“Here, I believe, is the key to understanding what is most personal in prayer. We do not pray to tell God what he does not know, nor to remind him of things he has forgotten. He already cares for the things we pray about… He has simply been waiting for us to care about them with him.”

tim stafford

Please read the first blog post entitled “Why Fast?” This explains what fasting is and why we follow Jesus in this spiritual discipline as together we seek the heart of God.

21 Days Devotional Blog (with opt-in text option)

During these 21 days, a devotional will be posted each morning on our “21 Days Blog” on Ascent’s homepage. You can go to the home page each day, or you can text ASCENT21 to the number 97000 to opt-in to receive a daily text reminder with a link to that day’s devotional.

Daily Devotionals

Each day during our 21 Days, we will focus on one part of the ACTS prayer acronym – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. We will spend between 3-5 days on each part of the ACTS prayer acronym. Each devotion will take less than ten minutes of your time.

1. We will Engage the Word – looking at a passage of Scripture that draws our mind’s attention and heart’s affection to the Lord.
2. We will Connect the Heart – considering a truth that is applicable to our lives.
3. We will Reflect on the Truth, asking a number of questions each day that invite us to look and listen with intent.
4. And we will Depend on the Spirit – We will pray, for it is in praying that we learn to pray. And it is in praying that the Spirit changes our hearts.

We want to encourage you to grab a journal or a notebook – something to write on as you walk through each devotional. Yes, it will add a few minutes to the time it takes to do the devotion, and it will also deepen your experience and shape your walk with God for years to come. This journal or notebook will be a keepsake to remind you of God’s faithfulness during this challenging season for all of us.

Adoration

Engage the Word

Read Psalm 145:10-14 – A Psalm of David

10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, 

and all your saints shall bless you! 

11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom 

and tell of your power, 

12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, 

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, 

and your dominion endures throughout all generations. 

The Lord is faithful in all his words 

and kind in all his works.

14 The Lord upholds all who are falling 

and raises up all who are bowed down. 

The word “kingdom” is used four times in this section of Psalm 145, emphasizing God’s rightful place on His throne, ruling over all creation. We can know that no matter what difficulties arise in this broken world, God is always on His throne. We worship Him and adore Him as King of all creation. And yet, He is also faithful and kind, especially to those “who are falling” or are “bowed down.” The Hebrew word for “kind” in this verse is the word hasid. Interestingly, while hasid is a frequently used word in Scripture – it most often refers to God’s devoted servants. It is used of God Himself only here and in Jeremiah 3:12, which translates into “my love is unfailing.” In this short passage in Psalm 145, we see a God who powerfully rules over all of creation, yet with a very personal unfailing kindness and love for His people.

Reflect on the Truth

1. How does this impact you, knowing that even in the most difficult of circumstances, God is on His throne, reigning over all creation?
2. How have you seen and experienced God’s hasid in your life – His unfailing love and kindness toward you?
3. Take a few moments to meditate on each verse, one at a time. How does this exercise lift your heart toward the praise of God in adoration?

Depend on the Spirit

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see the deeper longings, desires or motives in your heart that those thoughts are pointing to. (For example: you may write down, “I can acknowledge that God is King of all creation, but His ruling over all things brings up a number of difficult questions, like evil, tragedy and suffering.”) The Lord can help us discern the path forward – through His word, His Spirit, His people.

For Prayer

Today, pray for the leadership of Ascent Church – the elders and staff – to experience the fullness of God’s love and kindness as they lead and shepherd the Ascent Church family. Pray that they will follow the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit in their leadership and work. The names and contact info for Ascent’s staff and elders can be found here.