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TAKIN'-UP-TUESDAYS…
Thank you for sharing in this spiritual journey. Its purpose: to help each of us to a holier wisdom than our own in this season of selecting local, county, state, and national leaders. We pray God’s guidance for candidates, ourselves, and all who will live
with the decisions we make and the directions follow. |
*** CLICK HERE FOR AN OUTLINE OF THE PROGRAM WITH HELPFUL HINTS ***
We use 3 historic spiritual disciplines: FASTING, PRAYER, PETITION for God’s direction.
FASTING. Tuesdays, Sept 3 - Nov 5, FAST all or a portion of the day, as you are moved.
The Goal: to get a sense of being emptied of self, more filled with God.
HINTS:
Hints:
Hints:
FASTING. Tuesdays, Sept 3 - Nov 5, FAST all or a portion of the day, as you are moved.
The Goal: to get a sense of being emptied of self, more filled with God.
HINTS:
- Set a doable goal for each Tuesday. Some may want to start small, then progress. Example: Fast (skip) 1 meal, or at least postpone it, then work to fasting/skipping 2 meals, or all .
Remember, it’s just 1 day a week. (Yes, YOU could choose more.)
Do hydrate. Water and most juices are okay. Caffeine? Naaa!
Health, age etc. DO matter.
USE Skipped meal-time to THINK/PRAY ABOUT/FOR THOSE WHO SEEK TO LEAD (ANY/ALL LEVELS) AND WHERE THEY PLAN TO LEAD US. - Prepare and inform yourself spiritually. Read Scripture. We’ll give you examples. Read a devotional. Read/sing a hymn or song of faith. Or use other means.
Move a little “outside yourself” and closer to God! - Try to stick with your schedule, stay with your plan.
Hints:
- Offer your very own. As we fast to be emptied, pray to be filled with God’s presence.
- Strive to include the needs, hopes and lives touched by the leaders we select.
OK to include yours, just don’t stop there. - To understand others’ needs, take weekly time to learn more about what challenges us, local, national, global. Sample some new sources of information, not just your favorites.
- Pray in a place where you feel both comfortable & stretched to draw nearer to God.
Hints:
- Try not to “coach God” on how to answer prayer. (Yes, this IS tough.)
- Petition God to enlist you in every outcome rather than you enlist God.
GOD’s perfecting power-for-good and for grace-for-all guides all prayer.
We use 3 historic spiritual disciplines: FASTING, PRAYER, PETITION for God’s direction.
CLICK HERE FOR AN OUTLINE OF THE PROGRAM WITH ** HELPFUL HINTS **
THIS WEEK… A few Resources.
From The Bible: Check out: Psalm 121; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Matthew 22: 34-40.
From The United Methodist Hymnal: 481, St. Francis’ Prayer; Hymn 578, God of Love and God of Power.
From The Upper Room Devotional Guide, the daily entry or another that inspires you to reflect and pray daily.
We use 3 historic spiritual disciplines: FASTING, PRAYER, PETITION for God’s direction.
CLICK HERE FOR AN OUTLINE OF THE PROGRAM WITH ** HELPFUL HINTS **
THIS WEEK… A few Resources.
CLICK HERE FOR AN OUTLINE OF THE PROGRAM WITH ** HELPFUL HINTS **
THIS WEEK… A few Resources.
We’re entering our second week. So… how are you doing?
By now, some of us have begun our discipline of fasting. We’ve done 1, 2 or 3 meals or the whole of Tuesday remembering to hydrate across our chosen period. Even if we’ve just felt called/able to postpone our intake, we’ve shared that experience of feeling emptied of self…to feel more filled with God in Christ. So it is we move through this important season of preparing to chose leaders from the most local to the most wide-reaching levels of life together.
FASTING. Tuesdays from Sept. 3- Nov. 5, FAST all or a portion of the day, as you are moved.
The Goal: to get a sense of being emptied of self, more filled with God.
As you move through this Tuesday, consider a Word from the Lord,
“Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [from your deepest heart aches and hungers] and rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.” Joel 2: 12-13
PRAYER. As you pray this week for a holier wisdom than your/our own in this season of selecting local, county, state and national leaders…
Try to focus on some particular segments of those who will be touched by our leaders.
"God has showed you, O God’s man [God’s own], what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6: 8
PETITION. As you ask God to enlist you (and us all) rather than you (we) enlist GOD in the choices we make in this season, consider the words of one of our historic hymns, as GOD’s perfecting power-for-good and for grace-for-all guides all prayer.
By now, some of us have begun our discipline of fasting. We’ve done 1, 2 or 3 meals or the whole of Tuesday remembering to hydrate across our chosen period. Even if we’ve just felt called/able to postpone our intake, we’ve shared that experience of feeling emptied of self…to feel more filled with God in Christ. So it is we move through this important season of preparing to chose leaders from the most local to the most wide-reaching levels of life together.
FASTING. Tuesdays from Sept. 3- Nov. 5, FAST all or a portion of the day, as you are moved.
The Goal: to get a sense of being emptied of self, more filled with God.
As you move through this Tuesday, consider a Word from the Lord,
“Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [from your deepest heart aches and hungers] and rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.” Joel 2: 12-13
PRAYER. As you pray this week for a holier wisdom than your/our own in this season of selecting local, county, state and national leaders…
Try to focus on some particular segments of those who will be touched by our leaders.
- Examples:
- How will children in our area be touched by the decisions of leaders we choose?
- OR: What new things will come to our community. Or, what might be corrected?
- OR: For what can we perceive God desires that our leaders can advance?
"God has showed you, O God’s man [God’s own], what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6: 8
PETITION. As you ask God to enlist you (and us all) rather than you (we) enlist GOD in the choices we make in this season, consider the words of one of our historic hymns, as GOD’s perfecting power-for-good and for grace-for-all guides all prayer.
“Refresh thy people, on their toilsome way;
lead us from night to never-ending day;
fill all our *lives with love and grace divine,
and glory, **laud and praise be ever thine.”
*choices, **honor
lead us from night to never-ending day;
fill all our *lives with love and grace divine,
and glory, **laud and praise be ever thine.”
*choices, **honor
We use 3 historic spiritual disciplines: FASTING, PRAYER, PETITION for God’s direction.
CLICK HERE FOR AN OUTLINE OF THE PROGRAM WITH ** HELPFUL HINTS **
THIS WEEK… A few Resources.
CLICK HERE FOR AN OUTLINE OF THE PROGRAM WITH ** HELPFUL HINTS **
THIS WEEK… A few Resources.
We’re entering our third week. So… how are you doing?
By now, we hope, we’re well-begun and deepening our experience of fasting. If you’re not, and should choose to use prayer and petition alone,, give yourself permission to do what works for you in the service of the greater purposes at hand.
This week a different way of helping you with spiritual resources. As a picture’s worth 1000 words, let these images deepen your fasting, quicken your prayers and perfect your petitions as we consider who and what our leaders serve… from nearest by to farthest distant.
By now, we hope, we’re well-begun and deepening our experience of fasting. If you’re not, and should choose to use prayer and petition alone,, give yourself permission to do what works for you in the service of the greater purposes at hand.
This week a different way of helping you with spiritual resources. As a picture’s worth 1000 words, let these images deepen your fasting, quicken your prayers and perfect your petitions as we consider who and what our leaders serve… from nearest by to farthest distant.
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“Lead, kindly Light,” the hymn implores.
May such be so in this choosing season.
Many and much will be touched we cannot entirely imagine by ourselves.
Thank you for your faithfulness. Now, some of us have begun our discipline of fasting. We’ve done 1, 2 or 3 meals or the whole of Tuesday remembering to hydrate across our chosen period. Even if we’ve just felt called/able to postpone our intake, we’ve shared that experience of feeling emptied of self…to feel more filled with God in Christ. So it is we move through this important season of preparing to chose leaders from the most local to the most wide-reaching levels of life together.
FASTING. Tuesdays from Sept. 3- Nov. 5, FAST all or a portion of the day, as you are moved.
The Goal: to get a sense of being emptied of self, more filled with God.
As you move through this Tuesday, consider a Word from the Lord,
“Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [from your deepest heart aches and hungers] and rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.” Joel 2: 12-13
PRAYER. As you pray this week for a holier wisdom than your/our own in this season of selecting local, county, state and national leaders…
Try to focus on some particular segments of those who will be touched by our leaders.
"God has showed you, O God’s man [God’s own], what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6: 8
PETITION. As you ask God to enlist you (and us all) rather than you (we) enlist GOD in the choices we make in this season, consider the words of one of our historic hymns, as GOD’s perfecting power-for-good and for grace-for-all guides all prayer.
May such be so in this choosing season.
Many and much will be touched we cannot entirely imagine by ourselves.
Thank you for your faithfulness. Now, some of us have begun our discipline of fasting. We’ve done 1, 2 or 3 meals or the whole of Tuesday remembering to hydrate across our chosen period. Even if we’ve just felt called/able to postpone our intake, we’ve shared that experience of feeling emptied of self…to feel more filled with God in Christ. So it is we move through this important season of preparing to chose leaders from the most local to the most wide-reaching levels of life together.
FASTING. Tuesdays from Sept. 3- Nov. 5, FAST all or a portion of the day, as you are moved.
The Goal: to get a sense of being emptied of self, more filled with God.
As you move through this Tuesday, consider a Word from the Lord,
“Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [from your deepest heart aches and hungers] and rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.” Joel 2: 12-13
PRAYER. As you pray this week for a holier wisdom than your/our own in this season of selecting local, county, state and national leaders…
Try to focus on some particular segments of those who will be touched by our leaders.
- Examples:
- How will children in our area be touched by the decisions of leaders we choose?
- OR: What new things will come to our community. Or, what might be corrected?
- OR: For what can we perceive God desires that our leaders can advance?
"God has showed you, O God’s man [God’s own], what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6: 8
PETITION. As you ask God to enlist you (and us all) rather than you (we) enlist GOD in the choices we make in this season, consider the words of one of our historic hymns, as GOD’s perfecting power-for-good and for grace-for-all guides all prayer.
“Refresh thy people, on their toilsome way;
lead us from night to never-ending day;
fill all our *lives with love and grace divine,
and glory, **laud and praise be ever thine.”
*choices, **honor
lead us from night to never-ending day;
fill all our *lives with love and grace divine,
and glory, **laud and praise be ever thine.”
*choices, **honor
We use 3 historic spiritual disciplines: FASTING, PRAYER, PETITION for God’s direction.
CLICK HERE FOR AN OUTLINE OF THE PROGRAM WITH ** HELPFUL HINTS **
THIS WEEK… A few Resources.
CLICK HERE FOR AN OUTLINE OF THE PROGRAM WITH ** HELPFUL HINTS **
THIS WEEK… A few Resources.