Thirty Day Guide for Spiritual Preparation
Revised from the Thirty Day Guide for Spiritual Preparation by the Pisidian Project.
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
Acts 14:23
In the parable of the Sower, Jesus promises that when the Word of God is scattered broadly it produces a harvest, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Now is the time for broadly and boldly distributing the Word of God. The Holy Spirit will unfailingly use the Word to transform the lives of individuals, families, neighborhoods, and, ultimately, the nation.
We are calling our believers to assist us in getting God’s Word into the hands of lost people. This is not simply a logistical issue involving the sharing of God’s Word in strategic regions of lostness. It is, more importantly, a spiritual affair.
As volunteer missionaries, one of your primary responsibilities will be to prepare yourselfspiritually for the mission task to which God has called you. In the days of preparation you must practice the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, fasting, prayer, and journaling. In doing so you will be getting the ground ready for a mighty harvest...
This process should begin at least one month before you go overseas. We have prepared this guide for you as you engage in the spiritual dynamic of seeing the nations come to the King of Ages.
Tips For Spiritual Readiness
1.Maintain a growing, personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
2.Practice the disciplines of Bible Study, Fasting, Prayer and Journaling.
3.Pray about every aspect of your upcoming experience.
4.Ask another person or group to be praying for you and for your trip.
5.Write down your thoughts, fears, expectations and prayers in as well as your reactions to the experiences you have
6.Be eagerly anticipating what the Spirit of God may be showing you.
7.Remain open to the leading of the Holy Spirit…wherever he takes you.
BIBLE STUDY
Bible study is at the heart of our gaining maturity and maintaining intimacy with God. It is in the Scriptures that we encounter the transforming presence of God and are confronted by the Holy Spirit. As followers of Jesus Christ we are not left to subjective impressions in order to provide direction in our lives. God’s Spirit most clearly leads us through the revelation of His Will in the study of the Bible under His illuminating attention. He provides divine clarity in order to bring understanding to our sinful, finite minds. The second great task of the Holy Spirit is then to work sanctification in our lives through the application of Scripture, enabling us in His power to obey the Word.
Therefore, in your time of spiritual preparation we are insisting that you involve yourself in a time of Bible Study. This study of Acts 20 is provided in order to help you immerse yourself in God’s Word, hear His voice, and respond in obedience to Him.
Acts 20
Day One—Read through the outline and notes
A. Paul in Macedonia and Greece (Acts 20:1-3)
It seems that Paul left Ephesus earlier than he had intended, no doubt due to the uproar created by Demetrius. He probably went up through Troas expecting to find Titus with news from Corinth. Since Titus was not there, he left alone to go to Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea before traveling on to Greece. It seems that Paul was in great anxiety waiting to hear from Corinth. Titus brought good news as well as an offering to be taken to Jerusalem for the needy Christians there.
Paul spent three months in Macedonia and Greece, and no doubt most of that time was spent at Corinth where he is supposed to have written the epistle to the Romans. Upon his arrival at Corinth, Paul made this his headquarters while in Greece. He visited the surrounding churches establishing and encouraging the believers.
Leaving Greece to go to Asia, Paul intended to go by sea to Syria and reach Antioch. However, hearing of a plot to murder him, he changed his route of travel and retraced his steps by land northward. This change gave him opportunity to visit friends once again at Philippi.
B. Paul’s Experience at Troas (Acts 20:4-12)
Mention is made of seven men from Asia who went to Troas to wait for Paul’s arrival from Macedonia. Possibly they were a delegation of Gentile believers who wanted to accompany him to Jerusalem. The Scriptures do not enlighten us as to the full purpose of these men joining Paul. It would seem that Luke included himself as having traveled with Paul when he writes, “These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas.” The journey by Luke and Paul by sea was made in five days.
At Troas the disciples were meeting for worship on the first day of the week rather than on the Jewish Sabbath. They gathered to worship and observe the Lord’s Supper. The meeting was probably held in the upper chamber of a home with three stories. Paul preached for a long time and about midnight a young man fell from the window. A miracle resulted in that the young man was restored to life. The meeting continued, and Paul, as was his practice, broke bread together with them.
C. Paul Journeys from Troas to Miletus (Acts 20:13-21)
Paul preferred walking to Assos where his traveling companions would meet him. Assos was a small seaport about twenty miles from Troas. At Assos Paul joined the ship and they sailed to Mitylene, an island between thirty and forty miles from Assos. The following day they sailed to Chios. They stopped a few hours at the town of Trogyllium, a town opposite Samos. The next day they sailed to Miletus, a seaport on the coast of Ionia. Paul was anxious to reach Jerusalem to attend the feast of Pentecost and did not intend to visit Ephesus again. For some reason the ship remained longer at Miletus than expected, and while here Paul sent to Ephesus, which was about thirty miles from Miletus, and requested the elders of the church to visit him.
D. Paul’s Last Words to the Elders at Ephesus (Acts 20:22-38)
Paul was bound on a dangerous journey. He had fulfilled his high duty as a minister of the gospel in a full and fearless proclamation of the truth.
Paul’s final words to the elders in commending them were that they should be built up and share in the inheritance God had for them through faithful obedience to the gospel. In conclusion, Paul reminded them of his honest labor among them as a source of support.
After he had spoken, they knelt down and prayed together. Paul left the group of elders and they would never see him again.
DAY TWO—Read Acts 20:1-16.
1. Paul, to this point in the book of Acts, had made three speeches: one at Antioch, one at Athens, and one at Miletus to the Elders of Ephesus. Find the chapters in Acts where these are found and tell to whom each was addressed.
2. Do you feel there is a lesson to be learned in these chapters about loving, concerned people who feel they have the leading of the Lord concerning your decisions? Why didn’t the Holy Spirit give direct leading to Paul? Or did He?
3. If you were talking to someone about going into missionary work, using Paul as an example of a great missionary, what experiences would you use as a means of encouragement to them? Do you feel the joy Paul experienced in seeing lives changed through preaching Christ would outweigh the times of trouble and distress?
4. (a) What in these first few verses ofthis chapter shows the love and concern of his friends for Paul?
(b) What indication do we have that perhaps Paul was aging and that this might be his last trip in the capacity of a missionary traveler? (two reasons)
5. How would you regard Paul’s change of plans in Acts 20:3?
6. What lesson can we learn from this section of Scripture about church elders and church deacons?
7. What practice seems to have been established as far as gathering for worship is concerned?
DAY THREE—Read Acts 20:17-24.
1. How did Paul remind the elders at Ephesus that he had faithfully discharged his ministry among them? Give reference and phrase beside each point.
1. Humbly
2. Tenderly
3. Fully
4. Working untiringly
5. Evangelically
2. What do you think Paul meant when he said, “I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem”?
3. In what way or for what reason could we refer to Paul’s spirit at this time as being heroic?
4. What meaningful aspect of Paul’s objective should ever remain with us as a determination or an abiding spirit as we serve Christ today?
DAY FOUR—Read Acts 20:25-38.
1. In what way had Paul discharged his responsibilities as a minister of the gospel of
Jesus Christ?
2. What two types of enemies did Paul warn the elders would come and try to destroy
the work of Christ?
3. Although Paul seemed to be bowed down with a very tender and touching departure from the elders of Ephesus who were so precious to him, what did he do which would be an encouragement to them to carry on the work of Christ and to be builders upon the true foundation according to God’s plan?
DAY FIVE—WRITE OUT YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHY YOU WERE ASKED TO STUDY THIS PARTICULAR CHAPTER OF THE BIBLE
FASTING
Fasting is the laying aside of food for a period of time when the believer is seeking to know God in a deeper experience. It is to be done as an act of obedience before God in the privacy of one’s own pursuit of God (Exodus 34:28; 1 Samuel 7:6; 1 Kings 19:8; Matthew 6:17).
Fasting is to be done with the object of seeking to know God in a deeper experience (Isaiah 58; Zech. 7:5). Fasting relates to a time of confession (Psalms 69:10). Fasting can be a time of seeking a more meaningful prayer life and drawing near to God in a deeper way (Ezra 8:23; Joel 2:12). The early church often fasted in seeking God’s will for leadership in the local church (Acts 13:2). When the early church wanted to know the mind of God, there was a time of prayer and fasting.
Fasting is simply defined as “voluntarily abstaining from all or some kinds of food or drink, for a specified period of time for the purpose of denying yourself and drawing close to God. Sometimes it is used as an outpouring of your soul in times of distress, grief or repentance or for discerning God’s will.”
Fasting is usually related to prayer, and is something Jesus expected of us. "When you fast ..." Jesus said, not "If."
A Practical Guide
The Bible describes three main forms of fasting:
1) The Normal Fast, involving the total abstinence of food. Luke 4:2 reveals that Jesus “ate nothing.” Afterwards “he was hungered.” Jesus abstained from food but not from water.
2) In Acts 9:9 we read of an Absolute Fast where for three days Saul “did not eat or drink anything.” The abstinence from both food and water seems to have lasted no more than three days (Ezra 10:6; Esther 4:16).
3) The Partial Fast. In Daniel 10:3 the emphasis is upon the restriction of diet rather than complete abstinence. The context implies that there were physical benefits resulting from this partial fast.
Notes: (a) When drinking only water, hunger usually leaves after three days or so; (b) headaches and small discomforts will diminish after about a week; and (c) energy begins to return after about two weeks. (d) Get plenty of light exercise such as walking; and (e) remember that your body becomes more susceptible to temperature fluctuations, so expect to feel a little cooler.
As with any issue affecting your health, if you have questions or concerns be sure to consult with your doctor before participating in a fast.
PRAYER JOURNAL
On the following pages there is space for thirty days of praying and journaling. Each day there is a scripture reference, a topic for prayer, and space for you to record your thoughts, impressions and applications from what the Spirit speaks to you.
As you spend these thirty days in prayer for your trip you will be using a system which takes you step-by-step through various aspects of prayer for yourself as well as for the people to whom God has called you to reach for Him.
A Guide For Prayer
Use this Guide to Intimacy with God in order to prepare yourself for the business of prayer. Keep your prayer time active, with a Bible open to promises and praises. Pray through God’s Word. Write out your praises and petitions. Change your position often, and move about as you pray. Pray while standing, walking, kneeling, sitting and lying down. Enjoy your time of prayer!
INTIMACY WITH gOD
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Focus Godward
1.Quietness
2.Worship
3.Gratitude
Focus Inward
4.Confession
5.Repentance
6.Consecration
Focus Outward
7.Unbelievers
8.Disciples
9.Needy
Focus on Leadership
10.Pastors/Elders
11.Missionaries
12.Governing Officials
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Thoughts and Prayers
Day One — “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” - Psalm 37:7
Without a doubt the most difficult aspect of prayer is to keep silent and patiently wait for God. It is He who is directing your time of prayer in the days ahead and you need to open yourself to renewal as his Spirit comes to you in the quiet times of a still heart.
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Day Two — “Jesus … went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” - Mark 1:35
Finding a time and a place to be alone with God can sometimes be one of the more difficult aspects of praying. Interruptions and distractions are always calling our attention away from the business of being alone with our Lord. While alone continue being still before him. Meet with your Master, your best Friend.
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Day Three — “I am the way and the truth and the life.” - John 14:6
Knowing who God is and who we are helps us to grasp the situation clearly as we seek a deep relationship with him. Jesus not only shows the way, speaks the truth, and brings the gift of life, but he is in himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life embodied in the Son of Man.
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Day Four — “Wait for the gift my Father promised”. - Acts 1:4
In gratitude we recognize the hand of God upon our lives and clearly express our appreciation for the wonders he has performed on our behalf. We are empowered to serve because He has made us able. We ask for His strength.
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Day Five — “Worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”- John 4:24
God has been calling a people for himself since the creation. He continues to do that. Our primary task as his followers is worship him and call men and women from every language and nation to worship the One worthy of such praise. Today in your prayer time seek his face and see his beauty. Taste of his goodness.
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Day Six — And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” - Isaiah 6:8
We are blessed in order that we might become a blessing to others. All that we have received, we are called upon to give away. As Christians there is an utter abandonment of our own comforts and desires in order that those who have not heard the Good News of the Savior might have that opportunity.
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Day Seven — “Be imitators of God … and live a life of love.”- Ephesians 5:1-2
We are made fit to serve others by God. We learn to love because he first loved us. God has made it possible for us to cooperate with him in the great task of redemption and we humbly offer ourselves as servants to mankind.
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Day Eight — “If we confess our sins … will forgive us our sins.” - 1 John 1:9
In recognition of the sin in our own lives, we are called to forsake self and seek restoration. If we are going to the world with the message of redemption we must be set right through the work of confession and repentance. Acknowledge your complete reliance on the blood of Christ to cover all of your sin.
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Day Nine — “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves…” - John 6:9
Ability is one of those greatly overrated commodities. While it is important to have a skill set, it is perhaps even more important that we make ourselves available to be used by God. You have been open to going on this distribution project; pray for workers to enter the field of labor beside you.
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Day Ten — “Open your eyes and look at the fields!”- John 4:35
Around the world people are in darkness, blinded by their sin, stumbling through their lives. Pray for the salvation of those whom you will be going to serve. Pray that God’s Holy Spirit will convict lost people of sin, of judgment, and righteousness.
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Day Eleven — “For I am the least of the apostles…” - 1 Corinthians 15:9
It is unlikely that any of us would ever have been chosen to be bearers of the Good News if the decision had been left up to men and women. God has clearly called those who seem least fit, those who are ill-equipped, and those who are unprepared…in order that his glory might be manifest through their lives.