21 Days of Prayer and Fasting: Day 19

READ

Matthew 5:38-42

REFLECT

The fruit of goodness carries the idea of “going the extra mile” with others without any ulterior motives. Expressing goodness toward others means we willingly sacrifice our time and resources in order to show them favor and grace in some visible way. It can also be viewed as being generous. When we are generous toward others, we are being “good” toward them.

The Holy Spirit produces goodness in our lives by first reminding us of His goodness toward us. Look at all the ways God is “good” toward us in every book of the Bible:

*Note: in biblical citation, ff means “and verses or chapters that follow.”

• Genesis – God gives us the gift of life – both on earth and for eternity (1:1ff)
• Exodus – God gives freedom and rescues the captives (15:1-2)
• Leviticus – God gives insight to the future and regular seasons to feast (23)
• Numbers – God gives blessings when the world is calling down curses (22-24); God gives water for the thirsty (20:1ff)
• Deuteronomy – God gives laws to protect us from ourselves (4ff); God gives the ability to produce wealth (8:18)
• Joshua – God gives His inheritance to those who follow Him (11:23)
• Judges – God gives strength (Samson – ch. 13ff)
• Ruth – God generously provides protection to the foreigner and the widow (2:12)
• 1 Samuel – God gives victory over fear (David and Goliath – ch. 17)
• 2 Samuel – God gives honor to the broken (9) and restoration to the fallen (David and Bathsheba – ch. 11)
• 1 Kings – God gives supernatural vision to the spiritually blind (6:17)
• 2 Kings – God gives supernatural vision to the spiritually blind (6:17)
• 1 Chronicles – God gives provisions and resources for His work (29:14)
• 2 Chronicles – God gives talents and abilities (ch. 3ff)
• Ezra – God gives His people favor with influential leaders (7:8-10)
• Nehemiah – God appoints people to stand in the gap for you while you are down (4:13-14)
• Esther – God gives power and influence to the mean and lowly (2:17-18)
• Job – God gives restoration to the broken (42:10-15)
• Psalms – God gives redemption to those enslaved to sin (130:7-8); God gives compassion, slow to anger, and abounding in love (103:8)
• Proverbs – God gives wisdom
• Ecclesiastes – God gives rain- and everything else- in its proper season (3:1-8)
• Song of Solomon – God gives us the gift of human love (1:2)
• Isaiah – God gives us a place in His family (56:4ff)
• Jeremiah – God gives warning after warning after warning before He allows punishment (11:6-8 and a future and a hope (29:11)
• Lamentations – God gives companionship during our suffering (3:31-33)
• Ezekiel – God gives life to dead bones (37)
• Daniel – God rescue the perishing and brings them into a Kingdom that never falls (6:26-27)
• Hosea – God redeems the lost and those who have prostituted themselves with other pleasures (3:1-3)
• Joel – God gives us back the years that were stolen by catastrophes (2:25)
• Amos – God gives justice to the abused (5:18-24)
• Obadiah – God gives righteous judgments (v. 15)
• Jonah – God gives opportunities to repent (3:10)
• Micah – God gives hope to the hopeless (4:10)
• Nahum – God gives a refuge in uncertain times (1:7)
• Habakkuk – God gives joy and peace beyond all understanding (3:17-19)
• Zephaniah – God gives us His presence and He writes love songs for His people (3:17)
• Haggai – God gives specific, sovereign purposes to each person (2:21-23)
• Zechariah – God gives protection (2:5); God gives us a spirit of grace and prayer (12:10)
• Malachi – God gives us stability – He doesn’t change (3:6)
• Matthew – God gives His touch to the untouchables (10:8)
• Mark – God gives food to the hungry (6:31ff)
• Luke- God gives continual love by becoming our substitution (Incarnation – ch. 1ff)
• John – God gives us His Word (1:1-14) and is the way, the truth, and the life (14:6)
• Acts – God gives us community for edification and strength (2:42-47)
• Romans – God gives us radical grace (5:18-21); God fulfills all of His promises and a path to righteousness (15:8-9)
• 1 Corinthians – God gives us spiritual gifts beyond our natural abilities (12)
• 2 Corinthians – God gives us a new life and new identity in Christ (5:15-21)
• Galatians – God gives freedom from the harness of slavery (5:1)
• Ephesians – God gives us unity through the cross (2:11-22)
• Philippians – God gives eternal inheritance in exchange for our punishment (2:1-11)
• Colossians – God gives us the opportunity to share in His glory (1:27)
• 1 Thessalonians – god gives us the grace to handle poor treatment from others (2:14-16)
• 2 Thessalonians – God gives us eternal encouragement and good hope (2:16)
• 1 Timothy – God gives us His message – entrusting us to teach it to others (4:13)
• 2 Timothy – God gives nearness during trials (4:16)
• Titus – God gives promises of His return (2:13-14)
• Philemon – God provides forgiveness to the runaways (vv. 8-10)
• Hebrews – God gives us faith and a great cloud of witnesses to cheer us on (11-12:1)
• James – God gives His ear to our prayers (5:13-18)
• 1 Peter – God gives us the mind of Christ (4:1 and 1 Cor. 2:16)
• 2 Peter – God gives confirmation of His Word (1:16-18)
• 1 John – God gives remarkable love (4:7-10)
• 2 John – God gives rewards for following His leadership (vv. 8-9)
• 3 John – God gives us the joy of seeing faith growing in other people (v. 4)
• Jude – God gives His people a spotless record (v. 24)
• Revelation – God gives a New Heaven and New Earth where there is no more suffering (21-22)[1]

Once we’ve understood God’s goodness in our lives, the Spirit can then begin to break down walls of self-centeredness in us so that we can sacrifice in being and doing “good” to others.

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; unified prayer focus with Pathway

TODAY’S PRAYER: God, you are a good father who delights to express your goodness to us. Spirit, produce in us the fruit of goodness so that we can love others with the same goodness that has been expressed to us in Jesus. May we be a church that demonstrates goodness toward our community and in our relationships so that others may be drawn to a relationship with you.

Upward: Thanksgiving and Worship

On day 19 in our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, Matt & Claire South expand on today’s devotional about the spiritual fruit of goodness.

Join us at Pathway this month for four Prayer and Worship Gatherings. Read more HERE.

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