Archive for the 'Prayer' Category
How to Start 2018 in the Right Way Spiritually
If you do not plan to succeed in your spiritual life in 2018, you will fail. I want to challenge you to start 2018 in the right way spiritually. If you start strong, you are setting yourself up to finish strong.
There are many things you can plan to do to achieve this spiritual need and goal, but I want to suggest one that has really helped us at Cross Church.
Focus Leads to Success
At Cross Church, we have found that when we have a focused effort, it helps us go so much farther together. For the past several years, Cross Church has been allocating twenty-one days together to start our lives right spiritually each year.
Consider Twenty-One Days in January
January 1-21, 2018, we will be placing our focus on 21 Days of Prayer. We will focus our prayer each day in three specific areas:
- Personal: A specific personal need that you have on your heart. In other words, pray for your greatest burden or burdens daily.
- Church: We will communicate specific things our church needs to focus on each day.
- National: Our nation has so many needs, and we will communicate some specific needs for our church to focus on each day.
There is something dynamic that occurs when we pray in agreement, at the same time, about specific things.
Additionally, we will encourage as many people as possible to fast, however God is leading them, during these twenty-one days. Fasting is abstinence from food with a spiritual goal in mind. When we humble ourselves through fasting, our prayers are purified, our hearts are softened, and God’s power ignites us like nothing else.
But let me be more than clear: The overall emphasis is something every person can do. Everyone can pray with specificity about things on their heart and things we will share for twenty-one days.
Daily Engagement and Communication Will Occur During Each of the Twenty-One Days: January 1-21, 2018
During these twenty-one days, our goal is to engage and encourage each other through daily communication. There are two ways we will communicate during each of these twenty-one days:
1. Daily Texts Sent at 6:00 a.m. CST
In these short daily texts, we will lead you to target a personal need, share a church need, and a national need. We will also share a Scripture as you pray for these needs and anything else God places on your heart.
You can sign up by texting “21days” to 313131. This daily text will provide focus and intentionality to our 21 Days of Prayer.
2. Join Me Daily via Facebook Live or Call in via Phone at 6:30 a.m. CST
During each of these twenty-one days, join me via Facebook Live, or call in via phone at (563) 999-1422 each morning for a brief message from God’s Word and prayer together.
These daily experiences will last no longer than 20 minutes. You can participate with us wherever you are in the world, and invite others to join us.
Plan Now for Spiritual Success in 2018
Whether you choose to participate with us or not in these twenty-one days from January 1 through January 21, develop your own plan. The key is having a plan to make your life all God wants you to be in 2018.
Think about your plan for the year and plan to join me for these twenty-one days of prayer.
Now is the Time to Lead and to Pray,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
President, National Day of Prayer
*******
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the Senior Pastor of Cross Church, President of the National Day of Prayer, founder of the Cross Church School of Ministry, and host of the Ronnie Floyd on Life and Leadership Today podcast.
To request an interview with Dr. Ronnie Floyd
contact Gayla Oldham at (479) 751-4523 or email gaylao@crosschurch.com.
Visit our website at http://ronniefloyd.com
Follow Dr. Floyd on Twitter and Instagram @ronniefloyd
Turning Your iPad into an Intercessory Prayer List
The most effective prayer plan is the one you will use. What I know: If you do not have a plan to pray, usually you will not pray consistently and effectively.
So, what is your prayer plan? If you do not have a plan that helps you stay current, on task, and specific, then I suggest you consider trying this one.
Your iPad and prayer
I use an iPad and iPhone, which came with an app called Notes. I have turned my iPad into an intercessory prayer list through the Notes App. If you have an iPhone, it will sync with your iPad, providing you accessibility on either device. If you have an Android or other device, they have something similar, or you can even download an app that works for you. The brand of the product is not what is important – it is the functionality it provides.
Why I use my iPad for prayer
1. Simplicity: The Notes app is very simple to use. Access to my iPad and saving my prayer list on the Notes app is very simple. Simplicity usually increases usability.
2. Change: It is simple to change this kind of electronic prayer list. It is simple to adjust any part of the list or all of it.
3. Relevance: In the past, a challenge of using a prayer list has been keeping it current and relevant. With the Notes app, I can easily keep my list current. I can add to my list upon hearing a need, wherever I happen to be at the time. A current, relevant prayer list increases the usability of such a list.
What is on my daily prayer list?
I have used all kinds of prayer plans through the years. Nothing keeps me more focused, on task, and effective in prayer than a current, relevant prayer list.
For decades, I have begun each day with a personal time with God. You can read about my morning commitment here. Because of this, I have grown spiritually through the years, and my desire is that the Holy Spirit will navigate me through this list each day as He so desires. As with any plan for prayer, it always needs to be led and empowered by the Holy Spirit. My daily prayer list is lengthy; therefore, I will only share a few of the commitments I have in daily prayer.
Personal preparation: Daily, I make myself available for God to prepare me to pray. I spend moments praising God, followed by moments thanking God for what He has done for me. I then move into a time of spiritual evaluation, confession of sin, and acknowledging His finished work on the cross for forgiveness of my sins. From this point, I approach God asking for His spiritual covering and armor upon my family and me. I call out the names of my family, asking God to put on His armor of protection upon each of us.
Filling and anointing of the Holy Spirit: I believe in the filling of the Holy Spirit daily and even momentarily. While I do not understand fully the anointing of the Holy Spirit, I know I need God’s anointing upon my life and in everything I do. I ask God to anoint me for preaching, teaching, leadership, decision making, vision, writing, relationships, and with His gladness.
Empowerment to walk in the authority of the Great Commission: I believe in the Great Commission and committing the rest of my life to do everything I can so that each person in the world is told about Jesus Christ. Therefore, I pray for God to give me the authority to personally fulfill it; pastorally, in leading my church; nationally, leading the National Day of Prayer Task Force, and globally, through writing, sending, speaking, and influencing others to reach the nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Asking God for a mighty spiritual revival in my church and in America: I believe God wants to send a mighty revival upon His church and ignite a spiritual awakening in America. I plead with the Lord, asking Him to pour out His Spirit upon us powerfully.
Asking God’s leadership upon the leaders of our nation: I believe in praying for the leaders in our nation. Daily, I call out the names of our President, Vice-President, our state’s Governor, Senators, Congressmen, and the Mayors of the major cities in our region of Northwest Arkansas.
Asking God for wisdom and favor upon the leadership of our region: When the economy really turned sour years ago, I began to pray for forty to fifty leaders in our region who help shape the financial future of our region, even our state, some in America, and a few globally. Therefore, I keep this list current and for several years have prayed for some of Northwest Arkansas’ prominent leaders by name.
Asking God to provide healing and restoration upon people who are ill and those who have lost loved ones: Prayer is powerful and we need to believe God to heal people. Some need it physically, others emotionally or mentally; however, no one can bring healing like God. This list is very current and keeps me accountable to pray for people with major needs. As soon as I hear about them, I place them on this list, with 90% of these people never knowing unless I tell them.
There is much more, but that’s enough for now …
There are many more things I work through in prayer daily. However, this gives you some ideas about how to transform your iPad or other device into an Intercessory Prayer List.
Try using this – I really think you will like it
Its simplicity, usefulness, and relevance will be refreshing. Plus, do not forget, it can change easily as the Spirit of God leads you.
Now is the Time to Lead and to Pray,
Ronnie W. Floyd