10 Days of Prayer: January:10-20, 2024 – Day 5 (PDF)

by Onovae Akpoesiri | Nov 14, 2023 | 10 Days of Prayer

DAY 5 — FOCUSING ON THINGS THAT MATTER IN OUR PRAYERS

“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’” (Matt. 6:9, 10, ESV)

A New Focus in Prayer

Focusing on God and things that matter is important in our prayer life as well. Often our prayers are weak and ineffective because they center only around ourselves. We pray to God about what we wish to have. We focus on our needs and the challenges we face rather than on God. Prayer that is pleasing to God has a refreshingly different focus. The focal point is no longer our “want-to- have list” but God Himself. This perspective is the key to a new prayer experience.

Prayer that is pleasing to God first recognizes God as my faithful friend whose companionship I seek because He is important to me, not because I want something from Him. Who He is, is much more important than the things He gives me. Knowing Him is the reason I want to talk to Him in the first place. Without Him, my life is de-centered and lacks the proper perspective. More important than anything I can ask for should be my desire to be with Him. His presence and who He is become the center of true prayer.

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Day 5 Ten Days of Prayer

10 Days of Prayer: January:10-20, 2024 – Day 4 (PDF)

by Onovae Akpoesiri | Nov 14, 2023 | 10 Days of Prayer

DAY 4 — THE FREEDOM OF A FOCUSED LIFE OF SIMPLICITY

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matt. 6:16–18, ESV)

Fasting Makes Space

One way of creating space to live a life focused on God is fasting. Fasting means decluttering our minds and lives by deliberately making room for the movement of the Holy Spirit in us and by focusing on God and His Word. The Bible often mentions fasting in connection with prayer. Jesus fasted before He started His public ministry (Matt. 4:2; Luke 4:2). The apostles fasted and prayed to be guided by God (Acts 13:2, 3), and in the Old Testament, fasting was frequently practiced among believers (1 Kings 21:9, 12; 2 Chron. 20:3; Ezra 8:21; Esther 4:3, 16; Isa. 58:6; Jer. 36:9; Dan. 9:3; Joel 2:12; John 3:5; etc.).

In contrast to wellness fasting, biblical fasting is not about observing a specific diet designed for weight loss and well-being. Instead, it is the conscious decision to abstain from food and distracting activities for a period of time to pray and commune with God. By temporarily giving up the familiar, we gain new spiritual freedom. During fasting and prayer, the focus of daily life changes: away from satisfying our own needs, away from our own works, and toward obedient listening to God. Biblical fasting expresses our desire to increase our dependence on God and pay attention to spiritual things that matter. This encompasses more than not eating; in fact, it challenges every area of our lives. In fasting, we acknowledge that we want to make space for God by reducing any distractions that crowd our attention and desire. We indicate that we want to seek and treasure God’s presence in our lives more than anything else.

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Next – DAY 5

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Day 4 Ten Days of Prayer

10 Days of Prayer: January:10-20, 2024 – Day 3 (PDF)

by Onovae Akpoesiri | Nov 14, 2023 | 10 Days of Prayer

Day 3 Ten Days of Prayer — THE BLESSING OF WAITING

“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10, ESV)

The Biblical Virtue of Slowing Down

In an age of constant movement and noise pollution, nothing is more critical than stillness and quiet. In our hectic modern life, daily urgencies demand our attention. We have become accustomed to a fast-food mentality where we expect things the quickest possible way. We have forgotten how to wait patiently, and this impatience can leak into our spiritual walk with devastating effects. The visual impulses and acoustic distractions of this hyper-connected age make it even harder to slow down and become still.

Learning to wait in quietness and focusing our thoughts on divine matters as we talk with God may seem like a strange practice for many people today, but it is a biblical virtue that needs to be revived. Cultivating a quiet space that is not crowded with other urgencies and preserving unclaimed time is crucial to connecting with God. To slow down, to sit still, to breathe, to remind ourselves of God’s tender care, to patiently wait, and not to get nervous if God does not immediately answer our prayers—these are arts that we need to learn afresh.

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Next – DAY 4

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Day 3 Ten Days of Prayer

More Prayer Suggestions

Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.

10 Days of Prayer: January :10-20, 2024 – Day 2 (PDF)

by Onovae Akpoesiri | Nov 13, 2023 | 10 Days of Prayer

DAY 2 — THE DANGER OF BEING BUSY FOR GOD

“The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.” (Mark 6:30–32, ESV)

Busyness in the Work for God

Busyness is king in our world. Modern society and high-pressure consumerism have drilled one belief into us: the busier we are, the more respected we become. Busyness has become an indicator of our diligence and eagerness to do good and get ahead. But while we are busy making a living, we have forgotten to live and enjoy life, which is tragic. Perhaps even more tragic is the subtle danger that many committed followers of Christ have adopted: a mindset of busyness in their work for God. We often do it for the best possible reasons and we know that time is short. We want to accomplish the most for Him. Therefore, we strive to be busy.

We want to be good stewards of our time and talents. It feels good to be busy for God, and sometimes we are tempted to think that God will reward our busyness for Him, only to discover that in our busyness for God, we have lost our living connection with our Redeemer. We are doing good things out of habit, not in the power of the Holy Spirit. And the busier we get, the more we deem ourselves in line with God’s purpose. Busy becomes the new norm. We are so busy glorifying how busy we are that we miss the moments in life that really matter. Busyness crushes our spiritual vitality. Hurry is the enemy of any love relationship, especially our relationship with the living God of Scripture. Love demands the attention of unhurried time.

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Day 2 Ten Days of Prayer

10 Days of Prayer: January :10-20, 2024 – Day 1 (PDF)

by Onovae Akpoesiri | Nov 13, 2023 | 10 Days of Prayer

DAY 1 — LESS IS MORE

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Eph. 5:15, 16, ESV)

Is More Truly More?

Our lives are packed to the brim with so many things we want to pursue. In a society that is madly driven by consumerism and marketing, we are easily lured into believing that the more we have, the happier we are. Because of the tempting advertisements all around us, we wrongly desire to have it all. Sometimes we extend this thinking even to our work for God. We want to serve God, but at the same time, we don’t want to miss out on anything else that crosses our path. And so we desperately try to harmonize our desire to serve God with the endless pursuit of more and more things. This leads to a whirlwind of activities. In a restless hurry, we fool ourselves into believing that we can follow God without letting go of everything else that vies for our attention.

2024 Ten Days of Prayer will start on the 10th of January to the 20th of January, 2024.

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All prayer groups have different ways of praying together. We encourage you to spend the next 30-45 minutes in united prayer, in whatever way the Holy Spirit leads. We encourage short conversational prayers (1-3 sentences). This allows for more people to pray multiple times. Below are some examples of praying through Scripture based on the theme. You may pray through other passages also and include other subjects in your prayer time. See the Leader’s Guide and World Church Prayer Requests for prayer ideas.

Day 1 Ten Days of Prayer