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WEEK 3
DAILY READINGS
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Day 15 – Monday, January 25: Finish Strong
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith…2 Timothy 4:7
Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish” (Luke 14:28-30 [New International Version – NIV]).
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philippians 4:13).
Thought for the Day: Have you ever started something and not finished it??? Have you started this fast but feel like giving in or have had your moments when you did give in??? Well, as we enter the last week, I want to encourage you to finish strong. The New Orleans Saints football team has been using “Finish Strong” as their motto for this season. Their quarterback (Drew Brees) said that, “We recognized that if we could indeed finish strong in everything we did, we could achieve the lofty goals we had set for ourselves.” We sometimes forget that through the power of Christ that we can do all things. So stay the course and keep on praying.
Day 16 – Tuesday, January 26: Expect your Miracle
So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him (Luke 15:20).
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him (Psalm 62:5).
Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me…(Daniel 10:10-13).
Thought for the Day: God has what we stand in need of ready to be delivered to us. In a baseball game there is a pitcher and catcher. When the pitcher throws the ball the catcher has to be ready to receive. We have to be ready to receive when God throws to us. We must get in the expectation position – even though the enemy will do whatever he can to stop the answer from getting through. Hold on – do not allow frustration or impatience to win out. Stir up your faith – your expectation and believe that God will come through for you. Even after this fast is over keep expecting God to move on your behalf.
Day 17 – Wednesday, January 27: Confess
But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved (Romans 10:8-10 NIV).
So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word (Hebrews 10:23 Amplified Bible).
Thought for the Day: Television shows such as: Perry Mason or Matlock or Law & Order always seem to get the guilty person to come clean or confess their wrongdoing. When I looked up the word confess in Romans 10– confess means “to say the same thing as “faith”. In other words when you say the same thing as what you believe in your heart – you are confessing. What is in your heart? Do your words or what you are confessing match what you believe? We create an environment of expectation by the words that we speak. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. What we speak creates an atmosphere of either optimism or pessimism. Pastor Joel Osteen states, “I am the sum total of what I have been confessing through the years.” What are you believing and confessing today?
Day 18 – Thursday, January 28: Be Strong
Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest (Joshua 1:9).
Thought for the Day: Strong means: physically powerful, robust, sturdy, emotionally resilient, healthy and thriving. I think of the troops that are fighting overseas and how they have to be strengthened in order to withstand attacks that come their way. We also need to be strengthened to withstand what comes our way. So, may you be encouraged and strengthened this day and pray the scripture below for yourself and others that you know. Be Strong!!!
When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources He will give me mighty inner strength through His Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in my heart as I trust in Him. May my roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may I have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May I experience the love of Christ, though it is so great I will never fully understand it. Then I will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within me, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than I would ever dare to ask or hope. May He be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen.(Ephesians 4:14-21 – New Living Translation).
Day 19 – Friday, January 29: Just the Beginning
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (1Corinthians 2:9).
…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6 NIV).
Thought for the Day: The song, “Just the Beginning” by Kurt Carr was playing on my IPOD and I had to play it again because the words are so powerful. Yes, God has done some wonderful things for us but we have not seen anything yet. God has so much more in store for us. We have to take God at His word, that our latter will be greater than our past. Read the words to the song and declare, “This is just the beginning”.
Just the beginning,
There’s so much more, God has in store
Just the beginning,
It’s not the end, this is just the overture
Just the beginning
I know you’re blessed, but you still haven’t seen God’s best not yet
I already know, God’s been good to you,
I already know, God’s been faithful to you,
I already know, He’s done some incredible things,
But I declare, and I decree, I prophesy with authority
You haven’t seen your best days yet,
You haven’t seen your greatest victory yet,
This is Just the beginning.
In your heart you know what God has promised you
Never compromise or settle for less than you do
I already know, the scripture says
Eyes haven't seen the things God sees in you
Ears haven't heard the plans He's planning just for you
Neither has it entered into the hearts of man
All of the good things that my God has in store for you.
Day 20 – Saturday, January 30: Breakthrough is Here
And David came to Baal-perazim, and he smote them there, and said, The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like the bursting out of great waters. So he called the name of that place Baal-perazim [Lord of breaking through] (2Samuel 5:20 Amplified).
Thought for the Day: Breakthrough is an event that causes or marks the breaking down or removal of a barrier to progress. I believe that during this fast you have experienced breakthroughs. Take this day to think about the breakthroughs that you have experienced and thank God for breaking down barriers that have held up your progress and your promise.
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