So far, we have invited God to come in, to reveal, to surface, and to clean our hearts. Over the next few days of prayer, I want us to focus on relationships. Today’s focus is on the relationships we have made with others.

Relationships with Others

In the course of our lives, we make relationships with a lot of people, and sometimes those people are sent for a season in our lives to help us grow or were meant for the other person to help them grow. God develops relationships in our lives, but also we can develop relationships ourselves. And for reasons we may, or may not know–some relationships flicker–sometimes it’s good, other times it’s due to hurt and that is not good. It’s not good for our spirit, because although the relationship is not in our daily lives, it leaves a daily bitter taste in our mouths. We bury the hurt and pain and may even say we forgive, but when we see or hear that person’s name that bitter taste is there. That hurt is something we carry and is something that puts a separation between our hearts and God as well as our relationship with Him. We in turn can unknowingly tie God’s hands from moving in our lives because God is bound to His word.

Matthew 5:23-24 So if when you are offering your gift at the altar you there remember that your brother has any grievance against you, leave your gift at the altar and go. First make peace with your brother, and then come back and present your gift.

God doesn’t want us carrying hurt for any length of time. Forgiveness, true forgiveness truly is for you.

I am reminded of my own personal testimony with this struggle of a time in my life where I had some hurt buried deep because of a broken relationship in my life. If someone would have asked me, I would have said of course, I forgave a long time ago. Although my words may have said forgiveness; my heart held deep hurt that told another story to God. I continued reading my word and praying, but something was different. I knew there was a block. I could feel it, and not all the time, but when it did surface I just stuffed it back down by saying I forgave that a long time ago. Then one day while cleaning the toilet, that hurt and those feelings came back up. This time it wasn’t just the person, or the relationship, but it was all the “things” that had hurt me. All those hurts were just bubbling up and I knew I was in a moment… cleaning the toilet.

I had carried this so long that I had to get it out. I felt there was no time to even move from where I was at and in tears I prayed, “what do I do“? In response, I heard in my spirit to grab the toilet paper. I tore it off and began tearing into smaller pieces and one-by-one as I tore that toilet paper, I spoke the hurts as I felt them and one-by-one I threw into the toilet. When it was done..all that pain lifted. In that moment of tearing toilet paper I released deep buried pain and God took care of it as quick as it was to flush it, the block was gone. The heaviness from the hurt was gone.

That day God showed me a new layer to Himself that no matter where you are at, or what you are doing if you respond to the moment, He is going to meet you where you’re at and work with whatever you have got around you. God is so much bigger than we can imagine. I encourage you when God moments happen, stop where you’re at. If they are truly God moments they will happen at the exact right time for you. Move and respond quickly because the enemy waits to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10)

Church family, I am excited as we begin this first day “United in Prayer.” As we connect to God in new ways personally, we will become more united in His purpose for His church. Enjoy and let this prayer directive and devotion by April Price point us to a United Prayer.

As we begin the next ten days in prayer and fasting, let us choose to let God in. That seems so simple, but almost always so easily overlooked. We all need time to be “tucked away” with God–to spend time with the Father not asking or necessarily praying for anything, or things, but allowing God to work in our hearts and surface things that need to be dealt with. Those things that we know and those things we do not know about–But bringing to the surface things to be dealt with before moving forward and fully into His purpose and plans. So today, Day 1, take time to decree that the next ten days are His. Ask God to show you what you need to see, and hear, to reveal what needs to be revealed about you and your relationship with the Father. 

Let’s choose to close the door to the outside noise and focus on the inside–our hearts– our relationship with God. 

Matt. 6:6 Jesus tells us to go into our most private room and close the door. 

• Matthew 6:6 NLT “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

To me, this is a time you pick to set aside to be with Him where you can “close the door“. It’s a time where there are the fewest distractions in your day–a time you can truly focus. Find your “most private room,” and spend time tucked away. 

I encourage you to get a notebook–or a way to keep notes. If you think of something, “out of the blue”, a person, a situation, something your dealing or have dealt with–write it down. All will be for a purpose remember we are praying and asking God to bring to the surface. Sometimes we don’t even know all the things we push to the bottom of our hearts over the years, but God has a way of getting it to come up and He can deal with it and clean our hearts.

When we step out to meet God sincerely with our whole heart, He steps out and meets us right where we are. He speaks to us! Be expecting it! 

David found his most private room with God and God would show up. David said in Psalm 5:3, In the morning I prepare a prayer, a sacrifice for You and watch and wait for You to speak to my heart. 

Prayer Starter: 

Father, I come to you today and ask you to help me to find the time and a place to step aside and just be with you without any agenda or wants. I declare over my life that these 10 days will be a time to be with you more than my wants or needs. God show me what I need to see, hear, and understand. Reveal to me what I need to know and what I need to know you greater. Let me see our relationship as it truly is and let me grow in my relationship with you and not just about you. Let me be still in your presence and listen more than I speak.. I am here. I am concentrating and dedicating this time to be with you.