"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 i will hear from heaven, and i will forgive their sin and will heal their land. "
- 2 CHRONICLES 7:14

As we begin a new year together, we remind ourselves that prayer is not our last resort, it's our first response. Prayer should be a priority in our lives. Whether we're celebrating, mourning, seeking, or simply saying 'thank you,' our first instinct should always be to go to God in prayer.
We’re beginning a 21-day period of fasting and prayer designed to prioritize our relationship with God and focus our attention on what matters most. How you start the year matters. We want to encourage and empower you to start 2022 seeking God's wisdom, strength, and direction for your life.
Whether you can't imagine your life without prayer or you can't imagine where to begin, the power of prayer isn't determined by the presentation

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Follow us on social for reminders & inspiration.
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Decide how & what you’re going to fast. See more info below.
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Carve out a specific time each day where you can spend time with God.
 Tip: Set a reminder or a calendar time in your phone to remind you.
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Write down what you are learning about God and yourself.
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Give yourself grace. It’s about progress not perfection. Spending 10 days with God is better than none.

Morning person, night owl, play to your strengths and choose a time that gives you the best mix of alertness and quiet. There will be times of course where you will want to stretch and go out of the bounds of your typical schedule, but you will want to focus first on establishing a routine.

Now maybe you’ve had a raging debate in your past about the length of time spent in prayer. A good approach would be to challenge yourself to increase whatever you have already established for a set number of weeks. So, if you’re at, say, 15 minutes daily, try bumping up to 20 minutes daily with a goal to do so consecutively over a month. This approach gives you a chance to look back over your progress and press in even for even more time in the future.

The last thing you would want to happen while you are deep in prayer is to have that ringer go off. Disturbances are certainly part of life, but you do have a say in whether they become distractions to your sacred moments with God.
Head off the interruptions by being proactive. Know that you have an itch to reach for your phone to check out the latest message on the feed? Silence the notifications for the duration of your quiet time. Have a tendency to start creating mental to-do lists in the middle of worship? Before lifting holy hands, go ahead and write your tasks down so you have peace of mind. It’s worth the planning to create a nearly impermeable boundary when it comes to getting closer to God. ‍

Prayer does not have to be limited to you speaking. After all, the desire is to expand your relationship with God. Your rhythm of time spent with him can be a combination of Bible reading, worship, and/or meditation. In fact, God can use these elements to speak right back to you.

Journaling is a great way to keep a record of your prayers. And with quiet time guides like the SOAP method, a reflective prayer is built into your writing.
How do you SOAP? Start with Scripture. Focus in on a specific passage of the Bible. Then Observe. Highlight, underline, note, or if you’re techy, make a photo image of what stands out to you from the passage. Next is the Application. Jot down the ways you can apply the message behind what you’ve read in a practical way. Last, but never least, is Prayer. Thank God for the revelation found and ask for his help in keeping it in your heart.

Everyone could use a little help, especially when going from one habit into another. This is where technology really shines. And there are low tech options as well, post visual reminders around your space. Maybe ask a friend to join along with you for added accountability.

With some effort, creativity, and preparation, you will find the habit of prayer becoming just that, your habit of prayer. As your conversations with God grow, so too will your joy. You will find delight in going straight to the source of hope and strength.

Make space for God, knowing that your prayers are being heard. He is listening and is ready to give you the solutions your soul needs every day.

In addition to this time of prayer, we would love for you to join us in fasting over the next 21 days! Whether you decide to give up a certain type of food or take a break from social media, this form of self-denial, when used to focus on prayer, will align your heart with the heart of God.

Please remember that every person is different and you should only choose what is a healthy and safe choice for you.
Below are some common types of fasts you may be interested in: