Posts with the tag “21-days-of-prayer”

We're invited into a profound exploration of spiritual breathing - the continuous filling of the Holy Spirit that sustains us through life's most challenging climbs. Drawing from Ephesians 5:18, we discover that being filled with the Spirit isn't a one-time event but an ongoing posture of receiving. The Greek text reveals this as a present, continuous action: we must keep positioning ourselves to be filled, not once, but continually. The beautiful truth here is that we don't produce the Spirit's presence through our own effort; we simply position ourselves through worship, community, and openness to receive what God is already pouring out. Like climbing a mountain at high elevation where every breath becomes precious and intentional, our spiritual lives require us to stop, pause, and intentionally breathe in God's presence. The metaphor of fragile clay jars from 2 Corinthians 4 reminds us that we leak - life drains us, circumstances empty our tanks, and our humanity is weak. But the source never runs dry. When we find ourselves spiritually breathless, holding our breath in survival mode rather than abiding in Christ, we're called back to the gentle leading of the Spirit who never forces but always invites.   Read More

We're invited into a season of spiritual renewal through 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, but more importantly, it challenges us to examine what's blocking the life-giving breath of God in our souls. We're reminded that God never stops breathing life into us - we simply get clogged up. The message traces this struggle back to Genesis and the two trees in the Garden of Eden: the Tree of Life representing dependence, trust, and relationship with God, versus the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil representing control, self-reliance, and performance. We discover three primary ways our spiritual airways become blocked: when control replaces trust, when knowledge replaces dependence, and when religion replaces relationship. The call isn't to try harder or do more - it's to come closer. Jesus invites the weary and burdened not to another religious checklist, but to proximity with Him. As we enter this season of fasting, we're challenged to identify what we need to sacrifice, to write down our commitments, and to gather together for corporate prayer. This isn't about earning God's favor through our efforts; it's about clearing the pathways so we can receive the abundant life He's already freely offering us.  Read More