Day 34 Theme: “Return, Restore and Renew Us, O Lord”
📖 Scripture Focus: Lamentations 5:21-22
“Turn us back to You, O Lord, and we will be restored; Renew our days as of old, Unless You have utterly rejected us, And are very angry with us!” — Lamentations 5:21-22 (NKJV)
🔎 Reflection:
The book of Lamentations is a heartfelt cry of grief over the fall of Jerusalem. In Chapter 5, we hear a final appeal from the people of Judah, spoken through the prophet Jeremiah. It is a plea of brokenness, longing, and hope in the midst of great suffering and desolation.
At the climax of this lament, we find the cry:
“Return us to Yourself, O Lord, that we may return…”
This prayer encapsulates three key elements of spiritual transformation that are still very relevant today:
1️⃣ Return Us, O Lord (Repentance and Divine Initiative)
The cry to “return us to Yourself” recognizes that the journey back to God begins with Him drawing us. It’s not merely about us deciding to return — it’s acknowledging that only God can soften our hearts, remove our rebellion, and pull us back to Himself.
📖 Supporting Scriptures:
- John 6:44 – “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.”
- Hosea 6:1 – “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us…”
✝️ Reflection:
We must pray for God’s mercy to draw us back into His presence. When we wander, it’s not just a change in geography — it’s a spiritual drifting. True transformation begins when we ask God to cause a U-turn in our hearts.
2️⃣ Restore Us (Healing and Wholeness)
Restoration in Scripture often speaks of bringing back what was lost, broken, or stolen — relationships, purpose, joy, and divine favour.
📖 Supporting Scriptures:
- Psalm 51:12 – “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.”
- Joel 2:25 – “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…”
✝️ Reflection:
To be restored is not just to be forgiven, but to be put back in position — to function again as God intended. Many are forgiven but not functioning. During this fast, God wants to restore lost intimacy, broken dreams, spiritual strength, and effectiveness in ministry.
3️⃣ Renew Our Days as of Old (Revival and Reawakening)
The cry to “renew our days as of old” is a longing for the former glory — when God’s presence was tangible, when worship was passionate, when holiness was cherished, and when the people walked in covenant fidelity.
📖 Supporting Scriptures:
- Isaiah 40:31 – “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength…”
- Romans 12:2 – “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
- Psalm 85:6 – “Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?”
✝️ Reflection:
Renewal is the evidence of a transformed life. It touches every area: spiritual fervour, mental clarity, emotional healing, and physical strength. In this season, God desires to renew our passion for Him, our love for His Word, and our commitment to His work.
🙏🏾 Prayer Points:
- Father, we thank You for Your unconditional love that made You to create us in Your own image and to redeem us when we fell in Adam in the name of Jesus.
- Father, we thank You for forgiving and restoring us on several occasions that we have done contrary to Your word consciously and unconsciously in the name of Jesus.
- Father, we thank You for Your promise, “…I will never leave you nor forsake you” in the name of Jesus. (Hebrews 13:5).
- Father, we sincerely and humbly acknowledge all our sins against You, against Your word, against Your Spirit and against our fellow human beings in Jesus’ name. (1 John 1:9).
- Father, let Your Spirit convict, prompt, and show everyone of us in any way we have gone astray from You in the name of Jesus. (Psalm 139:23-24).
- Father, like the prodigal son, I choose to obey the conviction of the Holy Spirit and return to You wholeheartedly right now in the name of Jesus. (Luke 15:18).
- Father, like the prodigal son, let my broken relationship and fellowship with You be fully restored now because of the finished work of our Lord Jesus. (John 19:30).
- Father, by Your Spirit and by Your word, cause us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Jesus’ name. (Romans 12:2).
- Father, by Your Spirit, Your word and in the name of Jesus, we destroy every power of darkness that is luring us away from You in Jesus’ name.
- Father, by Your Spirit, Your word and in the name of Jesus, we destroy every worldly enticement that is pulling us away from You. (1 John 2:15).
- Father, by Your Spirit, Your word and in the name of Jesus, we destroy every work of flesh, lust and sin that is drawing us away from You in Jesus’ name. (James 1:13-14).
- Father, let there be restoration of everything we have lost when we wandered away from You both spiritually and physically in the name of Jesus. (Joel 2:25-26).
- Father, let Your Spirit make us to be grounded and rooted in You so that nothing shall separate us from Your presence in the name of Jesus. (Romans 8:37-39).
- Father, I confess and I declare that nothing shall be able to separate me from Your love all the days of my life. I am more than a conqueror through our Lord Jesus that loves me and gave His life for me in Jesus’ name. (Romans 8:37-39).
- Father, thank You for granting us the grace to return to You. Thank You for restoring, renewing and for reviving us again in the name of Jesus.
