THE SECRET
Read: Matthew 6:6-7 and 17-18.
How do you feel about fasting? Do you tell everyone how weak you are because you are currently fasting?
The passage today is to encourage you to fast and pray in secret. Of course, you can tell anyone who asks that you are not eating. But don't tell everyone without being asked.
Fasting and your personal prayer times are a matter of discretion, almost like a secret between your heavenly Father and you. It is not about going public so much as it is about times of encounter. Good friends or spouses share secrets with each other. Conversations shared in confidence, secrets that not everyone knows, are often especially precious.
The Father sees all that you covertly invest in His kingdom, which no one else sees. Jesus promises that the Father will reward your fasting.
Isn't that great?
He does not say which reward awaits you but be attentive and expect that God wants to meet you, that he wants to speak to you, that he has prepared good things for you.
Today, deliberately take time to talk to the Father. Don't just talk about him or read about him, but exchange ideas with him like with a friend. Consciously seek to meet and talk with him.
Jeremiah 33:3 says: "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
Prayer, Get Free & Next Step
Grab some paper and a pen and start your prayer with the following words:
"Father, here I am. I am purposefully seeking you today. I am here to meet you and to listen to you. Thank you for promising to show me secrets."
Perhaps it will help you to write down the thoughts, impulses, impressions, and Bible words that come to you in your conversation with God. Start with "My beloved son/daughter..." and continue writing from the perspective of your loving Father.
Prayer Points
Thank the Lord for allowing you to participate in this year’s 21 days of prayer and fasting.
1 John 1:9 – Confess any known and unknown sins.
Praise the Lord for bringing you and your household into the year 2023.
1 Kings 18:46 - Ask God for special grace and strength to sustain and keep you during this fasting season.
Matt 6:6 – Father, help me to build an altar of prayer in my life and home.
Matt 6:6 – Oh God of PPT, help every PPT household to build a spiritual and a physical prayer altar in their lives and homes.
Matt 6:6 - Jehovah El-Roi, grant my prayer request(s) of this fasting season. (mention them and pray this earnestly)
Matt 6:7 – Father God, release the grace to pray upon me and all the participants of this year’s 21-day fasting program.
Psalm 91:1 – Father, grant me and all the participants of this fasting program access to Your secret place.
Psalm 91:1 – I declare that I will stay in the secret place of the Most High after this fasting program.
Jeremiah 33:3 – Lord, give me and all the participants a deeper revelation of Yourself and show me the secrets of Your kingdom during this fasting season.
Jeremiah 33:33 – O Lord, as we call on Your name during this fasting time, answer as according to Your word and show us remarkable secrets of the future. (pray this earnestly)
Pray for the PPT missionaries and the persecuted church.
Pray about 4 things you would want God to do for you during this 21-day fast.
Prayer Declaration
If it had not been you, Jehovah Ebenezer, our helper on my side, where would I be? Your grace and mercy brought me through 2022 and now I have seen 2023. Father, I am thankful and appreciate all that You have done for me, my household, PPT households and the church.
Oh Lord, as we wait on you through intense prayers and fasting this month, let me, my household, and PPT experience “open heavens” creating spiritual opportunities resulting in having dominion over our lives (health, career, relationships, and finances).
I declare and decree that every spiritual valley in and around my life will be filled with an overflow of Jehovah’s blessings. I declare and decree that every spiritual mountain and hill in my way, in my family’s way, in PPT households’ way will be brought low in Jesus’ name.
I declare and decree that every spiritual crooked place in and around my life will be made straight by your power. I declare and decree that every spiritual rough way in my pathway, in my family’s pathway, PPT households’ pathway and the church’s pathway will be smooth.
I affirm that the zeal of the Lord will accomplish this. So shall it be.
Group prayer at 8:00 pm tonight.
Conference Call
Dial: 647-977-2648 (Canada) / 202-602-1295 (USA)
Code: 827-220-552#