40 Day Stand - Week 2

Stand in Humility and Repentance

Day 8-14 (Sunday May 31 to Saturday June 5) Kingdom Reflection:
The theme for our second week of fasting and prayer will focus on humility and repentance. These truths are connected and they powerfully reflect the kingdom of God. Humility is a word that Jesus used to describe himself in Matthew 11:29. Humility may be defined as an “accurate picture of yourself.” Jesus is humble because he is 100% truthful about his identity. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and yet he is completely humble. Isn’t that amazing? Another goal with humility is not to think less of yourself, but to think of yourself less often. What we see in God’s nature is that he is always selfless. As we abide in deep intimate relationship with him, we naturally humble ourselves and look to the needs of others.

Humility goes hand in hand with repentance. Repentance is a beautiful word because it repositions us from self-centeredness back to God-centeredness. We practice repentance not to be in right relationship with God, but because we are already in right relationship with God. Like a married couple who has a disagreement, we don’t cease to be in covenant because of an issue, but instead we reconcile because of our great love for one another. When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, he was giving an example for us to follow. The disciples were already clean because of their union with him but their feet represented their point of contact with the world. Jesus said to his disciples, “a person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet and then his whole body is clean.” When we invite Christ to forgive our sins, we are cleansed from all unrighteousness, but we still deal with sin issues that require us to humble ourselves and come to Christ, inviting him to wash them away.

Do your best this week to pray in a way that leads to humility before the Lord and that allows him to wash any places in your life where the world has spotted you in a negative way. Approach the throne of grace with great confidence, knowing that you are accepted and loved even as you come.
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Scriptures for Meditation & Prayer

After reading each scripture, practice praying its primary theme and focus. Suggestions are included after each one.

Psalm 139.23-24 NIV
23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

The Prayer of Examine is based on this passage. Ignatius Loyola taught and practiced this prayer.
a. Become aware of God’s presence. Ask for the Spirit’s guidance
b. Review the day with gratitude. Where did you see God in your day, in your work, and in the people you interacted with?
c. Pay attention to your emotions, your attitudes, and where you failed to respond in love in your day? Give God not just your strengths but also our weaknesses, not just your gifts, but also your brokenness and sins.
d. Ask for God’s forgiveness and his healing to enter into that moment with you.
e. Look toward tomorrow with faith, love, and anticipation.
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Micah 6: 8 NIV
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
a. How would you define humility?
b. Why is it important to be humble?
c. How does it improve the community? d. Can it ever hurt the community?
e. Many religious traditions emphasize both humility and service. What is the relationship between being humble and being a servant to others?

2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Pray for the church to be humble before the Lord and to ask for his help in healing in our land. Ask God to forgive us as a nation for our many sins and where we have failed to turn to him for help and favor.
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James 5:16 NIV
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Ephesians 5:32 NIV
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

a. Consider a situation where you had to admit that you made a mistake to others. How did you handle that situation?
b. How does confessing your sins to others help bring healing to you?
c. Is there anyone you need to forgive as you move through this week of fasting and prayer? Bring them to the Father right now.

Psalm 103:8- 12 NIV
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

a. Thank God for his great mercy and love. Rejoice before him, knowing that he has cast all your sins into a place of forgetfulness.
b. Are you allowing past sins and failures to come up and haunt you? Remind yourself today that God has cast your sins into a place of forgetfulness. If the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future. (see Revelation 20:10

Psalm 32
1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. 6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. 7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Consider the fruit of confession and repentance in the above Psalm.

As you read this Psalm, reflect on the result of keeping a sin hidden versus bringing it before the Lord to be forgiven.
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2 Corinthians 7:10
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Tim Keller says that “fear-based repentance makes us hate ourselves, but joy-based repentance makes us hate the sin.” When you consider your life are there places you are afraid to be honest with yourself or God about? Why?
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Psalm 51:1-2, 10-12, 16-17
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin... 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me...16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
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Additional Scriptures & Personal Prayer
Lamentations 3.22-25 NIV. Micah 7:18-19 NIV. Romans 12:1-2. Revelation 3:19-20.

In closing, pray anything else that is on your heart. If you choose, you can record your reflections from the Word and the Holy Spirit in a prayer journal.

Consider inviting others to pray with you in online formats such as zoom. Share this prayer and fasting initiative with other believers so they join you in taking a stand.