Jan 1-21, 2024

We begin every year 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.

LOCATIONS

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

  • Begins January 1.

  • Join us online at 6AM every day on Facebook, YouTube and Be Hope Online to pray together as a community.

  • Join us Saturday mornings on January 6, 13, and 20 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.

  • Join us Sunday, January 21st at 6pm at our Beavercreek Campus for a worship night.

  • Commit to prayer and fasting with us for 21 days as we seek spiritual breakthrough in our lives.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

  • Begins January 1.

  • Join us online at 6AM every day on Facebook, YouTube and Be Hope Online to pray together as a community.

  • Join us Saturday mornings on January 6, 13, and 20 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.

  • Join us Sunday, January 21st at our Beavercreek Campus for a worship night.

  • Commit to prayer and fasting with us for 21 days as we seek spiritual breakthrough in our lives

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.

be hope worship

SET LIST

DAILY DEVOTIONALS

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Devotional:

Exodus 3:14

Welcome to the beginning of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. In this series we are talking through all of the I am statements that Jesus says in the book of John.

In order to hear all of those statements we have to go back to the beginning of when God first says the statement “I AM”. It is found in the book of Exodus chapter 3, verse  14. You should read the whole chapter to understand what is happening – but let me give you the synopsis. God is calling Moses from a bush that is on fire but not burning up. God is asking Moses to go back to Egypt and lead His people out of slavery to a new land, a beautiful land flowing with milk and honey, a promised land. Moses is reluctant to lead the people and looks for excuses not to go. He finally asks God – who is sending me? This is where God answers him in Exodus 3:14. You see God tells Moses that He is “I AM”. It seems strange that God would refer to Himself that way but the reality was that God was telling Moses that He would be all that he needs for the journey ahead. God was getting Moses ready for what he would face and what he would encounter. Moses had no idea what would be in store for him but God did. God was telling Moses that He would be exactly what he needs for what is to come and for the rest of his life.

That same answer applies to us as well. When God gave His name to Moses He was establishing who He was and who He has been and who He will be. As we read the pages of the bible we see it again and again that God lives what He declared to Moses. We see that God spoke the words that can set our foundation as well. We can trust the words that God gave to Moses and set them as our own foundation. We can trust God to be with us through whatever our journey will be.

As we begin these 21 days, get ready to be open to what God is speaking to you and your life. Be receptive to all that you are hearing and reading in God’s word, take notes. Trust that God will be everything you need in the coming year.

Prayer Prompts:

Pray that God will speak to you in these 21 days of prayer and fasting.

Pray before you read God’s word each day that he will open up your heart to hear from him.

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Devotional:

John 14: 1-14

Jesus begins this chapter by comforting and reassuring his disciples of his love for them. In the midst of all that the disciples have witnessed, and all that Jesus has prepared them for, they hunger for answers. In much the same way, we come to God demanding answers to make sense of something that happened, is happening, or that we hope will happen. Verses 5-9 offer a reflection of what our own prayers often look like, specifically Thomas and Philip’s questions:

5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.7If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

We want assurance from God on our terms, but the response given is on God’s terms, as the living assurance with whom we are graciously invited into relationship with each day. We may read this exchange and find it frustrating, wondering how the disciples could possibly miss what’s right in front of them. But, the space between our humanity and God’s promise is filled by the faith Jesus calls us to in verse 6 when he delivers the “I AM” statement that we cling to as followers of Christ.

Reflection Questions: 

Question 1: How can you shift your focus from what’s ahead to what God has placed right in front of you?

Question 2: What is one of God’s promises that you need to remind yourself of today? Write it down and pray it over your life every day.

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Devotional:

John 14:1-14

Today we are going to be diving into John 14:1-14, where Jesus says he is the way, the truth, and the life. John 14 starts with Jesus explaining to the disciples where he is going once he leaves them. Jesus explains how he is returning to the Father, and he will prepare a room for each and every one of them. After this explanation, the disciples have questions like they always do, and Thomas is the first one to speak up. Starting in verse 5 it says:

5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Here we see Thomas is concerned because he doesn’t know where Jesus is going. This concern is because he cannot physically see where Jesus is going, so it does not make logical sense in his head. But while Thomas is overcomplicating things because he physically cannot see where Jesus is going, he misses the whole point that Jesus is the direct way to the Father. Jesus goes on to answer Thomas by saying, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The message Jesus is trying to get across is the fact that he is the way to the Father, he is the truth that God has spoken, and he is the eternal life that has been promised to us. We do not need to overcomplicate our faith, instead we need to make sure Jesus is the center of everything we do.

Reflection Questions:

Question 1: Where am I overcomplicating my faith? Where am I stuck because I cannot see where you are leading me?

Question 2: What do I need to simplify in my faith to remind myself that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life?

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Devotional:

John 11:17-27

Today we will be diving into John 11:25 when Jesus states that he is the resurrection and the life. This verse comes from the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, and Jesus’ encounter with Martha, Lazarus’ sister. I want to focus on the “I AM” statement of Jesus and how Martha responds to Him.

As the story progresses, we see Martha’s emotions mixed with the strength of her faith in Jesus’ divine power. Even through the sorrow of her brother’s death, Martha expresses her pain, saying, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Her grief is tangible. It represents the feelings of those who have suffered loss and questioned God’s presence in their own lives. Her statement is honest, and something I feel as Christians that we can relate to when we wonder where the Lord is during our trials.

It’s in this moment that Jesus reveals: “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this?” Through this statement, Jesus isn’t only pointing to the resurrection of Lazarus, but to the truth that belief in him guarantees eternal life. He is making the ultimate reveal that those who believe and have life in him will not be defeated by death. Life with Christ is eternal.

Martha’s response to Jesus is an affirmation of her strength in faith when she says: “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” Her confession is a confirmation of her belief that Jesus is the Messiah, even through the emotions and pain she experienced from her brother’s death. Her words help us to be reminded that God is with us always.

These scriptures invite us to consider our own times of despair, grief, and doubt. It reminds us that Jesus is the hope and resurrection through our darkest moments. We are called to believe in him and his promise that death is not the end for those who trust in him. In our seasons of uncertainty, we can become so lost in the promise that God is working in our darkness. But we can be reminded in those moments to find comfort in the resurrection. We can remember Martha’s confession and faith, affirming our belief that Jesus is the source of eternal life.

Prayer:

Lord, we thank you for your resurrection power and the promise of eternal life through you. We pray that you would remind our hearts of your sacrifice, and how it continues to impact our lives and those around us. That no matter what trials we face, we will draw even closer to you. That those moments would only continue to strengthen our faith and our belief in you. In Jesus name, Amen.

Prayer Prompts:

Pray for God to remind you in the midst of the darkest moments, He is with you. Each moment you feel him furthest from you, be reminded of Martha’s faith. Pray for Him to continuously draw closer to you.

Give thanks to the Lord in prayer, for the eternal life we have been given through Jesus’ sacrifice and his resurrection. Reflect on this blessing and how it continues to impact your life.

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Devotional:

John 11:17-27

Today we are going to talk about Jesus’ statement, “I am the resurrection and the life.” It’s found in John 11:25.

I want to focus on the story that surrounds Jesus’ statement in John 11. Jesus makes this statement within the story of the death of Mary and Martha’s brother, Lazarus. We remember Mary as the one who had poured the perfume and wiped his feet with her hair. And we know that Lazarus was a friend of Jesus, someone he loved, and who is now ill. While Jesus was traveling and preaching, he got word about Lazarus, stated that the sickness would not end in death, and John 11:6 says, “Yet when he [Jesus] heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.”

There is this banter Jesus has with his disciples after they receive word about Lazarus. The last time they were in Judea they were almost stoned. And Jesus tells them they are going back to help their friends. Now, I don’t know about you but if I were a disciple I would be wondering if Jesus had lost his mind. First of all, Jesus waited too long to even help Lazarus, chances are he’s already dead, and now you want all of us to risk our lives going back to the place we are not wanted. No thanks. And in John 11:8-16, they try to talk Jesus out of it. But they go with Jesus anyways, because they were loyal and said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” I’m sure it wasn’t a pleasant trip back to Judea.

As they arrive, they learn that Lazarus has been dead for four days. Martha is the first to greet Jesus with this statement, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask” (John 11:21).

Out of this entire story, I found Martha’s comment to Jesus fascinating and one I identify with. She was notoriously the busy body – I’m guessing she was the older sister, feeling the pressures of caring for everyone and the household. I am fascinated by her comment because it is a comment of belief and disappointment all in one. She has belief that Jesus could have helped her brother, “if you had been here…” and in the very same breath, she is met with the reality of disappointment that Jesus is too late and her brother is dead. Martha knows power and greatness of who Jesus is and yet she also knows the finality of death.

Haven’t we all known that disappointment in our lives? The disappointment of prayers that go unanswered. The disappointment of the circumstances we find ourselves in and that we don’t deserve. The disappointment of the outcomes that are devastating.

We believe that God can help. We believe in God’s power and might. And yet, sometimes, it feels likes He doesn’t show up on time.

But that’s not all Martha says to Jesus, she follows with, “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” This is her statement of faith. I’m not sure Martha was confident Jesus would bring her brother back to life, but she is confident that, “even now,” she can trust Jesus despite her disappointment.

I believe there is power in “even now” statements because they are statements of faith. In the moments of life when we don’t quite understand, there is great power in a faith that says, “even now.” When faced with disappointment, faced with fear and hurt, there is still faith.  It’s the moments when life doesn’t make sense, that our belief in God becomes faith as we trust that “even now” I have faith that God is good, and “in all things, He is working for my good” (Romans 8:28). For His glory. Amen.

Prayer:

God, we come before you today living in a world that at times, disappoints us. I want those disappointments to drive me to you. Help me to see that only you can comfort my disappointed heart, only you can fill up my emptiness, only you can give me the joy I long for. Holy Spirit, strengthen me to have faith. Give me joy even in the midst of failed expectations. Prompt my mind and heart to always remember Jesus, who conquered sin and death to bring peace in the chaos and hope in the unknown. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

Question 1: Remember a time you were disappointed. As you remember, how can you see now that God was at work?

Question 2: Identify an area of your life you are asking God to move or where you have recently been met with disappointment. What might God be doing? What do I need to learn from this? How can I seek Him in this?

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Devotional:

John 10:1-10

Have you ever heard the phrase “you make a better door than you do a window”? As a kid I remember hearing this phrase from time to time if I was blocking the view to the TV. However, maybe that phrase would make more sense in this context if we used “wall” instead of “door”. Why? Because doors have the ability to open and walls do not. Doors are not always shut and they’re not always locked. Doors do provide safety when we need them to, but they are also the way that we welcome people into our homes. It’s where we place the welcome mat. It’s where we meet and greet. It’s where our world meets with those outside of it.

In this passage, Jesus declares himself to be “the door” or “the gate”.  Not only is he the shepherd, but he explains that he is the door to the sheep pen as well. What is Jesus teaching us here?

First, Jesus makes it plain – he is the door. At times we can be so overwhelmed by the number of options and decisions before us, but Jesus says, “I am the door”. You don’t have to keep searching to find purpose. You don’t have to keep searching to find meaning. You don’t have to keep searching to find hope. Because the way you find all of these things is through him.

Although others (i.e. priests and pharisees) had been in positions where they were supposed to be leading the people to God, they hadn’t succeeded. In fact, they had done a lot better at putting up walls that kept people from receiving the life that God had for them. But Jesus wasn’t interested in building walls to keep people out, he was the gate for people to enter to find true life.

Jesus is teaching that he is the door that can be trusted. He’s the door of safe passage.  He’s the door that we can walk through with confidence. No longer do we have to be worried about losing our lives to things that seek to destroy us, but if we walk through the door of Jesus with confidence, we can “have life, and have it to the full.”

Jesus doesn’t teach that there will never be thieves, because the reality is that there will always be things in our lives that are thieves to the life that God offers us. There are so many things that are thieves to the life that God offers us and those things seek to wreak havoc in our lives. They attempt to steal our identity, they seek to kill our purpose, and they try to destroy our passion for the one thing that matters most.

Jesus steps into the mess and the chaos and says “I AM the door.” Not the wall or the fence keeping you from true life, but the door or the gate to allow you to confidently enter all that God has for you. The door that you can enter into to find peace. Jesus says, “I AM the door” – You can find your identity in me. You can find your purpose in me. You can live a life filled with God-given passion when you follow after me. How amazing is it that we get to walk through that door and experience the salvation he has won for us and the fulfilled life that he freely gives us.

Prayer Prompt:

Jesus, thank you for making a way for us. Thank you for being the door to salvation. Rather than leaving us to fend for ourselves, You became the door that we can confidently enter in. We pray that we would never be the thieves that keep people from experiencing the life that you have for them, but that you would empower us to be open doors to your kingdom, inviting the world to know the hope that we have in You.  Amen.

Reflection Questions:

How has Jesus been a door for you to enter in?

As we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, how can we open doors to the kingdom of God?

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Devotional:

John 10:1-10

This is a lot to digest early in the morning, but it is something so beautiful and worth investing the time to understand. God is two things in this scripture. He is the shepherd, and He is the gate. He certainly has His ways of herding us, His sheep, into His flock through the gate, that He also is.

We all know that the Lord is our shepherd, we hear it many times in scripture through many explanations and examples given, most well-known from Psalm 23. But what does this scripture mean by telling us that Jesus is also the gate? I think the Bible answers that question for us, 4 chapters before in John 14:6. “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”” Through us living in the ways of Jesus, we are given life. Through us living the way that Jesus has led us to live, He gives us life. If we come into his pasture any other way, we are not truly a part of his flock. The only way to salvation is to accept Jesus Christ as our lord and savior. The gate that is Jesus defines the lost from the found.

We must go to Jesus in order to be saved and to have the life that he has in store for us. Jesus himself tells us that he is the gate in verse 7 of our scripture from today! Only by truly knowing him and having a personal relationship to him can we truly enter the flock, hear his voice and his calling on our lives.

Through these 21 days I hope that your personal relationship with Jesus grows. I pray and challenge you to pray and offer up thanks to Jesus for being the gate, and being such a wonderful shepherd as well. I pray that if anyone hasn’t entered the gate that you find your way to Jesus and allow him to herd you into his flock. I want you to know that Jesus would leave the 99 behind to find the one, and if you are the one, he is so much closer than you realize he is. No matter how far you think the distance may be, he is right there ready for you. It is when Jesus feels far away that he is doing his best works. Faith can be hard, but I encourage you to give into Jesus and to embrace his love. Enter his gate, and allow him to be the ultimate shepherd over your life.

Prayers:

Jesus, thank you for being the shepherd. Thank you for being the gate. Thank you for showing me through the gate. Thank you for accepting me into your flock and for being such a great shepherd. Hearing your voice guiding me day by day is the greatest blessing that I could imagine. You loving me and leading me in my life is the greatest gift you could ever give me. Thank you for being my Lord and savior and for keeping me safe in your flock.\

Jesus, I want to be in your flock, guide me to the way that is your way. Help me to find the gate to your salvation. Be the shepherd of my life, I want to live a life that reflects you. I embrace your calling for my life. There is no better love than your love. I am the Lord’s servant.

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Devotional:

John 6:25 – 48

Jesus, the bread of life.

In this story, the people found Jesus across the lake, and they hurried to him. Jesus told the people to seek out the bread of life and can do so by believing in the one who sent him, God.

Growing up, I have vivid memories of Sunday school class and our Sunday School teacher bringing in bread, breaking the bread, and teaching us that bread represents eternal life. I laughed a little reading this story now as I have learned that bread is something that makes me sick, something that is poison to my body.

I think about this story and the impact that bread has on me now. It is a reminder that we are called to follow God and that he will provide the nourishment that we need, but we have to choose the bread that nourishes us. So often there are poisons that sneak into our life, sneak into our bread. Pushing aside those temptations and those poisons points us towards the one who loves and cares for us the most, God.

Verse 35 reads – “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “Those who come to me will never be hungry; those who believe in me will never go thirsty…I will never turn away anyone who comes to me.”

We are given God’s love; we do not have to earn it. When we seek out his love and choose to be disciples of God, we will never go hungry or thirsty. When we claim our identity in Christ, we are given the bread that we are called to have, the bread from heaven.

Prayer:

Lord, today I am in prayer for our church family. I pray to you that we block out the noise, we block out the poisons. Help us to turn away from the things that sneak in that we aren’t called to. Lord, create the way to you for each and everyone of us. We are all called to share your love and name in our own unique ways, but together we are all called to the bread from heaven. I pray to you that as a community, we work alongside each other to share your love with one another and to reach those that have yet to claim their identity in you. In Jesus name, Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Think about those poisons that sneak up in your life. What would your relationship with Christ look like if you could turn away from those? How can you pivot your attention and time to the one that provides us eternal life?

2. Now, think about what provides you nourishment. What are one or two things you can do during this time of prayer and fasting that will provide you nourishment?

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Devotional:

John 6:22-42

Isn’t it cool how Jesus uses our everyday objects to help us understand what he wants us to know. Jesus says he is the bread of life, and with him, we will never be hungry again. What he is saying is that as our physical body needs food/bread to sustain it, our soul needs HIM to sustain it. We tend to look in all different places to fill the hunger of our soul. We seek relationships, social status, money, titles, and many other things that we think will make us feel full, only leaving us still hungry. However, it is only HE who can sustain our deepest need and longing. The best part is that it is just that simple… a relationship with him will fill us up and give us the life we are hungering for. We don’t need anything else and we will no longer hunger.

In Benin, fresh bread is baked every single morning. You can smell it baking as you pass by the bakery and hear the women yelling out “HOT BREAD” as they walk around selling it from off of their heads. IT. IS. DELICIOUS! This constantly reminds me of how Jesus offers us fresh bread every morning. As we wake up, we can take in Jesus in new and fresh ways. He isn’t stale and his word has so much to teach us. We are sustained through reading the scripture and it’s so amazing that we can read the same things again and again and get something new and fresh from it each time. Why eat yesterday’s stale bread when you can have fresh bread instead?!

So, I challenge you… get your spiritual carbs! Remember that Jesus is the real sustenance of your life. Spend time with him daily and read the Bible daily to get the delicious sustaining nutrition you need.

Prayer Prompts:

Ask the Lord to help you find freshness in His word today. As you dive into scripture ask the Lord to reveal things to you in new ways that you need to understand to grow in Him.

Ask the Lord to help you to be consistent in reading scripture and spending time with Him so that you live on daily fresh bread and not yesterday’s stale bread.

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Devotional:

John 15:1-8

At my house we have two giant hydrangea plants in our front yard. When we moved in, my neighbor who is a master gardener came over and explained to me the proper way to care for them so that they would grow back the following year.

Our passage for today comes from John 15:1-8 and it talks about Jesus being the vine and we as are the branches. This is an interesting connection because when you think of branches and vines, you can’t really have branches without the vines. God wants us to rely on Him as we are walking through our faith journey. When we try to do things on our own, we are going to struggle seeing fruit.

Now, back to hydrangeas. Verse 2 says, “he cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful.” Jesus is making a distinction between two kinds of pruning, cutting off the branches and cutting back the branches. At the end of every fall since we have lived in our house, when the hydrangeas start to turn brown there are some branches that I can tell have died and are not going to produce anything the following year, so I cut off those branches. But for most of the branches, I cut them back at a specific point that my neighbor has shown me so they can bloom again in the spring.

Prayer Prompt:

I believe most people try to live good lives, but Jesus says that to live a truly good life, we must stay close to him, like a branch attached to its vine. So today, pray that no matter what you may be facing, you will always know that when you put your trust in God, you will see growth happen.

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Devotional:

John 15:1-8

Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. When we are connected to Jesus, we will be fruitful. We will be blessed. What this tells us is that when we are living our lives focused on God, and constantly tending to that relationship, He will be with us in all that we do. We will feel an undeniable peace and joy that can only come from God.

Just as the branch receives its nutrients from the vine, we receive the goodness of God when we continue to intertwine our lives in Him. He will always be faithful to us, and we need to be faithful to him too. He designed each of us with an extraordinary and unique purpose. When we truly seek to live the beautiful life He intended us to have, He will be with us through everything, pruning us so that we can continue to grow.

What if we have disconnected from the vine and aren’t living the life He has intended for us? The void that you may feel in your life means that you are a branch that isn’t being nourished with the life and promises of God. This is your call to action to discard what is not fruitful in your life and faithfully reconnect with God. God wants us to bear fruit. He wants us to be successful. Even if we feel disconnected, He is always there because God will never leave us. He will never fail to be with us in our moments of need. Call on Him to nourish your heart, mind, and soul, and He will be there. Ask Him to reveal to you what your purpose is. Be willing to listen to His answer, and be willing to act! When the prayers you are praying are truly intended to glorify God and live out your divine purpose, He is going to answer them.

We are called to be a disciple of Jesus. As a disciple, we show others what it means to have God in our hearts and to live out our purpose. When we do this, we allow new branches to thrive and produce their own fruit. As God continues to prune us, our connection to the vine strengthens.

Prayer:

Pray, Dear Lord, nourish my heart and soul so that I may fulfill your purpose for me.  Help me strengthen my connection to you so that I may be strong in all I do to glorify you.

Prayer Prompts:

Ask God, “How can I be more connected to you in my everyday life?”

Ask God to give you the courage to discard branches that may need to be cut from you.

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Devotional:

John 10:11-21

Today we are talking about John 10:11-21 where Jesus says “I am the Good Shepherd”. But we can’t talk about John 10 until we talk about John 9. In John 9, Jesus heals the man blind from birth on the Sabbath. The Pharisees hear about the miracle that he performed and were angry (the Pharisees were religious leaders at the time who valued following rules over a relationship with God). They were so angry with Jesus that they questioned his identity and wondered how he could be the Son of God by performing this miracle on the Sabbath (John 9:16).

How often do we not know how much our identity means to us until it is questioned or threatened? Maybe someone told you that you were a bad mom, or you weren’t a hard worker, or maybe even that you aren’t smart enough to succeed in life. When our identity is questioned, it is revealed to us how valuable the identity we hold is to ourselves.

That is why in John 10, Jesus is clear on WHO he is. He knows exactly who he is, the Good Shepherd, because that is who God is. In Ezekiel 34, God speaks through the prophet Ezekiel and says that He is the Good Shepherd. In verse 16 he says “I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak…”

Jesus lives out the characteristics of the Good Shepherd in his ministry on earth, searching for the lost, healing the injured and strengthening the weak. He cares for those who are forgotten, he wants them to be in relationship with Him. The Shepherd sacrifices on behalf of the flock, the shepherd is willing to lay down their life for the flock because of the love he has for them.

Prayer Prompts:

God, heal the insecurity in me that strives to be fulfilled by any other identity that is not in you.

God, instill in me the desire that comes from your identity to search for the lost and strengthen the weak.

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Devotional:

John 10:11-21

We’ve talked a lot about identity this month, and in this passage, Jesus is laying down his identity as the good shepherd of his flock. We see Jesus mentioning that he has two flocks of sheep, but he will bring them together in the same pen, hinting at the separation of the Jewish people and the gentiles, and how they will become one people – his church, his one flock.

What is fascinating to me is not only this identity that Jesus has, but another identity as the lamb of God, found in John’s gospel and another of his books, the book of Revelation (John 1:29, Revelation 5:6). At the same time as Jesus being our shepherd and leading us, the sheep, he became one of us – a lamb, a young sheep. We get this beautiful picture of Jesus being both the shepherd and the lamb, leading his flock but also joining the flock. He was man and God at the same time.

It can be easy to feel like God is distant in times of pain and hardship, that He doesn’t care about what we’re suffering through. Sometimes when we pray to Him, He can feel like some ancient mythical non-personal god like Zeus or Odin, just chilling in the sky, arms crossed, not caring about what we’re going through. But Jesus has suffered through the same things we have; pain, betrayal, sadness, death – and he conquered it, and it allows us to trust that we can give the Good Shepherd what we’re going through, knowing that he’d lay down his life for his flock all over again.

Prayer Prompt:

My challenge to you is whenever you feel a burden on your heart, whenever you feel angry, sad, upset, or pressed, drop what you’re doing at that moment, turn around, and pray. Ask for Jesus’ guidance and direction and I can guarantee you that when you’re done, you’ll feel better about your situation.

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Devotional:

John 8:2-20

Picture this: the break of dawn, the temple courts buzzing with people, and Jesus taking a seat. The religious VIPs, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, make a grand entrance with a woman caught in the act of adultery. They put her center stage, “Moses said stone her; what’s your take Jesus?” Classic trap move.

Instead of falling into their trap, Jesus bends down and starts doodling in the dirt. When they persist, he looks up and delivers truth so brilliant it illuminates the entire scene: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” The crowd disperses, leaving Jesus and the forgiven woman.

Jesus asks, “Where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” She responds, “Nobody, sir.” Can you feel the weight lifting off her shoulders? Jesus seals it with the ultimate expression of light and grace: “Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.”

In the Bible, light serves as a symbol for goodness, knowledge, holiness, grace, wisdom, and God’s revelation, while darkness represents despair and sin. In this story, Jesus does more than illuminate the darkness of judgment and traps; he proclaims himself as the Light of the World. This signifies that, despite its efforts, darkness cannot extinguish Jesus’ light. When we pass judgment on others, we are essentially working to diminish that light.

Take a moment to reflect on this. Light provides clarity in our actions. God, being light, has sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within believers, making us carriers of that light. As ambassadors on earth, we radiate light, even when unaware of it.

Reflection Questions:

Question 1: How do you relate to the Court in this story, especially in moments where you might be quick to pass judgment rather than extending grace?

Question 2: If light provides clarity, what areas of your life need to be illuminated?

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Devotional:

John 8:2-20

Welcome to the last devotional day of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. I hope it has been an impactful time of spending your first minutes of the day in God’s word and in prayer. Today we’re again focusing on the statement that Jesus makes in John chapter 8, verse 12, where he says “I am the Light of the World”.

As I spent time reading over this passage in Scripture, a few different things stood out to me that I’ve never considered or really noticed before. In the context of this passage, Jesus is speaking to a crowd during the Feast of Tabernacles. During this Feast, “light” was an important symbol because it referenced the pillar of fire that led the Israelites out of Egypt into the Promised Land. So, light represents freedom. It represents being released from bondage. Light illuminates a path and disperses darkness. But light (in our physical world and physical bodies) also brings life. It grows things.

When Jesus calls Himself the “LIGHT of the world,” he is describing some really big parts of his identity and who he is in our lives. He lights the way in our lives and shows us the path to freedom. Without him, we cannot fully experience freedom and purpose in our lives.

And when we accept Jesus into our lives and become filled with the Holy Spirit, we too are called to be the light of the world. Jesus says it in Matthew chapter 5, verse 14, where he says “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” We are to live our lives reflecting his love and allowing others to find a relationship with him. And light permeates everything, so our reflection of HIS light should be everywhere we go.

I AM the light of the world. I AM a reflection of the grace and glory of Jesus Christ. I AM called to share what Jesus has done in my life in order to help others find a relationship with him.

That’s who I am. That’s who you are.

So where are you today? Are you in a place of darkness yourself, having never truly seen and experienced the light that Jesus provides? OR, have you been walking with Jesus for a while, but are struggling to BE the light to others in THEIR darkness?

Reflection Question:

What is a situation/relationship in your life that you could be “the light in the darkness”?

Prayer Prompts:

Right now, take a few minutes to pray. Ask God to reveal places in your life that you have the opportunity to be the light for someone else. Pray for boldness and courage to share what He has done in your life.

Pray for God to give you boldness and courage to identify the people and places where you could be the light and to share what He has done in your life.