Today is Day 7 of the Seven Day Prayer Challenge with Anne Graham Lotz. Today is a day of fasting and prayer. Please join us today in earnest prayer and praise as we lift up our Saviour Jesus Christ!
The following is written by Anne Graham Lotz. Please link to her website here - 777 Prayer Challenge
Anne Graham Lotz writes the following:
URGENT CALL TO PRAYER: DAY SEVEN
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive all
PRAISE
"Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are His judgments…Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!" -- Revelation 19:1-2, 6-7
Note: For this, our seventh day of prayer, our format is slightly different than the first six days. Today, we will pray and fast for seven hours. So the following prayer is laid out hour by hour. Included in the direction for some of the hours, I have adapted Puritan prayers from Valley of Vision* to help us articulate the cry of our hearts. They will be in italics. I have also made suggestions if you would like some additional direction.
THE FIRST HOUR—WORSHIP
We praise You as the One who declares Your greatness and glory in Creation. The heavens that are pitched like a tent for the sun speak of Your vastness. The sun that never ceases to rise, then set, speaks of Your faithfulness. The billions of stars that sparkle like diamonds in the dark expanse of the night sky reveal Your vast, personal knowledge, as You call each one by name. The boundaries on the shore that You set for the waves of the sea speak of Your laws that are for our good. The sparrows that you see fall, and the lilies that You clothe, point to your compassionate, individualized, personal attention.
We praise You as our Creator, for we are wonderfully and fearfully made in Your image, with a capacity to know You in a personal relationship. You know our thoughts before they become words. You numbered our days and recorded them before we were born. You know when we go out, and when we come in. When we rise and when we lie down.
We worship You, the Lamb who was slain, who alone is worthy of all praise. Our hearts yearn for the day when we will be gathered around Your Throne and see with our own eyes the angels and people whose numbers are too great to count, and hear with our own ears the multitude crying out in such unity that they sound as one loud voice… Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. The entire Universe will roar in acclamation and praise of You!
I worship You______________
Suggestion: Use Scripture to help you give expression to your worship, such as: Psalm 19, 23, 24, 27, 46, 91; Isaiah 40; Revelation 5 and others of your own choosing
THE SECOND HOUR—REPENTANCE
Merciful Savior,
I am so slow to learn,
So prone to forget
So weak to climb;
I am in the foothills when I should be on the heights;
I am pained by my graceless heart,
My prayerless days,
My poverty of love,
My sloth in the heavenly race,
My sullied conscience,
My wasted hours,
My unspent opportunities,
I am blind while light shines around me:
Take the scales from my eyes,
Grind to dust the evil heart of unbelief.
For the glory of Your name.*
Amen.
Suggestion: To aid in your repentance, read the following check-list three times all the way through. In the third reading, repent of the sin that God brings to your attention.
Ingratitude: Neglecting to thank God for an answered prayer or a blessing. I repent.
Neglect of Bible reading: Keeping the Bible closed, or reading it without focus. I repent.
Unbelief: Doubting who God is and what God has said. I repent.
Prayerlessness: Spiritually chattering, daydreaming, and fantasizing instead of fervently praying. I repent.
Unconcern for the lost: Leaving evangelism to the “professionals.” I repent.
Hypocrisy: Pretending to be more spiritual than I am, or anything I am not. I repent.
Pride: Impressed with my own reputation and accomplishments; offended and resentful when someone else receives more attention. I repent.
Envy: Jealousy of those more gifted and fruitful and recognizable than I am. I repent.
Critical spirit: Finding fault with someone because he or she doesn’t measure up to my standards. I repent.
Slander: Telling the truth about someone, with the intention of causing others to think less of him or her. I repent.
Lying: Making a statement, exaggerating, or inferring something that is contrary to the unvarnished truth. I repent.
Cheating: Not doing to others what I expect or demand them to do for me. I repent.
Robbing God: Exercising my gifts or spending my time, money or energy on things that have a selfish goal, without asking God first. I repent.
Fear: For being so afraid of what others think and say that I remain silent, hiding the light of Your Gospel under the basket of intimidation. I repent.
I repent of ____________
Before thy cross I kneel and see the heinousness of my sin,
My iniquity that caused thee to be ‘made a curse,’
The evil that excites the severity of divine wrath.
Show me the enormity of my guilt by
the crown of thorns,
the pierced hands and feet,
the bruised body,
the dying cries.
Thy blood is the blood of incarnate God,
Its worth infinite, its value beyond all thought.
Infinite must be the evil and guilt that demands such a price.*
I am so sorry. Amen.
Suggestion: Read Psalm 51
THE THIRD HOUR—THANKSGIVING
Beloved Son of the Father,
Thank You for the Cross.
Thank You that Your blood is just as powerful today as it was 2000 years ago when the first drop was shed on Calvary.
Thank You that through Your blood we have redemption and the forgiveness of our sins.
Thank You that You cleanse us of all unrighteousness when we use the same labels for sin that You do, as we humbly and honestly confess our sins to You.
Thank You that our sin is nailed to the Cross, and we no longer bear its penalty or guilt.
Thank You that You invite forgiven sinners to draw near to You with a sincere heart, in full assurance of faith.
Thank You that we can ask according to Your will, knowing that You hear us.
Suggestion: Read Philippians 4:6, Psalm 100
Heavenly Father, blessed Son, eternal Spirit,
I adore thee as one Being, one Essence, one God in three distinct Persons,
For bringing sinners to thy knowledge and to thy kingdom.
O Father, thou hast loved me and sent Jesus to redeem me;
O Jesus, thou hast loved me and assumed my nature,
Shed thine own blood to wash away my sins,
Wrought righteousness to cover my unworthiness.
O Holy Spirit, thou hast loved me and entered my heart,
implanted there enteral life,
revealed to me the glories of Jesus.
Three Persons and one God, I bless and praise thee,
For love so unmerited, so unspeakable, so wondrous,
so mighty to save the lost and raise them to glory.
O Father, thou art enthroned to hear my prayers,
O Jesus, thy hand is outstretched to take my petitions,
O Holy Spirit, thou art willing to help my infirmities,
to show me my need, to supply words, to pray within me,
to strengthen me that I faint not in supplication.
O Triune God, who commandeth the universe,
thou hast commanded me to ask for those things
that concern thy Kingdom and my soul.*
I look to You now, for the glory of Your name.
Amen.
THE FOURTH HOUR—INTERCESSION FOR THE PROTECTION AND DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL
We hear the hiss of that Old Serpent, the devil…
In the lies, blasphemies, and profanities that bombard our ears.
In the denial of Your existence as the Creator and Supreme Lord of the Universe.
In the refusal to acknowledge and thank You for the blessings we have received,
and instead give credit to our own ingenuity, knowledge, technology and might.
In the rejection of Your commandments, Your Word, Your Gospel and Your people.
We see the Old Serpent’s movements…
as the innocent are slaughtered,
as bullies seize power and people, terrorizing the weak,
as nations rise against nations,
as treaties and covenants are shattered,
as children are abused and exploited,
as drugs and alcohol stupefy bright minds and enslave lives,
as women are debased,
as men cower,
as generational hatreds and prejudices are kept smoldering,
We succumb to the Old Serpent’s tactics by being…
Too busy to pray,
Too sophisticated to read our Bibles,
Too proud to acknowledge, confess, and repent of our sin,
Too tolerant to share the Gospel.
And therefore,
Too deceived to discern the Truth. That the devil is real.
He is a roaring lion who can appear as an angel of light,
seeking to deceive us, weaken us, distract us, divide us,
devour us, and ultimately, destroy us.
But no more. Not on this 7th day of prayer. Not today. We have been worshipping You. Confessing our sin. So on this day, as Your mighty army, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah, the Captain of the Lord’s Host, we come against the devil, his demons, and all those he is using for his evil purposes. We command the evil and unloving spirits to be bound, confused, and powerless. We command that the evil strategies and plans against Your people that the enemy is plotting would be thwarted, and that all the enemy intends for us will fall back on himself. We lift high the Cross as our battle standard.
Protect and deliver us from evil, we earnestly pray. Give us the confidence that more are they that are with us, than they that are with them. That greater are You within us then any evil one who is in our world. Use us to rescue those who are in the enemy's grip; to snatch them from the fire.
Most Holy Father, we ask that Your kingdom come, Your will be done here on earth as it is done there, in Heaven. Shine Your Light into the deep recesses of our world where the enemy seems to rule: the gulags, killing fields, prisons, religious institutions, covens, brothels, and places too terrible to name. Reveal to us how to resist and overcome evil. Help us to strengthen others to stand with us, shoulder to shoulder against evil.
Suggestion: Read Ephesians 6:10-18
O Lord,
I bless thee that the issue of the battle
between thyself and Satan
Has never been uncertain
And will end in victory.
Calvary broke the dragon’s head,
And I contend with a vanquished foe,
Who with all his subtlety and strength
has already been overcome.
When I feel the serpent at my heel
May I remember Him whose heel was bruised,
But who, when bruised, broke the devil’s head.
My soul with inward joy extols the mighty Conqueror.
Heal me of any wounds received in the great conflict;
If I have gathered defilement,
If my faith has suffered damage,
If my hope is less than bright,
If my love is not fervent,
If some creature-comfort occupies my heart,
If my soul sinks under pressure of the fight.
O thou whose every promise is balm, every touch life,
Draw near to thy weary warrior,
Refresh me, that I may rise again to wage the strife,
and never tire until my enemy is trodden down.
Give me such fellowship with thee
that I may defy Satan, unbelief, the flesh, the world,
With delight that comes not from a creature, and which a creature cannot mar.
Give me a draught of the eternal fountain
that lieth in thy immutable, everlasting love and decree.
Then shall my hand never weaken,
My feet never stumble,
My sword never rest,
My shield never rust,
My helmet never shatter,
My breastplate never fall,
As my strength rests in the power of Thy might.*
Amen.
I boldly ask _______________
THE FIFTH HOUR—INTERCESSION FOR THE EXALTATION OF JESUS
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
We pray that Your Son would be exalted first, within our own hearts, then in our own families, churches and nation. Jesus promised that when He is lifted up, He will draw all people to Himself. We boldly ask that You do whatever it takes to compel Your people to present the Gospel without compromise. Turn the hearts of Your people back to worship and magnify Him, so that as the world observes us, they will be drawn to Him. Use the problems, pressures and pain; the trials, trouble and trauma we experience as a showcase for His glory, so that when others see our love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, meekness, and self-control they will know they are seeing Jesus in us, and want to know Him, too.
O Lord God,
Thou hast commanded me to believe in Jesus,
And I would flee to no other refuge,
Wash in no other fountain,
Build on no other foundation,
Receive from no other fullness,
Rest in no other relief.
His water and blood were not severed in their flow at the Cross,
May they never be separated in my creed and experiences.
May I be equally convinced of the guilt and pollution of sin,
Feel my need of a prince and savior,
Implore of him repentance as well as forgiveness,
Love holiness,
Be pure in heart,
Have the mind of Jesus,
And tread in his steps.
…I rejoice that I am under the care of one who is too wise to err,
too kind to injure,
too tender to crush.*
May we, Your people, be bold to speak the strong and mighty name of Jesus, follow His example, and share in His sufferings. Raise up a Body of believers to be a beacon of His Light, a herald of His Good News, a demonstration of His love, a trumpeter of His truth, a healer of hurting hearts offering His comfort, and an ambassador of His peace. May we be the salt and light You commanded us to be. Purify us. Make us ready as a glorious Bride, without spot or blemish, to greet our Bridegroom without being ashamed when He comes. And use us to announce the Hope of His coming. May we not waste a moment in inviting all to live with You forever, clearly explaining to them how to get right with You at the Cross.
I boldly ask _______________
THE SIXTH HOUR—INTERCESSION FOR AN OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you… Isaiah 60:1-2
O God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we long for Your glory to rise upon Your people. You are the same One to whom Elijah called on Mount Carmel. Elijah obeyed You when he confronted the evil of his day. He depended upon You when he confronted wicked King Ahab and the priests of Baal, built the altar, then soaked it in water. He expected You to honor his obedience and dependence when he publicly called down fire from Heaven. And the fire fell! O God of Elijah! Do it again! You are the Great I AM, the One who is the same yesterday as You are today, and forever will be.
We are asking You for an outpouring of Your Spirit on us, our families, our churches and our nation.
Send down Your Spirit in Pentecostal fullness!
Captivate us by Your love!
Rend our hearts with deep conviction and sorrow for our sin!
Revive our hearts, filling us with abundant life!
Ignite our hearts with a pure and holy passion to love You and to live our lives for You, and Your glory, alone!
Then use us to bring revival to the hearts of Your people!
And use us, the revived Church, as a messenger of salvation for those who are coming under Your judgement.
We are asking You to saturate us in Your holiness, purity, righteousness, justice, power, mercy, grace, truth and love.
Saturate us in Yourself.
We are asking You to revive the confidence of our faith and the authenticity of our personal relationship with You.
We are asking for one more great spiritual awakening before Jesus returns.
O Lord God, we have been obedient. We have been dependent. Now let the Fire of the Holy Spirit fall!
I boldly ask _______________
THE SEVENTH HOUR—PRAISE AND WORSHIP
Great Covenant-keeping God. All of Your promises are trustworthy and true. All of life’s questions are answered in You. You are the Answer. You are the Source of all life. The Sustainer of all things. In You we have life.
We worship You as the Fountainhead of all blessing, the Source of all life, the Wellspring of wisdom, the Key to knowledge, the Foundation of faith, the Doorway to glory.
We worship You as the One who supplies strength to the weary, increases power to the faint and offers escape to the tempted.
We worship You as the One who sympathizes with the hurting, shields the defenseless, enriches the poor, sustains the helpless and shelters the homeless.
You give purpose to the aimless, comfort to the lonely, fruit to the barren, beauty to the meek, a future to the hopeless and Life to the lifeless!
Suggestion: Re-read all the worship sections of the previous six days of prayer.
Write out your own prayer of praise and worship.
We worship You as the One who was slain to purchase people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. When at last You assert Your right to rule and reign on the earth, fulfilling Your Father’s redemption plan, the golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints, will be full. (Revelation 5:8) It will be then that the Throne room in Heaven will be filled with the sound of a new song. We join our voices with the multitudes in Heaven as we sing our praise and worship to You now…
Suggestion: If you have access to a hymnbook, or to praise music, use it now to worship the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We believe that our prayers to You have been collected in the golden bowls that are even now filling with the incense of our praise and worship. We believe this may be the last prayer necessary to fill the bowls completely to the brim, ushering You visibly onto the world stage once again, this time in power and glory.
You are Lord of lords and King of kings. We worship You as the Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and the End. Human history began in response to Your powerful Word; and human history, as we know it, will end with Your loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the blast of Your trumpet. You will raise to life the dead who had placed their faith in You. Then suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, we, Your people; we, who love and trust You; we who remain alive on the earth; we will be caught up together in the air with You and the risen dead, and we will live forever in our Heavenly Home. With You! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
[*] Valley of Vision, The Banner of Truth Trust, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2002
