First of all, thank you for being willing to pray for Cobham. We need it and deeply appreciate it.
Prayer focuses for Cobham:
- We’ve had 3 people join us over the last year, which is great but we desire many more. Flourishing for Cobham has to include numerical increase. We need people to join KingsGate Cobham with a heart to reinvigorate it. A consultant once told me reviving an existing organisation takes more energy than it took to start it, so we need more people who are prepared to pitch in to make Cobham the flourishing place the Lord wants it to be. We also need a lot of undergirding prayer.
- A prophetic dream by one of the Christians in Cobham just won’t let me go. It was of a room with a mezzanine floor. On the mezzanine floor were all God’s gifts and resources the church could want for Cobham. Unfortunately, the ladder that came down from the mezzanine was far too short and didn’t reach the ground floor, so all the provisions and resources from God weren’t reaching us.
The scriptures speak of Christ as being the ladder between heaven and earth. Jesus said, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man [the bridge between heaven and earth]’ John 1:51 (Ampl.). We want to ensure Jesus is the focus and the centre, so he provides the resources we need. This picture is for all the churches in Cobham.
Conclusion:
Here are 9 things fasting does according to the Scriptures. Let’s believe for all these things to be happening as we fast and pray this week:
- Fasting is useless if we do it superficially, religiously, and particularly if the rest of our lifestyle reflects disobedience to God.
Isaiah 58:3 Jeremiah 14:12; Zechariah 7:5; Luke 18:12 - Praying in the fulfilment of prophecies. Daniel 9:2-3
- To mourn for the state of God’s people; to enquire of God what to do about it; and to obtain favour with people, in order to have success in what we do. Nehemiah 1:3-4
- Enquiring for strategies and timing. Judges 20:26-28
- People who pray and fast regularly are sometimes given privileged glimpses into God’s purposes. Luke 2:37; Acts 13:2-3
- To gain understanding from God. Dan 10:3,12
- To lend great weight to our prayers. Joel 1:14; 2:12,15; Acts 14:23
- To humble ourselves in repentance before God and to indicate a desire to return to the Lord with all our heart. 1 Samuel 7:6; 1 Kings 21:27; Nehemiah 9:3; Jonah 3:5
- To enlist God’s help, direction and protection. Ezra 8:21
Bless you for wanting to count for the Kingdom.
Sean
