2025 JANUARY PRAYER GUIDELINES
WEDNESDAY 15 JANUARY 2025
WEDNESDAY MORNING
Greetings in the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I trust that each and
every one of you had a wonderful Christmas, relaxed holiday season and are
refreshed and blessed as you start the New Year.
As the custom has been in the past 35 years, Word of Life International
Ministries has always had a time of Prayer and Fasting in January to dedicate
and consecrate ourselves, our dreams and desires and the year into God’s
hands.
The Bible is full of examples of times of prayer, dedication and consecration
and the life transforming results that followed these times of prayer.
Over the years we have developed a habit and tradition at Word Of Life
International Ministries of spending time, that is we take time to fast and pray
in January, started off as 3days, then 5 , but we have weekly prayers focused
on key areas of ministry, we also pray and fast for the nation on the first
Thursday of the month, and we take 3 days of prayer and fasting just before
every major conference.
Dedicating time for prayer and fasting is a Biblical model and tradition as
evidenced in the following scriptures;
“And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos:
then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.” - Genesis 4:26
The Word Seth means replacement, substitute or restoration. The son of
substitute or restoration was called Enos which means mortal or weak.
When man substituted God in our lives, we became mortal and weak and
realised the need to call upon God.
1.Prayer is our mortality calling out to God’s immortality
“How much less pure is a mortal-who is only a maggot- a descendant of
Adam-who is only a worm!” - Job 25:6
"All people are like grass, and all their beauty is like a flower of the field. The
grass dries up and the flower drops off,” - 1 Peter 1:24
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom.” - Psalm 90:12
“Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust
in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very
strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the
LORD!” - Isaiah 31:1
“Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not
spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall
fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.” -
Isaiah 31:2
“But a human dies and is powerless. A breathes his last breath, and where is
he?” - Job 14:10
“As water drains out of a lake, or as a river dries up completely, so each
person lies down and does not rise until the heavens cease to exist. He does
not wake up. He is not awakened from his sleep.” - Job 14:11 -12
In Case you have forgotten how human and puny you are.
2. Prayer is our weakness calling out to God’s strength
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is weak.” - Matthew 26:41
“8 I begged the Lord three times to take it away from me. 9 But he told me:
"My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak. So I
will brag even more about my weaknesses in order that Christ's power will
live in me.” - 2 Corinthians 12:8-9
3.Prayer is man’s need calling out to God’s sufficiency.
“4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked unto him and were lightened: and their faces were not
ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him
out of all his troubles.” - Psalm 34:4-6
4.Prayer is man’s sinfulness calling out to God’s righteousness
“1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came
unto him, after he had gone into Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender
mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine
iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my
transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have
I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when
thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in
iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest
truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to
know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow.” - Psalm 51:1-7
“8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast
broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine
iniquities.10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit
within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy
spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me
with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners
shall be converted unto thee. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy
righteousness. 15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth
thy praise. 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou
delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 18 Do good in
thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then
shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt
offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine
altar.” - Psalm 51:8-19
5.Prayer is man’s defeat or loss calling out to God’s restoration
“1 A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. LORD, how are
they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. 2
Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine
head. 4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his
holy hill. Selah.5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained
me. 6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set
themselves against me round about. 7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God:
for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast
broken the teeth of the ungodly.8 Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy
blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” - Psalm 3:1-8
“But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in
holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none
delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.” - Isaiah 42:22
“And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the
cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which
I sent among you.” - Joel 2:25
6. Prayer is man’s sickness calling out to God’s healing
“1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the
son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine
house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. 2 Then he turned his face to
the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, 3 I beseech thee, O LORD,
remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect
heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept
sore. 4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court,
that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,” - 2 Kings 20:1-4
“Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my
bones are vexed.” - Psalm 6:2
“12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that
were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and
said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Luke 17:12-13
“12 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of
leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if
thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 13 And he put forth his hand, and
touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy
departed from him.” - Luke 5:12-13
“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a
tree of life.” - Proverbs 13:12
7.Prayer is man’s foolishness calling out to God’s wisdom
Types of Foolishness
“1 To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. The fool
hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done
abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. 2 God looked down
from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did
understand, that did seek God.” - Psalm 53:1-2
“He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he
shall be delivered.” - Proverbs 28:26
“Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than
of him.” - Proverbs 26:12
“6 A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. 7 A
fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.” -
Proverbs 18:6-7
“A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is
prudent.” - Proverbs 15:5
“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived,
serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and
hating one another.” - Titus 3:3
“4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are
too heavy for me. 5 My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my
foolishness. 6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the
day long.” - Psalm 38:4-6
“21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness,
deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All
these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” - Mark 7:21-22
When Saints of Old have called on the Lord
“And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and
proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” - 2 Chronicles 20:3
“Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict
ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little
ones, and for all our substance.” - Ezra 8:21
“Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye
for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my
maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not
according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.” - Esther 4:16
“And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of
Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to
all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people that came from the cities
of Judah unto Jerusalem.” - Jeremiah 36:9
“Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the
inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto
the LORD,” - Joel 1:14
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:” - Joel
2:15
“So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on
sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.” - Jonah 3:5
“Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto
the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that
day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the
LORD.” - Judges 20:26
“So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.” -
Ezra 8:23
“Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart,
and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:” - Joel 2:12
“As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate
me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” - Acts
13:2
BUT WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?
1.We pray because God commands us to pray.
2.Prayer is the acknowledgement of the creator by his creation mankind.
3.Prayer is an expression of relationship between a person and their God.
4.Pray is an expression of human need for God’s restoring and healing
presence and guidance.
5.We need to pray because the condition of men’s heart, thoughts and
actions left to itself – born again or not will be lost, selfish, evil, and in
opposition to God.
6.We need to pray because of one need for help from an all-powerful and
all-knowing God who helps us navigate the journey of life.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
PRAYER FOCUS: PERSONAL REPENTANCE AND DEDICATION
The beginning of relationship with God is based on an old-fashioned word
that is sometimes taken for granted in Christian circles, the word
repentance. The gospel that Jesus preached was the gospel of repentance
is evidenced in the Scriptures.
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand.” - Matthew 4:17
Repentance does not mean being sorry only but repentance means a
change of heart, mind and behaviour. It calls for the alignment of heart,
mind and behaviour to the heart, mind and character of God.
“12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your
heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:” - Joel 2:12
“13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD
your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great
kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return
and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a
drink offering unto the LORD your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16 Gather the people, sanctify the
congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck
the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out
of her closet. 17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between
the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and
give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them:
wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?” - Joel
2:13-17
Prayer will be hindered if the heart, mind, behaviour or character is in
contradiction with the heart, mind and character of God.
1.Prayer begins with the return of the heart to God
“23 - Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24
“And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto
the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and
Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and
serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
- 1 Samuel 7:3
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and
let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our
God, for he will abundantly pardon.” - Isaiah 55:7
“Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine
ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto
you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?” -
Malachi 3:7
“Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with
their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart
far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:” -
Isaiah 29:13
WEDNESDAY EVENING
PRAYER FOR PERSONAL REPENTANCE
All prayer starts with personal repentance whether it is prayer for salvation
or for an acceptable walk with the Lord Jesus Christ we have to be
constantly bringing our hearts before the Lord so that we can walk worthy
of Him.
“So that let him that thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” -
1Corinthians 10:12
“But take heed to yourselves lest possibly your hearts be laden with
surfeiting and drinking and cares of life, and that day come upon you
suddenly unawares;” - Luke 21:34
“See, brethren, lest there be in any one of you a wicked heart of unbelief, in
turning away from the living God.” - Hebrews 3:12
When Jesus came here on earth He preached the gospel of the Kingdom
and always started this preaching with the message “repent for the
Kingdom of God is at hand.”
What does it mean to repent. It means more than just being sorry for the
state of affairs or consequences.
“And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your
God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness,
and repenteth him of the evil.” - Joel 2:13
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me
with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” - Matthew 15:8
It means a change of heart, mind and lifestyle. It is a change of heart
because the heart of the person is the centre of his or her dreams and
desires, motivation and faith.
There cannot be true repentance without a change of heart and a change of
heart requires a change of:
Desires
Dreams
Motivations
Treasure and
A change of Trust
In order for life to change, in order for our faith to change, in order for our
walk with Christ to change, there first of all must be a change in our hearts.
It is possible to be a Christian and your heart is not in the right place.
It is possible to serve in the Church and your heart is not perfect before
the Lord.
It is possible to be in the Church a long time and even be a minister and
your heart is not right before the Lord.
“I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man
according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” - Jeremiah
17:10
So this evening take some time to present your heart that the Lord. Check
your heart and see if there be any wicked way in it.
“23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting.” - Psalm 139:23-24
“12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. 13
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have
dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the
great transgression.” - Psalm 19:12-13
