Forty Days of Prayer Day 22

WEEK 4

DAY 22- PRAYER AS CONFESSION

Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Confession is crucial to the Christian life—both as repentance before God and as forgiveness between one another. Scripture is clear: God desires mercy. His loving kindness and mercy toward us abound; therefore, we must extend mercy toward others. This week, the devotionals will guide us through the confessional aspect of prayer, discussing the love that leads us to forgive as we have been forgiven.

By David and Ty King

Forty Days of Prayer Day 21

WEEK 3

DAY 21- FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST

Scripture- Psalm 23:1; Matthew 6:33; John 15:5

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall [lack nothing].”—Psalm 23:1

God provides for all humans and creatures, but He is a shepherd only to His people. As shepherd, He’s always there to take care of His sheep, and they will lack nothing. Jesus is our Good Shepherd (John 10:11). He looks after our whole being—spirit, soul, and body.

Jesus wanted His disciples’ hearts to be occupied by Him and His Kingdom. He did not want them to worry about the things of this world. He said, “But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33). For those who set King Jesus before them, God makes sure that they have all they need.

As believers in Christ, we depend on Him for all things. He said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). The assurance for the branch to always bear fruit is in abiding in the vine. The Father, the farmer, is looking for fruit on the branches—fruit that comes only from the farmer’s vine. Only these fruits bring glory to Him.

We are to produce Christ’s fruits—His character. Let us look to our source, our enabler, our sustainer, our true vine. He will never disappoint us.

REFLECTION PRAYER

Father,

We thank You, for You are our Shepherd, our Provider. Help us not to worry about little things. Help us to trust You and Your Son.

As Your Word says in John 14:1, “Trust in God; trust also in Me”; we want to continually believe in and depend upon You. We want to be fruitful. We want to produce Your character. Help us. Help us to get the order right: You before us and the things we need behind us. Occupy our hearts with You and Your Kingdom. Let our prayer always be “May Your Kingdom come.” In Jesus’ name, amen.

By Daniel Zewdu

Forty Days of Prayer Day 20

WEEK 3

DAY 20- MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR EMPTY SOULS

Scripture- Psalm 23:2, 119:11; Matthew 4:4; Romans 10:17

Where do you run when your soul is empty? When you are worn and weary, do you seek fulfillment from your own power, effort, and plans, or do you run to Jesus and seek the comfort that comes from knowing Him and His Word? Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary. . . and I will give you rest.” It’s natural for us to try to find satisfaction in other things (it’s been the case since Adam and Eve), but the only thing that can truly make us whole is Jesus.

The closer we run to Jesus, the more we will know Him and His Word, and this will keep us from sin. Jesus Himself turned to Scripture to rebuke Satan’s temptations in Matthew 4, and as the psalmist writes in Psalm 119:11, hiding His Word in our hearts keeps us from sinning against God.

Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd and says that like sheep, His followers will know His voice (John 10:27). As David writes, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul” (Ps. 23:2–3a).

Do you know the Word of the Lord? Can you discern the voice of the Good Shepherd? The more time we spend with Jesus (the incarnate Word) and in our Bibles (the written Word), the clearer His voice becomes, and He will restore our empty souls.

REFLECTION PRAYER

Father in heaven,

We confess and repent of all the times we have tried to treat our emptiness under our own power and through worldly means. We acknowledge that You, and You alone, are the key to a fulfilling, whole, and satisfying life.

Lead us to a greater appreciation of Your written Word and a greater desire to study it and know it because knowing the Word allows us to know You better; and in knowing You, we can find rest. Amen.

Please reflect on Psalm 23 again as you end your prayer time.

By Aaron Pfahler

Forty Days of Prayer Day 19

WEEK 3

DAY 19- MEET THE NEEDS THROUGH OUR CREATIVE OUTREACH

Scripture- Jeremiah 1:7; Matthew 25:35-40; Mark 16:15

“Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘Now, I have put my words in your mouth.’” —Jeremiah 1:9

God’s Word encourages us with stories of people who, on the exterior, may not appear to be likely candidates to spread the good news of the Kingdom; but their interior life tells a different story. People God uses in Kingdom advance are not favorites; they are intimates who take the hand of the Father in prayer.

One of my fondest memories of my “steelworker” Dad was of him walking me to school during kin- dergarten. Each day, he would take my hand and walk me to the Juniata Terrace Elementary School. At the end of the day, he would be there again to take my hand, hear what I had learned, and walk me home. It’s the same when we take the hand of the Father in prayer. When we are intimate with God, we sense His presence and hear His promptings, which come to us in prayer. When we move into prayer that is intimate conversation with our Father, we take His hand just as Jesus told us to do, praying, “Our Father in heaven. . .” In the presence of the Father, we bring our petitions to Him and then respond to His promptings to take His Word to a lost world around us. What is your petition today? Will you take the Father’s hand and ask?

REFLECTION PRAYER

Use this simple prayer pattern to take the Father’s hand today, sensing His presence and hearing and responding to His promptings.

Father,

You are great, and You are good. I need Your help.

They need Your help.

Heal me and forgive me.

Thank You.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

(Taken from Before Amen by Max Lucado)

By Joel Smith

Forty Days of Prayer Day 18

WEEK 3

DAY 18- MEET THE NEEDS OF THE MARGINALIZED & IMPOVERISHED

Scripture- Exodus 22:22, 23:6; Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 10:18; Luke 10:25-37

Read Luke 10:25–37. Do you want to feel good, or do you want to be an answer to prayer?

We’ve heard the Good Samaritan parable many times. It was in response to a ruler who felt good because he had the religious answers about how to obtain eternal life—love God and love your neigh- bor—but was the ruler willing to really answer the question, “Who is my neighbor?”

There are many in our communities, in our world—and, yes, right next to us—who are hurting, traf- ficked, forgotten, starving, abused, and living in poverty for whom Jesus is the answer. Take a moment today and pray for them specifically. Pray that they will find healing, stability, purpose, food, comfort, shelter, sustenance, and employment. Maybe even go a step further and become the answer to the prayer.

Theologian Miroslav Volf states, “There is something deeply hypocritical about praying for a problem you are unwilling to resolve.” Part of a good prayer life is aligning our thoughts and desires with the heart of God. While you and I may not have a Jericho-road experience as in the parable, we can begin to see others as God does as we intercede spiritually, materially, and physically on their behalf.

REFLECTION PRAYER

The chorus in Brandon Heath’s song “Give Me Your Eyes” will serve as the reflection prayer today:

“All those people going somewhere, why have I never cared? Give me Your eyes for just one second.

Give me Your eyes so I can see everything that I keep missing; give Your love for humanity.

Give me Your arms for the brokenhearted, the ones that are far beyond my reach. Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten. Give me Your eyes so I can see.”

By Les McMahan

Forty Days of Prayer Day 17

WEEK 3

DAY 17- MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE IN CIVIL UNREST

Scripture- Psalm 32:7, 34:4, 107:6; Isaiah 43:18-19; 1 John 4:4

The world around us is filled with constant pain—from overseas conflicts where the mighty attack the weak to our own backyard filled with violence against the innocent and children. How do we approach God amid this injustice and unrest?

It is good and right to weep with those who weep and to mourn with those who mourn. It is being like Christ who had compassion and wept with Mary and Martha over Lazarus though He knew Lazarus would rise by His hand. It is good to cry out to God and grieve the pain and destruction in our world.

God has also called us to be a people of prayerful petition, asking Him to protect children, those who are being wronged, and our Christian brothers and sisters who are suffering. We claim the promise of Psalm 32:7: “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

Further, we should give thanks that even while evil is at work, God is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4) and is doing a new thing. He is making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland (Isa. 43:18-19). We claim these truths and pray that God will overcome evil with good. We pray that He will send His people to bring peace, restoration, and justice to the places in our world thirsty for the hope only Christ can bring.

REFLECTION PRAYER

Take a current event in our world and pray over the situation with God; grieve with Him over the injustice of it. Pray for God’s protection of those facing trials by name or group.

Ask Him to make a way in the wilderness, to make streams in the wasteland.

Ask Him to bring the love, hope, and peace of Jesus Christ to the people walking through this hard reality of life, that the name of Jesus would be lifted up for all to see. Thank you for walking beside them in prayer today.

By Ben Douglas

Forty Days of Prayer Day 16

WEEK 3

DAY 16- GOD IS FAITHFUL

Scripture- Exodus 34:6; Deuteronomy 7:9-11; 1 Corinthians 1:4-9

Have you ever had an extended conversation with someone you met for the first time? For most of us, it tends to be an awkward encounter. The subject matter usually remains at the surface level. There’s no trust developed to go any deeper than what we do for a living.

Unfortunately, that is a posture that many take with knowing God. People guard their hearts and avoid vulnerability. They may feel free to trust Him with provision of their needs, but is He trustworthy with those painful areas of our lives?

God is always faithful to supply our every need, and He gives us the choice to remain at that level of relationship. However, His desire is to go much deeper. God was faithful to meet the physical needs of the Israelites as they wandered the desert. As for Moses, that wasn’t enough. He longed to experience the fullness of God at the deepest level; he ultimately wanted what Adam and Eve experienced before the Fall.

Because of His death and Resurrection, Jesus has taken out the prohibitions to knowing who He truly is. Within the Trinity, there is love, delight, security, and acceptance. The invitation is not just to be a bystander craving that kind of relationship; it is to fully take part in that relationship.

Action: Meditate on John 15:9. Ask God to reveal the places in your heart where you haven’t opened up to Him. What is He asking of you in response?

REFLECTION PRAYER

Father,

You see the deepest part of my soul. You understand me better than I understand myself. You consistently prove Yourself to be faithful, and the love that You have expressed to me can be found nowhere else. Yet, how often do

I find myself holding back? I don’t want to keep anything from You. I long to experience the fullness of Your love for me. I want to know what it means to be united with You. Jesus, thank You for making the way for this to be available to me. And it’s in Your name I pray, amen.

By Brian Scott

Forty Days of Prayer Day 15

WEEK 3

DAY 15- PRAYER AS PETITION

Give us today our daily bread.

This week, we will be focusing on prayer as petition. The Scripture says that our Lord is our Heavenly Father who knows all our needs even before we ask Him. Yes, that is one of the reasons Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present

your requests to God” (Phil.4:6). 1 John 5:14 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” As we ponder over prayer

as a petition, our focus is to meditate on God’s faithful nature to hear our petitions, His justful nature to validate our petitions, and His sovereignty to fulfill our petitions. What is our role and action as we bring our petitions to Him?

By David and Ty King

Forty Days of Prayer Day 14

WEEK 2

DAY 14- KINGDOM THROUGH CARE OF THE EARTH

Scripture- Romans 8:19-23

“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

This is what I think of when I read Romans 8:19-23. Anticipation and longing form a palpable tension between what is and what we hope will come to be: the coming of the God’s Kingdom.

Strikingly, Paul intertwines creation’s anticipation with the fate of humanity. Creation awaits libera- tion “from its bondage to decay” while humanity awaits adoption and redemption. In fact, creation’s liberation is dependent on humanity’s redemption; it waits in expectation “for the children of God to be revealed” in order that it might be “brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” Kingdom-living brings life to the whole word.

Paul reminds us that when people sin, creation suffers. In Genesis 1, creation was subjected to hu- manity, who was tasked to rule over and care for it. When humanity promptly rebelled against God and this task, creation began its suffering, waiting for the redemption of those who would reflect God and His rule.

In our redemption, we become what we were created to be: participants in the Kingdom of God who rule over and care for creation. To participate through care of the earth, we must commit to orienting our lives toward God’s creation in the ways that He designed us to do—to rule as He rules and to care as He cares so that we help bring about the flourishing of all life.

REFLECTION PRAYER

Lord of Creation,

We thank You first and foremost for the gift of life that comes through Jesus Christ. As we reflect on this passage, we repent of the ways that we fail to be Your image bearers, not least in how we choose to live in the world. Forgive us for failing to love our neighbor and Your creation. May Your Holy Spirit convict and guide us into new habits of living. Give us the strength to be obedient to Your Kingdom rule. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit we pray, amen.

By Chris Vena

Forty Days of Prayer Day 13

WEEK 2

DAY 13- KINGDOM THROUGH HEALTHY CHURCHES

Scripture- Matthew 5:13-16

God’s Kingdom is being built upon the Living Cornerstone, Jesus (1 Pet. 2:4), and on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets (Eph. 2:20). God is using the believers, the living stone to build His Kingdom from the past, to the present, and into eternity (1 Pet. 2:5), and this living Kingdom is ever-growing and expanding (Acts 13:49).

The Kingdom is dependent on the new hearts, natures, and spiritual value system that God gives (John 1:12). Our identity has become His (Gal. 4:19). The Kingdom is being built by God Himself, using His holy living materials to build it, which are His chosen living stones. The distinctive lifestyle of the lives of Christians comes from a transformational disposition of the heart by the powerful work of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 5:3-10). This is a transformation as the result of the living present of the Lord Jesus Christ in us (Gal. 2:20). It is His attitudes, thinking, and actions, for the living God who lives inside a person is in itself a miracle (Luke 1:35).

In Matthew 5:13-16 we are “salt” and “light” of this world! How could it be? Without the life and influence of Jesus Christ in me, my life would bear no result nor influence! God is establishing His Kingdom from eternal past, to present, into eternity; and He is doing it with the Body of Christ where Christ is the head of this Body (Eph. 5:23).

REFLECTION PRAYER

Pray according to Romans 11:33-36: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

By Chinh Nguyen

Forty Days of Prayer Day 12

WEEK 2

DAY 12- KINGDOM THROUGH DIVERSITY

Scripture- John 13:31-38

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” —John 13:34-35

In the beginning of this dark setting, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet then predicted His betrayal by Judas in the Upper Room. Jesus then tells of His leaving for the cross and predicts the denial of Peter. In the middle of this conversation, Jesus tells them “to love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

At first glance, I suppose Jesus knew that His disciples would need each other when He left them—no fighting or blaming, but love one another. However, tucked in between loving one another is “as I have loved you.” This isn’t just Jesus’ example of sacrificial love for the world; we also need to receive His love and be filled with His love. Only then can we love one another.

What’s the purpose of this command? The purpose is so that the world will know that we are follow- ers of Jesus. As we call upon God’s coming Kingdom, we also submit to His rule and reign here today by loving one another. Jesus came to us as a bridge between His Father and sinful humankind, not just for one group of people, but for all.

REFLECTION PRAYER

“Teach me to treat all that comes to me with peace of soul and with a firm conviction that Your will governs all.” —Elisabeth Elliot

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for loving me. Continue to fill me with Your love so that I can love others. Show me how I can build bridges in our community as an example of Your Kingdom. Help me reflect on how people will see that I am a follower of You, especially if I don’t break down my own walls of hostility and separation. Encourage me to have a meal with someone outside of my own beliefs and ethnicity. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

By Hang Wong

Forty Days of Prayer Day 11

WEEK 2

DAY 11- KINGDOM THROUGH CHURCH PLANTING

Scripture- Luke 17:20-21

My wife always says, “You notice everything.” Sometimes it is said with a sprinkle of admiration, and other times it is said with splash of annoyance. I am observant, and if I wasn’t called to vocational ministry, I like to think I would be a gritty detective who brings justice to the streets. I like to charac- terize and categorize my surroundings. This personality has benefits, but most of the time, it has to do with control. I observe and categorize so I can have control over my environment.

The Pharisees approach Jesus with predictable interference when they ask Him in Luke 17 when the Kingdom of God would come. What they were asking for was control. Jesus has a magnifying glass on the meditations of their heart, as He often does in these exchanges, and answers, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke 17:20-21).

In other words, The Kingdom of God will not be observable through culture, creed, or power structure. It won’t be formulaic or able to be controlled. The Kingdom of God will be observable through the presence of the King.

I believe cities can be changed through church planting. However, church planting that seeks to garner their own kingdom or control a city will fail. Church planting that seeks for and chases the presence of the King will prevail.

REFLECTION PRAYER

Dear King,

We long for You to be the center and in our midst. We repent for where we are off-center.

We ask for Your presence to be the tip of the spear. We repent for where we have led with our own name. We ask for You to control and have Your way.

We repent for our need to control and have our own way. We call on Your presence.

We call for Your leadership.

We call for You, our Shepherd.

Be in our midst; be in our midst. Amen.

By Justin Thorton

Forty Days of Prayer Day 10

WEEK 2

DAY 10- KINGDOM THROUGH ALLIANCE MISSIONS

Scripture- Luke 10:17-21

As I read Luke and Acts, tracing their major themes, one of the threads that caught my attention was the thread of joy. We had a friend in Uruguay who was of the opinion, influenced by his favorite book, that Christ did not laugh. My husband conversed with him more about that view, but I was struck by that man’s picture of a joyless Jesus.

The picture we see in the gospels is quite the opposite. We see a person full of joy, a person who rejoiced and celebrated well. In the passage for today, Luke 10:17-21, Jesus sent out the disciples for ministry, and they came back rejoicing about what happened as they ministered in His name. There is a lot we could parse out here, but what captured my attention was Jesus’ response in Luke 10:21: “Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit.”

As I read this passage, I felt Jesus’ joy in partnering with His people, in empowering His people to do the work He created them for. Revealing the things of the Kingdom to “little children” is thrilling to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus was filled with joy to see the Kingdom lived out in front of His eyes through His friends.

It brings Jesus great joy to partner with you.

Also, I am pretty sure Christ had the best laugh ever.

REFLECTION PRAYER

May we experience again the wonder of God in action. May we feel the joy of Jesus over us as we live out the Kingdom wherever we are located. May we be filled with an “inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Pet. 1:8) because of our salvation. May we be filled with joy in Your presence (Ps. 16:11). May we have the full measure of Your joy within us (John 17:13). May we go out in joy (Isa. 55:12). Thank You that You delight over us. Amen.

By Kora Taube

Forty Days of Prayer Day 9

WEEK 2

DAY 9- ARE WE KINGDOM-MINDED?

Scripture- Matthew 13

Dallas Willard said, “You can’t think correctly about life or the church without first thinking correctly about the Kingdom.” Being kingdom-minded is paramount and priority. For Jesus, the Kingdom was the priority. The Kingdom was part of His first sermon (Mark 1:14-15), what He preached regularly (Luke 8:1), what He talked about for the last 40 days He walked this earth (Acts 1:3), and what He taught His disciples to pray (Matt. 6:9-10), proclaim (Matt. 10:7) and pursue (Matt. 6:33).

Maybe we have lost the priority of the Kingdom somewhere in the midst of our Western ideas of a kingdom, our democratic perspective on governance, our misunderstanding of the relationship be- tween the Church and the Kingdom, or our theological constructs.

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells seven parables all related to the Kingdom. In the midst of those parables, Jesus says that the “secrets” of the Kingdom have been given to those who belong to the Kingdom. Being Kingdom-minded means we are aware of the secrets and pursue a deeper understanding of those secrets and how to live them out as Kingdom people.

The question is, “Are we Kingdom-minded?” The answer is found in how we live our lives. Characteristics of a Kingdom lifestyle are discovered throughout the “secrets” of Matthew 13. Kingdom-minded people bear fruit, live distinctively, live incarnationally, see transformation regularly, act counter-culturally, pursue continually, and live sacrificially.

REFLECTION PRAYER

To our King,

We are grateful to have experienced the great joy of being redeemed out of the kingdom of darkness and made citizens of Your Kingdom. We are grateful to be included among those to whom the knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom has been given.

We ask, Lord, that You would enable us to steward Kingdom secrets well,

to seek first, to treasure dearly, and understand fully Your Kingdom. As ambassadors of Your Kingdom in this world, we ask for eyes to see open doors and boldness to declare the gospel of the Kingdom to all nations. Amen.

By Todd Sovine

Forty Days of Prayer Day 8

WEEK 2

DAY 8- PRAYER AS KINGDOM PARTNERSHIP

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven

The Kingdom is where the King rules. Dallas Willard describes the Kingdom as “God in action.” A large portion of Jesus’ teaching was about His Kingdom—defining it, describing it, parables that illustrate it. The people of God’s Kingdom can participate with Him where we live, work, play, and worship—but are we? Do people see our Alliance churches and Alliance members partnering with King Jesus so that His will is done? May the focus of our prayers release God’s Kingdom and reveal!

By David and Ty King

Forty Days of Prayer Day 7

WEEK 1

DAY 7- HE GIVES US FATHERLY LOVE

Scripture: 1 John 3:1

Lord, I call upon Your name and give You praise. I worship You now, Lord, and acknowledge Your rightful place upon the throne in my heart, for the great love You so lavishly pour out upon me daily. Lord, remind my heart this day that I am a child of God set apart from this world by Your grace, love, and acceptance. Breathe Your Holy Spirit upon me, Lord, so that I may feel Your loving embrace. En- compass me in Your fatherly love—love that is unconditional, unfailing, and forever present in our lives.

Lord, turn Your face towards me so that I may be reminded of Your great love for me. Reveal to me my value as a child of God, for You loved me long before I was ever formed. May Your presence go before me so that those I encounter may know the glory of Your great name by the reflection of Your presence in my life.

REFLECTION PRAYER

Lord,

Thank You for the consistent love You freely give us daily. Lord, fill this space with Your holy presence. May Your presence go before me. Guide my steps, Lord, that I may glorify You more with each passing day. May this prayer ring out as an anthem of my heart’s desire to draw closer to You. May my heart sing praises to Your name for Your love for me is true and unconditional. Amen.

By Katerina Cook

Forty Days of Prayer Day 6

WEEK 1

DAY 6- HE RULES IN HEAVEN

Scripture: Colossians 1:16-17

Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). These words are so profound that we must wonder if we truly understand the magnitude of the statement. Many people pray but are unaware of who they are praying to. Perhaps they are just hoping there is someone out there listening to them. Perhaps they are praying out of formality. However, when the Christian prays, they do so with the assurance that they are praying to the one true God. He is the very creator of all that exists in both the physical and spiritual worlds. He has no beginning and no end. He has always existed and will always exist forever. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, and sovereign over all the earth.

And within His infinite power lies His infinite love for us. This love is so great that He sent His only begotten Son to die for our salvation even though we have done nothing to deserve it. We pray to this loving God. We trust that because He loves us, He also hears us. He cares about every detail of our lives and desires an intimate relationship with us.

Oh, what a joy it is that we can come to such a holy God in prayer knowing that He may be reigning in heaven, but He is also reigning in our lives!

REFLECTION PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come to you in awe of Your glory. There is no other god like You. I thank You today for Your sovereignty and for Your love. Draw nearer to me, Lord, as I draw near to You. I desire to know and love You better each day. Please give Your Church a better appreciation of who You are. Continue to reign supreme in our lives, in our churches, and in our country. It is in Your holy name I pray, amen.

By Sylvia Bennet

Forty Days of Prayer Day 5

WEEK 1

DAY 5- HE IS BEAUTY

Scripture: Psalm 27:4

Change is hard. Transitions are hard. Life is hard.Whether you’re faced with navigating a new city, in the process of mourning, or simply reinventing who you are in a new stage of life, these small shifts in our lives of eternity remind us of the very real fact that we are human, and we are limited—limited to fear, to anxiety, and we are vulnerable to faithlessness.

In one of King David’s darkest moments, he pens this simple yet profound thought—at the end of our unraveling, there is only one thing worth asking in prayer, one thing that will will allow us to throw away our laundry list of prayer requests, and that is to simply be in the presence of the Father.

In this verse, the beauty of the Lord is so much more than something to behold with our eyes, but it is the very power that will allow us to find our footing when the world falls out from underneath our feet. Within the beauty of the Lord lies the authority to destroy and to establish, and King David reminds us of this in these simple lines of text: There is nothing too out of control that cannot be brought into control with one glimpse of heaven.

REFLECTION PRAYER

Father,

Forgive us for the times that we inadvertently choose the ugliness of the world over the beauty of Your throne room. Would we be reminded, with every new morning, to recite the words of David and know that You, and only You, King Jesus, are the answer to every need that we will ever have. Would Your grace find us here. In Jesus’ name, amen.

By Eden Krahn

Forty Days of Prayer Day 4

WEEK 1

DAY 4- HE IS SOVEREIGN

Scripture: Daniel 2:20-22

The God who creates all things with a word, who splits the seas, who orchestrates the universe, who knows each star by name, sees you. The God who clothes the lilies, who feeds the birds, who knows the number of hairs on our head, knows your name. The God who commands the stormy seas to be still, who brings life from a barren womb, who fells fortress walls with sounds of trumpets, hears your cry and sees your pain.

This same God, our Father in heaven, invites His children into His presence, into His very throne room. Through Jesus, the Great “I AM” has restored this safe place of intimate fellowship, a two-way sacred conversation. The holy, almighty, all-powerful, strong, most high God beck- ons us, “Come, abide.” Mindful of our unworthiness yet drawn by His grace-filled, never shattering, always and forever promise of love, we enter, always welcome. We dare draw near. We open our hearts to His listening ear. We listen in turn, in unhindered trust and surrender. He whispers, “Shalom.” We fall into His embrace in thank- fulness and worship.

ABIDING WITH YAHWEH

Abiding with Yahweh

“Our Father, in heaven, hallowed be Your name . . .” El: Strong One

El Elyon: God Most High

Elohim: All-Powerful One, Creator

El Shaddai: All-Sufficient One, Almighty Yahweh: “I AM,” Self-Existent One

El Roi: God Who Sees Me

Immanuel: God with Us, “I AM”

Father, how magnificent is Your name!

REFLECTION PRAYER

Father,

When we are confronted with hard news, the kind that rocks our world, the drop-to- our-knees-unable-to-breathe kind of news, we thank You that You invite us to come to You. We are grateful You are the One who “is all wisdom and power . . . controls world events . . . removes kings and sets up other kings” and who walks with us in the darkest of valleys. Father, the more time we spend with You, our mourning turns to praise. Our fear melts into faith. We thank You. We worship You.

By Lisa Voga

Forty Days of Prayer Day 3

WEEK 1

DAY 3- HE IS HOLY

Scripture: Exodus 15:11

The holiness of God appears in all our new beginnings—the one that began when He found us at the end of ourselves; the one that began when we learned to trust Him to take the lead; the painful ones and the joyful ones alike. The holy, holy, holy God was there. Because we are His and because He is holy, we are able to begin again.

He is matchless in perfection. He is able to do abundantly more than we can imagine. This God, who knows the beginning and end of all creation, radiates holiness. Yet here He is, enveloping us. He sits beside our spouses at the same time He watches over our children. He walks with our mothers just as He rejoices with our grandmothers in eternity. Can you comprehend it? His holiness surrounds us daily. His holy mercy greets us in the morning with the warmth of the sun. His holy providence guides us as we work, study, and accomplish mundane day-to-day tasks. His holy love pierces through our fears as we lay down to sleep.

As we anticipate the new beginning He is writing for us this year, we can trust in His ever-faithful hand on our lives. We can choose to praise Him with a victory song in the here and now, knowing full well that there is no one like our God: “Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like You—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Ex. 15:11).

REFLECTION PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

You are the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end. Would You open our eyes to see Your holiness, not only on the mountaintop but also in the valley. Tune our hearts to sing Your praises as we do the hard and holy work You have set before us.

Forgive us, Lord, for forgetting the majesty of who You are, and help us to remember all that You have done. Until the day You lead us home, Father, teach us to be a holy people who bring glory and honor and power to Your name alone. Amen.

By Gloria Yang