30 for 30 RESET – Day 30

Gatheringplace   -   September 30, 2024

You made it! Today we cap off our 30 for 30! But remember that the purpose of these campaigns is to help you RESET, or restart, or amp up your prayer and Word life, not just to complete a 30-day commitment.

I have found the key to success for anything in life is consistency, haven’t you? That is why most New Year’s resolutions don’t pan out. Life is formed by small, consistent habits, not by trying to make big sweeping changes. This is how Jesus lived His life. Read more.

We only have a short, approximately three- and one-half year record of Jesus’ life, and one of the consistent habits we see in His life is prayer.

“Jesus left the city and went, as he usually did, to the Mount of Olives …to pray.”      Luke 22:39 (GN)

If the Son of God needed to pray every day, how much more do we!

Here are some definitions of “Habit”

  • “A continual, often unconscious inclination to do a certain activity, acquired through frequent repetition.”
  • “A customary practice.”
  • “An established disposition of the character.”

 

“Sow a thought, reap an act.

“Sow an act, reap a habit.

“Sow a habit, reap a character.

“Sow a character, reap a destiny.”

Another person in the Bible who made prayer a habit was Daniel.

Daniel was a Jewish slave who, in the midst of the most ungodly environment imaginable, committed himself to prayer.

One day, because the king’s cabinet hated Daniel because of his wisdom (where do you think he got this from?) they convinced the king to make a decree that anyone who prayed to any other god besides the king himself should be thrown to the lions.

So what did Daniel do?

“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” Daniel 6:10 NKJ

“As was his custom since early days.”

Because Daniel had already developed his prayer life, it was the most natural thing for him to do.

If Daniel had not developed the habit of prayer in good times, back in Israel when he was a boy, I seriously doubt he would have or could have developed it when his very life depended on it.

Daniel had such wisdom and favor from God that he ended up not only being delivered from eminent death, but he ended up being the counselor to five different worldly kings!

If you do not develop your prayer and Word life in the good times, you won’t have it to serve you in the bad times.

You will primarily be dependent on other peoples’ prayers. This isn’t all bad, but there are going to be times when you are alone and will need to do what king David did when his life was falling apart and nobody was there to help him,

“But David strengthened himself in the Lord.” 1 Samuel 30:6.

David had already cultivated a life of prayer before tragedy struck so he knew where to go, and how to pray when it mattered most.

Look at what Paul told Timothy who was facing enormous pressures:

“Take the time and trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit.”  1 Timothy 4:7b (Ph)

Staying spiritually fit takes “time and trouble.”

What pressures do you face in life; Parenting, leading, ministry, marriage, work, health, finances, betrayal, abandonment, false accusations? The answer to not only surviving but thriving through all of these things is developing a consistent Word and prayer.

I pray that you will live a life of prayer and the Word. Make it your custom. Make it a habit. If you do, you will be like Daniel, David, Jesus, and many others who faced insurmountable odds and overcame.

Thank you for taking this 30-day journey with me! I have no doubt that many of you have received answers to prayers over the past 30 days. Please send your testimony to me so the church can be encouraged and inspired! Johngpc1000@gmail.com And, remember…

ALWAYS PRAY AND NEVER GIVE UP! – Jesus (Luke 18:1)

Onward!

John

QUICK TIP ON HOW TO SPEND 30 MINUTES WITH GOD (REMEMBER: This 30 for 30 is a tool to help you, not a rule to shame you. Just do your best and let God do the rest.)

“Upward, Inward, and Outward”

  1. Upward: Get quiet. Settle down. Begin to thank God for Who He is – patient, kind, merciful. A God Who forgives sins – Who has forgiven your sins. A God Who cares, Who listens to your prayers, a miracle-working God. (There are many other attributes you can thank Him for. Go HERE for a prayer guide as well as a list of God’s names that will help you thank Him for Who He is)
  2. Inward: Read a chapter in the Bible. I would suggest one Psalm per day. Start with Psalm 1 and go from there. Or read one chapter of Proverbs per day. Start with Proverbs 1 and go from there. And as you read, stop, and think about what it is saying. Take your time (even if you do not get through an entire chapter – it is okay!). Ask God to speak to you through it.

A deeper dive: For those of you who would like to read the Bible in a year, here is a fantastic way to do it. It will take more than 30 minutes per day, but it will be well worth it. It not only gives you a reading plan but each day there is a short, very well-produced video explaining what you are about to read. Go HERE for your one year through the Bible reading plan.

  1. Outward: Ask God to show you how He can use you to reach those around you. Then begin to pray specifically for individuals. Pray for your family members, your boss, co-workers, classmates, friends, your church, its members, its mission, and its leadership. Pray for our city and our nation – that God would rule and reign in every mountain of influence, raising up leaders who fear Him: Church, Family, Government, Education, Media, Entertainment/Arts, and Business. You will not be able to get to everything in 30 minutes, but that is okay, just pick an area or two per day.

PRAYER POINTS

Personal:

  • Closeness with God
  • Deeper devotion to Christ
  • Renewed vision
  • Renewed passion
  • Strength
  • Joy
  • A profound commitment to act as Jesus would during this election year.

Church:

  • And increase of God’s manifest presence.
  • To see more CHANGED LIVES!
  • An increase in Miracles
  • Salvation for those far from God (make a list and pray for them every day)
  • More young people joining the vision at GPC.
  • New building for GPC

World:

  • A mighty harvest in our city and nation.
  • That godly men and women will fill the seats of government at local, city, state, and national levels.
  • For our missionaries (Use the bookmark handed out at church, or go to our website and check out our Missions page HERE)