Our 21 Days of Prayer to kick off 2022 is from January 2 through 22. The focus of the first week is: provision.
We have a relationship with a triune God (Father, Son, and the Spirit). We must ask ourselves several questions.
Does the Father want to have a relationship with you?
Does the Son want to have a relationship with you?
Does the Spirit want to have a relationship with you?
Can you imagine having a relationship with someone and never having a conversation with them? Of course not!
Maybe there is a depth to our relationship with the living God that includes an awareness of the Father, an awareness of the Son, and an awareness of the Spirit. In order for our ongoing life with God to be healthy, we must be attentive to who we are talking to.
Our focus this week is the relationship we have with the Father. We don’t want to be rigid in our conversations with the Father, but let’s take a look at a few scriptures that are in the Father’s view.
James 1:17 New American Standard Bible 1995
17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or [a]shifting shadow.
Matthew 6:25-27
New American Standard Bible 1995
25 “For this reason I say to you, [a]do not be worried about your [b]life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the [c]air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single [d]hour to his [e]life?
Are there certain things that fall in line with the Father? If I think I’m hearing God He may speak to me from the same category. The Father may speak to me or I may speak to the Father about basic needs.
When the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray here is what Jesus said.
Luke 11:3
New American Standard Bible 1995
3 ‘Give us each day our [a]daily bread.
So Jesus instructs the disciples to ask the Father to GIVE US (not just me) OUR daily bread.
Listen to what Jesus says in the book of John.
John 16:23
New American Standard Bible 1995
23 In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.
Do I think that if we ask Jesus for something we become a heretic? Of course not, but when I look at scripture it seems to suggest that when we have conversations with the Father, it must have something to do with provision in our life and the lives of others.
So, our focus in prayer for the week of January 2nd through 8th is specifically to pray to the Father to provide the very basic needs for life. For ourselves as well as for others.
Keep in mind as we pray for God to provide that we pay close attention to how Paul prayed. Paul doesn’t seem to pray for the specific physical needs for others, but for the spiritual needs of others. Look how he prays.
Philippians 1:9
New American Standard Bible 1995
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
Ephesians 1:15-17
New American Standard Bible 1995
15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and [a]your love for all the [b]saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 THAT THE GOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE FATHER OF GLORY, MAY GIVE TO YOU A SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM
Focus this week is on asking God to provide for our own basic needs, the needs of others and even the needs of our nation both physical as well as spiritual.