Fast.Pray.Serve.

Primal ~ Chris Vance

pastormarkbuckley — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 03:03:27 +0000

I want to share a quote from the book, “Primal” by Mark Batterson regarding prayer! It totally struck a chord within me!

“When we pray we see things no one else sees. And we see things before others see them. Why? Because prayer gives us a God’s-eye view. Prayer heightens our awareness and gives us a sixth sense that enables us to perceive spiritual realities…..Prayer creates divine opportunities….The Aramaic word for “prayer” means to “set a trap”.

Excerpts from “Primal” by Mark Batterson
Pgs. 120-122

FASTING? ~ Dan Reed

pastormarkbuckley — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 01:32:02 +0000

Fasting is not on my top ten favorite things to do. Not eating for a period of time tends to remind me of how much I miss food. Fasting leaves me feeling fatigued both physically and mentally. These 26 days of Fast.Pray.Serve. has been no exception. If this has been my experience with fasting, then why fast? I fast because after wards I have the sense of being more connected to God. It is through this connection that power is released into my life. That power enables me to fulfill God’s call on my life.

In the book of Mark we read that Jesus, along with Peter, James, and John came down from the mount of transfiguration, and the first thing they were confronted with was a boy who needed deliverance. The other disciples had tried unsuccessfully to cast out the evil spirit. The distraught father turned to Jesus for help who cast out the spirit, restoring the boy to health. The disciples asked Jesus privately why they had been unable to cast out the evil spirit. Jesus answered “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” (NKJV)

As I ponder this event I am struck by the fact that Jesus does not tell the father and son to wait while He spends time in fasting and prayer. He simply addressed their need by casting out the spirit with a word. Jesus practiced a lifestyle of prayer and fasting so He was always prepared for what work the Father brought His way. If we will follow Jesus’ example and practice a lifestyle of prayer and fasting, we too will be prepared and empowered to meet whatever challenge God brings our way.

Apple Seeds ~ Kristina Buckley

pastormarkbuckley — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:09:34 +0000

Today I was reminded by a missionary friend, Charlene Johns, of this Chinese Proverb: “You can count the seeds in an apple, but you cannot count the number of apples in a seed.” One seed can grow an apple tree and produce thousands of apples over its lifetime.

For a moment, I would like to think of Living Streams as an apple full of seeds. All the seeds are the issues that we are focusing on each day during this time of fasting and prayer. Our prayer guide* has daily suggestions for us. Today, Labor Day, we are focusing on Abused Women and Teens.

This opportunity to fast and pray together over these various issues is water and fertilizer for the seeds that we are planting in the hearts and lives of thousands of individuals. I hope each one of you will see the fruit of your time of prayer and sacrifice.

* (see Blogroll on the right of screen)

Sunday Preview ~ Mark Buckley

pastormarkbuckley — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 22:24:22 +0000

I was very encouraged by the first day of our fasting and prayer on Wednesday. I want to thank those of you who prayed for me because I felt my soul lifted by grace from the Holy Spirit. When I’m eating regularly, I hate to miss a meal. Yet, when I fast and experience breakthroughs in the Spirit, I wonder why I waited so long to seek the Lord with this intensity. We are encouraging everyone at Living Streams to pick at least one day to fast or choose a type of fast during September to prepare yourself for ministry and missions.

My sermon this Sunday is called “The Heart of a Man of God.” I Samuel 16:7 says, “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” Men are impressed by beauty, height, and strength, money, houses, and cars. Yet none of those things impress the Lord. He looks at our hearts, because healthy hearts enable us to experience the blessings of God and share those blessings with others. If we have faith and love in our hearts, then we can bring grace and peace to others. Jesus said, “Those whom the Son sets free are free indeed.” However, to the degree that we have selfishness, greed and lust in our hearts, then no matter how much we possess, it diminishes our satisfaction; and our ability to bless others is hindered. When the Lord reveals the sin we all have in our hearts, he does so to lead us to repentance so that we can be cleansed and blessed.

My message will focus on the examples of David and his mighty men in 1 Chronicles 11:15-41. The battles they fought against their enemies contain spiritual insights which can give us wisdom for the spiritual battles we fight. Through the grace of God we can overcome every giant we face, because we are more than conquerors through him who loves us.

Light the Fire ~ by Kurt Cotter

pastormarkbuckley — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:46:21 +0000

I enjoy watching Bear Grylls on Man vs. Wild. He is usually dropped out of a plane in a remote part of the world, and then he demonstrates many survival techniques as he makes his way to safety. One technique is to make fire without matches. I love watching him rub two sticks together until they form a hot little ember, which he drops into some light, fluffy tinder material. He holds this fiery nest gently, like a little bird, as he blows upon it. At first a little smoke appears and then…a flame!

During this time of fasting and prayer, it’s my prayer that Jesus will breathe upon us and rekindle the fire in our hearts for Him. That He will restore a passion in our walk with Him. That He will truly be our First Love. There’s a song that we sing, that expresses the cry of my heart. May it be your prayer as well:

Don’t let my love grow cold
I’m calling out, ‘light the fire again.’
Don’t let my vision die
I’m calling out, ‘light the fire again.’

E.P.R. ~ Lance V. Rauhoff

pastormarkbuckley — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:33:07 +0000

I’m still waiting for the time we decide to have the 26 days of Eat/Pray/Receive as a church. That’s something I can do for 26 days straight. Each day, once we’re so full that it hurts (the same feeling we get 10 minutes after Thanksgiving dinner) where we have to loosen our belts for tummy expansion, is a reminder to seek the Lord. Instead of getting on our knees to pray in a quiet room, we would just lay on the couch with the TV on and pray as we fall asleep. The last part of our commitment would be asking another family member to bring some form of dessert to us when we wake up two hours later. We could all celebrate the 26 days of Eat/Pray/Receive with a huge scale where we see how much weight we gained and thank the Lord while we have everything catered at the church.

I’m thinking this would not be a sacrifice for us. It’s easy and comfortable. A life that is comfortable can make us lackadaisical about life and our relationship with the Lord who desperately wants us to be intimately connected to Him. I guess the reason Eat/Pray/Receive isn’t a Biblical response to connecting to the Lord, and hearing His voice, is because the Christian walk requires discipline. Fast/Pray/Serve is the life to which we’re called and it can be one of the greatest blessings we’ve ever experienced.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Take a moment to read it: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20cor%209:24-27&version=NIV/ The Apostle Paul exhorts the church to live a life that is disciplined, just like an athlete who trains for a competition. Almost everyone in life has competed in some kind of athletic competition. The one who finds success is the one who trains. The one who is at the top of their event usually trains with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. For them, it’s about giving all they have to be the best. For those who follow Jesus, we are called to train in the ways that strengthen our faith. Through this training we will have a greater understanding who God is and the result is a transformation in us, where we become the reflection of Christ in a broken and hurting world.

Part of our training, like fasting from food or something else that is important to us, is essential to our faith, along with prayer and reading the Bible. If you want to experience a break-through in your life, then start training. Make a commitment to sacrifice something in order to gain something. Replace what you are sacrificing with truth from the Bible so that you can experience the peace and blessing from the Lord who wants you have the ultimate success. John 10:10 says “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Ask the Lord how he can use you to minister to others so that you truly can experience the fullness of life. Make a commitment to fast sometime over the next 26 days to seek the Lord with everything you have and He will meet you exactly where you need to be met.

All of our pastors are praying for you because we love you,

Fast.Pray.Serve. ~ September 1-26

pastormarkbuckley — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:17:38 +0000

September is the 26th anniversary of Living Streams Church. Last year we began a tradition of fasting and praying during this month as we continually seek God’s direction for our lives and that of our collective body. This year our focus is on service, and our 26-day event is titled FAST.PRAY.SERVE.
God is calling us to evaluate how we serve each other, our church, and our community. So we will fast and pray, choosing to sacrifice, and listen to God’s direction for our lives in the area of service.
We have prepared an easy-to-follow 26-day guide to help you and your family through this event. It is available to download from our web site, livingstreams.org/events. Inside you will find scriptures and information on why and how to fast, along with a suggested focus area for each daily prayer. There is more information about each ministry in the 26-day guide. Start preparing your heart today and go online and get your own FAST.PRAY.SERVE. guide.
We will collectively break the fast with a barbecue on Sunday, September 26 at 12:30pm.

“Fasting and Prayer” by Trish True

pastormarkbuckley — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:39:33 +0000

After church this Sunday, it was clear that I should participate in Living Streams’ 26 days of fasting and prayer. I chatted with my reunion group sister, Robin Crow after church. I shared with Robin that God had not revealed what I should give up. Robin suggested fasting each Tuesday as this is the day our group meets. Lord, are you speaking to me through my sister?

Our group has fasted together at times when we needed direction and answer to prayer. During one of our meetings, many of us had prayer requests for our children. We agreed to fast and pray the following Tuesday. It was so powerful knowing that 8 of my sisters and I were praying for each others children. And, we were blessed by the praise reports that followed our fast.

Knowing that Robin will fast with me is the encouragement I needed. Hunger pangs are a great reminder to pray. Lord, what indulgence, task or distraction is preventing me from hearing from you? What will you have me fast from so I may draw closer to you?