Day 20 – Community
WEEK 3
On days 15-21 of our time of prayer and fasting, we are reading the final words of the Bible in Revelation 22:6-21. This passage describes the interaction between John—an apostle of Jesus—and an angel of the Lord as he proclaims Jesus’ return.
Read the passage and return to it as needed for your daily quiet time.
This Week's Passage — Revelation 22:6-21
6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”
7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”
10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”
Epilogue: Invitation and Warning
12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
Community
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. — Psalm 96:3 (NIV)
We’re on day 20 of our fast, which means that, hopefully, you’ve heard from God in new ways, experienced breakthrough in a particular area of your life, or discovered spiritual formation practices that you’d like to continue. That’s good news worth sharing!
Community is God’s gift to us; we were made for it. Our experiences are not just for us, so don’t keep what God has done in you and for you to yourself. God Himself is the greatest storyteller of all time, and we are called to tell the stories of what He has done in our lives. When we intentionally connect with others to share about the goodness of the God we serve, we make room for Him to increase their faith in whatever circumstances they are walking through. It also reminds us of His faithfulness toward us. Today, share what God has been doing in your heart throughout our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting.
If your small group has a group chat, or if you all are meeting up today, start the conversation by sharing what you experienced as you served. Or meet up with a friend or a co-worker to talk about how God spoke to you as you wrote in your journal this week or how this week’s passage of Scripture has impacted you. Or call a family member to share how Lectio Divina (divine reading) or Visio Divina (divine seeing) helped you see God in a new way.
Whatever you choose, we encourage you to share something new or reach out to someone different than you did last week.
Haven’t joined a small group just yet? No matter your life stage, interests and needs, we have groups for everyone! Find your community here.
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