Everyday Miracles: 20 Day Journey With Elijah And Elishaনমুনা

God can work miracles through you!

Our church begins each new year in a unique way. Instead of exhorting one another to become more disciplined, we soak in the blessing of God. Instead of making stronger promises to God, we meditate more strongly on the promises of God to us. For a multi-campus church our size it’s daunting to organize, but at the beginning of the year, we serve Communion and speak the same blessing over each individual or family. 

To “bless” someone is to practice the wisdom of the ancient Hebrew patriarchs who knew the power of words. A “blessing” is a statement of faith for a positive future which is rooted in the assurances of God’s Word. In the beginning, God blessed Adam and Eve and then (and only then) told them to be fruitful and multiply. With God, the blessing precedes productivity. God doesn’t wait for you to prove yourself worthy before blessing you; He blesses and then you rise up to meet the vision of faith He has for your life. 

For the next four weeks, we will be inspired by a fresh vision of Jesus as foreshadowed in the miracles of Elijah and Elisha. Our spiritual journey together isn’t an exhortation for you to try harder to be more faithful to God; it is a journey of blessing wherein you will see God’s miraculous grace and, through daily meditation on His miracles, your faith will grow. 

So, as we begin our journey, please allow me to speak a blessing into your heart:

Elijah was just as human as you are and God changed the whole atmosphere through his prayers. Likewise, your prayers are unspeakably powerful and effective because, when you are in Christ, you’re clothed with His righteousness. 

May the Heavens open and miracles rain down this year, bringing glory to God and blessing to many, in Jesus’ name, AMEN. 

And that’s the Gospel!

Questions for Reflection: 

1) When you were a kid, who was your favorite superhero? What did you admire about him/her? 

 2) List one or more of your own real life “super powers” (it could be a spiritual gift or a natural ability; it could be an unusual skill that you have). For each of the “super powers” you list, reflect/journal about some of the ways that God has used it in or through you.

3) Some time ago, a study found that there were 25 million U.S. savings bonds that have never been cashed in. If you were to line them up end to end, they would stretch all the way from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco. The total value of all those orphan bonds was about $9 billion. 

What are some of the unclaimed “spiritual riches” that belong to you in Christ that you would like to claim? 

Prayer for the Day:

Lord, open my eyes to the miracles that will take place all around me this year. Build my faith that I can receive every good gift that you have for me and that I can be used to release your good gifts to others. Elijah was just as human as I am and you used Elijah’s prayers for extraordinary, supernatural works. Oh God, inspire my prayer life with your own breath and use me like you used Elijah. Boldly in Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.