Start Sharp: 21 Days of Prayer and FastingSample

SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT

In this time of prayer and fasting, we are asking the Lord for an increase in our spiritual discernment. We all have desires, dreams, and wishes. Some are divinely inspired by God and some are our own will. How do we decipher what is our will versus God’s will? We discern by leaning into the Holy Spirit and asking the Lord for more spiritual discernment. We ask the Holy Spirit to help identify what is our will and be honest with ourselves (and God) when we struggle to release an outcome to Him. We are created to live life in community and sharpen our discernment within the council of others. We can build our discernment by thinking about whether a decision or situation is bringing us closer to God. Is the outcome creating character in you that is a reflection of Christ or producing Fruit of the Spirit? As you open your heart to the will of God and spend time quieting yourself in His presence He will meet you in any decision you face. God teaches us that we are to seek, understand, and rely on the Spirit of God. We must meditate on scripture and spend intentional time getting familiar with His voice. Today, as we acknowledge God as the ultimate source of wisdom, truth, and light we pray that our spiritual discernment increases.

Application/ Reflection:

• Where do you need an increase of spiritual discernment in your life?
• What decisions or plans are you finding hard to release to the will of God?
• What Fruits of the Spirit are growing in your discernment and decision-making process?

Prayer:

Lord, You are the source of all wisdom and truth. I thank You for Your Word which I can stand on as I face the situations that surround me. I thank You that in this time of prayer and fasting, I am seeking You first to lean not on my own understanding, but relying on Your ways and Your will. I ask that You sharpen my discernment and that You mature me in my faith and my understanding of the Holy Spirit. I pray that as I rely on You, You transform my heart, thoughts, and the lives of those around me for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen!