21 Days of Prayer & Fasting - 2020

DAYS OF PRAYER & FASTING

RIVER VALLEY CHURCH JAN 6 – JAN 26, 2020

RIVER VALLEY CHURCH

DAYS OF PRAYER & FASTING

Follow along on any platform to be inspired by weekly videos and daily posts!

@RIVERVALLEYMN

“BY PRAYER & PETITION”

As we embark on a new year at RIVER VALLEY CHURCH, we want to make it a priority to seek God first in prayer and fasting. We do this collectively as a church through 21 DAYS OF PRAYER & FASTING. Together, we faithfully seek God first, trusting His power alone to create a lasting impact on our lives.

This resource is designed to help you walk with our church for the next 21 days. Along with a weekly prayer focus and video, each day has a specific prayer topic and daily posts on our social platforms to engage with. We encourage you to use this resource as a prompt to journal any THOUGHTS, DREAMS, and PRAYERS God lays on your heart. At the back of this resource, you will also find some helpful tips on prayer and fasting.

Thank you for partnering with our church as we SEEK GOD INTENTIONALLY for the next 21 days!

WEEK ONE

OUR VALUES

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@RIVERVALLEYMN

SOAP: MARK 9–16 2 Timothy 1:7

JAN 6, 2020

DAY ONE PRESENCE OF GOD We believe one moment in the presence of God changes everything. God’s presence brings vision, breakthrough, and hope, which is why we are so passionate about pursuing His presence in every area of our lives. Let’s pray today for a hunger for the presence of God. We do not want to move forward without His presence, so may He go before us and surround us in all we do as a church!

1/21

SOAP: LUKE 1– 6 Proverbs 11:24-25

JAN 7, 2020

DAY TWO GENEROSITY We believe we are blessed to be a blessing.

Our church wants to take every opportunity to be generous with our time, talent, and treasure. Generosity is not a “have to;” it’s a “get to,” and nothing excites us more than leading the way with generosity.

Let’s pray today for a heart and spirit of generosity to sweep through our church.

A generous church is a growing church, and that’s exactly who we want to be!

2/21

ALL - CHURCH

SOAP: LUKE 7–11

JAN 8, 2020

ALL-CHURCH DAY OF FASTING

ALL -

H DAY OF FASTING

ALL-CHURCH DAY OF FASTING

DAY THREE OUR HEART IS GLOBAL Our heart is global because God’s heart is global. Jesus commissioned us to take the gospel to the far reaches of the planet, and we take His words to heart. We see it as our church’s call to wake up the world to missions, because the greatest injustice on the planet is people never having a chance to hear the name of Jesus. Let’s pray today for every person in our church to catch the vision of a global heart.

ALL-CHURCH DAY OF FASTING Join us in fasting all food for one day as we look forward to the promises of God for our church!

CHURCH DAY OF FASTING

ALL-CHURCH DAY OF FASTING 3/21

SOAP: LUKE 12–18

JAN 9, 2020

Go Kids, YTH, 20+, RVLI

DAY FOUR NEXT GENERATION We believe the next generation can and will do greater things than we ever could. That’s why we gladly invest in our kids, students, young adults, and future leaders. Let’s pray today for our kids to grow up in homes full of love and purpose. Let’s pray for our students and young adults to seize every opportunity to share the name of Jesus, and let’s pray for our future leaders to do more than we ever could!

GO KIDS 6 weeks through 5th grade YTH 6th-12th grade 20+ College students and young adults RVLI River Valley’s internship program

4/21

SOAP: LUKE 19–24 Galatians 2:20-21

JAN 10, 2020

DAY FIVE AUTHENTICITY Our mission as a church is to lead people into an authentic, life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. Authenticity stands at the very core of our mission because people are drawn to real people following a real Savior.

Jesus modeled the way for authenticity, and we simply follow in His footsteps. Let’s pray today for a spirit of authenticity to cover our church. We want to be our true selves no matter where we go!

5/21

SOAP: JOHN 1–7 Ephesians 3:20

JAN 11, 2020

DAY SIX INSPIRATION We want to be a church that lifts people up on every occasion. The world can drag us down with its negativity, hardships, and frustrations, but through Jesus, we have hope, peace, and a future. That’s why we value inspiration as a church and why it’s a core value. Let’s pray today for daily opportunities to inspire people with the love and encouragement of Jesus.

6/21

SOAP: JOHN 8 –13 1 Corinthians 1:10

JAN 12, 2020

DAY SEVEN UNITY We are about one thing at River Valley Church, and that is lifting up the name of Jesus. We want to see Jesus known throughout our city and our world. That’s our rallying cause, and that’s our united purpose. This is why unity is a value for our church. Let’s pray today to focus our efforts, energies, and hopes toward Jesus, and no matter what stands in our way, we believe if we stay in unity, we will reach our full potential!

7/21

WEEK TWO

OUR TEAM

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@RIVERVALLEYMN

SOAP: JOHN 14 –21

JAN 13, 2020

Lead Pastors Rob & Becca, Connor, Logan & Mac

DAY EIGHT THE KETTERLING FAMILY We would not be here today without the obedience, sacrifice, and vision of Pastors Rob and Becca. Their family took a giant leap of faith because they believed in what River Valley Church could become. Today, we reap the fruit of their leadership and pastoral love for us, so it’s with joy that we pray for their family today. Let’s lift up Pastors Rob, Becca, Connor, Logan and Mac as we launch into a week of praying for the amazing people that make our church what it is!

8/21

SOAP: ACTS 1–7 Hebrews 13:17

JAN 14, 2020

DAY NINE ELDERS At River Valley Church, we have a group of elders who provide spiritual and financial oversight for all that we do. Our elders are passionate about Jesus Christ, proven leaders in their spheres of influence, and have a heart to see our church reach its fullest potential. They are people of humility, prayer, and wisdom, so let’s pray today for their families and that God would continue to give them courage and insight to lead our church into the future.

9/21

SOAP: ACTS 8–14 1 Timothy 3:13

JAN 15, 2020

DAY TEN DEACONS Each campus of River Valley Church has a group of deacons who are going above and beyond in their investment for our church.

Our deacons have a heart to serve the church in any way they can. No job is too small for them because they are committed to the cause of Jesus Christ. At His core, Jesus is a servant, so let’s pray for our deacons to be just like Jesus—servant leaders who help carry their campus forward!

10/21

SOAP: ACTS 15–21 Jeremiah 3:15

JAN 16, 2020

DAY ELEVEN PASTORS Our pastors are the spiritual shepherds, leaders, and caregivers for our church.

They inspire us to grab God’s best for our lives. They are there to help us navigate through challenges and life decisions, and and they equip us to become more like Jesus every day. Let’s pray today for our pastors and their families. Let’s pray they are filled to overflowing with the power of the Holy Spirit!

11/21

SOAP: ACTS 22–28 Ephesians 2:10

JAN 17, 2020

DAY TWELVE STAFF Our church is blessed with an incredible staff team. In addition to our amazing pastors, we have world-class film makers, designers, accountants, custodians, administrators, and coordinators who make our church so special.

Let’s pray for this staff team today. Let’s pray for their families, their work, and their dreams for the future. What an honor it is to have them at our church!

12/21

SOAP: ROMANS 1– 8 Psalm 78:72

JAN 18, 2020

DAY THIRTEEN LEADERS We can only grow as far as our leaders are willing to take us. The vision of our church cannot be accomplished by just our pastors and staff. We are built on the backs of people who are stepping up to lead teams and groups all over the city. Our leaders give their hearts and lives for our church, so let’s pray for them today. Let’s pray a blessing over their lives and their families, and let’s pray for their impact in our church to go both deep and wide!

13/21

SOAP: ROMANS 9 –16

JAN 19, 2020

Lifeteam Volunteers

DAY FOURTEEN VOLUNTEERS It takes hundreds of volunteers every single week to make River Valley Church happen. We have an amazing team of people who brew coffee, direct people in the parking lot, care for our kids, lead our students, and serve in any way they can at our worship services. Our volunteers faithfully, gladly, and generously give of their time and talents, and for that, we are so grateful. Let’s pray for them today to be blessed beyond measure!

14/21

WEEK THREE

OUR DREAMS

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@RIVERVALLEYMN

SOAP: 1 CORINTHIANS 1–9 Mark 16:15

JAN 20, 2020

DAY FIFTEEN REACH 20,000 PEOPLE WEEKLY Our vision is to see God add daily to His Church, and we are privileged that He continues to choose River Valley as a place where He directs people to find the grace and hope of Jesus. We know our cities are full of people who need to know Jesus, so we are praying for God to expand our reach and influence. We are humbled and honored to be part of reaching people, so let’s pray for an anointing on our church to reach more!

15/21

SOAP: 1 CORINTHIANS 10 –16 JAN 21, 2020 “So that ALL may hear.”

DAY SIXTEEN GIVE $10 MILLION ANNUALLY TO KINGDOM BUILDERS Kingdom Builders is our over-and-above giving that goes to invest in reaching the world globally, making an eternal impact locally, and launching future Christian leaders. We believe God has given our church a mission to change the world through our generosity, so that’s why we are passionate about giving extravagantly to amazing organizations and causes. Let’s pray today for our generosity to grow exponentially as a church, so that all may hear the gospel of Jesus Christ!

16/21

SOAP: 2 CORINTHIANS 1–13 JAN 22, 2020 Matthew 28:16-20

DAY SEVENTEEN RAISE UP 500 MISSIONARIES A vision God gave us that inspires us beyond measure is raising up 500 missionaries from our church to go into all the world to share the good news of Jesus. We don’t believe any church has ever endeavored to mobilize, equip, and send out 500 of its best leaders, but that is exactly what God has called us to do as River Valley. Let’s pray today that we see that dream become reality faster than we ever thought possible, and ask God how you might be part of this vision!!

17/21

SOAP: GALATIANS – EPHESIANS

JAN 23, 2020

River Valley Network & Conference

DAY EIGHTEEN PARTNER WITH 2,500 NETWORK CHURCHES We believe we are better together!

Through the River Valley Network, churches are inspired, equipped, encouraged, and challenged to become all God intended them to be. Our Network is built on the power of collaboration, prayer, and an eagerness to learn from each other.

Each church that is part of our Network is saying, “Yes!” to changing the world, all for the glory of God. Let’s pray for the churches of our Network across the globe to reach farther than we could imagine!

18/21

SOAP: PHILIPPIANS – 2 THESSALONIANS Galatians 6:2

JAN 24, 2020

DAY NINETEEN MOBILIZE THE CHURCH TO GIVE $1 BILLION ANNUALLY ABOVE THE TITHE We believe God has given our church an anointing to inspire other churches to be extravagantly generous. Dozens of churches around the nation have already grabbed the vision of Kingdom Builders, and our dream is to see one thousand churches lean into generosity in ways they never have before.

Let’s pray today for the dream of seeing a day when one billion dollars is given away every year to help those in need, plant churches, and change the world with the hope of Jesus!

19/21

SOAP: 1 TIMOTHY – PHILEMON 1 Timothy 4:12

JAN 25, 2020

DAY TWENTY LAUNCH THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS TO DO MORE THAN WE EVER COULD Our legacy is launching the next generation to do more than we ever could. That’s why we want to invest in them, trust them, and encourage them to greater things. Jesus said that we would do even greater things than He did, and we are believing the next generation will live up to that promise. Let’s pray today for the bright future ahead, not just for River Valley Church, but for the entire world. The best is yet to come!

20/21

SOAP: HEBREWS 1–13 John 3:16

JAN 26, 2020

DAY TWENTY-ONE WAKE UP THE WORLD TO GLOBAL MISSIONS We dream of the day when every Christian in every city of the world realizes that God’s heart is global. We see a day when world missions is a part of every church’s call. We see missionaries being sent, businesses and churches being started, and lives being changed all over the world. Let’s pray today for every tribe, language, people, and nation to join the family of God, and let’s pray that God humbly uses our church to wake up the world to God’s global heart!

21/21

PRAYER Here are a few ways you can begin a powerful and personal daily prayer time with God.

1. PICK A TIME AND PLACE. We can pray anytime, anywhere. We encourage you to pray spontaneously, but we don’t need to leave prayer up to spontaneity. Pick a consistent time when you can be alone with God.

2. LISTEN BEFORE YOU SPEAK. Prayer is a conversation. Just as God speaks to us through the Bible, He is listening when we pray. When you sit down to pray, let God have the first word.

3. PRIORITIZE THE SPIRITUAL. We should spend as much time praying for our souls, for the salvation of our loved ones, and for the spread of the gospel as we do praying about anything else.

4. ASK FOR ANYTHING. Jesus invites us to keep asking, interceding, and praying. God knows what’s best for you, and He’s listening, so don’t be afraid to pray and ask Him for anything!

FASTING WHAT IS FASTING? Fasting is voluntarily going without food— or any other regularly enjoyed, good gift from God—for the sake of a spiritual purpose. Jesus invites His followers to fast, and we fast in this life because we believe in the life to come.

We fast from what we can see and taste, because we have tasted and seen the goodness of God— and are desperately hungry for more of Him. So take a step of faith, pray without ceasing, and watch God move in your life, our church, and the world!

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 9:14-15, Luke 18:9-14, Acts 27:33-37, Nehemiah 9:1-3

TYPES OF FASTS SEEKING FASTS:

Fasting to seek God with more intensity and more intentionality.

BREAKTHROUGH FAST: Fasting to

break bondage or find freedom in your life.

FAVOR FAST:

GRATITUDE FAST:

DISCERNMENT FAST: Fasting for

DREAM FAST:

Fasting for a situation where you need the favor of God.

a major decision you have to make.

Fasting to express thankfulness to God for His love.

Fasting to receive God-sized dreams for your future.

“BY PRAYER & PETITION”