Prayer Week
January 1-7, 2023
Daily Prayer Points and Devotions
Prevailing Prayer by Charles G. Finney
For daily devotion on prayer with Pastor Brian
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Devotions taken from
Principles of Prayer by Charles G. Finney
Compiled & Edited by Louis Gifford Parkhurst, Jr.
Copyright 1980, 2001
Louis Gifford Parkhurst, Jr.
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Excerpts taken from Finney, Charles G.. Principles of Prayer Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Prevailing Prayer
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
James 5:16b
Prevailing or effectual prayer is the prayer that attains
the blessing it seeks. It is the prayer that effectually
moves God.The very idea of effectual prayer is
that it affects its object.
Day 1 — Sunday, January 1
Effectual Prayer
There are two kinds of means requisite to promote a revival: one to influence men, the other to influence God. The truth is employed to influence men, and prayer is employed to move God. When I speak of moving God, I do not mean that God’s mind is changed by prayer or that His disposition or character is changed. But prayer produces such a change in us as renders it consistent for God to do as it would not be consistent for Him to do otherwise. When a sinner repents, that change of life makes it proper for God to forgive him. God has always been ready to forgive on that condition so that when the sinner changes his feelings and repents, it requires no change of feeling in God to pardon him. It is the sinner’s repentance that renders His forgiveness proper and is the occasion of God’s acting as He does. So when Christians offer effectual prayer, their state of feeling renders it proper for God to answer them. He was never unwilling to bestow the blessing— on the condition that they repented, and offered the right kind of prayer.
Pray for Something Definite
Many people go away into a room alone to pray, simply because ‘‘they must say their prayers. ’’The time has come for their daily habit of going off by themselves for prayer— whether in the morning or at noon or whatever time of day it may be. But instead of having anything particular to say, any definite object before their mind, they fall on their knees and pray for whatever floats through their imagination at the time, and when they are done they can hardly tell you a word of what they have said. This is not effectual prayer… A man must have some definite objective in mind. He cannot pray effectually for a variety of things at once. The mind is so constituted that it cannot focus its desire intensely upon many things at the same time. All the instances of effectual prayer recorded in the Bible are focused on one thing. Wherever you see that the blessing sought in prayer was attained, you will find that the prayer offered was a prayer for a particular objective.
PRAYER POINTS DAY 1
2023: A Year of Transition
Personally
Corporately
Day 2 — Monday, January 2
Pray With Right Motives
Prayer, to be effectual, must be offered from right motives. Prayer should not be selfish but should be dictated by a supreme regard for the glory of God. A great deal of prayer is offered from pure selfishness. People sometimes pray for their spouses that they may be converted, because, they say, ‘‘It would be so much more pleasant to have my spouse go to church with me. ’’And they seem never to lift their thoughts above self at all. They do not seem to think about how their spouses are dishonoring God by their sins, or how God would be glorified in their conversion.
It is very often this way with parents. They cannot bear to think that their children should be lost. They pray for them very earnestly indeed. But if you talk with them on the subject, they are very tender about it and tell you how good their children are—how they respect religion, and how they are, in fact, ‘‘almost Christians now’’; and so they talk as if they were afraid you will hurt their children by simply telling them the truth. They do not think how such amiable and lovely children are dishonoring God by their sins; they are only thinking what a dreadful thing it will be for them to go to hell. Unless their thoughts rise higher than this, their prayers will never prevail with a holy God.
The temptation to selfish motives is so strong that there is reason to fear a great many parental prayers never rise above the yearnings of parental tenderness. And that is the reason why so many prayers are not answered and why so many pious, praying parents have ungodly children.
Much of the prayer for the heathen world seems to be based on no higher principle than sympathy. Missionary agencies and others are dwelling almost exclusively upon the six hundred million heathen going to hell, while little is said of their dishonoring God. This is a great evil, and until the church learns to have higher motives for prayer and missionary effort than sympathy for the heathen, her prayers and efforts will never amount to much.
PRAYER POINTS DAY 2
Salvation, Families
The lost saved, prodigals return
Marriage, children, family unity
Salvation, Families
The lost saved, prodigals return
Marriage, children, family unity
Day 3 — Tuesday, January 3
Pray Often, Renouncing Sin in Christ’s Name
If you mean to pray effectually, you must pray a great deal. It was said of the apostle James that after he was dead it was found that his knees were calloused like a camel’s knees from praying so much. Ah, here was the secret of the success of those early ministers. They had calloused knees!
If you mean to pray effectually, you must pray a great deal. It was said of the apostle James that after he was dead it was found that his knees were calloused like a camel’s knees from praying so much. Ah, here was the secret of the success of those early ministers. They had calloused knees!
You cannot prevail in prayer without renouncing all your sins. You must not only recall them to mind, and repent of them, but you must actually renounce them, and purpose in your heart to give them up forever.
If you intend prayer to be effectual, you must offer it in the name of Christ. You cannot come to God in your own name. You cannot plead your own merits. But you can come in the name that is always acceptable. You all know what it is to use someone’s name. If you should go to the bank with a draft or note, endorsed by John Jacob Astor, that would be giving you his name, and you could get the money from the bank just as well as he could himself. Now, Jesus Christ gives you the use of His name. And when you pray in the name of Christ, it means that you can prevail just as well as He himself could, and receive just as much as God’s well-beloved Son would if He were to pray for the same things. But you must pray in faith.
PRAYER POINTS DAY 3
Healing, Miracles, Finances
Divine healing and deliverance
Financial breakthrough
Spirits of mammon and poverty broken
Spirits of addiction broken
Divine healing and deliverance
Financial breakthrough
Spirits of mammon and poverty broken
Spirits of addiction broken
Day 4 — Wednesday, January 4
The Truth and Prayer
Truth, by itself, will never produce the effect without the Spirit of God, and the Spirit is given in answer to prayer. Sometimes it happens that those who are the most engaged in employing truth are not the most engaged in prayer. This is always unfortunate. For unless they have the spirit of prayer (or unless someone else has), the truth, by itself, will do nothing but harden men in impenitence. Probably in the Day of Judgment it will
be found that nothing is ever done by the truth, used ever so zealously, unless there is a spirit of prayer somewhere in connection with the presentation of the truth…
Truth, by itself, will never produce the effect without the Spirit of God, and the Spirit is given in answer to prayer. Sometimes it happens that those who are the most engaged in employing truth are not the most engaged in prayer. This is always unfortunate. For unless they have the spirit of prayer (or unless someone else has), the truth, by itself, will do nothing but harden men in impenitence. Probably in the Day of Judgment it will
be found that nothing is ever done by the truth, used ever so zealously, unless there is a spirit of prayer somewhere in connection with the presentation of the truth…
Without the spirit of prayer, ministers will do little good. A minister need not expect much success unless he prays for it. Sometimes others may have the spirit of prayer and obtain a blessing on his labors. Generally, however, those preachers are the most successful who themselves have most of the spirit of prayer.
Not only must ministers have the spirit of prayer, but it is necessary that the church should unite in offering that effectual fervent prayer that prevails with God.
PRAYER POINTS DAY 4
Harvest Church Ministries
Pastors, Staff, Leadership
Life Groups, HALT, Servants of the House
Isaiah 58, Celebrate Recovery, TPM Prayer
Pastors, Staff, Leadership
Life Groups, HALT, Servants of the House
Isaiah 58, Celebrate Recovery, TPM Prayer
Hyde/Craven Prisons
Creative Arts, Breakout, Kingdom Kids
Friday Night Lights, Women’s Ministry
Encounters, Book Nook,
Christian Voice School of Ministry
Outreaches, Volunteers
Creative Arts, Breakout, Kingdom Kids
Friday Night Lights, Women’s Ministry
Encounters, Book Nook,
Christian Voice School of Ministry
Outreaches, Volunteers
Worship to grow in anointing and power
Glory of God to be manifest
Glory of God to be manifest
Day 5 — Thursday, January 5
Pray for the Will of God
To pray for things contrary to the revealed will of God is to tempt God. There are three ways in which God’s will is revealed to men for their guidance in prayer.
To pray for things contrary to the revealed will of God is to tempt God. There are three ways in which God’s will is revealed to men for their guidance in prayer.
First, it may be revealed by express promises or predictions in the Bible that He will give or do certain things; promises in regard to particular things, or in general terms, so that we may apply them to particular things. For instance, there is the promise, ‘‘Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours ’’(Mark 11:24).
Sometimes God reveals His will by His providence. When He makes it clear that such and such an event is about to take place, it is as much a revelation as if He had written it in His Word. It would be impossible to reveal everything in the Bible, but God often makes it clear to those who have spiritual discernment that it is His will to grant such and such blessings.
And sometimes His will is revealed by His Spirit. When God’s people are at a loss for what to pray for, agreeable to His will, His Spirit often instructs them. Where there is no particular revelation, and Providence leaves it dark, and we know not what to pray for as we ought, we are expressly told that ‘‘the Spirit helps us in our weakness, ’’and ‘‘the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express ’’(Romans 8:26).
It is just as plain here as if it were revealed by a voice from heaven that the Spirit of God helps the people of God to pray according to the will of God when they themselves know not what they ought to pray for. ‘‘And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will ’’ (Romans 8:27), and He leads Christians to pray for just those things ‘‘with groans that
words cannot express. ’’When neither the Word nor Providence enables them to decide, let them be ‘‘filled with the Spirit, ’’as God commands them to be. He says, ‘‘Be filled with the Spirit ’’(Ephesians 5:18). And He will lead their minds to those things God is willing to grant.
It is just as plain here as if it were revealed by a voice from heaven that the Spirit of God helps the people of God to pray according to the will of God when they themselves know not what they ought to pray for. ‘‘And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will ’’ (Romans 8:27), and He leads Christians to pray for just those things ‘‘with groans that
words cannot express. ’’When neither the Word nor Providence enables them to decide, let them be ‘‘filled with the Spirit, ’’as God commands them to be. He says, ‘‘Be filled with the Spirit ’’(Ephesians 5:18). And He will lead their minds to those things God is willing to grant.
PRAYER POINTS DAY 5
Government, Education, Businesses
President, Vice President, Administration, Congress, Supreme Court, Senate
World/National leaders, Military Services, Business leaders in banking and industry
Governor, State Legislature, Mayor, City Council, County Commissioners
Governor, State Legislature, Mayor, City Council, County Commissioners
School Board, Principals, Teachers, Students
Day 6 — Friday, January 6
Pray With Worthy Desire
Effectual prayer for a particular object implies a desire for that object commensurate with its importance. If a person truly desires any blessing, his desires will bear some proportion to the greatness of the blessing. The desires of the Lord Jesus Christ for the blessing He prayed for were amazingly strong, amounting even to agony. If the desire for an object is strong, and is a benevolent desire, and the thing is not contrary to the
will and providence of God, the presumption is that it will be granted. There are two reasons for the presumption:
Effectual prayer for a particular object implies a desire for that object commensurate with its importance. If a person truly desires any blessing, his desires will bear some proportion to the greatness of the blessing. The desires of the Lord Jesus Christ for the blessing He prayed for were amazingly strong, amounting even to agony. If the desire for an object is strong, and is a benevolent desire, and the thing is not contrary to the
will and providence of God, the presumption is that it will be granted. There are two reasons for the presumption:
First, the general benevolence of God is at work. If it is a desirable thing; if, so far as we can see, it would be an act of benevolence on God’s part to grant it, His general benevolence is presumptive evidence that He will grant it.
Secondly, a strong desire for something presupposes that the Spirit of God is giving this desire so that it may be granted in answer to prayer. In such a case no degree of desire or importunity in prayer is improper. A Christian may come up, as it were, and take hold of the hand of God. See the case of Jacob when he exclaimed, in an agony of desire, ‘‘I will not let you go unless you bless me ’’(Genesis 32:26). Was God displeased with his
boldness and importunity? Not at all; instead, He granted him the very thing he prayed for.
boldness and importunity? Not at all; instead, He granted him the very thing he prayed for.
So it was in the case of Moses. God said to him, ‘‘Leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation ’’(Exodus 32:10). What did Moses do? Did he stand aside and let God do as He said? No, his mind runs back to the Egyptians and he thinks how they will triumph. ‘‘Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out’? ’’ (Exodus 32:12). It seemed as if he took hold of the uplifted hand of God to avert the blow. Did God rebuke him and tell him he had no business interfering? No, it seemed as if He was unable to deny anything to such importunity, and so Moses stood in the gap and prevailed with God.
PRAYER POINTS DAY 6
Foreign Missions, Surge Churches
Missions: House of Hope International, Havlins
Foreign Missions, Surge Churches
Missions: House of Hope International, Havlins
EME (Greece/Tunisia), MEE (Eastern Europe),
Romania, Jamaica, Nigeria, India
Servant Leadership Ministries, Perú, Taiwan,
Servant Leadership Ministries, Perú, Taiwan,
Israel (ICEJ), East Gate Extension, Our Heart Ministries
Surge Churches: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Burundi (2),
Cambodia, China (2), Colombia, Cuba,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia,
Liberia (2), Mexico, Nepal
Nicaragua, Niger, Panama,
Perú, Philippines, Uruguay
Day 7 — Saturday, January 7
Prayer Brings Unity and Blessing
Doubtless one great reason why God requires the exercise of this agonizing prayer is that it forms such a bond of union between Christ and the church. It creates such empathy between them. It is as if Christ comes and pours the overflow-ings of His own benevolent heart into His people, and leads them to sympathize and to cooperate with Him as they never do in any other way.
Doubtless one great reason why God requires the exercise of this agonizing prayer is that it forms such a bond of union between Christ and the church. It creates such empathy between them. It is as if Christ comes and pours the overflow-ings of His own benevolent heart into His people, and leads them to sympathize and to cooperate with Him as they never do in any other way.
This travailing in birth for souls creates also a remarkable bond of union between warmhearted Christians and the young converts. Those who are converted appear very dear to the hearts that have had this spirit of prayer for them. The feeling is like that of a mother for her firstborn. Paul expresses it beautifully when he says, “My dear children….” His heart is warm and tender toward the. “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth” — they had backslidden, and he has all the agonies of a parent over a wandering child — “I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19).
In revivals I have often noticed how those who had the spirit of prayer loved the young converts. I know this is all so much Greek to those who have never felt it. But those who have experienced the agony of wrestling, prevailing prayer for the conversion of a soul may depend upon the fact that the soul, after it is converted, appears as dear as a child. You have agonized for it, received it, in answer to prayer, and can present it before the
Lord Jesus Christ, saying, “Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me” (Isaiah 8:18. See also Hebrews 2:13).
Lord Jesus Christ, saying, “Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me” (Isaiah 8:18. See also Hebrews 2:13).
Another reason why God requires this sort of prayer is that it is the only way in which the church can be properly prepared to receive great blessings without being injured by them. When the church is thus prostrated in the dust before God, and is in the depth of agony in prayer, the blessing does them good. While at the same time, if they had received the blessing without this deep prostration of soul, it would have puffed them up with pride. But as it is, it increases their holiness, their love, and their humility.
PRAYER POINTS DAY 7
Local Missions, Making disciples,
Harvest Long-Term Goals
New believers, Spiritual growth
Local Missions, Making disciples,
Harvest Long-Term Goals
New believers, Spiritual growth
Missions: Ruth’s House, Coastal Pregnancy Center,
ARC, Adult/Teen Challenge, Hyde/Craven CI, EFI, Covenant Life
Goals: Property expansion, Christian Schools,
Regional Resource Center, Outreach
50% of income used for missions/church plants
Vision Statement
To actively pursue the purposes of God in the establishment of every member of Harvest Church in commitment, maturity, ministry and service.
Mission Statement
The mission statement of Harvest Church is to bring Heaven to Earth and establish the Kingdom of God among men; to rob hell and destroy the words of the enemy by the power of the Holy Spirit through Worship, Prayer and the Witness of Jesus Christ in our Words and Deeds.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of Harvest Church is to be a fellowship of believers dedicated to:
• worshipping God (John 4:21-23),
• training and equipping mature, effective ministry (Ephesians 4:12-16),
• demonstrating the love of God (Matthew 22:37-40), and
• reaching our region with the Good News of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20).
• worshipping God (John 4:21-23),
• training and equipping mature, effective ministry (Ephesians 4:12-16),
• demonstrating the love of God (Matthew 22:37-40), and
• reaching our region with the Good News of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20).
We believe…
– In the fundamental truths of the Word of God.
– In a functioning New Testament Church.
– That salvation is available through a personal acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
– In a Believer’s Baptism by Immersion and partake of the Lord’s Supper.
– That the gifts of the Holy Spirit are active in the church today according to Acts 2, Mark 16:15-18 and I Cor. 12.
– In the Great Commission, that the gospel must be preached to the ends of the earth in preparation for the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20)
– In a functioning New Testament Church.
– That salvation is available through a personal acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
– In a Believer’s Baptism by Immersion and partake of the Lord’s Supper.
– That the gifts of the Holy Spirit are active in the church today according to Acts 2, Mark 16:15-18 and I Cor. 12.
– In the Great Commission, that the gospel must be preached to the ends of the earth in preparation for the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20)
