Our Leadership

Right Rev. James L. Davis, Presiding Prelate Rev. Dwight Dillard, Presiding Elder Rev. Mashod A. Evans, Sr., Pastor Rev. Xavier Beasley, Ministerial Staff Rev. Victor Baugh, Ministerial Staff Rev. Dorothy Patrick, Ministerial Staff Rev. P. C. Washington, Ministerial Staff

Saint John
African Methodist Episcopal Church Birmingham, Alabama

Our Mission
The mission of the African Methodist Episcopal Church is to minister to the spiritual, intellectual, physical and emotional needs of all people by spreading Christs liberating gospel through word and deed.

DANIEL FAST Prayer Journal

Sunday, January 3, 2010Sunday, January 24, 2010

Our Contact Information

Saint John African Methodist Episcopal Church 708 Fifteenth Street North Birmingham, Alabama 35203 Phone: (205) 2513764 Fax: (205) 2513757 EMail: sjamec@bellsouth.net Website: stjohnbirmingham.com

Opportunities for Worship

Sunday 8:00amMorning Worship Sunday 9:30amEducation Hour Sunday 11:00amMorning Worship Tuesday 12:00pmBible Study Wednesday 6:30pmBible Study
Saint John African Methodist Episcopal Church Daniel Fast

A TwentyOne Day Journey toward Gods will for our congregation in 2010.

FROM THE DESK OF THE PASTOR

FOODS TO BE AVOIDED DURING DANIEL FAST All meat and animal products including but not limited to beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and fish.

Dear Friends, I praise and thank God for the way He blessed our congregation in 2009, and I am excited about what He is going to do in 2010. In particular, I am excited about what God is going to do here at Saint John as we seek His will and vision for our church through this season of fasting and prayer which we are committed to for the next twenty-one days. The Bible admonishes us, to pray without ceasing, and it is the power of prayer that makes a successful fast possible. You hold in your hands Saint Johns Daniel Fast Prayer Journal. These prayers have been written by members of our congregation, and the larger Christian church. The authors of these prayers are new believers and seasoned saints, ordained clergy and lay persons. The great majority of these prayers have been written especially for this journal, while others have been borrowed from various sources. This booklet contains twentytwo prayers, one for each day of our Daniel fast and a culminating prayer for the day following the completion of the fast. Each Sunday during the fast, there is listed the focus scripture of the week which we encourage you to read and meditate upon daily. I pray that this prayer journal will be more than simply print and pages, but rather an inspiration and encouragement for our congregation during this twentyone day journey, and that we will incorporate these prayers as part of our daily devotions. I anticipate great things from God during this season and beyond, and pray your strength on the journey before us! With expectancy,

All dairy products including but not limited to milk, cheese, cream, butter, and eggs. All sweeteners including but not limited to sugar, syrups, molasses, and cane juice. All leavened bread including Ezekiel Bread (it contains yeast) and baked goods. All refined and processed food products including but not limited to artificial flavorings, food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, and foods that contain artificial preservatives. All deep fried foods including but not limited to potato chips, French fries, corn chips. All solid fats including shortening, margarine, lard and foods high in fat. Beverages including but not limited to coffee, tea, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and alcohol.

Mashod A. Evans
Rev. Mashod A. Evans, Sr. Pastor
Saint John African Methodist Episcopal Church Daniel Fast 15

While Daniel Fast resources may provide other information, listed below are the guidelines for the Saint John AME Church Daniel Fast. Please read labels! FOOD TO BE INCLUDED IN THE DANIEL FAST All fruits. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Fruits include but are not limited to apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon All vegetables. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Vegetables include but are not limited to artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini, veggie burgers are an option if you are not allergic to soy. All whole grains, including but not limited to whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, rice cakes and popcorn. All nuts and seeds, including but not limited to sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame. Also nut butters including peanut butter. All legumes. These can be canned or dried. Legumes include but are not limited to dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, white beans. All quality oils including but not limited to olive, canola, grape seed, peanut, sesame. Beverages: spring water, distilled water or other pure waters, herbal teas. Other: tofu, soy products, vinegar, seasonings, salt, herbs and spices.
Saint John African Methodist Episcopal Church Daniel Fast

HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE A DANIEL FAST The Daniel Fast is a biblically based fast in which fasters abstain from consuming meat of any kind, animal by-products (eggs and dairy products), fried foods, refined sugars, alcohol and caffeine. Here are a few tips on how to successfully complete a Daniel Fast.

PRAY Fasting without prayer is not fasting, . . .it is starvation. Prayer gives us the power, patience and perseverance which makes effective fasting possible. Furthermore, during seasons of fasting, we should increase the frequency and amount of time we spend in prayer. If we pray once a day, during our fast we should pray twice a day. If we spend 20 minutes in prayer, during our fast, we should increase that to 3040 minutes. ACKNOWLEGEFasting is a both a discipline and a sacrifice, and to pretend that it is not challenging would be unrealistic. We should acknowledge that this is a difficult process and daunting undertaking. However, just as Jesus Christ sacrificed for us, we ought to make sacrifices for Him. Moreover, we know that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! BE PREPARED Craving foods not allowed on the fast is natural, however these cravings are neither uncontrollable nor insurmountable . It is important to plan and prepare meals in advance. Planning and preparing foods and menus in advance will help us to be less vulnerable to poor choices. Eat at regular intervals, drink plenty of water, carry snacks. Also know that during fasting periods, opportunities to backslide, or stray away will be plentiful. Prepare yourself for the many temptation through prayer and focusing on the goal ahead. RESTRAINT IN OTHER AREAS Often times during periods of selfdenial, we try to fill the void we experience and over indulge in other areas. For instance, while we fast, we may spend money on unnecessary items, or waste time watching too much television or spending too much time talking on the telephone. Fill idle time through prayer, meditation, studying Gods word, and engaging in Christian conversation with other believers.

pray that we realize that our future as a church family comes only by Gods grace.

Focus Scripture for the week of January 3, 2010

Luke 5:36
And dear Lord - when you have shown us your vision for St. John, that we will glorify your name in private and collectively as a church. Let our worship never be a show or talent focused, rather God be the audience of our praise. BT

He (Jesus) got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon. Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch. Simon answered, Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets. When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Dear Lord, we give you our hands to do your work, we give you our feet to go where you lead us, we give you our eyes to see your vision, we give you our ears to hear your word. We surrender our bodies, souls, and minds so that we can have a spiritual breakthrough. Oh Lord, we humbly pray for discernment for our church. We need a revelation from you on this day and at this time. BT

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Gracious God, we thank You for this New Year and this first Sunday of the New Year, and because You have allowed us to see this year, we know that You have a purpose and plan for our lives in this year. For all that 2009 was, and for all that it was not, it is behind us: We pray that You would help us to move forward, praising You, glorifying You, and embracing Your will for our lives.

DAY 1

DAY 21

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Here we are God, the final day of our fast, however we trust and believe this is not an end, but rather a beginning. We pray that You would continue to lead and guide us as You continue to HEAL, REVEAL and DIRECT. We praise You for helping us to successfully complete this Daniel Fast. It was not easy, but we thank You. We thank You for the challenge, for the growth and for the blessings which You will bestow in our lives, and will do in the life of our congregation as a result of this fast. We anticipate that through our efforts and by Your divine favor, new members will join, new ministries will be birthed, new visions will be cast, a new foundation laid. Prepare our hearts and minds for the journey ahead. Be with us, be in us, be beside us, be among us God. We thank You, we love You, we praise You! In Jesus nameAMEN!

Our congregation is embarking on a new journey, a journey toward You and Your will for our family of faith. As we participate in this Daniel Fast, we pray that You would give us strength and guidance, because there is no way that we can make it through this without You. Through this fast, we pray that we would be better able to hear Your word, better able to see Your vision, and better able to live out Your will. Please be with us on the journey, be our guide and our strength. In Jesus name we pray and ask it allAMEN ME

Monday, January 4, 2010

Glorious God, as we continue through this New Year, we are grateful for all that You have done and continue to do in each of our lives. We ask that You would help us to demonstrate our gratitude to You; in our worship, in our work, and in our witness. During this first week of the year, we have already had to grapple with many of the same issues, attitudes and emotions which we dealt with last year. Help us neither to dwell on the past, nor carry last years baggage into this New Year.

DAY 2

We pray the same for our congregation. Help us to move past those things in our history that would inhibit us from being all that You would have us to be. Help us to
Saint John African Methodist Episcopal Church Daniel Fast 13

Pastor, a faithful man whose steps You order and for the vision for our church in this coming year. We now ask for Your anointing over this vision in their areas of Community Life, Congregational Life and Christian Education. God, we know that when You give the vision, You give the provision and for that, we say thank You. Help us to move forward in love and unity "being of one accord, of one mind." Philippians 2:2 These and all blessings we asked in the matchless name of Jesus! Amen. SM

forgive one another for old hurts, and past gone transgressions, as You have forgiven us. We thank You for the newness we are afforded in You. Create in each of us a clean heart, and place a new spirit within us that we might serve You in this new day, and this new season. In Jesus name we pray.AMEN ME

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Eternal God who commits to us the swift and solemn trust of life: since we know not what a day may bring forth, but only that the hour for serving You is always present, may we wake to the instant claim of Your holy will. Lay to rest, by the persuasion of Your Spirit, the resistance of our passion, insolence or fear. Consecrate with Your presence the way our feet may go; that the humblest work may shine, and the roughest places be made plain.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Dear God, help us to fulfill your vision, because you said in your word that, without a vision, the people will perish. God we know that your vision gives us direction, patience and strength. And we know that without one of these we become vulnerable. Dear God, today we ask that you Guide us in the right direction to carry out the plan that you have designed for us to do. Teach us to have patience with ourselves and with others. And Give us strength to overcome obstacles that may get in our way of fulfilling your vision. But no matter what God, MY TRUST IS IN YOU! Im looking up to You and I will never give up until Your perfect will has been accomplished. Im gonna live so God can use me anyway and anyhow. This and other blessings we ask in your name. Amen. Your holy Name,

DAY 18

DAY 3

Lift us above unrighteous anger and mistrust into faith and hope and charity by a simple and steadfast reliance on Your sure will. In all things draw us to the mind of Christ, that Your lost image bay be traced again in us, and that You may own us as one with Him and You, to the glory of Your holy name. AMEN

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Lord I thank You for yet another day and because you have allowed me to see another day, I know that You have a plan and purpose for my life. I pray that you would give me strength and guidance on today. I pray that you would lead and direct me on today. Lord, as I continue to fast and pray and seek a closer walk with you, a stronger, more deeper relationship with you. Speak to me Lord! Your humble servant is listening. In Jesus nameAMEN LE

Wednesday, January 6, 2010 Epiphany

Great God, today we celebrate Epiphany, the manifestation of Your light, the light that You gave to the world through Jesus Christ. We praise You and thank You for the fact that Your light as come. You have called us out of the darkness of sin and selfishness into Your light. Help us to walk in the light, the beautiful light, that shines all around us by day and by night. As the wise men came seeking Jesus, bearing their gifts, and worshipping Him, let them be an example for us. Help us during this time of fasting and prayer to seek You, Your word and Your will for every aspect of our lives, and for this congregation. Help us, O Lord to bring our very best before You in our service, and assist us, that we might be able to worship You in the beauty of holiness. In Jesus nameAMEN ME

DAY 19

DAY 4

Friday, January 22, 2010

Most gracious Father, we ask that you prepare our hearts and our minds for a renewed vision of what you would have us to do and to be in this time and in this place in our lives. As in the days of Nehemiah, move us into a place of clarity as we open our eyes so we may see your vision and we harken our ears so we may hear your word. We humbly
Saint John African Methodist Episcopal Church

DAY 20

Daniel Fast

Thursday, January 7, 2010

I am weak and I need Thy strength and power, To help me over my weakest hour. Let me through the darkness Thy face to see, Lead me, oh Lord lead me. ... God, As we continue in this fast, we admit that this is more difficult that we imagined. Temptation seems to be all around us and when we would try to do the right thing, the desires of our flesh cry even louder. We even try to rationalize and justify our willingness to disregard the commitment we made to You. However, You are the same One who sustained Jesus during His forty days of fasting and prayer in the wilderness, and just as You were there for Him, we know that You will be there for us.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

O You who are from everlasting to everlasting, without beginning or end of days, replenish us with heavenly grace, at the beginning of this year, that we may be enabled to accept all its duties, to perform all its labors, to welcome all its mercies, to meet all its trials, and to advance through all it holds in store for us, with cheerful courage and a constant mind. O Lord, suffer us not to be separated from You either by joy or sorrow, or any sin or weakness of our own, but have compassion upon us and forgive us and keep us in the strong confidence of Your eternal love.AMEN

DAY 5

DAY 15

Be with us O God, for we are weak and we need Your strength and Your power. Just as Jesus fasting prepared Him for something great and glorious, we know that our sacrifice, is preparing us for the great future that is ahead. We thank and praise You in advance for that, what you are going to do. In Jesus nameAMEN ME

Tis the promise of God, full salvation to give, unto Him who on Jesus, His Son, will believe. Hallelujah tis done, I believe on the Son. Ive been saved by blood of the Crucified One!

Monday, January 18, 2010 Friday, January 8, 2010

Thank You God for being my Father. Thank You God for Your eternal love through Jesus. Thank You God for repairing breaches in my life. Thank You God for healing me. Thank you God for being my light as I walk through the valley. I lift Your name God above all creation and the power of Your Holy Spirit that lives in me.AMEN VWB Lord, thank you for the blessings you have and continue to give us. Please strengthen us as we continue our fast and help us to get closer to you. We know that without a vision a people will perish and that You alone are the giver of visions. We ask that You let each of us know the vision You have for our life. Help us to humbly submit to Your vision and work to make it a reality so that You are glorified. We also ask that You share Your vision for St. John and the role we must play so that Your love can show through us as we help meet the needs of our community and draw others to You. Please give us the strength and grace needed to live our personal and congregational vision. Finally Lord, we ask that Your Holy Spirit continue to dwell within us as we move forward in Your vision. We thank you for Your Son Jesus and the opportunity to serve and glorify You through fasting and prayer. Amen CRM

DAY 6

DAY 16

Saturday, January 9, 2010

God, as we close this first week of fasting and prayer, we say thank You for bringing us to this point. It has not been easy, but You have been with us every step of the way, and we are grateful. We continually pray for Your healing to be made manifest in and among our church family.

DAY 7

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Oh God, we come into Your presence with thanksgiving in our hearts. We thank You for the many blessings you have given us this year. We thank You for our
11

For far too long we have allowed personalities, politics, and pettiness to have influence in Your house. Help us to know that You have designed and destined for us to
Saint John African Methodist Episcopal Church Daniel Fast

DAY 17

Saturday, January 16, 2010

In a concerted appeal, Heavenly Father, we as a Church, come before You seeking the vision You Will for us in two thousand and ten. Make it known to us as You use us to lift up one another; our surrounding community; our local, state, and national government and citizens; and all peoples who co-exist with us on this Your earth. Remind us: we are our Brothers keeper. Cleanse our hearts and prepare us all for this Spiritual Journey. Being in Your Divine Will, we ask for humility as we receive and apply the Vision You will give us; discernment to know the Vision has come directly from You; and the wherewithal to successfully carry it out and giving You the Glory. We come before You in one accord as You have stated in Your Word: If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

be bigger and better than the smallness that we are preoccupied with. Heal the broken places of our families, both our church families, and our biological families. Makes us whole and holy people. This we ask in Jesus nameAMEN ME

Focus Scripture for week of January 10

Luke 4: 1420

DAY 14

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised be everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lords favor. And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.

It is our collective desire to be in Your Will, to seek Your face, to pray for the forgiveness of our sins, and to appeal to You for the removal of anything that is wicked within our minds and hearts. Lead us and we will follow the desires of Your heart as we walk the path You prepare for us. Anoint and Bless us, speak continually to our hearts, as we are totally willing to accept the Vision You have for us. May You allow us success in being good stewards of Your Vision and all good gifts You send our way. In Your only Begotten Son Jesus Name we pray. Amen. AJE Scripture for week of January 18 Joel 2: 2529

Sunday, January 10, 2010

On this Lords day, we come declaring that we are glad that You have invited us into Your house and into Your presence. We are thankful for everything that we are doing and will do. As we begin this second week of our fast, we pray for Your healing, Your vision, Your direction: For we have been broken, we have been blind, and at times we feel lost.

DAY 8

I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent against you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other. And my people shall never again be put to shame. Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughter shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

We lift up the congregation of Saint John before You, our pastor, our ministers, our leadership, breathe upon them O God as they lead us in the direction You would have for this congregation to go. We lift up the ministries and members of this community, that You might give us a new vision that You will lay a new foundation in this household of faith.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Dear Heavenly Father:, I am so thankful for Your goodness, Your love, Your understanding. I thank You for life. I thank You for grace, mercy, and salvation. Most of all,
Saint John African Methodist Episcopal Church Daniel Fast 7

DAY 9

I thank You for Jesus. I thank Jesus for doing what no other man could do, bearing my sins, and giving me another chance. My prayer is to be more and more like You. I ask that You keep me in Your favor so that I may be led by Your Holy Spirit, because He is my comforter. My vision is also to do Your will and follow Your steps. Whatever Your will is for my life, I accept. Continue to bless the Saint John A. M. E. Family. Please know it is You that we seek. Keep us in Your favor. These blessings we ask in Jesus name.AMEN TBB

and joy. Father, bind us closer together as brothers and sisters should be. Teach us to walk daily with You. Grant our congregation a closer walk with you. In the name of Jesus we pray. AMEN ERH

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Oh Lord, we humbly call on Your great name in the midst of desert experiences, we seek Your guidance, love, and strength for a sign: revealing and confirming Your preferred future and destiny in our lives, both personally and collectively. God, we know at times we dream small, but Lord, may You uncover the scales on our eyes to Your bigness that we may discover the depths of Your fount, revealing to us that through You and in You all things are possible. Help us, Lord, Shake us Lord. . .that we would not settle for a finite and limited dream but have our eyes, hearts, minds, and bodies readied for Your infinite reality to be fulfilled through us. Oh Lord, let us refuse to stop at the oasis but find our true selves and our timeless hope in the wells of You, our Ultimate Being. Speak now Lord that we receive with openness and obedience Your direction and will for us, right now. AMEN MS

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Lord we humbly come to You in pure adoration. We thank You for yet another opportunity to dwell in Your presence. Please grant us the desire and ability to seek You for all things, small or great. We, Saint John A. M. E. Church Family derobe ourselves of selfishness, idlemindedness, and secular frames of mind. We lay our fleshly bodies down at Your feet of mercy. We clothe ourselves in Your presence, Your visions for our congregation, and Your purpose for our ministry.

DAY 12

DAY 10

Lord, we stand bare and weak in our own right, so that You may strengthen us enough to hear a word from You. Fill us with Your righteousness and Your will. Help us to truly seek You and find You in this hour of prayer. We love You and thank You for what You have already done, what You are doing in our midst right now, and the great and awesome things You are about to do in and outside of these church walls. Thank You for being who You are. . . the great I AM. In Jesus name we ask it all, we believe it all, and we see it all. AMEN TTB

Friday, January 15, 2010 Martin Luther King, Jr., Birthday

Today we thank You for all of the great gifts that You have bestowed upon us because we know that everything good and perfect comes from You. Today, we thank You for the gift of a prophet and priest in the person of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We thank You for his life and his living, for his preaching and teaching, for his service and his sacrifice. He saw a vision for the lives of Your children that others did not see. He saw a world of justice, equity and peace.

DAY 13

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Father God, we pray for you to order our steps as we move forward in Your name. Lord, give us the wisdom and knowledge as we acknowledge Your will for our congregation. God help us to know that the vision for our church must come from you as you speak through our leader

DAY 11

As the word of God says, Without a vision the people will perish. Father we love You and adore You. We glorify Your name as we desire to be the kind of Christians that you would have us to be. In the name of Jesus we pray that You grant us peace, love
Saint John African Methodist Episcopal Church Daniel Fast

We pray that You would raise up other men and women who see Your vision for a better world and give them the holy boldness to declare Your truth. Moreover, we seek Your vision for Your kingdom, where all Gods children, regardless of race, color, nationality, social status, or ethnicity are acknowledged as Your creation. In Jesus name we prayAMEN. ME