21 Days of Prayer & Fasting 2024: Day 4

Thursday, January 18
DAY 4: GOD’S PRESENCE THAT NURTURES

READ
1 Kings 19:1-13; Psalm 34:17-20

REFLECT
Immediately after Elijah experienced a great spiritual victory over the Baal prophets, he found himself running for his life. Jezebel and Ahab sought Elijah’s life for killing their prophets. As a result of running for his life, Elijah was exhausted, depressed, and defeated. He wasn’t thinking straight and wanted to end his life. However, when Elijah was at his wit’s end, God revealed His presence by sending an angel to nurture him. As God’s angel ministered to him, Elijah was able to continue God’s task for him.

In the same way, God knows exactly how to nurture us. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. He is indeed close to the brokenhearted. His nurturing may involve a friend calling us at that exact moment we need it, a song that comes on the radio, a Bible verse that comes to our mind we’d forgotten about, or our heart that suddenly becomes peaceful. However it comes to us, we can trust that God’s presence nurtures us in a way nothing and no one else can.

RESPOND
Spend time in prayer, following the Upward, Inward, Outward, Upward format.

Upward: Who God is; What God has done, is doing, will do

Inward: Who you are; How you live

Outward: Intercession for others

Today’s Prayer:
Lord, I need your nurturing presence in my life. My life can seem so out of control, and there are times I believe I am going crazy. There are even times when I feel like Elijah and don’t want to live. Restore my sanity so that I may see my life and my immediate circumstances as you see them.

Upward: Thanksgiving and Worship

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