• DAY 1 - Early Morning Prayer, John MacDonald

• DAY 2 - Follow Your Heart… Really?, Jon Nicholas

• DAY 3 - Passion for Jesus, Bob Sorge

• DAY 4 - Refuse to be Denied, John MacDonald

• DAY 5 - Absolute Truth, Nikki Catherincchia

• DAY 6 - Seek First, Jess Ciaramitaro

• DAY 7 - VIP Access, Matt Ciaramitaro

• DAY 8 - God Loves the Smell of Death, John MacDonald

• DAY 9 - The Whirlwind, Benny McDaniel

• DAY 10 - Flies, John MacDonald

• DAY 11 - Quiet in the Constant Motion, Casey Connell

• DAY 12 - If Only, Holly MacDonald

• DAY 13 - Pray in the Suffering, David Perkins

• DAY 14 - The Narrow Way, Nikki Catherincchia

• DAY 15 - A Spirit of Revelation, Rob McCorkle

• DAY 16 - Leftovers, John MacDonald

• DAY 17 - Lessons from Patagonia, Matt Ciaramitaro

• DAY 18 - No Greater Love, Nikki Catherincchia

• DAY 19 - In Christ, Dr. Mike Kitsko

• DAY 20 - Discovering Our Identity in Christ, Steven Demick

• DAY 21 - When Prayer Becomes Optional, John MacDonal

• DAY 22 - Bringing Harmony to God’s World, Dr. Linda Bynum

• DAY 23 - What is Jesus Worth?, Matt Ciaramitaro

• DAY 24 - Attention Span, Jenny Nitz

• DAY 25 - A Spirit of Wisdom, Rob McCorkle

• DAY 26 - Captivated, Nikki Catherincchia

• DAY 27 - Sacred Rhythms, John MacDonald

• DAY 28 - You’re Dehydrated, Jess Ciaramitaro

• DAY 29 - Preparation for Purpose, Nikki Catherincchia

• DAY 30 - At His Feet, Lauren Graca

• DAY 31 - Bioluminescence, John MacDonald

• BONUS DAY 1 - Running Shoes, David Kruger

• BONUS DAY 2 - Strength in Submission, Franklin McMannus

DAY 1

Early Morning Prayer

JOHN MACDONALD, LEAD PASTOR

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. —Mark 1:35 (NKJV)

The sacrifice is worth it! Several months ago I found myself hungering for more time with the Lord. I consistently spent time in prayer and in God’s Word, but what I was doing just wasn’t cutting it. I wanted and needed more, and I knew it. I wanted to go into the deep, and I wasn’t going to get there unless I carved out more time to be with Him.

Many of you reading this might be a little like me in that, historically speaking, I have not been a morning person. In fact, if I could be brutally honest with you, I hate early mornings because I love my bed; I love to sleep, and I hate coffee. If that wasn’t enough to dissuade me, I also really enjoy staying up late. But I knew things were going to have to change. My hunger and desire for more of God was like a storm brewing inside of me; there was urgency in my spirit.

I began to set my alarm for 6:30 am. Some of you are like, “6:30, that isn’t early” ...blah blah blah! Listen, this is early to me. Don’t judge! On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this would give me two hours of uninterrupted time with the Lord before I had to get ready and be at staff prayer by 9:00 am, for another hour in His presence.

On Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays, it would give me 2–4 hours with him, listening, praying, and reading His Word. I kid you not, within a week I was hooked. The first two days were rough, but then things started to change and change rapidly. Now, it has been about 6 months since I started being disciplined to spend these longer periods of time with Him. Here are several things I have learned and experienced.

Early morning prayer has filled me up like nothing else ever has.

It's been in my early morning prayer times that I have learned to still my heart and mind before the Lord. Since the time is scheduled, and I have nothing else that needs my attention, over the next couple of hours my focus is fully on Him. I can take my time, read, pray, meditate on His promises, and worship Him without distraction. Together, these practices created unity with His Holy Spirit living inside of me. I feel the closeness of His presence and know He is with me. Psalm 46:10 (NIV) ...be still and know that I am God.

Early morning prayer has caused an increase of God’s revelation.

Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. —Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)

As I have quieted myself before the Lord, the Holy Spirit has brought much greater revelation to me through the scriptures, during worship, and as I pray. It's like I have been highly sensitized to His voice. I’m not straining to hear him; I am not questioning whether what I heard was God or just my own thoughts. I know it was God. His revelation has become clear. His voice washes over me. His promises well up within me. Corey Russell, in his book Teach Us To Pray, writes this, “When God’s voice is the first voice you hear in the morning, it brings alignment to every other voice you hear throughout the day.”

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. —Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)

The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. —Psalm 119:130 (NLT)

Early morning prayer has increased my faith so that I know what I’m praying matters.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. —Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

As I quiet myself before the Lord, and His revelation is given, the Holy Spirit begins to prompt me with specific prayers he wants me to pray. Things begin to flow into my mind and heart that I know are from the Lord, and I am prompted to pray them forth. As I pray, I understand I am praying what the Holy Spirit has asked me to pray, and this gives me great confidence that my prayer matters and great expectation that He will answer my prayers.

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. —Psalm 5:3 (NIV)

Early morning prayer has allowed me to build a stockpile of prayer that washes over my family in the form of blessing.

One of the things the Holy Spirit has taught me through early morning prayer is to saturate my family with prayer before they ever get out of bed. In this season the Lord has me praying prayers of blessing over my wife and sons. I am praying specifically that they would be blessed throughout the day by encounters with the Holy Spirit. I pray that the Holy Spirit will woo them and draw them to Himself. I pray that the blessing of God’s goodness and mercy will follow them throughout the day and all the days of their lives. I ask the Holy Spirit to bless them by giving them ears to hear and hearts that will understand His voice. I pray the blessing of God’s protection over them—spiritually over their hearts and their minds, and physically over their bodies. I ask the Holy Spirit to bless them with His peace and joy and to fill them with His presence. I pray these things or forms of these things daily over my family.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. —Psalm 23:6 (NKJV)

May God be merciful and bless us. May his face smile with favor on us. —Psalm 67:1 (NLT)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. —Ephesians 1:3 (NIV)

Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 4:7 (NLT)

Early morning prayer brings my life into alignment with the Holy Spirit throughout the day.

Since I have now started my day spending ample time in the presence of God, my heart and ears are tuned into the voice and leading of the Holy Spirit. As I go about my day, I find myself in holy alignment with God. The Spirit is faithful to guide me and faithful to guard me and my thoughts. The Spirit is faithful to check me when I get angry or impatient. The Spirit is faithful to remind me that He is in control no matter what challenges I might face. When I need wisdom, the Holy Spirit is faithful to provide it. I have a whole lot less screw ups and failures throughout my day when I start my day with early morning prayer.

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. —Galatians 5:16 (NLT)

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. —Galatians 5:22–25 (NLT)

Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. —Colossians 1:10 (NLT)

PRAYER

Now all you need is to set a morning time and place. Make an appointment to meet with God. Ask God right now to help you figure out when He wants to meet with you each day! Be consistent and don’t let anything come between the time you have set aside to be with Him.

DAY 2

FOLLOW YOUR HEART… REALLY?

JON NICHOLAS, WORSHIP & CREATIVE PASTOR

I recently watched a short video by a social media influencer who passionately declared the importance of following your heart. She asserted that our hearts serve as the compass for our lives, and by listening to what our hearts say and following their leading, we would inevitably head in the right direction. This “follow your heart” creed has become a mantra embraced by billions worldwide, infiltrating our Western culture and, even now, steadily seeping into our Christian culture.

The concept of “follow your heart” has permeated our stories, books, movies, and music. It has been romanticized and portrayed as the ultimate path to being true to oneself or living one's best life. Essentially, following your heart means doing what feels right, trusting your inner self for guidance, and pursuing what brings happiness. After all, isn't happiness the ultimate goal in life? Once you discern what feels good, makes you happy, and understand your inner self, you are successfully following your heart. Your life begins to center on activities that align with your desires and emotions. While this idea may sound appealing, it can be misleading and incredibly deceptive. It places the emphasis on fleeting emotions and personal desires, which are subject to change and far too often influenced by external circumstances. When we center our lives primarily on activities that align with these ever-shifting aspects of our human nature, we risk building our foundations on unstable ground. Instead of lasting fulfillment and joy, we may find ourselves chasing temporary pleasures and constantly seeking the next source of happiness.

However, as Christ followers, it is essential to question whether this widely accepted cultural expression aligns with our faith and what the Word of God teaches. The Bible repeatedly warns against trusting the human heart:

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? —Jeremiah 17:9

For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. —Matthew 15:19

Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe. —Proverbs 28:26

These verses send a clear message that our hearts, left to their own devices, are unreliable sources of guidance at best but inevitably a dangerous dwelling place for sin.

Instead of blindly following our hearts, the Bible instructs us to follow the Holy Spirit and trust in His guidance to lead us. The Holy Spirit is the divine counselor and guide sent by God to dwell within believers. In John 16:13, Jesus Himself speaks of the Holy Spirit, saying, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.” This divine guidance is not rooted in human emotions, desires, or personal whims but in the eternal wisdom and truth of God. Following the Holy Spirit at its core begins with

seeking discernment through prayer and Scripture. Proverbs 3:5–6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” We must learn to rely on God's unlimited wisdom and not our own limited understanding. Our hearts can be swayed by emotions, influenced by external circumstances, and clouded by our limited understanding. The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, operates with perfect wisdom, knowledge, and a deep understanding of God's plan for our lives. When we follow the Holy Spirit's guidance, we align ourselves with God's will and purpose, rather than our transient desires. Through prayer, meditation on Scripture, and seeking Godly counsel, we can discern the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Unpopular truth: To truly align our hearts with the Holy Spirit, we must wholeheartedly embrace the concept of self-denial. Following one's heart is the wide road that often leads to self-centered decisions, prioritizing personal happiness and immediate gratification, and many travel through life on it. In stark contrast, the narrow road of following the Holy Spirit demands self-denial and a profound willingness to surrender our personal desires in favor of God's purposes, and few find it. Our Savior perfectly exemplified a life in complete alignment with the Holy Spirit. Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, fervently prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us to align our own will with God’s, even when it necessitates significant sacrifice and selflessness.

In a world where “follow your heart” is celebrated as a life motto, those of us who follow Jesus must remain discerning as to whether our hearts are leading us down a path contrary to God’s will. We must remember that the heart, while capable of great love and compassion, can also be easily deceived by our sinful nature and the influences of the world.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I have chosen to “follow my heart,” allowing the culture around me and my own selfish desires to guide me rather than Your Holy Spirit. I pray for wisdom and discernment to know and align every part of my life to Your will, living a life of surrender as You guide my every step.

DAY 3

Passion for Jesus

BOB SORGE, AUTHOR

At the launch of 2024, the Holy Spirit’s agenda for us is clear: He wants the first commandment in first place in our hearts. The first commandment—to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength—comes before every other passion, vision, or mission (Matthew 22:37–38).

Good news: The Holy Spirit is willing to do whatever it takes to restore our first love (Revelation 2:4). Start your year by praying the dangerous prayer, “I want You to have my whole heart—whatever it takes.”

It’s time for dangerous, desperate praying. O holy desperation— when you’re willing to pay any price to have more of Christ, and for Him to have more of you. What merciful kindness—when God disrupts our soft, middle-America Christianity, and launches us on a pursuit of His face.

For me, that journey has meant a return to the cross of Jesus. Because the cross is where everything starts.

Back to the Beginning

To reclaim the vitality of a thing, sometimes you have to go back to its inception. For example, to renew vitality in your marriage, you may want to go back to the things that first brought you together. As another example, when the Jews asked Jesus about divorce, He talked about how God instituted marriage way back in the beginning. The principle applies to our first love. To rekindle our love for God, we should go back to the beginning. It all started, for all of us, at the cross. That’s where the two of you first met.

It’s at the cross that the fountain of love was first opened. This is where gratefulness, abandonment, fire, passion, devotion, zeal, and longing flow. This is where love is excavated, revisited, and explored.

Go back to the nails, the stripes, the bloody wood, the thorns. Go back to the naked horror and the writhing, contorted trauma. “For God so loved the world that He gave.”

God Withholds Nothing

The adversary tells me, just like he did with Eve, that God’s withholding from me. He tells me that God is withholding the answers to my prayers that would make me everything I could be. And when I hear that ancient accusation I just go back to the cross. Because the cross nails that accusation.

When I come to the cross, I see a God with nails in His hands, nails in His feet, thorns on His brow, who stands on the nail, spreads his arms wide, and says to me, “I give you all My strength. I give you My mind. I give you My flesh. I give you My soul. I give you My heart. I give you My last breath. I give you my last drop of blood.”

When I look at the cross, I don’t see a God who’s withholding from me. Rather, I see a God who is giving me His best. He’s giving me His only begotten Son—His everything. Therefore, I declare to my generation, My God withholds nothing from me. He’s already given me His everything! And if He hasn’t answered my prayer yet, it’s because He’s got a better way to answer it than I have in my best imagination.

And now I find the courage to stand on my nail, spread my arms, and say back to my Beloved, “I love You with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, all my body, my time, my finances, my giftings, and my strength. I am Yours, and You are mine.”

The Cross Awakens Love

How does God renew our first love? Through trouble. Through the cross. There, I said it. Don’t despise the means God uses to make you more desperate for Him. Satan may have a hand in your trial, but God has a purpose to make you desperate for everything He’s willing to give.

Are you in a fiery trial? It’s not the fire that changes you; it’s the pursuit of God in the fire that changes you. Harness the distress of your trial and press into God with the desperation of someone who’s drowning. He wants to become your survival.

It was a fiery trial that launched me on my spiritual journey. Over 20 years ago, I suffered a debilitating physical injury (fallout from a bad surgery), and nearly lost my way. With the desperation of a drowning man, I began to cling to the words of Jesus like never before. Psalm 119:92 became my personal experience: “Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction.” His promises and the words of His mouth became my survival. I’m here today only because of His word.

This is where He brought me back to my first love.

For years, my prayer life was reduced to three words. “I love You.” “I don’t understand You; I don’t see what You’re doing; I don’t know where You’re taking me; I’m not even enjoying You right now, but I love You.” Just giving Him my love, in the darkest place of my life. That’s all I could do.

And now I realize, it’s the most powerful thing you can do. When you choose to love Him in the greatest trials of life, you become eligible for some of the most powerful promises in Scripture.

All things work together for good to those who love God. —Romans 8:28

Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.

—Psalms 91:14–16

He used the greatest trial of my life to bring me into the kind of intimacy with Jesus that I always wanted.

The cross opens to the deepest intimacy. Why do we run from the very thing that will bring us into the bosom of our Beloved?

Love Him with Everything

Jesus created the human body for crucifixion. At creation, when Jesus was fashioning a body for Adam that He Himself would one day inhabit, I can imagine the Father saying to Him, “Son, are You sure You want to put all those nerve endings in the hands like that? That’s where they’re going to put the nails. And are You sure You want to put all those nerve endings in the feet like that? That’s where they’re going to put the nail.”

I imagine the Son replying, “Yes, Abba, I know. I want to feel their sorrows in the depths of My being. I want to feel for them in every part of My being.”

How does Jesus feel about you? He feels about You in hands; in His arms; in His shoulders; in His neck; in His face; in His scalp; in His back; in His gut; in His legs, in His knees; in His feet; in His toes. His love for you runs the full course of His entire body and soul and mind.

And now, this is how we love Him too. No matter the troubles; no matter the distractions; or the temptations; or discouragements. The cross has awakened us to the greatest romantic adventure of the centuries. Love for Jesus runs the full course of our entire beings.

Love gets all of me. Worship gets all of me. The cross gets all of me. All I want to know is, how can I give more?

Kneel again at His cross today. Give Him your love. Let this love grip, shake, and take you. Love Him in 2024 with all your mind, flesh, soul, and strength. May the fire of this love so consume you that all is burned away except for one thing—love for the face of Jesus Christ.

PRAYER

Pray the dangerous prayer. “Anything. Everything. I have to know You, Jesus. Whatever it takes.”

DAY 4

Refuse to Be Denied

JOHN MACDONALD, LEAD PASTOR

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. —Matthew 5:6 (NIV)

One of the irreversible laws in the Kingdom is that God will not deny the hungry. I’m not talking about food. I’m talking about spiritual hunger, our hunger for Him! There are several stories throughout the New Testament that communicate how important spiritual hunger is to the Lord.

In the Gospels there are people who layi hold of Jesus and received things from Jesus that others didn’t receive. In Matthew 15:21–28 we find one of these people. This is the story of a Canaanite woman who was desperate for her daughter to be healed from demon possession. The story is less about the miracle of freedom for the daughter than about the persistence and hunger of the mother. Let’s read the story verse by verse and allow the Holy Spirit to speak deeply into us.

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” —Matthew 15:21-22

The obvious desperation in this woman's voice tells me that she had sought out relief and healing for her daughter from everyone and everywhere she could think of with no results.

Verse 23: Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

Jesus ignores her! He doesn’t even acknowledge her, not even a turn of His head to look at her. This whole situation seems messy and awkward. Yet, the woman presses through the first denial and decides if she can’t get freedom for her daughter from Jesus, she will get it from His disciples. But let's face the facts; if Jesus wasn’t going to give her any of His attention, neither were they. Finally, they approach Jesus, complaining about this woman who keeps crying out after them, and they ask Him to send her away.

Verse 24: He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

Finally Jesus acknowledges this woman, but the acknowledgement comes in the form of another denial. In verse 25 the woman comes immediately and kneels before Him, and says “Lord, help me!” This is pretty incredible if you think about it. The woman presses through the first denial of Jesus, then the second denial by His disciples, and now the third denial, and she comes and falls at His feet in worship. My goodness, can you believe it? Would you fall at the feet in worship if you had been denied not once but 3 times?

Verse 25–26: The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

Jesus calls her a dog. These words give us such a clear picture of the culture of that time. The Jews had no love for the Gentiles. The Jews considered all Gentiles to be dogs. It was the worst, most highly offensive, demeaning name you could call someone. And this woman could have easily been offended and walked away from Jesus, like so many in the church do today. They get offended by something the pastor said or by something one of the other church attenders did, or they get offended when their sin is called out. And in their offense they choose to walk away. This woman, who had now been denied four times, could have taken offense, but she just keeps coming. Listen to her response in the next verse.

Verse 27: “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

Wow! She responds with an act of intercession. She doesn’t care what this looks like; she doesn’t care about the awkwardness; she doesn’t care how the disciples view her or what they think of her. She will take whatever Jesus will give her.

Verse 28: Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

This woman pressed through the barriers, through the denials, through the awkwardness and laid hold of Jesus and got what she was asking for. There is nothing in the passage that suggests the daughter is anywhere near. But at that moment, because she was hungry for what only Jesus could give her, because she refused to be denied and pressed through all the obstacles, she received what she asked for.

Are you hungry to lay hold of Jesus more than anything else in this life? Do you possess the hunger and tenacity of this Canaanite woman who refused to be denied? Is your prayer life a relentless pursuit to lay hold of Jesus? There are people who lay hold of Jesus and received things from Jesus that others didn’t because they wouldn’t quit and pursued Him with desperate hunger!

PRAYER

Read these scriptures below and pray asking God to give you a fresh and renewed hunger for Him.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. —Psalm 42:1–2

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. —Psalm 27:4

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. —Psalm 63:1–5

DAY 5

ABSOLUTE TRUTH

NIKKI CATHERINCCHIA, TEACHING PASTOR

I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

—1 John 5:13–14

There is a worldly concept called the “Law of Attraction.” In a nutshell, the thought process behind this is that positive thoughts bring about positive results, and negative thoughts bring about negative results. Essentially, this means your mindset has a direct effect on your experiences. This thinking is at the forefront of the philosophies that have so many people seeking to “live their best life,” to “live their truth,” to “manifest” what they desire. In a “me- centric” culture, it is these sayings that have become the banner of a generation. Yet, it has been noted that 1 of every 4 people in Gen Z struggles with anxiety and emotional distress—double of what has been noted about their predecessors, the Millennial generation. Could it be that the desire to be the authors and the definers of truth, to be the masters of our own destiny and the pursors of our own will is causing the human soul confusion and pain rather than peace and fulfillment?

When the world denies that there is absolute truth, the result is undeniable chaos. Turn on any news station, and the proof is right before our eyes. For so long we have been in the pursuit of our own will that many have forgotten whose will we were actually created for. From the onset of God’s recorded story, we see that all of creation was created by the hand of God, according to the will of God, and for God’s purposes alone. Any so-called truth outside of that absolute truth is a deception. This includes any truth about humanity; you and me, and every person that is living has ever lived and will ever live. Right in Genesis chapter 1, the truth about humanity is revealed.

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

—Genesis 1:26–28 (NLT)

When the Triune God declared that we would be like Father, Son and Holy Spirit, created in their image, He was not releasing little gods to run around doing whatever feels good and right to us. He was creating humanity to be a living reflection of His heart, His holiness, His goodness, and His love. The greatest lie the enemy ever told was the one he whispered to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden—the lie that essentially told them that God’s ways were not best, that they were better off seeking the desires of their own hearts rather than being obedient to God's desires. Of course, as we know, they succumbed to the lie, and the result was NOT that Adam and Eve got to live their best life. Not by a long shot. For a brief moment, deception led them to follow their own will, to believe their own truth, and the fallout was catastrophic. It unleashed sin and destruction into our world and into the human experience. And the ripple effect is still washing over humanity like a tidal wave that is ever present today.

However, as the people of God, by the blood of Jesus Christ, we have been restored to God’s original intention for us. Our desire to live our best life and to live our own way are the very nails that hung our Savior to the cross. When we receive Jesus as our Lord, we declare God’s will, not our own, be done. This truth, my friends, radically changes the things we long for and the way we pray. This isn’t to say that we cannot pray for things like health and safety and love and provision. Of course we can. However, when we pray, we pray according to God’s will. His desires, His heart, His holiness are what we should be seeking every time we lift up our prayers. Prayers for ourselves, prayers for others, prayers for our community, our country, and our world should all come from a place of, “God Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman church, we don’t conform to the thinking and behaviors of this world; rather our minds are renewed by Christ Jesus. So today the question for all of us is, whose will do we long for? Are we still trying to live our best lives, or are we trying to live in a way that brings honor and glory to the One who created us? Do we long to manifest our own destiny and hope God blesses it, or do we want to see His will on earth and in our lives as it is in heaven? You see, we have a heavenly Father that longs to give us good gifts. In fact, the Scriptures tell us that glorious riches of heaven have been made available to us through Christ Jesus. However, this is not our ticket to easy street or the pass to always get what we want when we want it. Nor does it place us in a bubble where nothing bad can ever happen. What it does give us is the confident hope that every single one of God’s promises are absolutely true,that and when we fully surrender our lives to Him, when we trust in His will and His ways, the peace that surpasses all understanding can and will be ours. That is an absolute truth we can all stand on!

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, today I hold nothing back from You. I surrender my whole self to You. My will, my desires, the longings of my heart. Father, would You align all of those with what You desire. Father, I long for Your will. No matter what season this prayer finds me in I will not be shaken for Your promises are true and You never fail. I stand on your absolute truth and trust you with my whole heart and with those that I love today and always. In Jesus Name, amen.

DAY 6

SEEK FIRST

JESS CIARAMITARO, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. —Matthew 6:33

This passage, for believers, is a familiar one. But there’s a danger that comes with familiarity, isn’t there? We skim past it, glaze over it, mistaking the familiar with the insignificant, etch a mental checkmark, and move on. After all, we’ve got things to do! However, God’s Word is unlike any other book that has ever been written because it is Living. The words don’t change, but through holy revelation, when our hearts are open, we can hear new whispers and glean new insight. That’s what I absolutely love about God’s Word! I have seen this scripture countless times in my youth and into adulthood, and yet, just recently God spoke fresh revelation into this verse. (Can we just pause right there and praise God for a moment? His Word is living, His revelation is unending, and the Bible will continue to speak into our lives for as long as we give God permission. Whew!)

Now, back to our verse:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. —Matthew 6:33

Seek first.

God has taken this little phrase and put it under the magnifying glass of His Spirit and completely changed my prayer life. Before I dive in, I’d like to note if you’re further along in your journey then I am, please forgive me if this reads as elementary. I know that those who have learned this practice now view it as fundamental and absolutely essential.

Seek first.

Until about a month ago, I had always read this “seek first” as a heart posture; a broad-strokes mindset. However, for the first time in my life, while reading this statement, I read it on a micro-view, and felt the Lord clearly challenging me to literally seek Him as the very first part of my day. Prior to this, each season of life brought its own unique rhythm, and I would pencil Jesus in when I could find a gap in the schedule, or if I’m being really honest, double-book Him with my driving time, shower time, cooking time. I have never considered myself a morning person and cherish my sleep (I’m a mom, after all). Yet, there it was, very simple and clear:

Seek first.

So, I made the change. I set the alarm for an hour before my boys usually wake, made a cup of tea, grabbed my Bible, journal, worship music, an extra book, and settled in. For the first ten minutes or so, I honestly was just trying to wake up and focus my scattered thoughts. But as time ticked on, I quietly began singing along with the worship music, then whispering the Psalms back to Him, and picturing the Throne Room as described in Revelation 4. Fifteen minutes in, the thinking had stopped and communication began. Thirty minutes in, my journal had new scribbles, my Bible had new underlines, and my prayers had new life. An hour in, I had to get ready for the day, but the songs carried over into the shower, the whispered prayers turned into uplifting comments, and I couldn’t wait to get to Staff Prayer (a privilege I consider myself spoiled to be a part of).

That week, I spent about 14 hours in focused prayer. Not because I was supposed to, but because I wanted to. Not because I am great or impressive, but because He is. I unlocked the beauty inside the rhythm of seeking first. Seeking first sets the tempo for the rest of our day, tuning our ears to the Spirit’s leading.

In addition to when I was seeking Him, He has gently guided me in how “seek first” prayers are structured. Let’s look at the rest of the verse together:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

It is extremely common to pray “all these things” prayers. What do I mean by that? Often, prayer is inspired by earthly, temporary needs—we seek God out when we need something or have a request that is on our heart. (Which is fine, by the way; He is a good Father). This should not, however, be how we structure our prayers on a consistent basis. We are to pray about Kingdom things! When we seek first the kingdom, we are elevating our perspective to that of Heaven—bringing revelation and insight well beyond the circumstance we find ourselves in and into the eternal war being waged. The change can be as simple but as mighty as shifting away from “Lord, please fix this,” out of our desire for comfort, to

“Lord, your will be done! Use me to advance your Kingdom in this situation!” These are the prayers that come from the posture of a servant, not someone who wants God to serve them. These are the prayers that will have Heaven echoing a great and mighty “amen!” These are the prayers that attract the God of the universe.

Wherever you are in your prayer life, I want to encourage you to seek first His kingdom. Literally, first thing in the morning, as well as the posture of your heart. Jesus is worthy of our time, or attention and our affection. May He be honored in your devotion this week.

PRAYER

Jesus, I ask that you stir up a hunger in my spirit for more time in your presence. I want to become captivated by you in a greater way than ever before. Breathe fresh life into my time with you. I believe that if I show up consistently and put you first in my day and in my life, you will bring fresh revelation and excitement into my spiritual life. Let your will be done in my life; let it be said of me that I was one to seek first the Kingdom. In Jesus name, amen.

DAY 7

VIP ACCESS

MATT CIARAMITARO, YOUTH PASTOR

Have you ever been somewhere with special access? Maybe you were a VIP, platinum reward member, or had a security clearance. Regardless, there’s a feeling of confidence that comes with knowing you have a special privilege, with knowing you belong.

This past summer, some friends and I were working as team members at the Thunder Over Michigan air show. Not only did we each have a “volunteer” wristband, we also had a second wristband that read “special access.” That meant we could go wherever we wanted to go, without restriction. (I suppose the cockpit of the planes would have been pushing the limits, but you get the idea.) We could get into buildings, past barricades, skip past the crowds, and even drive my truck on the premises. After experiencing a show like that, I don’t think I could ever go back to being an average attendee, someone on the outside with restrictions of where I could go and what I could do.The reason we had unlimited access is because we were members of the leadership team. We had been asked by our friend Kevin, who was in charge, and on his authority we were given that access!

You may not know this, but as a follower of Christ, you have been given special access through Christ and through faith to approach God. Unfortunately, many Christians today do not take full advantage of their access. Instead, they act like outsiders. They place limitations on themselves and approach God with timidity. They are either ignorant of their position in Christ, they feel they aren’t worthy of it, or worse yet, they don’t value what their access grants. Listen to what Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians. (Contextually, he was addressing Gentiles who were feeling excluded or like “second class” Christians.)

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him, we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

—Ephesians 2:14–18

Paul was explaining to the believers that any past barriers had been completely destroyed. This imagery may be a call back to the literal tearing of the temple veil at the crucifixion (Matthew 27:51). Either way, Paul highlights that not only did God bring peace, but He Himself is peace. Because of this, the results are astounding. Look at what he says next!

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household. —Ephesians 2:19

Our wristband has been fully upgraded! We aren’t outsiders. We are citizens of God’s kingdom. That means we receive all the rights of someone who lives with God’s people. He doesn’t stop there. He says that we are members of his household. Don’t let that slip by. That is a big deal!

I’ll never forget going to my friend Tim’s house for the first time. He explained to me that we were refrigerator friends. Confused, I asked him to explain. He replied that there was no reason to ask for permission, but that I had been given access to the fridge. Strangers need to ask permission, but you go right on in. Whatever I wanted in there, I could have. Now to me, this was a big deal. I don’t let anyone in my fridge. It’s sacred... I don’t know why, it just is. I think it is rude to go into someone's fridge without asking. In fact, I purchased a separate drink fridge in my basement that students have full access to, but that is separated from my actual fridge. Thank the Lord, God treats us more like my friend Tim than I treat people. This is a perfect illustration of God’s grace to us. What a privilege we have to be a member of his household. How do I know that being members of God’s household grants us such bold access? Paul says so himself a few verses later.

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. —Ephesians 3:12

As you spend time with the Lord today, ask yourself these questions?

Am I approaching God with timidity and uncertainty, limiting what I ask for?

Be reminded that through Christ God has given you full access to approach the Lord. You are just as welcome to come to Him as someone is in their own home.

Do I truly understand my position, and do I feel worthy of it?

Remember that we are to approach God with freedom and confidence. That confidence doesn’t come because Pastor Matt said so; it comes through faith because God’s word said so. You are worthy of your position not based on what you have done, but on what God has done through the cross.

Am I truly thankful and valuing the access that I have been given?

Don’t squander the greatest opportunity you have. Ascribe to the Lord all His worth, and become thankful for the position He has given you.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you for your grace, your generosity, and your kindness. Thank you for including me and allowing me access to your presence even though I don’t deserve it. Thank you for changing my position and calling me a member of your household. Jesus, thank you for paying for my way in when I had no ability to do so on my own. Jesus, give me a heart of gratitude and awe toward our relationship. May I cherish you and bring you all the praise, honor, and glory, amen!

DAY 8

GOD LOVES THE SMELL OF DEATH

JOHN MACDONALD, LEAD PASTOR

I know, I know, this sounds a little morbid, but hear me out, because scripture is quite clear that there is something about the smell of burning flesh that God likes. I don’t know about you, but to me burning flesh is probably the worst smell there is. Very few stenches in the world are more repulsive. However, several places in scripture indicate when the animal sacrifices were being burned on the altar that the smell was a sweet, soothing aroma to the Lord. Just look at these scriptures below:

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. —Genesis 8:20–21(NIV)

Cut the ram into pieces and wash the internal organs and the legs, putting them with the head and the other pieces. Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.

—Exodus 29:17–18 (NIV)

He shall tear it open by the wings, not dividing it completely, and then the priest shall burn it on the wood that is burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. —Leviticus 1:17 (NIV)

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

—Ephesians 5:1–2 (NKJV)

Ok now do you believe me? This is some pretty compelling evidence that God loves the smell of death. But what are the scriptures really talking about? Let me give you an example.

Kathryn Kuhlman lived from 1907–1976. She was a powerful woman of God who traveled the world sharing Christ and had an amazing healing ministry. She preached an uncompromising Gospel, demonstrating the power of the Kingdom as many blind, crippled, deaf, and diseased were dramatically healed. She carefully revealed in a sermon the price she had to pay to have such a powerful healing ministry:

It costs everything. If you really want to know the price, it will cost you everything. Kathryn Kuhlman died a long time ago. I know the day; I know the hour. I can go to the spot where Kathryn Kuhlman died. For me it was easy because I had nothing. I know better than anyone else from whence I come, a little cross-road town in Missouri, a population of 1,200 people. I had nothing. I was born without talent. Most people are born with something. I didn’t even have hair on my head when I was born, just red fuzz. One day I just looked up and said, “Wonderful Jesus, I have nothing. I have nothing to give You but my love. That’s all I can give You. And I love You with all my heart. I give You my body, a living sacrifice. If you can take nothing and use it, then here is nothing. Take it.

Wow what a testimony! Spiritually speaking, our flesh prevents God’s glory from manifesting and limits the release of His full work of power in our life. However, when we crawl up on the altar and cry out for Him to consume us with His Holy fire, He sets fire to the flesh and burns the sinful debris. The more flesh He consumes, the more of His glory we will walk in.

Here is the thing: God calls all of us to climb up on the altar. The old ways of life, the old habits, the old mindsets, the old language, the old passions, they all have to die. Every part of the old life must die in order for God to give you new life in Christ. Paul understood this and experienced this. And he wrote to the church in Galatia, encouraging them:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

—Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

I love the truth of Paul’s words, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” God loves the smell of death because it marks the moment that He can now give you new life. This is the very reason God sent His one and only Son, Jesus to the cross, to save us from our sins and give us new life. Jesus became the sacrifice for us all. The imagery of climbing up onto the altar as a living sacrifice simply points us to full and complete surrender.

God didn’t send his son Jesus to die on a cross and become the sacrifice for all humanity in order to have only the parts of your life you are willing to give Him. He doesn’t save parts of you; He saves and restores all of you. But all of you must be surrendered.

Kathryn Kuhlman also had this to say about sacrifice: “Its terms require a surrender which the average Christian is unwilling to make. Things that are gotten cheap are usually cheap. The things you have to pay most for are usually the things that are most valuable.”

A.B. Simpson summed up surrender best: “We must surrender ourselves so utterly that we can never own ourselves again. We must hand over self and all its rights in an eternal covenant and give God the absolute right to own us, control us, and possess us forever.”

God's ways are not mankind's ways, and God’s Kingdom functions much differently than our earthly kingdom. In God’s Kingdom, death comes before life. Will you climb up on the altar today in complete surrender and become a living sacrifice, allowing the old self, old habits, and old ways of thinking to completely die so that Christ can give you new life?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

—Romans 12:1

Everyday we offer up ourselves as a living sacrifice. Everyday we climb up on the altar, reminding ourselves that we have died to the old life, and our lives are no longer our own. Everyday we have the privilege of walking in new life with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. And we quickly find that there is nothing greater and nothing better than the new life that God has given us. Thank You Jesus!

PRAYER

Today, Lord, I offer myself to you as a living sacrifice. I want my whole life to honor and please you. I want to walk with you in intimacy and fellowship. I want to hear your voice as you guide me through each day! I want to know you more. Give me the strength and the power to live my life fully and completely for you. I know you will, because you have given me your promised Holy Spirit who lives in me and is always with me. Thank you for the new life I have in You, amen.

DAY 9

THE WHIRLWIND

BENNY MCDANIEL, DIRECTOR OF CHURCH ONLINE

Life is a whirlwind. It’s often messier than we would aspire for it to be. You lost your job. You had to say goodbye to a loved one. Your kid starts questioning their faith. Bills just don’t seem to add up each month. You and your spouse are struggling with infertility.

You are depressed or anxious. Someone disappointed you. You disappointed someone else... again. You are surrounded by chaos and destruction. You are just overwhelmed and exhausted. All these things, they are just a few examples of the messes we face. We begin to question things we know we shouldn’t doubt, but the list above is so real and so difficult to deal with.

What does Jesus say when we are in these seasons of life? In the book of John, Jesus meets with His disciples in the upper room for Passover. He spends some time sharing what the Father asked Him to leave with the disciples. Here is the last thing He speaks to them.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” —John 16:33 NIV

When the whirlwind hits, this is the hope we have. Jesus has overcome the world, and He is with us daily. We do not walk alone in our trials, but rather, we have a God who has overcome all the brokenness and worldly trouble we could face. What a beautiful gift Jesus is in those hard times. His goodness is unmatched. His faithfulness is unparalleled, and He is worthy of our worship even in those times. However, that last statement is easier said than done. Reading that He has overcome the world doesn’t bring back the lost loved one. It doesn’t give you an extra paycheck or help your prodigal child come back to Jesus. It doesn’t change any of the circumstances. How do you worship in times of heartache or anger? How do you give praise to The One that could have easily prevented any of the mess if He chose to?

Those are legitimate questions. Jesus tells us in John chapter 4 that we are to worship in spirit and truth. A prerequisite to authentic worship is characterized by truth. Sometimes getting to the truth means dispelling the lie. In our pain or lack of faith we must call out the lies that the enemy creates in our minds and turn to the very truths we find in scripture. We must remember the little verses from the Sunday School class, the Bible studies, our quiet times, and the many messages we have heard that point toward a loving and caring God. He has our best interests in mind and wants joy and freedom for His children. The beauty of the Gospel is that He is the Friend, the Faithful One, the Father, the Helper, the Provider, and the Lover Of Our Souls. He is all we need in our darkest hour. So back to the question... How do you worship in times of trial? Dispel the lies. Speak the truth. Then worship. It won’t feel like it “usually” does. Sometimes worship looks like tears. Sometimes it looks like anger and honesty. Sometimes it looks like silence. Sometimes it looks like pushing through the pain to get to the love. It’s not always the front row, hands raised, smile on your face type of worship. If life gets messy, worship might look that way too. Just don’t forget that He is worthy.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

—Romans 8:35,37–39 NIV

PRAYER

Jesus, today I come to you broken. I know Your goodness, and I choose to worship You today. I break open my alabaster box at Your feet. I give you all I have to offer. My hurt, my trial, my circumstance I bring before You. I need Your love in this season of my life like never before. I know that the world and the enemy would tell me that this isn’t where I need to be, but this is where I choose to be. I choose to worship You today. Would you hear my cries, and would you be in the midst of my frustration/pain/loss? Thank you for being near me today. May I long for more of You in the midst of this whirlwind, amen.

DAY 10

FLIES

JOHN MACDONALD, LEAD PASTOR

Do you have a hunger for God? If we don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because we have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because we have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Our soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great. —John Piper

My custom has been to rise around 6:30 am to spend a couple of hours with the Lord each day before heading to work for staff prayer at 9:00 am. One of these mornings, on my back patio, I had my Bible open and was reading when a fly came and landed on my Bible. I quickly waved my hand and shooed it away without much thought. But as soon as I began reading again, the Holy Spirit stopped me and asked me, “What do flies usually land on?” I immediately had this picture in my mind of a rotting animal carcass. I answered, “dead things.” The Holy Spirit went on and said, “Flies are attracted to, swarm around, and land on dead things. Right now My Church has attracted flies. Remember, there is no life apart from Me!”

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” —John 6:33 (NIV)

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” —John 14:6 (NIV)

We live in a world where the Church is supposed to influence the culture around us. We have received the mandate from Jesus Himself to go into all the world, make disciples, be the light, and through us heaven will invade earth. But the opposite has happened; the culture of our day has infiltrated the Church. Now the Church looks more like the dying culture around us than the living organism birthed at Pentecost. When the Church was birthed in Acts 2, it was clear that Christ’s followers were meant to illuminate the power of the Holy Spirit to transform and bring the new life found only in Christ to the world.

I’m sure I don’t have to point out the elephant in the room, but for clarity sake, I will. You and I, we are the Church.

What has happened? Well, as a people of God we have become distracted by the world and the things the world offers. We are such a busy culture, running from here to there, taking the kids to a practice, a game, an event. We are all so busy filling our schedules and lives with the world that there isn't any margin left for the things of God,let alone for intimacy with Him. We have placed other things above our highest priority, which is intimacy and fellowship with God. We have tried to find life in places other than Christ. We have substituted work, schedules, sports, hobbies and just about everything else in place of our time with Him.

I don’t know if you remember reading about this throughout the Old Testament, but this is what Israel kept doing over and over and over again... they worshiped idols. They made themselves lord over their own lives. They didn’t want to live and walk in intimacy with the Lord; they wanted to do what they wanted to do, and the flies eventually landed on them as their nation was devoured and taken into captivity.

How do we get back to being the Church that we created to be according to the book of Acts? The Church that caused darkness to flee in every direction. The Church that experienced unprecedented miracles and lived in jaw-dropping power. The lame walked, the blind could see, the deaf could hear, and those chained in bondage were set free. The Church, made up of a people who surrendered and submitted everything to the Lord. A people who knew Him, walked with Him, made Him their highest priority, burned with passion for Him,and heard His voice daily.

How do we get back? We PRAY! We SEEK! We PRESS! We become DESPERATE! We ask for the hunger to be restored for the things of God. We take a critical look at our lives and evaluate them against the WORD! We SUBMIT! We SURRENDER! We FOLLOW! We make Him the PRIORITY! We make Him LORD!

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, awaken me from my slumber, revive me and raise me from spiritual death. Help me to execute all that needs to go away in my life so that I can make room for only You. Restore my intimacy with you and make me strong in my faith, in character, and in my pursuit of You! In Jesus Name breathe your life into me.

DAY 11

QUIET IN THE CONSTANT MOTION

CASEY CONNELL, YOUNG ADULTS PASTOR

“He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.” —Psalm 107:29

How do we achieve quiet in the midst of constant, busy, unapologetic, chaotic motion?

Where does peace fit into the rigorous, fast-paced, task-driven lifestyle we’ve been urged to live out?

Is it still possible to live a life of simple faith, while our world drives the emphasis on the hustle and “grinding it out” to succeed?

The human answer is “NO.” Man cannot live in steady and spastic simultaneously. We can’t step into Sabbath rest while crushing the metaphorical game. Mankind is in need of a factory reset when it comes to our work ethic and energy output... if not, we’re headed towards an imminent short circuit.

While impossible with man, God answers the question, “Is it possible to live a life of simple faith?” with a resounding YES. What does it take to make it happen, you ask? All it takes is a bit of audacity; it requires the upheaval of our own developed patterns of life and success. But this is not something that we can do; this kind of change only happens through Christ. It’s found in the laying down of what parts of us Christ calls “dead”... the burial of our fleshly, all consuming, hell-bound striving.

God never called us to this type of living. To the striving, starving, suffocating pace of living where the ambition of our flesh consumes our every breath.

So we lay it down... The result? When what is meant to die stays dead, we become alive to what God has created us for. A life where our pace isn’t dictated by our desperate/frantic nature, but rather by His nature. One that looks like peace instead of paced. Like rest instead of rush. Like rejoicing rather than endless redundancy.

The big question, HOW DO WE GET THERE?? It feels like there is always a temptation to be lulled back into the hurry. To give into the temptation to live sleepwalking, running on autopilot.

And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." —Mark 14:27–28 ESV

Just as Jesus responded to the disciples when they couldn't stay awake and on alert while he prayed in the garden, God is saying, “Sit with me... could you not stay awake to the reality I have ushered in for just one second?” He says, “Come, be with me; when you’re at my feet, you will begin to see the pace I’m setting; you’ll begin to walk in step.”

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. —Galatians 5:16 ESV

God invites us to walk in stride with him. This way of living is far more sustainable than striving to see the flesh get the approval it seeks in its constant toil (a little secret... it never will, NEVER).

It’s time for us to make a trade... our shattered, exhausted lives for His life-giving Spirit.

To give up the fast paced, noise-polluted way of doing things and begin resting in the quiet, peaceful presence of God.

When we live in this manner, starting off at His feet, walking at His pace, doing life empowered by His Holy Spirit, we get to encounter a sense of quiet in the midst of the constant motion around us. We no longer rely on our momentum to carry us through our busy life. This new life provides rest, and helps us recognize that he carries us through it all, that he always has, and always will.

If we choose to live life at the pace of His presence, we’ll give space for His leading and have both the time and the means to follow where He is taking us. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it's not. Life at the pace of our Savior is sweet, and it gives way for others to encounter the quiet as well.

PRAYER

Take some time to slow down and simply praise the Lord, spending time giving thanks for who He is before rushing into your own lists and agendas. Once you’ve spent some time praising, it’s time to ask the Lord to bring quiet into your life. This prayer could look something like this,

“God, the constant rush and noise of this world isn’t what you’ve called us to. I don’t desire to live at this pace anymore. Would you shape my life around your presence? As I lay myself down at your feet, would you teach me to rest in the quiet and calm of your presence? Would you teach me to remain in your Spirit as I walk each day, yielding my pace to yours, not to mine or the pace of the world? Teach me to walk in step with your Spirit, giving room for you to lead me. Equip me to lead others into your peace.”

DAY 12

IF ONLY

HOLLY MACDONALD, WIFE OF THE LEAD PASTOR

The phrase “if only” means that doing something simple would have made it possible to avoid something unpleasant. This is where we find Martha and Mary in John 11 after their brother Lazarus has died. They were full of disappointment and confused by Jesus’ lack of action. Jesus had healed so many others. Why not his own friend? How could Jesus have let them down? The first words out of both Mary and Martha’s mouths (v. 21, 32) when Jesus finally arrived was “if only.” They said if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.

The whole story of Lazarus’ sickness, death, and being raised to life is about giving God glory and having an increased measure of faith.

First, we have Jesus and the disciples. Before Jesus went to see about Lazarus, He told His disciples that Lazarus was simply sleeping but that He would go and wake him up. The disciples took that literally and thought sleeping would be great for his recovery. The disciples weren’t getting it, so Jesus had to speak plainly to them. He told them He was glad He hadn’t been there (with Lazarus), for now the disciples would really believe, implying there was room for growth. This isn’t the only time Jesus mentioned the disciples’ faith. In Matthew chapter 8, the disciples were afraid of a storm, and Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you afraid?” Jesus wouldn’t have rebuked His disciples for little faith if there wasn’t a reason for them to have a greater faith.

The disciples weren’t aware of it, but Jesus was about to exponentially increase their faith and trust. Jesus’ joy was not in the death of Lazarus but in the development of the disciples’ faith. They needed to learn an important lesson. They were believers, but they needed a stronger faith for what Jesus was calling them to in the future. Jesus’ desire was that the disciples’ faith would be increased as they realized that there is a reality beyond death.

Then we have Martha’s interaction with Jesus. In one breath she uses the “if only” phrase with Jesus, and in the next she declares that even now she knows that God will give whatever Jesus asks. She also tells Jesus she has always believed that He was the Messiah.

We learn from Martha that it is okay to be real with God. And this isn’t the first time she has said what’s on her mind. Remember when Jesus visited their home, and she complained about her sister not helping? We have the amazing privilege to talk to Jesus and share our trouble with Him. We can tell Him all our struggles and worries and have confidence that He hears and understands. As Christians we have a unique advantage over unbelievers when we are going through storms.

Jesus finally makes his way to the tomb of Lazarus and asks that the stone be rolled aside. You would think that based on what Martha was just proclaiming, she would be excited—this was their miracle, but instead she protests. Jesus responds, “Didn’t I tell you?” In my mind I picture Jesus shaking his finger in her face like a parent scolding a child. But I know that is not the case... it was a loving and gracious reminder. He assured her that if she believed, she would see God’s glory. Martha is struggling with doubt, and Jesus reminds her of His promise.

Finally, there were those at the tomb with Martha. Jesus could have rolled the stone away in an instant, but he asked that it be moved. Martha and the others did not want to move the stone because they knew the body would reek. Maybe they thought Lazarus was past help at this point. After all, It had been four days... four days of mourning and crying and waiting on a Jesus that had yet to show up. Jesus’ request that they roll the stone away required faith on their behalf. Faith is an obedient, willed action. Even if you don’t feel full of faith, you need to operate in faith and start moving the stone. Faith must always supersede feeling.

Mary and Martha received the miracle they were hoping for, though not necessarily the way they may have imagined. We may not always get the answer we are believing and praying for. Maybe we have an

“if only” moment with Jesus. I know there will be times in the future when God doesn’t do what I expect or think He should do, but I also know that in every situation He can and will bring glory to Himself. If He doesn’t do what I think He should do, God has something better in mind.

This story tells us that Jesus is never late. Jesus loved this family, often staying with them. When he heard the news about Lazarus, He did the unexpected... nothing. He stayed where he was for another two days. You might expect that He would come running to help, but God’s timing is not ours. Verse 5 and 6 say although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus he stayed, where he was for the next two days. When God seems to be doing nothing, He may be doing more than you could ever imagine.

God can allow situations in our lives for the glory of His name and kingdom. There is purpose wrapped around whatever God permits in your life. Sometimes there may be a delay of deliverance but God’s delay is not God’s denial.

PRAYER

Thank you, Lord, that we can come to you with anything and know that you hear our prayers. Lord, we acknowledge that your ways are higher, your thoughts are higher, and you are in control. Lord, we declare that we trust you in all situations and believe that you will work everything together for our good. We claim the promise you gave to Martha, that if we believe we will see your glory. We ask for an unwavering faith and that you would be honored and glorified in all things.

DAY 13

PRAY IN SUFFERING

DAVID PERKINS WITH KIM GOODFELLOW, RADIANT CHURCH, KANSAS CITY

An unfired clay pot is fragile and must be handled with care, or irreparable harm can be done. It requires heat from a kiln to make it useful and hard. Our faith is much like that, fragile when it is untested. But, suffering and trouble serve as our forge, our kiln, and we emerge with stronger and sturdier faith.

My family experienced a ‘crucible’ moment in 2020. On November 16, 2020, my dad, Hal Perkins, a Nazarene pastor for 40 years, was admitted to a hospital near Kansas City, where he was diagnosed with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, pneumonia, pulmonary blood clots and Covid-19. He quickly became dependent upon high quantities of oxygen to breathe.

Fellowship with a Friend

When you experience a blow in life, friends who walk with you become priceless.

Praying through suffering has the same result. Our connection to God can deepen. We can cry and scream and weep in His presence. We can speak the unthinkable. We can draw on His strength and grace when we have nothing left. And once He’s quieted our souls, we realize we have changed.

Our family’s friendship with Jesus became vital. We relied on Him to sustain us, to give us strength and to give us courage.

My sister-in-law, Amy Perkins, described her prayers in the first 25 days of Dad’s illness as small, simple prayers like “God, help.” She recalled her prayers “were without eloquence, without language and without Bible verses to recite” but deepened her friendship with God.

Praying In Suffering Provides Rest

At the end of Psalm 23, we hear that God prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. There is a time DURING the battle, that we receive much needed rest and refreshment from God.

We can show ourselves weak. This leaves room for God to do what He does best—to be our defender, our Rock, our refuge, and our Comforter. We must allow suffering to make room for God’s presence—and to allow Him to refresh us.

My sister, Deborah, recounted, “To know His goodness in the face of suffering...is a treasure. It’s a great invitation... to learn what it means to ‘count it all joy’.”

My dad recounts that he “had the best times with the Lord imaginable —as we talked...”

The secret to rest in suffering is not you; it is Christ IN you and WITH you. Make time in your testing to sit down, rest, and eat from the table the Lord has prepared.

Surrender

There comes a moment in suffering that we simply surrender our wills to His perfect will by praying. We bow our heads, lift our hands, and become more like Jesus when we confess, “Not my will but Yours be done.”

That moment came when the doctors came in with bad news a few weeks after Dad’s admission. They instructed my dad to prepare his family for his imminent death and to start preparing for his funeral. His lungs “had suffered a mortal wound and were dead,” they said. There wasn’t a way to survive the catastrophic avalanche of sickness he suffered.

Dana, my sister, said there came a time, in the natural, that it felt “wrong to believe he would be healed.” She said she began her highest

level of contending in prayer while facing the loss of Dad.

It’s hard to pray because of the pain and the disappointment. What if we don’t see a miracle? What if we lose him? In those moments, you choose to walk by your convictions—that God is good and faithful.

Dad said he “wrestled and I’d oscillate—‘Jesus, I want to be with

you,’; then ‘Jesus, I want to stay here.’” Finally, Dad states, he prayed “Jesus, it’s Your call—into Your hands I commit my spirit.”

As our family gathered on what might be our last Zoom prayer call before Dad's predicted death, we started weeping and crying out for the miracle Dad so desperately needed.

The next morning, the hospital allowed my mom to see my dad, supposedly to say good-bye. Nonchalantly, the respiratory therapist turned down his oxygen flow. At first, my parents were confused, thinking this was the way they were going to wean him from the oxygen before his final breath. Dad’s body responded to therapy, and they continued to decrease his oxygen. They turned it down to 30 liters. Then 20. Then 10. Mom kept sending us updates via the family text thread on what the staff were doing but also how Hal’s body unexpectedly responded. Stunned, we all realized that we were witnessing a miracle.

People often use God as a means to get a miracle... as a means to get what we want. It is easy for us to decide if God is good or God is faithful based on our circumstances. God can be faithful, and God can be good even if the circumstances we want don’t turn out like we’d hoped. So, we must look to God and pray: ‘You are God - no matter what—I trust you.”

If you are in the midst of suffering, allow it to be the kiln that strengthens your faith, and resolve to trust God—no matter what. Let it do its work in you by deepening your friendship with God, enjoying His rest, and surrendering your will to His.

PRAYER

Today, simply pray the prayer of "You are God—no matter what—I trust you.”

DAY 14

THE NARROW WAY

NIKKI CATHERINCCHIA, TEACHING PASTOR

You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

—Matthew 7:13–14

“Choose Life!” For decades those two words have represented the powerful notion that life matters most. Each and every person, created in the image of God for a plan and a purpose that gives us intrinsic value in the mosaic known as humanity. Whether “Choose Life” is used as a campaign to champion suicide prevention in Great Britain in the 1980s or the banner for those advocating for the unborn here in the United States since Roe V Wade made abortion legal in our country in 1973, the premise is the same... human life matters. And while that is absolutely true, I imagine for God the slogan “Choose Life” means something even greater than breath in our lungs and a beating heart. To truly choose the fullness of life one must choose God, Himself. In John’s Gospel Jesus is so very clear on this topic when He proclaims,

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. —John 14:6

Choosing life, abundantly, here and now and for all eternity is not affiliating yourself with a cause; it’s about choosing a person, Jesus Christ.

This summer I have spent many hours alone on the golf course. Well, I wasn’t completely alone. It was me, worship music, and Jesus. As I spent early mornings outdoors, playing a little sport and worshiping my Savior, the Holy Spirit kept drawing me to the song “The Narrow Way” by Steffany Gretzinger. There is a lyric in the song that absolutely captured my heart. I will walk the narrow way. The only road that will lead to life. I will stay the narrow way. To see the face of the One I love. In these words we see the reflection of Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Matthew that tells us the road to hell and destruction is wide and many will choose it. However, the gateway to life is narrow and very few will find it. In Jesus’ own words. we are all awakened to a powerful reality; we must all make a choice about life. Yet, Jesus is not talking about making a stance concerning suicide or abortion. He is reminding us of the human condition. That dead in our sin, we are on a pathway propelling us toward destruction, death, and eternal separation from God. That when we choose sin we are, in fact, choosing death. For a brief moment, while sin can seem exciting, exhilarating, and even fun, the high never lasts very long. And so often, like any other drug, sin becomes addictive leaving a wake of destruction and its user chasing the next high. This is the wide road Jesus speaks of that so many choose to take. The road that often leaves its victims empty, anxious, confused, discontent, and depressed.

But here is the beauty of having a choice; there is more than one option. We do not have to take the wide road, the road full of worldly ideologies and philosophies, the road that deceives us. We have another option, and His name is Jesus. He leads us on the narrow way to life. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He is our strength when we weather a difficult season. He is our courage when we face the unknown. He is our comfort that eases the pain and ache of even the most wounded heart. He is the truth in a world full of lies, and He is the Savior that washes us clean of all sin so that we can stand before His Father, beautiful and radiant. We are His beloved, and when we choose the narrow way, when we choose life, we give Him our love in return. This is the very epitome of choosing life.

Today and everyday we face the new dawn with a choice; we can choose to let sin and death govern our day, or we can choose Jesus and walk in the fullness of life. Make no mistake, every person with a heartbeat matters to God. They are a soul created in the image of their Creator. In each of us resides a plan and purpose that was on the heart and mind of our God before He created the world. We must know that our God longs for us to choose life, to choose Him. Allowing His Holy Spirit to source and guide all of our days. To travel the narrow road so that we might see the face of the One we love here and now and for all eternity. The choice is ours; what will you choose today?

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, today I choose life. I choose to stay on the narrow road to see the face of the One I love. Jesus, You are the way, the truth, and the life and my hope rests in You. Holy Spirit, I surrender full control of my day and life to You. Keep me from wandering from the truth of life. May death and sin hold no appeal to me as I choose to walk in the fullness of life to bring honor and glory to my Savior, Jesus Christ. In His precious name I pray, amen.

DAY 15

A SPIRIT OF REVELATION

ROB MCCORKLE, EVANGELIST

A prayer that has captured my heart and is prayed almost daily comes from the words of Paul in Ephesians. He asked, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Ephesians 1:17). The word revelation (apokalupsis) means to remove the veil from our eyes so that truth can be exposed. One expositor said revelation is receiving spiritual insight through supernatural means.

Revelation is one of the major differences between the Old and New Testaments. While God spoke to individuals in the Old Covenant, people did not have the indwelling presence of Holy Spirit. Paul wrote that there was a time when people didn’t see, hear, or understand the deep things of God, but in the New Covenant we have the Spirit of God living inside us, so His heart and mind can be fully revealed to us (1 Corinthians 2:9–10).

There are three benefits of revelation. First, revelation is how we are spiritually transformed. Revelation is superior to information because it is aimed at the heart. Information might fill our heads with knowledge, but that doesn’t produce the insight needed for spiritual transformation. Moreover, Jesus speaks on a spiritual level rather than an intellectual one. He said, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit...” (John 6:63). There will be times when our heart is moved toward obedience to God’s leadership, but it doesn’t make sense in our heads. If we must understand God before we obey Him, then we’ll be paralyzed in our spiritual growth.

Additionally, our head will talk us out of where our heart is leading us. In stating that, I’m not advocating spiritual stupidity. But I am suggesting spiritual truth revealed to our heart will at times seem contrary to conventional wisdom. Often in my spiritual journey I’ve found myself obeying something God revealed to my heart only to have my mind make sense out of it months later. What I’m suggesting is that through revelation our heart informs our mind. As a result, we are transformed from the inside out. In fact, we should read the Scriptures to encounter His presence, not to become more intelligent in Bible doctrine. We can know doctrine but not Christ, but it’s unlikely to know Christ and not know doctrine because His Spirit will teach us.

The Pharisees were informed intellectually in the Scriptures, but they didn’t know Christ; therefore, they were not spiritually transformed (John 5:39). Their heads were full of Scripture, but their hearts were full of death (Matthew 23:27). To be like Jesus, our hearts must encounter and receive supernatural insight and revelation. Truly, the Spirit of truth guides us into all truth (John 16:13). Paul said because we have an unveiled face (i.e. we’ve received revelation), we are being transformed into the likeness of God from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). Yield your heart to the Lord and ask His Spirit to open your spiritual eyes. Revelation will produce spiritual transformation.

Second, revelation increases our scope of ministry. Imagine playing football on a field half the size, or hockey on a smaller rink, or tennis on the same area of a ping pong table. Without revelation our spiritual potential is limited. Revelation expands our field of play. Through increased revelation we’re able to make a greater contribution to the kingdom of God. Increased revelation opens doors and maximizes our abilities. Without revelation, we inhibit our possibilities of making a greater impact for Christ.

A sobering statement was made by the writer of Hebrews. He said, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles...” (Hebrews 5:12). They became “dull and sluggish” in hearing spiritual truths (Hebrews 5:11). These believers stopped growing spiritually because they ceased receiving revelation. They became lazy and quit pressing into the presence of God and consequently, they spiritually digressed. Their ability to influence other people as teachers of the Word was forfeited by their lack of revelation.

When God sows into our hearts through revelation, the nature of that seed is growth and increase (see Mark 4:30–32). Revelation is not meant merely to fill our hearts, but to expand our influence for the cause and sake of the kingdom. What might God want to do with your life in the next five years? There are songs to be written, books to be penned, complex problems to be solved, medical breakthroughs to be discovered, and lives to be reached with the gospel, and you are the instrument God wants to use. Revelation is the spiritual insight to accomplish greater things for the Lord. We must not become dull and sluggish in hearing and learning deeper truths.

Third, revelation empowers us to pass on our insights to future generations. Years ago, I ran the 440 relay where four guys carried a baton around the track. I had three essential responsibilities. The first was to receive the baton from the person who ran before me. Second, run the allotted distance with the baton, and third, to pass it on to the next runner after me. We trained hardest on passing the baton forward because races were won or lost in that process.

You and I have a responsibility to receive revelation and run with it but mostly to successfully pass it on to those before us. To simply possess what we’ve been given and never impart it to others is a serious offense to Jesus. Just ask the guy who buried his possessions in the ground (see Matthew 25:14–30). The nature of the kingdom is increase and advancement. The cause of God moves forward when present generations adequately equip future ones with revelation knowledge. I feel the weight of that responsibility every time I hold one of my grandchildren in my arms, pour into a church staff, or stand before a congregation and teach.

Paul called Timothy his true child in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2). It’s evident in the Scriptures that Paul not only ministered out of profound revelation, but he equipped Timothy to lead one of the greatest churches of the first century. Think about who you are equipping to fulfill future assignments. The ceiling of your revelation should become the floor upon which future generations walk on.

PRAYER

Father, I pray for a spirit of revelation. Open my eyes to truth. May I be transformed by revelation knowledge, use it to impact others, and impart what I’ve received into those before me.

DAY 16

LEFTOVERS

JOHN MACDONALD, LEAD PASTOR

I really don’t like leftovers. They almost fall in the same category as green vegetables for me. Not quite, but almost. There are very few things we have for dinner the night before that I want to eat for lunch the next day. Leftovers just don’t taste as good as the meal did when it was first prepared. Come to find out God doesn’t like leftovers either.

“A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.

“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.
“But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ “By offering defiled food on my altar.
“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’

“By saying that the Lopd’s table is contemptible. When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.

“Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the Lord Almighty.

“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.

—Malachi 1:6-11

The setting of Malachi is approximately 430 B.C. Many of the exiles had returned to Jerusalem from captivity about 100 years earlier. They rebuilt the temple and finished its construction under the leadership of Neiemiah in 515 B.C. The prophet Malachi’s mission was to call the nation of Israel back to God, starting with the religious leaders. 100 years after they had rebuilt the temple, we find the people and the priests in a state of disobedience. The animal sacrifices that God required were to be perfect, spotless, without blemish. The scripture passage above gives us a window into the real attitude of the people toward God. They were bringing worthless animals to sacrifice on God’s altar. They were bringing blind, crippled, and diseased animals to be sacrificed. In today’s church culture, we could compare this to giving God our leftovers... our leftover time, our leftover money, and our leftover energy.

The attitude of the people was one of carelessness, neglect, stinginess, taking the easy way out, and outright disobedience. There was no passion, no hunger, no desire to honor or please the Lord. Their lives and their faith were not one, but separate. They were going through the motions of religion. They were trying to satisfy through religious duty what could only be completed through a loving, committed, covenant relationship.

This so broke the heart of God that Malachi called the people to shut the door! It was a call to shut down the whole sacrificial system. Every time the people sacrificed, they were heaping judgment on themselves and on their nation. Malachi’s call was a call to stop giving God leftovers and return to giving a pure offering of true worship and prayer back to God.

In our culture today, we come to church to check off the box of religious duty. We give God an hour of our time one day a week and live the other 6 days and 23 hours for ourselves, fully disconnected from Him. Essentially, we give Him the leftovers from our leftovers.

This is happening on a personal level and on a corporate level in the church as well. When will Jesus have the preeminence in His own church, amongst His own people? When will He be the center of it all once again? In our culture we have tried really hard to make the church comfortable for everyone but the Holy Spirit. When will we give the presence of the living God center stage again?

When we gather together, we gather for Him. The whole purpose is to encounter Him, to meet with Him, and to hear His voice. He is our first priority, our first inclination, our first thought. We have to break away from religious forms, religious acts, and simply going through the motions. What has to happen today is a turning away from the lesser things and a turning toward Jesus with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

This should cause us to ask ourselves who and what really defines our lives. Who really sits on our throne? What and who are we really living for? The reality is whoever or whatever we are giving our best time to, our best and most financial resources to, and our best energy to, that's what we are living for. You can lie to yourself and say that God is the most important thing in your life, but does your life prove that through your motives, your attitudes, your calendar, your tithes and offerings, your time serving, your intimacy, and your hunger for the Lord?

I hope you can also see in this passage the desire that God has to pour out his presence and blessing on His people. The Lord’s original intention was to bless the whole world through His people Israel if they just would have walked in obedience and love. He still wants to bless his people today. And He will! If we will stop giving Him our leftovers.

PRAYER

Ask the Holy Spirit in prayer to help you identify areas where you are only giving your leftovers to God. Listen with honesty, and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Then, pray the prayer below in your own words. Lord Jesus, forgive me for giving you my leftovers. You are worthy of my very best. All I have is because of You and from You! You gave your one and only Son as a sacrifice for my less than worthy life. You came and rescued me, redeemed me, cleansed me, and filled me with Your precious Holy Spirit. You have given me your promise of eternal life with you. Because of your promises, because you have always been faithful and always will be, I give you and offer you my whole life as a living sacrifice. May the life I live be lived to honor You and You alone, amen.

DAY 17

LESSONS FROM PATAGONIA

MATT CIARMITARO, YOUTH PASTOR

Going slow is not compatible with our culture. We live in an open, 7-days-a-week, 24-hours-a-day society. Endless entertainment options and news feeds are constantly streamed to our devices. A recent study found that 96% of those under the age of 23 won’t go to the bathroom without their phone. There’s no time to sit alone with your thoughts. We used to sit waiting for a doctor's appointment or sit idle driving in the car. That doesn’t happen much anymore. One thing I notice about young people is that they won’t even finish an entire song. So often before the chorus can repeat itself for the last time, they’ve already skipped to the next one.

This was the world I found myself in before leaving on a trip to Patagonia, the southern tip of South America, with a few friends. If you know anything about me, you know I love to backpack through trails and spend time “off-grid.” The beauty of God’s creation, a sense of adventure, and a little bit of suffering make a perfect combination to feel refreshed and alive. On the second day of our journey, a Chilean man said something to me that would foreshadow a lesson God would teach me later.

As I frustratingly swiped my credit card to purchase wifi so I could assure my wife I hadn’t been suddenly abducted, hit by a meteor, eaten by a puma or whatever illogical worry she might have, the man said “Ah, American, everything always large and fast.” He grabbed my card, held it for more than the 1⁄2 second I was allowing, and voila, it worked. It didn’t make me mad; I agreed with him. (I actually had him repeat it so I could film what he said.) “Americans... everything always large and fast.”

Not only is this not the way it is done in many other places, it’s not the way Jesus taught us. Anyone who has read through the gospels can see that Jesus lived by a rhythm where he constantly stopped what he was doing and spent considerable time in prayer. To name a few:

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. —Luke 6:12

In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. —Mark 1:35

But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. —Luke 5:16

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

—Matthew 26:36

It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”

—Luke 11:1

We need to unlearn a culture that many of us have bought into, and many would argue is best. “Bigger is better, more is better, and faster is better.” Truth be told, I like being fast; I pride myself in it. On the trail, I kept tabs on our speed through my Garmin watch. I tried to keep us moving at 3.5 mph. Mind you, the average person walks between 2–3 mph, but this was with a weighted backpack on uneven terrain. We were quick, and we felt pretty good about ourselves. That was until the second to last day when my 38-year-old knees weren’t having it. It dawned on me that keeping up with the 21 and 24-year-olds might not have been the best strategy. I began to have knee pain so severe it became hard to walk. With one day left, and the crown jewel of the park left to hike, I had a choice. Miss out and start heading down, or hike up the mountain. Of course, I chose to push it! It was uncomfortable, but I made it. The trek back down the mountain, however, was unbearable. My knee pain was so severe that I started walking down backward to alleviate the joints. For the final 5 miles, my partners went on ahead, and I was left by myself.

In the week’s long journey, this was the first time I was alone with my thoughts. Alone with God. I had thanked Him, praised Him, and worshiped Him all trip long as I witnessed His beautiful creation, but this was the first time I stopped to have some real dialogue. So, alone with my thoughts, I simply asked God, “What do you want to teach me?”

The first thing He taught me was that in life, I need to go slow—as slow as I was walking at that moment. Let me tell you, it was SLOW. A grown man walking 6-inch steps at a time. It was the only way to walk pain-free.

The second thing God spoke to me was that going fast brings pain. He was right about that. At the end of the Journey, I couldn’t walk. It wasn’t just physical, though. When we go fast in life, skipping out on the discipline of slowing down to commune with God, we experience pain. We don’t receive his Grace, we aren’t filled with his Spirit, and we don’t bear the fruit of His Spirit in our lives.

The third thing God showed me was that going slow doesn’t hurt. He was right; if I walked “painfully” slowly, my knees didn’t hurt. However, we are usually afraid that if we slow down, we’ll miss out. Others might get ahead in life while we are left lagging behind. This has to do with trust. We need to trust that when we slow down to speak with God, He’ll do more through us than we could ever imagine. John Macdonald encourages us as a staff, that “one day of prayer” is worth 2 weeks of work.

The fourth thing God taught me was that as soon as I started to feel better, the temptation would be to pick the pace back up. Reverting back to my normal pace would just start the cycle all over again. This isn’t a “just for now” thing; it is a forever thing. Forever slow!

The fifth thing God taught me was that If I was honest, my goal was to be healed, so that I could run fast again. I didn’t like slow. Slow was still bad, but I was tolerating it while I had to. To me, fast was still best.

The sixth thing God wanted me to learn was to stay slow. I had to genuinely wrestle with the idea that God’s way was completely different from my own. I had to confess that I did not like God’s way of doing things. We all have to wrestle with God’s best at times and choose to submit to Him, trusting that He knows best.

In the end, I made it down the mountain, but it took me a few more hours. It was excruciatingly painful, but I’ll never forget the amazing conversation with the Lord that I will always remember.

As you spend time with the Lord today, ask yourself these questions:

1. On a scale of 1–10, how fast is your life?

2. Have there been times where going too fast has caused you pain?

3. What can you do to slow your life down and create more moments of dialogue with the Lord?

4. Have you come to the point where slow is your preference? Do you desire to stop everything else to spend time with the Lord, or do you tolerate time of prayer as an inconvenient necessity?

5. What weekly rhythms do you need to develop to ensure that you STAY slow, even when life picks up speed?

PRAYER

Jesus, help me to choose what is better. Help me to know that I can do far more with you than I can do on my own. Apart from you, I can do nothing. When I am tempted to forge on ahead while relying on my experience, skills, and strength, remind me that I need you all the more. Heavenly Father, your Kingdom is upside down. Weaker is stronger, and slower is faster. May the worries of this world fade away as I rest in your presence. Make me aware of the hurry in my life, and lead me in the way everlasting.

DAY 18

NO GREATER LOVE

NIKKI CATHERINCCHIA, TEACHING PASTOR

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.

—John 15:13–16

If you spend any time in the Scriptures you will soon discover that Jesus is a people person. Give Him a DISC Assessment and He would be a perfect match for an “I” personality, an extrovert who never knew a stranger. Of course, He does have the advantage of being our Creator so I guess that puts Him on a personal level with every human being. To put it simply, Jesus loves people. In fact, that is why He came to live among us. It is love that motivated Him to submit to the will of the Father. The will that had Him leave the throne room of heaven to live among and ultimately die for you, for me, and for all of humanity. However, as much as Jesus’ love for us is guaranteed it also expects a response from us. Years ago the country singer George Strait had a song called “You Can’t Make a Heart Love Somebody.” The declaration of this song is that, “you can lead a heart to love, but you can’t make it fall.” In essence, these lyrics remind us that love is a two way street of giving AND receiving. In order to activate the fullness of love there must be two participants that share a mutual affection and devotion for each other. However, the risk of love is that while you can lavish someone with a love so great and limitless that you would be willing to die for them, there is no guarantee that they will fall in love with you in return.

The greatest obstacle to many faith journeys is that people tend to love Jesus but they are not in love with Him. Unfortunately, it is also an obstacle that many people never realize is even there. Most Christ followers would undeniably assert that they love Jesus. But, let's be honest, we love a whole lot of things. I love shoes and classical music. I love makeup and American history. I love pasta and New York City. I love Def Leppard and Aerosmith. 12-year-old me had their posters all over my room. Don’t judge, if you were born before 1984 you probably know the words to a song or two yourself. But take a second and think about all the things you love; maybe it's a band or a football team or a sport or store or a kind of food, etc. What are some things you claim to love? When we say we love a multitude of things, what we are really proclaiming is that we are fans. We would choose these things over the other options available. However, Jesus didn’t come to earth to start a fan club. He doesn’t want us to settle on Him because He seems to be the best of all the options. He wants us to fall in love with Him because He is in love with us.

How can you identify if this obstacle is present in your own faith journey? Well, ask yourself these questions. Does Jesus come first in my life or is He lucky if I give Him a passing thought on any given day? Does He get the best of me or the scrapes I have left over after I’ve done all the other things I deem more important? Is He the Lord of my life or do I continue to do things my own way in hopes that He will just bless it? Is church something I attend to feel good about myself or do I long to be in the presence of God worshiping my Savior? You see, depending on how you answer those questions will determine whether you love Jesus like you love the latest binge worthy show on Netflix or if you are in love with Him, giving Him your full devotion and affection.

Jesus didn’t die on a cross to influence people to cheer Him on yet ignore His teachings. He isn’t looking for fans. Every word spoken in the Gospels and every interaction Jesus has with people suggests that His great motivator isn’t fame, it is love. A love He freely gives us. A love that cries out “Come as you are.” No clean up necessary because that is exactly what Jesus came to do, wash us clean from the stain of sin. To restore us, make us whole, a new creation birthed out of the greatest love ever known. The price was high but it was worth it to Jesus because His love runs so very deep.

As the Apostle Paul so often wrote, for this reason, because we know of this great love Jesus has for us, how could we not fall in love with Him in return? As sure as His love compelled Him to die for us, our response of love should compel us to live for Him. Not admire Him, not applaud some of His teachings, not show up on the big holidays or once a month. Jesus isn’t a celebrity, we are not supposed to love Him from afar. Jesus is a person. He is the Savior of the world and every mouth that confesses or professes Him to be Lord has a personal relationship with Him. A relationship anchored by mutual love. His love for us and our love for Him.

Falling in love with Jesus isn’t about church attendance, it’s not about tithe dollars, and it’s not about making sure you pray before meals. Falling in love with Jesus means that all of those things and so much more are the overflow of a close, personal relationship with the Savior of the world. A relationship that is activated and sourced by the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. A relationship that bears the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. A relationship that governs every aspect of our lives. Jesus gave everything for humanity. There is no greater demonstration of love than laying down one's life for the object of our affection. Through Jesus, God the Father has led all of humanity to His limitless love, but only you can choose if you will fall in love with Him in return.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me with everlasting love. For finding me worthy of a love that would send Your Son to die for me. A love that washes me clean from all sin so that I might know abundant life, here and now and for all eternity. So today Father, I give you my whole heart. A heart that desires not just to love You as an admirer but a heart that is ready to fall more and more in love You, my God, my Savior, the Lord of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

DAY 19

IN CHRIST

DR. MIKE KITSKO, EMD DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT

Everything in our world feels like it is speeding up. Hartmout Rosa, a German social theorist, writes about why we feel like the world seems to go so fast. He calls it the acceleration of time and goes on to explain why the acceleration of time will not be slowing down unless we consciously choose an alternative. Each year feels much faster than the previous. We feel like every task must be done faster. We feel like each year requires us to be more innovative. It is harder and harder to keep up.

The result: we feel like each year we must do and accomplish more in what feels like significantly less time. If you produced 5% last year, then next year better be at least 6%. Each year, the refrain is: do more, do it better, and do it faster. We are stuck on a perpetual treadmill. The treadmill is speeding up. The treadmill’s angle is increasing. There does not seem to be an end or rest in sight. The treadmill is wearing us out. We are tired. We are exhausted.

The warp speed of modernity undermines the sense of a core identity and forces persons into places and spaces where they juggle and manage multiple identities: a work identity, a school identity, an online/social media identity, a family identity, a church identity, and others. It is a complex phenomenon. However, it is my contention that the more we feel forced to juggle and manage, without space and time for reflection, the less and less we reflect Jesus. With all my heart, I want us to reflect Jesus as the core of who we are. WE ARE IN CHRIST.

Desires form the core of our identity—as persons, families, and churches. Phrased differently, the core of an identity is explicitly reflected by how we express our desires. Why do we have to juggle and manage multiple identities? Our world demands it. To keep up with the warp speed, we are forced to present multiple identities. Furthermore, when we don’t present fast enough, we feel like we are falling behind. When we feel behind, it will not be long before we also carry with us a deep sense of dissatisfaction, a just-under-the- surface anxious spirit, and even a sense of depression and hollowness. It is the angst of the age. (For clarification: the reference here is not about clinical/medical anxiety and/or depression for which medical help is available.)

In John’s Gospel, chapter 1, two of John the Baptist’s disciples begin to trail Jesus. Jesus then turns to them and probingly asks each of them to express their core desire, “What do you want?” Furthermore, how those followers answer Jesus’s question allows each of them the opportunity to name and model—concretely and specifically— their desire. They answer with words, “Where are you staying?” They also answer with their bodies. They embody following Jesus, ‘they went... they saw... they remained.’ We live out, reflect the desires of our heart, by the ways we use our bodies. What does your body usage reflect about your desires? Does it reflect your followership of Jesus? Does your body reflect Christ’s Lordship?

Notice what Jesus did not ask. Jesus did not probingly ask about their knowledge or beliefs. It would have been easy, simple, linear to simply ask John’s disciples, “Do you believe in me?” They could have answered, “Yes” and gone their own way. Jesus was more concerned with who those disciples could become when their desires aligned with Jesus’s desires for them. Jesus wants disciples who are all in, surrendered, and ready to go wherever He leads. He wants followers who will remain with Him. Those who go where He goes and remain where He stays will have their desires shaped by Him. They will begin to reflect Him into the dark and broken places of the world.

Many of Jesus’s questions in scripture are variations of “What do you desire?” Jesus often probes, examines, and searches for a person’s core desire by using questions like, “Do you want to get well?” or

“What does that have to do with me?” or Do you love me?” Jesus, the One who knows the number of hairs on our head, is more concerned with who we are becoming. Theologian, James K.A. Smith, says that Jesus’s ‘what do you want’ question is the central and fundamental question of Christian discipleship. Because the answer shapes and forms our priorities, agendas, practices, use of time, habits, and more. The answer reflects our character.

In our warp speed world, Jesus still asks each of us, “What do you want?” May your answer reflect the purpose, power, and presence of Jesus in your life.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, today I praise You for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I want more of Him. Father, would You reveal to me any area of my life that I have not given Jesus full Lordship over. Give me the heart to lay it all at Your feet, fully surrendered to the purpose, power, and the presence of Jesus. Every day of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

DAY 20

DISCOVERING OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

STEVEN DEMICK, WORSHIP PASTOR

How do you identify yourself? When confronted with the question of identity, we frequently respond with tangible, external markers: our careers, nationalities, familial roles, or accomplishments. We might identify ourselves by our income, the cars in our driveway, the assets we’ve accumulated, or our social status. Not all of these things are inherently bad, but we need to ask the question: do they speak to who we are at the core? What if our true identity is rooted in something much more meaningful and real?

In scripture, the Apostle John repeatedly identifies himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Instead of describing himself as a trained fisherman, one of Jesus’ closest confidants, or a prominent leader in the faith, John reaches for a better and more accurate description: the disciple whom Jesus loved. John 13:23 speaks to this affectionate relationship as the beloved disciple leans against Jesus’ chest while the other disciples engage in conversation. Overall, when describing himself, it’s clear that John doesn’t focus on the external markers like his career, his social status, or his accomplishments. Instead, his most accurate characterization lies within his relationship with Jesus.

Similar to John, the truest identifying factor of your life can be your relationship with God! In fact, I believe that God is calling you and me into new depths of intimacy, where the source of our identity is found in Him, not in the worldly or lesser things in this life... where we are satisfied in His love, where we’re led and drawn in by His Spirit, where we discover our purpose and calling in this life, where we recognize the authority of Jesus in our lives, like Paul declared,

“not I who lives but Christ in me.” But how do we get there?

The solution is straightforward: draw near to God through prayer. Leonard Ravenhill once stated, “One place alone will keep the heart in passion and the eyes in vision—the place of prayer.” Do you want a thriving, flourishing, passionate relationship with your creator? If so, do you pray? I don’t mean token prayers or brief requests that you would be safe praying in a car ride or that God would bless a meal, although these prayers aren’t bad. Rather, are you spending intentional, extended time alone in God’s presence? It’s in this place of prayer that we can open up our hearts to Him, soak in His Word, and be filled afresh by His presence. It’s in this place where our hearts are aligned with our Father’s heart, ultimately centering us in his divine love.

Spending time with the Lord is the only pathway to uncovering our spiritual identity as children of God. Like the Apostle John, when we seek Him, our focus shifts from external markers and onto the truth about who God is and how he feels about us. We can come to a place where our relationship with God is central and everything else is secondary. No longer do we need to define ourselves by external markers or worldly expectations. Instead, through prayer and intimacy, we discover our identity as beloved children of God.

PRAYER

Lord, today I acknowledge the truth that I can only find the true source of my identity in Your presence alone. Nothing and no one defines me except for You. You are my Father and I am Your child. Today, I choose to create a rhythm of intimacy, intentionally seeking You every day. Help me to prioritize extended time in Your presence because I know that You are everything that I need and more. I love

You, amen.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. —Matthew 7:7

DAY 21

WHEN PRAYER BECOMES OPTIONAL

JOHN MACDONALD, LEAD PASTOR

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and

mighty things, which you do not know. —Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)

When prayer is viewed as optional, the Church becomes passive. The lack of prayer in the Church has taken a massive toll on the advancement of God’s kingdom. What God does and how God moves are in direct response to the prayers of His people. When God’s people fail to pray, a vacuum of spiritual maturity, ministry, and discipleship sweeps through the Church, sucking the very life out of it. Not to mention the poverty of power that is all too evident. What remains is strife, conflict, division, sin, and a selfishness that causes people to think church is all about them.

As the Church we have lost so much ground and influence over our communities and cities the past several decades due to our prayerlessness. Let me remind you of the words Leonard Ravenhill writes in his book, Why Revival Tarries:

Poverty-stricken as the Church is today in many things, she is most stricken here, in the place of prayer. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.

This statement is true! When we fail to pray, we will fail at everything else because everything will be done in our own wisdom and strength instead of through the power of the Holy Spirit.

What has robbed us of this most sacred of calls, the call to pray? When church leaders see prayer as an alternative rather than a necessity, the people will blindly follow. This comes from the thought that “God is going to do what God is going to do whether I pray or not.” This is simply another lie from the pit of hell that our enemy feeds us in order to stop us from praying. The truth is God has chosen to move and work through his people. When God’s people pray, heaven moves, but when we fail to pray, we actually give our enemy an opportunity to advance his cause. There is no kingdom resistance when we fail to pray. Without heavenly resistance, the Church and its people become the enemy's playground.

What we have to understand is that Satan hates prayer and will do whatever he can to dislodge it from our lives. Take a quick glance at our culture today, and you can immediately see that the enemy has us running here, there, and everywhere so that we will avoid prayer. Why? Because it is the one thing that has the power to defeat every one of his schemes and tactics. We are a busy culture. We have meetings, work, lunch appointments, and hobbies to attend to. We have kids in dance and sports, with many performances, practices and games to attend. We have families, friends, chores, pets, and other duties to attend to as well. With all this attending, we have no time left to attend to the Lord. So we don’t. Prayer is the first to go when it should have been our first response of the day. Lord Jesus, forgive us!

Pastor Ronnie FLoyd, in his book How to Pray, said there are two major statements about prayer that we must understand: “Prayer occurs when you depend on God, and Prayerlessness occurs when you depend on yourself.”

Todd Smith wrote in his book Unless We Pray, “The prayer level of the church determines the fire level in the church. That is why some churches are cold and frigid—no prayer! No Fire!”

Individually, we have to fight for time in prayer and make it a priority once again. Corporately, we must build our church from the place of prayer. Building from any place else leaves us deficient and lacking. Let’s not forget that the early Church was born out of a prayer meeting (Acts 2). Peter was supernaturally walked out of prison by an angel when the church spent the night in prayer (Acts 12). A great earthquake came when Paul and Silas were praying in prison, and the doors to their cells flew open (Acts 16). When the believers pray, it releases God’s will; it releases heaven to invade the earth. Oh, the revival that would be unleashed in the world if the Church and God’s people would give themselves to prayer once again.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, forgive me for placing so many trivial and unimportant things before my relationship and intimacy with You. I confess my failure to put You first in my life, to put You first in family, and first over all my life. I commit to radically carve out time to meet with You every morning. And as I meet with you, may the discipline of getting up early be transformed into a hunger for You that causes me to long and cry out for more, amen.

DAY 22

BRINGING HARMONY TO GOD’S WORD

DR. LINDA BYNUM, EMD DISTRICT SECRETARY

Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray. —Luke 5:16

When I was a child, I wanted to play the piano. My piano teacher would have me practice scales, which was not nearly as fun as playing compositions, elementary as they first were. Up and down, over and over, both hands moving across the keyboard. I learned there is something called muscle memory where the repetition, though often tedious, eventually created a seamless flow from brain to fingers as they danced across the ivories. An important discovery came as a result of being away at college and the piano. I did not lose all I learned. Intentional practice and time would restore the connection of the brain to the digits.

There is a correlation between the discipline of practice that translates powerfully into our spirituality. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”) or Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2 do not magically flow from the novice pianist without many hours of intentional discipline and practice. There will be misplayed notes, fluctuation in meter, and awkward dynamics before the budding musician graces a concert hall. When it comes to our relationship with God, we may talk in terms of “Practicing the Presence of God.”

Years ago, one of my professors challenged our class to spend thirty minutes a day listening to God. Not Bible reading or in intercessory prayer, just listening. That was the only instruction received. I discovered how to create an environment conducive to listening. Setting a specific time and seeking God’s help to be faithful to our time together would communicate the value I give to the relationship. Learning to manage distractions was my second challenge. I keep paper and pen nearby in case something important comes to mind. Jotting a note prevents this thought from hijacking time with my Father and assures me I will not forget it. Much like Eli instructed the young prophet in 1 Samuel 3, I began with “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” I expected that if I did it “right,” I would hear God. I slowly learned that instead of “getting my marching orders,” my Father enjoyed my presence and desired that I would get caught up in sweet communion and relish His presence.

Picture Genesis as God creates Adam and Eve for relationship with Him and one another and pure enjoyment. The love and communion the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit experience is what our triune God has invited you and me into. The God of all creation desires community, company of mutuality, and love with us. Daily intentionality and practice are the keys to becoming our best selves. As the community of faith, it is the very thing that will shape us into the healthiest body of Christ (Church) that will embody and mirror Jesus to the world. The more intimately we know God, the more our understanding of who we are as created in the image of God begins to shape all our relationships and heal our brokenness.

We are the beloved of God, not by our own merits, but by God’s gratuitous love. Jesus showed us how to live as the beloved. It flows from the time spent in the presence of God. Take note of these passages we often quickly read over. “Jesus went out on a mountainside to pray,” (Luke 6:12); “he went to a certain place to pray,” (Luke 11:1); “very early in the morning, when it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went to a solitary place, where he prayed,” (Mark 1:35); “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray,”(Luke 5:16). Let us keep practicing the presence of God. The beautiful music we experience is the restoration of God’s creation! As Lovers of Jesus, empowered by God’s Spirit, our practice of His presence produces harmony and expands the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. All begins in God's presence.

To commune in the divine presence and allow God to heal our union with God is to move toward the restoration of the divine image in us shadowed in the fall. Humanity is not now, after the fall, any less created In the image of God. Humanity’s understanding of their identity was marred in the fall. Perhaps more adequately said, our true identity has been ontologically (nature of our being) disrupted and distorted. In relationship with the One who made us, we can discover who we are and, preliminarily more important, whose we are. The key to being and becoming is to commune in the divine presence and allow God to reform what it means to be created in the imago Dei. Value and identity emanate from this relationship, from knowing ourselves as the beloved of God.

PRAYER

Father, remind me that prayer is not filling every moment with words. Sitting quietly, enjoying your presence, or strolling outdoors and marveling at all you have fashioned, appreciating the vastness of your creativity, is living in deepening awareness of Your presence. As Your beloved, living in ever-deepening intimacy, fashion my heart to beat in harmony with Yours. May my passions be Your passions. May my life bring life to others and glory to You, my Lord and my God, amen.

DAY 23

WHAT IS JESUS WORTH?

MATT CIARMITARO, YOUTH PASTOR

Consider this sentence: You were made to be led by your Creator, not your cravings.

This simply means that who we follow is more important than what we want. In other words, God may lead us in a direction that is contrary to our desires. What then? Do we still follow Christ if His leadership clashes with our goals, dreams, habits, or lifestyle?

I guess it depends on what you think about the leader. It depends on whether you truly value Him or not. It’s easier to follow a leader whom you value, respect, and admire. There are leaders in my life I would be willing to sacrifice for, because of the relationship we have together. I have built trust, believed in their vision, and in many ways benefitted from their leadership in my life. Whether out of genuine agreement or a sense of obligation, I would be willing to sacrifice to follow them. I hope you have people like this in your life as well.

When it comes to Jesus, where do you stand? As for me, I want to trust and value Jesus so much that I unquestionably follow Him no matter what.

As I have studied the scriptures, I have become fascinated with the language Paul uses to describe Jesus as he writes to the churches. In the book of Ephesians, Paul constantly talks about Jesus with the most grandiose and valuing language imaginable. Take a look.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. —Ephesians 1:7

You were marked with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance... —Ephesians 1:13–14

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people... —Ephesians 1:18

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. —Ephesians 2:6–7

Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ... —Ephesians 3:8

I pray out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being. —Ephesians 3:16

Did you catch that? Glorious inheritance... Incomparable riches... Boundless riches...

I don’t think these are coincidences or literary tools. This is the way Paul views Jesus. If you viewed God like that, wouldn’t you follow Him no matter what!? The attitude that Paul has is the same one that Jesus talks to us about in the parable of the field.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. —Matthew 13:44

When something holds the highest value in your life, the cost is inconsequential. It should be our absolute and complete joy to give our lives to God. And instead of thinking we are doing Him a favor, we should look to the “boundless riches” that we receive in return.

My challenge to you today is to begin to develop a deeper value for who Jesus is. Does his grace and mercy still blow you away? Even in these moments, are you still awe-struck that you have an audience with the creator of the Universe?

PRAYER

Jesus, may my attitude, my language, my energy, and my efforts reflect a testimony that has discovered You as the most worthy treasure there is. May my affection for You increase. Will my longing for You come from an appropriate understanding of Your matchless worth? May my heart dwell on Your goodness and appreciate all that You have given me. May my heart radiate with joy knowing that in You I have everything I need. Give me a Spirit of contentment. Like Paul, may “I count everything”!!!

DAY 24

ATTENTION SPAN

JENNY NITZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A few years ago, my daughter Mackenzie was reading a book that she suggested to me—The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. Immediately, I dismissed the thought of reading it, knowing I would be convicted because of the amount of hurry that was in my life... so I put it on my “to read” list. This past summer I ordered it, feeling like it was time to face some of my internal struggle and looking for a reprieve in the constant hustle and the noise in my mind. In one of the beginning chapters, the author talks about our attention span as Americans:

Cue a terrifying trend: our attention span is dropping with each passing year. In 2000, before the digital revolution, it was twelve seconds, so it's not exactly like we had a lot of wiggle room. But since then it's dropped to eight seconds. To put things in perspective, a goldfish has an attention span of nine seconds. Yes. That's right. We're losing to goldfish.6

What you choose to give your attention to is who you become. I look back and think I've wasted my attention on so many worthless things, things that don't matter in the Kingdom of Heaven. I often say that people have money for the things they choose to spend it on, but the same can be said about our attention. We have an abundance of time and attention at our disposal that we decide how to spend. We can choose to get up early and spend time with Jesus or sleep in. We can choose to listen to worship music or waste time watching Netflix. We can choose to read our Bible or not. We make a conscious decision about the amount of time we give Jesus everyday. Our time is such a precious commodity, yet it is so often wasted on things that aren’t important to Jesus.

The devil doesn’t need to destroy us if he can just distract us. Most distractions are not bad things, but they’re enough to take our eyes off Jesus. As long as our attention isn’t on Jesus, the devil doesn’t care what it’s on. Distraction has always been one of the enemy’s tactics, but the availability of constant distractions is exponentially growing. The more accessible distractions are, the harder we have to fight against them. There are so many things vying for our attention... and then we keep losing to goldfish.

The way we choose to live at times is so contradictory to what Jesus has called Christ followers to. In Matthew 11, Jesus says,

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

We were not meant to live the chaotic, unsustainable pace that we often see around us. Our attention is meant to be fixed on Jesus. In Him alone, we find the rest that our souls so desperately desire. Give Jesus your attention today—over and over again, turn your attention towards Him.

PRAYER

Jesus, You deserve all my time, all my attention and are worthy of all praise. I confess that I am often distracted by things that don’t matter and want to be better at focusing on You. In You alone will I find rest for my weary soul. Thank you for Your promise that says Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light—I will cling to that! I pray for a hunger that cannot be satisfied anywhere else but in Your presence and that my eyes would be fixed on You. Jesus, You are so good and so faithful, amen.

DAY 25

A SPIRIT OF WISDOM

ROB MCCORKLE, EVANGELIST

The apostle Paul prayed for believers in Ephesus to have a spirit of wisdom (Ephesians 1:17). Wisdom is divine reasoning. It’s possessing heavenly solutions for earthly problems. Wisdom indicates that our minds are being influenced by the Spirit of God; thus, enabling us to think and reason with the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

In the second chapter of Corinthians, Paul was contrasting two types of wisdom: the wisdom of men and the wisdom of God. People often speak of being “street wise” as if possessing earthly wisdom is advantageous. James, however, says wisdom that doesn’t come from above (heavenly wisdom) is “earthly, natural, demonic” (James 3:15). The wisdom from above is sourced by the Holy Spirit.

In the Old Testament, mankind was limited in receiving wisdom. The Spirit of God would come and reveal insights to His people, but it was only a momentary interaction. The Holy Spirit was yet to be given to God’s people. Consequently, Paul said their eyes really didn’t see, their ears really didn’t hear, and their hearts couldn’t begin to imagine the wonderful things God had prepared for them (1 Corinthians 2:9). Their revelation of God’s wisdom was limited.

Over the years I’ve heard teachers use this verse in funeral services and then proceed to state that their recently departed loved one was now in a heavenly place, able to receive profound spiritual truths. While there is little question that things will be revealed to us when we step into eternity, that isn’t Paul’s point in 1 Corinthians 2:9. He was contrasting believers from two different covenants. Presently, in the New Covenant, we have access to the mind of God through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.

Paul continued,

“But to us God revealed them [things our eyes never saw, ears never heard, and hearts couldn’t imagine] through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10).

Note that phrase, the Holy Spirit searches the depths (bathos) of God. This word refers to the deep, profound wisdom hidden in the mind of God. The Holy Spirit is like the ultimate Google search inside God’s mind, and when the Spirit discovers these incredible truths, we have access to that wisdom and insight through the Spirit. In fact, Paul went on to write, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).

Believers should be the most wise, creative, and productive people on the planet because of our relationship with the Holy Spirit. This doesn’t mean we don’t study, read books, or go to school. Nor does it mean we’re in competition with other people. However, because of our relationship with the Spirit, we should have an edge on those who only have the spirit of the world. In fact, this should give us purpose for why we’re alive. Perhaps the Lord has placed you in the assignment you’re in so that you can be the instrument of change through divine wisdom.

I recently heard the story of a man who owned a car parts store years ago. The company grew rapidly, but their computer program was limited and unable to track parts, discounts, and sales. It was hurting their relationship with clients who wanted to order large quantities of parts. They didn’t have the resources to purchase a larger program, so they sought help from the program designers. Still, no solutions. After many months and the loss of clients, the owner asked the Holy Spirit for a solution. That night the Lord spoke to him in a dream and gave him a set of numbers and symbols that looked like computer codes. He woke his wife up and they went to the parts store and typed in what the Spirit revealed to him. And to everyone’s surprise, they redesigned a program that more than fulfilled their needs.

Another person who ministered in Africa developed an irrigation technique, inspired by the wisdom of the Spirit, that delivered water to growing vegetables so that an entire village could be sustained. Still, a friend of mine was inspired with a set of directions early one morning. And when she followed them, they led her to a hospital 90 minutes away. When she pulled into the parking lot, the Spirit gave her an image of a woman with an orange sweater in the waiting room. As it turned out, her husband had a heart attack while they were on vacation, and they were miles from home. She sat alone and afraid until my friend walked in and ministered to her. How did that happen? Her mind was inspired with heavenly insight through the Holy Spirit.

Kris Vallatton wrote, “The truth is that if we don’t take our rightful place in the earth, we relegate sinners void of the mind of Christ, barred from the wisdom of the ages, and wandering in utter darkness to being the most brilliant minds of our time.” We are the best hope to bring transformation to our world. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). Light penetrates darkness; it brings clarity, revelation, direction, and hope. Without light, mankind will continue to walk in perpetual darkness.

Heavenly solutions are without limits, and God wants to inspire your mind with divine answers to meet the complex problems surrounding you. He wants to give you kingdom strategies to reach your community and city for Christ. He wants to give you insight in raising your children. He wants to enlighten your mind to complete difficult assignments, solve relational problems, and unravel financial concerns. Wisdom is available by yielding to the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

Don’t be overwhelmed or fearful. Don’t fall prey to intimidation or insecurity. Your mind is being sourced by wisdom from above. You are in perpetual training in the school of the Spirit. What’s in God’s mind can be made known in your mind.

PRAYER

Father, I pray for a spirit of wisdom. Open my mind to divine insight. Inspire me with heavenly solutions to earthly problems.

DAY 26

CAPTIVATED

NIKKI CATHERINCCHIA, TEACHING PASTOR

Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods. The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens! Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty fill his sanctuary. —Psalm 96:4–6

The old adage tells us that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In essence this means the standard of beauty is actually not objective at all but rather set in the mind of the one who observes it. As someone who has a deep appreciation for art, I absolutely understand this. Walking through the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, it quickly becomes apparent that in the sea of artistic offerings, what might be beautiful to any given visitor varies immensely. Some eyes are drawn to the abstract, while others long to see a statue in all of its marble or bronze glory, and yet still, there are the ones who look upon the softness of watercolor and gaze in wonderment. At the Met, like in any renowned museum, one can find countless masterpieces from a multitude of genres. Pieces that have garnered the kind attention that makes it sought after. Leaving many novices, like myself, to wonder what truly makes a piece of art a masterpiece? What deems it worthy of the adoration of generations? Why do we still revere such pieces as the Mona Lisa? Simply put, we are captivated by their beauty.

When the Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in the 1500s, his contemporaries and the masters who came before him had failed to capture a photorealistic portrait of the human face. They struggled to paint shadows correctly and could not illustrate perspective or contrast light. Therefore, paintings prior to the Mona Lisa had a distorted representation of their human subjects. What DaVinci had that the others lacked was an understanding of light. His use of light chipped away at the distortions that up to that point had robbed the human image of what it truly looked like. It was his use of light that brought the beauty of his subject to life. The result was a painting that has captivated its beholders for centuries.

However, as accomplished as Leonardo DaVinci was, he is not the greatest artist of all time. The Mona Lisa is not the greatest artistic accomplishment ever documented. Not even close. God is actually the greatest artist of all time...the Author and Creator of the greatest masterpiece ever known. Creation itself illuminates the glory and majesty of God’s artistry. All throughout the Scriptures we find anthems of praise for the beauty of God’s handiwork. Captivated by all that God has done, the human heart longs to sing out praises to the One who created such breathtaking sights and authored such mighty deeds. But what was God's recipe? What is in the secret sauce of God’s creative process? Well, Mr. DaVinci wasn’t the first one to discover that true beauty can only be conveyed through a proper understanding of light. As we open God’s Word, we find that the canvas God worked upon was completely blank. Genesis chapter 1 tells us:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. —Genesis 1:1–5

With the absence of light, everything is empty and formless. In the darkness the true beauty of creation could have never been realized. Therefore, God begins to stroke His artist’s brush with light. Into creation He speaks everything into existence based upon the truth that light is necessary to not just survive but to thrive. Light dictates the movement of the oceans, it breathes life into vegetation, it illuminates the majesty of all creation. Light sets all things right; it is the starting point and the sustainer of all life.

However, sin plummeted humanity back into a darkened existence: perspective lost and struggling to understand the contrast of light because darkness rules where sin lives. Ultimately, the lack of light reduces us to a pre DaVinci existence, where every depiction of humanity is distorted and less than what we were created to be. Yet, the God who began painting His masterpiece with light returns to Light again to restore our beauty.

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. —John 1:1–5

The words in John's Gospel remind us that it is in the Light, Jesus Himself, that we find perspective again. It is in Jesus that we are no longer distorted by sin. It is in Jesus that we can walk in the fullness of light and the abundance of life.

When we read the Apostle Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago

(Ephesians 2:10),” we must be careful of what captivates our hearts. Yes, we are God’s masterpiece, but as such we must never become captivated with ourselves but rather with the One whose beauty radiates in and through us. As we read the pages of God’s Word, as we walk along the white sands of a shoreline or marvel at a sunset, as we hear the cry of new life or gaze upon the marker of a life well lived, as we stare in the mirror and see a reflection that is no longer distorted by sin but one crowned in grace and mercy, what captivates our hearts should be the beauty of our Savior who made it all possible. The One who authored creation, the One who is displayed in creation, and the One who has redeemed creation. It is His beauty that should captivate us.

Beauty is truly found in the eyes of the beholder. Therefore, you must ask yourself, what do you deem beautiful? Is your standard of beauty dictated by the world, distorted and lacking perspective? Or are you captivated by Jesus? You see, to be truly captivated by the beauty of Jesus, you must first behold Him. You must walk through the hallowed halls of the Word that reveals Him. You must sit in His presence, gazing upon Him until the darkness of the world loses its grip and the fullness of His light engulfs you, the power of His artistry taking hold of your senses and moving you to a greater desire to live in His light. This is what it means to be captivated.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, today we sit in awe of You. What You have created; the sun that shines, the vastness of the seas, the mountains that tower over the lush green valleys, the colors that paint the sky day and night. Father, Your artistry is not lost on us. Then we look at our own lives. We stare at the one who was once lost, dead in sin, perspective lost, wandering in darkness. But God! You stepped in and sent the Light of the world to set right all that had been distorted. So today we fix our gaze upon Jesus, captivated by the beauty of the Savior who gave Himself fully so that we might know Your goodness, Your grace, and Your love.

DAY 27

SACRED RHYTHMS

JOHN MACDONALD, LEAD PASTOR

A few years ago the Lord brought heavy conviction upon the staff of The Woods Church and asked us to abandon ship. Why did he ask us to abandon ship? It was because our lives and our ministry had turned into a predictable, mediocre, slow-moving, compromising, comfortable, status quo, cruise ship. The Lord never desired or called His church (that’s us) to be defined by the adjectives mentioned above. Nope, we are supposed to be people who are defined by His presence. Defined by our hunger for more of Him. Defined by our seeking, our asking, and our knocking. Defined by perseverance to stand, persistence to passionately press in, and anointed with power. God called us to be a people of prayer who would fearlessly step into a sailboat, powered by the wind of the Holy Spirit, equipped only with His promises and a willingness to be led out into deep waters. Into uncharted places of deep revelation where we had never been before.

This caused us to change a lot of what we did personally as individuals and corporately as a church. What we had to do was begin to establish new rhythms, sacred rhythms!

The word sacred can be defined: something or someone regarded with great respect and reverence. One of the Greek words used for sacred is actually the word hagios, meaning holy.

The word rhythm can be defined: a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement.

In essence the Holy Spirit began convicting our staff of all the wrong rhythms or the “less-than” rhythms we had set up in our lives personally and in our church. Rhythms that were not yielding fruit. Rhythms that were not drawing us or our people into deep intimacy with Christ. Rhythms that had been established for years because that was just what we had always done. We needed to destroy the old rhythms and start with fresh and new God ordained rhythms if we were ever going to go where God was calling us to go.

It’s pretty easy and quite common to unknowingly establish unhealthy rhythms in your life. We live in a fast-paced, consumeristic, post-Christian culture that will gladly establish our rhythms for us if we are not intentional about establishing our own sacred rhythms.

Think about this picture for a moment. If your life was represented by a boat and you were out in the ocean with no anchor and no fuel for the engine, the current would take you, the waves would push you, and the wind would drive you wherever it wanted. You would end up lost, stranded, or broken up on the rocks.

That sounds a lot like our lives sometimes. We wonder, where is my joy, why am I not fulfilled, how did I get in this mess? Well, it’s because you allowed the fast-past culture around you to set rhythms for you instead of being intentional in establishing specific sacred rhythms for yourself.

One of the most important rhythms you can intentionally set is a sacred time each day to spend with God. All the other rhythms in your life should flow out of this one rhythm. I don’t know what this looks like for you, but I’ll share what this precious rhythm looks like in my life. Over the past 5 years I have been on a journey of spending more and more time with God each day. But this past summer I was really hungry for God’s presence, and it never seemed like I was getting the adequate time I needed with Him. I decided to start a new rhythm and get up at 6:30 am. Now listen, some of you might have been getting up for work at that time, or even earlier, for years. Not me. I am not a morning person at all. But my desire for God’s presence and His voice were far greater than my desire to sleep.

I started setting my alarm for 6:30 am. After 3 days I didn’t even need to set my alarm. I just started waking up excited to be with Him. It didn’t take long before there was a new rhythm established in my life. I would get up, pray, read scripture, worship, listen, pray blessing over my family, and pray blessing over the church. From 6:30 to 8:30 I would do this, then get ready and be at the church for 9:00 am staff prayer which was another hour in His presence. This new rhythm was giving me so much life. I felt like I was discerning God’s will so much more clearly. I was receiving much greater revelation. I was diving deep into His Word, and the Holy Spirit was giving me so many insights that I had not noticed before. All of this took place because I was hungry for more of God in my life and started a new sacred rhythm.

Pause for just a moment, maybe a few minutes, or as long as it takes. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any old rhythms in your life that need to go and the new rhythms that need to be established. Ask the Holy Spirit to be specific with you as you pray. Write down what He reveals to you and how He desires you to proceed. Be committed to the new sacred rhythm until it becomes firmly established in your life.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, forgive me for allowing my schedule and the culture around me to dictate my rhythms in life. Show me what rhythms need to be destroyed and what new sacred rhythms need to be started. The only rhythms I want are those that honor You and position me for great intimacy with You, amen.

DAY 28

YOU’RE DEHYDRATED

JESS CIARAMITARO, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” By this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. —John 7:37–39

It’s estimated that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. When considering this statistic, what fascinates me the most is this: the lack of water in our bodies is in no way correlated to lack of availability to us. Americans have clean water available mere steps away from where we sleep, eat, and bathe. When we go out to eat, we can enjoy an iced-cold cup of water absolutely free of charge. When we walk public hallways, the water bottle refill stations are ready and waiting for us to simply place our cup into position. The water is right there—we just aren’t consuming it. Over time, this dehydration leads to fatigue, brain fog, and ongoing serious medical issues.

Spiritually speaking, we are also tragically dehydrated. Jesus, who is cited multiple times in scripture describing the Holy Spirit as “living water,” is available to all, but we aren’t reaching for Him. We return to the well of His presence on Sunday mornings and return 7 days later spiritually depleted. When we are caught in this cycle, it can be very discouraging- leaving us frustrated because we aren’t seeing progress in our lives. Friends, this was my life for far too long, and I can attest—this is not what Christianity is. This imagery of living water speaks to a daily need—an utter dependance—upon Jesus. Just as we wouldn’t imagine going a day without a drink, going through the day without spending time in the Word and in prayer is not an option for those who want life and life to the fullest.

As I was praying through this entry, the Lord led me to three key reasons for our dehydration. Let Him search your heart as you read through these statements, asking if these are barriers in your daily relationship with Him.

1. You’re living life at too fast a pace. Let’s face it—the reason many of us aren’t drinking (literal and spiritual) water is because we are too busy. We are prioritizing what we must do over taking care of who we are. We’re typing one more email, running to one more event, cooking one more meal, and there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Jesus wants you to know that your time with Him will fuel you and empower you.

2. You’re substituting water for an unhealthy alternative. The world is offering you an abundance of other options. Take Coke (or Pepsi) for instance—sure, it’s far more delicious than ice water, but it is terrible for you! It will rot out your teeth, put weight around your belly, and erode your insides (sorry not sorry). The same goes for self-indulgent activities. They are satisfying at the moment, but you're sacrificing your spiritual health. If you have time for Netflix, you have time for Jesus. If you have time to scroll on social media, you have time for Jesus. Jesus is inviting you to swap screen time for scripture. He wants you to experience the unmatched joy, satisfaction, rest and purpose that come from Him alone.

3. You’ve never experienced true hydration. I was walking around dehydrated for roughly 25 years of my “Christian” life. I had a very firm belief system, but I did not have a daily relationship, sourced by the Holy Spirit. Those years, I had no idea there was more! I didn’t know I had yet to experience the true infilling of the Holy Spirit. Maybe you have faith and know about Jesus, but you have yet to experience the indwelling of his Spirit and need to ask. Maybe you’ve forgotten the time(s) He met you in the past. Jesus wants you to know that if you show up at the well (that is, your prayer closet), He will meet you with fresh revelation of who He is.

Jesus is inviting you to live life to its fullest. He’s inviting you to come to the well... the well of His goodness, His love, His mercy, His everlasting life. He’s inviting you to sit at His feet, drink in the truth of His Word, and be refreshed every single day. Can you imagine the peace that would flow out of that time? Can you taste it? Are you longing for it? Come today, come tomorrow, and every day that follows, and watch a new empowered life swell up and burst forth.

PRAYER

Jesus, I confess that I cannot live the calling of a Christian without a daily, consistent, relationship with You. Through Your grace, as Your Word says, let me “taste and see that You are good.” Give me a disdain and distaste for the things of this world. Help me to fall more in love with You and Your ways. Slow down my pace, and help me to prioritize time with You, knowing that You will be faithful to meet me every time. Draw me into Your Presence through the power of Your Holy Spirit. Captivate my heart for You and only You, Jesus. May rivers of living water flow from my innermost being in the name of Jesus, amen.

DAY 29

PREPARATION FOR PURPOSE

NIKKI CATHERINCCHIA, TEACHING PASTOR

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. —Romans 8:28

Have you ever been in a season where you’ve wondered what in the world am I doing? What is my purpose? Maybe you’re new to your journey with Jesus or maybe the season of your life has changed and you’re just not sure what to do next. Maybe you have even stepped out in faith, obedient to what you think God is calling you to, yet nothing is happening. This is the land in between. The time between one significant moment in our lives with Jesus and the next. It is a time that can often leave us questioning. Not necessarily a crisis of faith, but a true bewilderment about the pathway forward or what the next season will even look like.

Several years ago I was at a conference, and my mentor from afar, Christine Caine, talked about the life of King David. I’ll never forget the illustration she used. In a very loose paraphrase she proclaimed that we are a shoot and upload society. Meaning in the day and age of social media, we now take pictures and immediately post them to the social platform or platforms of our choice. We no longer have to wait; we get immediate results. However, that is not how God rolls. Our God, as Christine said, I can call her Christine because while she may not know it, we are friends. Sorry, enough of my fangirl moment. As I was saying, Christine Caine stated that our God is more like a 35mm God. For those of you who remember old school photography and everyone else interested in vintage photography, 35mm was the type of film we once used to take pictures. With a 35mm camera you would take pictures, but then the film would have to be processed. Essentially, the film would be transferred from the camera to a darkroom where the negative was developed to become the picture the photographer intended it to be. THIS is how our God operates. In King David’s life He snapped a picture when David was just a shepherd boy, a picture with the promise that upon development David would be the king over God’s people. However, it took 20 years from the time that David was anointed king to David actually becoming king. This can be called David’s darkroom experience. It was in this time that David fought off the lion and the bear, faced Goliath, served King Saul faithfully, developed a deep friendship with Jonathan, was celebrated by the people, and ultimately became a fugitive hunted down by the very same king he had served. I have to imagine at some point as David was hiding out in a cave, that he must have thought, “Why did You anoint me king, God, if this was going to happen?” Or maybe he thought, “I don’t understand Your will or Your timing God.” Yet, it is here, in the darkroom experience, that God was molding and shaping David, developing him and preparing him for all that God had prepared for him to do. You see David doesn’t become the great king we all read about without the darkroom experience. That is where God prepared him to be propelled into his Kingdom purpose. David trusted God, and God proved that all things work together for His purposes.

When we begin to understand that God is the same today as He was yesterday as He will be tomorrow, we will know that just as God was a 35mm God with King David, He is also a 35mm God with us. The moment we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, the picture is taken. The image of our purpose in the Kingdom of God is captured. Then throughout our faith journey God takes us into the darkroom where He molds and shapes us, developing and preparing us for what He has prepared for us to do. This is a truth I know all too well. I didn’t just wake up one morning thinking, “I think I’ll be a pastor one day.” NOT AT ALL!!! When I first came to Christ, God took the picture. A picture that told the truth found in Ephesians; I was God’s masterpiece created to do the good things He planned for me long ago. I had no idea what that even meant let alone what it would look like. For 18 years I was in the darkroom. God used years of floundering in my faith, my son’s autism, my daughter’s death, and my battle with fear and anxiety to mold and shape me. He was using all these experiences to develop and prepare me for what He had prepared for me to do. Not a single season of waiting, not a moment of struggle, nor the ache and pain of my broken heart went to waste. I chose to trust God, and He used it all to propel me into my Kingdom purpose.

Do you know that you have a Kingdom purpose? Before the world began, God took a picture of His Kingdom, and you were in it. He has a plan and purpose for you. Covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, you are a perfect fit for His Kingdom plan. Even if you are in a season of waiting or uncertainty, you can be certain that God is preparing you for what He has prepared for you to do. The key to the darkroom experience is prayer. You see, what sustained David in his years in the darkroom was his intimacy with God. What sustained me through my years in the darkroom was my intimacy with God. Interestingly enough, when I entered the darkroom, my intimacy with God was minimal. I was still checking off boxes in my faith journey. Go to church... check. Pray before meals... check. Occasional Bible study... check. However, the more I pursued God the more our intimacy grew. The more our intimacy grew the less it became about checking boxes off and the more it became about simply spending time with the God I love. And in it all I was becoming who He created me to be, even though I had no idea what that would fully look like. Through my ever increasing times of prayer, I learned to know the still, soft voice of God, and He began to propel me into His purpose. God desires the exact same thing for you. Today as you reflect on where you are and where you have been, trace God’s handprint in your life. See how He has used and is using all your experiences to mold and shape you into who He has created you to be. Praise the One who does indeed work everything out for His will and purposes.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, today I praise You for who You are, the God who was thinking of me when You created the world. The God who has given purpose and meaning to my life. Father, I see Your handprint all over my life, and I am thankful. Even in the painful and hard seasons, even though I may have to wait upon You, I trust that Your ways, Your timing, and Your plans work all things out according to Your purposes. Thank You for allowing me to be a part of Your Kingdom.

DAY 30

AT HIS FEET

LAUREN GRACA, KIDS PASTOR

“Do you know where to go?”

This is a question I asked my children recently as they started at a new school. As I was about to drop them off for the first time, I asked “Do you know where to go?”

Our oldest son wanted to be on the school tennis team. On his first day of practice, I asked him, “Do you know where to go?”

In Kids Ministry we just promoted children into their next grade. When families checked in for the first time we asked them, “Do you know where to go?”

I was recently at the hospital visiting a loved one after their surgery. When I arrived the volunteer greeted me and then asked, “Do you know where to go?”

I think you get the idea. And if you think about it, this question is a very common question many of us ask or get asked.

What if I told you that in our prayer life (and just life in general), there is one place where we should always go. No matter what is happening in our lives at the moment, we should always find ourselves... here. Whether our time of prayer is full of thanksgiving and gratitude, questions, or anxiousness and fear, we should always find ourselves at this place... The place at Jesus’ feet.

There’s a woman mentioned several times in the Bible, and each time she is mentioned we find her in the same place, at Jesus’ feet. But while we find her at Jesus’ feet, her circumstances are different in each scene.

In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, Jesus is in the home of Mary and her sister, Martha. Martha is working in the kitchen preparing the meal while Mary is found sitting at Jesus’ feet. Martha is frustrated that Mary isn’t helping and even asks Jesus to intervene to tell Mary to help. Jesus' response to Martha is this, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet, soaking in all that Jesus was teaching and saying. She simply desired His Presence more than anything else.

In the Gospel of John, there are two accounts of Mary at the feet of Jesus. In the first account, Mary’s circumstance is much different than from the passage we read about in Luke. Mary and Martha’s brother, Lazarus, had just died. Jesus and his disciples went to Bethany (where Lazarus and his sisters lived) to go see him. Scripture writes that Lazarus had already been dead for four days, and many people had come from neighboring towns to comfort and console Mary and Martha.

When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus,

“Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

“Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

“Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God. Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” So Mary immediately went to him. Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’ grave to weep. So they followed her there. When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

—John 11:20–32

I wanted to include this dialogue between Jesus, Martha, and Mary to highlight the tension and turmoil that the women found themselves in. These women—these sisters, were in deep anguish. They were heart broken, overwhelmed by sadness and grief. Have you ever been there? Have you ever found yourself in this same situation and circumstance as Mary and Martha? I have. And I am sure I’m not the only one. This passage holds a lot of lessons—too many to cover in this devotional, but what I want to draw our attention to is this: Where does Mary go? She runs and falls at Jesus’ feet.

Just one chapter later, in the Gospel of John, we read about another time where Mary is at the feet of Jesus. And once again, there is a different circumstance that we see Mary in. There is a dinner at Lazarus’ house where Jesus is being honored. Spoiler alert—Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead at the end of John 11. This is obviously a huge deal and a cause for celebration. Mary is, once again, sitting at Jesus’ feet. This time however, Mary is anointing Jesus’ feet with very expensive perfume. This image of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet illustrates Mary’s pure love and worship of Jesus. I have no doubt Mary's heart was full of thanksgiving for what Jesus had done for her brother, Lazarus, but also for just who Jesus is.

No matter what circumstance Mary is in, she is found in the same place, at Jesus’ feet. It’s not only when Mary is stressed, worried, or sad. It’s not only when Mary’s heart is full of thanksgiving and praise. And it’s not only when Mary is curious. Mary runs to Jesus and humbles herself before Him every time. Do you find yourself in the same place as Mary? Do you position yourself, surrendering at Jesus’ feet, knowing full well that He is what this whole world is all about? Whether you are in a situation of gleaning and soaking in, praise and thanksgiving, or even in a season of worry, anxiousness or heart-break, may you know where to go. May you run to His feet.

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, first I want to thank You. Thank You for being so accessible to us. It’s Your desire for us to come to You, in all seasons and at all times. We have access to the Presence of God, and we are so thankful. May the stories of Mary be a reminder to all of us, that like Mary we want to be found sitting at Your feet soaking in Your Presence, and praising You. No matter what circumstances are going on around us, You are Lord. You are who we serve. You are with us. You are the One who has been given all authority in Heaven and Earth. When we consider where we should go, may we always be here... At Jesus’ feet, amen.

DAY 31

BIOLUMINESCENCE

JOHN MACDONALD, LEAD PASTOR

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. —Ephesians 6:10 (NKJV)

A couple of years ago, Pastor Jon Nicholas and I were in Belize on a vision tour for a potential missions project. Before we left to return home, we spent a day and night on Caye Caulker, an island off the coast of Belize. As avid lovers of the ocean, when we were presented with an opportunity to do a night snorkel out on the reef, we couldn’t pass it up. Now for those of you that might not know, the second largest barrier reef in the world, next to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, is off the coast of Belize. However, there was one underwater inlet from the ocean through the barrier reef into the calmer waters closer to the island. It was called Shark Alley. That is where we were going to be snorkeling later that night. It was so exciting!

As night came we headed out to the reef by boat. Upon arrival at the reef, we were given flashlights to add to our masks and snorkels, all the equipment we needed to hop into the pitch black water. It was incredible! Jon and I had been out there earlier that day, and the reef was amazing then with all kinds of coral, sea-life, fish, nurse sharks and stingrays. But at night, creatures were out that were not out during the day. We saw spectacular colored octopi, lobsters, and other critters with shades of teals, pinks, purples, blues, reds, and emerald greens. Who knew how alive the ocean was at night.

When we were close to the end of our excursion on the reef, our guide asked us to turn off our lights. Imagine it, there we were, in complete darkness treading water in what seemed like the middle of the ocean. Then our guide told us to look underwater and clap our hands. I thought this request to be a little weird at first. I really didn’t think I would be able to see anything. But when I clapped my hands, the water lit up with tiny living organisms that produced what is called bioluminescence. This was, by far, one of the coolest things I had ever seen. For the next several minutes I would do whatever I could to stir up the water. Snap my fingers underwater, clap; I was doing anything to behold this sight. Everytime I did, brilliant flashes of blues and pinks would surround me. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

When I think back on that experience, I realize that I had heard about bioluminescence before. I knew it was there; I had just never experienced it myself. Sometimes I think Christ followers deal with God’s power the same way. We’ve read that God is powerful; we understand that we supposedly carry His great power through the Holy Spirit. But do we truly believe God’s power is with us? We have heard about it, read about it in God’s Word, maybe even heard a friend or two testify about it. But here we are treading water, not even realizing the power that we have access to.

In Ephesians 6:10 Paul admonishes us to be “strong” in the Lord and in the “power” of His “might.” Before we move on, let me remind you that this verse is talking about God’s supernatural power. God makes this power accessible to us, not only because He has called us to live with it, but because we urgently need it. We need it to face the battle we are in. The reason we are in desperate need of God’s power is to fight the war against all the demonic powers that attempt to come against God’s people. Therefore, if we are in need of it, we should know how to tap into it.

This first word “strong” is taken from the Greek word endunamao. This word describes a power that is given and infused into a believer to give him or her an inward strength. This kind of power is so strong that it can withstand any attack and successfully oppose any level of force thrown at it. According to biblical scholar Rick Renner, this word endunamao was the same word used in classical Greek writings to describe fictional heroes like Hercules who was handpicked by the gods and given superhuman strength to accomplish his goals.

The second word we want to look at is the word “power.” Power is the Greek word kratos, and it describes demonstrated power. In other words, kratos is not some power that someone just believes in or has heard about but a power that has become demonstrative, eruptive, and tangible. This is not a hypothetical power; this is a real power that we can actually see with our own eyes. This is the power that raised Jesus from the dead, the very same power that knocked the soldiers guarding the tomb to the ground, paralyzed like dead men. I bet if you asked those soldiers about kratos power, they would leave you with no doubt that it is real.

This kratos power caused the ground to shake, the rocks to split, and Jesus to be raised to new life. This was a demonstrated, outward, visible power. It is also the same word that Paul uses to describe the power that is available to each of us who is found in Christ, the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit working in and through our lives. And this power, operating in every believer, must be released in order to demonstrate it.

The third word, “might,” comes from the Greek word ischuos. This word describes a very strong, well-built, muscular individual... basically someone you would never want to mess with. However, Paul is not referring to man’s might but to God’s might. The might of God is so powerful that no other force can ever stand against Him.

For just a moment, put this scripture in its proper context. Paul is writing to the people of the church in Ephesus. He is encouraging them to take hold of the strength, power and might that are readily available to them, to live in such a way that would honor God, tear down the strongholds of the enemy, and advance God’s kingdom in Ephesus. It is through prayer, walking in obedience, trusting in the Holy Spirit who lives within us, and understanding the truth of God’s Word that we, as God’s people, are allowed to tap into the kingdom power of God’s might! This is the power we carry. This is power that is available to us. When we pray, as we declare and command according to God’s will and truth, this power is released. The early church in Acts knew all about the power that was available to them, and they used it to advance God’s kingdom. Nothing has changed. We must tap into the resources of power that are available to us through the Holy Spirit and do the same in our day. It's not enough to just read about it or have an understanding that it is there. We must tap into it and experience it.

I don’t want to play with marbles... when God told me to move mountains! —Reinhard Bonnke

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, forgive us for our failure to tap into and use the very power You have given us to defeat the enemy. I declare to You today that there is no power greater in the heavens or on earth that compares to You, Lord. I declare the truth that the enemy I face, though he may look strong, doesn’t come anywhere close to the might and power You carry. Teach me how to press into the Holy Spirit who lives within me. Teach me how to use this power You have made accessible to me to advance Your kingdom and bring You glory. Teach me to walk in Your power and authority through Your

Holy Spirit, amen!

BONUS DAY

RUNNING SHOES

DAVID KRUGER, STUDENT, TWC SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP

Throughout my life, I’ve never lived outside of the state of Michigan. Over the years that I have spent growing up here, only two obstacles have posed a challenge to my enjoyment of this mitten-shaped state: the sheer amount of road construction and the weather. Neither of these complaints is unique to me as a resident, but the latter has personal reasoning. You see, I love going for runs. The sights of nature, the feeling of the wind on my face, and yes, even the physical exertion, all bring me great joy. Yet, from the months of November until early May, it’s truly unbearable to attempt running. The sheer cold burns the skin, your sweat freezes, your shoes become soaked in melted snow, and that list could easily go on. During this large annual window of time, I try my hardest to find alternative methods of keeping myself healthy until late spring arrives.

The time, of course, finally comes when the weather permits me to comfortably run again. However, without fail, my “first run of the year” ends up as a miserable experience. My legs ache, my heartbeat is far too fast for its own good, and I can barely catch my breath. In short, my body is entirely out of rhythm with all the endurance I had built up the previous year. In just a few short months, the miles I used to breeze through become an embarrassing display of slamming on the breaks to catch my breath. After this run, it can be difficult not to become discouraged.

It is conceptually the same with prayer. I have lost track of the times when I have seen my fellow Christ-followers beat themselves up over the instances where they zealously commit to waking up at 4 a.m. to pray for hours a day, only to become overwhelmed in the very first week and ultimately give up on their goal, leaving them feeling frustrated and defeated. Whether we admit it or not, we all want to do it “right” the first time; we want to achieve the perfect amount of commitment, and we want the perfect articulation of all our prayers.

However, the fact of the matter is that our relationship with the Lord is not a New Year's resolution. Our relationship with Jesus, the Suffering Messiah, is not a list to be checked or a goal to be achieved. Our desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit is not a task we can succeed or fail at. When the circumstances and trials of life steal our attention away from our time in the secret place, and we slip from the healthy patterns we established, or if we’ve never established the patterns at all, the notion of creating margin in our day and establishing a prayer life can be daunting.

To combat that mindset, I have only one piece of advice. Simply begin by praying. To borrow the words of Pastor Tyler Staton, “The one non-negotiable rule when it comes to prayer is to show up and keep showing up.”8 When you wake up in the morning, take a brief moment to thank God for another opportunity to seek Him. Praise Him on the way to and home from work. Share your gratitude, burdens, and everything in between. Before you lay your head down to rest, pour out your praise to Him for walking alongside you through all that the day brought. The healthy patterns, the right articulations, and the lengthy intimate sessions of prayer can only begin to form once you’ve committed yourself to simply showing up to your times of prayer. To lean on my previous illustration, I cannot be upset with myself for being unable to run five miles if I don’t daily put on my running shoes and step outside.

The Hebrews writer follows the famous Hall of Faith chapter with this powerful statement,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. —Hebrews 12:1–2

In this passage lies the twofold powerful truth of our pursuit of Jesus. First, we must fix our eyes on Him. More than any revelation or answer we could get out of our time spent in prayer, our strengthened relationship with Him is the ultimate reward. Secondly, we must run with perseverance. When you choose to show up again and again to the place of prayer, it creates a steadfast and enduring spirit within you. Inevitable distractions or challenges will get in the way of your race, but it is in those moments where we choose to seek Him regardless of our reservations or feelings that a beautiful relationship and incredible intimacy are born.

PRAYER

Lord, thank You for the privilege of prayer. Thank You for wanting real, authentic relationships with the creation that You gave your son as a sacrifice to save. In response to who You are and what You’ve done, I choose to seek You. I ask, Lord, that You increase in me a desire to choose to seek You by simply beginning to pray, to shower You with words of worship, to lay out my fears and failures, and to simply rest in knowing that my eyes are fixed on You. I ask, Jesus, that these intentional times of fellowship between us create in me a greater endurance to seek You further. I love You, Lord, and I thank You, amen.

BONUS DAY 2

STRENGTH IN SUBMISSION

FRANKLIN MCMANUS, ASSISTANT YOUTH PASTOR

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. —James 4:7

Submission is a word many of us are uncomfortable with. The idea of bending our will to the will of another is unbearable. We have often heard the word submission used in a negative context; when you submit to someone, you are losing to them. However, this definition of submission was never God’s intention for the concept of submission.

In this verse in James, we all would like the latter part to happen to us, for the devil to leave us alone. No one wants bad things to happen to them or others, and when circumstances are not going well, we are quick to complain. We want to resist the devil, but sometimes, what we do in actuality is resist God. Maybe this isn’t intentional or spiteful, but sometimes our routine gets in the way, and we have big plans. We might have a plan for every detail of our day or even our life, and submitting to God somehow feels much harder now.

When I was in high school, I attended the Bold Conference in Kansas City. During worship, a girl I didn’t know stood in front of me, and she did something that caught my attention. She kept raising her left hand in worship, singing the songs and praising God. In her right hand was her phone, and she kept looking down at it, texting what I assume was her boyfriend, where she kept sending hearts and messages like “I just wish I was with you.” Her attention was all on Jesus in one moment, and in the next moment, she would look down, taking all her attention away, and putting it on someone else.

This story is an example of being unable to submit our full attention to God; our attention is divided. In one moment on a Sunday morning, our complete devotion is given to God, and then what follows is a whole week of devotion to ourselves. When that is the case, what we are submitting to is the desires of our heart. Submitting to God is no easy task because it requires something from us; it requires us to give up our will and our need to be our own savior.

There are many times in our lives when we struggle with things. In those situations our first inclination is to listen to the second part of the verse to resist the devil. However, We usually forget the first part, to submit first to God. The next verse in this passage highlights the importance of our proximity with God, and when we submit to Him, we are able to draw near to Him.

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. —James 4:8a

What we often try to do when things are going wrong in our lives, when we get devastating medical news, have severed relationships with our loved ones, or struggle with a sin issue, is try so hard to run away from the source of evil. However, we never run in the direction of God, draw near to him, and find our refuge in him. We try hard to avoid struggles in life, but we never focus on submitting our will and situations to God. When we fix our eyes on God and how we can draw closer to Him, we are not just running from something but to something. This change breaks the frustrating, endless cycle of running and allows us to find rest in submission to God.

Today, I want to challenge you to stop whatever you are doing and whatever you might be running from. Slow down today, submit your will and plan for the day to God, ask Him what he wants to do with your life, and listen. If anything is weighing heavy on your heart, try submitting it to God this morning. Talk to God about what you are going through and hold nothing back; be honest with God. When you are all done letting go and submitting, praise Him for allowing you to draw near to Him.

PRAYER

Dear Lord, Search me and know my thoughts. What is Your will for my life? Teach me how to submit my time to You because it is Your time first. I submit to You my day, my agenda, and all of the tasks I have to get done. I give You permission to slow me down and fixate my eyes on You. Uproot any sin or bitterness I may have in my heart; I submit my desire to fix it all on my own. You deserve all of my praise and worship. You are Holy, I love You, and thank You for

drawing near to me today. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.