21 Days of Prayer
The prayer guide is an essential resource whose content and schedule will not only unify our church but also bring personal benefits to you. Strive to engage with this guide daily, reading the scripture and immersing yourself in the content. Journey with us below or grab a printed copy on Sunday.
A Word from Pastor Justin
This year, I am pleased to have one of our own, Nancy Alberts, contributing alongside me. From Days 8 through 14, you will find content written by her, which I hope will encourage and inspire you. You will see she is a gifted writer and has a passion for God’s Word!
This prayer guide, appropriately titled “Rekindled,” aims to ignite the theme of this year’s Church on Fire again in our hearts. It aims to help you rekindle your spirit, endurance, and prayers. This theme aligns perfectly with our three tenets of Church on Fire: to be fervent in spirit, patient in endurance, and persistent in prayer.
I encourage you to remember the mandate of “Church on Fire,” which the Lord has given us, TLC! May these 21 days of prayer and fasting deepen our relationship with the Lord, individually and as a church family.
DAY 1
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding. He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)
Proper prayer begins with acknowledging God, praising Him for who he is, and thanking Him for all he’s done. We must look to the one who never needs rekindling or a restart to rekindle our spirits this year. Our God is the everlasting God, the Creator of our spirits. Though we may get weary, worn out, and tired, He never does.
As we start this journey, take a moment to thank God for being unlike us. Praise Him for His unmatched strength and might. Then, with complete faith, trust He will answer you, and ask Him to renew your strength to live for Him this next year, rekindling your spirit with newfound joy and boldness.
DAY 2
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
This Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – AMEN! Its implications mean that all who trust Christ will no longer have a “heart of stone”; they will now have a “heart of flesh,” meaning the Holy Spirit of God will reside in the hearts of those who believe. On this day, let me remind you of where you once had a stone for a heart. Now you have a soft heart because of who is inside you. That reality means that there is always hope for rejuvenation and a rekindling. The days when you shared your faith and worshiped freely and unashamed are still possible because your heart is not stone – it’s flesh! Ask the LORD today to overwhelm you with His presence as a testimony that you have the “heart” for a spirit rekindling.
DAY 3
Turn my eyes from looking at what is worthless; give me life in your ways. Confirm what you said to your servant, for it produces reverence for you. Turn away the disgrace I dread; indeed, your judgments are good. How I long for your precepts! Give me life through your righteousness. (Psalm 119:37-40)
A lot of the time, the reason for our spiritual dryness is our own doing. We turn to things that are “worthless” and have no life to them. What worthless things did you consistently turn to last year? Did they affect your spirit at all? Be honest.
Now, take an inventory and ask the LORD what things I need to shed this year that rob my soul of life. And what things do I need to surround myself with this year that will bring life? The text gives you a good head start by telling us God’s judgments are good and that a desire to long for his precepts is where a rekindling of a spirit lies. In other words, read His Word, study it, and meditate daily. If you want life in your soul, go to the “Book of Life” now and every day this year.
DAY 4
I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)
Sometimes, I can get frustrated when I can not understand something, like the US tax code! We all can relate to that! However, there’s a paradox here in this passage. Paul is saying that the mystery of God’s love, which is incomprehensible and difficult to understand fully, strengthens us with power throughout our entire self. In other words, thinking upon its depths, lengths, and width, a task impossible to exhaust, will leave us renewed, not frustrated. The more we contemplate this mystery, the more we realize the depth of God’s love for us, and that deepens our relationship with Him!
Take a moment to dwell on the mystery of God’s love in your life. Mining those depths will undoubtedly rekindle your spirit with love and joy today.
DAY 5
But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. (Revelation 2:4-5)
These strong words from Jesus are directed to the Church in Ephesus, the same church Paul encouraged to dive into the depths of God’s love. They did for some time, but somewhere they got distracted and ran away from their “first love”. Jesus’s warning to the church in Ephesus applies to us today. The strong call to “repent”, which means stop whatever wrong thing you’re doing or believing and do the right thing God wants from you, applies to us right now.
Is there something you need to do tangibly, turn away from, to rekindle your fire and love for God fully? The good news is that these strong words are not from a heart of anger but from kindness! If we listen and return to God, he’s there with loving, kind arms ready to receive us. Brothers and sisters, run back to Jesus Christ, your first love today!
DAY 6
Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:7-10)
If you’re wondering why you are not experiencing God the way you want or desire, you may need to pursue humility first. Pride may be prohibiting an experience with God. Again and again, throughout the scriptures, there’s the spiritual principle that God blesses, favors, and is with those who are humble. Humility starts with believing deeply in the first part of this verse, which is God’s position in this world – He’s the High and Exalted One, who lives forever and is holy. This leads us to see that we are not those things, putting us in our proper place. Orienting this view of God and who we are leads us to renewal.
Take a moment to admit all the places you’ve been prideful and ask God for forgiveness. I believe God’s presence will soon follow.
DAY 7
God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:10-12)
King David writes this prayer of confession and desperation for God’s renewal after his transgressions regarding his affair with Bathsheba. What stands out to me is the desperation in his words. He knows he can’t clean his heart or renew his spirit apart from God. He also knows that his life is in God’s hands and that God could remove the Holy Spirit for good. This is a desperate spirit.
Rekindling your spirit depends on how desperate you are for it. If there is no desperation, is there any indication to God that you want to rekindle the spirit? This year, I pray for you and me to embrace the simplicity of desperation.
DAY 8
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord my rock and Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)
This last year has been difficult. Wars, political strife, broken relationships, health scares, doubt, fear…the list continues. Yet, this verse convicts me that what we say and think matters deeply to God. He wants us to be consistent, no matter what our current circumstances look like. We know what is in our hearts eventually comes out as words and behavior. Whatever our situations look like, how we think, speak, and behave will tell the world who we are. Who do you want to be in 2025?
As 2025 unfolds, let’s do better when it comes to rekindling endurance with integrity. Let’s not be quick to whine, blame, or doubt the goodness of God. Let’s sit in the reality of whatever comes and use our voices and thoughts to praise our Savior, even as we remember how much Christ had to endure for us. As we change how we speak, think, and behave, let it bring a smile to the face of God and cause the world to take notice.
How can you become more consistent with your thoughts, words, and behavior in every circumstance that touches your life this year?
DAY 9
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them. (Matthew 18:20)
Lots of people enjoy hiking. Hiking is often considered a solitary pursuit, a chance to get alone and commune with nature at your own pace. However, experts warn that hiking alone can be very dangerous. On the other hand, hiking with friends allows for a built-in support system in case of emergencies. If we are called to endure, let’s grab a buddy and do it together.
Satan’s favorite place to attack is when we are alone because this is when we are vulnerable. He loves it when we make his job easy by isolating ourselves from relationships. He jumps for joy when we make every excuse not to gather or get involved in kingdom work. Is God calling you to “come” when you’d rather not? Is He encouraging you to join a small group or huddle, but you’re anxious because you’ve been hurt in groups before? Is God nudging you to participate with Him in some kingdom work, but you are questioning what you could possibly offer? Whose voice will you listen to this year?
Hard times will come, but we can endure anything by surrounding ourselves with a community where Jesus has promised always to be.
DAY 10
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
I once worked as a baker and loved most of it. A perfectly baked loaf of bread is a true picture of beauty…better than some paintings hanging in museums, in my opinion. However, my boss demanded the impossible. I also struggled with unloading the trucks, restocking, boxing, labeling new products, and answering gluten-free and allergy questions from customers. As the months went by, the job began to eat at my soul, causing me to say and do things totally out of character, especially as a Jesus follower. One day, already tired from what I knew would be another “beat down,” the above verse surfaced in my mind. Instead of trying to endure the impossible, I pretended I was baking for Jesus and His disciples. Working for Jesus allowed me to feel proud of what I did. The ranting from my human boss didn’t go away, but it no longer bothered me.
If you’re like me, you understand what it feels like to be a hamster on a wheel, running faster and faster but going nowhere. Who can endure that? Thankfully, with Jesus, we don’t have to. How will you honor Jesus by persevering in new and imaginative ways this year?
DAY 11
A patient spirit is better than a proud spirit. (Ecclesiastes 7:8)
Patience is the ability to bear annoyance, misfortune, or pain without complaint. Waiting means to remain inactive or in a state of repose until something expected happens. Let’s face it…endurance and waiting patiently often come as a package deal. God works in His own timeframe.
Waiting doesn’t have to have a negative connotation. God often uses it to teach us patience, a fruit of the spirit. Maybe God is using seasons of waiting to develop characteristics He wants us to possess, such as compassion, trust, obedience, or gratitude. God may ask us to wait and endure certain situations to prepare us for a special assignment.
On the other hand, maybe we endure more than is necessary because God is waiting for us to get out of His way. I have a coffee cup that says, “Good morning. This is God. I will be handling all of your problems today and I don’t need your help.” Ouch. I hate to think of certain situations in my life that could have been shortened if I had laid down my proud, controlling spirit and let God do His job. How will you rethink the concepts of waiting, patience, and endurance in 2025?
DAY 12
Work may be done for six days, but on the seventh day, there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord. (Exodus 31:15)
God gave us the gift of rest, which we all need on a physical level. However, the Bible states that the Sabbath Day was to be holy to the Lord. By incorporating holiness into this day, God is reorienting our values, taking our attention off work in the sense of “getting and spending,” and placing our attention back on Him, where it should be. God is asking us to rest from our striving and turn our preoccupation with work into trusting Him as our true provider.
When we refuse to rest in the Holy sense of the word, we are declaring that the world would fall apart without our services. This becomes a form of idolatry as we begin to worship other created things, such as our own efforts, instead of our Holy Creator.
As this relates to endurance, I’m happy to serve a God that commands me to take a nap. God tells me to rest physically and spiritually when I’m stuck in the muck and mire of life with no way out. How can you reorient your affections back to God by resting? How will this help you grow in endurance?
DAY 13
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison, and you visited me. (Matthew 25:35-36)
Jesus was the ultimate servant. He had a heart for the broken, lonely, orphan, widow, poor, prisoner, and outcast. His earthly ministry involved serving the physical and spiritual needs of others and He commands us to do the same.
The best way to stay trapped in our problems is to think that our suffering is unique. Yes, we will go through some difficult situations this year, but wallowing in our misery requires much effort and brainpower. This year, maybe we can ease our suffering by daring to glance toward someone in our city who could use a little extra love. Let’s discover their need and then go fill them up! In the process, we may also fill ourselves up. Simple. I’m reminded of an old Lutheran hymn we used to sing: Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.
How will you serve Jesus this year by loving others who desperately need it? By helping others, how could this change the way you view your own seasons of suffering?
DAY 14
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4)
In difficult situations, my favorite place to go is Revelation, Chapters 21 and 22. These chapters remind me that this world is not my home. What we endure here on Earth won’t last forever. As you read these chapters, let your imagination go wild! Sometimes we spend more time thinking of what we will eat for dinner than we do thinking about our eternal home. Do you hear the voices, see the colors? What does the Bride of Christ look like? Can you imagine the New Jerusalem with a foundation of precious jewels, the gates adorned with pearls, and the main street paved with gold? What about that river flowing through the middle of the city…wouldn’t it be wonderful to swim in? What does God’s voice sound like? Bass, tenor, or something in between? Will there be instruments? How will we serve the Trinity in Heaven? What job does God have picked out for me? Keeping our eyes on the prize helps us to endure anything the world throws at us!
As you read Revelation 21 and 22, what sparks your imagination? What questions do you have? How does the description of Heaven change your perspective on persevering through trials?
DAY 15
Even before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24)
A foundation for the next week of asking God to rekindle our prayer life is setting a foundation for Him to listen to our prayers. This is a wild thing to comprehend because God is not only listening to your prayer but also to mine and the millions of others who are praying simultaneously. He is actively listening to each one – no call center or database is documenting our prayers and sending them to God. No, he’s listening to them directly. How amazing is our God!
What prayers do you need to share with the Lord today? He’s listening when we speak. Speak often, honestly, and desperately today and every day.
DAY 16
“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9-13)
I am thankful Jesus taught us how to pray! Though this was not intended to be a formula, it is a structure we should consider. “Our Father in heaven” suggests we should begin our prayers with adoration and recognition of God’s supremacy. “Your king come, your will be done…” is the response to God’s character. This often is the realization of who we are and who God is, confession of our weakness, and need for God is a place to pray here. “Give us today our daily bread…” is when we ask God for the day’s needs. Lastly, “do not bring us into temptation…” is a prayer of readiness for the day, asking God to be with you. These prayers typically begin with “May I…”
Take time today to let this structure guide your prayers. Again, it’s a structure and guide, not a requirement for experiencing biblical prayer.
DAY 17
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Could this be the year where, rather than worrying about everything, you’re praying about everything? This is a possibility because of this scripture’s command. God will never command us to do something that wasn’t a possibility for our lives. Practically, this looks like mini prayers throughout the day. When a tinge of anxiety arises, or a troubling situation is presented before you, calmly pray internally or under your breath, “God, guard me with your peace.”
This is where our faith grows and accelerates in having this ongoing relationship and consciousness that God is with us, and we can constantly communicate with Him. He’s not regulated to just our quiet times or Sunday morning services. He’s with us always, so pray like it today and each day in 2025.
DAY 18
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17)
One of the foundational pieces of prayer is God listens. The other foundational piece is that he answers! I understand that some of you may struggle with this idea because God did not answer a specific prayer in your life or took longer than you hoped. I can’t speak to those dynamics of why God acted the way He chose to. But I would encourage you to see that the God of the universe is all-knowing and has a reason and purpose for His actions.
If you struggle to pray consistently because you feel frustrated with how God has answered—or hasn’t responded to—your prayers, I pray you find peace in the understanding that His ways are perfect and not our own. God will respond to our prayers according to His timing and plans. Do you trust that? I hope you do.
DAY 19
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you and watch expectantly. (Psalm 5:3)
I keep a prayer journal, and though I do not write in it every day, I do find immense value in it when I write down some of my big, earnest prayers. Why? Because it’s documenting the things I am actively watching God answer. I often go back to those journals days, weeks, and months after to see how God answered those prayers. Some prayers God is still working through, and I continue to pray those prayers. But once I find a prayer that He answered, I circle it, put the answer, and date it! These marks in my journal are the trophy room of God’s grace and goodness.
I pray that you go back and look through your prayers. Maybe you don’t have them written down, so take a mental inventory and begin creating your own trophy room of God’s grace and goodness in your life.
DAY 20
Now he told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not give up. (Luke 18:1)
Jesus told a parable of a widow who persistently and annoyingly pleaded with a judge to bring her justice. The point of this is to not give up on our praying. What’s profound is that Jesus, the Son of God, the man who knows everything and is full of infinite wisdom, is instructing us not to give up on our prayers. If there was a person who knew something about prayer and how it worked, it would be Him!
Do not give up on those desperate prayers you’ve been praying. Keep pounding on the door of heaven, pleading and making your case for your needs and asks. What prayers from the past have you given up on that you need to rekindle and bring to the Lord?
DAY 21
When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly. (Acts 4:31)
My mentor always says, “We don’t pray small things to a God who can do all things.” He’s right! Why do we limit God in our prayers as if we know where his power stops and begins? We often bring our reasoning and human limitations to our prayer life. God is asking us to expand our prayers and long for the supernatural to occur.
I dare you, double-dog dare you, to pray some prayers that defy logic and reasoning today. Putting those prayers out there takes faith and humility, but if you never do, you ensure they’ll never be answered. What big things do you need to pray knowing that our God can do all things?
