This is “Return to Me – Studio”. Do you need a breakthrough? Then break out! Break out of the norm and do something different! If you keep doing the same thing, you’ll keep getting the same thing. But I believe God wants to mark your life with incredible breakthrough. Learn how in this message from Jentezen Franklin. To hear more inspiring messages from Jentezen Franklin, visit http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/watch & subscribe to this channel: http://goo.gl/yfkXHy
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well welcome everybody we’re so glad to
have you for a very special edition of
Kingdom connection and as you can see I
have a live audience some of our
greatest friends and colleagues and
ministry are in this room this is a lot
of our staff that makes ministry happen
and it goes out all over the world
because the people in this room who do
what God has anointed them and blessed
them to do and we as a church are
getting ready for the 21-day fast and
it’s very exciting as a matter of fact
you know we’ve been doing this a long
time and I think that I am as excited
this year about the fast as I’ve ever
been
I found something the other day that I
thought was really really interesting
and you know it’s so much more to
fasting than abstaining from food and
some of you’ve heard us talk about it
some of you’ve read our books and so on
I want to challenge you that I believe
if you’re watching this telecast and
don’t turn it if you’re watching this
telecast it’s because god is ordained
that you hear what I’m going to share I
prayed about what I’m going to share and
he’s going to speak to you and he’s
saying if you if you do what this man
tells you to do that the next 21 days of
your life are going to be marked by
incredible breakthroughs in areas you’ve
never seen like you’ve never seen before
I found this it’s called a prisoner of
appetite during the 14th century Renauld
the third was a Duke in what is now
Belgium as a result of a violent quarrel
Reynolds younger brother Edward
successfully revolted against him when
Edward captured Renault he built a room
around him featuring windows and doors
and promised him
they were unlocked and promised him that
the day that he left the room his title
and property to the kingdom would be
returned to him the only problem with
the arrangement was Renauld what the
third was grossly overweight and could
not fit through the openings of the door
Renauld needed to lose weight before he
could leave the room and return to his
kingdom Edward knew that his older
brother could not control his half a day
and sent him to
licious food every day how many of you
got a brother/sister like that I sent
him delicious food fattening food every
day
as you can imagine Renault’s grew fatter
during this time any any time someone
accused Duke Edward of treating Renauld
cruelly he said my brother is not a
prisoner he may leave when he so wills
Renault stayed in the room for 10 years
and wasn’t released until after Edward
died in battle by then his health was so
ruined that he died a year later he was
a prisoner of his own appetite all of
the blessings of the kingdom were
waiting on him but he was a prisoner of
his own appetite I think sometimes is
possible for Christians to be enslaved
by our own appetites prayer can do
anything God can do and God can do
anything but when you put fasting with
prayer he said in Joel chapter 2 when
you return to me with fasting and with
prayer and that’s what we’re doing for
the next 21 days and we’re asking you to
join us on a Daniel fast no no meat no
bread no sugar and seeking God just
natural sugar and fruit or something and
seeking God drinking lots of water and
just discipline your body you know and
not even becoming legal legalistic about
the fast you pray and ask God maybe he
wants you to do three days of total fast
or maybe one meal a day or I don’t know
how you need to do it you need to pray
and ask God what what he would have you
do but he said in the book of Joel that
when you return to me and fasting I’ll
restore the years that the enemy has
taken from you that is that he’s stolen
from you God is a healer of broken
dreams and he is a restorer he is a
restorer of stolen years and he wants to
restore some things in your life on this
fast I love the quote from Leonard
Ravenhill
where he said
the early church had its upper room with
fire but the modern church has its upper
room with smoke and if we’re not careful
the church will become a supper room
with smoke instead of an upper room with
fire the fire of the Holy Spirit the
fervency the passion the anointing of
the Holy Spirit this thing was born in
fire and we can’t live off smoke so
sometimes we got to walk away from the
supper table and the ND and and that
situation and we have to go to the Upper
Room and say God I’m coming back to you
for your fire
John Wesley the founder of the Methodist
Church said we cannot see God’s face in
vain when we seek God with fasting and
prayer he always shows up it’s
interesting that the word gluttony means
to gulp down and most of us feel that
way after coming off of the holidays
we’ve been gulping it down to over Dolch
in food often tied to extravagance
wealth and waste I heard I heard a
little formula for losing weight I’m
sure many of you like all of us would
like to lose some weight how many of you
have some clothes with tags on it in
your closet right now that you’re
waiting for the fast about half way
through you’re going to get into those
clothes and feel real good about come on
raise your hand the rest of your lives
and I’m gonna preach on that next week
but you know this formula to lose weight
and dieting fasting is not dieting let’s
get it straight fasting is not dieting
there if you’re doing it just to lose
weight try something try Jenny Craig or
something else it’s a whole lot easier
you don’t want to do fasting to lose
weight it’s not that’s a byproduct but
this formula said if you want to lose
weight eat like a king for breakfast eat
like a prince for lunch it means cut
back a little bit and you know king can
have any and everything and then at
lunch your prince cuts back maybe some
salad and chicken breast or something
like that and eat like a pauper for
dinner just very little at dinner
but the only problem is most of us hear
a little voice saying long live the king
and we go right back to the big kingly
meals too often it’s the time when we
when we seek God’s for breakthrough when
we fast I want to take you to a story
and these are this is so I don’t I don’t
have a lot of time but I want to really
get into this second Samuel chapter 5 in
verse 20 and David came to bellperre ISM
and he said the Lord has broken forth on
my enemies the Lord bellperre ISM has
broken forth on my enemies well what is
that about it’s about a breakthrough the
word breakthrough means to break asunder
like a breach of water like a dam
bursting another word for breakthrough
it’s interesting that if you look it up
the word breakthrough means to burst to
force open the breakthrough according to
Webster is a sudden dramatic advance
that is very important a sudden dramatic
advance that is very important science
has breakthroughs we’ve all seen that in
our lifetime
technology has breakthroughs and
everything changes and now you walk in a
store or you walk in a restaurant
everybody that used not to be fifteen
years ago but breakthrough in technology
came and everybody has a cell phone
everybody’s looking at Twitter and all
of that but nobody had ever heard of it
twenty years thirty years ago that was a
breakthrough and it forever changed it
was dramatic it was important it was an
advance and things would never be the
same again medicine has breakthroughs
diplomacy has breakthroughs and you can
have a breakthrough in your career in
your relationships that have stopped and
are stalemated and and nothing’s
happening you can you can have a
breakthrough in your health you can have
a breakthrough spiritually a moment of
clarity I’ve had them on fast where I
was praying and fasting and I didn’t
know what to do and I had a breakthrough
spiritually and I had a moment of
clarity anybody know what I’m talking
about I don’t know why I didn’t see
but I saw it and God told me exactly
what to do that’s what fasting will do
for you it brings breakthrough what
we’re going to do the next 21 days is
seek God in fasting and prayer for
breakthroughs in our lives and our
families in our homes breakthrough the
Lord said to tell some of this that
he’ll give you breakthrough ideas would
it be something to get a breakthrough
idea that that one idea you want idea
away from a mighty miracle changing
everything for you and your family a
breakthrough idea of how to solve a
problem or or create something or do
what to do what just unfold an idea that
is a breakthrough that forever changes
things God can give you that on a fast
now here’s the point I want to make the
reason this 21-day fast is so important
is because seldom almost never defective
breakthroughs happen in people’s lives
in the Bible without them seeking it we
just think breakthrough just happens no
I can’t find anybody in the Bible who
got a breakthrough who didn’t break the
norm and do something very special and
unusual if they were going to get a
breakthrough you can’t do the same old
same old and get breakthroughs in this
new year you’re going to have to do you
need a breakthrough then it’s time for
you to break out of the normal life that
you’re in and enter into a season of
seeking God fasting is not skipping
meals fasting is seeking God that’s why
it’s so powerful it’s not just about the
food don’t allow the enemy to make it
about the food the food the food that’s
why you don’t sit around and do what you
normally do you go to this book you go
and you get in prayer and you you pray
and you seek God’s face breakthroughs
happen only when you seek them David
said in Psalm 77 and to when I was in
distress I saw the Lord you have to if
you’re going to get a breakthrough out
of your distress out of your being
outnumbered and under resourced and
greatly distressed just like David you
have to see the Lord and I know of no
greater way fasting is assigned to God
you’re serious about not staying in the
condition that you’re in fasting says
God I’m serious about this
fasting says God I’m serious about this
I’m putting my focus on this I’m praying
about this I’m really serious I need a
breakthrough in my health I need a
breakthrough in my family I need a
breakthrough that my finances I’m
serious about this and if you’re
listening to this message God wants to
do something special in your life the
next 21 days there you hear me every one
of you under the sound of my voice and
the millions of you watching by
television if it’s no accident I prayed
about this that the right people would
hear me and that God would speak to you
and say yes that’s right what he’s
saying you hear something is that that’s
right I will give you breakthroughs this
year if you’re fast and pray to Kings
specifically got the greatest
breakthroughs that I could see and one
is David and we just we just heard about
him the Bible said that when he was
surrounded that he went to his fortified
place in that powerful what do you do
when you’re outnumbered and
under-resourced and greatly distressed
you don’t just let life attack you and
kill you and destroy you and lose all
hope and all dreams you go to the
fortified place for many of us the
forty-five places for each out to our
church and we gather together that’s
what that’s what David did he gathered
everybody together in a fortified place
and then he inquired of the Lord Lord is
should I go out should I go out and
fight these foolish things and I said
that’s a good policy to follow you
should always say God should I do this
should I get into that business deal
should I ask God ask God on the fast
what should what would you have me do
the Bible said that God said yes go and
I’ll go with you and he defeated them
and that’s when he said I watched the
Lord break through my enemies like a
mighty flood the Lord broke through well
I’m ready to see that
I’m ready to see it in your church I’m
ready to see it in ministries and
churches all over the world I’m ready to
see it for America the Lord breakthrough
I’m ready to see it for the nations of
the world the Lord like a mighty burst
come through with his fire in his
anointing and it can happen in your life
the next 21 days my dream for you is
that you will look back and say that’s
the place that’s the fast that’s the one
right there that the Lord broke through
and life was never the same after the
break through the other one is
Jehoshaphat in second chronicles chapter
20 listen to his name Jehoshaphat he
probably was called Fatih for short when
he went school that’s a bad name and the
Bible said in in second chronicles
chapter 20 and verse 3 and Jehoshaphat
feared why because three nations
completely surrounded him and he set
himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed
a fast throughout all Judea and all the
people gathered together to ask help of
the Lord and fast and salt the Lord
that’s what we’re doing I’m fasting
you’re fasting I’m praying for you
you’re praying for me we’re praying for
one another and it’s powerful we’re
doing exactly what they did in the Bible
to get a breakthrough if you want to get
a breakthrough you have to seek it and
after these things the Bible said that
he said himself I love that he said
himself you have to set yourself too
fast it’s not if you don’t go by
feelings I’m gonna try I’ll try it then
okay I’ll try it today they don’t work
it’s kind of like somebody smoking
cigarettes and trying to quit and say I
need to quit smoking I need to quit
smoking it’s not going to happen that
way it’s like if if you want if you want
a breakthrough you have to set yourself
to seek the Lord in fasting by the way
when I said that thousands of you will
be delivered from nicotine in the next
21 days
the devil thought he was going to kill
you and take ten years off your life but
that power will be broken off of you and
other addiction such as alcoholism and
all kinds of addictions are going to
break off of God’s people as we fast and
pray off of your family members
hallelujah
raise your hands and say in the name of
Jesus Lord we proclaim deliverance out
of Mount Zion out of the church during
this fast breakthroughs concerning
addictions and bondages nicotine
alcoholism the valley of trouble will
become the valley of blessing the very
area the enemy has attacked will become
the area a breakthrough you’ll say
that’s the very area that God turned the
battle into a victory hallelujah let’s
give the Lord a great praise right now
fill that in my heart
now can I can I can I close by telling
you what you need to do if you if you
want to break through and this is not my
original fault this this thing I’m going
to share with you but if you google
praying hands you can find all kinds of
material on you know just so everybody
do your hands like prayin hands right
the Sun notice that the sums are the are
the fingers that are when I get in the
prayer position it’s the one pointing
back to my heart and closest to my heart
so here’s how you can pray all I’m going
to ask you to do this three times a day
during the 21 day fast three times a day
for about five minutes that would be 15
minutes a day of it and pray more than
that if you can’t but at least five
minutes a day and I want you to go
through this prayer outline so what is
the thumb represents it represents those
that are closest to my heart
my friends and my family I’m going to
pray for my friends and my family what
does the index finger represent you know
the index fingers the fingers at that
point that points go this way go that
way it represents the teachers and the
leaders in our life that show us the
direction we need to pray for our
leaders we need to pray for our
President or Congress are we need to
pray we need to shut up talking and can
criticize it and we need to get on our
face and pray so it also no no you
remember when mama mama sitting right
down here she said no no no no no so
it’s those who point the right way but
rebuke or correct us and we need to pray
for those people you’re blessed when
you’ve got that person in your life or
several people in your life who don’t
just tell you what you want to hear but
they tell you what you need to hear then
notice the longest finger the middle
finger is the finger that stands out so
this represents influencers pray for
influencers influencers in our society
who are the influencers athlete movie
stars we criticize that those people we
never pray for the politicians they
stand out the people who stand out the
the Bill Gates the Zuckerberg the people
when’s the last time we pray they
influence our whole society and they
have such great influence we need to
pray for them that God would change
America and change the world and change
the nations of the world and give us
give us godly people and God would save
those who may be influencing our culture
in their own way and then notice this is
the ring finger it’s interesting one of
the things that I read said this is the
weakest finger I didn’t know that that
really it’s not much good for anything
so weakest finger and and so it
represents the the weak pray for the
poor pray for the sick pray for the
elderly pray for the young pray for the
handicapped pray for the disabled pray
for the people in the rest homes pray
for those who can’t help themselves the
wheat then firms those dying of cancer
those who are going through radix pray
for the sick and that colorful and then
lastly pray notice the pinkie it’s the
smallest one that’s for me it’s okay to
pray for me but I’m not my priority on
this dance
I’m the last one now god I want you to
bless me but if I seek first the kingdom
now notice this I’m praying for my heart
I’m praying for my heart I need to pray
for my heart now I know I said his
friends and families and those nearest
but then this is all about me I can pray
this for the next five minutes I’m
almost done but I’m praying for my heart
God keep me keep my heart clean keep my
heart right kid unforgiveness bitterness
lust
anything that’s not in my that shouldn’t
be in my heart clean my heart oh God
leave me guide me rebuke me and Oh God
let my influence grow my influence ask
God for greater influence on your job in
your field in your world in your
community greater everybody say greater
influence ask God for your weaknesses to
be strengthened and lastly for me
personally ask God for material
blessings but notice it’s the last thing
it’s the smallest thing on my list it’s
not about that but he we are commanded
over and over and over to ask God for
financial blessings seek first the
kingdom of God in the beginning of the
year through fasting and prayer and all
of these things it’s my last request but
every day three times a day I’m going to
ask God for material blessing on my own
life on my family on my children my
children’s children and on my church and
on this ministry that we will lack
nothing that we will have favor that we
will have greater influence that we
would do the will of God in a brand new
year will you join us on this fast my
announcer is going to tell you more and
I believe that God is going to bless you
now I want to pray for you in closing
father in Jesus name I thank you that
you’re giving grace divine enablement to
every person under the sound of my voice
to see a breakthrough on this fast as
they seek you the next 21 days in Jesus
name let’s give the Lord a great praise
if you believe he’s the god of
breakthrough
[Applause]
my name is Sarah Hodge and I started to
go into free chapel in 2004 I was living
in downtown Atlanta and looking for a
church near where I live I started
flipping through the channels and came
across pastor Franklin on TV and
normally I don’t stop to watch those but
something threw me to watch his message
and then they said you know pastor
Franklin a tree chapel in Gainesville
Georgia and even though it wasn’t near
downtown utley and I really thought it
was worth the drive to go check it out
even though I was raised in church I had
never felt the presence of God like I
did during the praise and worship I
remember the time I raised my hands for
the first time just surrendering to God
and being in that environment was
amazing a couple years ago I had moved
to Greenville because I got married and
my husband is from there it was just
tough period honestly I didn’t know
anyone and you see people but I didn’t
have any close friends so went back to
streaming online and my husband didn’t
grow up in church so when we got married
it was important for me to find a place
we could go together and he liked when
we’d streamed free chapels so during the
fast in 2015 I had it on my list always
make a list of what I’m fasting for and
shirts was on there and I was streaming
online and pastor Franklin said that he
was going to make it announcement and
you know that’s always exciting when you
hear how they’re standing helpless the
big thought happened and so he said that
we’re going to open a new campus I
thought maybe downtown Atlanta or maybe
need work you know exciting versa could
it be and he said Spartanburg South
Carolina
and I was like how does it even know
we’re Spartanburg South Carolina Isis
and so I just started crying and you
know praising God and the first Sunday
that it opened I think I cried the whole
time it was just amazing and walking
into the building and seeing how big it
was and she’s seeing that you know
seeing working on multiple services and
think about all the outreach and all the
lies that and we change to that campus I
would highly recommend fasting it’s been
a game-changer for my relationship with
God you know you can be a Christian have
this loss of God but when you surrender
too fast if like it unlocks and it was
just amazing to me that our big God care
so much about each of us and you know
through prayer and fasting and giving he
knows our heart and he wants to do great
things for us I know you know it was for
many people but I felt like that was
something God big special for me and I’m
so thankful for that Campbell
appear at free chapel our mission is
simple to inspire people to live for
Jesus with incredible worship and
messages by senior pastor Jentezen
Franklin
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