Day 1 - RESET / REFRAME / RENEW - 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting

Welcome to Day 1 of our 21 day Devotional

Jesus said that Fasting is an appetite denying Discipline to help us to focus on God (Matt 6:14 Message)

Our prayer is that these next 21 days every one of us will focus on God in such a way that we can know Him more, continue to align ourselves to His purpose for our live and see extraordinary things happen as we pray.

God says “If you seek me with all your heart you will find me” Jer 29:13

It’s in the pursuit of God that we find Him.

It’s in our focus on God that miracles happen.

Whenever Jesus performed a miracle He engaged people’s attention. He got them to focus on Him.

He asked them questions, such as “What would you like Me to do?” or He asked them to do something specific that required them to focus on Him.

Our focus on God in these 21 days is the key to knowing His love for each one of us in a greater way, His purpose for our lives in increased measure  and His desire to move in extraordinary ways in every area of our lives.

 May these 21 days set the tone for 2019 as we focus on God in our prayer and fasting.

 “Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscle of omnipotence” Charles Spurgeon

Here's What's New for 2018!

Last Night, Pastor Jonathan Wilson and our team unveiled the practical steps we can take to build towards our vision of "being a hub of HOPE + FAITH" to our community and beyond. 

First, Ps Jonathan spoke about the importance of engagement with the people in our world. As we focus on being MORE LIKE JESUS this year, Ps Jonathan encouraged us to do what Jesus did and extend a personal invitation to be in the presence of God and be a disciple of Jesus. We have created these beautiful invitations as a tool people can use to extend a personal invitation to people in their world. 

Next, we announced our new weekly schedule beginning March 1! Our team has thought thoroughly about creating spaces to disciple and equip people so they can go out and do the work of the ministry in their world and bring people into the life of the church so they can have a connection with Christ. 

Sundays -

CHURCH! 10AM + 6:30PM - We're encouraging everyone to make a commitment to be in one of our church services every week. 

Mondays -

[NEW] Word + Life Courses - On Monday nights we'll be holding our Word + Life courses for people who want to go deeper in studying the Word of God or learn skills that are going to help them flourish in their lives. 

Tuesdays - 

The Upper Room Prayer Meeting - 6AM - 7AM - we invite everyone to come and be apart of our prayer team as they lift the church up in prayer. 

Life Groups - At Newport Church, we believe in doing life together! We encourage everyone to be apart of a Life Group to build healthy, life giving relationships within the church. [Life Groups meet other days too! Check newportchurch.com/lifegroups for more info!]

Wednesdays -

[NEW] Youth Small Groups (1st-3rd Weeks of the Month) 7PM - Youth Small Groups meet at the church then head out to hang, have fun, and talk about what God is doing in their life with our youth team. There is a boys small group and girls small group. 

[NEW] Youth United Night (4th Wednesday of the Month) 7PM - United Night is happening the fourth Wednesday of the month, beginning March 28th! Join us for a time of fun, worship, and an encounter with God! 

Thursdays -

Life + Leadership for Men (2nd Thursday of the Month) 7PM - The men of Newport Church gather every month for Life + Leadership for Men w/ Ps Jonathan Wilson! We want to equip men to live their best life and lead in their sphere of influence. This year, we'll be going through "Mansfield's Book of Manly Men" a book teaching Godly masculinity through stories of great men through history. 

[NEW] Team Night [w/ ALL TEAMS] (3rd Thursday of Every Month) 7PM - If you want to serve in the life of our church TEAM NIGHT is the place to be! Its a place where we equip our teams with the culture of our church and then send them off to prepare for the month ahead!

Fridays -

Sisterhood (First Friday of the Month) 7PM - Sisterhood exists to gather + equip + mobilize the women in the life of the church! Come to Sisterhood to hear about weekly points of connection w provide to people as well!

Food with Love - Every week our team goes out to feed the families of people with food at risk children in our neighboring city of Santa Ana. If you have Fridays open and have a heart for the community, we want to encourage you to consider being apart of this incredible team!

Partnership with The Imagine Foundation - Every Friday afternoon, we partner with The Imagine Foundation to bring hope to kids in desperate situations, teaching them self-esteem, resilience, and belonging. 

We hope that inspires you! We're excited about all thats ahead of us this year!

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 21

THE WORD OF GOD

“The soul can do without everything except the word of God, without which none at all of its wants are provided for.” 
- Martin Luther

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
James 1:22

PRAYER

“The more you pray, the less you'll panic. The more you worship, the less you worry. You'll feel more patient and less pressured.” 
― Rick Warren

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer"
Romans 12:12

THE HOUSE OF GOD

“The difference between listening to a radio sermon and going to church…is almost like the difference between calling your girl on the phone and spending an evening with her.”
― Charles R. Brown

"But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ"
Hebrews 3:6

DISCIPLESHIP

"The strength of a man's virtue should not be measured by his special exertions, but by his habitual acts."
- Blaise Pascal

"If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones..."
Luke 16:10

GIVING

“Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.” 
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously."
Psalm 37:21

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 20

THE WORD OF GOD

"What I believe about God is the most important thing about me."
- A.W. Tozer

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law."
Matthew 7:24-29 NIV

PRAYER

"Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure."
- D. L. Moody

"Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!"
Psalm 66:20 NIV

THE HOUSE OF GOD

"'And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.' -this is how Luke's Gospel ends. Church is important!"
- Judah Smith

"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked."
Psalm 84:10 NIV

DISCIPLESHIP

"Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion - it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ."
- Billy Graham

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:16-20 NIV

GIVING

“For it is in giving that we receive.” 
- Francis of Assisi

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."
Malachi 3:10 NIV

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 19

THE WORD OF GOD

"I know the Bible is inspired because it inspires me."
- D.L. Moody

"My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:1-6 NIV

PRAYER

“The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” 
- Soren Kierkegaard

"The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him. So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer."
Ezra 8:22-24

THE HOUSE OF GOD

“Be united with other Christians. A wall with loose bricks is not good. The bricks must be cemented together.”
― Corrie Ten Boom

"Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you'll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God."
1 Peter 2:4 Message

DISCIPLESHIP

"No man has the mind of Christ, except him who makes it his business to obey him."
- George MacDonald

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."
Ephesians 4:11-16 NIV

GIVING

"The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."
- Mitch Albom

"What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things."
Matthew 23:23 NLT

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 18

THE WORD OF GOD

"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."
- George Washington

"Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law."
Psalm 119:18 NKJV

PRAYER

“You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance.” 
- Kahlil Gigran

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

THE HOUSE OF GOD

"Jesus organized the church, which is His vineyard. He commands all to go into the vineyard and work. All who are united to Christ by faith, and are thus members of His mystical body, should be members of His visible church."
- James H Aughey

"For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone."
Ephesians 2:18-20

DISCIPLESHIP

"I know the power obedience has of making things easy which seem impossible."
- Teresa of Avila

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."
John 15:5-8

GIVING

"There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else."
- Peyton Conway March

"One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."
Proverbs 11:24-25 NIV

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 17

THE WORD OF GOD

"The Bible redirects my will, cleanses my emotions, enlightens my mind, and quickens my total being"
- E. Stanley Jones

 "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them."
Deuteronomy 28:1-14 NKJV

PRAYER

"Prayer is not getting man's will done in heaven, but getting God's will done on earth. It is not overcoming God's reluctance but laying hold of God's willingness."
- Richard C. Trench

"I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer."
Psalm 17:6 NIV

THE HOUSE OF GOD

“The more genuine and the deeper our community becomes, the more will everything else between us recede, the more clearly and purely will Jesus Christ and his work become the one and only thing that is vital between us. We have one another only through Christ, but through Christ we do have one another, wholly, and for all eternity.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever."
Psalm 52:8 NIV

DISCIPLESHIP

"Love God and do what you like."
- Saint Augustine

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will 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 15:1-3 NIV

GIVING

"You may choose to look the other way but you can never say you did not know."
- William Wilberforce

"If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow."
Matthew 5:41-42 NLT

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 16

THE WORD OF GOD

"If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself."
- Saint Augustine

"Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 5:19 NIV

PRAYER

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe."
- Saint Augustine

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."
Luke 5:16

THE HOUSE OF GOD

"The word 'church' is used one hundred ten times in the New Testament, and it is instructive to note that ninety-three of those are clear references to the local church. …We may conclude from this large number of references that the Bible has quite a lot to say about the importance of the local church."
- Wayne Mack

"He (Jesus) went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom."
Luke 4:16 NIV

DISCIPLESHIP

"The man or woman who is wholly or joyously surrendered to Christ can't make a wrong choice, any choice will be the right one."
- A. W. Tozer

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
John 14:21

GIVING

"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness."
- Mother Teresa

"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night."
Genesis 8:22

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 15

THE WORD OF GOD

"We find Christ in all the Scriptures.  In the Old Testament He is predicted, in the Gospels He is revealed, in Acts He is preached, in the Epistles He is explained, and in Revelation He is expected."
- Alistair Begg

"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."
Acts 17:11

PRAYER

"To know God as the Master and Bestower of all good things, who invites us to request them of Him, and still not go to Him and ask of Him – this would be of as little profit as for a man to neglect a treasure, buried and hidden in the earth, after it had been pointed out to him."
- John Calvin

"As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night."
Matthew 14:22 Message

THE HOUSE OF GOD

"The church is not a building made with stone. It is a building made with living flesh. We believers are living stones in God’s temple (1 Pet. 2:5), and when we come together we constitute a place of worship where God manifests Himself in ways that He cannot manifest Himself when we are alone. Believers become the living temple of God, offering to Him spiritual sacrifices not possible anywhere other than in the assembly of the redeemed church."
- John MacArthur

"All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence."
Ephesians 1:20 Message

DISCIPLESHIP

"Each of us is accountable to God for our personal holiness. At the same time, God never intended that we should battle sin single-handedly… Is it sometimes hard to confess my need and ask for help? Absolutely! It requires that I humble myself and acknowledge that I don’t have it all together. The very pride that keeps you from taking off your mask and getting real is the same pride that will cause you to fall into sin. Humbling yourself by letting others into your life and allowing them to help you and hold you accountable will release the sanctifying, transforming grace of God in your life."
- Nancy Leigh DeMoss

"We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing."
2 Thessolonians 1:3 NIV

GIVING

"The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving."
- Albert Einstein

"But a generous man devises generous things, And by generosity he shall stand."
Isaiah 32:NKJV

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 14

THE WORD OF GOD

"For those who believe, the living presence of Jesus Christ and the relevance of his Word is as real today as when he walked and talked on earth. Eternal, final, alive, and relevant- these adjectives describe the living Word."
- David L. McKenna

"You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope."
Psalm 119:114 NLT

PRAYER

"The story of every great Christian achievement is the history of answered prayer."
- E.M. Bounds

"In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart]."
Psalm 5:3 Amp

THE HOUSE OF GOD

"They, who would grow in grace, must love the habitation of God’s house. It is those that are planted in the courts of the Lord who shall flourish, and not those that are occasionally there."
- John Angell James

"Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God."
Psalm 92:13

DISCIPLESHIP

"In the spiritual life only one thing produces genuine joy and that is obedience."
- Richard Foster

"The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty."
Proverbs 21:5 NKJV

GIVING

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
- Jim Elliot

"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
Matthew 10:42

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 13

THE WORD OF GOD

"The Bible is God's chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you where the harbour is, and how to reach it without running on rocks and bars."
- Henry Ward Beecher

"Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified."
Acts 20:25-32

PRAYER

"I believe in prayer.  It's the best way we have to draw strength from heaven."
- Josephine Baker

"Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed."
Mark 1:35

THE HOUSE OF GOD

"Church isn't a building. Church is who we are. Church is the human outworking of the person of Jesus Christ....lets be the Church!"
- Bridget Willard

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever."
Psalm 23:6

DISCIPLESHIP

"Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike."
- Theodore Roosevelt

"My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind."
John 10:25 Message

GIVING

"From an eternal perspective we only keep what we give away."
- Unknown

"But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
Mark 12:42-44 NIV

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 12

THE WORD OF GOD

"It is impossible to enslave mentally or socially a Bible-reading people. The principles of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom."
- Horace Greeley

"I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free."
Psalm 119:32 NIV

PRAYER

"Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night."
- George Herbert

"I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray."
Psalm 17:6 NLT

THE HOUSE OF GOD

"You can be committed to Church but not committed to Christ, but you cannot be committed to Christ and not committed to church."
- Joel Osteen

"So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’"
Mark 11:15-17

DISCIPLESHIP

"If Christ does not reign over the mundane events in our lives, He does not reign at all."
- Paul Tripp

"Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter."
Matthew 7:21

GIVING

"Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can."
- John Wesley

"A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great."
Proverbs 18:16 NIV

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 11

THE WORD OF GOD

"The Bible is the Constitution of Christianity."
- Billy Graham

"Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe."
1 Thessalonians 2:13 NLT

PRAYER

"Pray, and let God worry."
- Martin Luther

"I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray."
Psalm 17:6 NLT

THE HOUSE OF GOD

"The True Church can never fail. For it is based upon a rock."
- T. S. Eliot

"For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building."
1 Corinthians 3:9 NIV

DISCIPLESHIP

"Habits are to the soul what the veins and arteries are to the blood, the courses in which it moves."
- Horace Bushnell

"Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."
John 18:12 NLT

GIVING

"‘Our gifts are God given and so as a wise master builder He awaits a return on His investment’ - He believes we can."
- Paul de Jong

"So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’"
Matthew 25:20-21

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 10

THE WORD OF GOD

"The Bible is one of the greatest blessings bestowed by God on the children of men. It has God for its Author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture for its matter. It is all pure, all sincere; nothing too much; nothing wanting!"
- John Locke

"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you."
1 Peter 1:23-25

PRAYER

“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” 
- Mahatma Gandhi

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose."
Acts 16:25-26 NIV

THE HOUSE OF GOD

"The very first time the House of God is mentioned in the Bible, it is a place of Awakening. God's plan for His House is that it will be a place where we are continually awakened to God's, presence, purpose and potential for our lives."
- Jonathan Wilson

"Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, 'Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.'"
Genesis 28:16 NIV

DISCIPLESHIP

"Some wish to hear the word of God, others wish to receive it."
- Anonymous

"The Lord God has given Me the tongue of a disciple and of one who is taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He wakens Me morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as a disciple [as one who is taught]."
Isaiah 50:4 Amp

GIVING

"If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life."
- Anonymous

"The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped."
Proverbs 11:24-25 Message

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 9

THE WORD OF GOD

"Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian."
- AW Tozer

"Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do."
Joshua 1:7-8 NLT

PRAYER

"The trouble with our praying is, we just do it as a means of last resort."
- Will Rogers

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."
Phillipians 4:6-7 Message

THE HOUSE OF GOD

"We are called to be part of the body of Christ, so an isolated faith isn’t part of God’s plan."
- Anonymous

"Do you not discern and understand that you [the whole church at Corinth] are God's temple (His sanctuary), and that God's Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you [to be at home in you, collectively as a church and also individually]?"
1 Corinthians 3:16 Amp

DISCIPLESHIP

"There is a whole generation of Christians that has come up believing that it is possible to accept Christ without forsaking the world."
- AW Tozer

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12:1-2 NIV
 

GIVING

"Bountiful sowers live with enlarged expectation. Investors are those who truly believe tomorrow rewards what they sow."
- Paul de Jong

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Luke 6:38 NIV

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 8

THE WORD OF GOD

"The study of God's Word, for the purpose of discovering God's will, is the secret discipline, which has formed the greatest characters."
- James W. Alexander

"Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth."
2 Timothy 2:15 Amp

PRAYER

"No one is a firmer believer in the power of prayer than the devil; not that he practices it, but he suffers from it."
- Guy H. King

"The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous."
Proverbs 15:29

THE HOUSE OF GOD

“Trying to be a Christian without a connection to the local church is like trying to have a marriage without interacting and communicating with your spouse. The church is a critical piece of a relationship with God. In fact, a relationship with God is seriously compromised apart from the local church.”
― Thom S. Rainer

"As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
1 Peter 2:4-5

DISCIPLESHIP

"The bigger problem with the world today is not radical Islam but nominal Christianity"
- Anon

"And His disciples remembered that it is written [in the Holy Scriptures], Zeal (the fervor of love) for Your house will eat Me up. [I will be consumed with jealousy for the honor of Your house.]"
John 2:17 Amp

GIVING

"To make a difference is not a matter of accident or casual occurrence of the tides. People choose to make a difference."
- Maya Angelou

"To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away."
Matthew 25:29 NLT

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 7

THE WORD OF GOD

"The Bible redirects my will, cleanses my emotions, enlightens my mind, and quickens my total being."
- John Locke

"I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread."
Job 23:12 NIV

PRAYER

"It is not the body's posture, but the heart's attitude that counts when we pray."
- Billy Graham

"And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive."
Mathew 21:22 Amp

THE HOUSE OF GOD

"Churchgoers are like coals in a fire. When they cling together, they keep the flame aglow; when they separate, they die out."
- Billy Graham

"I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD."
Psalm 122:1 NKJV

DISCIPLESHIP

"Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering."
- Theodore Roosevelt

"Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention."
Matthew 7:13-14 Message

GIVING

A young man named Bob was given a brand new car by his brother. Bob closed his office early, and as he got into his new car to go home, he noticed a street kid admiring it. 
"Is this your car?" the boy asked. 
Bob said, "Yep, my brother gave it to me as a gift." 
"A gift," the boy said. "It didn't cost you anything?" 
"Not one cent," Bob answered. "He gave it to me for nothing." 
The street kid said, "Boy, I wish I ..." 
As he spoke, Bob thought, "I know what he's going to say: 'I wish I had a brother like that!'" But instead the boy Bob exclaimed, "I wish I could be a brother like that!" It so amazed Bob that he invited the boy to go for a ride around the block. As they rode along, the boy said, "My house is right there; could you stop a minute in front?" He jumped out of the car and ran up the stairs. Bob thought, "He probably wants to show off in front of his family." But the boy came down the stairs carrying his little invalid brother, saying, "See, Johnny? What I told you was true! His brother gave him that car. And one day I'm going to get you a car just like that, and we're going to go driving around and see all the stuff I've been telling you about!"

"And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
Acts 20:35 NKJV

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 6

THE WORD OF GOD

"The word of God hidden in the heart is a stubborn voice to suppress."
- Billy Graham

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."
Psalm 119:9-11 NIV

PRAYER

"Prayer is exhaling the spirit of man and inhaling the spirit of God."
- Edwin Keith

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
Matthew 7:9-11 NIV

THE HOUSE OF GOD

"Faith goes up the stairs that love has made and looks out the window which hope has opened."
- C. H. Spurgeon

"These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
1 Timothy 3:14-15 NKJV

DISCIPLESHIP

"Plant a word in the mind, and you will reap an act. Plant the act and you will reap a habit. Plant a habit and you will reap a character. Plant a character and you will reap a nature. Plant a nature and you will reap a destiny."
- Unknown

"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him."
John 13:14-16 NIV

GIVING

"Deep down in the human heart is a hidden longing, impulse, ambition to do something fine and enduring."
- Grenville Kleiser

"If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?"
Matthew 16:25-26 NLT

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 5

THE WORD OF GOD

"When you read God's Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, 'It is talking to me, and about me.'"
- Soren Kierkegaard

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does."
James 1:22-25 NIV

PRAYER

"God speaks in the silence of the heart.  Listening is the beginning of prayer."
- Mother Teresa

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
James 4:8 NKJV

THE HOUSE OF GOD

"The church is not here to meet our needs. We are the church here to meet the needs of the world."
- Erwin McManus

"When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Matthew 16:13-19 NKJV

DISCIPLESHIP

"Men do not decide their future. They decide their habits and their habits decide their future."
- Unknown

"And He said to them, Come after Me [as disciples--letting Me be your Guide], follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men!"
Matthew 4:19 Amp

GIVING

"Don't be afraid of out-giving God. It is impossible to do that."
- Charles R. Swindoll

"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life."
Mark 10:29-30 NIV

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - Day 4

THE WORD OF GOD

"The Bible is the truest utterance that ever came by alphabetic letters from the soul of man, through which, as through a window divinely opened, all men can look into the stillness of eternity, and discern in glimpses their far-distant, long-forgotten home."
- Thomas Carlyle

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."
Psalm 119:105 NIV

PRAYER

"Remember that the greatest heights of leadership wisdom are entirely inferior to the power of prayer."
- Brian Houston

"Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'"
Matthew 9:37-38 NIV

THE HOUSE OF GOD

When Mother Teresa was asked what she thought the world’s greatest problem was. She answered: 'We draw the circle of our family too small’

"And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."
Acts 2:40-47 NKJV

DISCIPLESHIP

"No man has the mind of Christ, except him who makes it his business to obey him."
- George MacDonald

"He quoted a proverb: 'Can a blind man guide a blind man?' Wouldn't they both end up in the ditch? An apprentice doesn't lecture the master. The point is to be careful who you follow as your teacher."
Luke 6:39 Message

GIVING

"The difference between what we do and what we can do, is enough to solve all of the world's problems."
- Mahatma Ghandi

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:19-21 NIV