10 Days Of Prayer

This year 10 Days Of Prayer is from September 13 – 23, 2015. It is set according to the Jewish Lunar calendar between the Biblical feast of Rosh Hosannah, the Jewish New Year to the celebration of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Most of what follows is taken directly from the 10days.net web pages.

10 Days: What is it?

10 Days is an annual opportunity for the Body of Christ in your area to step away from normal routines of daily life and enter into an extended time of experiencing God together through worship, prayer, fasting, and fellowship.  It’s a way for all the believers in your city to unite with Jesus at the center. It’s rooted in the 10 Days between the biblical Feasts of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement.

10 Days is intended to be part of the answer to Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21: “Let them be one as we are one.”

UNITY

10 Days is a way to reveal and advance the unity of the Body of Christ in your region Ephesians 4:4 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope…”

10 Days is intended to bring together Christians from many different traditions, denominations, and ethnicities of a region to seek God together.  While a larger body of believers can’t meet together as a city or region daily or weekly, an annual season of joining together is attainable and beneficial.

Since we can only be one “in Christ”, the unity we seek is centered around the person of Jesus Christ.  Praying for and with one another, leads to loving one another more. Ultimately, unity is nothing more or less than love for one another empowered by the Holy Spirit!

10 Days is rooted in the historic and biblical Christian faith as expressed most simply through the Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds.

MATURITY

10 Days is an opportunity to deepen, refine, and mature followers of Jesus

Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth…”

10 Days is a time of focusing our attention on God and unplugging from the world, even from good things like food, work, or entertainment.

It’s like a spiritual overhaul, an extended time of letting God check “what’s under the hood”.  Often, this can result in incredible personal transformation.  God wants the Church to be a “pure and spotless bride.” The 10 Days os prayer is an opportunity for God to move us into that identity as never before.  10 Days can be a catalytic season for groups and individuals, leading to refreshed love, renewed faith, deepening in the knowledge of God, and new callings and ministries being released.

LONGING FOR HIS RETURN

10 Days is designed to stir-up longing for the return of Jesus  Rom 8:25 “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance…”

While longing for Christ’s return is a basic concept in Scripture, it’s something that has not been a focus for many of us.  Jesus is not coming back to “marry” a Church that’s indifferent to his return.  He’s coming back for a Bride that’s “eagerly waiting” and desiring His return.  The specific details of Christ’s return can be controversial and we’re not promoting a specific theological perspective on this issue. The overriding reality is this: Christ will come again and his followers are to “long for and hasten” his coming (2 Peter 3:12).

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I have been involved with organizing the 10 Days on the North Shore of Boston for eight or so years. Every year is different as various churches take different roles. Some cities have one location with different organizers and leaders each night.

We on the North Shore have opted to meet in a different locations, often in different contiguous towns, each of the 10 nights. This allows us to fully experience the different traditions of each church. It is a wonderful way to get to know each other. We have also added a week day noon to 1pm prayer at one of the local churches.

To learn more and see the daily devotionals for this year, click here. Form there you can go to gatherings to see if one is in your area.

Have you thought about worshiping and praying outside your tradition? Why or why not? Ask Abba what He might lead you to try…or not. =} 

PS this is up early this week so you can know about the 10 Days before it is largely past.