Here we are, in the middle of our prayer and fasting week…are you participating? Are you fasting from food or something else? Is your stomach growling? Are you hangry and cranky? Why are you fasting?  

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Here’s why I ask: In the past, I have felt “obligated” to give it a shot whenever the church I was attending was having “church-wide prayer and fasting.” While I tried to step into it with joy and obedience, I would inevitably fail. I think the reason why is because I didn’t fully understand the reason why…

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I think I was expecting this lightning bolt from Heaven with great revelation to come upon me because I was “righteous and sacrificial.” UGH – that’s so gross. But I think many of us think of our relationship with God in this way. If I do ABC he will do XYZ.

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God’s love for us is NOT transactional. He never says to us that we must do a certain thing for him to be a certain way because he is the same yesterday, today, and forever – regardless of what we do. God’s love for us is transformational; he wants to help us become the person he created us to be.  

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See, he’s already done everything for us that he could possibly do – HE DIED FOR US. But he wants more FOR us. He wants us to live abundantly without chains to the things of this world. Look at our verse again – “See what great love the Father has lavished on us…” Lavished means to give extravagantly. He has not withheld a single bit of his love for us. If his love was transactional, it would be different. We would get a little bit more of him the “better” we did. But no, that’s now how his love is – it’s extravagant, luxurious, generous, elaborate. So much so that he gave up his own seat on the throne to come and be with us personally. So that, “we should be called children of God.”  

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So why a week of prayer and fasting right before our commitment week for Restoration Life? So that he CAN transform us. Fasting is a way for us to respond to this lavish love and turn our attention and focus on the only thing we ever truly need. Sure, in order to survive in this world, we have basic necessities. But we distort and twist those things into our new gods. And money is the most corruptible “god” we can turn to.  

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God wants to bring restoration to this world – not just for eternity in Heaven with him – but HERE in the seats of our auditorium, NEAR in our city and state, and THERE across the world in areas like Cusco, Peru. And to do that, he needs us to release our hold on our worldly gods and open our hands to our Heavenly Father.  

In your prayer time this week, I challenge you to truly open your hands to your Father who has lavished his love on you and respond with joy, thanksgiving, and obedience. How does God want to use your resources – your talents, your time, your money – to bring restoration HERE, NEAR, and THERE? We pray that you give 100% of what God is calling you to give, and in that, we are confident that you too will find restoration.

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Father, your love is extravagant and luxurious and actually quite ridiculous. That you should love a wretch like me and call me to your side, to participate in your work, is unthinkable. May we, as a church, glorify you in all we do. May we listen and obediently respond – not because we are trying to gain something for ourselves, but because you have already given us EVERYTHING we could ever need. Jesus, you are love, you are compassion, you are just and mighty, and you are friend. In your name we pray ~ AMEN.  

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Join us for R.E.S.T.O.R.E., this week's 7-Day Prayer Movement, as we prepare to fast and worship on Sunday!