Why not now? Why not here? Why not us?
Ask. Seek. Knock.
Prayer and Fasting series, January 2026
Day 1 Ask, Seek, Knock
Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened. Matthew 7:7,8Amplified Bible
As we spend time praying and fasting for the next 21 days these words from Jesus, hopefully will shape this moment. I like the way the Amplified emphasizes a persistence to our prayers...ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking. I know I can easily slip into just praying once and moving on to the next thing, but Jesus teaches us to be consistent and persistent. In Revelation He says more than once, “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep His commands and remain faithful to Jesus.”
My confidence is that as we humble ourselves and pray God will meet with us and lead us as we move forward in the upcoming year. Also let's pray remembering the words Alex spoke when asking the question or even declaring it to be true...”Why not now! Why not here! Why not us!” This is not a selfish prayer but a prayer that not only challenges us but moves us to seek Him...to ask Him...to knock on that door! Souls are at risk...can we sit back, relax and hope for the best? I think not...we have a God whose heart is that none would perish and that all would know Him. We pray with Him...let your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen!
Day 2 First and foremost
In Matthew Jesus encourages us to ask, seek, and knock. Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find and knock and the door will be opened to you. The word seek in the KingJames Dictionary is defined as, “to go after and to press in.” If we were to back up in the Gospel of Matthew we would see where Jesus lays a target out there for us to seek after. But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness. His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also. Matthew 6:33 Amplified So often Jesus spoke in parables or kind of hid things a bit but here He is quite clear of what is important. Making God and His kingdom, His rule and reign, our target of prayer and living.
What might this look like? If we go further back then we see His model pray given to His disciples. “Our Father, in heaven, hallowed is your name. Your kingdom come and your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Seeking His kingdom first. Next He says, “Give us this day our daily bread...(ask) and forgive us our trespasses (ask) as we forgive those who trespass against us. Here we see that we are going after His righteousness not ours. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us form the evil one. In my own mind this strikes me of knocking...seeking His way and letting Him open doors for us. For yours is the kingdom, and your is the power forever and ever...Amen! Begins with kingdom and ends with kingdom...seek first the kingdom...
Day 3 Keep Asking
In the Gospel Luke writes he covers the message of ask, seek, and knock also but he leads with a story of a guy who has a friend stop by his house late at night. He is out of bread...so he runs to his neighbor and pounds of the door asking for bread. The neighbor tells him he cannot get to the door, and his kids are already asleep. Then Jesus says, “Well, what then? I tell you that even if he will not get up and give you the bread because you are his friend, yet he will get up and give you everything you need because you are not ashamed to keep on asking.” Luke 11:8 GNT Some translations say because of your shameless audacity, your boldness and persistence. This addition to the lesson allows us to see the original intention from Jesus was to ask and keep on asking, to seek and keep on seeking, to knock and to keep on knocking.
Prayer is communication, isn’t it? While we may love to talk, we also need to learn how to listen. I was delivering some flowers recently for an organization I serve on. I would ring the doorbell or knock and then I would quiet myself and listen to hear if anyone was responding. I did not peer into the window or move around the yard I had to be still for a moment and listen. If I heard nothing then I knew no one was there...or they just thought I was a salesman, a poorly dressed one at that, and ignored the knocking. But I would listen to hear...and in our asking, seeking and knocking there are times when we have to sit quiet to listen. As I think on these things one thing is for sure...I cannot for the life of me even to begin to think that when this life is over and I stand in front of God He will rebuke me for asking too much and seeking Him too often or knocking too loudly. I think you would agree with that...Why not us?
Day 4 Someone Ask
I heard this quote by John Wesley and it struck me to be timely as I heard it. “It seems God is limited by our prayer lives. He can do nothing for humanity unless someone asks Him.’ When I first heard it i kind of shrugged it off and pondered it a little more. It is the kind of thing one should wrestle with I think rather than just take someone’s word for it, even if that someone is John Wesley! But if I read Matthew correctly, Jesus seems to see things similar to Wesley. In chapter 6 He teaches on giving, prayer, and fasting and those are assumptions He makes of us. We will give. We will pray. We will fast. In the short section on prayer He says this, “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Now the challenge is to not be hypocritical in our prayers either doing them loudly on a corner or babbling on and on making no sense. But look at the last line before He gives us the Model prayer. Father already knows...before I ask. So don’t you wonder why we have to ask? Couldn’t we just look up at heaven and give Him a nod to do the next thing I need? I know God is all powerful, all knowing and so much more and yet in a relationship conversations need to happen. Later on Jesus points out that there is a great harvest around us...then He says to the disciples to “Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers.” Jesus is pointing out the harvest and the Lord is the Lord of the harvest and yet we are to ask Him to send help.“
If my people who are called by me name would humble themselves and pray, then I will hear.” Ask, seek and knock...keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. Stay humble friends...stay connected to the vine...
Day 5 Ferocious Faith
Proverbs 28:1
“The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” Last week, as I was praying for the Church in America and specifically for the new year ahead. Immediately, the word “ferocious” came to mind. Along with it, I recalled a meme that circulated on social media. On the left side were four adorable kittens walking together with the caption: “Going into the prayer room.” On the right were four large, intimidating lions walking in the opposite direction with the caption: “Coming out of the prayer room.” The image was humorous but deeply compelling.
If 2026 is the year of ferocious faith, what are the keys for you and I to be radically transformed from the inside out? (I’m so glad you asked.)
Let’s take a deeper look at the word ferocious. Its roots are Latin and connected to the word fierce. Informally, ferocious is often used to describe an extreme degree of something—such as a ferocious appetite or ferocious determination. More formally, however, the word implies violence. At first, that definition unsettled me - until I was reminded of Jesus’ words: “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force.” Matthew 11:12 This is not physical violence. We see that clearly demonstrated in the garden when Peter attempted to defend Jesus by cutting off the high priest’s servant’s ear. Jesus immediately corrected him, reminding Peter (and us) that God’s plan could not be advanced through human force. Jesus willingly submitted to the Father’s will, even unto death. The “violence” Jesus speaks of is spiritual intensity, holy resolve, and uncompromising faith—a fierce determination to pursue God, His Kingdom, and His righteousness at all costs. And that brings us back to the lion. Interestingly, lions sleep 16-20 hours a day. They roar from rest.
What We Can Learn from Lions
Social Beings Lions are deeply communal. They rest together, groom one another, and thrive as a pride. Ferocious faith is not meant to be lived in isolation—it grows in community.
Powerful Hunters Though they appear relaxed and unhurried, lions are apex predators, capable of overcoming prey much larger than themselves. Ferocious faith knows when to rest—and when to rise with authority.
Superior Sight A lion’s eyes are six times more sensitive to light than human eyes, giving them a distinct advantage in the dark. Ferocious faith sees clearly even in spiritual darkness.
A Mighty Roar A lion’s roar can be heard up to five miles away and is louder than a chainsaw. Ferocious faith does not whisper—it boldly declares truth and authority.
As the righteous, we are not called to retreat timidly or flee in fear. We are called to ferociously fight our battle in prayer, not as timid kittens - but as bold lions, grounded in humility, strengthened in faith, and unshakable in our trust in God. May 2026 be the year we walk in ferocious faith.
Day 6 Seek Him First
Let us Rend our Hearts. Seeking him first!
As we enter into the new year with prayer and fasting, we are “rending our hearts” to the Lord. Let this not be a time to just go through the motions but let us set our Hearts to seek him above everything. Above all else! As Jesus says in Mathew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.” - this is a moment where we start out our year reminding ourselves what Truly matters most! HIM. His desires. His plans for our lives, His Church, His people, His City. We ask and set ourselves to seek until we find ... what is he speaking. We seek Him first and know that everything else he will take care of. Let us surrender all of our worldly desires in this moment, lay down everything that would distract us from him and ask. Lord, would you send revival to our Church. Would you send revival to the City of Toledo. To my family. Heal our Land Father. Restore us to our first Love. You are the desire of the nations. Let the nation of America desire you. I ask all of these things in your name. The name above every other name! Why not here in Toledo, why not in 2026. Come lord Jesus …
Meditate on these scriptures.
“So, rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.”
Joel 2:13
“Therefore, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Matthew 6:31-34
Day 7 is part of Sunday Service
Day 8 Revolving Door
Have you ever felt like your life is like a revolving door? Timing is key to catching an opening at just the right time to jump in and push through to the other side. Our relationship with Jesus is sometimes like that when we are not committed, confused or just acting selfish will leave us spinning around and around in circles of indecisiveness. Can you imagine if you got in the revolving door and then just stood there not pushing through and not moving forward?
When we are not active in our faith, that’s exactly what that is like. It’s a standstill and we become stagnant in our faith. So if you have opened the door to Jesus, make sure you are active and intentional in your pursuit to ask and to seek and to knock, and in this case to keep pushing through to the other side.
Prayer - Jesus, as we seek you each day that we actively set our eyes on the things that you have set before us. Let us not be pulled in the wrong direction with our indecisiveness. Place a vision before us that is clear and concise. Help us hear your words and place people in our lives that need you. Help us to stay quiet long enough to hear your voice. In Jesus name Amen
Ephesians 4:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
Day 9 Holy Spirit Come
“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out.”
Acts 2:4
“‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, And your young men will see visions, And your old men will have dreams; And even on My male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, And they will prophesy. ‘And I will display wonders in the sky above And signs on the earth below, Blood, fire, and vapor of smoke. ‘The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood, Before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. ‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
Acts 2:17-21
Keeping with the theme why not here why not now . Why not in Toledo . Let us ask for the outpouring of the spirit . One of the greatest that this generation in our city has ever seen ! Let us Believe that we will see the reality of what the scriptures say.
And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, And your young men will see visions, And your old men will have dreams; also “ And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
Lord Do it ! Pour out your spirit just like you did in Acts 2 . Let us see revival take place and the outpouring of your spirit like never before here in our City . We need a move of God . Give us visions give us dreams during this time of whats on your heart . Let us prophecy that all who call upon you in this hour will be saved .
Meditate on this reality today and how this is Gods greatest desire . That all men would be saved . He will do it . Let us believe together. Let us ASK together today in faith.
Day 10 Koinonia
Drawn to the writings of John during this season of fasting I am reading in 1 John. I was stopped, reminded and comprehended by the words, “Our fellowship is with the Father... and His Son, Jesus.” The Greek word for fellowship is “koinonia” and its meaning is “sharing in common, communion, partnership, or participation.” I understand it in the context of what a Church is to be about and how we fellowship with one another but the strong reminder that our fellowship begins with the Father through the Son has to make us pause. If I simply look at it in the context of prayer can we see the depths our prayers could take as we fellowship with Him?
It does remind me of the garden where scriptures says that God came into the garden in the cool of the evening to talk with Adam and Eve. To fellowship? To have partnership? Before we go too far I am not saying that this a new found revelation but rather a gentle reminder from the Holy Spirit of what I was born into and what is available to me as we walk together. John is also telling us that our fellowship, the fellowship we have in the Church, is built around the fellowship we have with the Father and the Son. In John we have an eye witness of Jesus, one who held Him, spoke with Him, heard the very words He spoke and He invites us into that fellowship. That is really is our job now isn’t it? To invite others into this fellowship, relationship? Not to join a church or have a religious experience but to have
fellowship with God...Yahweh...through His Son. People might ask you, “How do you know God is real?” Well, one might throw a few scriptures out there, which is good...but one might also say, “Because I am in fellowship with Him, we are partnering together to bring light and life to this world.” Then as the disciples and others before us did we say, “Come and see!”
Ask, seek and Knock...your Father is waiting...Why not now? Why not here? Why not us?
Day 11
Coming Soon