Fasting Day 3: Prayer to Deal With Our Weaknesses

Today’s Reading

1 Now it happened when David and his men came home to Ziklag on the third day; they found that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev (the South country) and Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire;

2 And they had taken captive the women and all who were there, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off to be used as slaves and went on their way.

3 When David and his men came to the town, it was burned, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. – 1 Samuel 30:1-3

Reflection

It’s fasting day 3.

To follow the guidelines for this 21-day fasting and prayer, please read up:

Fasting Day 1 and

Fasting Day 2

Today, we’re starting to look at the lessons from the anchor Scripture and to pray the insights.

Remember that you can always go beyond what is recommended. That means, if your time permits, feel free to read and study other Scriptures in addition to the ones we are looking at. The essence of this fast is to encounter God in a unique way through His Word.

Look at the teachings and prayer points as pointers – and not conclusions. As much as you can, pray more points with words the LORD puts in your heart.

And always take notes in this season. If God inspires you with an idea, a direction, a thought, a revelation, kindly take note of it. And take note of your night dreams as well. If some dreams you have this period gets your attention, do take note of them. All of these may not add up immediately, but they will surely do as time goes on.

So let’s continue…

Who Raided the Land?

As the scripture we just read above says, the Amalekites made a raid on the Negev (the South country) and Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire.

This is instructive and supports what Jesus said in John 10:10a: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”

We know who the thief is and we know his mission.

That’s exactly what he inspired the Amalekites to do.

Let me repeat this again: God is not responsible for the evil that happened there.

Same goes for us: God is not the one who is tormenting or afflicting us with any pain.

We must recognize and accept that the devil and his demons are the ones working to bring us down. The human elements in the equation are not the real culprits.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” – Ephesians 6:12

In the passage above, the Amalekites – that’s the devil and his demons – raided Ziklag, burned it down and took everyone captive.

When the enemy attacks

Notice that the Amalekites did this terrible act when David and his soldiers were away.

The devil always attacks us in our weaknesses. He often capitalizes on our shortcomings to unleash his venoms. He mainly succeeds when we are away, so to say. That is, not standing in our rightful positions.

For instance, when one is grieving for the loss of a loved one, the devil can seize this moment of genuine grief to project things like depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other health problems if not recognized and stopped on time.

That’s what I mean by seizing the moments when we are away.

Look at your weaknesses, and moments of vulnerabilities. Recognize them. Embrace them and surrender them to God, and refuse to allow them to become a door for the enemy to take you captive this year.

Here’s what our prayer direction will be today:

To surrender our known or unknown weaknesses to the LORD and ask for grace to return to our spiritual posts

Prayer Points

1. Heavenly Father, I thank You for making me Your watchman, in Jesus name.
   

   ---

2. O LORD, wherever and however I have forsaken my place of divine placement, I ask You for revelation and grace to retrace my steps this day, in Jesus’ name.
   

   ---

3. O LORD, show me any weakness in my life that is working with the devil to destroy my life.
   

   ---

4. Help me by the Holy Spirit, LORD, to surrender my weaknesses to Thee and receive Your strength to walk in victory over them this year, in Jesus’ name.
   

   ---

5. It is written that while men slept, the enemy came and sowed tares (Matthew 13:25).  Therefore LORD, I pray this day that the Holy Spirit will wake me up from all forms of spiritual laziness and slumber, in Jesus name.
   

   ---

6. Whatever the enemy has planted in my life and family, in the past, as a result of my spiritual laziness and sleepiness, LORD, let them be uprooted and destroyed this day, in Jesus name.
   

   ---

7. LORD, I pray this day, open my eyes to see and understand what the enemies have damaged in my life, career, family and ministry; and help me in this season of waiting on Thee to demand Your total restoration, in Jesus name.
   

   ---

8. Anything that is making me powerless in the spiritual world, Lord Jesus Christ, take it out of my life, in Jesus’ name.
   

   ---

9. Every door I have opened out of ignorance, fear or doubt, that has enabled the devil to harass my life and family before now, I close them this day, in Jesus name.
   

   ---

10. From today, and all through this year, I humble myself before the LORD. And I resist the devil and his demons, in Jesus name.