Daily Devotion

January 11, 2017

Day 4 | Fasting


Excerpted from Jentezen Franklin's 21-Day Fasting Bible Study

Perhaps you’ve never felt close to God. Or maybe you’ve had seasons of intimacy but you’ve either fallen away or allowed the cares of life to pull you away from that closeness with Him. Many times, when we decide to return to Him, to go back to our first love, we have this notion that there is a gulf we must span or great distance we must travel to get to where He is. This isn’t true at all. But for many, that is just how far away from God they have been. Maybe that’s how far from God you feel you have been. We think this distance can be bridged by hard work, lots of good deeds, going to church and all the trappings of a religious life. The problem is we’re working to bridge a gap that isn’t there. God is never far from you­—you simply must turn to Him.

 

There is literally no effort on your part needed. All that is required is a simple turning back, a decision to shift your focus. A simple prayer of confession and a sincere plea for closeness and God is instantly right there. There is no need to go looking for Him, because He is right there where you are . . . even now.

 

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from your Presence?

If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

Psalm 139:7-8

 

Think About It

  1. Are there times when you feel distant from God? Have you felt that way recently?
  2. In your fourth day of fasting, are you beginning to feel closer to God or more sensitive to His presence?

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