Day 5: The Good Shepherd

Scripture Reference: Psalm 23; 28:9

The 23rd Psalms is a familiar passage often read at funerals. We are comforted with the knowledge that God is Jehovah Rohi (The Lord is my shepherd). In the Gospel of John, Jesus declares that He is the Good Shepherd. We can be confident that if Christ is our shepherd, then no wolf can snatch us from His hand. 

We have this confidence and comfort in knowing that Christ is our Shepherd, but so often we do not access this great consolation because we don’t want to acknowledge that we are sheep in need of a Shepherd. We don’t want to be known as dependent or immature; rather we want to be identified as self-sufficient. We are busy running around trying to do everything in our own ability. In so doing, we rob ourselves of the peace it is to have a shepherd that cares for us and guides us to still waters for rest and refreshing. 

Spurgeon said that before a man can truly say, "the LORD is my shepherd" he must first feel himself to be a sheep by nature, "for he cannot know that God is his Shepherd unless he feels in himself that he has the nature of a sheep." He must relate to a sheep in its foolishness, its dependency, and in the warped nature of its will.  It is God that has made us and we are the sheep of His pasture. To experience the restoration of your soul, you have to recognize that you need Jesus to shepherd you.

When we recognize that we are sheep fully dependent on Jesus our Shepherd, He not only guides us to restoration, but He carries us. Psalms 28:9 states “Be their shepherd and carry the forever.” Shepherds don’t only walk alongside and guide their sheep, but when they are broken, fatigued, or unable to continue, a Shepherd will carry their sheep. Self-dependency can make us broken and tired and forfeit the opportunity to be carried by a loving Shepherd 

During this time of consecration, embrace being sheep and receive the protection and provision of the Good Shepherd. 

Day 4: Let us Keep to the Point

Scripture Reference: Philippians 1:20

“…My earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed….” We will all feel very much ashamed if we do not yield to Jesus the areas of our lives He has asked us to yield to Him. It’s as if Paul were saying, “My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest— my best for His glory.” To reach that level of determination is a matter of the will, not of debate or of reasoning. It is absolute and irrevocable surrender of the will at that point. An undue amount of thought and consideration for ourselves is what keeps us from making that decision, although we cover it up with the pretense that it is others we are considering. When we think seriously about what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He doesn’t know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point— He does know. Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing only— my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone.

My Unstoppable Determination for His Holiness: “Whether it means life or death-it makes no difference!” Paul was determined that nothing would stop him from doing exactly what God wanted. But before we choose to follow God’s will, a crisis must develop in our lives. This happens because we tend to be unresponsive to God’s gentler nudges. He brings us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him and we begin to debate. He then providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide— for or against. That moment becomes a great crossroads in our lives. If a crisis has come to you on any front, surrender your will to Jesus absolutely and irrevocably.

-My Utmost for His Highest

Day 3: Will You go Without Knowing?

Scripture Reference: Hebrews 11:8

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

Have you ever “gone out” in this way? If so, there is no logical answer possible when anyone asks you what you are doing. One of the most difficult questions to answer in Christian work is, “What do you expect to do?” You don’t know what you are going to do. The only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing. Continually examine your attitude toward God to see if you are willing to “go out” in every area of your life, trusting in God entirely. It is this attitude that keeps you in constant wonder, because you don’t know what God is going to do next. Each morning as you wake, there is a new opportunity to “go out,” building your confidence in God. “…do not worry about your life…nor about the body…” In other words, don’t worry about the things that concerned you before you did “go out.”

Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do— He reveals to you who He is. Do you believe in a miracle-working God, and will you “go out” in complete surrender to Him until you are not surprised one iota by anything He does?

Believe God is always the God you know Him to be when you are nearest to Him. Then think how unnecessary and disrespectful worry is! Let the attitude of your life be a continual willingness to “go out” in dependence upon God, and your life will have a sacred and inexpressible charm about it that is very satisfying to Jesus. You must learn to “go out” through your convictions, creeds, or experiences until you come to the point in your faith where there is nothing between yourself and God.

-My Utmost for His Highest

Day 2: Εγω Ειμι

Scripture Reference: Mark 6:50

In English (ego emi) this short phrase means “It’s me” or “It is as you say” or more literally, “I am” or “Me, me”.  It is the first person singular, present tense of the verb “to be”.  It is used in John’s gospel 21 times, most famously in the seven “I AM” statements (“Before Abraham was, I AM” – ego emi).  In the gospel of Mark, it is used more sparingly and as an expression of self-identification.  In Mark 6:50 as Jesus walks on water, Jesus calms the terrified disciples by stating, “Take heart, it is I (ego emi).  Do not be afraid.”  And again in Mark 14:62 when questioned by the Jewish High Priest as to whether he was the Son of the Blessed (the Son of God), his first words of response were “I am” (ego emi).  These were the same words used by Yahweh-God in the burning bush with Moses, when Moses asked God who he was and how he should identify who was sending him to confront Pharaoh and to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt.  The response to Moses was to tell the people, “I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14).

Admittedly there is some mystery in these words, but Mark mentions Jesus words at key moments where the salvation-drama was high, the contention of his enemies great, the fear of his followers, intense.  Jesus could have answered many ways, but he always seemed to answer, in one way or another, “It is really me – I am truly present”.  In Christ, God is with us.  More than anything else, in a time of prayer and in every other trial of life, this is what God’s people need to know and lean upon ever more deeply, ever more fully.  The bedrock of biblical faith isn’t, “I am somebody” coming from my own lips, but rather, “I Am” coming from His.

-Pastor Ken Keene

Day 1: Hope In God

Scripture Reference: Psalms 62:5-8

Historically, people approach misfortune one of three ways: as an optimist, pessimist, or realist. An optimist looks for the best in every situation, a pessimist sees the worst possible outcome, and a realist sees everything for what it is. 

What is a believer to be? An optimist is too idyllic and not grounded in reality. A pessimist is too defeatist and can border on depressing. A realist is too practical and lacks vision. As a Christian, we can’t approach life as any of these ideologies. 

In Psalms 62, David provides us with the understanding on how we should hope. 

David reminds us that we wait on God alone because our hope and expectation is from Him. We wouldn’t hope for deliverance if we didn’t have the promise from God that He would deliver us. This is not being an optimist. Their expectations is based on wishing for a positive outcome. Our hope isn’t based on our own desires or wishes, but it is based on His promises. 

Our salvation and deliverance rests on Him alone. If redemption was based on my ability, then I would have reason to worry and be a pessimist. I am unreliable, selfish, and have limited resources; therefore, I would expect the worst will happen. However, when your salvation and glory rest on God, I can have hope because His resources, His mercy, and His grace are unlimited.

Verse 8 encourages us to trust in Him at all times and pour our heart before Him. We can acknowledge that the reality of our situation seems overwhelmingly difficult and still trust God. He wants to hear our fears, frustrations, and doubts. The realist accepts the difficulties for what they are and doesn’t think it will get better. The believer recognizes the hardship and takes it to the ONE who is more than able to deliver. 

Having a positive expectation of the year to come or for this time of consecration is hard when there has been a history of adversity. Instead of trying to wish it better, succumb to the negativity, or accept oppression, remember that God is our refuge. Our hope is from Him who is faithful to His word and His children. 

-Sheyonna Watson

21 Days to Breakthrough: Prayer & Fasting Kick-Off

We are so glad you have decided to participate in an extended time of prayer, fasting and personal devotion. There really is no better way to reset our spiritual compass and bring about refreshing in every area of our lives than through prayer and fasting.

This fast was intentionally designed to be flexible so that you can participate at any level. Whether you have done a twenty‐one‐day season of prayer and fasting before, or if this is your first time, you can start where you are and experience what God has in store for you in a powerful way.

The tools provided in this guide are a practical guideline to help you navigate through your personal twenty‐one‐day journey. As you read over the information, please consider how it applies to you and your personal circumstances and convictions.

We pray that you will experience the presence and power of God in an extraordinary way as you commit yourself to Him over the next twenty‐one days. May God continue to bless you and enlarge you as you seek Him first!

Below is our prayer and fasting guide. You can always come back to this post, save this on your device, or print and keep where you will do your study.