Book eleven here.
Book one here.
Chapter One
Prayer notes from week two of the fast:
Prayer notes from week two of the fast:
1. We are being called to maturity and obedience. Not half or 90 percent of us, all of us as a church, together. You have called us to a higher standard than most churches. We must do this.
2. Matt 5:23-24 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
Father, show me where I need to reconcile. I don’t want to bring a detestable gift to the altar.
3. I just spent the last ten minutes wrestling with my flesh. I think I should be doing more in the church. But I don't have any duties, ministries, or obligations. Father, you have taken it all away and have called me to pray. That's it. My feelings and ambitions don't matter.
4. How critical it is for me to be obedient! No recognition, accolades, or the praise of men. Just the way it it should be. I suddenly see what a privilege I possess to just pray.
5. Gillian: "The power is not in fasting. It's in obedience. The Lord has asked us to pray that His kingdom come on earth, His will be done. Fasting clears the debris of our flesh and worldly desires and enables us to walk in heaven's light, thrive in the ministry of prayer."
6. Some of us have a condition, I deem it H and D syndrome. This is the Hopes and Dreams of our youth. Doctor, business owner, singer, fireman, millionaire, actor, rock star, etc..
Life, however, has brought us to a different place, yet we tenaciously hold onto H and D and never actually live the life you have given us. If we have a wife, we need to be a husband. Children? We need to be parents. Bills? Get a job and work for a living!
The life we've been given is the life we should live.
7. Father, don't allow the fast to be self-focused. I pray our vision turns upward and outward.
8. I had resolved to be at every evening gathering but I couldn't come last night, Monday. What did I miss? Holy Spirit, bring me back up to speed.
9. Matt 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The secret place is where you are. What is this place? How do I go there?
We are all men of the flesh. How do we learn to walk according to the Spirit? That's the spiritual man. The spiritual man can go to the secret place with confidence.
What is the reward of the secret place? You reveal your secrets!
Psalm 25:14 The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.
10. I must go farther along this train of thought. "His covenant." That's Christ crucified! Your covenant... you show us Jesus!
Colo 2:27 ...God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Christ in you... I don't have to go far to go to the secret place. You're much closer than I thought.
I don't need a "war room" or some sort of retreat. Holy Spirit, help me to understand.
11. I drive by a health club every morning and there's dozens of cars parked there. Every day at 5:30 am. These people are dedicated and committed.
I have actually wept as I've driven past. Wept because they seem more interested in physical health than in spiritual health.
But then I arrive at the church and the parking lot is empty. Where are the committed saints who will rise early in the morning and join together?
In my weeping I am persuaded this is coming. I hold onto hope, knowing your desire is to bring revival to your church.
12. John 8:47 Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God.
Holy Spirit, help us to hear what you speak.
13. Half way through the fast. Father, what should I be seeing? In what ways have you been moving? I am encouraged by the prayers I've been hearing. People are praying for the kingdom, for revival.
After the fast is over, don't let us go back to the way we were. Don't let us settle back into the way church was before the fast.
If it does, I don't know if I will be able to bear it. I cannot abide by a church that is satisfied with yesterday's blessing. I won't sit through another year of nice songs and pleasant sermons.
Is quitting the answer? No. It would mean me admitting that the promise of revival was something from my vain imagination. Others who believed it over the past decades were mistaken.
No, I am persuaded you are going to do something amazing in these last days. The move of God we've cried out for will surely come.
14. Eph 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think...
"Think," noeó, discerning or comprehending, often implying a deeper insight or reflection beyond mere surface observation.
Father, you are able to exceed what our minds can understand, even more than our deepest thoughts.
...according to the power at work within us...
The things you can do are that amazing, and that power is in us. Power in us beyond our ability to understand. What shall we do with this power? Most of don't even know that it's there or how to tap into it.
2. Matt 5:23-24 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
Father, show me where I need to reconcile. I don’t want to bring a detestable gift to the altar.
3. I just spent the last ten minutes wrestling with my flesh. I think I should be doing more in the church. But I don't have any duties, ministries, or obligations. Father, you have taken it all away and have called me to pray. That's it. My feelings and ambitions don't matter.
4. How critical it is for me to be obedient! No recognition, accolades, or the praise of men. Just the way it it should be. I suddenly see what a privilege I possess to just pray.
5. Gillian: "The power is not in fasting. It's in obedience. The Lord has asked us to pray that His kingdom come on earth, His will be done. Fasting clears the debris of our flesh and worldly desires and enables us to walk in heaven's light, thrive in the ministry of prayer."
6. Some of us have a condition, I deem it H and D syndrome. This is the Hopes and Dreams of our youth. Doctor, business owner, singer, fireman, millionaire, actor, rock star, etc..
Life, however, has brought us to a different place, yet we tenaciously hold onto H and D and never actually live the life you have given us. If we have a wife, we need to be a husband. Children? We need to be parents. Bills? Get a job and work for a living!
The life we've been given is the life we should live.
7. Father, don't allow the fast to be self-focused. I pray our vision turns upward and outward.
8. I had resolved to be at every evening gathering but I couldn't come last night, Monday. What did I miss? Holy Spirit, bring me back up to speed.
9. Matt 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The secret place is where you are. What is this place? How do I go there?
We are all men of the flesh. How do we learn to walk according to the Spirit? That's the spiritual man. The spiritual man can go to the secret place with confidence.
What is the reward of the secret place? You reveal your secrets!
Psalm 25:14 The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.
10. I must go farther along this train of thought. "His covenant." That's Christ crucified! Your covenant... you show us Jesus!
Colo 2:27 ...God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Christ in you... I don't have to go far to go to the secret place. You're much closer than I thought.
I don't need a "war room" or some sort of retreat. Holy Spirit, help me to understand.
11. I drive by a health club every morning and there's dozens of cars parked there. Every day at 5:30 am. These people are dedicated and committed.
I have actually wept as I've driven past. Wept because they seem more interested in physical health than in spiritual health.
But then I arrive at the church and the parking lot is empty. Where are the committed saints who will rise early in the morning and join together?
In my weeping I am persuaded this is coming. I hold onto hope, knowing your desire is to bring revival to your church.
12. John 8:47 Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God.
Holy Spirit, help us to hear what you speak.
13. Half way through the fast. Father, what should I be seeing? In what ways have you been moving? I am encouraged by the prayers I've been hearing. People are praying for the kingdom, for revival.
After the fast is over, don't let us go back to the way we were. Don't let us settle back into the way church was before the fast.
If it does, I don't know if I will be able to bear it. I cannot abide by a church that is satisfied with yesterday's blessing. I won't sit through another year of nice songs and pleasant sermons.
Is quitting the answer? No. It would mean me admitting that the promise of revival was something from my vain imagination. Others who believed it over the past decades were mistaken.
No, I am persuaded you are going to do something amazing in these last days. The move of God we've cried out for will surely come.
14. Eph 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think...
"Think," noeó, discerning or comprehending, often implying a deeper insight or reflection beyond mere surface observation.
Father, you are able to exceed what our minds can understand, even more than our deepest thoughts.
...according to the power at work within us...
The things you can do are that amazing, and that power is in us. Power in us beyond our ability to understand. What shall we do with this power? Most of don't even know that it's there or how to tap into it.
Chapter Two
1. Third week of the fast and I haven't felt like rejoicing, I've felt like I'm still in week one repenting. With only a couple of days to go in the fast I'm still looking for firm evidence that people's hearts are turning to you in desperation. Yes there are a few, but not enough.
Even me.
2. It's true you don't need a fast to do this among us. But the fast is a special time, when people's ears might be more open and receptive. So I'm afraid that we'll just have a momentary spark of your glory that is quickly forgotten.
This brings weeping to my eyes. It's almost like, if we don't get it this time, maybe we won't have another chance?
Oh, man. Is that my flesh talking? Where is my faith?
3. Gillian: "I do not kid myself that we will see the revival we are praying for, until I see the prayers that stir up revival. Revival is costly and I'm convinced we haven't payed the price."
4. Prov 18:17 The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.
Yet we're quick to take sides. We believe and spread rumors without talking to the actual person involved. This should not be!
This one thing could be the ruin of everything you're doing through the fast. Oh, father. Forgive us.
5. It's a continual fear of mine, that we will mess up what you want to do... some sort of petty dispute, pride, or fleshly foolishness.
And witchcraft. Ugh. It's real, and it's in our church. It's not really about casting spells, it's about deception, manipulation, confusion, and paralysis.
Father, would you rise up and dash your enemies. Cast down these evil spirits. Put a stop to those things that oppose you and your church.
6. Gillian: "return the purity in worship, the purity of submission and surrender to one another in the fear of the Lord. We repent for our witchcraft, idolatry and control, and surrender afresh to your will and way. Set us up on the narrow path and incline to follow you."
7. Just because I am discerning something is going on with a person does not mean it’s my responsibility to address it.
8. Psalm 103:17 But from everlasting to everlasting the loving kindness of the LORD extends to those who fear Him, and His righteousness to their children’s children—
Descendents. I think a lot about the future of our church. I pray for C3 that there will always be many great people of faith in every generation. May this church always be filled with people who desire to do your will, who worship in Spirit and in truth, who know how to pray.
9. Psalm 34:3 Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.
Together. King David did not want to worship alone. I must meditate on the dynamic of united corporate worship.
10. I've understood the importance of prayer for a long time, but I have not put that understanding into practice very well. I've been so haphazard. I repent of my prayerlessness.
11. Psalm 126:5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy.
This sounds like the ministry of the intercessor. Oh, that many would rise up to labor with tears for this church!
12. Lift your vision higher. I really believe that our vision, our attention, our prayers are yet too horizontal, too fleshly, too faithless.
We have not ascended to the heights by faith, we've been content with the lower view. Many do not even know what they might be able to see with some higher vision.
Ugh... Some think they see, but they're fooling themselves.
John 9:41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."
Father, open our eyes to kingdom reality.
13. One of my greatest failures as a former leader in this church was that I failed to persuade C3 to become a church of prayer. It so grieves me to this day. This is now something that others will have to do. Father, my hope is that you have influencers in place that will fan this flame.
14. The handful of warriors in our church have done well to stand their ground. They have been enough. The church has taken some hits but the warriors have done their job.
It really takes only a few. But father, what would it be be like for the whole church to stand up as warriors? To be on the offensive and not just the defensive?
The gates of hell would not prevail.
15. What do we do when the worship team is rocking, the people getting after it, and Holy Spirit is present, but we're not feeling it? Do we pretend? Do we just stand there?
I should think of nothing but quietly confessing my weakness and asking you to show me your glory.
16. Rom 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
You did not die so that we wouldn't have to. You did not die in our place. That is a pernicious lie. You want us to die too. We live because we died and you raised us.
17. I have expectations about our church taking hold of powerful faith. But a lot of these people are young. I have decades of prayer, church experience, and Bible study they don't have. Not that I'm special, but I need to understand that people are at a variety of points in their walk of faith.
Baby steps. Maybe this is as fast as they can go. At least for now.
Chapter Four
1. The fast is done but prayer isn't.
2. The current obstacle before us seems to be marriages. Several are in trouble and we need to rise to this challenge. Help us, father.
3. I'm hearing more talk about revival, which makes me glad. But I pray that we would not forget to be diligent in pursuit of holiness and obedience.
4. The end of the fast is a beginning, a foundation. I pray that any part of the foundation which was laid by men is replaced with the one you intended from the beginning of C3.
5. My great hope for the first Sunday after the fast was that there would be a tangible difference in the atmosphere, evidence that we are not going back to the routine.
The jury is still out on this.
6. Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth.
The Word, the Father, and the Spirit...
Breath, ruwach ...used to describe the Spirit of God... It conveys the idea of life, power, and divine presence.
John 20:22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit."
You breathed on them as God the Son and spoke to them the Word of God to receive God the Holy Spirit. This seems like a bit of divine humor.
7. Digging the well... A well was a crucial part of surviving in ancient Israel. It's one of the things an attacker would render useless by throwing garbage into it to plug it up.
Father, I pray that we would diligently work to dig deep our well at C3, that it would remain clear of debris, that we would overflow with life giving Holy Spirit.
John 7:38-39 Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: "Streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39 He was speaking about the Spirit...
8. Holy Spirit, we need a deeper revelation of you. Our understanding, our relationship, our theology, is so inadequate.
Evan at our best we think of you mostly as the fireworks of the trinity, but you are the counselor, advocate, helper:
John 14:16-17 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
Do we really know you? I don’t think I do. Holy Spirit, would you teach me about you?
9. Psalm 146:3 Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.
These changes in government are good. Some have even said a third Great Awakening is coming. I hope so, but it could also have came during Biden or Bush or Carter.
You can bring revival in any situation or political climate. So if it comes during Trump I will welcome your move just as much.
10. I don’t think Holy Spirit is setting up dominion in government. A Christian government does not make a righteous nation. Revival starts down and goes up.
11. Gillian: "You already have a government and you have no interest in setting up another one."
Governments rise and fall but you remain.
Psalm 84:12 O LORD of hosts, Blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
12. "Holy dissatisfaction:" Hannah L.
Father, would make us a people who cannot be satisfied with the status quo. That only living water would satisfy our thirst. What will move our hearts besides your Holy Spirit.
Chapter Five
1. You can join a church because it's good, or you can join a church and help make it good.
2. Deut 32:43 Rejoice, you nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants; he will take vengeance on his enemies and make atonement for his land and people.
Both the land and the people need atonement. Salvation is much more than I thought.
3. My opinion... the Church is unbiblically constructed with a gifted, charismatic man at the head. Pride and man-pleasing creeps in whenever a man's gift is celebrated.
"How many church leaders wake up every morning and plead with the Lord to save their ministry from themselves? Probably not many. We tend to underestimate the pervasive, pernicious, and powerful presence of pride in our hearts and to undernourish the grace of humility." Graham Cook
4. Eph 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions...
We weren't made dead by our sin, we were already dead in our sin, and you made us alive.
5. Many churches have good worship, but it is not enough. We must learn how to minister to your pleasure.
6. "We are in a season of grace where God is covering us to give us time to repent." Graham Cook
7. Stereotypical churches and stereotypical church services produce stereotypical believers.
8. Revival is not an event, it is a Person revealed. Revival is not a demonstration of power, it is an outbreak of your presence. When our churches are full of your presence, then heaven will come to earth.
9. Gillian: "How can our lives be consumed with the things of this world and still be a vessel that God will fill to do His work on earth. Where is the emptying out? Where is the repentance? Where is the denying of oneself, so the cross may be picked up?
"With a God like ours, who is great in power, mighty and terrible, how are we content to sit back and not press in to His heart and precious promises? How can 1 hour on Sundays produce the kinds of revivals we read about in our history books?
"Would the apostles recognize our Jesus in our services?"
9. Is our security in the familiarity of what we are doing, or in the heart of God?
10. In order to embrace the current will of God we might need to release our present understanding.
11. Whatever we know about God, or understand about him, has not prepared us for what he is about to do.
12. Our prayers do not give the enemy enough work.
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