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By: James River Church08/01/22

21 Days of Fasting & Prayer Devotional – Day 1: Here as in Heaven

Today we begin 21 days of prayer and fasting, and we are calling on God to answer the “here as is Heaven” prayer that Jesus taught us to pray. This is not a timid, play-it-safe kind of prayer, so it is no surprise that the person who taught us to use those bold words was none other than the Son of God. Jesus said, “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.’” (Matthew 6:9-10).

There is no doubt the disciples were taken aback by such an audacious request. As New Testament Scholar Leon Morris writes, “In Heaven, God’s will is perfectly done now, for there is nothing in Heaven to hinder it, and the prayer looks for a similar state of affairs here on earth.” Sometimes it’s hard for us to see anything beyond hinderances—earthly roadblocks to Heaven’s agenda abound. So, there’s a choice: do we yield to the current state of affairs that surrounds us or do we refuse to accept the status quo of our sin-sick world and believe for the priorities and power of Heaven to flood our lives? Jesus’ instruction makes the answer quite clear—we believe for “here as in Heaven.”

As the Kingdom of Heaven advances, the powers of darkness begin to retreat. We can pray confidently for healing, sickness does not exist in Heaven and God is our healer. Anxiety can be defeated because God is never worried, and He is our help in any time of trouble. We can be assured that as we call on God, He will make the impossible possible.

As we prepare our hearts for these next 21 days, we are praying for Heaven to come, and as God’s will is accomplished on the earth as it is in Heaven, we will see what we have never seen before!

Scriptures

Matthew 6:5–10 (NIV) — “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Revelation 21:4 (NIV)

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”