September 16-October 6
We begin this new season seeking spiritual breakthrough in our life, in our church, and in our communities. We do this through 21 days of prayer & fasting as we intentionally seek God’s will so that we can recognize the power of God doing something new in our lives.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Begins September 16: Commit to prayer and fasting with us for 21 days as we seek spiritual breakthrough in our lives.
Daily Devotionals: Join us every weekday at 6AM on Facebook, YouTube and Be Hope Online for a time of devotional and prayer together.
Gathered Prayer: Join us in-person or online on Saturday mornings, September 21, 28, and October 5, from 9am – 10am for a time of worship and prayer. We will come together as a church to worship and pray expecting God to do something new.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Begins September 16: Commit to prayer and fasting with us for 21 days as we seek spiritual breakthrough in our lives.
Daily Devotionals: Join us every weekday at 6AM on Facebook, YouTube and Be Hope Online for a time of devotional and prayer together.
Gathered Prayer: Join us in-person or online on Saturday mornings, September 21, 28, and October 5, from 9am – 10am for a time of worship and prayer. We will come together as a church to worship and pray expecting God to do something new.
PRAYER
Prayer is our communion and communication with God. Every time we pray God draws us closer to himself.
In 21 days, we deliberately seek for God to move in our lives. We trust he will and we know he will strengthen our relationship with him.
There are many ways to pray – you can have a conversation with God as you would with a friend, you can write your prayers down in a journal, or you can even incorporate prayer into your daily routines. Moves of God begin with great expectation of God through prayer. We encourage you to pray big, bold, specific prayers.
If you don’t know where to begin in prayer you can begin with scripture. Everyday you will be given a scripture that you can say as a prayer or you could begin with the Lord’s prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13.
FASTING
WHAT IS FASTING?
Fasting is denying yourself something in order to hear from God. You can fast from food, television, social media, etc..
When we choose to purposefully abstain from something for a time, our dependence upon God grows.
When groups of people fast together, at, let’s say a church like Be Hope, we can expect God to move in new ways as we seek his will for our church and over our lives.
DAILY DEVOTIONALS
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Devotional:
Question: Where are you?
Welcome to the first day of prayer and fasting! This will be an incredible journey – we fully trust that God will reveal himself to you in a powerful way.
Today began with the question “Where are you?”. We looked at David’s life from the early days of when he is anointed king and yet he is not given the job of king. We find him in the fields tending sheep. If you read the story in 1 Samuel 16-17 you will see all that happens and the process of anointing him, but then he goes back out to look after the sheep. He is set apart for something big but right now it is just his job to tend the sheep. Being faithful in the small things will allow him to be faithful in the big things that are still to come.
In 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, we will also look at the Psalms. These poems were mostly all written by David at different times in his life and over these next 3 weeks we will place them together. In Psalm 28:7 David talks about his trust in God with his whole heart. It is not where he thought he would be, but he is trusting God. In Verse 8 he reminds us that God gives people strength!
Prayer:
As we begin this journey together, we can trust God to give us strength for where we are right now. Pray and ask God to speak to us as we rely on Him to let us learn what we need to learn in the place we are right now.
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Devotional:
Question: Where are you?
Good morning Be Hope Church! Welcome to Day 2 of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. I’m Sydney, and I get to serve as the online pastor here at Be Hope. This past weekend, we looked at 1 Samuel 16, where David was first anointed by Samuel as the next king of Israel. This came as a result of Saul being rejected as the next king because of his disobedience to God. Saul sought man’s approval and cared more about what others thought than following the plan and the calling that God had on his life.
Our vision statement for the year says that “we are people of COURAGE. When the natural tendency is to play it safe, WE MOVE FORWARD, believing that God is doing a new thing.” As we read through 1 Samuel 16, we see through David’s example what it looks like to live in courage and to move forward into the calling of God. It’s a reminder that God’s plans are never ruined by our failures, and that we CAN move forward with courage and in confidence, because we can trust that God will be faithful to provide guidance and fulfill His promises.
When we live with a faith like that – one that courageously follows God’s leading, we can experience the full presence of the Holy Spirit. That sounds like a faith that I want! Listen to what it says in Psalm 24, verses 3-6 : “who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in the holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.”
David was chosen by God as the next king of Israel because his heart was pure. While Saul cared about worldly things, God “looked at his heart” as we see in 1 Samuel 16:7. God knew that Saul’s priority was not to courageously follow Him. So how do we move forward instead of playing it safe? How do we have a “pure heart” like David that allows us to experience the very presence and calling of God? We have to have courage and trust that God’s plans will come to pass despite our failures. When we seek God’s face and continually ask Him to direct our steps, we can move forward into His calling for our lives.
Prayer:
Today, I encourage you to spend some time in prayer – specifically asking God to strengthen your desire for His will for your life so that you may experience His fullest presence. Pray for a faith that doesn’t “play it safe”, but that is courageous and eager to follow His leading.
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Devotional:
Question: Where are you?
Welcome to another day of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. My name is Matt Scruggs and I have the privilege of serving as the Creative Director at our Beavercreek location. Have you ever found yourself stepping into a room, not knowing how or why you got there? You know you had a reason to be there, but you already forget as your mind bounced around from room to room.
I have experienced this plenty of times. As we’ve been looking at the life of David, I wonder how he has experienced this. In 1 Samuel 16 alone, we see how David came from tending sheep, to God instructing Samuel to anoint him as king. Then after he went back home and it wasn’t time for him to be king, he was called again for a season to be on-demand to play an instrument for Samuel to calm him down as was being tormented by an evil spirit. David had become a built-in Brandon Lake concert whenever Samuel wanted!
While David could ask, “Where am I?”, we can see one of the reasons Samuel’s servant recommended David to play music was not just because he could play an instrument, but because the Lord was with him.
In Psalm 27:1 as he felt the pressure of his enemies around him, David says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?”
Even though David was bouncing around from thing to thing he could be asking, “Where Am I?” over and over, he still recognizes his strength and hope comes from the Lord. No matter where he was; God was with him.
Prayer:
Let your prayer today be that we can recognize: No matter where you are; God is your light, your salvation, and the source of your strength.
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Devotional:
Question: Where are you?
In last week’s message, we tackled the question, “Where are you?”. Where are you playing it safe in your faith? Where might you be stagnant in life? It is important for us to tackle these questions because in order to experience what God has planned, we must keep moving forward. But sometimes moving forward can be difficult because we lack the energy or rest that is needed to do so. For me, I used to think that rest looked like laying on the couch and binge-watching a show, taking a nap, or doing absolutely nothing.
While those things might help you feel less tired, Psalm 23 gives us a new idea of what true rest looks like. Psalm 23 says:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
What this teaches us is that true rest isn’t doing nothing. True rest is found while spending time with God! Psalm 23 emphasized that HE is the one that refreshes our soul, HE is the one who leads us through the darkest valleys, and HE is the one that can give us the rest we are all looking for.
My challenge for you this week is simple: find time in your schedule to rest in the presence of God! It could be worshipping on the drive to work, it could be making time in scripture a priority, or it could even be sitting and listening for anything He has to say to you. Whatever it looks like for you, make it intentional so you can confidently move forward to where God is leading you next.
Prompt:
My challenge for you this week is simple: find time in your schedule to rest in the presence of God! It could be worshipping on the drive to work, it could be making time in scripture a priority, or it could even be sitting and listening for anything He has to say to you. Whatever it looks like for you, make it intentional so you can confidently move forward to where God is leading you next.
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Devotional:
Question: Where are you?
Psalm 29 uses the imagery of a storm to highlight the power and majesty of God’s voice. Written by David, the psalm likens thunder, wind, and lightning to the voice of God, illustrating His authority over all creation. In verses 3-4, David describes the voice of the Lord as “powerful” and “majestic,” comparing it to thunder that reverberates across the sky. God’s voice is so mighty that it can break the strongest trees and strip forests bare, showing His control over nature (verses 5 and 9).
The repeated phrase “the voice of the Lord” calls us to recognize God’s commanding presence and respond with worship. In His temple, everyone cries, “Glory!”—a reminder to glorify God not only for His power but also in every circumstance of life, including challenges. David’s metaphor of the storm represents the trials we face, yet he reminds us that God, who rules over the floodwaters, remains in control.
The psalm ends with the assurance that God strengthens and blesses His people with peace (verse 11). This portrays God as both powerful and comforting, reminding us to trust in His voice and give Him glory, no matter where we are in life. Ultimately, Psalm 29 calls us to worship the God who reigns over creation and provides peace and strength to His people.
Prayer:
As you reflect on the powerful voice of God in Psalm 29, consider praying for a deeper awareness of His presence in your life. Ask for the strength to trust in His sovereignty, even during life’s storms, and for the grace to glorify Him no matter your circumstances. Seek His peace and guidance as you listen for His voice.
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Devotional:
Question: Where do you need to go?
David uses this Psalm to thank God for all the wonderful things He has done. He praises Him for the miraculous work that is done through each of our lives, even when we don’t know He’s working through us.
Within the Psalm, David also calls on God to save him from his enemies. Specifically in verses 3 and 5 he says, “My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you” and “You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.”
God’s love always wins. He will always reign over the enemy, and that is a lot to sing praise for! Intentionally seeking God will transform our lives. The hurt, the sad, the enemy will all fall beneath. It won’t always be easy, but with knowing the love God has for us, we will always move forward. Church, we can do big things with the power of God, He is already doing big things in our lives and with that we will praise Him with all our hearts.
Prompt:
This year I am choosing to relentlessly choose God. I challenge you to dive in and pursue God wholeheartedly. Find your way to sing his praises and to give thanks for this life He has given.
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Devotional:
Question: Where do you need to go?
Psalm 10 is a unique Psalm. It stands in the midst of a series of psalms that David wrote, however, in this particular Psalm we aren’t given insight as to what exactly David is facing during the time of writing this passage. Some scholars believe it may have been during the time in which he was about to face Goliath and some believe it may have been a cry against King Saul. While we may not know the exact thing David was facing at the time of writing this Psalm, what we do know is that David was asking some hard questions… Hard questions that we still ask today.
In the first part of this Psalm David feels what I believe we all feel at some time or another. He feels as though God is distant in the moment he faces and is struggling with why God isn’t doing something about the evil and oppression he is witnessing. In verse 1 he asks the question, “Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”
David feels as though God is distant and unconcerned. The word used for “times of trouble” invokes imagery of hopelessness and complete despair. It seems as though the wicked man who has no thoughts for God, no regard for sin, and a complete disregard for the helpless, continues to find success, continues to get richer, and continues to take advantage of anyone in the way.
David cries out to God for justice and calls for God to intercede. In verse 12 David says, “Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.” In verse 14 he goes on to say, “But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”
Even though it seems God is distant in that moment, David knows the character of God. David knows that God sees those that are hurting. He knows that God can be trusted with our afflictions. This Psalm shifts from despair to hope in verse 16 when David proclaims “The Lord is King for ever and ever.” David is reminded that though troubles may come and go, kings may rise and fall, the LORD, God, is the one true King who will reign forever and ever.
Because God is the truly good king who will reign forever, we can move forward when we face times of despair. When we feel as though God is distant, we can still take steps toward Him trusting that He will see our affliction that He will hear our prayers. We move forward by trusting that the unchanging God is King forever regardless of what our current reality may be. He sees you. He hears you. And He fights for you.
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Devotional:
Question: Where do you need to go?
Remembering that David faced many enemies at different times throughout his life, we can see in this song that David was tempted to give up and face defeat. His enemies were ready to attack. They were more powerful and more experienced. He was outmatched.
However, David knew the Lord’s character. He knew that his God is not only powerful, but that He is also righteous and just. David’s strong faith in the Lord had aided his defeat against lions, bears, and giants. He had seen God’s power at work. David could rely on the Lord to defeat his enemies again because he knew who God is, and he had faith that God will make all things right.
So how do we move forward when the enemy has us surrounded?
We choose faith over fear. We rely on God’s character. He loves justice and rewards the righteous. We do not rely on our own strength to defeat our enemies or conquer our problems. God is our refuge. We have faith that He will make all things right in the end. As David said, “The battle is the Lord’s.” Therefore, we move forward in faith, not fear.
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Devotional:
Question: Where do you need to go?
Remember what Pastor Brad said, WE MOVE FORWARD. We are people of courage. When the natural tendency is to play it safe, we move forward. I have been moving forward in several ways throughout my years. Recently pursuing my purpose and being the example that God needs me to be.
I was diagnosed with cancer 5 and a half years ago. From the time of being diagnosed I never stopped moving forward. Year 1 I spent discovering I had cancer, learning about my cancer, removing my cancer, which included losing a kidney, spending 7 weeks in the hospital and after care facility healing. I never stopped moving forward.
Year 2 I discovered I still had cancer and began treatments. I never stopped moving forward.
Year 3 I spent in treatment for my cancer and discovering the side effects from being treated for cancer. This included my immune system wanting to attack my skin and not healing parts of my body. I never stopped moving forward.
Year 4 and 5 have been about treatment, healing, and surviving cancer, which I am doing. I never stopped moving forward.
In Psalms 32 David writes “Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”
This passage stands out to me because David understands that even in sin God is with him and God will help him through his sins.
Prayer:
Please remember in your prayers that God is with you always and wants what is best for you. All you have to do is believe.
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Devotional:
Question: Where do you need to go?
Have you ever done something you knew was wrong? How’d you feel? Probably pretty bad, right? Chances are you feel even worse when you’ve done something wrong and someone else called you out on it! The worst! And do you remember how you responded? Did you apologize? Cry? Promise you’d never do it again? Did you lash out in anger?
We’ve ALL been there! Just like David. David has messed up – he’s a king, a man after God’s own heart and royally made a mess. He had an affair with a married woman, she got pregnant, and to cover it up, David has her husband murdered. That’s not the plot to a great podcase episode, it’s a story from the Bible! Not only has he done something awful, but he’s also separated himself from the plan God has for his life. That’s what sin does in our lives; it separates us from living the life God created us for.
And the prophet (a person with a message from God) Nathan went to David in 2 Samuel 12 to call him out on all he had done! Can you imagine? I don’t think I’d want Nathan’s job and I definitely would not want to be David either. Do you know how David responded? David admits he has sinned against God.
Psalm 51 is David’s prayer after being confronted by Nathan. He says in Psalm 51:10-13
“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.”
David goes on to pray in verse 17 that God is not interested in an offering or perfect behavior. Rather, God is interested in the posture of David’s heart, a broken and contrite heart. Posture is important. Sometimes when we ask ourselves, “where do I need to go?” we need to think of our posture.
My grandparents were spiritual champions in my life. They taught me so much about Jesus and how to grow in my faith. One of the most beautiful things they passed along to me was my posture during prayer, especially in times when I came before God and was desperate. Desperate for forgiveness, help, and mercy. My questions were around how I posture my heart, like David. And my Papa told me to kneel and pray. He said it was a great way to think about my heart, to go before God humbly and in surrender.
I know, kneeling in prayer seems weak! We don’t like weak. Maybe because we think we will be met by a God who will use it against us. I know the opposite to be true. When we posture our heart before God, broken and contrite, He meets us with great compassion, full of mercy, and abounding in love (Psalm 145:8-9).
Prayer:
If you find yourself in a place today, similar to David. A place where your sin has separated you from living the life God created you for, I would encourage you to pray Psalm 51 and maybe even kneeling as a reminder of the posture of your heart. And I am confident that God will meet you and will be faithful to you (1 Thessalonians 5:24).