Day 1: A fresh start with God
Lamentations 3:22–23
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Today marks the beginning of 21 days where we are intentionally setting our hearts toward God. That itself is an act of worship. By choosing to fast, to pray three times a day, and to dive into the Word, we are essentially saying: “Lord, You are worth more than my comfort. You are worth more than my distractions. I want You above all else.”
The beautiful thing about God is that He always meets us at the point of our turning to Him. He never asks us to draw near without first promising that He will draw near to us. Here’s what James says about that:
James 4: 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
So, as you take this first step today, know that you are stepping into fresh mercy and new strength for the journey.
The first battle of fasting and prayer is often in our mindset. The enemy would love for you to focus on what you’re giving up, or on how hard this will be. But the Spirit of God wants you to fix your eyes on the One you’re drawing near to. Each craving, each moment of weakness, each tug toward distraction is not a loss—it’s an invitation. An invitation to lean into God’s presence and discover that His grace really is sufficient.
Think of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Daniel—men who set themselves apart in obedience to God. Each one had moments where their decision to obey came at a cost. But in the end, their obedience opened doors to encounters with God that shaped the course of history. These next 21 days are not just about discipline; they are about positioning yourself for God to do something greater than you could ask or imagine as Paul tells us in one of my favorite passages:
Ephesians 3: 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…
Today you are starting with a clean slate. Don’t try to conquer all 21 days in your mind—just commit to walking with God today. Take it one prayer, one Scripture, one act of obedience at a time. By the end, you will look back and see that God has carried you further than you imagined.