# Burning Hearts Leader’s Guide

## Introduction

This self-directed 4-week Leader’s Guide is a practical program for volunteer leaders to call students to possess and sustain a Burning Heart.

**What is a Burning Heart?**  The original four members of the 1947 Fellowship of the Burning Heart (detailed in Part 1) made a commitment to “Christian discipleship” that included (1) spending one hour a day with God in prayer and Bible reading, (2) sobriety, (3) sexual purity, and (4) leading one person to Christ each year.

In 2005, I founded a non-profit student organization called _Burning Hearts, Inc._ and wrote _**The Burning Heart Contract: A 21 Day Challenge.**_  My goal was to revive and restore the original message of the 1947 Fellowship of the Burning Hearts for students and adults in the 21st century who exhibited the same spirit of prayer for revival, evangelism and discipleship by calling them to be _**(1) sold out to prayer, (2) set apart in purity, and (3) sent out with purpose.**_

Since then, I have shared this message on dozens of college campuses, 100’s of churches, and with small and large groups of young professionals whom God is calling to have a Burning Heart—but they need leaders who will give them encouragement and provide accountability for them to maintain and sustain the fire and passion of prayer and revival in their culture!

**Who is qualified to be a Burning Hearts Leader?**  First and foremost, someone who has take the 21-Day Adventure and has found it to be life-changing experience! That can be anyone from a campus pastor, to a parent, an upper-class college student or resident advisor, a teacher/professor, sports coach coach, neighbor, single/married adult, or sibling. The primary prerequisite is simply someone who possesses a _Burning Heart_ and is able to lead an in-person or online meeting for a minimum of four weeks.

Note: You will most identify with this program if you do not expect perfection, but simply determine to remain follow the pattern designed in the 21 Day Adventure. Additional resources are not necessary, but include: The My Partner Prayer Notebook (App or binder) and the Change Your Life Daily Bible (Study Bible Edition) — available at Amazon.com.

* **Introductory Assignment**
* (1) As a leader, choose two or more people to take through The Burning Hearts Contract, a 21 Day Adventure in Prayer Purity and Purpose. Groups can vary in age, or be the same age; they can be co-ed or the same gender.  Most importantly, members should have the same passion to develop a burning heart, and be willing to spend one hour a day in prayer and Bible reading, sobriety and sexual purity, and share their faith with others _over the entire 21-day period._
* **The Burning Heart Contract book, The Change Your Life Daily Bible (Study Bible Edition) or My Partner Prayer Notebook can be purchased by members, or the virtual adventure includes, for free, the entire book (Parts 1-3), a prayer guide, and the One Year Bible reading plan. Call 800-444-6189 to order or go online for additional resources at amazon.com or www.beckytirabassi.com
* (2) Determine (after discussing options with interested members) what time and day each week that your group will meet—for the next 21 days. Decide if you will meet in-person, online or a hybrid.

## Before Week One

**Contact each member, confirm they have the book, The Burning Heart Contract or have signed up for the free book at burningheartsinc.com and have a Change Your Life Daily Bible or the One Year Bible reading plan.**

* Assign Part 1 of the book to be read before the first meeting.

## Week One Meeting (one hour)

**Start** on time!

**Open** in a simple prayer:  “Lord, we pray for an immediate out-pouring of your Holy Spirit on us.  Please guide us in this hour and give us Burning Hearts for prayer, purity, and purpose.”

**In 5-10 minutes**: Ask each member to share, “Why do you believe God has called you to be a part of this group?”

\*_Share the Kickoff Talk (about 20-30 minutes)._*

**Discuss** their immediate/initial responses to the **Burning Hearts** message.

**Hand out and Collect Week One Response to Kickoff Sheet.**
**Hand out Prayer Guide.**

**Assign** Readings: Days 1-7 on Prayer in Part 2. Remind them to do homework daily. And to spend one hour a day in prayer and Bible reading.

**Close** in a short prayer for the group.  (**If anyone requires or asks for specific prayer and your scheduled time is up, offer to pray for individuals after the Group meeting is over, so everyone feels free to keep previous appointments.)

## Week Two Meeting (one hour)

**Start** on time!

**Open** in a simple prayer: “Lord, we pray for an immediate out-pouring of your Holy Spirit on us.  Please guide us in this hour and give us Burning Hearts for prayer, purity, and purpose.”

**Discuss** last week’s reading with the following questions in 10 minutes:

1. Describe your previous struggles with:  
   A consistent prayer life (prayer and Bible reading)
2. Describe your personal successes with:  
   A consistent prayer life (prayer and Bible reading)

**For 15 minutes:**  Discuss the Hour of Power. Share your personal experience. Ask for one example of how God spoke to them during their hour of power over the past 7 days OR which of the 7 daily devotionals on prayer was most helpful to them.

**For 30 minutes:** Give the Week Two Talk on Sexual Purity and Sobriety. This will vary in length and depth, depending on age and demographics of the group. Be sensitive, sincere, and age-appropriate when leading students or co-ed groups.

**During the last 5 minutes:**

**Assign Days 8-14** readings on. Remind them to keep their hour of power going strong. Discuss accountability Ask for prayer requests.

**Close** in a prayer for the group.  (**If anyone requires or ask for specific prayer requests and your scheduled time is up, offer to pray for individuals after the Group meeting is over, so everyone feels free to keep previous appointments.)

## Week Three Meeting (one hour):

**Start** on time!

**Open** in a simple prayer: “Lord, we pray for an immediate out-pouring of your Holy Spirit on us.  Please guide us in this hour and give us Burning Hearts for prayer, purity, and purpose.”

**In the first 10 minutes**, ask each person to share the following:

* Describe your personal struggles or successes with sexual purity and/or sobriety.

**For 50 minutes: Discuss** last week’s readings from Days 8-14.

* Ask which day of Purity Week was the most impactful and why.
* Ask members to share any quotes or Scriptures fro the daily readings that were particularly helpful during the week that inspired them to live in purity.

**For the final 10 minutes: Assign** Day 15-21 readings on Purpose. Decide if the fourth week will be the last week (which is the 21st day) or if you will continue one more week as a group to celebrate the adventure or to continue for another 21 days (which most of the time, groups tend to take a second wave through the book with each other).

* Remind everyone to take the free Spiritual Gifts Test during the week at spiritualgiftstest.com .

**Close** in a short prayer for the group.  (**If anyone requires or asks for specific prayer requests and your scheduled time is up, offer to pray for individuals after the Group meeting is over, so everyone feels free to keep previous appointments.)

## Week Four Meeting — the 21st day (one hour):

**Start** on time!

**Open** in a simple prayer: “Lord, we pray for an immediate out-pouring of your Holy Spirit on us.  Please guide us in this hour and give us Burning Hearts for prayer, purity, and purpose.”

**Discuss** Week Three readings with the following questions:

* What did you discover about your spiritual gifts?
* What is a dream in your heart that won’t go away?
* Who do you know that needs God and is someone that God has encouraged you to share with—and when will (or did) you share?

**Assign Part III of the book or online adventure**, which includes the design of a personal Burning Heart Contract in prayer, purity and purpose.

**Close** by asking for prayer requests.

**Determine if you will continue for another 21 Day Adventure together or by inviting others to join or by leading your own Adventure and ask members to come the following week with their contract.**

## Optional Week Five Meeting (one hour):

**Start** on time!

**Open** in a simple prayer: “Lord, we pray for an immediate out-pouring of your Holy Spirit on us.  Please guide us in this hour and give us Burning Hearts for prayer, purity, and purpose.”

* Have each person share their Burning Hearts contract with the group.  Discuss how they intend, in practical terms, to accomplish each component of the contract.  For example, discuss specific time frames and quiet time systems (for their prayer time), specific boundaries in their dating and private lives (for sexual purity), and names of those whom God has put on their hearts (for sharing and leading to Christ.)  Allow between 5-10 minutes of sharing time per student.
* Discuss how your group will stay committed to their contracts. Encourage accountability partners for the next 90 days.  Leaders should be prepared to discuss their contract, as well.  Discuss options for continuing your group—immediately or in the future.  Example: you might have monthly follow-up meetings, quarterly gatherings, etc.

**Close** in prayer for each member of the group.

PDF Downloads:  
[Leader Guide](https://www.dropbox.com/s/gmzycxk39pui5bq/Burning%20Hearts%20Leader%27s%20Guide%2011.1.21.pdf?dl=0)

[Week One Handout  
](https://www.dropbox.com/s/8dfan475902zt1j/Meeting%20One%20sold%20out%20to%20prayer%20PDF.pdf?dl=0)[Week Two Handout](https://www.dropbox.com/s/5y99yd2wtnrqkeq/BH%20Meeting%20Two%20Purity%20.pdf?dl=0)  
[Week Three Handout](https://www.dropbox.com/s/syabblcsi3xdwaw/BH%20Meeting%20Three%20Purpose.pdf?dl=0)

[Hour of Power Prayer Guide](https://www.dropbox.com/s/dahrqrhcudgxz23/Hour%20of%20Prayer%20Guide%20PDF.pdf?dl=0)  
[Kickoff Talk Outline  
](https://www.dropbox.com/s/r563x1iveyi92i6/BH%20Kickoff%20Outline.pdf?dl=0)[Kickoff Handout](https://www.dropbox.com/s/clv6y3jafr0dmx9/Kickoff%20Response%20Sheet%20.pdf?dl=0)