WEEK ONE: RETURN TO GOD

We often see clearly what needs to change around us. We see problems in our culture, struggles in our community, and things we wish were different in the church.

But spiritual renewal begins with a much more personal prayer: Lord, begin with me.

David invited God to search his heart. That is a courageous prayer because we are giving God permission to reveal what we may have ignored, justified, or hidden.

As we begin these 21 days, do not start by asking God to change everyone else. Ask Him to search you. Ask Him to reveal anything standing between you and deeper fellowship with Him.

Fasting removes some of the noise and comfort we normally depend upon. In the space that remains, we invite God to speak.

Reflect: What might God want to change in me during these 21 days?
Pray: Lord, search my heart. Show me where I need to change, grow, surrender, or return to You. Begin Your work in me.

We know what physical hunger feels like. Our bodies remind us when something is missing.

Spiritual hunger can be easier to ignore.

We can fill our lives with activity, entertainment, work, food, schedules, and distractions while our souls quietly become hungry for God.

One purpose of fasting is to allow physical hunger to remind us of a deeper truth: we need God.

Every time you miss what you have chosen to give up, allow that desire to become a call to prayer. Instead of simply thinking, “I wish I could have that,” turn your attention toward God.

Pray, “Lord, increase my hunger for You.”

The goal of these 21 days is not simply to successfully finish a fast. The goal is to desire God more deeply when we finish than when we began.

Reflect: What have I been using to satisfy needs that only God can truly meet?
Pray: Lord, create in me a deeper hunger for Your presence, Your Word, and Your will.

God’s invitation to return is an invitation of grace.

Throughout Scripture, when God calls His people to return, He is not looking for religious performance. He wants their hearts.

It is possible to change our behavior without surrendering our hearts. We can attend worship, read Scripture, serve, give, and even fast while remaining spiritually distant from God.

That is why the prophet Joel called the people to return to God with all their hearts.

During this fast, God may bring something to your attention that needs to be confessed or surrendered. Do not run from that conviction. Respond to it.

The God calling you to return is gracious and compassionate. His desire is restoration.

Reflect: Is there an area of my life where I have been resisting God?
Pray: Lord, I return to You today. Give me an undivided heart and help me surrender every part of my life to You.

Martha was doing good things, but she had become distracted from the most important thing.

That can happen to us too.

Our lives can become so full of responsibilities, notifications, activities, entertainment, work, and even ministry that we lose the ability to sit quietly in the presence of Jesus.

Not every distraction is sinful. Some distractions are good things that have taken too much space.

Fasting helps us identify what has been occupying our attention. When something is removed, even temporarily, we begin to recognize how much of our time and focus it was consuming.

Today, pay attention to the places your mind runs when things become quiet.
Then choose what Mary chose: be present with Jesus.

Reflect: What most frequently distracts me from spending time with God?
Pray: Jesus, help me recognize the distractions in my life and choose what matters most. Teach me to be present with You.

David did not ask God to help him appear better. He asked God to change his heart.

Real spiritual transformation always works from the inside out.

We often focus on managing our external behavior, but God desires to transform our desires, motives, thoughts, and attitudes.

As you seek God today, ask Him to do more than help you become more disciplined. Ask Him to renew you from within.

Where has your heart become hard?

Where have you become cynical?

Where are you carrying bitterness?

Where has your passion for God grown cold?

God is able to renew what has become tired and restore what has been lost.
 
Reflect: What part of my heart most needs God’s renewing work today?
Pray: God, create in me a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore the joy of walking closely with You.

“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

It is a simple prayer, but not always an easy one.

Most of us are much better at speaking than listening. Even in prayer, we can quickly move through a list of requests without creating space to listen for God’s direction through His Word and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Today, slow down.

Read the Scripture passage more than once. Sit quietly. Ask God what He wants to reveal about your heart, your relationships, your priorities, and your obedience.

God’s voice will never contradict His Word, but His Spirit often uses Scripture to convict, encourage, redirect, and remind us of truth.

Do not rush through your time with God today.

Listen.

Reflect: Have I created enough quiet in my life to listen to God?
Pray: Speak, Lord. Help me quiet my heart, listen to Your Word, and respond in obedience.

We spend much of our lives seeking.

We seek security, success, approval, comfort, control, relationships, and answers.

Jesus gives us a different priority: seek first the kingdom of God.

This does not mean our responsibilities and needs are unimportant. It means they must be placed in the right order.

God first.

As we finish the first week of our fast, consider what God has shown you. Has anything been out of order? Has something good become more important than God? Have worry and anxiety occupied the space where trust belongs?

Today, renew your commitment to seek God first, not only for these 21 days but as the pattern of your life.

Reflect: What would change in my life if I truly sought God first each day?
Pray: Father, help me seek Your kingdom first. Order my priorities and teach me to trust You with everything else.