Day 5

Prayer: To spend 30 minutes a day with God for 21 Days…

Spending time with God is a necessity for a Christian leader—not an option, not if they feel like it, not just when convenient.  And everyone one of us in this challenge is a Christian leaders. 

Examine today if/what gets in your way of a scheduled appointment with the King?  Sleep?  Sin—anything that you know is a compromise in your relationship with God or others?  Good Works?  One of the quickest ways to get your self out of “duty” mode and into devotion is to picture yourself one of Jesus’ disciples.  Wouldn’t it be exhilarating to spend time with Him?  Wouldn’t you be excited to observe, follow, tarry, and partner with Him?  Yes, of course.  And that picture is what “hooked” me for good.  When I considered prayer an adventure with Jesus, a conversation with the King, a counseling appointment with the Comforter, and the place where I would get my marching orders from the Captain of the Lord’s Army…I was “in.”  Are you “in” for 21 days, for life?

Purity:  To keep your eyes and actions pure during this 21 Days of Personal Revival. 

J. Oswald Sanders, author of Spiritual Leadership (a great book for all) and Enjoying Intimacy with God wrote much about how the prayer life of a leader is the key to a pure life of a leader.  (Perhaps that is why so many leaders struggle to pray?  Jonathan Edwards would say prayerlessness is a firm and definitive attack by the enemy on the life of a leader.)  Sanders discussed 3 illustrations of both mythical and fictional characters that showed how a person must relinquish control of their lives over to the Holy Spirit in order to fight the lusts of their flesh.  But for sake of space and time, we can all agree that we all have lusts…so to overcome them, we must ask for and invite more of the Holy Spirit into our lives…not strive, but submit.  Pray, ask, surrender to the Holy Spirit in moments of temptation; get on your knees or call a praying friend.  Ask the Holy Spirit to over take you when you feel the lustful thought entering your mind.  Do it over and over and over and over again until you win that battle.  And do it again for the next battle…until there are few to no more battles!  Sanders says, “It will also be a walk in obedience to the divine call.  That is basic.  The Lord will not admit to His intimate fellowship those who walk in disobedience, for that grieves the Holy Spirit and forfeits His aid.” 

Prayer and purity are dependent upon the other…do you believe this?

Purpose: To bring one person to Christ during this 21 One Day Personal Revival

Charles Spurgeon said, “The chief business of the Christian is soulwinning!”  What is your response to his challenge?  (Charles Spurgeon was called the prince of preachers…and so much more.  I encourage you to browse the website to learn more about his evangelistic teaching.)