This is “Open My Eyes – Fasting 2020.” When God opens your eyes, you’ll see the path to your purpose more clearly than ever before. In this message with Jentezen Franklin, get ready to launch into the 2020 Fast, and learn to uncover God’s divine provision, direction and protection that is right in front of you. Ask God to open your eyes in 2020, and watch your future unfold!

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[Music]

I want to welcome all of you to an

amazing experience as you know every

year we begin a 21-day fast and as you

join us for the program today we are

getting our hearts our souls our bodies

our minds set on seeking the Lord early

in 2020 as a matter of fact we’re asking

God to open our eyes in 2020 that he

would show us things we have not seen

that he would show us the provision the

direction the protection the visitation

of His Holy Spirit in our lives and in

our families like never before

let me tell you what I’m talking about

as we fast and as we pray this year you

know there are four times in the

scripture that those words open my eyes

are used or it says the Lord opened

someone’s eyes it wasn’t that they were

blind and they couldn’t see in these

particular texts they had they had

physical you know eyesight but we’re

talking about spiritual eyesight that

you see through the lenses of faith you

see through the lenses of Calvary you

see through the lenses of God’s Word

every situation that you’re facing and

as we fast and as we pray in a new year

God is gonna open our eyes in Genesis 21

the Bible said that Hagar was in a

desperate situation maybe you are and

she was in the wilderness and she had

her child his name was Ishmael she had

been put out by Abraham and Sarah and

she was hungry she was thirsty and she

could not bear what she was going

through as a matter of fact the Bible

said that she took her baby her young

lad and she set him under a bush and I

see bushes all with me I’m coming to you

from the Garden of Gethsemane and

there’s bushes and she took a bush out

in the middle of the desert and laid

that child of thunder and just let that

child whimper and cry and the Bible said

she walked a bow shot away and measuring

the space far enough out away that she

couldn’t hear the cry of that child she

put some distance

between it she said I just can’t stand

to see my child die and I thought about

how that the Bible said that as the

child was crying that God heard the cry

of the child not the cry of the mother

the mother was weeping but God heard the

chop the cry of the child in the desert

and God sent his spirit to open her eyes

the Bible said and God opened her eyes

and she saw a well of water and I

believe that there are people who are

listening to me right now and God is

listening to the voice of your children

they may be in harm’s way they may be

with the wrong people they may be doing

things that are breaking your heart they

may be addicted to drugs but you put

Jesus in them you prayed over them you

dedicated them you pleaded the blood

you’ve witnessed you’ve told them about

Jesus you prayed for him and you know

what God can hear the cry no matter how

desperate the cry is of our children and

the Bible said that when she had her

eyes open she saw the water and I just

want to say that God hears every parent

and he hears you saying God help my

child help my children help my family

and one thing we’re fasting for this

year is that God will open our eyes to

show us how to reach and win our

families that’s exactly what happened to

this woman named Hagar as she prayed and

as she cried out to God God opened her

eyes and the voice of the lad God is

hearing your children even if they’re

bound in drugs something in on this

crying out something in them is saying

god help me and God knows and he has a

covenant with us about our children and

God hears us and he knows where they are

that’s what touched me is God found that

woman’s child under a bush in the

wilderness and God knows where your

children are God knows where your family

is god knows where the people that you

care about are and he knows how to reach

them so first of all God opened her eyes

to provision he showed her a whale and

in 2020 as your fasting and praying may

God open your eyes to his provision

spiritual provision and natural

provision material provision financial

provision God is going to open your eyes

and you’re gonna see things you didn’t

see before the well of water was in the

wilderness but she didn’t see it until

God opened her eyes and in 2020 this

year on this fast God’s gonna open your

eyes to provision my God shall supply

all your needs according to his riches

and glory and he’s gonna show you where

the provision is in your wilderness the

eyes of the Lord the Lord wants me to

tell you are gonna be upon your children

in this new year he’s gonna open the

eyes of your children and then I think

about numbers 22 and it talks about a

man by the name of Balaam and he’s going

in the wrong direction and he’s riding a

donkey and he’s going in the direction

that was not the will of God to go curse

God’s people and the Bible said that God

opened the mouth of the donkey and the

donkey starts talking to the prophet and

says you’re going the wrong way

and he beats that donkey and he’s just

beating that poor animal mercifully and

the scripture said that eventually God

opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw an

angel standing with a sword in the path

in other words God said I’m going to

open your eyes Balaam and I’m gonna show

you you’re going in the wrong direction

and I’m gonna show you what the right

direction is for your life and I’m

telling you as I stand in the Garden of

Gethsemane today I believe that in 2020

God is gonna open your eyes number one

to divine provision he’s gonna bless you

and he’s gonna open your eyes to to God

ideas to creativity to the right

provision that he has for the vision

he’s given you he’s opening your eyes to

that but secondly he’s gonna open your

eyes to the right

correction for you and for your family

if God could open the eyes of Balaam in

numbers 22 the Bible said and God opened

his eyes and he saw that he was going in

the wrong direction and I believe many

of you have loved ones who are going in

the wrong direction and you’ve tried

your best to talk to them you’ve tried

you’ve cried you prayed but as your

fasting I’m telling you God can open

their eyes to how foolish they’re being

how wrong they’re they they are living

how wrong the direction of their life is

going only God can do that God can open

their eyes in one day God can open their

eyes and show them who the right people

are and who the wrong people are and as

we fast and as we pray in 2020 we decree

the right direction your eyes shall be

open to the right direction what is

God’s will for your life

the right direction God knows how to

open your eyes to it and you just know

this is right and that is wrong this is

the way I need to go the right direction

for your marriage the right direction

for your children the right direction

for your family just say it right there

God opened my eyes as I fast and as I

pray then I found another place in the

Bible where God opened another man’s

eyes his name was Elijah and the Bible

said the Syrian Army had surrounded his

house and he had a servant and the

scripture said that the servant went out

on the porch and when he saw the Syrian

army at date’ at sunrise they were they

had completely surrounded the Prophet

and he ran in and he said prophet what

are we going to do we’re surrounded by

the enemy do you feel that way today

we’re surrounded by the enemy and the

Prophet prayed God opened my servants

eyes and when he prayed those words the

Bible said he went out and he looked at

the same circumstances that he was

surrounded by but then he saw something

else and that’s that’s what fasting does

it opens your spiritual eyes see as long

as you focus on the physical problem

the Bible said that the natural things

are temporal but the spiritual things

are eternal and suddenly God opened his

eyes and yes they were surrounded by the

enemy but then he saw with spiritual

eyes chariots and horses of fire that

were descending from the mountains they

had come all the way from heaven God had

dispatched angels and the angels are

being dispatched to deliver and protect

God’s man Elijah and I want to say that

God’s gonna open your eyes to protection

he’s not only gonna open your eyes to

provision into direction but to

protection the protection of the Lord on

your family the protection of the Lord

on your finances on your life on your

dreams on your call we need God’s

protection if ever there was an hour

that we need to learn to pray Lord keep

me from evil the evil one wants to kill

steal and destroy but we are gonna have

our eyes open to the fact that we’re

overcomers by the blood of the Lamb and

the word of our testimony and that God

is absolutely gonna open your eyes to

protection he’s protecting your

reputation he’s protecting your name

he’s protecting you from lawsuits and

attacks he’s protecting you today as you

fast and as you pray join us on this

fast get into it with all of your heart

mind soul and strength and watch God

open your eyes to provision in 20/20

direction in 20/20 and protection in

2020 you know when we understand what

Elijah saw the Bible said he said fear

not fear not and that’s what God wants

to get in somebody’s heart who needs the

protection of God in the situation and

season that you’re in and the Bible said

he said fear not for they that be with

you or more than they that be with them

don’t fear their attacks don’t fear the

schemes of the enemy

don’t fear the attacks the Bible said in

Psalms he said he said I will not suffer

your feet to be moved I’m not gonna let

the enemy up rich you and throw you out

of everything I’ve given you but you’re

under divine protection do you want

God’s protection on your life and family

in a new year

there’s something about fasting and

praying that I believe not only will

open your eyes to provision open your

eyes to direction but it will open your

eyes to the protection of the Lord I’m

so thankful today for the protection of

the Lord I went to the Georgia Aquarium

one time with my kids and and was

walking through that one little tunnel

I’ll never forget it they’ve got a

little tunnel a big tunnel and it’s got

sharks and it’s got deadly predators

it’s got a great white shark and

different sharks and you’re walking

through it and you’re looking up and you

can see all these these sharks that

could just just really do damage to you

but it’s like you’re in a tube and

there’s something between you and them

that’s the kind of protection I’m

talking about I have to have it I know

the enemy would kill me

I know he would love to just stop and

wipe me out my family but I believe in

divine protection and then lastly I

believe in God’s divine visitation

that’s why the Bible said that they were

marching and they were walking with

Jesus in Luke 24 and they had assembled

themselves in an upper room and the

doors were shut and Jesus shows up but

they didn’t know who he was they didn’t

recognize him and then when he broke the

bread the Bible said their eyes were

open and they saw Jesus and then he

disappeared in other words God can open

your eyes while you fast and pray to a

fresh new visitation of Jesus Christ in

that while we fast when it’s all said

and done we’re not fasting for anything

but him

he is our provision he is our direction

he is our protection and what we really

are saying on this fast in 2020 is God

opened my eyes to a fresh new visitation

I want you to visit my home I want you

to visit my life I want Jesus in my

business I want Jesus in my home I want

him fresh a fresh visitation I want the

power of God so Hagar had her eyes open

to the provision of God and we know that

Balaam had his eyes open to the

direction of God Elijah and his servant

had their eyes open to the protection of

God the disciples had their eyes open to

a visitation of God and it’s time for

you to have that kind of encounter with

God and as you fast and as you pray

we’ve just decreed this a fast where God

opens the eyes of our understanding to

the hope that is before us that we see

the future not in fear that we see the

future not in in condemnation that we

see the future not in worry and stress

and anxiety but we see the future in

hope faith and love that God I’m not

afraid of 2020 I know 2020 you’re going

before me and along the way you’re gonna

open my eyes to divine provision divine

direction divine protection and a divine

visitation from God they’re coming in

powerful ways in my life my eyes will be

wide open in 2020 I’m gonna see what

other people don’t see I’m gonna hear

what other people don’t hear I’m gonna

feel what other people don’t feel

because I’m having my eyes of

understanding spiritual eyes are being

opened and I’m praying for that in your

life I’m telling you you can look at

situations and you can see things when

God opens your eyes that other people

can’t see I read on our

one time about seeing-eye dogs and how

they trained them and they said the

number one difficulty with a seeing-eye

dog you know the dogs that blind people

use they said the number one challenge

is to get the dog to view life not from

down where he is but he’s got to look

further out and he’s got to see through

his master’s eyes and they have to teach

them and have whole techniques that they

used to teach the seeing-eye dogs how to

look through the eyes of the master

they’ve got to see what the master sees

it’s not enough to see what they see

down there sniffing around the thing

that’s right in front of them and that’s

how we are we when we fast and pray we

can start seeing things through the

Masters eyes hallelujah our master is

Jesus and he wants to show you that what

was sent that you are seeing it as

something that’s going to destroy you

but God says no it’s not I’m gonna use

every pain every trial every attack

every false accusation every lie every

scheme of the enemy you are seeing it

like this and it’s causing you to

tremble but when you see it through the

Masters eyes you see the enemy means

that for my evil but God is going to use

it for my good and this is the year that

I believe that you’re going to see with

your eyes wide open like never before

God’s divine provision I’m praying and

fasting for God’s divine direction God’s

divine protection deliver me from the

evil one and God’s divine visitation Oh

aren’t you ready for that visitation you

know the Bible said that Jesus came in a

garden this is the part of the Garden of

Gethsemane I’m in Jerusalem and he

prayed and an angel came and visited him

and I believe we’re gonna have

visitations in 2020 of the Holy Spirit

like we have never experienced before

your family is your lost loved ones are

I believe it’s time for their eyes to be

open and so I want to pray with you in

closing father in the mighty name

Jesus I ask you today to open the eyes

of people as we fast as we pray as we

enter into 21 days of consecration

fasting and praying seeking your wheel

you will release provision Direction

protection and a divine fresh visitation

of the power of the Holy Spirit in our

churches and in our lives in Jesus name

I believe that and if you don’t know

Jesus as your Lord and Savior this is

your moment this is why he came into

this place and began a cycle of

suffering like we can’t even imagine

that would ultimately lead to his death

on the cross his blood spilled out for

you so right where you are the beginning

of a new year just say Jesus come into

my life Lord I’m so empty open my eyes

maybe you’ve got doubts it’s okay maybe

you don’t really know what who God is

but you keep hearing about Jesus ask God

to open your eyes ask him to open your

eyes to who Jesus is he is the son of

God he is your cured Redeemer your

Savior the one who can heal your body

open my eyes Oh Lord to see a future of

hope of joy of life of faith in Jesus

name pray this prayer say Jesus come

into my heart cleanse me forgive me and

open my eyes in 2020 in Jesus name he

heard you go to the phone dial the

number on the screen or send us a

message an email and let us know what’s

happened with sin your Bible will help

you in your new walk if you want to join

us

on this fast we have all the material

you can’t imagine I mean we have

everything that you have and I even

taped while I was here in Israel 21 days

of devotions every day you can walk with

us and there’s tens of thousands of

people who are fasting and praying with

you I’m gonna be your fasting coach you

say I’m scared I don’t know what to do

God’s gonna open you

you just jump in here and do it watch

what God will do you can find out every

detail of different kinds of fans ask

God what kind of fast you want to do but

I’m going to tell you something this is

the hour to seek God’s face we’re facing

so many things in this nation and we

need a move of God we need our eyes wide

open in times like these to discern the

will of God for our lives and for our

families so I encourage you to do that

it’s gonna be a glorious fast and you’re

gonna be part of it

can’t wait to see what God’s gonna do

and we’re gonna see it these eyes are

gonna see wonderful things in 2020 in

Jesus name each year thousands of

rockets are fired into cities

neighborhoods and schools across Israel

and eshkol an area immediately next to

the Gaza Strip when the sirens sound

families children and elderly alike

would have just 15 seconds to take cover

in bomb shelters the trauma of terror

ripples through all generations from

Holocaust survivors to the very

but it’s because of your generosity that

we have been able to break ground on the

brand new ash coal region trauma center

here children and Holocaust survivors

alike will have a safe place to build

community strength and resiliency and

receive the counseling services they so

desperately need as a thank you for your

gift to this critical project we want to

equip you for your fasting journey in

2020 beginning January 5th with your

generous gift of $1,000 or more you may

request the open my eyes collection as

well as a tree of victory planted in

your honor in the community of Ashe go

for your gift of $325 or more you will

receive the open my eyes gift set or for

your gift of $50 or more we will send

you the fasting 2020 kit for your gift

of any amount we want to thank you by

sending you Jenson Franklin’s book

fasting 101 most asked questions

join us as together we fulfill biblical

prophecy by bringing comfort to the

nation of Israel with the Eshkol trauma

center visit us online today during the

fast of 2016 so much of what Pastor

Jensen was preaching at that time was

about a spirit of excellence in doing

more and I really just got this idea

that I was going to start working out

for the first time in a long time and I

joined this boot camp one time when we

were running I got this headache that

just slammed me into the ground when I

got the headache I thought well I just

overdid it that happened one more time

and I said well sorry pastor Jensen

working out is not for me but the third

time it happened I was on my way to

church and I had stopped out of Publix

to go to the bathroom and I could barely

make it back to my car this headache

just overcame me and I had to basically

crawl back

and I ended up in an ambulance that’s

the scariest place to be

the nurses eventually said after a whole

bunch of tests and a whole bunch of

medication that I had a brain stone but

it turns out after I got referred to a

neurosurgeon that that brain stone was

there to protect me from a tumor that

had been growing when I told my dad

about the brain tumor he wanted me to

come out and see him he wanted me to

bring the scan so he could see it for

himself and we sat on his front porch

and we cried because he said that that’s

what his mother had died from and seeing

my dad scared for me it changed the way

I felt about the whole thing I ended up

in bed for about five weeks and during

that time I mean some of the craziest

things happen I had vertigo I couldn’t

read the words would jump off of a page

I was just there in my room even though

the doctor hadn’t released me I decided

to come back to church and get back on

the team but in that first song the

lights and the sound it just overwhelmed

me I couldn’t even be in the sanctuary I

ended up walking around the for year in

the lobby of the Gwinnett campus and I

ran into one of my small group members

who was greeting that day she said that

she wanted to invite me over and have

everyone anoint me with oil and pray

over me I mean I really appreciated that

of course but something just came out of

me and again I really think it was from

the fast I was so built up in the spirit

that I knew I was gonna walk this thing

out by

and I told her thanks but the next time

I go to the neurosurgeon they’re gonna

tell me I’m healed that next morning

when I opened my eyes I realized my head

did not weigh 20 pounds I realized that

the light shining through my window was

not giving me a headache

I realize that I was healed but my

doctors didn’t even though I felt fine I

couldn’t be released to go back to work

it was the beginning of a second

nightmare from then on out every

doctor’s visit that I had cost me a

thousand dollar copay all of my finances

were just gone I ended up losing my

partner before I knew it I was sleeping

in my car I parked in the parking deck

at Piedmont Hospital so I’d be right

there when I had to go for my checkups

but for two weeks that’s where I slept

when I went from my checkup

about 18 months later they sent me to

get another MRI I thought great

here’s another thousand dollars that I’m

wasting and I was just sitting there

flipping through a magazine as I was

waiting I really felt like the Holy

Spirit spoke to me he said take a selfie

I said I don’t do selfies God he said

take a selfie I want you to remember the

day that you’re told you don’t have a

brain tumor anymore

I said okay

my phone and I took about 15 selfies as

I was sitting there waiting a bunch of

different poses and then he walked in

the funniest look on his face he said

well you don’t have a brain tumor

anymore I just started laughing that

happened last year

there’s no doubt in my mind that if I

had not been fasting my story would be

completely different I know that’s what

made me strong enough to walk through

this diagnosis you know coming back now

there’s nothing holding me back I feel

like serving in the production team and

everything else I do it free chapel it’s

just my way of saying thanks thanks for

another opportunity to serve the Lord in

this great church Charisse and I want to

invite you to join us on our Holy Land

tour it’s an amazing trip unlike

anything you’ve ever experienced and

will be on the trip we get on the buses

our family will be on there and I

promise you it will change your life

2020 is the year to go you’ve been

thinking about it you’ve been praying

about this is the year to go 2020 God’s

gonna open your eyes to things you’ve

never seen an experience before in the

Holy Land get signed up today this

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Jensen Franklin and thank you for your

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