All Church FastTuesday, February 23, 2010Day 7Isaiah 58:3-12 3 ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers. 4 What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. 5 You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord? 6 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. 7 Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. 8 “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. 9 Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! 10 Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. 11 The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. 12 Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes. PRAYER:Father, please forgive us for going through all the motions of being a Christian without allowing You to change our hearts. We want to keep You at a safe distance and just let You close enough to bless us but not close enough to change us. Our "religious activity" doesn't impress You, but it somehow makes us feel better inside. Help us to connect with Your heart - Your compassion - for the lost and hurting. We desire to experience Your concern for the poor and downtrodden. Help us to find effective ways to serve the hungry. Help us to discover creative ways to reach out to those who do not know You and offer them freedom from the bondages that enslave them. Help us to find the right balance between proclaiming the Message of salvation and meeting the practical needs of the poor and oppressed. We desire to experience all the promises of Isaiah 58:8-12: healing, wholeness, protection, the radiance of God's glory in our lives, divine guidance, refreshing, being vessels of abundant life, and ministers of Christ in our cities and neighborhoods. Help us to become more sensitive to Your Holy Spirit as He leads us into practical expressions of Your love. We now turn to these prayer requests as we call upon You:1. Complete healing for Jack Aknin, from all cancer in his body.2. Complete healing and miraculous physical restoration for Josh Lewis.3. Complete healing for Doug Keith. 4. A local good-paying job for Jor Bratko.5. Financial provision for the Avilla family and their ministry, Advocate for Orphans.6. Protection for Harmon and Teri Parker in Kenya, Africa.7. For Kingsway members to grow closer to You and to experience a greater measure of Your compassion for the lost in our communities. 8. And then, for my own personal needs, my marriage, my children.Father, thank you for hearing these prayers. They are being brought before you in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. AMEN! Posted via email from Kingsway Community Church
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