DAY 1

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

 Galatians 5:16 NASB

As we begin 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, start off by asking God to allow you to see where there is needed areas of improvement in your life. Ask Him to search your heart and reveal to you those things in which hinder you from serving and following Him wholeheartedly. This could be a particular activity that takes up so much time you leave little time for God. It could be a specific food or drink that is a habit or addiction that needs to break. There are countless things which keep us from allowing God to be the king of our heart. Pray today for God to reveal to you where you need to grow. Pray for growth and faithfulness through the duration of this fast and beyond.

DAY 2

“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” 

Daniel 3:17-18 NASB

“Even if…” Not everything in this world will be a fairy tale ending. This life will not be a “bed of roses.” Life can be difficult. Life can lead us to questioning everything we know. But the only thing you can be sure of is that not one thing that has happened in the history of the world has been a surprise to God. If God does not see you through a hardship the way you had prayed for and hoped for, know He holds you in His hands through it yet and still. Our plans are not His plans and our thoughts are not His thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). He will never let go of your hand. He will journey to the unknowns with you.

DAY 3

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted

And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

 Psalm 34:18 NASB

Our surrounding communities, families, and friends have dealt with difficult deaths and sicknesses recently. Your family or circle of friends may have had a direct loss this past year; many in our community are hurting. It is okay to cry and grieve. Weep with those who weep the Bible says (Romans 12:15). Help comfort those who need a shoulder to cry on. Pray for the brokenhearted but also be there for them as well. Hug them tight and love them much. Know that God knows your hurt and hears your cry; He has not left us to handle loss alone but will walk with us each and every day.

DAY 4

And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people and God Himself will be among them. And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will be no longer any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”

Revelation 21:3-5 NASB

Although we have these promises found in Scripture, losing a loved one is never easy. We mourn. We weep. We find ourselves hurt by their absence. We grieve because we love that person which we lost. We should not be ashamed of our grief. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). We may mourn but we also have hope that eternity in Heaven awaits all believers. We can have joy in knowing that eternal peace awaits the believer who has passed away; no more sorrow, pain, death or disease shall be found in heaven. You may find yourself in a time of mourning. Know this: Jesus wept (John 11:35). Let God know of your pain. Let God know of your despair. He is near! He is not ignorant of our feelings. He is walking every day with you, never to leave or forsake you, no matter the death or despair we come up against (Deuteronomy 31:8). God is faithful to see you through that grief, no matter how long it takes to accept and process. Lean into Him more and more!

DAY 5

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 ESV

Fear Is Not My Future (Brandon Lake)

YouTube

DAY 6

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing

 2 Corinthians 4:8 NASB

Whatever that particular thing is that you have decided to fast from for these 21 days, maybe it is a struggle or a thought that you have dealt with for an extended time, bearing the weight and feeling crushed. The idea of it beating you and defeating you is from the enemy; it does not have to own you. You no longer have to be its slave or feel its chains, for the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy but Christ came so we can have life abundantly (John 10:10). No longer do you have to be weighed down in despair, but you can know true freedom in Christ! Do not give up and do not give in to the enemy! Remain faithful to God. He shall fight for you!

DAY 7

24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

Mark 9:24 NLT

DAY 8

He heals the brokenhearted

And binds up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3 NASB

Whether you find your heart and soul crushed and despaired due to a loss of a loved one or a failed relationship or guilt or shame or whatever it is, the Lord can take you and heal the broken parts. The Lord God can piece you back together; what was broken can now be made whole again. This will not necessarily be a quick, overnight process but may take some time. But begin today! Start today knowing that no matter how broken you may find yourself, we serve a God who puts broken things back together and uses them for His glorious purpose! He is the potterand we are the clay (Isaiah 64:8). Do not think that just because you are broken that the Lord cannot use you, for that is exactly who He loves to use!

DAY 9

He caused the storm to be still,

So that the waves of the sea were hushed.

 Psalm 107:29 NASB 

Life is full of uncertainties. Life is full of twists and turns and unexpected events. No matter the storm you face in your life today or have been dealing with for an extended period, the Lord can give you a peace in any situation that this world cannot offer (John 14:27). He causes the winds and waves to cease. We can try and find peace in many ways in this world but nothing will give us the peace that God gives. Seek His face today and allow your life to be full of Him.

DAY 10

Let your eyes look directly ahead

And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.

Watch the path of your feet

And all your ways will be established.

Do not turn to the right nor to the left;

Turn your feet from evil.

 Proverbs 4:25-27 NASB

It would be easy to give in right now and give up what you have started. You may have tripped a few times and done that thing you said you would not do. That is okay, too! If you have identified something that needs improvement in your life, that is amazing! Whether you have remained faithful thus far or not, you have taken an important step in your walk with God by seeking to grow in your relationship with Him. Take courage knowing your hard work is not in vain. Do not lose heart!

DAY 11

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.  

I Corinthians 6:12 NASB

Scrolling on our phone hours on hours every day, streaming endless series and movies, finding ourselves sinning in our boredom – all of these are time-consuming activities that yield no positive results. Let us evaluate where we find ourselves with that “wasteful time” and use that time to benefit ourselves or benefit someone else. Let us not be so consumed with the screen in front of us that we forget there are people in the room with us. It doesn’t have to be a screen but can be anything that is a normal part of our everyday life. Let us break the mold. Let us step out and begin new habits of prayer and quiet time. Instead of waking up and scrolling or streaming, find the time to meet with God; make that a new priority in life. Take time today and notice those things that are taking up wasteful time and replace them with growth and learning. Seek God above all else. Let Him be your all in all.

DAY 12

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 

II Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

The troubles and trials in life are easily overwhelming. Many times, we may find ourselves struggling to stay above the water. But whatever we face, we have a Father who cares. We have a Father who loves. We have a Father who shall sustain us when we cannot take another step. Our Father sees us through every single up and down in life. He is God on the mountain and in the valley. In whatever season we find ourselves, He has sustained us so that we can also encourage others. He has seen us through the darkness so that we can be a light to those who struggle in the season they find themselves. Know that the darkness that you have faced or may continue to face is not in vain but can be used for the glory of God. He saw you through the troubled waters and now you can also help someone else as they face a difficult trial. Stay encouraged and know that God is always a very present help in time of trouble

(Psalm 46:1).

DAY 13

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger in the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 

John 20:24-26 NASB

 Thomas is a disciple who gets a lot of heat for doubting that the Lord had been risen. Yet and still, Thomas was honest with God. He sought to see the risen Savior, just as the others had. How often do we find ourselves not only doubting God, but also angry or questioning Him? Do not be afraid to come to God with such things. Our God is One who loves to hear from His children, and that does not have to only encompass our praises; let God know you have doubts and fears and questions. None of us are God. We do not know the answers to everything in this world but there is One who has had a plan from the beginning, One who is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13).

DAY 14

“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.  

Matthew 5:23-24 NASB 

“If possible so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”

 Romans 12:18 NASB

It may be that in your life you have a few people you harbor hatred in your heart or view in a negative manner or have given up in the sense that God could ever save them. Jesus would not have us have such an attitude towards anyone. In Matthew, Jesus commands resolution to the problem and not to allow the problem to fester. We are to approach one another in love toright wrongs, mend relationships, and restore broken things. It will take humility, prayer, and love to approach those that we harbor ill-will towards or for us to go to those that hold grudges against us. Let us not be consumed by hatred but overcome hatred with love. As Martin Luther King Jr stated, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

DAY 15

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 

I John 1:9 NLT

Once we begin that desire to grow closer to God, there begins a process in which God cleanses us and mold us and make us in so that we can be more like Him. In that process, we begin to see those areas of life which He condemns and calls sins. These activities and ways of living take us away from the blessings and abundant life on which God would have us to live. Evaluate your life today and ask Him to help you identify through prayer and His word those sins that so easily entangle you. Through confessing our sins to God, we acknowledge our wrong as well as declaring that His way is better. Although God knows our thoughts and hearts, we invite humility into our lives whenever we confess our sins to the Father. He is not One to throw us away because of our sin but is One who welcomes us with open arms, forgiving us and loving us.

DAY 16

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

 James 5:16 

No man is an island. No one was intended to endure this life alone. We care called to walk together with the one desire of spreading the Gospel of Christ Jesus. We not only have God to walk with us but also our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We have the opportunity to ask others to walk with us in life’s journeys. We can call on others to pray with us and for us, for sins we struggle with or the hinderances that hold us down. We can walk with our fellow believers and know we are not alone. Seek freedom from isolation and reach out for a helping hand today.

DAY 17

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

 I Chronicles 16:34 NIV

Our God loves us in a way we cannot imagine. We are loved by the Creator of the universe beyond what we deserve. He loved us, giving His life for us, while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). We cannot fathom the height or depth.  

DAY 18

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Colossians 3:12-14 NIV

Jesus gives the greatest commandment as loving the Lord above all else with everything we have, and the second as loving our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-38). Love and kindness does not have to be some extravagant act, but whatever is done, we are to put others before ourselves (Philippians 2:4). We can show the love of God to others by the way we act, how we speak, and how we live. We can point others to God through not only huge acts, but a smile or a “hello” or simple kindness can do mighty wonders. Hold the door open for someone today. Be kind to the drive thru worker. Smile at the stranger. Pray for God to open your eyes to a world in need, a world in need of love. Let your light shine!

DAY 19

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 5:13-14 NASB

DAY 20

In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

 I Thessalonians 5:18 NASB

We have breath in our lungs. We have been given another day. This is enough to give thanks. But God continues to give so much more! He has forgiven us beyond what we deserve. He has loved us far beyond measure. Today, give thanks to God for His blessings! Take time and thank Him. It is not just the materialistic things we should give Him thanks for, but we should thank Him for loving us before we loved Him (I John 4:10). Let us not forget the undeserving love of the Father, the One who loves us with a reckless love. Give thanks to God for seeing you this far in life; He has seen you through ups and downs, hardships and mountaintops and He will continue to do so. Give Him thanks today for all He has done.