Day 21 of 21 – Encounter

Scripture:    Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).

Observation:   The prophetic word for our church this year is ENCOUNTER. God desires you to encounter Him, but we must realize He won’t always go to you. As you grow, the ball is in your court. If you want to meet with God, you need to take steps toward Him. Babies require that their parents run to their rescue and give them what they need. Older children go to their parents and ask for what they need. Friends look out for the needs of one another.

Any form of friendship that is one-sided will not last very long. Just like it is unfair for you to expect the other person to do all the work in the relationship (buy lunch, call, text, invite you over, etc.), it is also unfair that we expect God to only meet our needs and we never do, ask, or even think about what makes Him happy.

Application:  

We must draw near to Him by desiring to get to know Him and pursuing that desire through His word, prayer, worship, talking to others who know Him well, etc. As we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us to reveal where our hearts are still disloyal. God is holy, and we can only draw as near as the holiness we pursue (Matthew 6:33).

Prayer:   Jesus, I love You. Thank You for today. Thank You for changing my heart and mind these past three weeks. You have exposed some things about myself that were uncomfortable to see, but I know You do it out of love – to purify me so I can draw closer to You. As we close out this fast, I want to thank You for Your love, mercy, truth, and kindness. May this truly be a year of encounter with You for me, my family, my church, and beyond. Amen.

Prayer Points:

  • Spend some time thanking God for what He has done in you during this fast.
  • The second song is a good one and has some instrumental moments where you can soak in His presence. I encourage you to find a place alone, invite the Holy Spirit, and just be with Him for a while. Part of drawing near is actually drawing near.
  • Get ready for an ENCOUNTER!

Worship: