Fasting Day 21: Fresh Inspiration From the Archives
Fasting Day 21 Posts From the Archives:
- Why Does God Reward Fasting
- You’re Already All I Need
- Kings and Priests
- Shout!
- Shout: Audio Message
- Returning in Power, Part 6
- Returning in Power: Audio Message
- The I Am … For Your Every Need (2): Praise Party
- The I Am … For Your Every Need (3): Action Point
- Five Ways to Use the Praise Series (The Names & Attributes of God)
- How to Successfully End Your Fast
- A Closing Prayer
Fasting Day 21: Why Does God Reward Fasting
Have you been fasting counting on God to reward?
Why does God respond to fasting? Fasting is from Him, through Him and to Him. It originates from Him, is enabled by Him and expresses helplessness and hope in Him, which draws attention to His glory. God’s ultimate commitment is to His glory.
You’re Already All I Need (with Worship by Christy Nockels)
“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8). (Tweet this)
This is why we fast—to taste and see that Jesus is already all we need. We take refuge in Him and express confidence in nothing around us but Him. Fasting demonstrates our dependence on Him—our trust that He will provide all our needs.
Fasting helps us turn to the only food that can truly satisfy and meet our need—the Bread of Life. Once we’ve tasted Him compared to all the lesser things we’ve been filling ourselves with, we realize what we’ve been missing. We’re reminded afresh there’s nothing we could desire that could ever compare to Him. How could we have settled for so much less for so long?
Fasting Day 21: Kings and Priests
What is the basis for your authority in prayer? Knowing this will embolden you as you pray.
We’ve been redeemed by Christ’s blood and made kings and priests unto God. We participate in the dual ministry of Christ. As kings, we rule with Him. As priests, we share His ministry of prayer and intercession. We can’t separate these two functions. If we’re to rule as kings, we must serve as priests.
The practice of our priestly ministry is the key to the exercise of our kingly authority. It’s through prayer and intercession that we administer the authority that is ours in the name of Jesus.
Fasting Day 21: Shout!
Are you waiting to see tangible results from your fasting before you praise God?
When God told Joshua to march around Jericho, scripture says it was a “tightly shut up” city.
What the Israelites saw was not a city delivered into their hands. No one was going out or coming into Jericho. It was tightly shut up.
God told Joshua, I have delivered this city into your hands, so march as if it is done. March off your territory.Joshua ordered the priests to take up the ark of the covenant and told the people to advance and march around the city.
Joshua had commanded the people, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” (v.10).
Joshua and the Israelites fasted words. The same piece of equipment we speak with is the same piece of equipment we eat with—our tongue!
Shout: Audio Message
When you began your year with a fast, you probably had many heavy burdens on your heart – things you want to see God do this year. Perhaps they seem otherwise impossible apart from fasting and prayer.
Your situation is very similar to that of Joshua and the Israelites when God told them to march around Jericho.
Fasting Day 21: Returning in Power, Part 6
Do you desire to establish a godly heritage for your family? Do you have family relationships that need to be restored? Are you praying for a lost loved one? Isaiah 58:12 contains powerful promises for you.
When we enter God’s chosen fast, He promises:
“You shall raise up the foundations of many generations” (Isaiah 58:12).
Ezra called a fast for the sake of “little ones:”
I proclaimed a fast there…that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones (Ezra 8:21).
Do you have children who have walked away from the Lord? Are you concerned about the future of your grandchildren? Are you praying for the salvation of family members? Claim this promise!
Fasting and prayer is a way to lay a spiritual foundation for you and your family for generations to come.
Returning in Power: Audio Message
When fasting, it is vital to know what scriptural precedents apply to your causes for fasting. Not only will this provide encouragement, it also helps you know how to pray and how to believe God to respond in your situation.
In scripture there was always a reason that a fast was called. We need to know those reasons. We need to know what God did in the lives of those in the Bible who fasted. We must have scriptural basis for our faith and expectation in God’s response to our prayer and fasting.
As we return from our time of separation unto God through fasting, I am going to take a moment to highlight some of these truths using the framework of Isaiah 58, the fasters chapter.
The I Am … For Your Every Need (2): Praise Party
Everything we need, He is!
He is:
Abba Father when we need fathering
Acceptance when we feel unwanted
Adequacy for our inadequacy
All-sufficient in our lack
Amen, true witness when we are tempted to lie
Answer for our questions
Author of faith for our unbelief
Bread of life for our spiritual hunger
Bridegroom when we need companionship and cherishing
Bright morning star for darkness in the valley of the shadow of death
Broken and spilled out when we feel we’ve been used
Burden bearer when we are heavy-laden, tired and weary
Before all things when we’re surprised by the unexpected
Cleansing for our sin and shame
Closer than a brother when we’re lonely
Comforter who wipes away our tears
Defender when we’re under attack
Deliverer for our captivity
Door-opener when we see no way out
The I Am … For Your Every Need (3): Action Point
At some point, the circumstances of life will render each of us drained, wounded, and in great need. But there is good news! Every need we have—and could ever have—has been met in Christ.
I’d like to share an exercise with you that I found life-changing when life rendered me utterly broken and in great need.
Gaze Turned Upward to God
It was the first Sunday of the month—my Sunday morning to pray in the prayer room during the worship service at church. I almost didn’t go. The incredibly tough months recently, on top of a rough few years, had caught up with me. I was not only emotionally broken and drained dry, I felt completely unable to pray.
Driving to church, I had to pull over because I was crying so hard I couldn’t see the road. I considered turning around and going home. Given the shape I was in, I certainly didn’t want to see people and visit. But worse than that, it seemed I was unable to serve in my area responsibility that morning. I couldn’t even pray for myself, let alone intercede for the church and those attending the service. But oddly, I felt compelled of the Lord to go. I didn’t understand why, but I went.
When I arrived, the prayer room was empty. The other woman with whom I pray was absent. A sigh of relief swept over me. At least I wouldn’t have to be around anyone.
In no shape to pray, I began thumbing through a thick book someone had placed on the table—Prayer Portions by Sylvia Gunter. It was the first time I had seen the book in the room. And I needed an aid in prayer—something to help me get in the word, get beyond myself and get started praying.
Then it happened. I read the following by Sylvia Gunter and God met me! Instantly!
Five Ways to Use the Praise Series (The Names & Attributes of God)
The fasting content this year has been peppered with posts about acknowledging and praising God for who He is. I felt led to focus our attention on God—not on ourselves or our causes for fasting. Why?
God allows needs to enter our lives so that we will come to Him for the supply. He allows our needs in order to draw us closer to Himself—and reveal Himself to us in the process. If we spend our entire fasting time focused on our needs more than on God, we’re defeating His glorious purpose!
The posts centering our attention on God are:
- Praise You, Jesus: Alphabet of Praise, Part 1
- Praise You Jesus: Alphabet of Praise, Part 2
- My God Is: Names of God
- 300+ Names, Titles, and Attributes of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
- The I Am … For Your Every Need (1): In Christ Is …
- The I Am … For Your Every Need (2): Praise Party
- The I Am … For Your Every Need (3): Action Point
These posts include alphabetical lists of the names, titles, and attributes of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There are a five ways you can use this content throughout the year in your private devotions and group prayer meetings.
1. In your private devotional time—read these lists aloud to put your focus squarely on God and engender praise and worship.
2. Record the names and attributes of God in your phone voice memo app or another app, and listen to it during your daily routine—for example, during a commute, or while getting dressed for work in the mornings.
3. Use the lists in group prayer time for a confession of praise. Let everyone take a letter of the alphabet and read God’s names and attributes aloud.
Fasting Day 21: How to Successfully End Your Fast
Congratulations! You made it! You’re on the very last day of your fast! Did you ever think it would go by so quickly?!
I’m proud of you for persevering to the end. I’ve received a few messages from fasters who struggled and contemplated throwing in the towel. But God reminded them this is a marathon, not a sprint; if you fall, you can get back up and run to the finish line. And now…here you are! A few hours away from the finish line! Let’s finish well!
Let’s take a look at how to end your fast physically and how to end it spiritually…
Fasting Day 21: A Closing Prayer
Father, thank you for the blood of Jesus that purchased our salvation. Thank you that we’re able to fast for the fun of it, not for the “earn” of it. Thanks to the spotless Lamb and His blood shed for us, we don’t have to do anything to earn our salvation! We didn’t have to fast to punish ourselves and earn something with You. But we have the privilege of fasting so that we can feast on You! Wow, Lord! We get to simply dine — to come to the table and feast, no fee, no prerequisite other than accepting your free gift of grace.
We enjoyed our time with You these twenty-one days! Now help us resume eating without losing an ounce of our intimacy with You. Without losing a shred of our sensitivity and obedience to Your Spirit.
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