INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER AND FASTING

MONDAY 2nd FEBRUARY

By Koekoes van As, Africa Area Prayer Coordinator

FORGET AND PRESS ON

The year 2015 is already one month shorter and we are all back into this year’s routine. Another year to face, another month to get through with and another Monday of Prayer and Fasting to deal with. Our diaries full with activities and many young people who need us.

Prayer and Fasting is a very unique time. We in Youth for Christ are blessed to have this special moment set aside to spend additional time with our Father, our Saviour and our Comforter where we can hear Him and only Him.

It is especially encouraging to know that throughout the world on this day our brothers and sisters in Youth for Christ are spending time with us to hear from our Source of Inspiration but also to bring us and our ministry to the Throne of Grace.

BUT in an movement like Youth for Christ the temptation can be there to look at what others are doing and accomplishing and to feel inadequate and not good enough.

On the other hand we do make mistakes and maybe in 2014 we made some mistakes, maybe we didn’t do our very best and we and our ministry suffered.

Or

We did everything we could but other people, situations and satanic forces tried their level best to bring us down.

We are humans and with our fleshy nature it is quite normal to give in to these thoughts and actions.

Philippians 3 verses 13 & 14 [NIV] says:

“. . .one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, pressing on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.”

During our time of meditation let us focus on this ONE thing that Paul is urging us to do:

Forget the past and strain and press on towards the future.

This is an action that requires us to do some things from our side. We cannot just sit and hope and dream and wish that things will go better.

• Action one – Forget. Make a deliberate effort to bring the things from the past that are holding you back to our Lord Jesus Christ. Put them in front of Him, acknowledge it, say the ‘sorrys’ and ‘forgive me’s’ and then forget them!
• Action two – Strain yourself to do better. See what went wrong, where it went wrong and what the cause was for the failure, rectify it and move on, pressing towards the goal. To press on means that even in difficulties, in moments of joy we need to continue. We need to go forward ALL! THE! TIME!

Paul is clearly speaking here about the future. No mention of standing still and pondering, wishing, longing and dreaming about the past. Only straining and pressing on.

Another caution in verse 14: . . .God has called ME. . . [Emphasis mine! :)]. Let us not look to others but instead make sure that me, myself and I are on the road to the goal that our loving Heavenly Father called ME to do with the assurance that He will take care of me. There is something very special that only ME can do for Him in the Kingdom in the place where He placed me.

In Youth for Christ there is a me AND a we [us]. In verse 17 Paul is asking to join with the others in following his example.

Once we have sorted out me, come join us as we bring the Good News to young people all across the world.

‘‘ And the God of peace will be with you”