Week of fasting and prayer

Rehoboth theme is already in the consciousness of many our people following May’s amazing retreat. The prophetic Rehoboth word is both a promise from God but also be a promise to God.

Rehoboth is a victory declaration by Isaac from Genesis 22 that means “God has made room”. Just last Sunday, the Rehoboth word was echoed in one of our NTA branch services - this time from the prayer of the pain-stricken Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4.9-10 when he earnestly asked The Lord to “enlarge his territory”. It will not be the last time!

We also want to delve into this in the week of prayer taking place between Saturday the 12th and Friday the 18th of August. Over the 7 days, we will be waiting on the Lord in fasting and prayer for instruction and inspiration for the times that lie ahead.

Please join us in setting aside time and withdrawing from life’s daily routine and rigour to seek more of The Lord’s will and intention. The 7 days will feature Zoom sessions every evening between 8 pm and 9.30 pm with an in-person event on Friday the 18th of August from 7.00 pm till 10.00 pm.

May our Lord make room for you as you courageously walk the narrow but sure path of life. May He broaden the dimensions of your life in holiness. May He cause you to experience more of His inexhaustible living waters in our parched times and quench your thirst as our souls pant for Him.

Prayer Schedule

Understanding the Rehoboth grace

Gen 26:22 - And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.

The Rehoboth grace is both a process and an event, a moment as well as a journey.
Let us take time today to reflect deeply on the passage above as well as looking at your personal passage through the year 2023 so far :

1. Offer thanks first as an individual that will give account and as a part of a church and a family. Re-watch and think back to January's week of prayer themed "the faith that works" and the Easter conference entitled "time to rise". How have these events affected your walk this year?
Thank Him in granular detail for everything that has come your way this year. Thank Him for the things and experiences that you may not yet have mentioned in the open or as a testimony.
Thank Him for that which is deeply personal to you, the unsaid goodness that may not impress others as much as it impresses you.
Acknowledge and thank Him for evident growth in your life as a believers- maturity, overcoming personal failings that compromise the promise of God. In the same vein, confess any sin and errors in your life expecting to receive mercy to be cleansed and strengthened. If need be, go a step further and reach out to anyone who may have been affected and hurt in as a result of what you have done. It is a sign of maturity and grace to do so.
Have you had any Sitnah (strife) or Esek (contention) moments recently? Have you had any experiences which have led you to peacefully "move on" or "step away" from what may rightfully be yours? A scenario in which you have resisted the urge to do things your way or the conventional way at great loss to yourself? How have they affected your view of the promises of God? Genesis 26.20-21, Mark 10.30, 2 Timothy 3.12, Jude 1.3
6. Pray for the grace for those in what seems like a prolonged time of waiting
John 5.6 (Jesus is not insensitive to time and prolonged waiting)
Luke 7.20 (Are you the one or shall we expect another?)
Psalm 79.10

1 Peter 5.10

Understanding the Rehoboth grace ( Acknowledging that He is making room for us)
Genesis 26.22 The Lord has made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land
Today we will acknowledge the Lordship and personality of Jesus. Let's Praise Him for:

1. Making room for us on earth but more importantly in heaven. Praise Him for the many rooms He has prepared for us in heaven.
John 14.2
Proverbs 24.3-4

2. Making a way for you as well as personally being the WAY himself.
John 14.6

3. Pay for your role in what the Lord is doing in your life. Pray for the grace to make room for what the Lord intends to do in your life and not sabotage His efforts. The Lord can enlarge but there is a grace we need to keep our lives and hearts unclogged. In Acts 9.1-2, we are described not just as Christians but as people of "the way" but we must avoid getting "in the way " of ourselves or others.
Galatians 2.21 (key word : frustrating the grace of God)
Hebrews 12.12 -16
Luke 21.34 ( key word : artery clogging, spiritual cholesterol)
Luke 2.40 ( the piercing ability of the sword of the Spirit)

4. Pray for supernatural intervention and an intimate understanding for those who appear disadvantaged by circumstances of their birth, ties and history. Pray for the grace to understand the ultimate plan of the Spirit of God and not take offence. Pray for the Jabez grace and appetite for supernatural movement and enlargement.
1 Chronicles 4.9-10
Psalm 118.5

Understanding the Rehoboth grace (Acknowledging His ability to make us fruitful)
Genesis 26.22 The Lord has made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land
On this third day of the week of prayer, let us take a look at The Lord's work on the third day of creation in Genesis 1.11-13.

Please pray for :
1. Endurance and understanding for those facing difficult times especially when things, people and privileges appear to see leaving their lives. Pray for the grace to know that "taking away " is different to "pruning" which is when the Lord
"makes room" for more growth in us.

John 15.2
John 6.65-66
Job 42.10 -16
Judges 7.7-8
1 Samuel 14.6

2. Our churches in NTA and beyond still battling with the after effects of the pandemic - loss of members, income, long Covid, changes to worship formats., Ask The Lord for clarity and specific instructions on what to do in the current times.

Acts 11.27-30
Genesis 26.12 -13
1 Chronicles 12.32

3. A willingness and liberality in the hearts of the people in their giving - a lifestyle of giving that The Lord Himself will testify of. Ask for a prosperity model based on holiness and not consumerism and lust.

Hebrews 11.4 (God desires to testify about our giving)
Psalms 110.3
2 Corinthians 8.7-8

4. An accurate understanding of our roles as stewards of The Lord but also earth and nature as the world reels under a climate emergency.

Ecclesiastes 5.9
Revelation 6.5-6, Exodus 9. 31, 32 ( Amidst destruction and travail, our Father always leaves a remnant that cannot be touched).
Exodus 23.29-30
Ezekiel 28.16 (excessive profits from overexploitation of earthly resources)

5. Unprecedented resourcefulness as a church / ministry amidst the perfect storm we find ourselves in (a cost of living crisis). Pray for insight into meeting the needs of the people.
Thank God in detail for the ongoing work of our official church ministries and community initiatives such as food banks, mental health forums as well as our members that are self-employed.
Ask for a lifestyle of fruitfulness and spiritual quantum leaps that will yield manifold returns for His glory ( 30 -60-100 fold returns )

Mathew 13.24

6. Against spiritual chokeholds and heart conditions that make us unfruitful. Ask for the grace to endure and overcome sprouting tares and weeds that are threats to our wellbeing.

Mathew 13.25-30
2 Corinthians 12.7

Revive !
Genesis 26.15, 1 Timothy 1.18 (keyword: the prophecies that went on before thee)

1. Prayers for an unblocking of wellsprings of graces, and anointings that have rendered the people of God unproductive, inactive, and dormant in their callings, conduct, and character.

In this verse (Genesis 26.15), the enemies of Abraham had sabotaged His hard work and legacy (digging wells) after his death. Pray for the grace and courage of our people to recognise, recover and reclaim the prophetic words spoken over our lives by our spiritual and natural parents, some whom may no longer be alive. Hebrews 11.4 says "Abel though dead still speaks as God testified of his deeds". Likewise, we are entering a time of fulfillment because of what our "Abrahams" have dug for our sake though they have departed.

2. Pray for the things that need urgent attention in our lives and are under threat. Pray for discernment for His people as The Lord said the people need to strengthen the things, not Him!

Lord what is our part and role in "revival", a word mentioned a lot in church?
Lord, what specifically should we be doing now to experience revival?
Rev 3.2 Strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die.
Rev 2.5.. Prayer for a grace to remember whence we have fallen. This verse (Rev 2.5) in itself is a place to pause for thanksgiving as not everyone that falls or drops recovers. For those in a valley, it is evidence you have survived the fall no matter how hard the landing. The ability to drop from a height and still remember where we've fallen is evidence of His faithfulness and desire to see us surpass earlier heights.
Daniel 4.23, 26 God has left a tree stump rather than cutting down the tree from the roots.

3. Pray also for a reviving of the youth that have dropped from dangerous heights out of the windows of the house of God. Acts 20.9 -12

Pray for the exact plan God has to reach the hard to reach Gen Z and Millenials that have not all grown up on the same spiritual diet as previous generations and see the world differently. Ask God to once again make them a new testament Generation Z (with Z standing for Zerubabbel or "sown in Babylon" but matured, refined and reaped in Zion). This could well be the generation described in Joshua 5.5 that were circumcised in the wilderness , on the road unlike the previous generation that were circumcised before they left Egypt. They may not be acquainted with the old songs or customs but are open to the gospel.
Pray for a Pauline grace of the church to both preach effectively but also know how to revive our bored youths. We are blessed with preaching ability but desire more spiritual skill in doing first aid on our kids that have dropped out.
Spiritual stirring group discussion: Why does the verse on Eutychus refer to the long duration of Paul's preaching?
Hebrews 11.19 Pray that disappointed parents will receive back from spiritual death their Isaacs of promise(with laughter and joy as the name Isaac translates).

Reset!

1. Pray for the grace to recall and re - do the basics of our faith brilliantly. Rev 2.5
Pray for a grace to ponder deeply on the "first things" and our "first love" which we may have "outgrown" in our quest to be relevant or make things happen for ourselves.

2. Pray for a grace to both "hold fast" and "cast fast" , "to hold on" and "let go" based on The Holy Spirit's leading in the moment.
In our key text in Genesis 26, there was a sense of loss with Isaac by having to give up wells his father Abraham had dug. Sentimental value rightly weighs heavily on us but we must ask for courage to "let go" of the precious and charge our losses and liabilities to Jehovah Jireh's account and look for the true "city with foundations whose builder and maker foundation is God (Hebrews 11.10). It's alright to cry over spilt milk but we must also sum,on courage to ask for more!

3. Pray for the supernatural grace to walk in the adventurous Jesus grace to "lay it down and take it up again". According to John 10.18, this is also a spiritual commandment that we can operate in.
John 10.18, Mark 10.30

4. Pray for a grace to see pruning, correction and chastisement as positives for our growth and enlargement and validation of our status as sons.
John 15.2, 2 Corinthians 1.7, Philemon 1.15

Release!

1. Pray for an abundance release of enabling grace through The Spirit to be functional in our individual and collective walk.
1 Corinthians 12.7, Acts 19.11, 1 Cor 10.33, Romans 12.6

2. An understanding and wisdom to use the inexhaustible, ever flowing resources of the Spirit liberally whilst being soberly discerning of our limitations in the flesh and the finite measure of time we are allocated.
John 3.36 (keyword - He gives the Spirit without measure) indicates the inexhaustible source of grace we have. However, Joshua nearly ran out of time on two occasions (Joshua 10.12-14, Joshua 13.1) while Jesus had much to share with his disciples but they were unable to receive it all before He was crucified .

3. Pray for those in a season of waiting, those that are weary after doing good and waiting for a harvest. Ask Jesus for the grace to do more with less in current circumstances before the latter abundance comes.
Luke 10.4, Ecclesiastes 11.4-6, Psalm 126.5, Mark 6.38

4. Pray against corruption that ruins the holy moments and manifestations.
Psalms 4.2, Mark 7.13, Jude 1.12

5. Pray for newness and an emergence of new giftings. People assume they are given based on heredity or gifts are fixed but Corinthians says covet the best gifts in 1 Corinthians 12.31

6. Pray we become dependable conduits of the river of life that makes glad the city of God
Psalms 46. Ecclesiastes 1.7 (a river that supplies oceans) , Ezekiel 47.1-12 (ankle, knee, waist deep levels of the flow of grace)

7. Pray for the plans of the Outreach Team led by Melvina.and other food bank initiatives around the churches e.g Van financing etc. Declare an unmeasured release of grace on their activities in such a crucial time as now.

8. Father Abraham had many sons goes the song but who are his daughters? Luke 13.16
Let us give a special prayer focus on our women and our sisters and the multiple challenges they face in society today : gynaecological and hormonal pressures in middle age that stoop them over like the woman with the "spirit of infirmity" , contentions around their gender, those seeking godly relationships and children.

Fasting Guide

You could choose to do a 24 hour fast each day (depending on your health and ability).

For example 12 midnight to 12 midnight the following day; or 6pm to 6pm the following day etc.

If you have a medical condition that could be affected by fasting, please seek medical advice before doing so

DRY FAST: This is where you abstain from food and fluids during the hours of your fast.

PARTIAL FAST: You could choose to abstain from food only but take sips of water and fluids (water alone is preferable, but if you drink other fluids, non-acidic drinks such as cranberry juice, and some green teas are suggested. They will neutralise the acids produced in your gut and the water will flush your system of all the toxins and free radicals that have built up)

DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS

A few days to the start of your fast, it is advisable to begin to cut down on the type, amount, and frequency of food that you consume. Aim for something light in the morning and evenings especially.

Once your fasting starts, your stomach will begin to contract, especially during longer periods of fasting. Therefore, it is advisable to break your fast with light, bland foods, warm (no caffeine) drinks and vegetables. Acidic fruits like oranges , apples etc. may not be a good idea.

SCREEN FAST: Fasting is not just about abstaining from food and drink; it is also about receiving from God and hearing from God. So, do your best to stay away from TV and social media during this time. You will be amazed at the transformation.

Abstaining from TV, unnecessary phone calls and social media is a critical part of fasting. convert these times into praying, studying the bible and meditating in it, as you train your spirit to be quiet before god

Quietness

Solitude

Reflection

Elevation

Transformation

Fasting

It is an important spiritual exercise to subdue the appetites and pleasures of the flesh and allows your spirit to come alive.

Fasting

It is a discipline of allowing your spiritual senses to be activated such that your connection with God and your ability to align with Him is enabled.

Prayer

Fasting is not effective if it is not accompanied by prayer. Fasting positions your heart to receive and prayer allows you to tap into the frequencies of God and manifest His glory here on earth.

Week of fasting and prayer

Prayer Schedule

Fasting Guide

You could choose to do a 24 hour fast each day (depending on your health and ability). For example 12 midnight to 12 midnight the following day; or 6pm to 6pm the following day etc. If you have a medical condition that could be affected by fasting, please seek medical advice before doing so

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You could choose to do a 24 hour fast each day (depending on your health and ability).

For example 12 midnight to 12 midnight the following day; or 6pm to 6pm the following day etc.

If you have a medical condition that could be affected by fasting, please seek medical advice before doing so