
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 21 – “Overflowing in Generosity”
The “grace of God” Paul is referring to here is, as the context makes so clear, the grace of giving. This gracious inclination to give generously had fallen upon the Macedonian churches – and Paul is wanting the Corinthian believers to learn from their example. The Corinthians were far more well-off than their Macedonian neighbors.
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 20 – “Trespassing”
2. This little snippet of the “Lord’s Prayer” (now getting traction as more appropriately the “Apostle’s Prayer”) gives us a condensed version of what a heart should be like as it prays to God. Jesus tells us who God is, “our Father in Heaven”, and for us to pray for God’s will, His provision, and His guidance. And in verse 12 we get this issue about forgiveness and sin.
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 19, Friday – “Chariots of Fire”
The prophet Elisha’s servant was afraid, and for good reason. The king of Syria had sent a great army to capture his master! The king of Syria had learned that Elisha had been revealing all of his secret battle plans to the king of Israel, and he was determined to put a stop to it. Elisha’s servant sees the army and his heart fills with fear, “What shall we do?” However, Elisha’s heart is full of faith.
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 18, Thursday – “Your Will Be Done”
Some of our recent devotional times have focused on the reign of Christ over our priorities. Today, we focus on the rule of Christ in our priorities. Author Clarence Macartney says that praying “your will be done” is basically saying “Lord, whatever you want, wherever you want it, and whenever you want it, that’s what I want.” I don’t know about you, but saying these words is a struggle for me… Am I really open to what this means in my life? Whatever, wherever, whenever!?
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 17, Wednesday – “Uprooting The Crowded Thorns”
Jesus uses the familiar picture of soil and seed to illustrate how different heart conditions (different conditions of soil) respond to hearing the truth of the Kingdom of God (the seed being sown).
What is sometimes overlooked in this parable is that, if we are willing to extend Jesus’ analogy of soil and seeds a bit further, unsuitable soil conditions can be worked over and turned into suitable soil.
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 16, Tuesday – “A Beautiful Thing”
This beautiful thing the woman did for Jesus is wonderful…as long as I don’t put myself in the scenario. Because, if I’m honest, I would be on the side of the disciples on this one. I don’t like waste. Truth be told, I often think God can be pretty wasteful. I mean what’s up with all the pollen?
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 15, Monday – “To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice”
“But as I continued to pray, God helped me see that my whole perspective was skewed. He then tweaked my prayers and massaged them and refined them – and then He answered. It’s as if He then was telling me, “That’s the prayer I want you to pray.” david...
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 14, Sunday – “The Mind of Christ”
It’s perfectly natural that a huge portion of our energy is spent thinking about ourselves and our own interests, especially as we interact with others. How was I treated in that last conversation? Am I being heard and understood… and appropriately appreciated? Was I slighted or did somebody speak to me disrespectfully?
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 13, Saturday – “Radically Kind”
1. The Apostle Paul is pretty fired up in Romans chapter 2 with some wrathful language about Christians judging others and what that says about their hearts. Inside his main point is a nugget about God’s character: “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.”
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 12, Friday – “Make Room For The One Thing”
It’s hard to be Martha- so much to do, so little time, and so few people to help! She has a long list of to-do’s, and it’s not fair that Mary is just “sitting” and not helping. Certainly, Jesus would see the imbalance, defend her, and make Mary get up and help, right? But He doesn’t.
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 11, Thursday – “Where Your Treasure Is”
We often are tempted to divide life into the “spiritual” and the “material” – but Jesus never does. Jesus makes it clear that if we have his righteousness in our lives, then we will have a proper attitude toward material wealth.
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 10 – “Forgive Because We’ve Been Forgiven”
“When the disciples in Luke 11 asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” (v. 1), He gave them a brief model or pattern for prayer – what we know as “the Lord’s Prayer.” It’s not some kind of magic formula, but a concise portrayal of the foundational...
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 9, Tuesday – “The Least of These”
In this section of Scripture, Jesus identifies Himself with those in need and with strangers. Our treatment of others, especially those in need, reflects our relationship with God. When we welcome strangers into our lives, we not only meet their needs but also honor Jesus Himself.
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 8, Monday: “With All Your Heart”
2. All your heart. That’s a tall order, isn’t it? Not just the Sunday part, the “spiritual part”, or the parts where we want peace. Trust is what we give the chair—we plop down without worrying it will collapse; the dollar we hand the cashier—we believe it is legit for payment; and God—for the really important things like our very soul and our eternal destination.
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 7, Sunday – “Whatever Gift You Have Received”
When we make room in our hearts for others, we often do it by using the gifts God has given us. By recognizing and using our gifts, we open our hearts to the needs around us and serve as channels of God’s grace.
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 6, Saturday – “That They May Be One”
This is one of those passages that reminds us – when something is repeated, we should pay attention. In verses 21-23, Jesus prays the same thing multiple times: that His Church and it’s people would be unified. That’s you and me. But what does He mean?
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 5, Friday – “Remember Those Who Are In Prison”
This passage continues with calling Jesus-followers to remember the imprisoned and the mistreated. While strangers are scary sometimes because they are invading our space, the imprisoned and mistreated are usually hindered from coming to us, so its our job to go to them.
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 4, Thursday – “Keep On Loving One Another”
“The purest form of love is given with no expectation of return. Measured by this standard, earnest prayer for others is a magnificent act of love.” david hubbard, the problem with prayer is..., p. 14 We want to encourage you to grab a journal or a...
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 3, Wednesday – “Sanctify Them In Your Truth”
Truth is under attack in today’s culture. The most common belief seems to be that truth is whatever you believe it to be. The Bible says otherwise. Jesus says otherwise.
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 2, Tuesday – “I Am Praying For Them”
Why does Jesus pray these words to the Father? If He is God, wouldn’t we be able to assume that His thoughts already align with the Father’s thoughts, so prayer is unnecessary? That actually makes some sense since Jesus IS God – so why, then, does Jesus pray these words to the Father?
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Day 1, Monday – “To Glorify the Father”
“Prayer is not for the purpose of getting God to help us… but for getting us in line with what God is about to do. Prayer is God’s invitation to enter His throne room so He can lay His agenda over our hearts.” Henry Blackaby, Experiencing Prayer...