Daniel Fast Devotional Day 14

And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant.” —1 Kings 18:36

The sacrifice referenced above was a declaration that Elijah was a servant of the Most High God.  Elijah belonged to God, and he represented God to the people. However, Elijah’s boldness was not a result of who he was; it was the result of knowing God!

As children of God under the New Covenant, we don’t have to be timid or fearful when coming to God in prayer.  We can approach Him boldly.  Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. (Hebrews 4:16, AMP)

It’s intimidating to think about taking a fearless, confident, bold attitude when coming before God in prayer.  Yet this is exactly what we are admonished to do! God has already settled the issue of our access to Him, but we can be assured our access is not because of our own righteousness. It’s because of what Jesus did on the cross.  We can come to the throne in such outrageous boldness because Jesus was outrageously righteous! When we pray, we come to God in the authority of Jesus’ name, and we can be confident that we will find grace, mercy, and perfectly timed help.

Fasting is not an end of itself; it is a means by which we can worship the Lord and submit ourselves in humility to Him. We don’t make God love us any more than He already does if we fast, or if we fast longer.  Fasting involves God in the problem. Then in the strength of God, victory is possible. —Elmer L. Towns

Prayer Focus: Do you approach God with timidity or confidence? Seek God boldly today knowing you are fully forgiven and Jesus has made you righteous. When you approach God in prayer, seek a fresh revelation of who He is in your life.

Source: www.awake21.org