Fight for It: A 21-Day DevotionalSample

Today’s Devotional:

Today is the first day of a great adventure—the adventure of turning down the noise of the world to more clearly hear the voice of God. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” The next 21 days of prayer and fasting is all about you seeking God with all your heart so you will find Him!

We begin our time in the book of Nehemiah. In Nehemiah 1:1-4 we see that Nehemiah receives troubling news concerning the condition of Jerusalem and the Jewish people who had returned there. The walls around the city were destroyed, and the gates were burned. Nehemiah states, “When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days, I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 1:4).

Before Nehemiah analyzed the problem, before he tried to fix the problem, before he talked to anyone else about the problem—he talked to God. It says he “fasted and prayed.” His first response was to look up to God. “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord the maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2). Nehemiah knew that God was the only one who could solve this problem. Let me encourage you over these next 21 days to spend time focusing on God, His power, and His strength. God can do more in seconds than men can do in centuries. The purpose of combining fasting with prayer is to allow your physical hunger to trigger a Spiritual response. When I’m hungry, it’s a reminder to look up.

Secondly, Nehemiah looks within. During his prayer recorded in Nehemiah chapter 1, Nehemiah honestly acknowledges his sin and the sin of his people against God. Prior to praying about the problem in Jerusalem, Nehemiah makes it a priority to ensure that his own heart is right before God. It’s important, as we dedicate time to prayer and fasting, that we ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts. He is the revealer of all truth. He knows us better than we know ourselves. As you dedicate this time to prayer and fasting, the Holy Spirit is going to reveal things to you. Over the next 21 days, the Holy Spirit will most likely show you things in your own life that you didn’t realize were there—sin, hurt, wrong attitudes. When He does, it’s not to condemn you, it’s to set you free in that area.

And finally, Nehemiah looks out. His primary concern is not for himself but for his countrymen in Israel—God’s chosen people. Going back to verse 4, we read that Nehemiah spent days praying and fasting before God. This wasn’t a simple one-time prayer, after which Nehemiah just went on with his life. No, Nehemiah carried a burden for his people, praying for them continuously over many days. I believe that God is going to give you a Spiritual burden for people during these 21 days—a Spiritual burden for their lives. Carry it well. Cover them in prayer. It might be for a lost family member that God is wanting to speak to. It might be for a relationship that is broken that God wants to heal. It could be for the Spiritual lostness of our world. Whatever the burden—carry it in prayer.

Over the next three weeks, look up—look within—and look out….and watch God do amazing things in your life and the lives of the people around you.

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Today’s devotional was written by Pastor Todd Mullins

Question:

• What are you believing God for in the next 21 days?

A Prayer to ‘Look Up’: God, I thank you for this time set aside to know you more. I thank you for your power, provision, and presence in my life. I look up to you for all of my needs and desires. Draw near to me as I draw near to you during the next three weeks. Amen.