Prayer and Fasting Week Three
We all have the best intentions and desire to “...break away from our daily routine and wait upon the Lord with greater intensity,” but life happens. Right? Our every thought and action is captivated by a burden we are carrying, and our joy is stolen from within us. We come to a place where we must choose to rely upon ourselves or rely upon God, and if we are ever going to see the undoing of our heavy burdens we must rely upon the Lord.
This week we studied the book of Ezra, and saw where he came to a place where he had the choice to sustain himself or rely upon God. The scriptures say, “And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that He would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled... So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and He heard our prayer.” (Ezra 8:21-23 NLT)
Ezra would later arrive back in Jerusalem, and realize the burden that he was now carrying was not the journey home but rather it was the state of God’s people. Ezra was burden and broken, crying out to God, but remembering God’s faithfulness, saying “...For we were slaves, but in His unfailing love our God did not abandon us in our slavery” (Ezra 9:6-9 NLT)
For you and I, we can be reminded that through whatever we may face, whatever burden we may carry, that in the presence of Jesus burdens are weakened and all of our troubles begin to ease. Jesus says,
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT) God is faithful and Jesus will always be enough.
So, as we fast and pray, be reminded that the goal is to see Jesus, because in the presence of Jesus everything begins to change.
This week we studied the book of Ezra, and saw where he came to a place where he had the choice to sustain himself or rely upon God. The scriptures say, “And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that He would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled... So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and He heard our prayer.” (Ezra 8:21-23 NLT)
Ezra would later arrive back in Jerusalem, and realize the burden that he was now carrying was not the journey home but rather it was the state of God’s people. Ezra was burden and broken, crying out to God, but remembering God’s faithfulness, saying “...For we were slaves, but in His unfailing love our God did not abandon us in our slavery” (Ezra 9:6-9 NLT)
For you and I, we can be reminded that through whatever we may face, whatever burden we may carry, that in the presence of Jesus burdens are weakened and all of our troubles begin to ease. Jesus says,
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT) God is faithful and Jesus will always be enough.
So, as we fast and pray, be reminded that the goal is to see Jesus, because in the presence of Jesus everything begins to change.
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