WEEK 6, DAY 40: EXPECTANCY
Scripture Reference: Luke 24:13-49
The Hope for We Pray 40
Today, we have come to the end of this 40-day journey. Thank you to all who were involved in the process of organizing the past 40 days. And a thank you to those who wrote devotionals and hosted prayer events. Thank you to the churches and individuals who set aside these 40 days to cry out to God for revival and supernatural provision for the persecuted church. As long as this fallen world still exists we hope to continue this as a tradition, at least, once a year.
As we put together the calendar, we asked this question: What do we hope to accomplish at the end of these forty days? The answer? “We” don’t hope to accomplish anything. The problems we face in this community, this nation, and this world cannot be solved by “us.”
“God’s Word Will Not Return Empty”
We didn’t hope, actually we knew, because of the faithfulness, love and power of God our Creator, the end result of We Pray 40 would be “Expectancy.” After all God is the One who has invited us to call out to Him in faith. God is the One who has made great and precious promises to us. God is the One who told Jeremiah to “ask Me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” (Jeremiah 33:3) To another prophet God said, “Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” (Habakkuk 1:5) We are expectant because God said: “My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it. (Isaiah 55:11)
EXPECTANCY THE END RESULT
As believers we are often negative and full of doom and gloom. Yes, this world is evil. Yes, it appears that there is no solution. And yet God said through Solomon: “…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) So we are expectant. Because we have come together in these 40 days as God’s people to do this and God’s word will not return empty. It is our belief He will hear, forgive and heal because HE SAID SO!
Yes, Lord the enemy is powerful and seems to be taking more territory every day but we do not cry out like Henny Penny and say: “The sky is falling, the sky is falling, no in the spirit of King Jehoshaphat we cry out to You, the Great I Am and say: “O God, WE are powerless before this vast army that comes against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on YOU!” (2 Chronicles 20:12)
EXPECTANCY: JUST ASK
God has invited us to simply “ask.” We often do, but we often do so with hopelessness embedded in our requests. This is not the best posture. God told us that “without faith it is impossible to please Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) We have every reason to come to Him in faith because the Creator does not dread the future and there is no obstacle too great for Him. “Impossible” is His playground. “The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.” (Psalm 33:6)
So ask God to speak into your life—words of change, words of fulfillment, words of destiny. Ask for His voice to heal your wounds, shift your circumstances, and shape your future. Most of all, ask Him to raise up people and churches, and even entire societies that will embody His Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. He merely speaks, and an entire universe is created by the sound. He can certainly alter anything in your life or this world with just a word.
Believe it! Expect it!
—Kenneth Grizzell, Greenwood Park church of Christ
TIME TO CONTEMPLATE (A Thanksgiving Exercise)
- Today is Thanksgiving. Take time (with family or by yourself) to thank God for the powerful ways He has delivered and provided in the past.
- Spend time of thanksgiving and praise listing His many attributes and characteristics.
- Ask Him for faith and a spirit of expectancy.
PRAY:
Lord God today I thank You for all that you have done in my life. I thank You for all that You are doing in my life. Lord, I don’t know what to do but my eyes are on You. You, O God, are a world changer and have called me to join in Your work. Speak words of power into my life, my family, my city, my country, my world. Create Your Kingdom everywhere on earth. Lord, humbly, I ask for You to increase my faith and give me a spirit of expectancy. Make my heart burn with the faith and the expectancy of the disciples who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus. Thank You for what You are about to do through Christ my Lord and Savior I pray. Amen.
