IMPACT

A Note from the Pastor

These are exciting days at Champion Forest Baptist Church. But then again, that’s nothing new. This church has a wonderful history of stepping up when God calls us out. Many of us will remember similar times in our past when God stirred our church with vision, and we responded by faith. God moved, and we were amazed and blessed. Others of us have come to Champion Forest in recent months or years, and we are eager to see God do again what you have already experienced. We are all together on this: we want to see God move and work in wonderful and miraculous ways, and we want to be a part of His great work!

So now it’s time to pray! Numerous teams of our members have worked and prayed over the last year to bring us to this week in our church’s history. The Building Team, along with the Budget and Finance Team, have made their reports and recommendations. It’s our responsibility now to pray and consider what the Lord would have us do both as a Body and individually as members. Pray for unity and harmony, pray for wisdom and discernment, pray for vision and passion, pray for the people we’ll reach as we stretch, pray for God’s will to be done. Use this prayer guide to make an extra special effort this week to pray for our church and for the vote which we will take on Sunday, January 20th. Also, join us on Saturday, January 19th at 9:00 a.m. in the Worship Center for an hour of prayer preceding Sunday. Whatever you do . . . please pray! We can’t do this without the Lord, so let’s take it to Him in prayer.

With You in His Certain Victory!!!
Pastor David

“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:4-6

Seeking the Heart of God: About the Week of Prayer

This week of prayer promises to be a powerful week in the life of Champion Forest Baptist Church! Each day as you begin your prayer time, imagine the whole church family humbled before the Lord, seeking His face and turning from our own ways. He promises that He will hear from Heaven and forgive our sins and heal our land (If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14). He promises that when we seek Him we will find Him when we seek Him with all our heart (You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13). God’s word is full of promises to those that earnestly seek Him and follow Him. Through united prayer and surrendered people, God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us (Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us… Ephesians 3:20).

To God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and ince we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

Hebrews 10:19-22

Steps to a Powerful Week of Prayer

1. Commit to set apart time each day to seek the Lord using the prayer guide.
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” – Col. 4:2

2. Spend time at the beginning of each prayer time praising God for who He is. Recognizing who God is and His character brings us humbly before the throne and it causes us to recognize Him as LORD.
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” – Psalm 100

3. Spend sufficient time silently before the Lord each prayer time asking God to search your heart and reveal to you any area of your life where you need to repent and submit fully to the LORD.
“Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.” – Psalm 24:3-4

4. Spend time each day thanking God. Ask Him to bring to mind all that He has done and is doing in your life and the life of the Church.
“Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

5. As we bring our requests to the Lord, we will use the Word of God to guide our prayer points (petitions). When we pray in agreement with the Word of God, we are asking for His will to be done.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him.” – 1 John 5:14-15

6. Finally, listen as God speaks and the Holy Spirit leads you. Be encouraged to write down what God is saying to you and spend time meditating on His word to you.
“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.” – Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” – Proverbs 16:3