January 20 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 41:17-57
• Genesis 42:1-17
• Matthew 13:24-46
• Psalms 18:1-15
• Proverbs 4:1-6

But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger. – Psalm 18:6-7

We only have one more day of the 21-day fast! It’s hard to believe how quickly this time has gone by. I want to encourage you that as you have taken time to fast and pray with me during this season, God has been watching! Your prayers, your cries, have reached His ears. This is what we discover in our Bible reading today. Here we see the pattern for prayer. It goes like this: we pray, God hears, and then… the earth quakes! Your prayers are meant to be earth-shaking! Let’s take a closer look at this.

In my distress I cried out to the Lord.

What has been distressing to you? What has been overwhelming to you? A certain amount of stress is good for you. If a guitar string doesn’t have enough stress, it sounds horrible. If it has too much stress, it snaps. And, if you have too much stress, it will eventually turn into distress. When that happens, instead of freaking out, try crying out to God. Pour out your heart to Him, asking Him for help.

My cry has reached His ears!

What gives power to your prayers is the fact that they reach God’s ears. The King of Kings has heard the cry of your heart. He has seen your distress and heard your prayers asking for help. You have an invitation to daily come before God’s throne of grace, and there, receive the mercy, grace, and help you need.

Then the earth quaked and trembled.

Take heart, my friend, the Lord has seen your fasting and has heard your prayers. What comes next is this word – “Then!” Then the Lord does something earth-shaking. Then all of Heaven breaks loose on the earth. And, then God takes what the enemy meant for bad and turns it around for your good. Then suddenly what looked impossible becomes a reality. Then healing collides with your sickness and healing wins every time!

I pray for you, my friend. I pray that you will be filled with hope today. And, I pray that the joy of the Lord fills your heart as you know that your cry has reached His ears. It’s now time for the Lord to come and do all the good things that He has promised to do for you!

Your Pastor and Friend,

Kevin