DEVOTIONAL GUIDEJANUARY 7-27, 2019

MOUNT PARAN NORTH

Mount Paran North | 21-Days of Prayer and Fasting

From Monday, January 7 through Sunday, January 27 we invite you to participate in a 21-day corporate fast with Mount Paran North. We believe this 21-day prayer and fasting guide will inspire you, move you closer toward God, and better focus your prayers. Each day contains a brief devotional on a passage of Scripture, a question for reflection, and a sample prayer.

Access the 21-Day devotion online at mountparannorth.com/21days or on our church app.

Reason for Fasting

Fasting is a process for developing a deeper relationship with God by temporarily denying oneself something to better focus on Him(II Chronicles 20:3, Ezra 8:21, Matthew 6:16-18, Mathew 9:14-15, Luke 18:9-14). The Bible does not require fasting, but Scripturehighly recommends it for the believer. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God that we are passionate about a closer relationship with Him. It is not intended to punish our flesh or to serve as a dieting method for losing weight. Fasting is a spiritual practice exercised for the sole purpose of deepening our walk with God.

Types of Fasts

Abstaining from food for a time is the most recognized fast in the Bible. There are a variety of food fasts. For instance, the Complete Fast excludes all foods and includes only liquids such as water and juices; the Daniel Fast or Selective Fast excludes meat, sweets, and bread, but includes water, juices, fruits and vegetables (Daniel 10:2-3); the Partial Fast or Jewish Fast is abstaining from any type of food during a certain period of the day like 6 am to 3 pm, or from sunup to sundown.

You may also feel the need to refocus certain areas of life that are out of balance. For instance, you may choose to stop using social media or watching television during the fasting period. Once the fast concludes, you may want to gradually reintroduce it back into your life in a healthier way. This is often called a Soul Fast and is highly effective in combination with fasting food. Ultimately, the type of fast you choose is between you and God.

Prayer and Fasting

Fasting and prayer are often linked together (Luke 2:37; 5:33). Prayer is our most common way to spend time with God, and since fasting is primarily about drawing closer to Him, it only makes sense that we would pray during the fasting period. As we pray to know God better, we can believe Him for specific needs to be met,questions to be answered, or decisions to be made.

At North, our 21-day fast is to believe God for four distinct goals.

We want... • a greater sense of God’s Presence in our worship services. • greater faith as we prepare for God’s future plans for North. • a greater number of salvations. • greater glory to be given to God.

We pray that this 21-day devotional will guide you in this endeavor. As we prepare to move FORWARD together in 2019, let’s go deeper in God, let’s believe God, and let’s watch God work!

Remember, you also may access the 21-Day devotion online at mountparannorth.com/21days or on our church app.

FORWARD | Day 1 | Dr. Kirk Walters

Purpose of Fasting - Humility and Spiritual Growth

Read Deuteronomy 8:3

The first place we find a reference to fasting in the Bible is the book of Deuteronomy. Moses writes Deuteronomy as he is nearing the end of his life and leadership of the Israelites. In his final writing to the people of God, Moses reminds people that God allowed them to go hungry in the desert after He brought them out of Egypt so that He could show them the Lord was their provider. He gave them something so amazing that they did not have a word for it - a food that was previously not known or eaten by anyone else, so they named it “manna.” Manna means “what is it?” When the Israelites would gather these little golden wafers that God sent down from heaven every morning, they were reminded that their daily survivalwas dependent upon the Lord. It is important to note that God would send only enough for everyone to have for that day. If you tried to gather more for the next day, it would spoil overnight. Every morning was total dependence on God. Moses reminds us that God allowed the Israelites to go hungry for a little while so that they would remember their need for the Lord. Fasting teaches us humility by reminding ourselves that we need God every single moment of every single day so that we may grow in the knowledge of who God is and what He wants to do in our lives. It is no wonder that Jesus taught us to pray for God to give us “our daily bread.” Take time today to thank God for His faithfulness.

Reflection Question: In what areas of your life do you tend to forget how faithful God has been?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your provision in our lives.We cannot make it without you. May our eyes be opened today to remember your faithfulness. Amen.

FORWARD | Day 2 | Jon Rogers

The Authentic Fast: Spirit-Led and Pure Motives

Read Matthew 4:1-2; 6:6-18; 9:14-15

In 1995, Oldsmobile introduced the first GPS navigation system in a U.S. produced car. In 2004, Map Quest publicly released its digital directions resource. In 2013, Google purchased Waze, added their social data inputting systems, and drivers gained access to real-time directions.

When I think about how receiving directions have changed, I am amazed. I remember asking my parents, stopping at a local gas station, or trying to interpret the ancient Road Atlas. Methods have changed. What hasn’t changed is our dependence on a reliable source.

In Matthew 4, Jesus was “led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted.” This Holy Spirit leading brought about a painful, butpurposeful experience for Jesus. MacArthur Study Bible comments that “God Himself is never the agent of temptation (James 1:13), but here God uses even Satanic tempting to serve His Sovereignpurpose.”

In Matthew 6, Jesus instructs how to pray and fast. He says things like: “go into your room” (a private place), “close the door” (limitdistractions), “pray to your Father” (talk to God), and “do not keep babbling like pagans” (avoid meaningless words). As it relates to fasting, Jesus encouraged them not to “look somber” or “show others” you were fasting. Instead, we should have a pleasant demeanor and approach it as an authentic time with our Heavenly Father.

In the coming days, you may face the temptation to give up on your fast. I encourage you to seek the most reliable source for direction. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak. Trust Him to guide you along this journey. Reflection Question: Why are you fasting? What are your motives?

Prayer: Holy Spirit, please guide me in and through this fast. Help me to put off distractions, authentically connect with you, and trust you along this spiritual journey. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

FORWARD | Day 3 | Carlos Rising

Power Grab & Attention Grab

Read Colossians 2:23, Matthew 6:16-18

Humbleness is something that is often overlooked when it comes to fasting. During a season of fasting, we as Christians are often tempted with the thought of, “If I’m going to fast, I want people to know it.” While talking to his disciples in Matthew 6, Jesus warns us about seeking attention while fasting. Jesus urges us not to make fasting obvious, for that is an action done by hypocrites with ulterior motives. Instead, we should keep our best appearance in front of others. This act of humbleness is pleasing to our God because he sees our heart, and if that heart is focused on him in secret, he will reward us openly.

Jesus also warns us about using fasting as a way to be more spiritual than others. It can be tempting to treat fasting as a spiritualcompetition of sorts, but Jesus urges us not to imitate others in our prayer and fasting. When Jesus fasted, he had the will of the father in his heart. We must not fast to check off a religious box like the Pharisees; instead, we must fast so we can better understand the will of the Lord for our lives.

Reflection Question: During my season of fasting, what ways can I bring glory to God rather than to myself?

Prayer: Lord, I pray that as I seek your will, I will also seek your ser-vant’s heart and humble attitude. I pray that in my weakness and hunger, I can rely on your spirit to sustain me through this season in public and in my secret place. Let your name be praised and let my name draw attention to you alone, my Jesus. Amen.

FORWARD | Day 4 | Pastor Jason Duncan

“Knowing is half the battle.” G.I. Joe

Read Psalm 69:10

I was born in the 70s and grew up in the 80s and 90s. It was amagical time of mullets, tight rolled jeans, Nike Air shoes, and the best of classic cartoons - Transformers, ThunderCats, He-Man, and G.I. Joe.

Oh, G.I. Joe with its heroes and villains. The evil Cobra Commander and Destro versus all American Duke, Sgt. Slaughter, and squad. Good versus evil, freedom versus tyranny, right against wrong, and that amazing tagline at the end of each episode, “Knowing is half the battle.”

As it turns out, knowing really matters. Author and Psychologist Daniel Goleman talks about self-awareness in his best-selling book, Emotional Intelligence. To state it simply, being aware of ouremotions, thoughts, and propensity to react in certain ways allows us to be proactive in managing our reactions and feelings. Knowing ourselves is half the battle.

In Psalm 69, David shows an understanding of emotional intelli-gence. In a humble, heartfelt song, with his heart bared for all to see, David lists his troubles. And then in verse 10, we learn that fasting has revealed his trouble. Not the best endorsement for fasting, I know, but hear David out. How can we know how to pray, what to submit, where we need to grow, if we aren’t aware of ourweaknesses?

Prayer: God, reveal to me my weak spots. Shine your light on areas of darkness in my life. Bring healing to me and make me aware of both my weakness and your greatness.

As He shines his light on us, may we become more like Him, and more like David, a person after God’s own heart.

FORWARD | Day 5 | Ginny Millen

God Alone Sustains Us

Read Matthew 4:4

Just days after Jesus had been affirmed by His Father at baptism, the devil came to Him to tempt Him. He was alone and hungry during a time of fasting for forty days, and the devil tempted him: “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” But Jesus responded with the word of God from Deuteronomy 8:3: “Human beings do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”

Through the years, even from my childhood, I have seen the prom-ise of God to sustain us played out in my life. In my adult life I have walked through divorce, loss of loved ones, and cancer, to name the big ones. Each event was unique and required varying degrees of trust and casting the care on God, but I experienced the miracle of His sustaining grace in every situation.

As we enter a time of fasting, the anticipation is enough to get us through the initial moments of hunger, but as the days roll by, the excitement begins to fade into the dull ache of lack and de-sire. Much like our everyday difficulties, it’s easy for our attention to narrow in on our uncomfortable circumstances. In the passage Jesus quotes, however, Moses explains to the Israelites the meaning behind their hunger: everything we think sustains us is in fact only a sign pointing us to the sustaining presence of God that carries us through all of life’s wanderings.

Reflection Question: Where is God asking me to depend on Him in deeper ways today?

Prayer: As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? (Psalm 42:1-2)

FORWARD | Day 6 | Pastor Ryan Joiner

Role of Fasting – Balance

Read 1 Corinthians 6:12

Imagine you’re on a childhood seesaw. To experience the funpurpose of the seesaw you need a partner that shares your near equivalent weight. In other words, you need balance. If your partner is a Falcons lineman, then you’ll likely be suspended in the air and paralyzed. If your partner is a small child, you’ll be left grounded and bored. With balance you can experience the intended pleasure of the seesaw ride.

Life and food are like a seesaw. To experience their God intended purpose, you need balance.

Food is a wonderful thing! And because Jesus established the law of grace, all food is permissible for us to eat. No longer do we have to follow the dietary restrictions established in the Old Testament. You can eat whatever and whenever you want. However, that does not mean that you should. If you overindulge, you’ll end up out of balance, unhealthy, insecure, and you will have missed God’s good plans for food. The purpose of food and every good thing in this life is to equip us to love and serve God to the best of our ability.

The spiritual practice of fasting reminds us that we need balance. Not only in our physical lives with food but in every part of our lives from big stuff like work and money to little areas like giving gifts to our children and social media use.

Reflection Question: What is out of balance in your life?

Prayer: God, please allow this fast to balance me out and get me back in line with your purposes and plans. Show me where I’ve overindulged and starved myself. Help me get every area of my life balanced according to your scale. Amen.

FORWARD | Day 7 | Pastor Justin Walker

The Fast that God Has Chosen

Read Isaiah 58:6-7

Perhaps the fasting experience is different for you, but I have a bad tendency to narrow the scope of fasting to its personal experience and effects. I become preoccupied with what I feel called to give up. I pray with an eye toward how the fast enhances my personal relationship with God, and I anticipate spiritual benefits that are tai-lor-made to my sense of calling. Quite simply, despite my sincerestdesires to know and depend upon God, my religious impulse wants nothing more than to commandeer this discipline for my own self-righteousness. In Isaiah 58:6-7, God’s grace paves a way through the barricade of this Christian narcissism. The prophet reminds us that “the fast God has chosen” is not a move inward into preoccupation with my spiritual health but a move outward toward the broken, with whom Christ identifies (Matthew 25:40). “Fasting,” if it is worth its salt at all, crucifies rather than feeds our self-concern. It leads us away from our petty Christian scorecards toward cooperating with God’s Spirit, who, even now, is loosing the chains of injustice and setting the oppressed free. In fasting, we are given a surplus of food and some spare time that we might obey God’s simplest commands: share your food with the hungry, provide shelter to the wanderer, and attend to the needs of our very flesh and blood.

Reflection Question: Whose needs is God commanding me to meet today?

Prayer: My soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation. My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, O LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.” (Psalm 35:9-10)

FORWARD | Day 8 | Pastor Jason Duncan

Fasting for Others

Read Isaiah 58:8-12

I usually fast selfishly. Fasting for me typically boils down to a need to see improvement in my life, to feel closer to God, or to get ananswer from God on some pressing matter. But this is a self-centered approach. What if I could change to an outward perspective? What if my fasting could benefit others?

Isaiah writes of this very thing in our key text. Instead ofself-improvement through fasting, Isaiah describes a fast that is about “others-improvement.” Feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, clothing the naked – these are the activities fasting should initiate in us. These are the activities that will change us into agents of light in a dark world.

This type of fast will bring self-improvement, but not just for our benefit. Fasting in this way transforms us into conduits of God’s love and mercy to a hurting world. Will you join me in an“others-improvement” fast?

Reflection Question: What motivates me to fast? Am I fasting selfishly, or do I have others in mind?

Prayer: Lord, transform me through fasting into an agent of light in this dark world. May fasting initiate in me acts of generosity. May your light in me shine like the noonday sun. Amen.

FORWARD | Day 9 | Pastor David Lewis

Hunger for God’s Word

Read Hebrews 4:12

On one of my first visits to another country, our team spent every morning of our stay at a school compound interacting with kids. The school would make an oatmeal-like breakfast for all of the kids, cooked in a large black kettle over an open flame. It looked nasty but was a staple in their culture and something inexpensive to make. The kids seemed to love it and would wait in a long line to get it. To some, it was their only meal of the day. The Old Testament prophet Amos prophesied about a time of hunger for hearing the words of the Lord. He described people searching desperately for direction but unable to find it. Some people would even faint as a result.

“The days are coming when I will send hunger through the land. But people will not be hungry for food. They will not be thirsty for water. Instead, they will be hungry to hear a message from me.” Amos 8:11

Most of us are hungry to hear God speak when we need an answer or have a problem, but what if we sought a message from God just to hear what He has to say. I know a few people in my life who wake up eager to hear God speak to them, not about personal needs nec-essarily, but just craving the message of God to leap off the pages of their Bible and bring them clarity, wisdom, and understanding. Reflection Question: How hungry are you to hear from God?

Prayer: Lord we ask for ears to hear your word when you speak and a passion (hunger) to pursue You. May the words on each page we read change us. Amen.

FORWARD | Day 10 | Pastor Bernadette Hafner-Moore

Longing for God

Read Psalm 63:1-5

Have you ever been desperate for God to come through? I have. There have been multiple times in my life that I have needed him to intervene on my behalf! More often than not, my cries to God tend to be for what he can do for me, more than for his presence with me. “God! Help! Rescue me!”

In Psalm 63 we see one example of the difficulties David faced in his life. David had been running for his life. He was being hunted by Saul. But instead of calling out for rescue, or the comforts of home, he calls out for God’s presence! His soul is thirsty for God himself!

Wait, what? Saul is chasing him (again) and trying to kill him (again) and instead of asking for an army of angels to come to his rescue, he cries out to God for his presence and his love? It’s as though David knows something that we don’t. God’s presence; an encounter with the love of God, is better than life? And rescue? And freedom from difficulty??

Being desperate for God to “come through” for us is much different than being desperate for God himself. If we follow David’s example and seek the Father’s presence with us, rather than what he can do for us, we will have what we need no matter the circumstances.

Reflection Question: Have you experienced a time in your life when you cry out to God for rescue but instead you receive his offer of relationship? Can you trust his presence with you, before you see his provision for you?

Prayer: Lord, help me to seek you for you in good times and in not so good times. Help me to have eyes to see your power and your glory in every season of my life. Amen.

FORWARD | Day 11 | Michelle Rasey

Listening to God’s Voice

Read Psalm 25:4-5, Proverbs 2:1-5, John 10:27-28

Think back to the time when as a child you first heard about buried, secret treasure or someone striking it rich in the gold rush. There’s something about a treasure hunt that ignites everyone’simagination — the thought of “it could be me.” What if you could find the X on the treasure map?

Proverbs 2 tells us that we should go after wisdom and the instruc-tion of the Lord with the same enthusiasm as one looking for silver or hidden treasure. When someone is convinced that there is a treasure to be found, it consumes them; they will not stop until it is located. This searching for what God has to say to us is active. It’s accepting His words, storing them up, listening for wisdom, guarding it, and crying out to know what He means. It’s all active. God wants us to have the feeling of “it could be me” that identifies the treasure of His Word and can recognize His voice. God isn’t trying to hide like lost, buried treasure. He wants us to know His voice and to find Him.

Reflection Question: Are you active in your pursuit of the wisdom of God and His instruction as one would pursue the X on the treasure map?

Prayer: Pray Psalm 25:4-5 today. Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior,and my hope is in you all day long.

FORWARD | Day 12 | Pastor Justin Walker

Finding Satisfaction in Christ Alone

Read John 6:35

At the beginning of his Confessions, Augustine famously declares, “Nevertheless, to praise you is the desire of humanity, a little piece of your creation. You stir humanity to take pleasure in praising you, because you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you” (I.i.). His words resonate with our experience as followers of Christ, and yet, I wonder if there are few things more dangerous to finding our rest—finding “satisfaction”—in Christ than our growing familiarity of Him. We know so much of Him that we neglect to know Him at all.

In the course of our lives with Him, Jesus wears many different hats: Christ the career counselor, Christ the problem-solver, Christ the eternal insurance policy, Christ the Sunday morning ritual, Christ the moral guide. These roles are wonderful and speak to Christ’s all-encompassing presence in our lives, but few of them necessitate intimacy. They are gifts of Christ, accidental to Him, that demand little satisfaction in Him. Fasting, however, deprives us of the shallow soil of meaningless pleasures that we might root ourselves in the ground of divine joy beneath us. We fast that we might feast on the bread of life (John 6:35). God rescues us from the “lovely things” and re-ignites our joy in him. As Augustine testifies, “You called and cried out loud and shattered my deafness … I tasted you, and I feel but hunger and thirst for you. You touched me, and I am set on fire to attain the peace which is yours” (X.xxvii).

Reflection Question: Where is God leading me to find satisfaction in Him alone?

Prayer: Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me (Psalm 51:12).

FORWARD | Day 13 | Pastor Ryan Joiner

Who is God Seeking to Save in Your Life?

Read Luke 19:10

Humans are wired to share what they like. We tell our friends about the clothing stores, music, funny memes, movies, and evenrestaurants we enjoy. Sometimes we share way too much on social media. We’re like, “Look at my food, accomplishments, cute family, and the fun I’m having! Look at my outfit from this angle, now this angle, now this one, and now be jealous!”

If we like it, we share it. So, why aren’t we sharing Jesus more often? If we believe that God exists, sent his son to die for our sins, rose from the dead to save us from eternal punishment, has made our lives better, and is seeking to save everyone, then it’s time we start talking about Him.

Luke 19:10 follows a story in which Jesus made a bee-line to a notorious sinner in the community and invited him to lunch. Jesus showed us what it looks like to seek and to save the lost. Jesus has now left us with a great commission and equipped us with the Holy Spirit to be his witnesses. Ask, and God will show you who he is seeking to save.

You don’t have to prove the entire validity of scripture to them from step one. You can start by gently pointing them to the biblical eye-witnesses who saw Jesus die and rise from the dead like Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and James. Or, you could respectfully tell them your own eyewitness experience with God. Either way, it’s sharing Jesus!

Reflection Question: Who in your life needs to hear about Jesus?

Prayer: God, show me who you are seeking to save. Give me the courage and the right words to share you with them. Amen.

FORWARD | Day 14 | Pastor Lance Pierce

Love Others with God’s Love

Read John 15:12-14

The lyrics of a famous song tell us, “the greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” In John 15, Jesuscommands us to love others even if it means laying down our lives for them. This sounds so honorable, but why do we often struggle at following through with what Jesus told us to do? I think it’s because it’s not as easy as we assume. Sure, it’s natural to love those who look like us, talk like us, vote like us, and believe like us, but what about the people who don’t? Would we lay our lives down for them? Would we stop everything to make sure they know they are loved, or do we often label them as inconveniences?

Jesus told us that the greatest love is to lay down our lives for others and then he commanded us to love our enemies. He told us to love everyone, even those that don’t agree with us, those that we quietly label our “enemies.” But what if we changed? What would ourcommunity look like today if we all made the conscious decision to love everyone? What if we agreed to stop looking at people as inconveniences and instead searched for moments where we could put our lives to the side and share God’s love with others?

Reflection Question: What are some areas/habits/beliefs in your life that keep you from loving others the way Jesus instructed us?

Prayer: God, help us today to love others the way that you love us. Help us to not view people as inconveniences. Enable us to put our plans and agendas to the side so that we may share your love with others. Amen.

FORWARD | Day 15 | Alyssa Rodriguez

Recognize the Greatness of God

Read Daniel 2:20, Colossians 1:17, Deuteronomy 32:4,Psalm 33:4

Pause for a moment and think about the last time you were stunned by the greatness of something. Maybe it was something in nature - a beautiful sunset, an immense landscape, a thundering waterfall. Maybe it was something simpler - the deep sigh of a sleeping baby, a well-timed “I love you” or “I’m proud of you.” Maybe it was the opposite end of the spectrum - a diagnosis, a loss, a waiting and a longing unfulfilled.

Think about the last time that happened; your breath catches, time stands still for the briefest of moments, you grapple for words to wrap around the situation, but words seem to fall short.

These sacred experiences, these moments in time can give us a glimpse into what it is like to stand in God’s presence. Great and terrible and wonderful and frightening all at once. We can onlyimagine what it is like until we get to experience it. C.S. Lewis in his book series, The Chronicles of Narnia, uses the analogy of describ-ing God as a lion named Aslan who simultaneously creates fear and a longing to draw near to him. One character in the book The Horse and His Boy upon meeting Aslan approached him timidly and stated, “Please, you’re so beautiful. You may eat me if you like. I’d sooner be eaten by you than fed by anyone else.” Aslan replied, “Joy shall be yours.” Prayer: Father God, I recognize that your greatness is more than I can comprehend. Draw me into your presence and reveal yourself as sufficient to meet my deepest needs and longings. I position myself here today to meet with you and to encounter your greatness in a new way. Amen.

FORWARD | Day 16 | Dr. Scott Bennett

Celebrate All that God Has Given You

Read Psalm 100

In verse three, the Psalmist describes the people of God as “the sheep of his pasture.” A shepherd himself, David knew the unique relationship between a shepherd and his sheep – how the shepherd would lead the sheep to just the right pasture where they could eat and drink. The shepherd cared for his sheep so much that he would do anything – even putting his own life at risk – to save and protect his sheep.

How fitting that we would be called “the sheep of his pasture.” But this is no ordinary pasture. And this is certainly no ordinaryshepherd. Our shepherd is the LORD – Jehovah – “the existing one.” All that exists in life finds its beginning and its sustenance in him. Our Great Shepherd provides so much more than physical food and water. He provides all that we need for life, vitality, fulfillment, and joy. God provides for both our physical and spiritual needs. By laying down his very life for us, He becomes our pasture whereby we may feed on him and receive eternal life. He is our bread of life (John 6:35) and our living water that never runs dry (John 4:14).

When we consider all that God provides for us, our only response is to come before him with thanksgiving and praise, celebrating him for his unfailing love and unending faithfulness.

Reflection Question: How would you define your “life” (all that you are, all that you have, all that you are made to be)?

Prayer: God, I thank you, and I praise you for all that you have freely given me. Today I celebrate you and your great love, yourunwavering faithfulness, and the eternal life that I now have in you. Amen.

FORWARD | Day 17 | Pastor Allon Sparks

God is Shaking This World for Revival - Pray and Prepare

Read Haggai 2:6-7 In 1994, Los Angeles experienced a 6.7 magnitude earthquake resulting in 57 deaths and over 8,700 injuries. It did nearly 40 billion dollars in damage and was the worst earthquake in California’s history. It not only changed the lives of countless people, it forever changed the physical landscape of California, and that’s true of any earthquake.

God wants to shake our nation for a great revival. He says in verse 7 that “I will shake all nations … and I will fill this house with glory.” He is telling the Israelites through Haggai that a revival is coming, but for that to happen, there will be some shaking up and it may beuncomfortable. And just like an earthquake, there will be destruction, but He will rebuild stronger. There will be loss, but we will lose those things that hold us back. There will be pain, but pain leads to heal-ing. And, He’s going to do it all just to make room for His glory in us.

If you’re like me, you tend to focus on the downside of earthquakes. But if we take a minute to focus on what God wants to do through the shaking – to make room in our lives for His glory – I think we, much like the Israelites, would be more motivated to prepare for the shaking.

Reflection Question: What needs to be shaken loose in you to make more room for God?

Prayer: God, shake out of me what you don’t want so that I have more room for your presence in my life. When it hurts, comfort me. When I don’t like it, help me persevere. Help me see that it’s for more of your glory in me. Amen.

FORWARD | Day 18 | Doug Westover

The Higher Purpose

Read Haggai 2:6-7

One of my favorite authors once wrote, “Figure out what you’d give your life for, and you’ll know what to give your time to.” Throughout my life, God has often used someone else’s words, pictures, and even nature to speak to me. On that day, He used one sentence from a newly purchased book to start a conversation and to shake something inside of me. God is shaking within me a greater capacity to love other people. I always thought that I did a good job of that, but this whole time I was missing the higher purpose behind it - to lift up the name of Jesus more and more.

We all have something within us that longs to be awakened. But that is only the first step. Like with anything in life, if it’s not used to love Jesus more, it will ultimately feel unsatisfying. If you’ve ever taken Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace course, you know that every dollar of your budget has a purpose. I think the same is true with our actions and words. How much better would life be if we redirected each area of our life to the glory of God? There is no easier place to start than our own house. Are we serving to our fullest capacity? Are we loving others with the higher purpose in mind?

Reflection Question: Is there something in your life that can be maxi-mized for the glory of God?

Prayer: Father, let everything I do bring you glory. Help me to love, serve, and give with greater potential. Help me to become more like Jesus in everything I do. Let me not lose sight of our higher purpose of bringing you glory. Amen.

FORWARD | Day 19 | Mark Rasey

Finders Keepers?

Read Haggai 2:8

When I was a boy in NE Ohio, I spent many of my summer days on the Doan farm with my best friend, Johnny. Our adventurous spirits were much like “Tom & Huck” in Mark Twain’s novel. One day while we were exploring, I found an old silver dime buried near Johnny’s farmhouse. We cleaned it off and discovered the coin was from the early 1900s. It was like finding buried treasure. I will be honest, my first thoughts as a child were to declare “finders keepers, losers weepers!” I had no idea of the origination of this phrase, but it sounded like a good one to use at the moment. The phrase “finders keepers” comes from an ancient Roman lawproclaiming if something is unowned or abandoned, whoever fnds it first can legally claim it. I must have had a Jesus moment because instead of declaring “finders keepers,” I acted on an epiphany. Since I found the coin on their property, I needed to turn the silvertreasure over to Johnny’s mom to rightfully claim as their own.However, when I released the coin into her hand, to my delightful surprise, Johnny’s mom allowed me to keep the coin and take it home! I will never forget her generosity. This childhood storyreminds me of the richness of Haggai 2:8. Our adventurous andentrepreneur spirits may try to take some rightful claim to our pay dirt, paycheck, and treasure, but it all belongs to Him. Reflection Question: Do you have a lifestyle of consistently trusting the treasures God supplies you for his glory, or do you find yourself struggling with saying “finders keepers?”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, let us risk releasing our financial resources back into your hand so we can realize the joy of your generosity! Amen.

FORWARD | Day 20 | Pastor Brett Mayes

Greater Things to Come

Read Haggai 2:9 You know the feeling when you’re the one responsible for making good on a promise? It could be as simple as delivering a pizza in 30 minutes or less or meeting deadlines or quality expectations at work. When we make promises, people are depending on us to deliver. In Haggai 2:9 God said that the glory of the temple that they were to build was going to be greater than Solomon’s temple. Solomon had all resources afforded to a ruling king undertaking a grand project. In Haggai’s time, this ragtag group of returning exiles didn’t have many fine things with which to rebuild the temple. But God made good on his promise. Some 400 years later, we can read about a greater glory in this rebuilt temple. Time and time again the gospels inform us of Jesus’ ministry and visitation in and around this temple in Jerusalem.

The glory of the temple to come wasn’t greater because of build-ing materials, it was greater because of the very presence of God himself. That is exactly what we’re praying for in this fast as we look forward to our own church (temple) refurbishment project. Pray fervently that the glory will be greater. Pray that He will move in even greater and more powerful ways to save those who are lost, heal those who are sick, bring freedom to those who are oppressed, and bring hope to those without hope.

Reflection Question: Are you looking forward to an even greater outpouring of the glory of God and his presence here at North?

Prayer: Father, awaken my faith to long for your presence and your glory in an even greater way. Open my eyes to see that in yourkingdom, the best is yet to come. Let your coming glory transform us into your likeness and send us forth to carry your gospel into the community and world around us. Amen.

FORWARD | Day 21 | Pastor Jon Rogers

Transformed, Not Conformed

Read Romans 12:2 and Matthew 6:33

On January 29, 2014, I survived the Atlanta Ice Storm. Yes, there wasn’t much snow, but precipitation and a rapid drop of temperatures quickly froze interstates, highways, and side roads. Thousands were stranded: people in cars, students at schools, and families in shelters. My normal 45-minute commute took almost 7 hours. I was relieved to get home and know my wife and children endured their after-school commute.

How did I make it? I de-accelerated rather than hit my breaks on ice. When my car started to slide, I turned in that direction until I gained traction. My biggest fear was not my driving, but worrying about others hitting me.

Romans 12:2 says “Do not conform to (be shaped by) the pattern of this world.” Just as I used a different driving approach than most around me, Paul instructs us to live our lives so that we are notadversely shaped by our culture. He says to be “transformed(different, changed) by the renewing of your mind.” This ongoing process will help us know God’s “perfect will.”

It is easy to lose focus and for worldly worries to get the best of us. Remember Jesus’ advice to “seek first his kingdom,” and He promis-es to provide for us. As you complete this 21-Day fast, you may feel like you have arrived. However, this destination is temporal, for God is calling you to go farther and forward with Him.

Reflection Question: Over the last 21 days, what has God revealed to you through His Word, prayer, His Holy Spirit, and circumstances?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for all that you revealed to me these three weeks. I will continue to seek you first and be trans-formed by your work in my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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