How to use this devotional

Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock

Matthew 7:24

I am one of the least tech savvy people you will meet in my generation. I still prefer to read paper books and write in a notebook! Inevitably, when I am faced with a technical problem, I call for my husband, who is always gracious to assist me. Most of the time, his diagnosis is simple: I need to restart my computer! That’s because I have a habit of keeping multiple programs open at the same time just in case I need them (which I often don’t).

We all need times to restart and refresh and it’s often because we have multiple things happening in our lives and our busyness leads to distraction from hearing clearly from God. We allow our family commitments, work, and relationships, to take time away from refreshing our spirits. That’s why a commitment for 21 days is important. It helps us to restart and refresh our spiritual priorities.

Here’s how you should approach the next 21 days:

Read

Each day we share a short reflection and a passage of scripture that we encourage you to read and reflect on. There are also additional scripture references so you can delve deeper into the word. The word of God sharpens us and challenges us actively (Hebrews 4:12) - we just need to make room for God to speak through His word. This is accomplished by us daily immersing ourselves in His word.

Fast

Fasting is a decision to omit certain key things in your life such as food or hobbies you spend a lot of time in. You can fast a meal each day (eg. skip lunch) or you can fast certain food (eg. meat). If you are unable to fast from food, you can fast something such as TV, social media, games or a hobby. Fasting is an act of sacrifice and submission to draw us closer to God. It is a commitment between us and God (Matthew 6:16). We fast, so that as we remove something significant from our lives, it reminds us to focus our attention on God. Fasting leads to inner transformation.

Pray

Journal, pray and meditate along with this devotional each day. Pray about what you have been challenged or encouraged by that day. Pray for your family, church, the world, your friends.

Act

Look out for our Challenge sections throughout the book. These are challenges that can be done throughout your week and include writing down some thoughts, prayers, and reflections. There are also challenges called Put It into Practice - some simple actions that you can take to put your faith into action during the week.

As we draw closer to Easter, these 21 days are an opportunity to restart and refresh our spiritual walk with God. If you have found yourself already harried in your time with God, this is a great opportunity to realign your spiritual life. One of the best ways to do this is with a change in routine. 21 days in a new spiritual routine will transform your inner world as you learn to turn away from distraction and turn your heart to hear more clearly from God.

Ps Katrina Yassi