Each year, the Seventh-day Adventist Church around the world calls for ten days of corporate prayer. Over the period, January 9-19, 2019, the Mount Olive Seventh-day Adventist Church will join sister churches around the world, in daily prayer meetings, small groups, social networks, etc., as we pray for the special themes each day. The Prayer Theme: A Deeper Experience is explained on the website (tendaysofprayer.org) as follows:
- During Ten Days of Prayer 2019, we will look at how to have a deeper, richer Christian experience. Whether new believers or longtime church members, we all need to have a fresh, daily encounter with Jesus. This series features real-life lessons, Bible promises, and encouraging Spirit of Prophecy quotes to strengthen our daily walk with Christ. We read about the early believers: “The Corinthian believers needed a deeper experience in the things of God. They did not know fully what it meant to behold His glory and to be changed from character to character. They had seen but the first rays of the early dawn of that glory. Paul’s desire for them was that they might be filled with all the fullness of God, following on to know Him whose going forth is prepared as the morning, and continuing to learn of Him until they should come into the full noontide of a perfect gospel faith” (Acts of the Apostles, pp. 307, 308). We pray that this prayer focus will help us develop a deep, abiding relationship with Jesus until we “come into the full noontide of a perfect gospel faith” and fully reflect His character of love.
Building on the quote from The Ministry of Healing, “We must live a twofold life—a life of thought and action, of silent prayer and earnest work” (p. 512); it is our privilege to show others the love of Jesus. We have received so much love from our Savior; we are challenged to share His love with others after this period. The ten days of prayer prepares us for the task through our communion with the Lord.
Running concurrently will be a 21-Day Daniel Fast.
What is the Daniel Fast?
The Daniel Fast is a biblical based partial food fast. There are two anchoring scriptures for the Daniel Fast. In Daniel 1 the prophet Daniel ate only vegetables (that would have included fruits) and drank only water. From these scriptures we get two of the guidelines for the fast:
1. Only fruits and vegetables
2. Only water for a beverage
Then in Daniel 10 we read that Daniel ate no meat nor any precious breads or foods and he drank no wine for 21 days. So from this scripture, we get a third guideline:
3. No sweeteners and no breads.
Another important guideline is drawn from Jewish fasting principles, where no leaven is used during the fast. So that’s why yeast, baking powder and the like are not allowed on the Daniel Fast. Finally, with all the above puzzle pieces, we conclude that no artificial or processed foods nor any chemicals are allowed on the Daniel Fast. Be sure to read the ingredients on labels of prepared foods to make sure they only include Daniel Fast friendly ingredients.
What If You Have Health Issues?
Fasting should never bring harm to the body. And if you have concerns, be sure to consult your health professional before going on the Daniel Fast or making any major dietary change.
Its More Than Just Food
You know, a lot of people who use the Daniel Fast get so absorbed and focused on the food. Then they miss out on the super amazing revelations and transformations they can experience on the fast. And it really comes down to our choice and our approach.
We can focus on the needs and desires of our flesh. Or, we can enter into a consecrated time, keep our meals simple and easy, and then feed on God's amazing truth. One choice will lead us to shallow results. The other will take us into spiritual realms and experiences that change our lives.
We have many RESOURCES to help during this period.