Epiphany Prayer: 1st: Thursday; 14 Jan 2021

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?
For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
(Matthew 2:2)

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Psalms: Psalm 139:1-6,13-18
(Fearfully Made) – Jason Silver

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OT Reading: Judges 2:6-15 (ESV)

The Death of Joshua

6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. 7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. 9 And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness

11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. 13 They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. 14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. 15 Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.

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Giants Fall – Francesca Battistelli

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N T Reading: 2 Corinthians 10:1-11 (ESV)

Paul Defends His Ministry

10 I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2 I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

7 Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. 8 For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. 9 I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” 11 Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.

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“Break Every Chain” – Jesus Culture

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Prayer: (Mark Virkler – Charisma Magazine)

Intercessory prayer can break demonic strongholds. Here is a list of those to be mindful of when praying:

Cluster 1—Anger, hatred, malice, rage, murder, temper, cursing, vengeance, retaliation, violence, abuse, cruelty, sadism, unforgiveness, bitterness, being judgmental or critical, taking offense easily/irritability, anger towards men or women, anger towards mother or father, anger towards authority, anger/resentment towards God

Cluster 2—Fear, fear of man, fear of authority, doubt/unbelief, dread, worry, anxiety, fear the worst will happen, fear of various illnesses like cancer, fear people will get angry with you or won’t like you, spirit of false responsibility, spirit of rush

Cluster 3—Abandonment, desertion, divorce, rejection, neglect, victimization, blocked intimacy, not valuing people/relationships/ending relationships, burning bridges, isolation, loneliness, self-pity

Cluster 4—Shame, anger, condemnation, disgrace, embarrassment, guilt, hatred, self-hate, self-pity, withdrawal, hiding/antisocial, timidity, inferiority

Cluster 5—Lying, cheating, theft, deception, trickery, untrustworthiness, adultery, emotional adultery, denial, self-deception, secretiveness, hiding purchases/activities/relationships

Cluster 6—Financial lack, belief in poverty, robbing God by not tithing, not believing in covenant blessings, greed, covetousness, debt, dishonesty, idolatry of possessions, failure

Cluster 7—Addictions, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, food, sugar, coffee, chocolate/sweets, pornography, sex, flirtation, junky magazines/websites/TV shows/movies, overeating, drinking too much alcohol, anything you cannot do in moderation

Cluster 8—Sensuality, lust, fantasizing/coveting another’s mate, flirtation, premarital sex, sexual abuse, fornication/adultery/emotional adultery, demonic sex, pornography, bondage/control, rape, incest

Cluster 9—Depression, rejection, despair, helplessness, hopelessness, sadness, self-pity, withdrawal, suicide

Cluster 10—Grief, sorrow, despair, heartbreak, loss, pain, torment, weeping, anguish, agony

Cluster 11—Mental instability, mental illness, compulsions, confusion, hysteria, paranoia, schizophrenia, insanity

Cluster 12—Pride, arrogance, disdain, selfishness, control/pushiness, independence, callousness/lack of concern for others, gossip

Cluster 13—Procrastination, sloth, laziness, distraction/ confusion/ lack of focus, not thinking things through before acting or speaking or writing emails, lack of organization/preparation, lateness/tardiness, missing appointments/phone calls

+ Christ as a light, illumine and guide me. Christ as a shield, overshadow me. Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me on my left and my right. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

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Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

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+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.