As I mentioned in my previous post, I am on week one of a 40-day fast. A friend asked if I could share my daily reflections on my blog so I agreed to share a few thoughts based on my daily Bible readings.
I have never done a 40-day fast before, but I am really excited to refocus, and wanted to take this time to invite you to join me on this journey. If you would like to fast with me, let me know in the comments section and also let me know how I can pray with you. If you prefer to join by simply reading the Scriptures with me, feel free to do that. I'd love to get insight from your reflections as well so feel free to share them with me. If you just want to read my reflections that's great too.
I am following a 40-day prayer calendar from Tabernacle Bible Church in Wichita, Kansas. While I am not affiliated with their church, I found this calendar to closely align with the things I want to pray for over the next 40 days.
You already know what happened to Monday so let's move on to Tuesday. Tuesday's prayer focus was for God to break through complacency and pride. I read from Isaiah 29:13-14, Matthew 9:12-14 and Hebrews 8:11-12.
As I read through the scriptures I found myself not relating and thinking of people who may honor God with their lips but whose hearts are far from him. Isn't it funny that when we receive a Word from God, if it's positive we will receive it, but if it is a word of correction we think of all the people who it would apply to except ourselves.
Matthew 9:12 says "On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." And again, I found myself thinking of all the sick people physically and spiritually that I know. Then I read verse 13: But GO and LEARN what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Acts of sacrifice are all about me/us and my/our perceived religiosity. Mercy is all about others. Even then, the line of thinking that I am "healthy" comes from a place of superiority as if I am good and others are not when the fact is I am just as sick.
We have to step down from our places of self righteousness and judgement and step into a place of humility, where we can banish even our own ideas of worship which according to Isaiah are made of human rules and taught to us. Instead, we need to repent and ask God to forgive our arrogance and pride, and to lead us to a place of "inconvenient mercy".
Who can we extend mercy to? Who could we reach out to this week to express our love? God desires mercy, not sacrifice. He yearns for mercy so much that He willingly extends mercy to us and helps us see past our pride and arrogance.
Scripture References: Isa. 29:13-14; Matt. 9:12-13; Heb. 8:11-13
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