TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for … All
these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not
receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them
from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they
had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
—Hebrews 11:1-2; 13-16 (NIV)
Additional Scripture
Reflect on the Word
True faith is not defined by what it accomplishes today, but by its trust in what is yet to come. Hebrews 11 reminds us that many lived and died by faith without receiving the promises, because “they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (Heb. 11:16, NIV). Today, the church is called to reflect that heavenly
city—God’s community formed not by blood or culture, but by faith in Christ.
The cross shows us how to live: “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame” (Heb. 12:2, NIV). To follow Jesus is to die to earthly values and run with perseverance, fixing our eyes on what is eternal.
Faith moves us to reflect the character of God’s kingdom on earth. We are not alone. “We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1, NIV). We endure because we believe, and we believe because—though from a distance—we see the city God has prepared.
Even as we conclude our 21 days of praying together, our faith continues to lay the path for those who will follow tomorrow. May we, like that great cloud of witnesses, be ever willing to press on in faith, no matter what may come.
Prayer + Contemplation
- What promises are you still waiting to be fulfilled? Are you willing to trust God for His perfect timing, whether or not you get to see their fulfillment?
- Pray that God would give you perseverance to run the race He has prepared for you. Ask Him to help you to always keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.
- Commit to praying the words of Hebrews 12:1-3 over the church and over your own life as our 21 Days of Prayer + Fasting comes to an end. Pray that we may be people who reflect the heavenly city to a hurting world, come what may.
Prayer is for the whole family
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