“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.”  HEBREWS 11:6

One of the main themes in the Bible is that God longs to be with His people. From Genesis to Revelation, we see God’s desire to be in the midst of His people on earth and for all of eternity. We celebrate and cherish God’s pursuit of us.  The Spirit of God is constantly wooing us to the Father’s heart as He points us to Jesus. At the same time, we are invited to seek after God and to draw close to Him. As we do, God promises to come near and allow us to experience ever increasing depths of His presence. This is what our 2021 Withhold to Behold fast is all about – drawing near to God.  Our heart as we start the year is to withhold from something (food, activity, etc) in order that we could behold (see, experience, etc.) Jesus and be transformed by His presence. We pray that these 21 days unites our community with the Father’s heart and at the same time, fosters unity throughout our region. Let’s draw near to God knowing that He will draw near to us as we start the New Year!

Prayer Prompts:

• Ask for a greater awareness of God in your life – not just the big moments but in the everyday normal moments that make up most of our lives.
• Ask to better see and understand who God is and what He is like as you begin 2020.
• Ask God to pour out His Spirit on our community as we seek His Kingdom above all else!

DAILY PRAYER OF DECLARATION

Take a moment each morning of your fast to center, focus, and shape your day by declaring these transformational truths through prayer.

Father, I love You and I thank You for loving me. I confess that You are who You say You are; that I am who You say that I am and I have what You say that I have.

I confess that You are all powerful, all knowing and all present. You are Loving, Perfect, Good, Faithful, Holy, Righteous, Forgiving, Glorious, Gracious, Merciful, Patient, Just, and Kind.

I confess that I am made in Your image and I am Your child and that You are pleased with me and love me more than I could ever think or imagine. I know You don’t love me because I am good but because You are good.

I confess that I am in Christ and Christ is in me and because of that I am now alive and free. I have been made righteous and holy and I am no longer a slave to sin, fear, guilt, or shame.

I confess that I am Your heir and Your masterpiece and You have a plan for my life. You have blessed me with every spiritual blessing and have given me everything I need for life. Today, Father, Your kingdom come; Your will be done in my life and family as it is in heaven.

I confess I am a co-heir with Christ and have the mind of Christ and I am His ambassador. I am more than a conqueror and have authority over all the power of the enemy and no weapon formed against me will prosper. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.