Scripture Union Daily Guide 14 May 2024 (Tuesday) Devotional Message
TOPIC: FASTING THAT PLEASES GOD
OPENING PRAYER: May my heart, O Lord, be receptive to your word as I meditate on it.
SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 58:1-14
1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
* Q 1: What does the passage teach about God the Father, or God the Son or God the Holy Spirit?
* Q2: Is there any example for me to follow or not to follow?
* Q5: Is there any warning for me to heed?
Scripture Union Daily Guide 14 May 2024 MESSAGE
Many Christians engage in fasting to seek God’s face for some kinds of favour, deliverance, or intervention. Many churches in Africa also have a culture of declaring several days of fasting, especially at the beginning of the year, to beseech God’s face for breakthroughs, protection, etc. in the New Year. Despite all these, the situations of our nations seem to be going from bad to worse.
There must be something wrong with our fasting and prayers like that of the people of Judah. The people of Judah engaged in fasting with some expectations (v.2) but those expectations were not met (v.3a). See vs3b-5 for the reasons they were not getting the results they desired.
Fasting is good; but if we are living in disobedience to God, our fasting will be mere hypocritical religious exercise. Read vs.6-7, 9b-10a and 13 again and observe the characteristics of a fast that pleases God.
Though we cannot manipulate God or force Him to do anything with our fast, when we live in ways that please Him, He will reward and bless us. Check vs.8-9a, 10b-12 and 14 for some of such blessings.
PRACTICE WORD/APPLICATION
So what? Fasting that produces results, is a product of a life that pleases God. Don’t just engage in endless fasting; ensure that your life is pleasing to God and a blessing to others.
* Any new insight or reinforcement of what you already know?
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me to focus more on pleasing you so you will delight in hearing and answering my prayers.
Offer a prayer of faith in line with Psalms 34:10
One Year Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading Plan: Day 135 – 2 Samuel 13-15
NATIONAL PRAYER BULLETIN
Tue May 14, 2024
PRAYER FOCUS
MISSION WORK IN ENUGU REGION
‘O Lord revive your work in the midst of the years’.
Hab. 3:2
THANK GOD FOR:
* What he is doing in the various mission fields in the Region.
* Protecting the lives of our brethren in the mission fields.
PRAY FOR:
* Great exploits through the missionaries in the field and that God will send more labourers in the mission field.
* Great open doors in the mission fields and for massive harvest of souls to the Kingdom of our God.