21 DAYS OF FASTING AND PRAYER

THOUGHTS FROM THE 21 DAYS DAY 3

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In January our church held its annual congregational fast. For 21 days we prayed together, fasted together and meditated on 1 John . Here are my thoughts from those times of devotion in 1 John.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our[a] joy complete. 1 JOHN 1:1-4

MEDITATIONAL THOUGHT:

Sharing your personal encounter with Jesus brings complete joy to the community of faith.

MY THOUGHTS:

One of the things I am working on in the new year is in collaborating with people in my congregation to share stories about how God is showing up in their lives. I realize my role in the Sunday morning service is to bring the “rightly divided Word of truth” from the Scripture, but the part of sharing testimony can and even should come from the congregation. The body of Christ needs to see how the “rightly divided Word of truth” works out in personal circumstances. I need to see that in my own life and the lives of those around me so that I can be encouraged all the more as I see the day of Lord drawing near. That day is close now I think.

WHAT STORIES ARE YOU SHARING TO ENCOURAGE YOURSELF TOWARDS FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE LATELY?

21 DAYS OF FASTING AND PRAYER 2026 MEDITATION 16

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Well, folks today is day 20 of our 21 days of fasting and prayer. We are on meditation 16. So I will be quickly catching up to finish these meditations over the next 24 hours. Here is meditation number 16 from 1 John.

1 John 4:7-12

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 John 4:7-12 (Source: Equip the Called)Theme: God is Love
1. Love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
2. God showed His love for you by sending His only Son into the world so that you might live through Him.
3. If God so loved you, you also ought to love one another; God abides in you when you love.

THINKING TIME:

  1. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING BORN OF GOD AND KNOWING GOD?
  2. WHAT IS THE GOAL OF KNOWING GOD?
  3. HOW DOES GOD’S LOVE FOR US COMPEL US TO LOVE OTHERS?

21 DAYS OF FASTING AND PRAYER 2026 MEDITATION 15

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Here is our noon time meditation for this 19th day of the 21 days of fasting and prayer in 2026.

1 JOHN 4:1-6

 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

1 John 4:1-6 (Source: Equip the Called)Theme: Testing the Spirits
1. Do not believe every spirit, but test them to see whether they are from God.
2. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.
3. The One in you is greater than the spirit of the antichrist in the world.

THINKING TIME:

1.HOW DO YOU TEST THE SPIRITS IN LIFE?

2. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST ALREADY BEING IN THE WORLD?

3. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE GREATER THAN SPIRIT WHO LIVES IN YOU?

21 DAYS OF FASTING AND PRAYER 2026 MEDITATION 14

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We are systematically working our way through the book of 1 John as we continue towards the end of our 21 days of fasting and prayer. I am looking forward to unpacking all that I have learned during this fast and the changes it has brought about in me.

1 JOHN 3:19-24

This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

1 John 3:19-24 (Source: Equip the Called)Theme: Assurance Before God
1. You can be assured before God; even if your heart condemns you, God is greater than your heart and knows all things.
2. When you keep His commands, you have confidence and receive what you ask because you ask according to His will.
3. This is His commandment: believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another.

THINKING TIME:

  1. WHAT DOES CONFIDENCE LOOK LIKE IN YOUR LIFE?
  2. DO YOU SPEND TIME FOSTERING CONFIDENCE IN YOUR LIFE? WHY OR WHY NOT?
  3. WHAT ARE SOME THINGS IN YOUR LIFE THAT ARE STEALING YOUR CONFIDENCE TODAY?