A Call to Prayer
21 Day Consecration
Monday, January 18, 2016-Sunday, February 1, 2016
“Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the
disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and
the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he
unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and
watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed,
saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as
I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep,
and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray,
that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”
Matthew 26:36-41
Dr. Gina M. Stewart, Senior Pastor
Dear CMBC Family,
For several years, we have participated in a 21 Day Fast and Consecration journey
of abstaining from specific foods and beverages. As we embark upon another year,
I have been intentional about seeking God’s favor and direction for our
congregation. I believe that there is another dimension that awaits us if we are
willing to make the investment and/or sacrifice. We can do nothing without God’s
favor.
Since our theme for 2016 is “In Pursuit of God’s Glory”, I am asking that rather
than giving up food, you would give up a minimum of ONE hour per day to devote
to prayer, scripture reading and meditation for 21 DAYS. In the cold, black night
of Christ's betrayal, Jesus disciples could not tarry one hour with Him in prayer. In
the Garden of Gethsemane, while Jesus earnestly prayed in such agony of spirit
that His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground, His disciples,
oblivious to the eternity-shaping events about to transpire, slept.
Jesus, heavy and sorrowful in spirit,awakened His sleeping disciples and asked,
“What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” (Matt. 26:40). Mirrored in that
tragic scene is the plight of today’s church. Jesus, our interceding High Priest, is
praying; His disciples are sleeping; and Satan is winning contest after contest by
default. It would be impossible to calculate the failures, the ruined reputations, the
defeats, the broken homes and the other multiplied tragedies that could have been
avoided if believers had prayed. It would be impossible to measure the destruction
that could have been turned and the judgment that might have been averted if only
God's people had taken the time to pray. We are all painfully aware of the
pressures, interruptions, distractions and fatigue that pull us away from prayer.
Nevertheless, I am convinced that something supernatural will happen if we will
commit ourselves to pray an hour a day. It does not happen overnight, but slowly
almost imperceptibly, as the desire to pray becomes firmly planted in our heart by
the Spirit of God, this desire crowds out the weeds of apathy and neglect and
matures into the discipline to pray.
Prayer is what transformed the slumbering disciples, disheartened believers and
vacillating followers in the final chapters of the gospel into the determined,
driving, unifying army of the book of Acts. It is by and through prayer that we
unleash the power of God and tap into God’s infinite resources.
The ultimate purpose of this 21 day consecration is to deepen our relationship with
God and to change us in ways that have spiritual, social, and interpersonal impact.
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Enclosed in this packet is “The Hour That Changes The World” resource that
may be used to guide your time of intercession.
We learned a lesson from the life of Moses that when we spend time in fellowship
with God, communing with God, staying connected to God, and living in the
presence of God, we can literally petition heaven and bring about change in the
earth realm. Moses is proof that when we live in intimate fellowship with God, we
have the power to change the course of action in our lives and in the world. “I
Want That” kind of relationship with God!
I’m excited that you are taking this journey with me.
In Pursuit of God’s Glory,
“Pastor”
Pastor Gina M. Stewart
Recommended Accompanying Resource: The Hour That Changes the World:
A Practical Plan for Person Prayer by Dick Eastman
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