This is “Open My Eyes”

♪ ♪

>> 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’re asking God to open our

eyes, 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 opens someone’s eyes.

It wasn’t that they were blind,

and they couldn’t see

in these particular texts.

They had physical 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 going to 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 under

and just let that child

whimper and cry,

and the Bible said she walked

a bow’s shot away 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

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 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.”

Now, 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’ve 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 them,

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 opened,

she saw the water.

Now, I just want to say

that God hears every parent,

and He hears you saying,

God, help my child.

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 them is 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 well,

and as you’re 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 going to 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 this year on this fast,

God’s doing to open your eyes

to provision.

My God shall supply all your

needs according to His riches

in glory, and He’s going

to show you where

the provision is

in your wilderness.

The eyes of the Lord,

the Lord wants me to tell you,

are going to be upon your

children in this new year.

He’s going to open the

eyes of your children.

And then I think about

Numbers 22, and it talks about

a man by the 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 mercilessly,

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 going to show you you’re

going in the wrong direction,

and I’m going to 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 God is going

to open your eyes,

number one, to divine provision.

He’s going to bless you,

and He’s going to open

your eyes to God ideas,

to creativity, to the right

provision that He has

for the vision He’s giving you.

He’s opening your eyes to that,

but secondly, He’s going

to open your eyes to the right

direction 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’ve prayed,

but as you’re fasting,

I’m telling you, God can open

their eyes to how foolish

they’re being,

how wrong 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

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’ll 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, open 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 sunrise,

they had completely surrounded

the prophet,

and he ran in and he said,

Prophet, what are 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, open my servant’s 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.

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 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 going to open

your eyes to protection.

He’s not only going to open

your eyes to provision

and to 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 going to have

our eyes open to the fact

that we’re overcomers

by the Blood of the Lamb

and the word of our testimony.

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,

fear not for they that be with

you are more than they 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 I will not suffer

your feet to be moved.

I’m not going to let the enemy

uproot 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 was walking through

that one little tunnel.

I’ll never forget it.

They got a little tunnel

or 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 sharks that could

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

and 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.

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 opened,

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.

Isn’t that why 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

is, God, open 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 opened

to the provision of God,

and we know that Balaam

had his eyes opened

to the direction of God.

Elijah and his servant

had their eyes opened

to the protection of God.

The disciples had their eyes

opened 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 just decree 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 condemnation,

that we see the future

not in worry and stress

and anxiety,

but we see the future in hope,

faith, and love.

And you can see things

when God opens your eyes

that other people can’t see.

I read an article one time

about seeing eye dogs

and how they train 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.

When we fast and pray,

we can start seeing things

through the Master’s eyes.

Hallelujah.

Our Master is Jesus.

And so I want to pray with

you in closing.

Father, in the mighty name

of 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 will,

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’s 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 at

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

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 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’s name.

Pray this prayer.

Say, Jesus, come into my heart.

Cleanse me, forgive me,

and open my eyes

in Jesus’s name.

He heard you.

Go to the phone.

Dial the number on the screen

or send us a message,

an email,

and we’ll help you

in your new walk.

If you want to join us

on this fast, we have all

the material you can imagine.

I’m going to be your

fasting coach.

You sound scared.

I don’t know what to do.

God’s going to open your eyes.

You just jump in here and do it

and watch what God will do.

You can find out every detail

of different kinds of fasts.

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 going to be

a glorious fast,

and you’re going

to be part of it.

Can’t wait to see what

God’s going to do,

and we’re going to see it.

These eyes are going to see

wonderful things

in Jesus’s name.

♪ ♪

>> As many, many churches

across our nation,

thankfully, have begun

a 21-day fast and they’re

all just seeking God,

I believe something

profound can happen,

not only in our nation,

but the nations of the world.

We are so aware that God

has given us a global

opportunity to reach people.

And you can join us

on this fast!

You’ll be able,

if you go online,

we’ve got amazing material

for the 21-day fast,

it’s all free and it’ll

be a tremendous blessing.

Then you can order our books

and material that I believe

will absolutely cause you

to go deeper and more intimate

with God than ever before.

And when you just say,

“I’m gonna remove

the distractions from my life

and focus on you, Jesus,”

look out.

Look out.

He said, if you draw nigh to me,

or draw near to me,

I’ll draw near to you.

Thank you and we look

forward to fasting

and praying with you.

You can do this.

I’ll be your fasting coast.

Somebody said,

if you want something

you’ve never had,

you gotta do something

you’ve never done.

It’s time for you

to get a new habit,

the habit of fasting.

I believe that if you’ll do it,

God will bless you.

Thank you.

Lord, speak to your

people today.

You know the needs

and we praise you.

Bless every one who says yes,

I’ll partner with that

ministry this year.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Thank you and God bless you.

[Fire Truck Sirens]

>> Fires caused by rockets

and incendiary balloons

from the Hamas terrorist

group are a constant threat

to the nation of Israel.

In 2021 alone,

over 4,425 rockets have

been fired into Israel.

When these attacks are launched,

they cause massive fires

that threaten lives,

damage homes and businesses,

and also burn through large

areas of crops and farmland.

Remote places, like Eshkol,

the region in Israel closest

to the Gaza Strip,

are often left fighting

these fires on their own.

That is why Jentezen Franklin

Media Ministries has remained

committed to provided comfort

with grace to these

Jewish people in need.

Our latest initiative

is to provide fire stations,

fire trucks, and equipment

for the volunteer fire fighters

to protect their towns

and families.

By building a local fire

station and providing

the proper equipment,

we are easing the fear

and threat of the damage

that these fires cause.

When you give your

best gift today,

there is a blessing

waiting on you found

in Genesis 12:3,

“I will bless those

who bless you,

and I will curse him

who curses you.”

You can be a part

of the blessing today.

Israel is under constant attack

and your support today

matters more than ever.

These desperate Jewish families

urgently need your help.

Call now or go online today.

♪ ♪

>> Our story is a story

of getting knocked down,

trying everything

the world had to offer,

and finally deciding

to put God first.

You know, for me,

it started about 27 years ago.

So I got to high school

and I was still heavily

involved in athletics

and I thought, you know,

that’s who I am – an athlete.

In 10th grade, I didn’t

make the basketball team.

And so I really started

to look for different crowds

or different groups of people

that I could be.

And so, eventually I found

my identity in the party crowd.

You know, drugs and alcohol

take anybody.

So they accepted me as I was.

And so, I really started

to veer off.

I stopped attending church.

>> For me, I grew up

in a home with my grandparents

and my mom,

we were all living

in this apartment,

where I was mentally abused,

physically abused,

sexually abused from

the age of 4 until the age of 8.

From a very young age

I was strung out

and that just — you know,

I truly just felt like I was

dealt a crappy hand and I blamed

God for a long time.

>> So when I was

accepted to college,

I went down there and you know,

I was 18 years old,

so it was freedom.

You know, it was, you know,

drugs and alcohol

began to consume me.

I couldn’t control it on my own.

It got so dark in addiction,

I’ve done around 6 years

in either a prison cell

or a jail cell.

So 6 years of my life,

I’ve been incarcerated.

And little did I know that,

you know, as an addict,

you can’t run from it.

>> I lived a life of partying

and just trying

to find my identity.

I was 18, going on 19,

and I was at my lowest.

I was on probation

and I had failed

my first drug test.

And I was incarcerated for,

I don’t know, maybe 2 weeks

and then Free Chapel,

at the time,

was coming into the jail for,

like, the services,

and there is where I —

I guess I was actually saved

was in that jail cell

and you know, just the leading

of the people from Free Chapel

in the church service.

And from there I went

to New Beginnings

and spent a year there

and God set me free.

>> April 30th of 2013,

I was arrested again

and I wasn’t exactly cooperative

when they arrested me.

So they kept me up front

in a holding cell –

dark, lonely.

And I knew at that point

it was over.

And I didn’t know how to pray,

but I knew I needed help

and I knew that I couldn’t

because I tried myself over

and over and over again.

So I prayed a simple prayer:

“God help me.”

That’s all I knew.

“God help me, I can’t do it.”

That’s all I knew how to pray.

You know, and it started —

I surrendered.

And I knew instantly

when I surrendered,

it wasn’t like a dove came down

and landed on me

in that holding cell.

It wasn’t like flashes

of lightning.

But I knew it was over.

I knew that the urges

and cravings were instantly

delivered the moment

I surrendered it all.

And so, over the course

of those 17 months,

I got a Bible, and I started

reading devotionals.

And so I found out the more

persistent I was in seeking

a relationship with Him,

the easier my life got.

Today, I celebrate 8-1/2 years,

April 30th will be 9 years

of sobriety.

You know, anyone struggling

or experiencing the darkness

that God has delivered us from,

I’d like to encourage you

the breakthroughs and everything

that has happened in our lives

is because we start

each day seeking God.

>> Just seeking God

and putting Him first every day,

like, we have so much more going

on in our lives than

we ever thought was imaginable.

Like, we’re buying a house,

we have three beautiful kids,

we help people in recovery,

we teach recovery here

and volunteer here

at Free Chapel

wherever we can.

You know, it’s just been

a huge blessing for us.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

>> We hope you’ve enjoyed

this teaching

by Jentezen Franklin,

and thank you for

your continued support

of this ministry.

Your prayers

and financial support

make these programs possible.

For more information

about this message

and other ministry resources,

visit us online

at JentezenFranklin.tv.

♪ ♪