Day 9: Turn It Around

by | Jan 12, 2021 | 21 Days of Prayer - January 2021

9/21 Days of Prayer & Fasting

READ:

PSALM 30 (NIV)

I will exalt you, Lord,
    for you lifted me out of the depths
    and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
Lord my God, I called to you for help,
    and you healed me.
You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
    you spared me from going down to the pit.

Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
    praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.

When I felt secure, I said,
    “I will never be shaken.”
Lord, when you favored me,
    you made my royal mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
    I was dismayed.

To you, Lord, I called;
    to the Lord I cried for mercy:
“What is gained if I am silenced,
    if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
    Lord, be my help.”

You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

 

I love verse 11 that says, “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothe me with joy.”

Put in simpler terms, God has turned our weeping into dancing and our sorrow into joy.

I have been a Christian most of my life and it never ceases to amaze me how good God is at turning bad things around and making them good.

Example 1: You lose your job but you end up with a better one.

Example 2: You go through a nasty breakup but you end up finding Mr. or Mrs. Right.

We see things like this happen all the time. People tend to blame God for the bad, though, without giving Him any credit for the good. God is actually so good at working things out for our good that we often forget to give him credit. He only gets blamed when things go wrong. When you read the Bible it says, “Jesus went about doing good and healing all.” Jesus says, “if you’ve seen me then you have seen the Father.’’ So, if Jesus was good, God is good. If Jesus healed the sick, God wants to heal.

God’s plans for your life are good. When bad things happen and it turns out good in the end, remember that God was in the good, not the bad.

PRAY:

Lord, thank you that your plans for my life are good. Thank you for turning bad situations for my good. Thank you for showing me who you are through your precious son Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Day 8: Worthy Of Worship

by | Jan 11, 2021 | 21 Days of Prayer - January 2021

8/21 Days of Prayer & Fasting

READ:

PSALM 29 (NIV)

Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
    Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord strikes
    with flashes of lightning.
The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
    the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
    the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
The Lord gives strength to his people;
    the Lord blesses his people with peace.

 

Praise and worship is a powerful thing, though I’ve heard it described in a lot of different ways. People have said, “It’s just something we do before the preaching” (if you read that with a super thick Texas accent, you read it correctly). I’ve also had people describe it as “entertainment.” I’ve been asked the question, “Why do we worship?” I could write more to that answer than you would have time to read. Let me attempt to summarize.

• We worship because worship changes things.

• We worship because worship changes us.

• We worship because God tells us to.

There is a lot more to it, but those are three great reasons to worship. Take some time today to give God the worship He deserves.

 

PRAY:

Pray: Lord, I worship you because you are worthy. I love you and I glorify you. Thank you for your goodness in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Day 7: Ask

by | Jan 10, 2021 | 21 Days of Prayer - January 2021

7/21 Days of Prayer & Fasting

READ:

PSALM 28 (NIV)

To you, Lord, I call;
    you are my Rock,
    do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
    I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Hear my cry for mercy
    as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
    toward your Most Holy Place.

Do not drag me away with the wicked,
    with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
    but harbor malice in their hearts.
Repay them for their deeds
    and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
    and bring back on them what they deserve.

Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
    and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
    and never build them up again.

Praise be to the Lord,
    for he has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
    and with my song I praise him.

The Lord is the strength of his people,
    a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
Save your people and bless your inheritance;
    be their shepherd and carry them forever.

 

As a dad, there have been times that I have sat back and watched my kids struggle to do something on their own, sometimes it’s homework or opening a stubborn container. It’s not because I am a bad dad. It’s just because I want to give them the opportunity to try for themselves. I also want to give them the opportunity to ask for my help. When they ask, I am always happy to help them with whatever they are struggling with.

Sometimes I wonder if that’s what God sees when he looks at us.

We are struggling to fix our problem and God is patiently standing by, listening and waiting on us to simply call for help. We often treat prayer like it’s our spare tire when we should be treating it like our steering wheel. In other words, prayer shouldn’t be the last thing we do when all else has failed. Prayer should be the first thing we do.

God wants to help you, all you have to do is ask.

 

PRAY:

God, I need your help! (Now take a few moments to ask God to help you with whatever you need help with.) In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Day 6: I’m Not Living In Fear

by | Jan 9, 2021 | 21 Days of Prayer - January 2021

6/21 Days of Prayer & Fasting

READ:

PSALM 27 (NIV)

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

 When the wicked advance against me
    to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
    who will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.

One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble
    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
    and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted
    above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
    I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
    be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
    Your face, Lord, I will seek.
Do not hide your face from me,
    do not turn your servant away in anger;
    you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
    God my Savior.
Though my father and mother forsake me,
    the Lord will receive me.
 Teach me your way, Lord;
    lead me in a straight path
    because of my oppressors.
Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
    for false witnesses rise up against me,
    spouting malicious accusations.

I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

 

Most of the time, fear is irrational but that doesn’t make it any less real. You can tell yourself that there’s nothing to be afraid of, but if you are afraid of the dark, you are still afraid. Even though you tell yourself not to be afraid, fear still creeps in.

There are so many different things people are afraid of. It can be the dark, spiders (nasty things!), clowns, and even paper clips. That’s why I say fear is irrational but real. What scares you may not scare me but that doesn’t make it any less fearful for you.

Two things I know about fear for sure:

1. Fear is not from God (see 2 Timothy 1:7)

2. Fear is not God’s plan for your life. (see John 14:27)

Maybe you have dealt with fear all of your life or maybe it’s something new that you are dealing with. I have good news for you today, you don’t have to live your life in fear. God is with you and wants to set you free from the bondage of fear.

 

PRAY:

God, I thank you that you haven’t given me a spirit of fear and that a life of fear is not your plan for my life. I give you this fear and I refuse to be held by it any longer. Thank you for setting me free from it! In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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Day 5: From Bad To Blameless

by | Jan 8, 2021 | 21 Days of Prayer - January 2021

5/21 Days of Prayer & Fasting

READ:

PSALM 26 (NIV)

Vindicate me, Lord,
    for I have led a blameless life;
I have trusted in the Lord
    and have not faltered.
Test me, Lord, and try me,
    examine my heart and my mind;
for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love
    and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.

I do not sit with the deceitful,
    nor do I associate with hypocrites.
I abhor the assembly of evildoers
    and refuse to sit with the wicked.
 I wash my hands in innocence,
    and go about your altar, Lord,
proclaiming aloud your praise
    and telling of all your wonderful deeds.

Lord, I love the house where you live,
    the place where your glory dwells.
Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
    my life with those who are bloodthirsty,
 in whose hands are wicked schemes,
    whose right hands are full of bribes.
 I lead a blameless life;
    deliver me and be merciful to me.

My feet stand on level ground;
    in the great congregation I will praise the Lord.

 

What a bold statement we see here from the writer of this Psalm, King David. He is telling God, “I am blameless.” Really?!? Blameless?!? When I study the life of David, a lot of things come to mind but blameless isn’t one of them! So, how can he say this? I think it’s because David truly understood God’s love and God’s forgiveness. He knew that when he confessed his sins to God, God forgave him. He knew that God wasn’t a grudge holder. So, he could tell God, “God, I’m blameless!!”

Do you understand God’s love and grace like David did? If not, here are a couple of verses you should meditate on.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

– 1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

 

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. 

– Psalm 103:12 (NLT)

PRAY:

Lord, thank you for your love and your grace. Thank you that when I ask for your forgiveness for sins, you freely give it and remove it from my life. Thank you for cleansing me and making me righteous through Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Day 4: Show, Teach, Guide

by | Jan 7, 2021 | 21 Days of Prayer - January 2021

4/21 Days of Prayer & Fasting

READ:

PSALM 25 (NIV)

In you, Lord my God,
    I put my trust.

I trust in you;
    do not let me be put to shame,
    nor let my enemies triumph over me.
No one who hopes in you
    will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
    who are treacherous without cause.

Show me your ways, Lord,
    teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long.
Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
    for they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth
    and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
    for you, Lord, are good.

Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
He guides the humble in what is right
    and teaches them his way.
All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
    toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
For the sake of your name, Lord,
    forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
    He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
They will spend their days in prosperity,
    and their descendants will inherit the land.
The Lord confides in those who fear him;
    he makes his covenant known to them.
 My eyes are ever on the Lord,
    for only he will release my feet from the snare.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
 Relieve the troubles of my heart
    and free me from my anguish.
Look on my affliction and my distress
    and take away all my sins.
See how numerous are my enemies
    and how fiercely they hate me!

 Guard my life and rescue me;
    do not let me be put to shame,
    for I take refuge in you.
 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
    because my hope, Lord, is in you.

 Deliver Israel, O God,
    from all their troubles!

 

I love verse 4 and 5 in this Psalm. David says to God: show me, teach me, and guide me. What a powerful prayer for a believer to pray. Honestly, I think it’s a prayer that we, as Christians, should pray every day. Essentially in a very short prayer you are telling God, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” I know that God has good things for my life. He wants me to live a life that makes a difference in the world around me, but life has a way of consuming us and distracting us. What if we started every day with this simple prayer…

 

PRAY:

God show me what you want me to see, teach me what you want me to know, and guide me where you want me to go. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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