Proverbs 24:10-12 (New King James Version)
10 If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small. 11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. 12 If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?
Last night as I was praying, the Lord drew my attention to these verses. I read verse ten often because I want to help people stay strong, and live resilient lives. Last night the Lord spoke to me about people who were fasting, that they were going to be strong in times of adversity. That even though we all go through tough times, we can be strong in the Lord and not walk on the brink of disaster and despair.
Think about that as you continue to read verses eleven and twelve. If we are going to hold back those stumbling to the slaughter, we cannot be stumbling around ourselves. We have to be steady and strong, encouraged and inspired.
That is God's best for you this year. To be strong and courageous, and to hold others back from the precipices of fear and despair .
Psalm 18:33 (New King James Version)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places
2 Chronicles 7:14-16 (New King James Version)
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.
It's amazing what God promises here to His people. All He is looking for is humility, for us to pray and seek Him. Ironically, seeking God is the most exciting thing we can do. It is what we were created to do. He made us to walk with Him.
Just think about the promise for your family and for our church as a result of seeking Him diligently. His eyes and ears are open to your prayers!
2 Chronicles 7:14 (New International Version)
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
The fasting movement in evangelical churches in America is an encouraging beginning to what I hope is a revival of born again believers diligenty seeking God in prayer. Intercessory prayer for our nation will push back the darkness and stem the rising tide of evil in our culture. Don't forget to pray for America during this fast. Pray for our nation, pray for our President, pray for our leaders, pray for born again believers to answer the call issued in 2 Chronicles 7:14.
God bless you during these last six days. Let's stay focused and hungry for the presence of the Lord.
Today is the beginning of the end of the fast. But God has much more to do in us! Please use the following link to read some great encouragement from Javon at Free Chapel in Georgia.
http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/blog/index.php?m=read&p=414
As we head into the final glorious week of our First Fruits Fast, let's remember the reasons why we decided to seek God in the first place.
Ezra 8:21-23 (New King James Version)
Fasting and Prayer for Protection
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” 23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.Throughout 2009 we are going to have times when we have to make important decisions. About our families, our jobs, our finances.
The vision verse for the fast is here in Ezra 8. We are seeking God for direction, protection, and provision. I know that there will be many times this year when I need help from the Lord to make the right decision. I want my spirit to be sensitive to hear from Him.
Romans 8:13-14 (New King James Version)
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
The Holy Spirit wants us to be sensitive. I believe with all my heart that every born again believer wants to hear clearly from God. But we have to fight for that sensitivity. We are distracted by the world and tempted when we are drawn away by our own lusts (James 1:14). Prayer and fasting is how we fight for our spirits to be led by the Spirit of God.
Practical Tip
This time of prayer and fasting can serve as inspiration for the whole year. Any time you find yourself in a crisis, or you know you must hear from God about a decision, you will know you can fast and pray and fight for your spirit to be sensitive. Praise God for His faithfulness to us. His desire is for us to stay close to Him and walk in His perfect will.
1 Peter 5:6 (New King James Version)
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time
- Yesterday I wrote that the first sign of a renewed mind (Romans 12) is humility. Humility is a mindset that does not settle on us naturally.
- The wonderful thing about this extended time of fasting is that we can target our thinking and allow God time to unveil strongholds that cause us trouble.
- Let's meditate on these verses and be open to new thoughts and correction on thoughts that the Lord wants us to repent of.
James 4:6-7 (New King James Version)
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “ God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
James 4:10 (New King James Version)
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Romans 12 (New King James Version)
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Change us Lord. Transform us through this time of prayer and fasting. Change our hearts, give us your thoughts, and shake us out of any faithless expectations in life.
More than anything else, I want to seek the Lord and be changed from the inside out. If we think differently, renew our minds to God's Word, we will prove the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Here are some ways we can renew our minds and see transformation:
#1 Humilty
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Fasting is humbling. And God says when we humble ourselves He will lift us up. When we humble ourselves, we take on a mindset of humilty. With humble minds, we will take a good look at the thoughts that cause us trouble.
#2 Enthusiam
11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
There is a fervency in our church. An enthusaism for prayer and seeking God that will change us as a body of believers!
#3 Endurance
12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
God is looking for endurance runners. People who have counted the cost of serving Him and are in for the long haul. This fast is going to give you the endurance you need for 2009! All year you will look back on these three weeks and rejoice in hope! Praise God!!!!!
I am back to Jeremiah 17 today, thinking about what "this year may bring". That common phrase suggests a random, "surprise me, Lord" expectation for the future. That is not how faith works. Faith takes responsibility for the past, the present, and the future. When we fast and pray we are taking responsibility for our lives and for the lives of others. The Bible teaches us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2), and that is exactly what we are doing as we seek God diligently (Hebrews 11:6).
Mark 11:22-24 (New King James Version)
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
"does not doubt in his heart"
Here we are, back to the heart. What is in the heart will either help us or hurt us. Faith or fear, forgiveness or bitterness, the Word or the world. Let's use the rest of this time of fasting to feed our hearts the life-changing, faith inspiring Word of God.
Jeremiah 17:5-8 (New King James Version)5 Thus says the LORD:“ Cursed is the man who trusts in man
And makes flesh his strength,
Whose heart departs from the LORD.
6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert,
And shall not see when good comes,
But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,
In a salt land which is not inhabited.
7 “ Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
And whose hope is the LORD.
8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
Hebrews 6:11-12 (New International Version)
11We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
As we enter the second week, let's remember that faith and patience work together. Think about these spiritual principles:
1. Faith takes patience (example: Abraham).
2. Fear gives up right before the miracle.
3. Satan sends circumstances, suggestions, disappointments, and hindrances to stop our faith.
Let's stay in a state of high expectation. Doubt may come into our minds, but we don't have to let it into our hearts. Instead we need to speak God's promises and encourage one another.
2 Timothy 1:7 (New King James Version)
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Practical Tip
I have heard testimonies of immediate breakthroughs and some that happened later in the year, last year. Just be convinced of this: God will reward you for diligently seeking Him.
Jeremiah 17:5-9
5 Thus says the LORD: “ Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength,
We cannot afford to put our trust in man. Not in ourselves, not in other people. That is what this fast is about. When we read Ezra 8 over and over again, it's because of what he was saying to the people. They knew God was going to be with them, but they made a commitment to God and to each other that they were not going to take a step without seeking God first.
7 “ Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
This will be a fruitful year for you. That is the promise in God's Word. Set your face to seek Him and your heart will be established in the Word. Even if it is a year of drought, you will not fear, you will be fruitful.
Practical Tip
Be wise about your health. We do not compare ourselves to others, we seek God for ourselves. This is not about keeping rules it's about being hungry for God. Fan the flame that has been lit this week. Worship the Lord and give Him time to speak to your heart.
Matthew 22:36-38 (New International Version)
36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment.
With the flesh under control, I expect us to take a great leap forward in times of personal prayer and in worshiping God. Even when the fast is over, there will be a new anointing on our prayer time. We need to humble ourselves and pray and seek God. These times of worship will make a difference for the year, and for our whole lives.
Practical Tip
To obey the greatest commandement we have to worship the Lord for ourselves.
Matthew 16:24-27 (New King James Version)
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
This morning I realized how long twenty-one days really is. And then I thought, "it's not really that long". The truth is, our desires control our behavior and over these weeks we are cultivating a stronger desire for Jesus. We are denying ourselves in order to see the will of the Father accomplished on the Earth. Just keep the focus on Jesus and the Word of God, and your desires will follow Him.
Practical Tip
If you are doing any kind of fast for the full twenty-one days, just settle in now for the long haul. Enjoy the lifestyle change and pray, pray, pray. God wants us to chase after His presence, that's where all the answers are. If you can get a copy, please read Norvel Hayes's little book, "How to Live and Not Die".
Note: Sorry about the delayed post today. It seems like the website has been down.
Psalm 112 (New King James Version)
The Blessed State of the Righteous
1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments.
2 His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.
4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion.
6 Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
8 His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
One of the things I love about a time of extended fasting and prayer is how the mind is affected. In some cases it is like a fog clears and God's Word can penetrate areas of doubt and uncertainty. That's what I realized in these verses yesterday.
God wants us to have steadfast hearts. He does not want us to be moved by what we see and hear around us. A heart that is established will see in faith despite circumstances and what other people are saying.
This is so important to understand if we are going to see dreams and visions manifested in our lives. We can dream big when our hearts are established because we realize that God is not limited by the natural world, and as His children, neither are we.
So rejoice in this time of fasting. Silence the distractions and set your face to seek the Lord. The result will be established hearts that will never be shaken, and the revival of dreams that God has spoken to your heart in the past.
Practical Tip
Every believer has to battle for the mind. Read a good book on renewing the mind like Joyce Meyer's or Terry Law's. During the fast, you will be more sensitive spiritually and I believe you will have a breakthrough of new thoughts and revived dreams.
Day three is a breakthrough day. In terms of hunger and the temptation to break the fast, it is a pivotal day. Spiritually it is a breakthrough day as well. I am expecting a breakthrough for you today!
Esther 4:13-17 (New King James Version)
13 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” 17 So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.
Esther was in a life and death situation. She had to hear from God and receive supernatural favor in order to save her people. If you are in a desperate situation, give God a chance. Set your face to seek Him. Jesus is our Savior, Deliverer and Restorer. Expect a miracle today!
Practical Tip
When we fast, God has an opportunity to get our attention. He gets a hold of our desires and the "idols" in our lives break down. As the flesh weakens, the spirit strengthens and we begin to hear the voice of God clearly. This is the time to press in, anticipate a closeness to the Lord that will be life changing.
Proverbs 27:7 (New King James Version)
7 A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
This is the verse that helps me keep the physical hunger in perspective. The flesh will be hungry today for what ever it is we are fasting (that includes things like television). Instead of focusing on what the flesh wants, let's focus on what our spirits desire and need. When you meditate on this verse you will rejoice in the hunger. There is honeycomb waiting for you in the presence of the Lord. As the fast progresses, the prayer time sweetens and your hunger for God will be filled. The difference is that usually we are too full to be hungry for the things of God.
Proverbs 27:7 (New Living Translation)
7 A person who is full refuses honey, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry.
Practical Tip:
Fasting is not just a physical discipline, the soul (mind, will, emotions) is just as involved. The biggest battle is for the mind. Sometimes we are just not open to hearing about the issues in our hearts that hold us back. God has new thoughts for you, answers to old questions and today's problems. Wait patiently for the Lord, and expect to receive Rhema, life changing word as you read your Bible.
God bless everyone that is fasting today. Give them strength to see it through. We want to be hungry for Your presence Lord and receive from You wisdom and direction for 2009. There are things we cannot do for ourselves and we need You, Lord. There are people who are oppressed that need our Savior. Hear us from Heaven today Lord and heal our land. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.
Psalm 40 (New King James Version)
1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
The Bible says when we draw near to God, He draws near to us (James 4:8). That is the primary focus of our First Fruits Fast. We are seeking God first in 2009, "waiting patiently" for Him instead of setting out under our own power. As you wait patiently your expectations will grow and the presence of the Lord will be more real to you.
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
Extreme circumstances require extreme action. Whether the circumstances are of our own making or not, we can humble ourselves in prayer and fasting. God is our healer, deliverer, and restorer. Fasting and prayer will get you out of fear and into faith to see your circumstances change.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD.
Just imagine the testimonies that you will be praising God for as a result of diligently seeking Him. There will be people who will put their trust in the Lord as a result of your miracle.
4 Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Any doubts we have about trusting the Lord completely in 2009 are going to submit to the Word over the next twenty-one days. That means He is going to speak to your heart about some issues.
Practical Tips for Day One
1. Write down your prayer requests and things you need to hear from God about. Write down the names of people God has laid on your heart to pray for. Pray specifically over each need every morning.
2. If I know anything for sure about fasting it is that God will speak to you through the scriptures. Fasting will increase your faith. During the fast, focus on the Word of God. When Jesus fasted, He was tempted by the devil, but in every case He used the Word of God to defeat temptation.