Day 1: Courage To Pray Bold Prayers | 7 DAYS OF PRAYER & FASTINg 2026

It’s day one of our 7 days of prayer and fasting. Thank you for joining your church family for this special time! For this year’s time of consecration, we will be focusing on and praying into our word for the year: Courage. Our prayer is that in 2026, our lives will be marked by us becoming courageous followers of Christ. As we set out on this journey together, I want to share a brief word about courageously praying bold prayers. 

Learning from Elijah: Praying Bold Prayers as a Human Being

James 5:17-18 NIV says, “Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”

When we think of the great heroes of the Bible, we often put them on a pedestal. We imagine them as spiritual superheroes with unshakeable faith and perfect focus. But James 5 reminds us of a startling truth: Elijah was a human being, just like us. He had doubts just like us. He had bad days just like us. He perhaps even struggled with being scatterbrained or fighting feelings of inadequacy just like us. Yet, despite his humanity, he prayed one of the most courageous (you could even call it ridiculous) prayers in all of Scripture, and God said, “Okay.”

Moving from the Manageable to the Supernatural

Reading this begs the question today: What audacious prayers have you stopped praying? It can be easy to look at the "impossible" situations in our lives like health situations that don’t seem to be changing, financial needs that look like they can’t be overcome, relationships that don’t even seem repairable, and quietly begin to settle. If we are not careful we even stop asking God for the miraculous & start just accepting the manageable. And here comes Elijah, the man who was human just like we are, reminding us to not settle for status quo when the supernatural is still on the table.  

The Weight of Earnest Prayer: Proseuchē

The scripture says Elijah prayed "earnestly." The Greek root word used here, proseuchē, carries a heavy weight. It suggests the idea of creating a place of prayer even when one does not exist. It implies praying, and then praying again. Courageous (bold, steadfast, confident) prayer isn't about being perfect; it's about being persistent. It is looking at the drought in your life and daring to believe that rain is coming, simply because you are bold enough to ask.

Reflection: What are some areas of your life where you have "settled" for status quo when supernatural is still on the table? I encourage you to take a few moments today to write down the specific areas The Lord is reminding you to keep praying audacious & courageous prayers about. Once you have done that, use this as your prayer list for the next 7 days. I’m excited to see what God will do through you in 2026 to make you more courageous & more like Him!

Prayer: “Lord, what have I given up on that You’re inviting me to believe for again? Give me the courage to pray bold prayers, to persist when it’s hard, and to trust You with what feels impossible.”

Written by: Sam Hamstra | Lead Pastor, Anthem Church