Day 2 - 21 Days of Prayer Devotional

21 Days of Prayer DAY 2 - Judges 16:27-29 27 Now the temple was completely filled with people. All the Philistine rulers were there, and there were about 3,000 men and women on the roof who were watching as Samson amused them. 28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, "Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes." 29 Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars that held up the temple. CONSIDER THE CONTEXT The story of Samson is one of the most told stories in the Bible. Given a gift of amazing strength through, of all things, his hair, Samson squanders his gift from God and ultimately looses that gift through the pleasures of this world. In today's prayer, Samson has been brought before all the rulers of the day to be mocked, tortured and ultimately killed. Samson is a broken and disgraced man. Many might say because of his actions of squandering the gifts God gave him, Samson is unworthy of asking anything of God. Yet through the prayers of an "unworthy" man God literally brings down the house and destroys all those who would mock God through Samson. CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS Can you relate to Samson? Ever feel unworthy to pray? Do you ever feel like God would never consider your prayers given all the squandering you have done in your life? Truth is that you are not alone. There are so many of us who feel like prayer is a useless endeavor given our history with Him. Yet Jesus Christ didn't come to make a way for the perfect to come to the Father. He came to save the unworthy. It isn't because of our worth that prayers get answered. It is because of the grace and love of Jesus Christ that we have an open door into the very throne room of God Almighty Himself. Do something bold today. Pray in spite of your feeling of unworthiness. You will definitely be surprised at how God hears and responds to the hearts of those who realize that His love can't be earned with our worth. Take the step today to be more and more dependent on the gift of Jesus Christ and pray in that kind of faith. CONSIDER THE PRAYER Jesus, thank you for saving me. Thank you for making it possible to come to The Father with our requests for Coastline and for our lives. Thank you that I don't have to rely on my getting it right for my prayers to be heard. Thank you that you are the author and finisher of my faith. Now my God, I pray that today will be one filled with amazing intersections of You in my life. I pray for my Church - that you will be seen clearly and powerfully in the lives of all who come to worship you at this place you have given us. I pray for the doors to community for all to be opened and for an amazing unity in You to be what moves us forward. Thank you for what you have planned at Coastline and in my life. May all feelings of being unworthy be crushed by the incredible thought of your sacrifice for me. You are great and my believe in You makes me great in your eyes. I Love you Jesus. Amen.