21 Days
fasting as a church
day 12
I trust by now that you are experiencing the internal rewards of your fast. Your spiritual man is alert to what God is doing and saying. You are seeing Him move while He is encountering you in powerful ways. Or maybe not? Maybe you haven’t heard, felt or seen the Lord do much and we are over halfway through our fast. What is my point? You don’t always judge the results of your fast during your fast. So, don’t get discouraged if your fast doesn’t appear to be what you expected. Your fasting is not in vain. The Word promises us “Do not grow tired in doing good for at the right time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
day 11
God has two reasons for us to fast that He gave Isaiah to reveal to His people. (Isaiah 58:6-8) I’m going to list them for us to consider during our fast and give a little commentary. But I will first summarize God’s reasons for us to fast by saying this…While fasting for our own needs, we need to also focus on the needs of others. Here is what God wants us to do:
1. Pray for those bound in sin.
2. Feed/clothe the poor and the homeless.
A natural result of fasting should be a sensitivity to those around us that are in sin and/or homeless. To fast merely for our own needs and not to consider those who are suffering because of sin or physical needs is not acceptable to God. During this fast, let’s obey God and intercede for those bound in sin and give an offering to the poor. I recommend two places that I know your offerings will go directly to the needs of the poor:
1. The Transformation Project: Our own outreach to those in need. You can give by using ‘Simple Give’ or dropping a designated check or envelope in the church offering.
2. The Union Rescue Mission: P.O. Box 164057, Little Rock, AR 72216
day 10
Fasting without general obedience to the Word of God is pointless. Isaiah 58 gives us several ways to fast and fail. Generally speaking, God warns us that if we engage in the following activities our fasting will be in vain.
1. Live carelessly (don’t consider the fear of the Lord)
2. Take advantage of people (don’t consider those who bless you)
3. Be in strife with others (bicker, gossip, have negative thoughts)
Without keeping our heart open and tender towards God and others, our fasting is no more than a fruitless religious activity. Be sure to guard your heart and let’s fast with success!
DAY 9
In the Old Testament, it is understandable that fasting and humility go hand-in-hand. A humble spirit is irresistible to God. No matter the trouble, the amount of sin or condition we find the nation of Israel in or individuals, God moved mightily on their behalf when they prayed and fasted. God gives grace to the humble. He lifts us up with His mighty Hand. Find favor with God and man, gain wisdom. He knows us, He guides us, forgives our sin and gives us victory.
There is not one of us who doesn’t want to live without those benefits of humility being constantly rehearsed in our lives. Put this list on your expectancy chart while you continue your fasting because they are all yours as you humble yourself during your fast.
DAY 8
As we begin our second week in our 21 day fast, I simply want to remind us that virtually every fast we see in scripture where people are named, God came through for them. So why would God leave any of us out? No worries! He said if we ask, we will receive. If we call, He will answer. If we seek, we will find. If we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. The Bible makes it clear that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him! Fast with your heart full of expectation. Know that God withholds no good thing from those that seek Him.
DAY 5
There are numerous passages of Scripture where God’s people fasted for Him to do something. In most of these cases, God “said” something before He “did” something. Jehoshaphat called a fast so Judah could be delivered from their enemies. God heard their petition but before destroying their enemies, He required them to do something. While you are “petitioning” God to move on your behalf, you have to do something. Last year while facing a major challenge that looked impossible, while I cried out to the Lord, I filled my spirit up with the written Word, I experienced a supernatural encounter in the Spirit, but I also received a mandate to correct some things so I had to make some adjustments in the natural realm. To summarize how God supernaturally came through for me would go something like this:
Petition
Revelation
Position
Visitation
I had to petition and position while God provided the revelation and ultimately the visitation which answered my cry. While fasting and asking God to move for you, don’t forget to position yourself to receive your breakthrough.
DAY 4
There are no shortcuts to spiritual growth of any kind. However, there are ways to enhance the movement of God in our lives and the number one method that He uses to do this is through encounter. A biblical encounter is simply a supernatural meeting between God and man. Encounters can be as subtle as a sense of God’s presence during a worship service or as powerful as an open vision or angelic visitation. The church began with encounter in Acts chapter two and ends its now purpose on the earth by encountering Jesus on His return. Between the books of Acts and Revelation we see signs, wonders, miracles, visions, dreams and angelic visitations just to name a few of the ways that God encounters his people. Encountering God is more the rule than the exception in the New Testament and should be the norm in the life of the believer. I think we are more than safe from a New Testament perspective, to invite, ask and believe God for encounter as we position ourselves to receive from Him during our fast.
DAY 3
There are numerous ways God reveals himself to us; gives us strategy for battle, wisdom for problem solving, gives us a glimpse into our destiny or simply encourage us. It is important that we do not limit the Spirit of God regarding how life can reveal His plans and purposes to us. However, the number one way we receive revelation is through direct encounters with His Word. If you truly desire to encounter God in a more profound way, make sure that you feast on His Word first. The written Word is the foundation of everything that God will ever reveal to you about anything in your life. The more you read it, hear it or worship with it, the more God will reveal Himself to you and about you. So, Word up while you fast!
DAY 2
God loves to give us insight into our lives and into his heart for us. During our fast, ask Him for the Holy Spirit to give you revelation into your life. Pray for deeper encounters than you have never experienced before. This decade begins with the year 2020 so God is making it obvious that we need to see clearer than ever before during this next decade. I believe that God loves revealing His heart and plans for us like a parent loves watching a child open presents on Christmas morning, anticipating the joy on His child’s face. Boldly ask the Lord for revelation and prepare your heart to receive fresh insight into His goodness as you fast.
DAY 1
The Bible gives us story after story of how God moves for those who fast. Whether you are fasting for direction or spiritual breakthrough, you can be sure heaven is prepared to move on your behalf. As you fast, your spirit man gains power over your soul causing you to desire the things of the Spirit in an ever-increasing manner. In other words, fasting is like putting your spiritual being on steroids.
Don’t be surprised if the few days of your fast are difficult not just physically, but also emotionally and spiritually. The reason you may feel this way is often before the Lord can get things to you, He first has to get things off of you. Responsibility, spiritual resistance, temptation, weariness and a host of other things often weigh on us dulling our spirit. It often takes a few days into a fast before we begin to experience renewal in our hearts and minds. Don’t be discouraged if the first few days of your fast you don’t feel anything spiritually or you find yourself in less than the best mood. Your spiritual man is rising up and pressing through your flesh and you are feeling the struggle. So don’t be weary in well doing. Trust the process because the Word promised us that when we fast, “your light will break forth like the dawn…you will call and the Lord will answer, you will cry for help and He will say, ‘here I am.’”