3-30 Prayer Challenge

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I am excited about the response received about engaging my 3-30 prayer challenge!

Just as a reminder, here is the plan:

To pray three types of prayers three times a day for the next thirty days!

Here is the prayer breakdown:

1. morning prayer: Start your day with a morning breath prayer like “Abba, I belong to you.” Breath in fully while you pray the name “Abba” for about 2 counts, and then breath out for 5 counts on “I belong to you” Abba is the word Jesus used to acknowledge God the Father. It is a very person word that means “Daddy” Isn’t that powerful that Jesus helps us relate at a far more intimate level with God as we embrace Him as Daddy.

I tend to pray this in a Trinitartian format of “Abba” (which speaks of God the Father as Daddy) “Yeshua” which is the Hebrew name which Jesus translates from. And “Ruach” Which is the Hebrew term for the Holy Spirit. So it goes like this:

Abba…I belong to you
Yeshua…I belong to you
Ruach…I belong to you…

The ancient church, going back to the first century practiced this kind of prayer which they called “The Prayer of the Heart” The most tradition prayer was” Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” That is still a prayer that i meditate on through the day as well. I also enhace the aforementioned prayer in this way:

Abba…I love you (please forgive me) (thank you)
Yeshua…I love you (please forgive me) (thank you)
Ruach…I love you (please forgive me) (thank you)

Feel free to select words that help you focus on who God is and align your heart through confessiona nd repentence…there is no wrong way to pray this!

2. mid-day prayer: Sometime around mid-day, pause and slowly pray through the Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,

The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen.

Here is The Message translation of the same prayer. Reading this translation helps you see the original thoughts in a more cureent way:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—
    as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
    Yes. Yes. Yes.

3. Afternoon or later: Redemptive prayer:

What I mean by a redemptive prayer, is to simply pray God’s blessing on someone, escpecially someone with whom you might currently be struglling with, for example:

* pray for someone you are currently angry, bitter or struggling with.
* pray for your enemy, as jesus asked us to…who is your enemy?
* pray for the people you disagree with, politically, philosophically, theologicalley etc.
* pray for those you know who struugle with God or are anti-God 

So each day pick one person and pray the God would simply bless them, eve if you disagree with them!

I am excited for what God will be doing in you as you pray this way the next 30 days with me! I have already been receiving emails telling me that God started working on day 1!

Grace and Peace

Monty

30 Day New Testament Challenge

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Here is the challenge I presented today… in the next 30 days, read through all of the New Testament and immerse yourself into God’s story. I think it would be powerful to have multiple hundreds of us reading through together each day!

Amazing things will happen as you read through God’s message in the New Testament.  The Bible says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, so as you begin to read, meditate upon and digest all that God has to say to you in the next 30 days, I know that faith will be unleashed in your life!

As you read, find a comfortable space with limited distractions. That could be a challenge in and of itself! Also, you might want to keep a journal, or a notepad and pencil handy to write down what God is revealing to you as you read. I am sure you will have some insights and some epiphanies throughout the next 30 days.

Finally, ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate your reading. The Bible is alive, it is God’s living revelation to you! In it God is revealing who He is, and leading you deeper into who you are becoming! So write down what seems to jump at you from the pages. You may not even know why it is sticking out to you, but as you pray and meditate on it, God will reveal why He decided to bring that to your attention!

Click on the links below to get to your daily reading! Feel free to like and share this post to others!

Day 1: Matthew 1-9
Day 2: Matthew 10-15
Day 3: Matthew 16-22
Day 4: Matthew 23-28
Day 5: Mark 1-8
Day 6: Mark 9-16
Day 7: Luke 1-6
Day 8: Luke 7-11
Day 9: Luke 12-18
Day 10: Luke 19-24
Day 11: John 1-7
Day 12: John 8-13
Day 13: John 14-22
Day 14: Acts 1-7
Day 15: Acts 8-14
Day 16: Acts 15-21
Day 17: Acts 22-28
Day 18: Romans 1-8
Day 19: Romans 9-16
Day 20: 1 Corinthians 1-9
Day 21: 1 Corinthians 10-16
Day 22: 2 Corinthians 1-13
Day 23: Galatians & Ephesians
Day 24: Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians
Day 25: 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon
Day 26: Hebrews
Day 27: James 1-2 Peter
Day 28: 1-3 John
Day 29: Revelation 1-11
Day 30: Revelation 12-22

Sometimes We Need a Double-Dog Dare

Reminders are a good thing. I have found over the years that most people don’t need some new teaching, rather, they need an encouraging reminder of what they already know to be true, but the truth has faded into the thick mist of busyness. I came across this thought by Steve Maraboli today that had some good, encouraging reminders in it…so I double-dog-dare ya to be light this year!

Monty

________________________

Dare to Be 

When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully.

When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light.

When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.

When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway.

When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back.

When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some.

When you’re feeling tired, dare to keep going.

When times are tough, dare to be tougher.

When love hurts you, dare to love again.

When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal.

When another is lost, dare to help them find the way.

When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand.

When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile.

When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too.

When the day has ended, dare to feel as you’ve done your best.

Dare to be the best you can –

At all times, Dare to be!”