21 DAYS OF PRAYER, FASTING, AND FITNESS

“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” – Matthew 5:22 ESV

I have this memory lodged in my head of a time playing basketball when I acted like a complete jerk. It was an evening-time game, and just a few minutes into the first quarter, I realized it would be a long night. I wasn’t a fan of the referee calling our game, nor was I fond of the team we were playing.

After a few sequences up-and-down the court, I decided to drive the ball in for a layup, and on the way up, I got bumped, thinking surely the ref would call a foul. But after hearing no whistle, I gave the ref a dirty look and could sense my anger rising. Finally, I said a comment to the ref that landed me a technical foul. My coach tried to calm me down, but I was already off the edge. I made one more negative statement, and the ref ejected me from the game. I still remember sitting there on the bench, upset, with a bad attitude, blaming everyone else for my mistakes.

And what were my mistakes, might you ask?

The immediate answer is allowing my anger to control me rather than the other way around. Anger is a tricky emotion because, on the one hand, there is such a thing as righteous anger, where we get angry about the things that anger our Lord. And yet, on the other hand, we learn from David’s words in Psalm 37:8, writing: “Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.” (Psalm 37:8 ESV)

Regardless of where you are on this topic, I would encourage you to lean into the words of James, the brother of Jesus, and Solomon, son of David, in Proverbs 14. View the two Scriptures below:

• “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” – James 1:19-20 ESV
• “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” – Proverbs 14:29 ESV

These two verses declare, from the Old Testament to the New, that it’s wise to be slow to anger. And unfortunately, I’ve found that when we are quick to anger, we typically say something or do something we regret. And not only do we regret it personally, but those around us are also affected.

To draw back to my basketball example above, I’m still bothered by how I let my teammates and coach down in that situation. I not only embarrassed myself, but I embarrassed my team. Anger will not only let you down but also embarrass you along the way. Benjamin Franklin, the Founding Father of the United States, once stated: “Whatever is begun in anger, ends in shame.” So, today take time to repent of any unjustified anger in your life and acknowledge to the Lord times when you are quick to anger. In those moments, pause what you are doing, intentionally breathe, speak the gospel over your soul, and be reminded that God is still in control.

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26–27 ESV

Lord, thank You for Your kindness and gentleness toward me. Thank You that You are no longer angry with me through my faith in Christ. Thank You for paying the debt for my sins and giving me fresh grace daily. I ask You for Your help and power in controlling my anger. I know at some point today, something or someone will anger me. In that instance, please empower me to be slow to anger and quick to bring whatever the situation may be to You! Help me to have eyes to see people the way You do. So, Holy Spirit lead me on this journey. Calm my spirit. Fill me with Your character, and may Your emotions become mine emotions. We pray all of this with confidence, in Jesus’ name, amen!

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14 ESV

Have you ever thought about what the brightest city in the world is? There’s some debate surrounding the answer; however, many researchers believe it to be the city of Las Vegas, NV. My hometown! With over 12,000,000 bulbs glowing daily, National Geographic writes, “From space at night, Las Vegas is the brightest city on Earth.”

One of the bright and beautiful parts of Las Vegas is the Las Vegas Strip, featuring over 30 different hotels and casinos. Now, imagine the Las Vegas strip with all those buildings and millions of lights, but this time envision them powered OFF. Two “w” words come to mind: “weird” and “waste.” It would be weird to have that many beautiful and extravagant buildings and not showcase them with great lightning. And it would seem like a waste to have everything you need to light them but choose not to use them.

Allow this picture to draw your attention to the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:14-16, where He tells His disciples, “You are the light of the world.” Jesus expected His church to shine amid the darkness. Not to blend in or lessen our brightness but to be the light where God has placed us. Failure to do so can come off as weird and wasteful. Jesus illustrates this by referencing an oil lamp equipped with a guiding flame that suddenly one decides to place under a basket to diminish it.

As followers of Jesus, let’s pray to walk as children of light. (Ephesians 5:8) Through our faith in Christ, we are no longer bound by sin and darkness but are now adopted into the family of God. Day by day, we are being conformed to the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29), and may we remember that it was Him first who said: “…”I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”” (John 8:12 NIV) The great Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon, shed light on this topic, stating, “The Bible is not the light of the world, it is the light of the Church. But the world does not read the Bible, the world reads Christians! “You are the light of the world.” O, Lord, help us shine!

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light…” – Ephesians 5:8 CSB

Father, thank You for waking me up today and filling me with breath in my lungs. Thank You for creating light and darkness and for putting Your light in me. Please help me to shine Your light today. I know that, left to myself, I would walk in darkness. I’m not bright, strong, or wise enough to do this on my own. I ask You for Your supernatural strength and guidance to help me be the light wherever You place me.

When I’m feeling weak or tempted to turn my light down, Lord help me find the endurance to shine through it. Lord, use me to bring brightness to someone elses day today. Shine through me, for Your glory, in Jesus’ name, amen! 

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.” – Matthew 5:13 ESV

I recently discovered a newfound liking for the tree nut pistachios. I’ve never been one to just snack on a handful of peanuts, but something about pistachios changed the game. I have a bag in my office that I’ve been working on, and recently I learned another thing about pistachios that was eye-opening for me. One thing that makes these small green-looking nuts so good is when they’re seasoned with salt! 

During these 21 Days of prayer and fasting, I decided to go with the non-salted bag of pistachios as a part of my fast. Can I tell you that salt makes a significant difference? I quickly wanted to abandon the non-salted bag for the previous salted ones because they lacked so much flavor! 

Jesus, in Matthew 5:13, makes a similar parallel to our lifestyle as Christians. He calls us the “salt of the earth.” We will either have a Christ-like flavor to our lives that people are attracted to and desire more of, or we will be flavorless people, repelling others away. When you study Christ in the gospels, people couldn’t get enough of Him wherever He went. Whether it was His teaching, miracles, or overall personality, it’s no secret that people wanted to be around Jesus. He had an attractive flavor to His life! 

In a moment of self-examination, ask yourself today whether or not you resemble that same Christlikeness. Is He continuing to attract the world to Himself through you? Or, if you were honest, would you say your Christianity is quite bland, eventless, and has little to no flavor or excitement to it? If that’s the case, today is a great day to begin asking the Lord to help you regain a sense of purpose, passion, and flavor in your life! Dr. John Stott, the famed Christian theologian from England, once stated: “We should not ask, “What is wrong with the world? for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather we should ask, “What has happened to salt and light?” O, Lord, let us be the saltiness that attracts the world back to Christ! 

“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” – Colossians 4:6 ESV

Father, I want to pray Your words in Matthew 5:13 over my life. I know I’m the “salt of the earth,” but I don’t always feel like it. I want more people on this earth to see and experience Jesus through me! Lord, enrich my saltiness. Reignite my flavor. Give me new dreams, passions, and thoughts that lead to greater joy, evangelism moments, and discipleship encounters!

I also thank You for Your activity of grace in my life. Your presence is full of rich flavors for my thirsty soul, and You are beyond anything this world offers. I worship You because of it. Walking with You is a joy-filled adventure, and I pray I will only experience more of You and Your presence along the way. Make me into a disciple that carries that same Christ-like flavor that more people can eat off of and grow closer to You through.

I pray all of this in Jesus’ name, amen!

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” – Matthew 5:9 ESV

Did you know that God has called you to ministry? I recognize that may feel like a heavy thought, but if you weren’t aware, I want to encourage you with this reality. Notice the words of Paul in his second letter to the Corinthian Church: “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…” (2 Corinthians 5:18 ESV)

The word reconcile means “to restore to friendship or harmony.” (Webster’s Dictionary) Where we once had animosity with God the Father, we now have peace through our faith in Christ. (Romans 5:1) Jesus, by His grace, restored peace between sinful man and holy God and has directly placed a calling on us to do the same for others. We are all called to the ministry of reconciliation.

In Matthew 5:9, Jesus continues his mini-sermon on how to live the blessed life, stating: “Blessed are the peacemakers…” In this text, Jesus affirms that we should actively look for ways to cultivate peace where it has been broken and constantly point people to make peace with God by placing their faith in Jesus. Paul states in Ephesians 2:14: “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility…” (Ephesians 2:14 ESV)

I want to make the distinction here that Paul is not calling us to be peacekeepers, for peacekeepers can quickly become “yes-men” who will go at all costs to avoid conflict. On the contrary, peacemakers are initiators. They don’t sit back, crossing their fingers, hoping for peace. Instead, they go out and make peace where it is lacking. Christ did this for us, and He now gives us the calling and power to do the same toward others. So if today you know of a relationship in your life that lacks the peace of God on it, I want to encourage you, based on Matthew 5:9, to strive to make peace with that person. In the long run, you’ll be glad you did! 

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” – Romans 12:18 ESV

Father, thank You for restoring peace between us by sending Your Son. I don’t know where I would be or what I would do today if it weren’t for Christ. Thank You for loving me more than I ever knew and for giving me Your supernatural peace.

I take up my calling today to be a peacemaker, not just a peacekeeper. Please help me to live out Romans 12:18, and strive for peace with all. Where relationships are broken, please help me have the humility and wisdom to know how to make peace with that person and do it. I know I don’t have time to sit back and wait on them. I need to be the peacemaker You are calling me to be, and I, again, ask for Your help in doing that. Lord, thank You for Your peace and calling on my life to be a reconciling peacemaker. In Jesus’ name, amen!