24 HOUR FAST DEVOTIONAL
Lord … I’m ready.
On Sunday, we learned that Invocation is earnestly requesting God’s Presence in order to create a paradigm ‘shift’ in our lives.
Practicing The Presence of God means that I’ve reached a point of weariness in my soul. It means that I’ve grown weary of simply managing my life problems and that I’m ready to allow God to start resolving them. It also means that I’m ready for God to work on me and in me as I live out my days in pursuit of His Best Plan for my life.
Let’s consider David’s Prayer to God which he prayed in the form of a song in 2 Samuel 22:1-4:
“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”
In his prayer, David outlined 10 Descriptive Benefits of Invoking God’s Presence.
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When you feel unsteady Call on God to be your ROCK.
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When you feel exposed, Call on God to be your FORTRESS.
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When you feel inadequate, Call on God to be your DELIVERER.
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When you feel weak, Call on God to be your STRONG ONE.
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When you feel attacked, Call on God to be your SHIELD.
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When you feel vulnerable, Call on God to be your HORN.
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When you feel doomed, Call on God to be your SALVATION.
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When you feel defeated, Call on God to be your STRONGHOLD.
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When you feel afraid, Call on God to be your REFUGE.
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When you feel trapped. Call on Jesus to be your SAVIOR.
As you review this list of the descriptive benefits of God’s Presence, which of these stand out most to you in light of what you need from God right now? As you meditate on these descriptive traits talk to God throughout the day and praise Him ahead of time for what He’s about to do in you. At the time of David’s most intense need He said:
“I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”
I also want you to remember that when you invoke God’s Presence you are acknowledging your own limitations. Consider Psalm 46:10 (NASB):
“Cease striving and know that I am God!”
Over the course of this 24 hour fast I would like for you to take inventory of the parts of your life where you find yourself ‘striving’ and over-performing. Repent for these places in your life and give them over to God. Allow Him to intervene on your behalf as you learn to be still in His Presence. In 2 Corinthians 12:10 (MSG), the Apostle Paul modeled this manner of living:
“Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”
My prayer for you during this fast is that you Practice God’s Presence in a manner that lowers your stress and raises your sensitivity to all that God is prepared to be to you in this season of your life. But first, you will have to say:
“Lord … I’m ready.”
- PJ