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40 HOLY DAYS
 
COVENANT
Click HERE for Covenant Video Introduction
(for webpage version click HERE)

Week Two
Holy Image

Day 13
Day Thirteen Devotions:
MORNING MEDITATION
AFTERNOON DEVOTION
EVENING PRAYER
MORNING MEDITATION

 

Morning Meditation: "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son,  whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins..." - Hebrews 1:1-3b

 

All was good as the sun set on that closing day of creation. In fact, everything was "very good." The Creator solemnized His finished work with an appointed day of rest, and all nature joined in the jubilee. The Creator has done marvelous things! The heavens rejoiced and the earth was glad, the seas resounded and the fields were jubilant; all the trees of the forest sang for joy; and the mountains and the hills burst into song (Psalm 96:11-12; Isaiah 55:12). The work of Creation is complete!

 

As the sun rose announcing the dawn of a new day, all creation continued its' benevolent functions. It wasn't long, however, before something interrupted the once perfect and harmonious flow. As the Lord God walked in the garden in the cool of that particular day the trees where no longer clapping their festive song, for they were pulled back to provide a hiding place for guilt and shame (Genesis 2:8). The leaves began to change, a chill filled the air, and weeds sprung up from the ground where once only flowers bloomed there. A strange fog began to settle like a heavy cloak of darkness upon the land, and a poisonous stench polluted the once fragrant air making it difficult for all the creatures to breathe the noxious unfamiliar air. Nature had been dramatically altered that fateful day when the deadly disease of sin contaminated God's holy garden. God in His infinite goodness, purity, righteousness, and holiness rose up in His wrath and declared war on the evil that would dare destroy the health of His perfect creation. The new work of redemption had begun!

 

God revealed His glory when He showed His power in the external works of creation; but now the working of His redemptive power in attacking the virus that had infiltrated the internal parts of His creation would display His even greater glory. The trees which once provided a hiding place from the guilt and shame of sin would now become the symbol of a redeemed life hidden in Christ, our great High Priest, who was crucified on the cross to make atonement for our sin. "Such a high priest meets our need - one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens...He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself" (Hebrews 7:26, 27b). Praise our all-sufficient, gracious, and holy Father for sending His Son to violently and aggressively attack the disease of sin that was killing us and robbing us of His abundant life and keeping us from eternal life with Him.

 

 

"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light,

we have fellowship with one another,

and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just

and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

(1 John 1:7-9)

 

 

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

 

Afternoon Devotion"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good." - Titus 2:14 

 

 

The sin that had polluted God's perfect environment had poisoned the heart of man and weakened him to the point he could no longer fulfill his divinely appointed role. Mankind had been given dominion over all of God's creation, but this sickness that was killing him was also causing him to wreak havoc on all nature. The disease had spread everywhere - in man and in his environment - and what once an appalling and unthinkable thing was now just part of his nature; for by nature we are sinners.

 

Holy God had displayed the nature of His holiness in all the works of His creation, but mankind's physical nature could never display the righteousness, goodness, and holiness of His Creator without an internal transformation. Just as sin altered nature in the most traumatic way, Jesus Christ would alter the nature of man in the extraordinary act of redemption by taking our sin away! All the ceremonial purification rituals in which God had instructed man could never alter man's nature, and would only cover sin (Hebrews 9:13). God purposed that our nature would be holy like His, so He sent His Son to die, to purify our tainted blood so we could be His own.   "And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through His own blood" (Hebrews 13:12). Praise the Holy Father today for the sacrificial and atoning death of His One and Only Son who has given us the holy privilege of being called His sons and daughters!

 

"How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us,

that we should be called children of God!

And that is what we are!

The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.

Dear friends, now that we are children of God,

and what we will be has not yet been made known.

But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him,

for we shall see Him as He is.

Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as he is pure."

(1 John 3:1-3)

 

   

EVENING PRAYER
 
Evening Prayer of Praise:  "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."  - Titus 3:4-7

Since the beginning of Creation all the work that has ever been done has been the holy work of God. Everything has come out of His creative, redemptive, and saving hands. Nothing man has ever done has added to God's work, but we certainly have taken away from God when we don't trust His faithful, good, all-sufficient, merciful, gracious, righteous, just and holy hands. Everything God has ever done has been motivated by His love for man. All He wants is for us to trust Him with our lives so He can show us daily the greatness of His love. Praise Him this evening for His measureless, unlimited, abounding love He has poured into our lives. Praise Him also that nothing can separate us from His love or stop that constant flow.

 

"Sing to the LORD a new song,

for He has done marvelous things;

His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him.

The LORD has made His salvation known

and revealed His righteousness to the nations.

He has remembered His love and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;

all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,

burst into jubilant song with music;

make music to the LORD with the harp,

with the harp and the sound of singing,

with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn -

shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

Let the sea resound, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it.

Let the rivers clap their hands,

let the mountains sing together for joy;

let them sing before the LORD,

for He comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

and the peoples with equity."

(Psalm 98)

 

 

Devotional provided by Trumpet and Torch Ministries

Copyright � 2014. All Rights Reserved.

 

Quick Links...
 40 Holy Days Devotional Journey
 The Family Foundation 40 Days for Marriage
40 Days for Marriage Video
On Holy Ground - A Prayer for the Journey
The #1 Question About Fasting? (Fasting 101)
The Garden of God (video message on fasting)
A Glimpse of His Glory (video)
Shepherds After My Own Heart (video message for pastors)
E-mail Archive (If you have missed any emails)

Coming Soon!
October 4th, 2014 - The Great Day of Intercession - make plans now for your congregation to unite at the end of our journey in one day of corporate prayer and fasting to intercede for our nation on the Day of Atonement.

October 5th, 2014 - Day 40 The Final Feast - A day of celebration for the Bride of Christ as we rebuild the prayer altar to become a house of prayer for all nations in a day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem and in prayer for pastors across the nation who will be speaking the Truth in love as they deliver God's Word on Marriage on Pulpit Freedom Sunday.
 
Contact:

Trumpet and Torch Ministries  
40 Holy Days Devotional Prayer & Fasting e-mail journey
www.trumpetandtorch.org
[email protected]
 
The Family Foundation
40 Days of Prayer, Fasting and Repentance for Marriage
www.familyfoundation.org/40daysformarriage
[email protected]