Awakening: 21 Days Of Prayer And Fasting DevotionalSample

Day 18

Jesus told his disciples to pray in HIS name. Do you understand what that means? Jesus has given us His name to use! Just imagine if some billionaire gave you his credit cards and authorized you to use his bank account. You could use his name and his resources to get whatever you needed. Wow, that would be a blast! But here is the catch. You knew there had to be a catch right? Everything you did with his money needed to be in line with his tastes and values. To pray in Jesus’ name means to pray in alignment with His values.

God has given us total access to His incredible power and unlimited resources. When we pray in the name of Jesus, it has the same power as if Jesus were praying Himself. The difference between us and Jesus is that Jesus is always in complete alignment with His Father. That is why periodic seasons of fasting are so important. Fasting is the most effective way to really get in alignment with God. Thus the first step to praying prayers that avail much is praying in alignment with God’s will.

We can come to the throne in such outrageous boldness because Jesus was outrageously righteous! When we pray, we can come to God in the authority of Jesus’ name, and we can be confident that we will find grace, mercy and perfectly timed help. Be bold in your prayers today!

It is important to remember, “Fasting is not an end in itself; it is a means by which we can worship the Lord and submit ourselves in humility to Him…{Fasting} invites God into the problem. Then in the strength of God, victory is possible.” – Elmer Towns

Excerpts taken from Awakening: A New Approach to Faith, Fasting, and Spiritual Freedom by Stovall Weems (p. 53)