2023 New Year Commitment
2023 New Year Commitment
January 8 – 28
INTRODUCTION
Here is a simple guide for you to use during the next 21 days. To start off the new year right, we are encouraging you to grow in your walk with Christ in three areas: reading, praying and fasting. We desire for this to be helpful to you as you pursue Jesus daily.
Reading
When
Morning or Evening: Jesus and the psalmists are often found praying in the morning (e.g., Psalm 5:3; Luke 4:42). The evenings less so, but choose a time when you are at your best and most attentive.
Lunch Break: If you have time during your workday to read during your lunch or another break, this might be a perfect way to spend your time.
Anytime: Some of you may have such busy lives that you need to fit it in whenever you can. This is totally normal. Make sure that whatever time you decide to read your Bible that you are in a place where you can focus and reflect on God’s Word.
What
Bible Reading Plan: Choose a plan and work the plan. If you miss some days, do not try to catch up. Simply pick up where you left off.
Journal: We recommend using a simple journal that’s easy to use. You can find these at just about any store, especially book stores or online.
Pen: Take notes within your Bible or a journal.
How
Pray: Ask God to speak to you through his Word. And then expect God to speak. Your approach to God’s Word will greatly impact your times of personal worship. Ask God to search your heart and to transform your life.
Read: Take notes as you read. If you have a question or have difficulty understanding something, use the study Bible notes to explore answers.
Journal: (try to limit it to one page per day to start): Start a new page and record the date and Scripture you read on the top line. Write down a verse or two that stood out to you. Stay focused on what God is saying through his Word that intersects with your everyday life. This is not about speculation, private interpretations or manipulating God’s Word to say what you want it to say. This is about bringing Christ to your everyday life based on the truth of God’s Word rightly interpreted.
When
Morning or Evening: Jesus and the psalmists are often found praying in the morning (e.g., Psalm 5:3; Luke 4:42). The evenings less so, but choose a time when you are at your best and most attentive.
Lunch Break: If you have time during your workday to read during your lunch or another break, this might be a perfect way to spend your time.
Anytime: Some of you may have such busy lives that you need to fit it in whenever you can. This is totally normal. Make sure that whatever time you decide to read your Bible that you are in a place where you can focus and reflect on God’s Word.
What
Bible Reading Plan: Choose a plan and work the plan. If you miss some days, do not try to catch up. Simply pick up where you left off.
Journal: We recommend using a simple journal that’s easy to use. You can find these at just about any store, especially book stores or online.
Pen: Take notes within your Bible or a journal.
How
Pray: Ask God to speak to you through his Word. And then expect God to speak. Your approach to God’s Word will greatly impact your times of personal worship. Ask God to search your heart and to transform your life.
Read: Take notes as you read. If you have a question or have difficulty understanding something, use the study Bible notes to explore answers.
Journal: (try to limit it to one page per day to start): Start a new page and record the date and Scripture you read on the top line. Write down a verse or two that stood out to you. Stay focused on what God is saying through his Word that intersects with your everyday life. This is not about speculation, private interpretations or manipulating God’s Word to say what you want it to say. This is about bringing Christ to your everyday life based on the truth of God’s Word rightly interpreted.
DURING THE FAST, WE WOULD ASK YOU TO SEEK GOD ON THE FOLLOWING TOPICS—BOTH FOR YOURSELF AND FOR OUR CHURCH.
Praying
We are praying for specific things each week during this 21 Day commitment to fast and pray. Click on any of the weeks below to see the topic for that week.
Heart For The House
We believe our local church has an incredible opportunity to reach and serve our community. As we begin this new year, and move toward Easter, take time to pray for our congregation. Pray that we would be a place of love. Pray that no hypocrisy would slip into our church family. This is also an important time to pray over the church’s resources. Pray that this new year would see financial stability and growth. We must all learn to be good stewards of the time, money, and resources that God has given us. We do all of this for his kingdom and his kingdom alone!
Fill The House
We believe that we will see our House filled to capacity by Easter. For this to be a reality, we must be a people of prayer asking the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of men, women, and children so they might have new life in Christ. We believe this for our neighbors, co-workers, families, and friends. Pray for opportunities to invite people to Wake and for the opportunity to disciple someone this new year. We believe that a move of God only happens through the power of prayer from his children who have hearts postured in humility and repentance. Together, let’s trust that God will fill the house!
Wake Up
We refuse to be a people who fall into a spiritual slumber. In this new year seek God to spiritually awaken you in areas of your life that might be asleep. Together let’s pray that God would wake us up to see the beauty of who He is so that anything in our lives that does not have value would fall away. Getting rid of worthless, sin-filled desires only happens when we truly delight in Christ. So wake up, enjoy God and be alert for the mission that God has called us to in our city and community.
Fasting
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT FASTING?
Biblical fasting involves abstaining from eating (and/or drinking) for spiritual purposes:
In the Old Testament, Israel celebrated certain annual fasts, the most prominent being the Day of Atonement. There were also occasional fasts tied to specific historical events, sometimes individual and sometimes corporate. Here are a few ofthe occasions for fasting: at a time of grief (I Sam. 31 :13; Nehemiah 1 :4), at a time of repentance (I Sam 7:6; I Kings 21 :27), as an expression of humility (Ezra 8:21; Psalm 69: 10) and as an expression of a need for God’s guidance and help. All of these fasts express a common dependence on God. Several New Testament passages give us insight about fasting.
Fasting teaches us that God’s Word nourishes us:
Matthew 4: 1-4 records the only example of Jesus fasting, just prior to his being tempted in the wilderness. He faced temptation with these words “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 8:3-5 which talks about the 40 years Israel spent in the wilderness, depending daily on manna to sustain them. He says that God humbled them and let them be hungry in order to teach them to depend on God’s Word to sustain them. By His example of fasting, Jesus reminds us that food alone can’t sustain us. We need to be nourished by God’s Word.
Fasting teaches us that doing God’s will sustains us:
John 4:31-35 records Jesus encounter with the woman at the well. When the disciples return they encourage Jesus to eat. He responds by saying “I have food to eat that you know not of,” then He adds “My food is to do the will of the Father.” Again, Jesus reminds us that food alone is not enough. We are sustained by doing God’s will.
Fasting teaches us that Jesus Himself sustains us:
In John 6:48-50 Jesus says “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.” We see this pictured symbolically in the bread and the cup of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus is the source of eternal life. Fasting is feasting on Jesus. Jesus commanded that fasting would be a part of His disciple’s spiritual life. In Matthew 6:16-18, He says “when you fast,” not “if you fast.” He warns us not to fast to impress people, but to be near to the heart of God.
FASTING IS DESIGNED TO INTENSIFY OUR DEPENDENCE ON GOD BY WEAKENING OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOOD AND OTHER THINGS.
There are few purposes as to why we fast, how long we choose to fast, and what kinds of fasts we choose. View these short documents to get a better grasp on your part of this fasting and prayer commitment.