we read, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". So who is the Word? Jesus. He was there in the beginning with the Father as He spoke and all of creation came to be. Nothing came to be without Him. 

Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Then, that is mirrored in Revelation 1:16 talking about Jesus, "and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword". 

In John 14, the disciples ask Jesus to show them the Father, but Jesus responds saying, "Don't you believe that I am the Father, and that the Father is I n me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." Jesus speaks and the Father works. Then, the Holy Spirit will bring to remembrance all that He has said. 

The Power of the Word

• Proverbs 18:21 - The power to speak life or death. 
• Proverbs 16:24 - The power to speak physical healing.
• John 6:63 - The power in speaking words full of the Spirit and of life. 
• Isaiah 50:4 - The power to speak words of encouragement over the weary. 
• Proverbs 4:22 - The power to speak life and health. 
• Matthew 17 - The power to speak with the authority given to us by Jesus. 

Jesus models using the Word to battle

When Jesus spent 40 days in the desert he would respond to devil's temptations with the Word. 

"The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Application

Read through the Psalms and find verses that jump out to you. Pray those often. Speak them over yourself and over others. There is power in prophetic words like in 1 Timothy 1:18. You have the power to speak encouragement over others. Looking back at the life of David. He was told he would be king, yet he spent years and year running and hiding. For Joseph, he was given dreams of his brothers bowing down to him, yet he was sold into slavery and spent years in prison before rising to his place in leadership. Although there were prophetic words spoken over them, they went through times of trial, where it may have felt like they were living opposite of those words. That is where the enemy tries to steal, kill, and destroy, but God causes all things to work for good. Those hard times are when it is necessary to lean into the Word. 

Isaiah 35:3 says, "Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow...and those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away." We are called to stand with others and to speak the Word over them as encouragement as we await the recompense of the Lord because He is faithful. 

Watch the full IGNITE service here. 

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30 minute Prayer Guide

30 minutes of fellowship with the Lord

1. Pray Adoration Prayers (5 minutes)

• Worship the lord through His names and character; tell Him who He is to you.
• Healer, Comforter, Helper, Rock, Redeemer, Fortress, Deliverer, Light, Savior, Defender, Strong Tower, Shield, Refuge, Provider, Mighty God, Merciful God, King of Kings, Gracious God, Beautiful God, Shepherd, Creator, etc. 

2. Prayer Confession Prayers (3 minutes)

• Confess sin and ask for clean hands and a pure heart. (Psalm 24:4, Psalm 51)

3. Pray for Yourself using the TRUST prayer model (5 minutes)

• T - Thank You - Recognize the Spirit's presence by saying "thank you". Thank the Lord for His presence, power, and love toward you. 
• R - Release Revelation - Ask the Spirit to release revelation of God's hear, word, and purpose for your life. (Ephesians 1:17)
• U - Use me - As the Spirit to use you more in the spiritual gifts to minister to others. Thank Him for his gifts and ask for increase and fullness. (1 Corinthians 12:7; 14:1)
• S - Strengthen me - As the Spirit to strengthen your mind, emotions, and speech with His might. Thank Him for HIs presence in you and ask for strength in your inner man. (Ephesians 3:16)
• T - Teach me - Ask the Spirit to teach you God's will and ways. Ask Him to manifest His leadership in all areas of your life: finances, emotions, circumstances, body, relationships, family, etc. "Manifest your leadership in me." (John 14:26)

4. Prayer for 3 people who are not saved (2 minutes)

• Pray for them by name and ask for the Lord to tenderize their hearts and that the Holy Spirit would give them opportunities to say "yes: to Him and that He would snatch them like brands plucked from a fire. 

5. Pray for 3 believers to receive more fullness in the Spirit (2 minutes)

• Pray for them by name and ask the Spirit to encounter them and reveal Himself to them. Ask the Spirit to release His gifts in them and to use them to manifest His kingdom. 

6. Pray for 3 people who need healing (2 minutes)

• Pray for them by name and pray for their physical or emotional healing and for freedom in their lives. Speak forth life and call into being that which does not exist. (Romans 4:17, Psalm 118:17, Proverbs 18:21)

7. Pray for your family and friends (4 minutes)

• Spend time in intercession for family and friends by name. Ask the Lord to protect them, show them the traps from the enemy, to walk in victory over sin, to be a light, for the Spirit to pursue them and release hunger and thirst for Him. (Psalm 91)

8. Pray for local and global ministries and for the Lord to send laborers into the harvest (2 minutes)

• Pray for your local church, justice ministries, the prayer movement, pastors, teachers, leaders, and missionaries. Pray for more "sent ones". (Luke 10:2)

9. Pray scriptures (5 minutes)

• Read through the Psalms until a verse jumps out at you and turn it into prayer. For example, Psalm 36:11, "let not the foot of the pride come upon me". "Lord, keep me from pride; let not the foot of pride come upon me. Release humility in my heart. Give me meekness."

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Spark Notes (IGNITE 9/10)

Intro to Spiritual Warfare

We're so glad that our IGNITE services have started up once again for this new season. Along with a new series on Spiritual Warfare, HOME is excited to share about a new way to get involved with the verse of the week (a.k.a. VOW)! Each week, the IGNITE speaker will choose a verse to focus on for the week. Throughout the week, we invite you to join with us praying through that verse. Check out our website for the schedule of VOW groups meeting throughout the week! 

At this week's IGNITE, Lyle Schut introduced our new series on spiritual warfare, highlighting our VOW, 2 Corinthians 10:5,

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Four things to remember as we begin this series:

1) When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, receiving the Holy Spirit, we are put in a battle. (Ephesians 6:12)

2) We are on the winning team. Jesus has already defeated the enemy. The Holy Spirit in us is far greater than any power in the world. (1 John 4:4)

3) We have been given authority by Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28, James 4:7)

4) We have weapons. We fight from victory. (Ephesians 6)

Oftentimes when we think about spiritual warfare, we picture the manifestation of demons. Another battle is the battle in the mind. 

Lyle shared an example of the battle of the mind with personal experiences with fear and anxiety, triggered by lies from the enemy.

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (ESV):

"For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete."

The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. The enemy creates strongholds with lies, and those lies gains power when we agree with them. The mind set on flesh is death. 

These lies might be thoughts of fear, depression, anxiety, etc. But those are not the nature of the Father. When we read the gospels, we see the nature of the Father through Jesus. 

In the gospel of Mark, we read how the disciples doubted and had fear for their provisions, just after Jesus had fed thousands from a few loaves of bread and a couple fish. Why did the disciples go into "freak-out mode" so easily? Why did their thoughts start with lack? And not with abundance? How do we change our thoughts from lack to abundance? 

Lyle talked about the first step being repentance. We must change the way we think by replacing the lie with Truth. 

The miracles we've witnessed in scripture and in our lives today reveal God's nature. Knowing the Father's heart and His nature destroys the lies. 

Let our prayer be to know the Lord's heart and to know His nature!

In the weeks to come, we will be talking more about the Name of Jesus, the Blood of Jesus, the Word, and Praise as ways to fight. 

If you're interested in hearing more, watch the livestream of Lyle's teaching here.

For more teaching on the battle in the mind, watch Bill Johnson's teaching "The War in Your Head".

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