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hallelujah family i am so excited to be
with you all once again for activate and
you know the last time i was with you i
was teaching on the power of fasting as
it relates to what is fasting and so
today as you’re getting ready to take
notes we’re going to be talking about
the principles to fasting and i’ll just
even do a quick recap right you know one
of the key things that i talked about
the last time is that there are
mysteries in god and when we understand
the mysteries of god it is actually for
our glory right it is for your glory it
is for your promotion it is for your
victory and fastness one of these
mysteries in god that when we tap into
the understanding of fasting and we
begin to move from understanding it
changes everything right it’s such a
beautiful thing because for again i’m
not talking about fasting as it relates
to just you know the natural body like
what we may do for weight loss purposes
or you know health purposes because even
scientifically there are benefits to
fasting in your natural body but i’m
talking about fasting as it relates even
to your spiritual growth as it relates
to tapping into just spiritual
possibilities with god because of what
fasting means because of what fasting
represents and because of what fasting
does to you and so you definitely if you
have not watched part one of this
message i encourage you to watch it but
i got you i’m gonna just do a little
recap for you right and so i talked
about how the life of a believer should
be marked by fasting and prayer and that
is because jesus who is our ultimate
model jesus we see that he fasted not
only in the wilderness but even
throughout jesus’s ministry there are
moments where his disciples would bring
him food and he would reject the food
and he’s telling them that you i have
food that you do not know of and jesus
will say things like you know my food is
to do the will of god in those moments
it is strongly assumed that jesus was
most likely in a fasted state and so we
see that he is the model and jesus would
say things like when you fast not if you
fast because of what he says when you
fast and he begins to dialogue about you
know how our how our posture ought to be
when we come into the place of fasting
so fasting has definitely so many
powerful benefits and i talked about
that in part one but we fast also
because jesus is our model right and
three key reasons why we don’t fast well
maybe some people don’t fast or when we
think about fasting we’re like uh that’s
what this religious people do that just
sounds like religion it just sounds like
you know things you want to check mark
off and that mindset speaks to number
one and that’s ignorance right and
ignorance is not again it’s not a curse
word sometimes when we’re just like oh
this is you know you’re being ignorant
in this moment it’s not a curse word
it’s a moment of self-reflection and
self-awareness that oh my gosh like even
when when we think about you know who we
are as it relates to god there are
things that we would always be ignorant
of and that is what keeps us always at
the feet of jesus because we want to tap
into understanding and knowledge because
the bible says that my people and this
is god speaking my people perish because
of lack of knock of knowledge right and
so when you’re seeing that in your life
there’s some areas of your life that’s
not making sense there’s some areas of
your life that looks like bondage and
it’s being oppressed that it could be
that you are one knowledge one wisdom
one insight away from breakthrough one
understanding away from breakthrough and
so when we feel like fasting is for
those people it’s really because we’re
coming from a place of ignorance about
the power of fasting and i believe that
that is why the lord really put this so
heavy on my heart to teach on it and
when you think about it we’re really you
know in the just the last few days of
2021 right and when you’re transitioning
even from one year to another one season
to another you always want to come
before the lord god what is it about
this new season of my life you know what
does 2022 have for me what is it that
this new season holds for me who who
have you called me to become you see the
bible talks about that there are good
works that were prepared for you even
before time that god has already set the
stage of your life before time and so
you always want to be in a place of god
give me an understanding give me an
awareness what is it that i should be
doing in this season of my life that i’m
not doing right now who must i be in
this season of my life that maybe
perhaps i’m rejecting what are the
things that you have called to me
because you see god will not force
anything on you in order for you to tap
into the place of alignment with god you
have to come into partnership with god
you know there’s a scripture that says
can two walk together unless they agree
right so in order for you to walk in
sync with god you have to be in the
place of agreement and to agree means
that you are knowledgeable about what
the plans and purposes of god are for
your life and so as we’re looking into
this new season god what is it about
this new season that what what what is
it that it holds for me you see the
reality is that you know when it comes
to your assignment in life it’s not
always connected to the things that
maybe you you feel drawn to in regards
to your desires right there are some
things that you may have even rejected
the idea of and god is like i’ve called
you to this we see this so many times in
the bible we see moments where
moses right when the lord is telling
moses hey moses i’m going to call you
i’ve called you to deliver my people and
moses has all the excuses in the book
and he’s legit has excuses in the face
of the almighty god but you see moses
his purpose was hidden in his fear
because at the end of the day as a even
when you know years prior from that
moses had this understanding that wait
maybe i could be used to deliver my
people when it didn’t go according to
his plans and when you know he killed an
egyptian and the people he was trying to
deliver turned on him and told that hey
you killed somebody right and now he’s
on the run you know the betrayal and the
hurt and the pain all of it masked his
purpose and so even in the face of god
moses was like nah it’s not me it’s not
me bruh
and so what i’m telling you this is that
you need moments because i don’t even
know who this is for but perhaps there
were dreams that you had as a child
there were things that god told to you
even just as as recent as five years ago
but they were but you you suffered
betrayals and hurt and pain and what you
felt was failure and now you’re you’re
so you’re so disappointed and
discouraged to the point that it has
buried the seed of purpose that god
planted in you that even when someone
comes before you and they’re just like
man i see you doing this i see you being
this person you’re like nah that’s not
for me it’s probably for somebody else i
can’t even i can’t even see myself doing
that god pick somebody else right
because you have you have covered your
your purpose has been buried by hurt
and so when we come to the lord and we
say god i need to understand what does
this new season hold for my life what is
it that you’re doing what are the things
connected to this new season that i’m
stepping into you’re saying god i’m
laying down
my wisdom my understanding what i think
is my desires what i think is my
intellect i’m laying it all down to
recognize and tap into what is it you
know about me right this is one of the
reasons that we
that we fast but before i go into that i
was telling you about three reasons why
we don’t fast right before we went into
this moment but one ignorance right and
sometimes it’s ignorance based on you
know just the spiritual understanding of
fasting um but it’s also ignorance about
what happens in the body when you fast
sometimes you can be on the fast and you
know you start having headaches or you
know you’re you’re feeling a little um
tired and things like that and your
body’s just going through a process
right most times you might just need to
hydrate yourself right and then you’re
just like nah this fast is not for me
the enemy is trying to attack me or my
body is rejecting the fast no you have
to also educate yourself about what
happens in your natural body so that way
you recognize that okay this feeling is
only temporary and you can keep going
right another reason that i talked about
this lack of hunger right when we become
so stuffed and full of the our appetites
connected to the world where we’re so
fooled by our accomplishments and and
the things that we’re doing that we call
our goals and we’re so fooled by you
know the steps of progress that we have
lost hunger to grow in god we have lost
hunger to hear from god we have lost
hunger for the presence of god in our
lives that we were just so stuffed by
the world so lack of hunger and three
self-dependence right and
self-dependence is another way to say
pride right when we’re just like look
god i’ve i’ve been in control my whole
life i’ve done this i’ve handed this all
my life you know sometimes you know a
lot of times we we go through pain then
we go through hurt and we’re just like
god where were you right you’re just
like god you are in there so why do i
need to start calling on you to show up
right now and then you have this
mentality of it’s my fight right i i
brought myself here i’m going to find a
way out of this and the reality is that
you see fasting humbles your soul
because fasting says maybe i don’t
understand i may feel like god where
were you but maybe in the wisdom of god
there’s something that he has for me
even through this pain even through this
situation now i’m not saying that
everything that happens in our lives god
allows it no there are some things that
we experience because of the brokenness
of humanity but that the lord will
always be there as a comforter the lord
will always be there to cover you and to
protect you and to bring healing and
understanding and he will and there are
things that’s why i love when the word
of god says that the lord causes all
things to work together for the good of
those who love the lord and are called
according to his purpose because even
that deepest pain and that deepest hurt
and trauma god says you know what i did
not give authorization to that but i can
use it to work for your good and so when
you’re feeling like god you know what
i’ve been doing this all my life i’ve
been taking care of myself all my life i
don’t need you now but the reality is
that there are some battles that you are
it is you cannot defeat it by yourself
you cannot you cannot get the victory by
yourself because the victory is in
christ and there are some things that it
is only in partnership because even
though it looks natural it is spiritual
right the apostle paul revealed this
when he says that the weapons of our
warfare are not carnal but they are
mighty in god they are mighty in god
that though we wrestle against the flesh
that we are wrestling against
principalities and powers what may look
like a natural problem actually has a
spiritual root
and so if you in your natural state
you’re like god i got this i’m good you
know we’ll figure this out you don’t
recognize that this is actually not a
natural problem it’s a spiritual issue
i remember
you know a couple years ago um one
someone from our our community she was
sharing with me she was like hey i had
this dream and i just really need i need
to talk to you about this i felt like i
should share this with you and when i
asked i was like what was the dream
and she said that she was in a boxing
ring and there were these two creatures
these two disgusting creatures that in
the dream she recognized them to almost
be like demonic spirits and they were
trying to fight her and they were trying
to like put her in a corner and and beat
her up and to the point that at first it
looked like she was losing the battle
and then something came over her and
then she started fighting back and she’s
like i don’t understand what that means
and while she was telling me this dream
i began to just pray in my spirit and
i’m like god what does what are those
two creatures what do they represent and
the lord said i should ask her about her
job that there are two people at her job
and they want to discredit her and they
want to frustrate her to the point that
she would quit but that he sent her
there that he assigned her to be in that
job and i asked her i said how is it at
your job you know what’s going on at
your job and she said it’s fine but
there are these two women man they are
just like there is annoying like the
things they’re doing and i said to her
there are two women you had a dream
there are two demons they’re trying to
put you in the corner and fight you and
i began to explain to her i said what
you think is a natural issue is actually
has a spiritual root
that these women are just being used by
the enemy so that the that god to that
satan will remove you from where god you
know that god sent you here you know
that god planted you there and so i’m
sharing this to say that there are
certain fights that even if you feel
like knowing the natural i got it you
know maybe i could just i need maybe i
need a better doctor maybe i need a
better desk maybe i need a better lawyer
maybe i need a better whatever and all
you need to do is really call on your
savior and humble your soul to say god i
need you jesus i need you to step into
this i can do this on my own right and
so in that
i talked about you know eight truths
about fasting and you know why we fast
and i can i’ll sum it up into a few
things one we fast even when we need
revelation direction clarity about what
what is happening in our lives what’s
happening in the new season right we
fast when we are preparing for a divine
assignment right jesus fasted you know
the holy spirit led him into the
wilderness to fast right before even his
ministry before he was tempted and
before he began his ministry and so when
there’s a divine assignment on your life
sometimes it could be even for me when i
preach for example most times when i’m
preaching when i know that this is a
divine assignment i fast on the days
that i preach right even this very day i
i wait until i’m done with the
assignment and then i can break with the
lord and say god thank you for before
even just your strength in this because
i cannot do this on my own i need you to
step into this moment right we fast when
we’re preparing for divine assignment
maybe god has spoken to you about a call
and you can consecrate yourself and set
yourself apart and say god i need you to
step into this with me it may not look
like ministry for you it may look like
even if it’s a project at your job you
have to recognize that in everything you
do it is unto the glory of god and god
has positioned you in that job god has
positioned you in that industry maybe
you’re preparing for a movie right
there’s a role you just got maybe you’re
preparing for a musical performance that
you can come before the lord and say god
as i’m going out to perform to people as
i’m going not to sing this song and it
may not even be a worship song but you
are a worshiper you see you don’t have
to say god through your music for people
to feel the presence of jesus because
when you stepped in there you came in
with who you are and you are backed up
by heaven and so maybe you’re an artist
and you have a show coming up and you
say you know what this is not just a
show where fans are going to show up and
they’re going to applaud me and we’re
going to get a check and go home you’re
going to say no this is a divine
assignment that i have a divine
assignment lord jesus help me back me up
that when i get on the stage move lord
god that let people hear the sound and
not even know what’s going on and all of
a sudden they’re being convicted in
their hearts they could be dancing
throwing their hands up in the air
shaking like just don’t care i don’t
know but all of a sudden they’re feeling
the presence of the holy ghost so
whatever it is you’re writing a book
that’s a divine assignment maybe before
you begin writing the book you set some
time apart and say you know what god i
just wanna i wanna consecrate i wanna
commit this book to you i just wanna and
you’re doing it through a fast right
and so we fast even when we’re preparing
we fast for breakthrough divine
intervention or deliverance right you
see you might be go you might have an
addiction you might have something that
you’re dealing with and in that you can
come to the lord and fast because
fasting says god i’m i’m acknowledging
that i’m weak and i need your strength
i’m acknowledging that i can’t fight off
this addiction by myself i need your
strength and you commit that period of
time to fasting and prayer and you’re
going to watch god move in such a
powerful way these are everything i’m
saying i’ve seen testimonies of this you
know it’s it’s so beautiful we also fast
to humble ourselves and repent before
the lord and we fast as worship right we
fast because we want to restore our gaze
and our first love our gaze on jesus and
so coming into today’s message i know
that was a message in itself
but what one of the key things you have
to understand is what fasting is not
right
fasting is not manipulation
because you fast does not make god
obligated to respond to you according to
your expectation
right because you’re saying that god i’m
coming on this fast it does not mean god
is obligated according to the way you
see the the outcome because the reality
like i said fasting humbles your soul so
fasting already says god i’m putting my
wisdom and putting my understanding at
your feet i’m gonna surrender it before
you and so maybe there’s something that
maybe for someone you’re just like i
don’t know if i want to fast anymore
because the last time i was fasting for
a boo and then i saw the person get
married you know that’s not that’s
witchcraft
you can fast and say god align my steps
with the person you have for me right
align my steps lord i’m just i’m going
to pray that in your timing i’m going to
cover my marriage and pray i’m going to
cover this person that you have for me
and in the timing that you have purpose
let nothing be a barrier align our steps
with that we will find each other and
recognize one another but if you’re
fasting with someone’s picture and mind
and name and mind you know that is
witchcraft
but if you must fast for someone fast
for their breakthrough fast for their
healing fast for their deliverance maybe
you have a family member and you’re like
god i want you i want them to encounter
you you can commit time to fasting and
prayer that they will be that they would
encounter the lord right this is what
this is when how we fast for people
right so fasting is not manipulation you
know one of the great examples is david
there was a time that david had some
transgressions and he got a woman named
batsheba pregnant
you read the story on your own time i
don’t want to really just go too much
into that but when bat sheba got
pregnant because of how this child came
about
there was a message that what came from
the prophet nathan to david that this
child would die when david heard this
message david went into fasting and
prayer he started fasting and he was
petitioning the lord that god please
don’t kill this child on the seventh day
of david’s fast the lord took the child
right and
it was so crazy because when you read
the story all of david’s attendance they
were like okay when the child was living
david was not eating was not drinking he
was mourning he was not looking at
nobody and they were terrified to tell
david that the child had died because
they thought he was going to do
something crazy when david found out
that the child died
david went into the house of the lord
and worshiped and he ate he broke his
fast they said well that’s done but this
is the beauty of this story right the
beauty is not that okay maybe the child
that the beauty is that david under
david moved in the true posture of
fasting he humbled his soul he said god
i’m going to petition you for something
but i trust your wisdom over mine i
trust your decision over my expectation
i trust that you lord god that your word
that what the outcome will speak of your
goodness and so when the child was gone
david said lord i’m not gonna come from
a place of this you know being
discouraged or disappointed i’m gonna
acknowledge that you are still good he
worshipped the lord he ate he took a
shower shaved you know he put some beard
oil and he went about his business right
so what i’m saying this to you is that
sometimes things may not happen
according to your expectation but you
have to trust the wisdom of god that
maybe some things were not released to
you in a particular timing because god
knows that you will not be fruitful in
the manner that you can be if he
released it to you then or it would not
serve your growth it might serve you
know your appetite it might serve your
your happiness but it may not serve your
growth and so we have to trust the lord
fasting is not manipulation right
now throughout the bible we see
different types of fast right now the
general idea of fasting is that we are
eliminating our distractions we are
eliminating the things that we delight
in for a set period of time as your
sacrifice in seeking god right so for a
set period of time you’re saying god i’m
eliminating my distractions i’m
eliminating my delights to seek you
right and so when we look at the
scripture we see different types of
fasting we see for example
um what many people call daniel’s fast i
i love that people call this the daniels
fast because it was daniel fasting
and he daniel fasted several times but
what we call the daniels fast is when
daniel fasted in a manner that he ate no
choice food no meat um you know no um he
had no wine for 21 days and so what he
you know what he consumes is like fruits
and vegetables and so many people say oh
i’m doing the daniels fast but what i
love about this example of fasting is
that it’s a unique fast right it was
daniel’s fasting and this was the fast
that he chose to do and so you could
have the johnny’s fast and johnny’s fast
could be that you know what for this for
10 days i’m not gonna have sweets right
maybe sweets are your weakness every
single morning you have some candy every
you know all throughout the day you’re
having candy and johnny is like you know
what for 10 days in seeking the lord i’m
not gonna have sweets right in in this
type of customized unique experience of
fasting is when people do partial
fasting right partial fasting is it
could could look like so many things
right it could look like there are
certain types of food that you’re
cutting out for a set amount of days it
could look like
it could look like you know from a set
time to another time
sometimes you know for me i would do
like 6 a.m to 6 p.m and i’m like okay
for these hours i’m only gonna have
water or tea um you know different
things like that so that could be a
partial fast but whatever it is it is a
sacrifice to you right if you’re a vegan
you can’t say you’re doing a daniel’s
fast you’re already on the daniels fast
that’s not a sacrifice you’re already a
vegan all right right so it has to be a
sacrifice to you so when you think about
that you know and maybe for some of you
it’s social media right maybe you’re
you’re not even food is not a problem
right you’re eating is not you maybe eat
once a day maybe already you do
intermittent fasting
right and so food might not be the
sacrifice but it’s social media it’s the
it’s netflix it’s binging it’s
television it’s different things and
you’re saying that i’m going to remove
myself from this that i can seek the law
that i can go deeper in pressing into
the lord now another type of fast we see
in the bible
is a complete fast right a complete fast
is when you only drink water for that
set amount of time and so you know there
a lot of theologians believe that jesus
did a complete fast be and and the
reason is because you know at the end of
his fast we hear that jesus was hungry
right it doesn’t say that he was thirsty
it says that and he was hungry so
there’s a belief that jesus did um you
know complete fast during his 40-day
period um we also see in the scriptures
absolute fasting right absolute fasting
is when there is no food no water um
esther did an absolute fast with all the
jews when she said hey fast and pray
with me don’t eat anything don’t drink
anything for three days
paul did an absolute fast before his
conversion into christianity you know he
was struck with blindness and the bible
tells us that for three days paul did
not eat or drink anything
moses did an absolute fast but moses is
a little different because you see both
esther and paul did three days and even
science has research that would suggest
that the human body can only survive
without water for about three days after
three days your organs could start
shutting down and so if you feel called
to do an absolute fast um you know make
sure that first of all you are called to
do that and you know it should not
extend three days we see that moses did
an absolute fast for 40 days but his
case was a little different because
moses was in the presence of the source
of life himself moses was in the
presence of god during the time when he
was on the mountain and the lord was
giving him the ten commandments and so
we know that moses ate nothing but drank
nothing but moses is in the presence of
life and so there was a soup super
naturally his body was being held up by
the lord right we even see about elijah
when elijah was on a journey to meet the
lord but before that journey of 40 days
elijah there was an angel of the lord
that came to him and prepared spiritual
food for him and say elijah eat because
your journey is long and so anything
outside of you know you know going past
three days of fasting without food
without water means that there is such a
powerful supernatural encounter that is
going to sustain you that is not
something you should just do you know
randomly because your organs can can
start shutting down right um but when we
think about fasting right
there are three key things that i want
you guys to consider right the first
thing is that you need to commit
and there’s a scripture i want to read
to you daniel 10 verse 3 it says this
this is daniel speaking and he says i
ate no pleasant food no meat or wine
came into my mouth nor did i anoint
myself at all till three whole weeks
were fulfilled
he said that you know what i have set my
mind that i’m going to do this for three
weeks that i’m consecrating i’m setting
apart three weeks to seek the lord in
this manner and so what i want to tell
you is that you have to be committed
when you say to the lord that god for
these next few days that this is what
i’m committing to you you want to be a
person of your word that is why even the
lord will say things like let your yes
be your yes and your know your no
anything outside from this is from the
evil one because when you come before
the lord the lord is banking on your
integrity the lord is saying you know
what i’m taking your word that you will
be faithful to what you have said and so
when you’re when you know that when
you’re inspired when the spirit moves
you or you’re just after the lord and
you’re like god i’m gonna do this fast
commit to your word because here’s the
thing about commitment commitment is is
is the evidence of your faith when you
see it through despite the obstacle
despite the highs and lows despite the
temptations it is the evidence of your
faith and i want to read to you hebrews
11 6 says this
but without faith it is impossible
to please him
for he who comes to god must believe
that he is
and
that he is a rewarder of those who
diligently
seek him those who are committed to
seeking him he is a rewarder so your
commitment is the evidence of your faith
right sometimes you know when you’re in
worship when you’re in prayer and you
get inspired you’re excited you’re like
god i’m going to do this fast i want to
just spend some time with you and then
day four you start thinking about
chicken nuggets right
and you’re like it’s not that deep it’s
not that deep but this is what you don’t
recognize that you’re doing when you’re
saying ah i really i’m really craving
these chicken nuggets man you’re putting
that as a priority
above
seeking the lord
you’re put you’re saying that in this
moment this chicken nuggets mean more to
me than my word that i’ve given to the
lord and seeking him for this set amount
of days you see angels they’re angels
that even honor your word there was
something that wasn’t there something
the lord revealed to me
a couple years ago and he showed me how
and the the way he taught me this at
first it was in a church service and you
know sometimes you know i’m breaking
myself free from the lateness of my
culture you know i’m nigerian and um
yeah we have some late tendencies
sometimes and
i remember the lord was showing me
something and he said stephanie you know
this was the time i was heading to
service and he said that this time that
is set even for the service because this
is a time that is set for everyone to
come and gather before me right he said
the time that is set there are angels
that are released at that time and those
angels have things that they are able to
release to the people who are committed
even to the time that this is what we’re
saying lord at this time we are opening
up this service onto you it’s the same
things that happen even in our homes
when you’re just like god you know what
i’m gonna come before you at a time to
be in prayer
there are there is a release god is
taking you for your word he said okay
you’re going to be there at five all
right now i’m i’m there i’m i’m i’m
right there five a.m where you at okay
not showing up you know that you feel a
little tickle on your feet you’re
wondering who’s tickling you and the
lord is like get up right but what i’m
trying to tell you is that there is such
a power in your commitment right when
you’re just like okay lord i’ve said i’m
gonna do this there are things that are
waiting to be released because you see
daniel how we don’t know what inspired
daniel to do 21 days right all we know
is that daniel set his heart that for 21
days he had no clue what was happening
in the heavenly realms but it is so
interesting that during that 21-day
period was when he experienced a mighty
breakthrough because something was
holding up his miracle there were there
were principalities that were holding up
what god had released but the more
daniel stayed committed in that place of
faithfulness all of a sudden there was a
release of breakthrough that came to him
you need to study that it is such a
powerful thing that happened as a result
of him fulfilling that 21 day those 21
days and that’s why i love that word
when we go back to daniel 10 3 when he
said that till the 3 week three whole
weeks were fulfilled
right so moving forward and i’m telling
you as god was teaching me this i began
to realize that there was some fasting i
was doing that it was not fasting it was
weight loss right because when you fast
with understanding everything changes so
number two
when it comes to key things about
fasting is to make room for god right
fasting the heart of fasting it is that
jesus is your focus jesus is the center
of it all it is all to the glory of god
and so you are growing in intimacy with
the lord so you have to make room for
god i remember one time i was on the
fast i thought i was in the fast and i
was doing that six a.m to six pm fast
and i was like okay i’m just gonna drink
water but you know what i did from 12 to
like 5 p.m i was binge watching a show
because i was thinking so much about
food i’m like okay six o’clock just
needs to get here so that i could just
you know break and eat and for four
hours watching watching the series and
the lord was like what who who’s feeding
you
right because when you’re fasting you’re
feasting on jesus you’re saying that
lord i’m removing myself from these
distractions to feast on you to feast on
your word to feast on your truth to make
room in my life for you to step in that
i’m looking up to you and in that moment
rather than making room for the lord i
was making room for distractions
and so even if your fast might be food
even if maybe it’s not social media you
have to make room for jesus
you have to recognize that okay for a
certain amount of time i should
eliminate other channels of information
because i’m making room for the lord in
this time right and so be certain to
make room for the lord because even when
you think about it right when jesus did
a 40-day fast he could have fasted
anywhere but for some reason in the
wisdom of god he was led into an
isolated place he was led into the
wilderness now i’m not saying when you
fast isolate yourself but i’m saying
that the principle of that is that he
was he he took himself outside of
distractions
right and so even when you’re saying
that god i’m consecrating and setting
time to seek you remove yourself from
certain distractions right so if there’s
a time period in the day you know just
say okay lord even if you have to go to
work if you you have to live your your
normal life right even jesus would say
anoint yourself don’t look like you know
you over here tripping you know don’t
look like it’s not about a show it’s not
about for people to know it’s not about
you wearing rags and just like oh my
gosh i’m so tired
you know it’s not about that right so
you can go about your normal day you
might go to work you might do all these
things but at some point in the day make
room make more room for jesus right
because even in fasting you’re saying
okay
god i’m intentional that during this
time i’m going to press in deeper into
you
and the third thing i want you to
understand is to stay up right what do i
mean by that proverbs 24 16 says this it
says though a righteous person falls
seven times he will get up now even as i
talk about commitment you might you
might think i’m talking about perfection
that you know what at no point should
you ever just even look at that candy
bar right there are moments i and this
is understandable there are moments that
you might even in the beginning stages
you may give in right you might just you
might lose focus and you’re just it’s
just like what happened with peter and
jesus at first peter is walking on water
because he’s looking at jesus he’s doing
the impossible and then life is coming
at you so much and peter is listening to
the waves and listening to the waves and
at some point he he shifts his focus
from jesus to where the noise is and he
looks at the noise and he looks at the
waves and he begins to drown sometimes
that happens even when we’re fasting
we’re looking at jesus and the noise of
life is happening and it’s so
interesting because even science
suggests that there’s certain things
that we eat that are linked to how we
feel that sometimes when you’re feeling
depressed or you’re feeling anxious you
turn to you know load up on carbs you
know when you’re feeling lonely you
might tend to load up on sugar and so
you could be in a fast and then life is
coming at you and all kinds of noise is
happening and as much as you want to
look at jesus you just want to take a
sneak peek at where is all this noise
coming from and you look away from him
and next thing you find yourself
breaking your fast but what i want you
to understand is that you can stay up
jesus did not see peter drowning and
leave him there he didn’t say wow peter
look at you just drown into your death
no
he went and he got him he helped him he
said peter let me help you up and he’s
like why did you doubt
and so even if you go on a fast and you
have a moment where you lose sight of
jesus and you start looking at the world
again and then you start you you break
your commitment you don’t have to break
it fully
right you don’t have to say you know
what because at the end of the day god
is looking at your heart
so i’ll give you an example let’s say
you said you know a lord on for seven
days
no sugar for seven days no sugar i’m not
gonna i’m not gonna give in to this
and
day four you just start feeling a little
lonely or you start feeling whatever and
you don’t even recognize that your
habits are really triggered by by things
going on in your brain and you’re just
feeling lonely and all of a sudden you
can’t stop thinking about sugar because
now you’re looking at old text messages
and different things and you know things
you should not be looking at and you
have you know swedish fish i don’t know
mentos something i’m thinking of a candy
that is universally understandable
right you have some twix right tuple
around something
right it’s not about you on the third
day to say oh man i messed this up this
is all done and i’m just you know filled
with shame and guilt no
when you come back to the awareness that
oh my gosh what did i just do get back
into your fast
just go even in prayer just say lord
have mercy on me in this moment right i
gave in but lord i’m still after you my
eyes are still on you i’m gonna fulfill
and finish out what i had spoken to you
that is why the mercies of god are made
new every single day because the lord is
aware that we would always be in need of
his mercy and so stay up if you fall if
you trip get back up and finish what you
have said that you were gonna do before
the lord right now some key things that
you need to expect when you’re fasting
is one you’re gonna you’re gonna have a
renewed closeness with jesus
right it’s gonna renew your intimacy
with the lord and as a result of that
you’re going to become more sensitive to
spiritual things and so when you’re
going on a fast you know be more
intentional about journaling your dreams
journaling your visions the the ideas
that come to mind that may seem random
write them down the the things that you
might be having a conversation with
someone and they say something in
passing but it stands out to you in such
a unique and powerful way write it down
because your spirit is very sensitive
and it’s trying to tell you something
and some of these things are insights
and strategic direction that the lord is
actually making known to you and so when
you’re fasting because you’re getting
closer to jesus you’re getting closer to
the word you’re getting closer to
breakthrough you’re getting closer to
victory you start to experience it in
your life
you see your proximity to jesus also
begins to show up in your life
because you have closer proximity to
breakthrough you start seeing things
shaken up in your life because you have
closer proximity to discernment and
understanding your discernment heightens
right you start going into places and
you’re like oh my god something is
different you see someone that you and
you maybe y’all you’re rushing out and
the holy spirit is is pulling on you hey
go talk to that person go pray for that
person ask this person what’s going on
in their life and whatever the case you
begin to be led that way and the beauty
of this is that when this is this is
your lifestyle when there is a culture
of this it never leaves you
right that is why fasting can also be
worship
that is why it’s there sometimes you’re
fasting not because that you need a
breakthrough not because of anything you
just want to get closer to the lord you
just say you know what lord once once a
day every month
before the the first day of the month
i’m going to fast just to i just want to
get connected to you i want to set this
time aside as part of my sacrifice as
part of my worship and you never you
stay in this place of sensitivity and
clarity and understanding right and so
you should have an expectation for that
you should have an expectation that
being closer to jesus means i’m closer
to everything he represents
right and so when you’re thinking about
what does jesus represent then begin to
look at the ways of the holy spirit the
manifestations of the holy spirit right
that the holy spirit can manifest
himself in faith in miracles and
understanding in knowledge and wisdom
that means i’m having a closer proximity
to wisdom understanding knowledge about
my life about my community and so on and
so forth right when you’re fasting
you’re also going to experience
brokenness
and this is the good brokenness this is
not like broken out of negativity or
trauma this is the brokenness this is
the soberness of your spirit right when
you are you you come into this sober
state of surrender before the lord and
the holy spirit begins to reveal to you
areas in your life where you know where
he starts to convict you areas in your
life where you have to come into a place
of repentance right and repentance
literally is to turn the other way that
you are embracing something that it’s
not leading you in the manner in the way
or nature of christ right because when
you’re fasting you’re also it’s a it’s a
transformation in your life it’s to
transform you even more to the image of
the lord and so if there are things in
your life if there’s unforgiveness right
if there’s bitterness right if there are
certain things that you do in the dark
the lord begins to highlight it and he
says look my son my daughter this this
area right here you may have not been
sensitive to it you have not you may
have not had any conviction about it
because for a season you seemed you were
actually far from me even though you
thought you were close to me
and the closer you get to me i’m going
to reveal to you things that you need to
turn away from
and it’s important for you to recognize
this is not about shame or guilt this is
about action
right the lord is revealing it to you so
that you can take action and turn away
from it and you turn away from it by his
grace
right it’s by his strength he’s
strengthening you he’s the lord is not
revealing things about your life so that
you can feel bad about yourself or
wonder oh my gosh why didn’t i know this
before no it’s about action
right so when you start fasting be you
know have the expectation that you’re
going to come into a deeper sense of
brokenness
brokenness before the lord when you
begin to see the areas of your life that
you’re like god i didn’t recognize that
the way i spoke didn’t honor people i
didn’t recognize that i had this
unforgiveness in my heart i didn’t
recognize that you know this thing that
i did i never apologized about it you
know i didn’t recognize that oh like you
know what’s going on in my family that
i’ve held this against this person right
in a fast you might be led to actually
call call family members and talk to
them and say you know what i apologize
you might be led to let things go you
might even be led to go into therapy you
never know how the lord wants to work it
out because you see there’s a side of
the holy spirit that said that calls him
a counselor
and the holy spirit will begin to
counsel you about the things that you
must do in your life because it’s about
you becoming more like jesus right and
so one of the key things that before we
pray
i want you to understand even as it
comes to fasting you know if you’re
fasting food or you’re fasting whatever
social media whatever distractions or
delights in your life is that you have
to understand that fasting is about
focusing on jesus
fasting is about saying yes to the
spirit and it so it’s not more about oh
my gosh i just have to deny myself in
this time it’s not depressing right it’s
not the focus should not be about i’m
saying no to my appetites no the focus
is in this moment i’m saying yes to my
to the spirit of god i’m saying yes to
this and so what i want you to do is
flip the script
right don’t think about fasting from a
place of denial think about fasting from
a place of proximity to jesus think
about fasting from the place of in this
moment i’m getting closer to my
breakthrough i’m getting closer that’s
why we experience breakthrough when we
fast sometimes because we’re getting
closer to the source of our breakthrough
right and so flip the script don’t look
at it like punishment look at it like oh
my gosh this is a time i can set aside
right to return to my first love this is
a time that i could set aside as worship
right to go deeper in in my faith and go
deeper with my relationship so it’s such
a beautiful thing right this this has
been even just this teaching and there’s
so much more to even unpack but i
believe that this is where for now the
lord will have me stop and i really
believe that for many of you listening
that this is going to also prompt you to
go into a season of fasting and so i
want to pray with you you know one of
the things that
the lord had put on my heart to pray
with you concerning is for fresh
encounters with him
fresh encounters with him right that
this is not just gonna be many of you
maybe you fasted before and it just felt
like this religious activity just felt
like you were just you know trying to
check off the marker but no fasting it
brings you is an activity that brings
you into the economy of just divine
possibilities spiritual possibilities
right it’s a spiritual thing right it’s
not it’s not the one about weight loss
that we will be doing no no no no right
and so i’m going to pray for you that
even as you go into a fast for those of
you that are like you know what lord i i
actually believe that you’re calling me
too fast even before we get into this
new year or maybe you’re gonna be
fasting at the top of the year whatever
the case might be but i’m gonna pray for
you that you’re gonna have fresh
encounters with jesus
you know the the way the lord moves it’s
so beautiful one of my best friends
something recently happened in her life
that i just loved so much she had been
out of town for a while and when she got
back home she was getting ready to go to
church and just about to you know head
on out i should i i may even give um i
don’t know you might see a picture of
this you might not but we’ll see how it
goes but
she gets in her home and she’s like you
know she’s changing she’s getting ready
and she goes to the mirror she lives by
herself
and there are two handprints
on her mirror it’s and it’s the le is
the right hand of a person that was on
her mirror twice
right and it’s so detailed i mean even
if you put your hand on the mirror it’s
not that detailed and in the middle of
the hand was a hole
like it was it was so mind-blowing and
when she sent me the photo the first
thing i recognized i’m like first of all
there’s a hole in that hand and it’s two
right hands and in the scripture we see
how the lord constantly talks about the
right hand the right hand of god right
the right how his right hand upholds us
and i was just like oh my lord
jesus was in your home
and even to the point that he left his
handprint on your mirror
how beautiful is that
and there was so many amazing things
that ministered to her and she just had
this powerful moment of encounter with
the lord the lord is still moving
this just happened two weeks ago
right there i remember there are things
there’s so many encounters that i could
share with you for you to recognize that
having desiring an encounter with the
lord
is real
it’s not just something that it’s like
for those people or this happened in
biblical times i’ve had experiences
where i’ve met the lord
where he is coming to my home
and they’re things that don’t it feels
like what what just happened i’ve had
experiences with angels of the lord and
there’s so many more experiences i
desire to have but it’s about these
fresh encounters with god sometimes the
lord may come to you even in a dream
and begin to speak to you and pour out
to you you want to desire that god even
as i come before you in this fast and i
want you to be intentional
right
maybe you’re dealing with an addiction i
want you to be intentional lord i need
you to help me break this addiction
maybe you need breakthrough in your life
there is something that the lord has
spoken to you about and there and maybe
you need financial breakthrough maybe
you need a relational breakthrough and
you’re gonna say god i’m gonna present
this before you and i’m gonna fast maybe
you’re just fasting to grow grow closer
to the lord lord i’m coming before you
that you would use me lord god as a
conduit of your power of your glory and
my community in my family whatever it is
i want you to write that down
and set a time don’t just you know rant
be random about it no say you know what
from from this day to this day this is
exactly what i’m doing as my sacrifice
to the lord
you know solomon
this we read the scripture about how the
lord came to solomon in a dream
and when he met solomon he said solomon
ask me anything i will do it for you but
what we don’t always remember is that
prior to this there was a great
sacrifice that solomon had given before
the lord and in response to that
sacrifice it was so pleasing to the lord
that he met him in a dream
and he said solomon ask me anything and
it will be yours and what the encounter
from that dream was solomon’s reality in
when he woke up in his in his in his
present life
right in his wake in life
and so what i’m saying to you is that
even as you’re in your fast your
sacrifice that you’re lame before the
lord have an expectation for encounters
with the lord have an expectation to
grow in him have an expectation to to
grow in your spiritual walk that even as
a result of this you’re going to have
more spiritual maturity that you’re
going to grow in discernment have an
expectation that lord when i even even
when i’m praying for people that i will
grow in the prophetic that i will grow
in your wisdom have an expectation of
the lord have an expectation for him to
show up
and
if he doesn’t move the way you thought
don’t feel discouraged
because one thing that you can send into
your future is your prayers
sometimes what you think that you’re
like god do this now
what is happening in the spirit realm is
that it is planted as a seed
and it is sent into your future for a
harvest that you would experience at a
later time
and so maybe your desire
may not happen in the now
but god has marked you to have that
harvest in five years
so no prayer is ever wasted before the
lord that is why we we thank god so much
for grandparents
because we see the fruit of their
prayers in our lives
you can send a prayer into your future
and so when you’re fasting you’re
praying right fast and in prayer
and so things may not happen the way you
want it to now
but god has seen it as a seed planted
for a harvest that has been marked
so it’s never wasted
so you humble your soul you have a
desire have an expectation and just let
god be god
however he wants to move trust him
right and to let us
pray and even as we pray before we pray
you know maybe you’re watching this
and maybe you stumbled on it or maybe a
friend sent it to you and they’re like
you need this message
and all of a sudden you’re like god i
want to i want to know this god i want
to really know him i’ve dabbled in so
many things because i was looking for
some kind of experience
but i didn’t know that i could have this
in god
i didn’t know that i could have this in
the one who laid who gave his life for
me god is after you
god chose you god said yes to you even
before this moment that you will say yes
to him
and so if you are if you’re listening to
this
if you’re watching this
and you know that the lord has convicted
your heart and he’s saying look come to
me
right because he already said yes to you
in all your darkness and all the things
that you felt like he will turn his back
on you know the darkness is not dark to
him he will meet you wherever you are
but he will pull you to become who you
are
and so if you’re listening
and you know that god has his hand on
your life but you’ve been running
i want you to take this moment and say
yes to jesus
and you’re going to see a qr code on the
screen and i want you to scan that so we
can get in touch with you but we’re
going to pray
one i’m going to pray that even for
those who are saying that lord i want to
fast i want to i want to go into this
season of fasting and prayer that you
would have fresh encounters with the
lord
and if you’re here and you’re just like
you know what lord i i’ve been running
from you
and i want to start by saying yes to the
god of my soul the the the savior of my
soul the lover of my life i want to say
yes to you then i’m going to pray for
you as well
and so heavenly father we thank you lord
jesus for this moment
we thank you lord for what you are doing
and we just thank you so much for your
people your sons and daughters that are
watching this message lord god i thank
you as they are saying yes to you
i thank you lord god that you chose them
before they even knew who you were you
said yes to them you called them and you
appointed them for a purpose
and so lord in their yes to you i pray
that they would also have fresh
encounters with you they would know who
is this jesus
who is this lover of my soul who is this
person
who is the one who gave his life for me
that i would experience victory i’ve
been looking in all the wrong places not
recognizing that i didn’t have to do all
of that i didn’t have to abuse myself in
that manner to find something that will
satisfy me
i didn’t have to sell myself in that
manner to find something that would
satisfy me i just needed to find him
and i’m praying
that in your yes to god
that you would have such a powerful
experience and encounter with him that
it would keep you rooted in your faith
and so holy spirit we thank you
lord you are the great teacher and i
thank you lord that for everyone who is
saying yes to you the lord you will
build them up
as they get plugged into community a
community of believers
that are here to be with them and and
help them in this walk with you
that lord that you would anchor their
lives in the mighty name of jesus
and heavenly father i thank you for
everyone who is saying that lord i i
feel called to this fast
the heavenly father i thank you for
fresh encounters with you
i thank you lord god that they will come
to know you in a way that they’ve never
known they would grow in wisdom and
knowledge and understanding in a way
they’ve never known i thank you that in
proximity with you they will come into
the proximity of their breakthrough
proximity of love proximity of
transformation oh god i thank you lord
god that where they were hard hearts
that lord god you will give them a heart
of flesh i thank you heavenly father
that where there was bitterness that you
would uprooted oh god and fill it in
with your love and with your
understanding heavenly father i thank
you that your children will move in joy
i thank you that they would move in
gladness i thank you that they would be
free lord god i’m even seeing lord god
where people are being set free from the
bondage of unforgiveness in the mighty
name of jesus i thank you lord god for
your grace that would help them and i
thank you lord for those who are saying
god i’ve been dealing with this
addiction it’s a hidden addiction and as
they call upon you lord god i thank you
that you would meet them at their place
of need and i thank you heavenly father
for people oh god i’m just seeing that
there are so many
medical reports that i’m seeing in front
of me and heavenly father i thank you
because you are the ultimate physician
you are the great physician and what the
doctors do not have the understanding or
have not figured out what science cannot
solve lord god you have an answer for it
and so as they say that lord help me in
this area there is no way for me i don’t
know how to get out of this i don’t know
how to come
come against this sickness lord god the
heavenly father they will meet you and
know you as a healer in the mighty name
of jesus and i thank you o heavenly
father you’re even showing me lord god
there’s someone and and you have been
there was there was there was infirmity
that happened to you and it cost you to
be bound to a wheelchair and the lord is
showing me that you don’t have to accept
that all you need to do and i’m praying
for you heavenly father i thank you
because as you are revealing this young
lady oh god i thank you lord that as she
calls upon you because for so long she’s
held so much bitterness against you that
where were you when this happened but
lord i thank you that this would be a
space that she would invite you into her
life oh god and say lord step in and let
me experience you as a healer let me
experience you as a waymaker because i
see that this is a young lady who has
such a passion for dance and there has
been so much bitterness and resentment
because of what took place lord i thank
you that she would have a fresh
encounter with you and they would be
understanding even behind the experience
and i thank you heavenly father that she
will dance again in the mighty name of
jesus and so lord god we thank you have
your way o god
do what only you can do these are just
words if they’re not backed up by your
spirit and by your power and so lord god
we thank you for every testimony that is
going to be on the other side of this
in jesus mighty name
amen amen family