Renewed, Refreshed & Revived

We begin our prayers for the Daniel Fast with PRAISE. In the Book of Daniel, Chapter 9, Daniel is praying for his country, which is caught in sin and rebellion and needing the mercy of God. Daniel begins with praise. Praise before confession, praise before asking for anything because God is worthy. We should always come to His throne with praise and thanksgiving before we petition. Lord Jesus, You alone are worthy of glory, praise and honor! Thank You for another day to worship Your holy Name. Thank you for the mercies afforded me when I open my eyes every morning.

I praise You for breath, for strength, for my right mind, and especially for Your presence in my life. My desire is to please You, to bring glory to Your Name so that others would see You in me. I praise You for Your mighty acts, I praise You according to Your excellent greatness! While I live I will praise You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Daniel goes from praise immediately into confession for his country. He is blunt as he proclaims, “We have sinned.” 

He confesses their:

1. Iniquity
2. Wickedness
3. Rebellion
4. Ignoring of the prophets
5. Ignoring the Voice of God

Confession doesn’t surprise God! He already knows everything about us. Confession helps us realize who WE are and our need for change. 

Thank you Savior Jesus, Lord of All, You alone are worthy of praise! I humble myself before You today and confess my sins, shortcomings and failures. You know all about me; You formed me in the womb, and yet I realize my need to express my wrongdoing. I was born in sin, shapen in iniquity, but because of the cross, I can admit my transgressions and bring them to You, knowing You hear and have compassion on me.

I surrender in repentance and turn to You, my Rock and Redeemer. Amen.

Daniel continued to petition his God in the ninth chapter of the book bearing his name. Next, he asked for forgiveness and gets specific with his request for pardon and intervention. 

He asked for God to:

1. Hear his prayer
2. Open His eyes to see their extreme desolation
3. Extend mercy and not righteousness
4. Forgive them of their sins

Jesus, Everlasting Father, I seek Your forgiveness today and ask for mercy that You are so free to hand out. Without Your involvement in my life, where would I be?

Please forgive my judgmental disposition, my lackadaisical attitude, and anything that would hinder Your work in my life. As I fast and pray the next few weeks, let the forgiveness You have extended to me cause me to be merciful to others. May I not forget the price You paid that I could come boldly before the throne of Grace and receive forgiveness of sins and if I have offended or hurt anyone else, please help me to ask forgiveness and restoration. In the Name above all names, Jesus, I give You praise.

By now you are growing a little accustomed to your fasting schedule but now is not the time to let up or be at ease! We must deny ourselves other things that normally occupy our time and use that time to spend with God every day in prayer and the Word; there is where we get our strength! 

Thank you, Jesus, that I am able to fast and pray today. Thank you for the examples in Your Word of the countless number of people of God that also fasted and prayed and were able to see their prayers answered according to Your will. Lord, I am bombarded with distractions, please help me to push things aside so this isn’t a diet but a sacrifice of my habits and routines

There is power in prayer and when I also deny myself and concentrate on time spent with You, I can be changed and renewed in spirit, mind and physical body. For this I am thankful and give You alone the praise. In Your Holy Name, Amen.

If you struggle with unbelief, whatever the reason, fasting will loose faith in its place! Unbelief can hinder the work that God is trying to accomplish in your life. Ask Him to replace that doubt with confidence in His Word that you may walk boldly in the knowledge that He is always with you. Lord Jesus, I thank You and praise You that You are ever with me. Even though Your Word declares Your faithfulness and mercy to me, I am human and still am subject to doubt and unbelief. As the apostle Thomas declared, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!” Help me to realize that fasting and prayer will remove doubt and replace it with hope in You alone. Then I may go about my day, every day, knowing that the God of the universe, the Creator of the world, is on my side, is beside me and forever encouraging me to be more like You that others may also believe. In the powerful Name of Jesus, Amen.

You are ending the first week of your three weeks of prayers for the Daniel Fast; you have displayed determination and commitment! Today, ask God for patience and endurance to continue, to finish the “race” and push on every day, even when it is just plain difficult. He will answer that prayer.

Thank You, God, for helping me through the first week of the fast, You are my reason for living and my desire is to know You. Help me today and the next two weeks of the fast to endure because Your Word tells me that perseverance produces character and character produces hope. And hope never disappoints us because You have poured out Your love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. (Romans 5:4, 5) Thank You for patience, I am confident that comes from above, Lord, it is not in my nature to be patient. But Your Word and Your presence encourage me that all things are in Your time; Your timing is always perfect, but it is rarely what I think it should be. Help me to trust You and You alone; I know You are for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

There are many benefits to fasting, but the bottom line is that it empties us of ourselves and points our weary souls to Christ. He alone is able to heal, restore, renew and refresh us in His Spirit, and yet, there are some things that we may not see God do right away. Trust Him today to know what is best for you and believe Him for every big and little thing.

Thank You today, Father, for the declaration in Your Word that fasting and prayer go together. If I am not spending time with You, it is just another healthy way of eating. I need healing in my body, in my mind, in my spirit. Please refresh, renew, and restore me as I humble myself in Your presence. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! This is where I gain that strength to continue on with the fast; through worship and prayer.

Lord, I trust in You with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. In all of my ways I submit myself to You, knowing You alone will make my paths straight. Amen.

Obedience is difficult at times and yet necessary in all things of God. The Lord promises us great benefits if we obey! Deuteronomy 28 declares that all these blessings will come upon you if you obey His voice. Ask God to help you to be obedient, take away the human characteristic of stubbornness and rebellion and replace it with humble obedience. Then pray the rest of that group of scripture in Deuteronomy in the first person; make it your own!

Jesus, I thank You for showing me things in my life that I need to work on, things that may be hidden in my heart and so much a part of my nature that I don’t even realize how they have changed me and inhibited me from being all I can be in Christ. Help me to be humbly obedient, knowing that blessings flow in the life of the child of God who can readily submit to You being Lord in their life. Your Word declares I will be blessed in the city, I will be blessed in the field. My children and all that I consider mine will be blessed. Wherever I go and whatever I do will be blessed by the Lord Most High if I keep my eyes on You and let You be Lord in my life. I am forever thankful, in Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

It’s not religion; it’s relationship! Do you really know God or do you just know about Him? “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8. Communication with God, including a listening ear, is the best way to develop that most necessary relationship.

I’m so very thankful, precious Lord, to be able to have a relationship with the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords! You alone are worthy to be praised, high and lifted up! I desire today to know You, not just know about You. I make it my mission to come before You every day, asking for Your strength and wisdom, longing to come into true fellowship with You. Help me to not just ramble on and dump a list of requests in Your lap but may I take the time to listen to Your voice. Your Word declares that Your sheep KNOW Your voice and another they will not follow. Thank you for the opportunities afforded me every single day to truly come into meaningful, life-giving relationship with You, the only One who has sacrificed His life for me that I might not just live but  live abundantly. Thank You, Jesus, Amen.

Have you ever been so fearful that you didn’t know where to turn? 

Wringing your hands, pacing the floor kind of fear? Every child of God has some sort of area in their lives that they might struggle with and fear is a big tool of the enemy. Being fearful doesn’t mean we don’t trust God but if we hang on to that fear, if we don’t allow God to take it from us, we dig ourselves deeper and deeper into a tunnel that is difficult to get out of. 

O Lord Jesus, when I am afraid, I will trust in You! (Psalm 56:3) 

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear; what can man do unto me? (Psalm 118:6) You have not given me a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) You, Lord are my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. (Hebrews 13:6) Your Word encourages me to trust You, I will not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, I present my request to You. Then that peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7) 

Amen.