Add Fasting When Necessary

 Scripture:

“So we fasted and prayed to our God about this, and he answered us.” ‭‭Ezra‬ ‭8‬:‭23‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

This verse shows the power of fasting and prayer. Ezra had called the people back to God and was making a fresh covenant with God and the people. He was repenting, praying, and seeking God for His blessings. In the process, he decided to add fasting to the mix and began to humble himself before the Lord. When he did, it says very clearly, “and He answered us.”

Application:

Sometimes we have to add fasting to our prayer regimen in order to see the breakthrough. Fasting is a form of humbling ourselves before the Lord and acknowledging that we cannot make it without His intervention. Fasting is not a way to bend God’s arm, rather it is a way of aligning us with His will, then He can bless us. I need to spend more time in fasting prayer in my life.

Prayer:

Father, show me when to add fasting to my prayers. I see the power of fasting in this verse. I want to be able to write as the Ezra did, “and He answered us.” I know You always hear me, but I want to see some answers to my prayers. I want to see some breakthrough in some areas of my life. Teach me to hear Your voice and to walk humbly before You all the days of my life.

Yours,

Jeff

Favor and Strength

 Scripture:

“Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, who so moved in the heart of the king to so honor the temple of the Lord which is in Jerusalem! He has also conferred his favor on me before the king, his advisers, and all the influential leaders of the king. I gained strength as the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.” ‭‭Ezra‬ ‭7‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Ezra communicates here about what the Lord had done in having Cyrus, a Babylonian king, encourage him to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. He not only encouraged him, he blessed him, gave him favor, resources, and everything he needed to get the job done. Ezra declares here that God moved the heart of the king to honor God’s people. God had the king give them favor. It was God who gave him strength to accomplish what he was called upon to do. More than anything else, he said that he had strength because the hand of the Lord God is upon him. 

Application:

When God’s favor and blessing are on your life, even you enemies will have to bless you. God can use heathen to accomplish His purposes in the earth if He needs to. When God’s hand is on your life, favor and blessing come with it. For me, I want God’s hand upon my life for His purposes every day. I want to see his goodness. I need to have more faith that whatever God calls us to do, He will provide for.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk by faith and not by sight. Help me to believe that You can do what You say You can do. Teach me to walk in Your Spirit and to yield to Your will and desires. Let my life reflect Your goodness. Give me favor this year as we look to build a permanent home for the church I lead. Let Your favor and grace be evident upon my life.

Yours,

Jeff

Shouting and Weeping

 Scripture:

“When the builders established the Lord’s temple, the priests, ceremonially attired and with their clarions, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with their cymbals, stood to praise the Lord according to the instructions left by King David of Israel. With antiphonal response they sang, praising and glorifying the Lord: “For he is good; his loyal love toward Israel is forever.” All the people gave a loud shout as they praised the Lord when the temple of the Lord was established.” ‭‭Ezra‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

King Cyrus of Persia, a foreign king, felt from God to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem for God Almighty. He heard from the Lord and started the work. HE was an outsider, but one who did what he felt the Lord wanted him to do. When the Temple was established, the priests and Levites, praised God how David had taught them. The people wept and shouted at the top of their lungs. They sang out, “For He is good; His loyal love toward Israel is forever.”

Application:

There are shouting seasons in our lives when we need to give God a triumphal shout, declaring how awesome He is. We must learn that God isn’t afraid of celebration, in initiated it in Israel’s day. There are times when weeping and shouting go together. Weeping at the goodness of God and shouting shouts of victory because we see His hand moving in our lives. We must be willing to do both. 

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are awesome and I love You with all my heart. Teach me to follow Your ways. Help me to know when to celebrate and when to weep. Show me when and how to build a building for Word of Life. Provide the necessary things to get land and build for Your kingdom. Like David, I want to build a house for You in the region I have given my life to build Your kingdom in. Let me always be led by Your Spirit and not my desires.

Yours,

Jeff

Saved By Faith, Not Works

 Scripture:

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female – for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭27‬-‭29‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

This passage tells us that we are baptized into Christ and we are clothed with Christ. It goes on to say we are all one in Jesus Christ. We are not male, female, slave or free, but one in Christ. We are all Abraham’s descendants and heirs according to the promise. As Gentiles, we are given the promises and blessings o Abraham by faith and belief in Christ and what He did for us on the cross.

Application:

Christ lived a perfect, sinless, life. We, as Gentiles, are grafted into the family of God. We have been accepted and adopted into the greatest family ever. Even in the process, we are not judged on our obedience to the Law, but our walking in the Spirit. We have been given some incredible blessings and favor. God brought us into His family, not because we were good enough, but because Christ was good enough to cover all of our sins and trespasses. We are truly saved by grace through faith, not on anything we have done.

Prefer:

Thank You Lord for these great and precious promises. Thank You for allowing us access to the kingdom of God. You are incredible and I appreciate all You have done for me. Help me to follow You completely and to see Your good hand in my life. Help me to live a life that appreciates Your sacrifice Jesus and that advances Your kingdom and plans in the earth. You are incredible!

Yours,

Jeff

Consecrated Leadership

 Scripture:

“Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the areas belonging to the Israelites and encouraged all who were in Israel to worship the Lord their God. Throughout the rest of his reign they did not turn aside from following the Lord God of their ancestors.” ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭34‬:‭33‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Josiah was a great king, who started at a very early age. He followed the Lord God with all his heart and soul. He removed all the idols that other kings had set up. He tore down the worship areas of Gods other than God Almighty. He set his nation apart and brought the blessing of God. He turned them to God and the remainder of his reign, they followed him.

Application:

Sometimes walking in righteousness doesn’t make you popular immediately, but if you remain faithful to the Lord, people will be glad. When a leader wholly follows the Lord, those under his rule will experience the blessing of God and will follow after him. So much depends on the leader. As a leader, I want to lead people to follow God fully and completely. I want my life to be used to bring people into covenant with God so they can be blessed.

Prayer:

Father, use my life for Your glory. Help me to live in such a way that Your name will be glorified. Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done in my life. Help me to hate what You hate and love what You love.

Yours,

Jeff

Man of God

 Scripture:

“They stood at their posts according to the regulations outlined in the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests were splashing the blood as the Levites handed it to them.” ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭30‬:‭16‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Hezekiah had been doing right things before the Lord. He restored everything concerning God’s worship among God’s people. There is a simple description of Moses in the passage because they were re-implementing everything Moses started. It refers to Moses as “the man of God.” 

Application:

I am not into titles, but if I ever wanted a title to be attached to my life, it would be “man of God.” People in the Scripture who followed God wholeheartedly may have been called a prophet, a king, or a priest, but one of the greatest titles I see in the word of God is ‘man of God.” Above every other thing I can be called, I have always desired that one day people would call me a “man of God.” I want to be a man of God in every aspect of the term. 

Prayer:

Father, make me a man of God. Help me to follow You wholeheartedly and let my life shine and represent You well. Teach me to walk with You closely as friend with friend. Let my life bring Your honor and praise. Let my ways be uplifting to You and Your kingdom. I want to be a man of God.

Yours,

Jeff

Taught to Honor God

 Scripture:

“He followed God during the lifetime of Zechariah, who taught him how to honor God. As long as he followed the Lord, God caused him to succeed.” ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭26‬:‭5‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

King Uzziah did his best to follow the Lord completely. He messed up in the end, but most of his reign, he was a very godly king. This passage tells how he followed God during Zechariah’s life because Zechariah taught him how to honor God. This passage makes one other important statement. “As long as he followed the Lord, God caused him to succeed.”

Application:

First, I need to be a Zechariah to some Uzziahs. I need to teach others how to honor God. I want to invest my life into those who are willing to follow God closely. I also want to see them succeed in everything they do because the Lord is with them. I want to see those I invest in become mighty in God.

Prayer:

Father, You are worthy of my very best. Help me to honor You well all the days of my life. Help me to be a blessing to the next generation, that they may exalt Your name and live powerful lives in You. Help me to be a Zechariah to some Uzziahs.

Yours,

Jeff