10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” – Psalm 77:10-12 (NIV)
As we get ready to crest the hill of our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting (I was going to call it the halfway point, but it’s 21 days not 20 or 22 so crest the hill will have to do), I think it’s the perfect time to pause and check on our attitudes. How are you doing? No…how are you really doing? Are you holding up ok? Are you dealing with the hangry symptoms? Are you finding your fasting efforts more difficult than you thought it would be? Have you started to experience frustration because you haven’t seen the results of your passionate, intentional prayers? Are you discouraged and wondering if this whole thing is really worth it? Have you started to doubt that your life, our church, or our community can really be transformed? Maybe your eyes start to roll at every mention of the 21 Days because deep down inside you don’t understand any of this and quite honestly, you think it’s stupid and can’t wait for it to be over.
The way you’re feeling may fit right in with the context of our Scripture text today. The psalmist, Asaph, isn’t having a good time, to say the least. He’s crying out to God in distress, he’s unable to sleep, his spirit is discouraged and weak, and he’s wondering if God will ever breakthrough and show His favor again. But after Asaph expressed his true feelings, he makes an intentional choice to remember all that God has done in the past. And it’s this remembrance that takes us to the end of the Psalm. There’s no magical happy ending, nor does the text tell us that Asaph’s circumstances changed. And while we have no evidence that he was delivered from his difficulties, we can see that he was brought through them.
Isn’t it amazing what gratitude can do to change our attitude? Asaph remembered that he had so much to thank God for, and it was that very perspective that changed his focus and most likely reversed his mood and mindset. Maybe the new thing God wants to do in you is to invite you to remember His goodness, His faithfulness, His mercies, His miracles, His provision, His healing, His protection, His grace, His redemption, and all the times He has sustained you, delivered you, forgiven you, and lifted you up.
What could the rest of your day look like if you shifted your perspective to one of gratitude? What if you began to recall the times and ways God has shown you His goodness and faithfulness? What difference could this make to your participation in this 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting?
I want to challenge you to find a notebook and a pen that you can keep handy all day. Throughout the day as “…the deeds of the Lord” come to mind, write them down. Maybe at lunch time you can sit with Jesus in the silence and invite Him to help you recall “…the miracles of long ago.” At the end of the day, spend time in prayer thanking God for everything you’ve written down so that your attitude can be made new and He can get the glory He deserves.