Monday, January 9, 2012

Day 8 of 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting

Hear Him

This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”… And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.
—Matthew 17:5, 8, NLT

On the Mount of Transfiguration three disciples had an experience that showed us the Father’s plan for the New Cove-nant. Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to the top of a mountain where He was transfigured into His glorified state. Up until this point, the Jews had related to God through the Law—represented by Moses and the prophets, one being Elijah. Inspired by what he was seeing, Peter eagerly offered to erect three tabernacles—one each for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Then a loud voice from heaven was heard: “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”

When the disciples looked up, they saw only Jesus. You cannot earn God’s pleasure, but you can experience it to a greater degree as you follow Jesus Christ.

On that mountain God made it clear that we will only discover His pleasure by following Jesus. God’s grace is freely giv-en to those who receive new life in Him. Sometimes, though, there are areas of our lives where we do not fully em-brace God’s grace. There may be circumstances or areas where we still try to earn our way to the Father.

You cannot earn God’s pleasure, but you can experience it to a greater degree as you follow Jesus Christ. As you seek God today, ask Him for a greater revelation of Jesus in your heart. Then will you be reminded that you are a beloved child of God. And that He finds pleasure in you.

If heaven were by merit, it would never be heaven to me, for if I were in it I should say, “I am sure I am here by mistake; I am sure this is not my place; I have no claim to it.” But if it be of grace and not of works, then we may walk into heaven with boldness. —Charles H. Spurgeon

Bible Reading Plan: Genesis 11

Prayer Focus: How does understanding the New Covenant of grace change the focus of your fast? As you pray and seek after God, let His be the loudest voice you hear.


FASTING TIPS

On day eight you might experience:
~ fatigue—let yourself have extra rest if you need it
~ achiness and a headache
~ irritability
~ fogginess

All of these symptoms are normal and will pass. Make sure you keep your water intake up. If you’re eating fruits and vegetables that contain a lot of water, you may not have a desire to drink much water. However, keeping your water intake up will help you flush out the second round of toxins that your body is releasing and help relieve the symptoms more quickly.

Finally, more than ever this is the time you have to be vigilant about your spiritual focus. Great days are ahead, and you will be so glad you pushed through this day and didn’t give up!

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