John 21:4-5 NKJV
“But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”

In John 21, their Lord had been crucified and Peter, along with some of the other disciples had gone back to fishing. This is what they knew best prior to Jesus’ ministry. Sometimes we get impatient, waiting for something we know God has promised. We go back to what we were good at, only to find it’s just not the same.

When you have tried everything and when you have no options left. When you’ve fished all night and caught nothing. When you say Jesus, I have nothing, it is in that place where we come to the end of ourselves and begin to discover Him. Like the disciples, we too find Jesus waiting on the shore. Not only waiting but also with fish on the fire. Jesus is always waiting for us with just what we need-no matter where we’ve been, no matter what we’ve done. What a good God we serve.

It was a tender, yet revelatory moment. Mary Magdalene had been weeping outside the empty tomb where Jesus once laid. When Jesus posed the question to her of whom she was seeking, Mary mistakenly took Him for the gardener and cried out her quest to find Jesus’ body. He called out her name and Mary immediately recognized him, saying “Rabboni!”

Mary had experienced a powerful encounter with Jesus. But He didn’t want her to stop there.

John 20:17 NKJV
“Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’”

Mary still wanted to hold onto Him. But Jesus spurred Mary on and commissioned her to share with the disciples about His ascension. Jesus had not yet risen with God – He was still on the move.

During our 21 days of prayer and fasting, most of us have experienced moments when we’ve caught a fresh revelation of Jesus. Overwhelmed by a fresh sense of His grace or faithfulness, realizing anew the power of His resurrection, or witnessing an eye-opening miracle firsthand.

But what will you do with this powerful discovery? How will you tell others about your encounter?

Share your personal testimonies (click here).  Even as the prayer and fasting concludes, God is still on the move!

Sometimes, even though we might have the “right” to do something, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the “right” thing to do.  For example, choosing to follow through with something we may very well have the “right” to do, even though it’s not best for others is not what truly brings honor to God.

Jesus understood the scope of His rights, yet He always chose to submit them to whatever would bring honor to God.

“…Don’t you realize I have the power to release you or crucify you?’ (Pilate speaking) Then Jesus said, ‘You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above’ …” John 19:10-11 (NLT)

We know Jesus had the power to immediately put a stop to everything… if He wanted to. But instead, what we see here is a picture of total surrender and submission to authority by Jesus.

Jesus had the right to call down ten thousand angels, but He chose to do what was right for God’s children. Jesus came to fulfill the will of the Father, and knowing that this suffering and His crucifixion was the only way the plan of salvation could be accomplished, “He gave up His divine privileges” (Philippians 2:7). He didn’t stop it all just because He could; He was looking at the bigger picture, God’s greater purposes.

What greater purpose or will do you think God is calling you to? What “rights” might you have to surrender to step into this call? Choose what is right.

Prayer provides us an opportunity to seek God and invite His power and presence in our lives. Yet it demands that we come to God with authenticity. We call it “getting real” with Him. There is a place in prayer that we all come to – the line of truth – truthfulness within ourselves and truthfulness with God. At this place, the decision is simple – are we willing to stand with truth or hide from it? Are we willing to place everything on the altar and invite His inspection or shut our ears to His still, small voice?

Jesus answered Pilate’s questioning of His kingship with these words “everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37). In other words, we too will listen to him (openly invite and receive His Word into our lives) when we take the side of truth. This is the place of raw authenticity with God. This is the place where real change happens.

As you seek God with honesty, draw closer to this place of wholehearted truthfulness with Him. It is there He will speak… it is there you will hear.

We know from the scriptures that Jesus would get alone with God and pray (Luke 5:16). Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to be a fly on the wall at one of those prayer sessions? John was afforded the opportunity to be there when Jesus “looked toward heaven and prayed” (John 17:1) this prayer. What did he hear?

• Jesus talking to The Father about their relationship as Father and Son (vs.1-5).
• Jesus praying for John and for the rest of their team – that they may be one (vs. 6-19).
• Jesus praying for the fruit of their ministry, for all the people who would hear the message of the Gospel and believe (vs. 20-26).

Having peeked into the prayer of Jesus, what common threads do you find in these three areas? How can this sharpen your time of prayer today?

John 16:13 NLT
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard.”

The Holy Spirit has many functions. He convicts the world of sin and God’s righteousness, guides believers in truth, glorifies Jesus, and speaks on the authority of Jesus. He knows the future. Jesus declared Him as our Helper. Who better to guide us in prayer than the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is always with us as believers. He will never lead us in the wrong direction. He only speaks what He hears from Jesus. When we open our hearts to pray, the Holy Spirit will guide us. He guides us in truth and will bring joy and encouragement during our prayer time.

Lord, thank You for giving me the Holy Spirit as my prayer partner.

John 15:7-8 NLT
“But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”

Abide means to dwell, to stay, to settle in, and to sink deeper. When we abide in Christ, we take on His desires and begin to pray according to His will. That is the secret to getting our prayers answered. When our heart is lined up with His heart, God becomes the inspiration for the things we pray for. This unrelenting dependence upon Him is what produces spiritual fruit in our lives.

As long as a branch is abiding in the vine, it is alive and will produce fruit. Once the branch is separated, it no longer produces the fruit it was created to produce. God loves us so much that He wants us to remain connected and dependent upon Him as a branch is to the vine.

Lord, draw me as close to your heart as a branch is to the vine. Help me to pray according to Your will.

When you’re at peace, there is a sense of stillness. You are hushed, quiet, and at ease. Wholeness and complete surrender reign. Have you discovered this peace yet during your time of prayer and fasting?

John 14:27 NKJV
“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

It can be easy to worry with challenging economic times, international conflict and war, sickness, relational and personal dysfunction or difficulty – how can you not be concerned?

But Jesus promises His gift of peace. He clarifies with his disciples and us that this is not the same gift offered by the world – temporal, external, fleeting, conditional. This is peace that is eternal, steadfast, deep, and pure. It’s a peace that is powerful enough to calm the most troubled hearts.

What is concerning you today? Is there a burden you have yet to release to God during this period of fasting? Surrender the concern or fear to God and receive His gift of peace today.

John 13:12
Do you understand what I have done for you?

This particular day, Jesus didn’t speak in a parable, but He chose to powerfully illustrate serving by washing the feet of His disciples. And to ensure they “got it,” He checked for understanding. No doubt about it, Jesus needed His disciples to understand the principle of serving one another and this extends to us who follow Him today. Not only does He call us to lives of service, He wants us to know that this is indeed the path to blessing. He said – “you will be blessed if you do them.”

Understand though that we don’t serve just to be blessed – that contradicts the very essence of what it means to truly serve others. Yet God has made it so that as we serve, He pours back into us through His generous hand of blessing.

As you seek God in prayer today, ask Him to show you how you can grow in serving your family, your neighbors, your church, and ultimately your world.

John 12:3
“Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

Mary’s generous offering and act of worship has been written about, preached about, and sung about. It symbolized the anointment of Jesus’ body for burial. She lavished this expensive perfume on the feet of the one she loved deeply and offered us a beautiful picture of worship.

Today as we worship, we too can lavish our pure and unbridled affection – not on one who will be buried, but on our resurrected Lord. The one who paid the price for our sin and deserves our complete devotion. Notice, the collateral impact of her act of worship – the Bible tells us that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. As we worship Him with our words, our actions and our lifestyles, it also changes the atmosphere of our house, our household.

May our worship of Jesus Christ today, whether in song, in words, in prayer or in the way we live, impact our homes with the fragrance of a life changed by the one we worship. Talk about collateral improvement!