Refocus:

Week 1

What is the purpose of calling a church-wide time of fasting, prayer, and worship?
- Wake up call
- Call to refocus
- Individual spiritual growth
- Corporate spiritual growth
- Prepare for Easter Sunday

Since the moment the serpent presented himself in the garden, humanity has been obsessed with becoming God like, instead of enjoying God.

“Not to enjoy God is to dishonor Him.” - John Piper (Desiring God)

Surrender, Devotion, Discipline

Spiritual Disciplines:
- Bible Study
- Giving
- Prayer
- Fasting
- Worship
- Serving

Disciplines lead to habits; habits lead to lifestyles.

Fasting

Matthew 9:14-15

“Spiritual disciplines aren’t about making us more precious to God, but making God more precious to us.” - Matt Smethurst

“Is fasting Christian? It is if it comes from confidence in Christ and is sustained by the power of Christ and aims at the glory of Christ.” - John Piper

Acts 13:1-3 & Acts 14:23

Luke 4:1-2

Scripture tells us of God’s people fasting…
- for Deliverance - 2 Chronicles 20:3-4
- in Mourning - 2 Samuel 1:11-12
- for Repentance - Joel 2:12

Matthew 6:16-18

John Piper - A Hunger for God
- We fast because we’re hungry for God’s Word and God’s Spirit in our lives.
- We fast because we long for God’s Glory to resound in the church and God’s praise to resound among the nations.
- We fast because we yearn for God’s Son to return and God’s kingdom to come.
- Ultimately we fast simply because we want God more than we want anything this world has to offer us.

What is contending for your time and dependance?
- food
- entertainment
- passivity (sleep, lazy, wasteful)

Health and accountability

Resources:
- Power Through Prayer, EM Bounds
- A Hunger for God, John Piper
- Scripture Reading Guide
- Prayer Guide

Week 2

Daniel 6:10-13 NIV

Daniel was so consistent about his prayer life that his accusers who wanted him destroyed knew the best way to do it was to make a law about prayer

Psalm 55:16-17
16 But I call to God,
and the Lord will save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon
I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.

3 Hours of Prayer
- Acts 2:15 (3rd hour)
- Acts 10:9 (6th hour)
- Acts 3:1 (9th hour)
[9am, 12 pm, 3pm]

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing

…we ought always to raise our minds upwards towards God, and pray without ceasing, yet such is our weakness, which requires to be supported, such our torpor, which requires to be stimulated, that it is requisite for us to appoint special hours for this exercise, hours which are not to pass away without prayer, and during which the whole affections of our minds are to be completely occupied; namely, when we rise in the morning, before we commence our daily work, when we sit down to food, when by the blessing of God we have taken it, and when we retire to rest. —John Calvin

We need to have frequent, spontaneous check-ins with God but we also need one-on-one, intentional time spent with Him

Add structure to your prayer life that is repeatable, that is uninterrupted, where you can daily meet with your God and Savior
Pray without ceasing in quick meetings with God throughout the day
- Wake up
- Before meals
- In the car
- As we walk in the office
- On the toilet
- Lunch break
- At the gym
- When we get home before we turn on the tv or take out the phone
- After the kids go to bed
- Before we close our eyes
What can I pray?
- Prayer Lists
- Repeated prayers
- Lord’s Prayer in your own words (Matthew 6:9-13)
Pray alone, pray with your spouse, pray with your kids, pray with your church

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Repeated Prayers:
- Psalms (Psalm 4 - at night; Psalm 5 - in the morning; Psalm 23 - of gratitude; Psalm 46 - of protection; Psalm 63 - of seeking God above all; Psalm 51 - of confession; many, many more)
- Philippians 2:5-11, 1 Timothy 5:17, 1 Timothy 3:16, Colossians 1:15-20, Hebrews 1:1-3, 1 Peter 2:21-25 (repeated hymns or prayers of the NT church)
- Lord’s Prayer
- Repeated prayers of Augustine in 4th century
- Apostles Creed
- Book of Common Prayer (Anglican) 1500s
- Valley of Vision (Puritans (1600-1700s)

Week 3

We need to have frequent, spontaneous check-ins with God but we also need one-on-one, intentional time spent with Him

Worship

John 4:19-20

John 4:21-24

Worship can happen wherever, whenever, & nearly however, but the most important aspect is the who.

3 Perspectives of worship:
- Worship as proclamation
- Worship as response
- Worship as motivation

Worship as proclamation

“Reverent corporate worship…is not optional for the church of God. It is not a form of group behavior to be accepted just because of its long tradition or its acceptability in many cultures. Rather, [corporate worship] brings to expression the very being of the church. It manifests on earth the reality of the heavenly assembly.” - Edmund Clowney

Worship is, and must only be about God.

1 Chronicles 16:23-31

Worship as response.

We are fickle creatures whose worship follows whoever or whatever grants our most immediate desires.

God is a loving God who grants our most desperate needs.

“If we knew what God knows, we would ask exactly for what He gives.” - Tim Keller

Our engagement in worship is often an indication of the degree to which we trust God.

“God is glorified not only in His glory’s being seen, but by its being rejoiced in.” - Jonathan Edwards

Worship as motivation

“Missions exist because worship doesn’t.” - John Piper

Matthew 28:19-20

The purpose of our gathering is to glorify God and commission God’s people.

“We gather for worship and then we scatter for witness.” - David Platt

If you are a follower of Jesus, your most accurate description should be as a worshipper of God.