January 5th: Day 3 of 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting

MORNING MEDITATION
I am not in control, but I am deeply loved by the one who is. —Glenn Packiam

What does it mean to yield?

The dictionary defines yield as “to give way to arguments, demands, or pressure; to relinquish possession of something or to give something up; to cease to argue about.”  So my question to you is, Where do you need to quit arguing with God? What do you need to simply give Him control of?  The answer doesn’t have to be life-altering.

I mean, sure, He could be asking you to move to Costa Rica to be a missionary, but He’s probably asking you to be a faithful servant on the mission field down the hallway.

Take a moment and think of where God has been convicting you, nudging you, or speaking to you. What has been coming to your mind and your heart frequently this week? What step do you sense you need to take? Where in your life do you need to surrender to God’s plan?

Surrender. That’s another word for yield.

The more you surrender your life to God’s will by spending time with Him and walking in obedience, the more you will also get out of the way and allow God’s power to fill you and work in and through you.

So think about it.

Ask Jesus what He thinks.

Then, if you are so inclined, write about it in your journal.

What will you give to God this week as a result of your praise, your gratitude, your need for forgiveness, and the requests you’ve made of Him?

PRAYER PROMPT

Dear God, you can have _______. Help me to get out of the way.

AFTERNOON REFLECTION

We aren’t called to walk in our strength;

we are called to work in His.

And think about this: how do you need to let go and follow God’s leading instead of trying to orchestrate your life?

I know it’s hard to let go. We like to feel that we are in charge of our lives. But I want you to know that some things end up being harder than they have to be because you insist on doing them in your own strength.

This is a lesson that I’ve had to learn the hard way. Yielding to God and releasing my grip makes life easier. While I’m responsible for what I do with my life, living a yielded life allows me to rest knowing that Someone else has an even greater responsibility for my life and is invested in guiding my steps.

Have you surrendered that area to God, the area where you’ve been working so hard?

Surrender doesn’t mean you don’t work, it just means you don’t move ahead of God and what He has clearly asked you, convicted you, or empowered you to do.

His strength can take you so much farther than your will.

Do you trust Him? Answer the question truthfully. Then tell Him. Tell Him whether the answer is a resounding yes or a bit of a shameful no. He knows anyway. Be honest for the sake of authenticity with God.

Even if you don’t feel like you trust Him, do something today to act like you do. Trust Him to take care of what you hand Him today.

What does trusting Him actually look like in your life? What would you do differently if you chose to rely on God to do the heavy lifting?

Breathe deeply. Take a chance on Him. What’s your first step if you believe that He’s good and that He’s got everything under control?

It’s okay if your heart is beating a little faster.

Feet don’t have to follow feelings, but they should always follow the Father.

EVENING INSPIRATION

Lord, I can’t say it in words.

Can You please just listen through my heart?

I know you may be tempted to jump into bed. Maybe it has been a long day, a long week, or even a long year. I know you are tired.

But we have discovered that the Holy Spirit can share the deepest parts of our hearts when we don’t have the insight or energy to utter a single word.

Get still and talk to God from your heart. Praying from your heart works when you’re praying for others and you don’t know how to pray. It also works when you want to yield your entire being to God.

Tell God that you want to surrender your life to Him. And then once you run out of words, just ask Him to read between the beats of your heart and decode the message you can’t put together. He will hear. He will comfort. He will answer. Consider tipping your hands up to God, palms open, to demonstrate a posture of yielding to His will and not your own.

From Chrystal Evans Hurst's The 28-Day Prayer Journey