Please join us with the Alliance Family in a commitment to Prayer.

How it works:

1st Pause (UP)

Start Each Morning – seeking intimacy with our heavenly Father. Begin by praying, “Abba Father, I want to know you more deeply. Reveal yourself to me in fresh ways as I read your Word and listen for how you would have me put it into practice.” Scripture focus: use the 40 Days of Prayer devotional to focus on a specific passage or study topic. (We will offer other materials after the 40 days is over).

2nd Pause (IN)

During Your Lunch Break – invite Jesus to transform you from the inside out. Begin by praying, “Lord Jesus, fill me with your light and life so that others might be drawn to you.” Scripture focus: read from the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds with the day’s date. For example, on January 4th, you would reflect on what the LORD says in Proverbs 4.

3rd Pause (OUT)

End Each Night – by lifting up concerns and petitions for others, so that they might come to know Jesus as Savior & Lord. Begin by praying, “Spirit of Jesus, hear my longings and concerns both for my own life & family and for those you have laid on my heart.” You may create a list of 3-4 people that you are praying specifically for the Spirit to open their hearts to trust in Jesus. Scripture focus: finish your day by reading from the Psalms.

Why Pray:

Dear FAC Family,

I’m writing to you just as we’re about to step into a new year. I’m sure that you’re hopeful the coming year will unfold differently than last year, with the global Covid pandemic and all the turmoil that turned the rhythm of our lives upside down.

What are you hoping for in 2021? My hope is that the LORD would help the Church to experience a great new year reset. Help & Hope – are those not at the heart of our vision as a local church? And are we not committed to GROW together by taking the next step, so we can become even more fully devoted followers of Christ?

I’m excited about the Alliance 40 Days of Prayer initiative. By now, you’ve heard that our Alliance President, Dr. John Stumbo, is challenging us to begin 2021 with a concentrated focus on seeking God’s face, so we can become the Church He’s calling us to be. To quote John, we start with “the Who” before moving to “the Do.”

If you haven't already done so, go to the following link and sign up for the devotionals that accompany the 40 Days of Prayer: www.cmalliance.org/40daysofprayer You will be asked to provide your name and email. The devotional Scriptures & reflections will then be sent directly to you each week by email.

The 40 Day devotional is the first of three Pauses that we want to practice, as we move into 2021. Last year, we committed to read through the New Testament together and had a reading schedule to follow. This year, we are going to take it up a couple of notches, and widen our daily devotional strategy to include a triple emphasis on the Word & Prayer.

In the Scriptures, there is a rhythm to how God’s people approached the Word & Prayer. The 2021 Challenge is to make that rhythm part of our daily walk with Jesus.

Here’s how it works:

The Bible reveals that God’s people paused to pray and to chew on the Word three times a day – morning, noon and night. My challenge to you in 2021 is for us to build the same spiritual rhythm into our lives, by practicing the three pauses every day, all year long. For those who’ve been part of LIFE groups and have become familiar with the Up-In-Out pattern of discipleship, you will see how these 3 Pauses fit that pattern.

Pause #1 (UP) – Start Each Morning – seeking intimacy with our heavenly Father. Begin by praying, “Abba Father, I want to know you more deeply. Reveal yourself to me in fresh ways as I read your Word and listen for how you would have me put it into practice.” Scripture focus: use the 40 Days of Prayer devotional to focus on a specific passage or study topic. (We will offer other materials after the 40 days is over).

Pause #2 (IN) – During Your Lunch Break – invite Jesus to transform you from the inside out. Begin by praying, “Lord Jesus, fill me with your light and life so that others might be drawn to you.” Scripture focus: read from the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds with the day’s date. For example, on January 4th, you would reflect on what the LORD says in Proverbs 4.

Pause #3 (OUT) – End Each Night – by lifting up concerns and petitions for others, so that they might come to know Jesus as Savior & Lord. Begin by praying, “Spirit of Jesus, hear my longings and concerns both for my own life & family and for those you have laid on my heart.” You may create a list of 3-4 people that you are praying specifically for the Spirit to open their hearts to trust in Jesus. Scripture focus: finish your day by reading from the Psalms.

If we follow this rhythm, you will read through the Psalms at least twice in 2021, and the book of Proverbs, a dozen times. You will also have covered large sections of the Old & New Testaments thru your morning readings. And the holy habit of pausing for Prayer & the Word will be so much stronger in your daily walk with Jesus.

Are you up for the 2021 Challenge? Build the 3 Pauses into your daily routine! And then watch & see how Jesus answers your prayers and shapes your soul. Best of all, we can anticipate welcoming new Christ-followers into Jesus’ forever family. The hard work of building spiritual disciples will produce fruit that lasts. So join me, starting January 4th, in taking the 2021 Challenge!

Leaning Forward With Anticipation,

Pastor Adriaan