12/21 Days of Prayer & Fasting
READ:
PSALM 33 (NIV)
Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
From heaven the Lord looks down
and sees all mankind;
from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth—
he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.
No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.
We live in a very unusual time in history. With all that is going on, it’s hard for people not to worry or to be anxious about what the future holds. I know that this has been the case for me. In situations where I used to be able to make decisions easily, I find myself unsure of what to do.
That’s why I love verse 11 in Psalm 33, it says; “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”
It reminds me that even when I don’t know the answer, even when I am unsure of what to do, God is never unsure. He knows exactly which way we should go and His desire is to lead us in the right direction. The key to doing this is to pause and ask God what His plans are. We need to take time to lean in and to listen because God’s plans for our life are alway the best plans.
6 filters we can run our decisions through to determine God’s best plan for our life are:
1. Are you in right relationship with God?
2. What does God’s Word say?
3. What would Jesus do?
4. Have I sought godly counsel?
5. Do I sense God’s peace?
6. Is this my will or is it God’s will?
Remember: God wants to lead you and guide you. All you have to do is ask and listen.
PRAY:
Lord, thank you that your plans for my life stand firm forever. I am asking you to lead and to guide me. God, surround me with people that have godly wisdom and will speak the truth to me in love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.