Week one

Prayer and Fasting may 2020

Week 1 -1st May-7th May

The God we pray to is absolute sovereign over all the world events both big and small. The sovereignty of God is not simply a theological term, but is a deeply important reality for our church. If God were not sovereign there would be no confidence that He could answer our prayers. But He is sovereign and does listen to and answer the prayers of His people We see this in Psalm 116:1-2 

“I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.”

Here is confidence. The psalmist prays ‘because God heard my voice, my cry for mercy… He turned His ear to me.’ Prayer is movement. The movement of the person or people praying to God and, it’s the movement of God towards His people as they pray.

(A Call to Extraordinary Prayer - Steve Nation 2017 - ISBN 978-1-5271-0089-3)

Our focus in this first week of prayer and fasting month is on Our God and HIs majesty.  The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 begins “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name .. “ So we should begin in the same way. It’s important to pray for ourselves as individuals and for for our church, that we see an increase in holy living that will bring honour and glory to Jesus. But let’s use this first week to honour Him and give praise to His name.

The Psalmists do not treat the doctrine of God's sovereignty in a cold, abstract manner. The beauty of this book of praise is that God's sovereignty is indeed the heart and soui of the Psalms. The psalmists love this doctrine. It is precious to them. They find great comfort in the fact that their God controls and works all things for their salvation. They have nothing to fear. Even in the midst of tribulation, the psalmists have peace and contentment. This is the experience of all those who trust the sovereign God.

1st May - God’s Sovereign Power

The psalmists not only praise God as the glorious King, but they praise Him for the manifestation of His great power. God is indeed the Ruler. His wondrous power is displayed everywhere. We see it in the creation of heaven and earth. The psalmist bursts forth in a song of praise of the Creator's power when he says,

“Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created.”  Psalm 148:1-5

Use these verses to help you to worship God our Creator

2nd May - The Sovereign Saviour

Since God is the sovereign King over all the world, we must also acknowledge that He is the sovereign Saviour. How inconsistent we would be if we recognised God to be the great King, but refused to recognise Him as the Saviour who saves His people by sovereign grace alone. These two can not be separated. If God is not the sovereign Saviour, then He can not be the Sovereign King. The Psalms, however, make it very clear that God is indeed the sovereign Saviour. For the Saviour is the sovereign King. The Saviour is the great God Who has created all things and Who upholds and governs all things. Thus the psalmist declares, 

"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 

Praise God in prayer in the light of this. We find our help in the Saviour Who created the world. The power of salvation is the power of the sovereign Creator. Thanks be to God

3rd May - God's Sovereign Grace

Salvation is the work of God's grace alone. It is the work of God's sovereign grace. The psalmists knew of no grace that must be earned by man or accepted by the will of man. Salvation is not conditioned by what man does but is based totally upon the faithfulness of the Covenant God. God's people are saved only because God has established His covenant with them and promised to save them. Thus God's people rejoice and sing, 

"I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant:” Psalm 89:1-3

Give God thanks that His sovereignty is seen in the grace that saves us through the sacrifice of Jesus.  Use this Psalm as an expression of your thankfulness.

4th May - The Praise of God's Sovereignty

This joy which the believer experiences naturally produces a gratitude that praises God for his greatness. Thus we find praise throughout the Psalms. In fact, the book of Psalms is a book of praise precisely because its theme is that of God's sovereignty. It is the sovereignty of God that is praised. Because God saves His people and delivers them from their enemies by His sovereign power, believers sing of his greatness. The sovereignty of God and praise are inseparable. The psalmist says, 

"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable” Psalm 145:3

“Because the Lord is great, He is greatly to be praised. God's people are exhorted, "Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!" Psalm 47:1

Read through Psalm 145 and make it your prayer today.

5th May - The Comfort of God’s Sovereignty

The doctrine of God's sovereignty gives to the believer a wonderful joy. He is happy because he knows that he is safe in the everlasting arms of God. King David spoke of that joy when he exclaimed, 

"O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exalts! You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.”  Psalm 21:1,2

If you belong to the Lord pray this prayer: "Lord, I praise You that in all my days I may never fear because I am safe in the knowledge that through the death and resurrection of Jesus I am saved by faith through Your grace. I rejoice in the comfort that You are over all."

6th May - The Proclamation of God's Sovereignty

The doctrine of God's sovereignty is such a wonderful truth that the believer cannot keep it to himself. He bursts forth in praise to God, but he also speaks of God's sovereignty to others. He proclaims the sovereignty of God. The psalmist declares, 

"Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!” Psalm 105:1,2

God's people make known God's great deeds and His wondrous works. They talk of them one to another. Christians do not hide the sovereignty of God. Thus God's people are to declare God's sovereignty even to the unbeliever. Pray that this may be your experience.

7th May - God’s sovereignty over evil

Closely connected with God's sovereignty in salvation is God's sovereignty over the wicked. God's people need to be saved from their enemies. The almighty power of God controls even the wicked for the sake of God's people and their salvation. Thus God's people are saved through the destruction of the wicked by the sovereign power of God. With the psalmist therefore all of God's people must praise God and say, 

"With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.” Psalm 108:13 

Because God is sovereign even over the wicked, the salvation of God's people is absolutely sure. Praise the Lord. He is the sovereign Saviour. Raise your voice in praise and worship and remember the many thousands of God's people who are suffering persecution, imprisonment and hunger for His sake..

 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

English Standard Version (ESV)

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