21 Days of Prayer
Day 1
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. (Exodus 14:21-22)
As we begin our 21 Days of Prayer, I’m asking for God to expand your capacity for Him. We need more of God in our minds, hearts and souls. We need more of God in our relationships. We need more of God in our homes, neighborhoods, and schools. We need more of God in our churches, state and nation. We just need more of God and less of ourselves in 2026.
Our journey begins in the book of Exodus, Moses has been given the command to raise his staff, so God will part the Red Sea. The children of Israel walk on dry ground through the Red Sea. God performs a miracle. The biblical story of the crossing of the Red Sea is so obvious the skeptics can’t believe it and we must not overlook it.
At the entrance to a one lane bridge in Sonoma Calif.: “When this sign is under water, this road is impassable.” Why does that seem so silly? Probably because it’s so obvious. If the water was up that far you couldn’t read the sign anyway, right! The world can often be like that – often overlooking the obvious.
The people of Israel crossing the Red Sea is an obvious and unavoidable part of God’s Word. Many years ago, movie director Cecil B. Demille’s depiction of this event in “The Ten Commandments” was amazing. You could almost sense the awe that God’s people must have felt as they passed beneath those walls of water. The crossing of the Red Sea is a central part of the story of Israel. However, as obvious a part of God’s Word as that event was, there are critics who reject it. They can’t accept the story as true because – in order to do so – they must accept God and His role in the story.
But there exists a significant problem for the skeptics. There is a rule among historians: if a story is central to a people’s history, that story must have some element of truth to it. Critics, therefore, must deal with this Red Sea story by offering some alternative explanation – even if that explanation is as absurd as a sign that’s under water. But really, the Bible is so obvious, and so consistent, that the world of agnostics and atheists have to do handstands to deny its realities. But, of course, this is what we should expect from the world. They may want our qualities as followers of Jesus… but they don’t want our God. CS Lewis once wrote, “Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.” Don’t overlook the obvious today. God’s miracles are all around you. It’s time to get your prayer in these next 21 days!!
Day 2
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
My mother was an artist. Her little sketches on pieces of blank scripts and scraps of paper were magic. As a young child I’d ask her to draw a dog or a sailor, and she’d sketch the face of a mutt or a young looking fellow in a sailor’s hat. I only wish I’d kept some of those treasures. Later in her life, her gift turned into watercolor portraits and paintings. I’ve pieces she painted hanging in our home today. I also have a large leather
pouch filled with unfinished pages of pieces she’d started and left incomplete for a variety of reasons.
The first miracle God ever did happened in the very first words of our history; God created… God created “ex nihlio” which is Latin for “out of nothing”. He who had no beginning and has no end put a “stake in the ground” and created time. And in the beginning of time, he created something out of nothing. The amazing thing is He has been creating something out of nothing ever since. He gave Noah an ark and shut the door, when Noah had nothing to give him but years of trusting enough to build a boat when there was no rain. He gave Abraham thousands of generations based on God’s own covenant keeping love, while Abraham took a nap. He gave David royalty, when all David had to offer was a smelly passionate devotion and a harp.
Romans 5:6 reminds us that “when we were utterly helpless (with absolutely nothing to give), Christ came at just the right time, and died for us sinners”.
We hand him our blank scripts and scraps of paper, and he creates… a way when there seems to be no way; a second chance when there’s no way we deserve it; love when we’re unlovable; mercy and grace when we deserve it the least. And he never leaves you, his greatest masterpiece, incomplete whether you’re a prodigal or a lost sheep. And here is where we begin our 21 days of prayer. Right now, this morning, or afternoon… whenever, wherever you are…. right in the beginning of the miracle where he creates everything out of nothing… right now.. Give him the scrips and scraps of your life and ask him to create. Give him your hesitations and fears. Give him your sin and your self righteousness. Give him your “too busy”, or too “whatevers”, and ask him to create. Give him your “I don’t even know where or how to begin to pray”. He is in the business of creating “ex nihlio”.
We praise and abandon ourselves to you Elohim, creator God, to do what you did from the beginning of time, in our own lives; create in us a heart that knows and rests in your ex nihlio.
Day 3
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty and darkness covered the sea waters. And the spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light, and there was light”. (Genesis 1:1-3)
Formless, empty, void, chaos, waste, dark, unformed, a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness; these are all words used in different versions of scripture to describe earth at its birth. In this darkness was there sound? Or was the first sound waves bursting into existence the actual voice of God, speaking all into existence? God is eternal. The beginning in Genesis is not HIS beginning. God is preeminent, meaning He is the first and the foremost. He is first in honor, first in power and first in worth!
And He, being eternal and preeminent, speaks over the chaos and creates! Psalm 19:1-2 says, The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known”.
The second miracle God did was to speak over the darkness and from it create order and beauty. He who later would stand up in a rocking boat and speak “Peace be still” to swirling, stormy waters. Should the disciples have wondered that even the winds and waves obey him? He is the one who spoke them into existence! He, in his preeminence, spoke over the formless, empty, void, waste, dark, unformed, nothingness, emptiness, and inky blackness, and made everything and anything that was created. In revealing what he’s done, he reveals who he is. God’s own self revelation is our entire basis of worship. The miracle that he pulls back the curtain, creates order out of chaos and gives us a front row description of what he has done and who he is, should cause us to stand in awe; we- the only part of creation made in his image.
To ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name is not to assign, for to ascribe is not to assign. To ascribe is to acknowledge. It’s an active act of worship, recognizing his holiness, his worthiness, his being foremost and preeminent.
Perhaps today you are standing over circumstances that seem chaotic. Maybe your emotions are chaos, or your body is in chaos, or your emotions are in chaos. Ask the Lord in your rocking boat to stand and speak! Ask! Pray! Prayer is an act of worship. CS Lewis says, “we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not nearly expresses but completes the enjoyment. The delight is incomplete till it is expressed. The Scottish catechism says that man’s chief end is ‘to glorify God and enjoy him forever.’ But we shall then know that these are the same thing. To fully enjoy it is to glorify him. In commanding us to glorify him, God is inviting us to enjoy him”.
Prayer is an act of worship. And praise is an act of worship. So take a few moments and ascribe to him the glory due his name. As we praise, he speaks over our chaos.
Day 4
Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” (Exodus 16:4-5)
As we launch into our 21 days of prayer, it’s so poignant that we would choose to pray through the miracles in the Bible. The miracle of manna challenges us to pray for God’s provision in the midst of life’s trials and circumstances.
Often there are times in our lives when we ask the question: What is it? What’s going on? How come I can’t get a breakthrough or why is it that I’m living from hand to mouth, can I ever get ahead, and nothing seems to get accomplished? You take two steps forward and three steps back. It seems like you are literally taking it just one day at a time, just barely keeping it together. So you ask yourself the question, what is it? This is temporary. This is not permanent. This is just for a season and not a lifetime, but regardless of the outcome you must remember that this is temporary. Therefore, it is important for you to know that although you may be in the wilderness do not let the wilderness get in you. This is not your final destination. This is not the fulfillment of God’s eternal promise to your plight. This is a temporary condition that requires temporary sustenance- a temporary solution. That is what manna is.
This is ‘manna’ which literally means, ‘what is it’. For the Israelites this manna manifested itself in the desert as small white flakes or grains that resembled coriander seeds. It tasted like flour with honey. God gave it to them with clear instructions for its gathering. They could only collect one day’s portion for each person. This is daily bread. This is manna. This is what God is providing to you that you may survive during your wilderness experience. Manna is what God is giving you during your times of trial and testing. Manna is what he will provide that will help you cope-your daily bread which is temporary. It is not your final place of destination. The miracle of manna is God’s provision for all your needs today. Trust God with the details today. Pray for manna today. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life”. God promises to meet our needs today.
Day 5
And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. (Joshua 10:13)
How big is the God you serve? The question really is, how big is your concept of God? Is the God you serve big enough to perform miracles on your behalf. Or does your faith limit what God is able to do for you?
You will remember that the Gibeonites had deceived their way into a treaty with Israel, thus saving their lives. But when the hill tribes heard of it they looked on the Gibeonites as traitors and quite understandably decided to move against them. By the same token
We have chosen to follow Jesus Christ; we are a threat to those who oppose His kingdom. And just like Israel, every one of us who wants to be a faithful servant of Jesus Christ will face strong opposition.
The Gibeonites quickly sent word to Joshua, “Do not abandon us but come to our rescue.” What would you have done? Had Joshua not been a man of principle he could have used this a way to escape from the consequences of his rash treaty with the Gibeonites. After all, they had tricked him! But Joshua did not think that way. He had made a commitment in God’s name with the Gibeonites and he intended to honor it. Verse seven says, “So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.” Oh, if men and women today still understood the value of giving their word and then standing behind it.
Armed with the command and promise of the Lord Joshua lead his men into battle. They marched the 25 miles from Gilgal to Gibeon under the cover of darkness. They covered the same distance in eight to ten hours that had previously taken three days at a more leisurely pace. Joshua’s long night march to Gibeon took the enemy completely by surprise. Notice with me that it is the Lord doing the fighting. We are told the Lord routed them (v10), the Lord chased them, and the Lord struck them down. Think of the excitement of realizing that God is fighting for you. We have all been decimated by the enemy, beat up by circumstances and wearied with our obligations. How wonderful it would be if God came to our rescue, took up our cause and defeated our enemies. The miracle is God defends, protects and chases down the enemy in our lives. God fights for us. Thank God this morning for His protection over your life. Praise Him for defending you. He will do whatever it takes to chase down the enemy in your life. Nothing is too great for our God.
Day 6
Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” Then the
fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” (1 Kings 1 18:36-39)
Danny Simpson, a 24-year-old Canadian, was sentenced to 6 years in jail for robbing a bank in Ottawa, Canada of $6,000. The gun he used in the robbery, however, ended up in a Canadian museum. The .45 caliber Colt semi-automatic turned out to be an antique made in 1918 by the Ross Rifle Company of Quebec City. His pistol was worth up to $100,000. If Danny Simpson had known what he had in his hands, he would not have ended up in jail.
During the days of Elijah, if the nation of Israel had only known what they had in their hands, they wouldn’t have ended up in spiritual slavery, held captive by Ahab and Jezebel in their own land. It was the same song, second verse – they had come of out Egypt but Egypt had not come out of them.
We know that God is powerful and that mankind is weak, but did you know God wants to fill your powerless life with His power and strength? Many Christians spend their lives searching for God’s power and presence, not realizing it is already in their hands. Do you know what you have in your hands? Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” (I Kings 18:21) God never has been and never will be pleased when His people waver between serving Him or the world. During such times, God is more than willing to reveal Himself in a way that erases all doubt of His power. And when God reveals Himself, our most natural response should be a full commitment of faith. The miracle of God’s power demands a response. What is your response? Are you willing to trust Him with all your heart, soul and life today? If Danny Simpson only knew what was in his hands, he would never have ended up in jail. Turn to Jesus today.
Day 7
For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!” So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah. (Exodus 17:14-16)
Have you ever been broke? I mean really broke? This widow was and she couldn’t believe her ears! She was at the end of her rope. Life was hard enough for a widow in that day and age, but the drought that they had been experiencing had been the straw that broke the camel’s back. Well she should have been lucky enough to have a camel with a broken back. She was out of food, out of money and was so broke that she
couldn’t even afford to pay attention. She had enough food at home to make one last meal, and she figured if we’re going to starve we might as well have a hot meal first. So out she went to collect some fire wood and it was at that point that into her life comes the prophet Elijah, who like a typical preacher was asking for something. Now the first request was fairly simple, he said “Would you please bring me a cup of water?” Well, that wasn’t all that tough, even she could afford to give someone a drink of water, but as she turned to walk away it got a little tougher because he said “oh by the way could you grab me a sandwich as well” Her response to this man of God would not only have an immediate impact on her life but it would ultimately be a life changing impact. The miracle of God’s provision can change lives. It changed the widow’s life and it can change yours as well. Run to the God of miracles all day today.
Praise God for your salvation in Jesus Christ this morning. I’m praying for you this morning, NewLife!
Day 8
The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived. Numbers 21:8-9 Let’s go back to the original story and look a little closer at, how God punished the people for their disobedience, and the method He used to save them. The people sinned in their discontentment by rebelling against Moses and against God. It is probably quite fitting then that God should use serpents to punish the people. It was a serpent that was present when Adam and Eve committed the first sin by rebelling against God. The serpent had grown to represent that sin.
As somebody once said when it came to the first sin; Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the Serpent, and the Serpent hadn’t got a leg to stand on. It is no wonder then that God uses snakes to punish this rebellion.
It is pleasing to see that the first thing the Israelites do is repent. They don’t try and deal with the problem their own way by using extra thick leggings or ringing their tents with fire. Moses then intercedes on their behalf. Here we see a little of the character of Moses. The people had been rebelling against him and not just God.
The method that God uses to deal with the problem is quite extraordinary. He tells Moses to make a bronze serpent and to lift it up. Anybody who is bitten, but looks at it, will live. Why would God choose to use something that represents sin to save the people from it? The answer we discover is that it is a prophecy to the very method that God would use to deal with all sin and its consequences.
The disciple John writes, “For God so loved the world, the He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The miracle of repentance leads to eternal life. Praise God for the cross. Praise God for our redeemer on the cross.
Our sin caused the judgment of the fiery serpents poison and curse; yet at our repentance God’s love provides an antidote for our sin. Jesus is the atoning sacrifice. The antidote is not an injection (works) but a beholding (faith) — it is something that even the one closest to death can do — believe enough to turn your eyes to the cure
You just need to see Jesus and “behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Pray for the miracle of grace this morning. God’s grace is amazing.
Day 9
The Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest, “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ houses, all in Israel who are able to go to war.” Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, “Take a census of the people, from twenty years old and upward,” as the Lord commanded Moses. (Numbers 26:1-4)
Some people think Numbers is rather boring but it records some dramatic miracles. All of this is a quiet but powerful miracle that is easy to be overlooked. Just think, a whole nation moved from one land to another, lost its entire adult population, yet managed to maintain its spiritual direction.
Even though Moses was not allowed to go into the Promised Land he spent the closing weeks of his life preparing the new generation to enter Canaan and claim the land God promised to give them. In this portion of Scripture a new census was taken in anticipation of assigning land to the families of the tribes, a new leader was identified in Joshua, and the law of God concerning offerings was brought into focus. But the primary purpose of the numbering was to ascertain how the land of Canaan would be allotted to the different tribes. Thirty-eight years had passed since the first great census. During this time every Israelite man and woman over 20 years of age, except Joshua, Caleb and Moses, had died and yet God’s laws and spiritual character of the nation were still intact. The miracle is Joshua and Caleb survived. They not only survived, but they thrived in the wilderness. They were ready to lead the people into the promised land. The first census counted the Hebrews who left Egypt. But when the old generation died in the wilderness another census was needed to count the Hebrews ready to enter the Promised Land. The first census revealed a total of 603,550 soldiers were available (1:45-46). This new census revealed that although over 600,000 men (not counting women and children) had died in the wilderness the male population of Israel now numbered 606,730 (v. 51). When you consider that every man had now been replaced who had died during the previous thirty-eight years except for only 1,820 men, this total is quite remarkable. Just as God had multiplied His people during their years of suffering in Egypt, so He made them fruitful during their years in traveling in the wilderness. Now that is a miracle of miracles. Sometimes it may seem like God isn’t doing much in my life but I must remember that God is still in the miracle business and works in quiet ways to bring about his long range purposes. Pray for a miracle today!