10 Days of Prayer: January 5–15, 2022

Theme: The Three Angels Call to Prayer

“Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.”

Revelation 14:6, ESV

Seventh-Day Adventist Church Ten Days of Prayer formerly called Operation Global Rain was adopted by the world church in 2010.

Every January, SDA churches in over a hundred countries join hands together to fast and pray. The Ten Days experience can’t be quantified. Hearts are surrendered, souls convicted, and requests for prayer have been answered.

This year we invite you to seek revival and reformation through the power of the Holy Spirit during Ten Days of Prayer. As you pray through the three angels’ messages, may they shine with new relevance and lead you and your prayer group into a deeper experience with Jesus.

God wants to do incredible things in our lives and churches today. His plans go far beyond our own capabilities, and only with a constant prayer connection to Him can we carry out the task He has prepared. He bids us, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3). Join us in praying for revival, a renewed commitment to our end-time calling, and the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit!

Claiming the Promises

It is our privilege to claim God’s promises in our prayers. All His commandments and counsels are also promises. He would never ask from us something that we could not do in His strength. It is so easy to focus on our needs, our difficulties, our challenges—and to wail and whine about our situation when we pray. This is not the purpose of prayer. Prayer is meant to strengthen our faith. That is why we encourage you to claim God’s promises in your prayer time. Take your eyes off yourself and your weaknesses and look to Jesus. By beholding Him, we become changed into His image.

Ellen White offers this encouragement: “Every promise in the Word of God is for us. In your prayers, present the pledged word of Jehovah and by faith claim His promises. His word is the assurance that if you ask in faith, you will receive all spiritual blessings. Continue to ask, and you will receive exceeding abundantly above all that you ask or

think” (In Heavenly Places, p. 71). How can you claim His promises? For instance, when praying for peace, you can claim John 14:27 and say, “Lord, You have told us in Your Word, ‘Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to

you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ Give me the peace that You promised to leave with us.” Thank the Lord that He is giving you peace, even though you may not feel it right then.

Fasting

We encourage you to do a Daniel Fast during these ten days. Starting the year with prayer and fasting is a wonderful way to consecrate our lives to God for the upcoming year. Ellen White tells us, “Now and onward till the close of time the people of God should be more earnest, more wide-awake, not trusting in their own wisdom, but

in the wisdom of their Leader. They should set aside days for fasting and prayer. Entire abstinence from food may not be required, but they should eat sparingly of the most  simple food” (Counsels on Diet and Foods, pp. 188, 189). We know about Daniel, who ate fruits and vegetables for ten days. We likewise encourage you to adopt a very simple diet during these ten days. If we want clearer minds for hearing God’s voice, and if we want to draw closer to Him, we need to make sure that our diet is not hindering us. Fasting is not only about abstaining from food. We also encourage you to fast from TV, movies, computer games, and even Facebook and YouTube. Sometimes things that are not bad in themselves can take so much of our time. Put aside everything possible so you can have more time to spend with the Lord. Fasting is not a quick way to obtain a miracle from God. Fasting is all about humbling ourselves so God can work in us and through us. Let’s draw closer to Him through prayer and fasting, and He will draw closer to us.

Holy Spirit

Be sure to ask the Holy Spirit to show you what you should pray for in a person’s life or in a particular situation. The Bible tells us that we do not know what to pray for and that the Holy Spirit is the One who intercedes for us. “We must not only pray in Christ’s name, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This explains what is meant when

it is said that the Spirit ‘maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered’ (Romans 8:26). Such prayer God delights to answer. When with earnestness and intensity we breathe a prayer in the name of Christ, there is in that very intensity a pledge from God that He is about to answer our prayer ‘exceeding abundantly

above all that we ask or think’ (Ephesians 3:20)” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 147).

Faith

We read in the Spirit of Prophecy that “prayer and faith will do what no power on earth can accomplish” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 509). We are also told that “for any gift He has promised, we may ask; then we are to believe that we receive, and return thanks to God that we have received” (Education, p. 258). So make a habit of thanking God in advance through faith for what He is going to do and how He is going to answer your prayers.

Pray for Others

During these ten days we encourage you to pray consistently for the people God has placed in your life. Choose five to seven people—they can be relatives, friends, coworkers, neighbors, or simply acquaintances. Take some time to ask God whom He would like you to pray for. Ask Him also to give you a real burden for these people.

Write the names on a piece of paper and keep it in a prominent place, such as in your Bible. You’ll be amazed at how God works in response to your prayers!

Ten Days of Prayer Outreach Challenge

Jesus calls us not only to pray but also to serve the practical needs of those around us. “For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:35, 36). In The Ministry of Healing we read, “We must live a twofold life—a life of thought and action, of silent prayer and earnest work” (p. 512). We have received so much love from our Savior, and we have the privilege of sharing that love with friends, neighbors, and strangers in need.

Ask God how you and your church can serve others after Ten Days of Prayer. As you work to organize service activities, avoid letting the arrangements distract you from praying. “Personal effort for others should be preceded by much secret prayer; for it requires great wisdom to understand the science of saving souls. Before communicating with men, commune with Christ. At the throne of heavenly grace obtain a preparation for  ministering to the people” (Prayer, p. 313).