This is “The Problem-Solving Ezra Fast “.

♪ ♪

>> Welcome to a very special

edition of Kingdom Connection.

I’m coming to you from

the City of Jerusalem.

I’m going to be teaching

today on fasting,

so get your Bibles out

and get a notepad out.

You may be wondering,

well, where in the world

are you?

As you can see,

there’s a very old tree stump.

The base of an old tree.

One of the oldest trees.

The oldest pine tree

in the City of Jerusalem

once stood here,

and this is the trunk of it.

This is the stump of it

that is left.

In 1998, it broke,

and according to the legends

of Jerusalem,

there’s a book called,

“The Legends of Jerusalem”.

It is the oral tradition

that has been passed down

from generation to generation

that it was at this very spot,

Ezra, the prophet rewrote

the Torah, the five books

of the Old Testament

after Babylonian captivity.

He took a pen.

We know he did this,

and the question is

where did he do it,

and according to tradition,

he did it under this tree.

Sitting by this tree he wrote

for the people of Israel

the law, the five books

of Torah and passed it

to a new generation.

When he read it, by the way,

the Bible said that the people

were so in awe of having

the word of God back

after being in Babylonian

captivity that they stood

and one of the traditions,

and some of the traditional

churches to this day

is when the Bible is read,

people stand up.

I preached in churches

where people automatically

stand up at the reading

of the word.

That came from the teaching

in the Book of Ezra

where it said that he taught

all day and read the word

or the Torah

and the people stood.

So, I want to talk to you today

about an amazing passage

concerning fasting

found in Ezra 8.

Before I do,

I heard this amazing story

and looked it up,

and it was true,

and I want to give it to you.

Mount Vernon, Texas.

Drummond’s Bar

began construction

of the expansion of their bar

to increase business.

The local Baptist church

started a campaign to block

the bar from expanding

and being able to have

a bigger party, basically.

The church decided not only

to have a petition against

the expansion of the bar

in their community,

but they began to fast

and pray and as work progressed,

it didn’t stop it seemingly.

The fasting and prayer didn’t

work and right up to

the week of grand opening,

the grand opening,

they were fasting and praying,

and the week that it was

to have the grand opening,

lightning stuck it

and burned it to the ground.

Now, this is a true story.

After the bar burned

to the ground due

to the lightning strike,

the church folks began

to get a little braggadocious,

I guess you’d say,

and smug about the fact that

their prayers and fasting

had burned down the bar,

and they were kind of saying

that all over the community,

and they were talking about

the power of the prayer

and fasting.

And so, the bar owner

got upset about it

and sued the church

on the grounds that the church

was “ultimately responsible

for the demise of this building

either through direct

or indirect means.”

Well, in reply to this lawsuit,

the church denied

all responsibility

and any connection

to the building’s demise.

So, the Judge ran through

the accuser’s complaint.

He ran through

the church’s defense,

and he called the two together

in the court room,

and this is a true story.

I looked it up,

and he said, “Well,

I don’t know what I’m going

to do with this case.

It appears from the paperwork

we have a bar owner

who believes in the power

of fasting and prayer,

and we have an entire

congregation of the church

who does not.”

So, I don’t know about you,

but I want to proclaim

to a new generation that

I still believe in the power

of fasting and prayer.

The Muslims believe

in fasting and prayer.

The Buddhists believe

in fasting and prayer.

I wonder if there are

any Christians who still

believe in fasting and prayer?

Are there any congregations

and any churches

who still believe

in fasting and prayer?

Any pastors, any laity,

any businessmen, any moms,

any dads who still believe

in the power

of fasting and prayer?

Jesus fasted.

Moses fasted.

Elijah fasted.

Esther fasted.

Daniel fasted.

Peter fasted.

Paul fasted.

Nehemiah fasted.

John the Baptist fasted.

Jehoshaphat fasted.

Maybe it’s time for you

to decree, God,

open my eyes and show me

things I’ve never seen

through fasting and prayer,

and it brings me back

to the Book of Ezra.

It says in

the Book of Ezra 8:21,

“Therefore I proclaim to fast

there at the River Ahava.

We humbled ourselves before God

to seek Him in the right way

for us, for our little ones,

our children,

and all of our possessions,

and the hand of God was upon

all of those for good

who seek Him and His power

and His wrath is against

those who forsake Him.

So, we fasted and we entreated

our God for this,

and He answered our prayer.”

So, Ezra, as I mention

at the beginning

of this telecast,

the oral tradition is that

he wrote the Torah

after Babylonian captivity

right by this tree

that I’m standing by,

and so it’s a pretty amazing

thing when you understand

the power of that Ezra fast.

I want to talk about it

for just a moment.

You see, Ezra was faced

with a great, great challenge,

and that’s why he called

the people to a season

of fasting and prayer.

He had a great problem.

He had a great

crisis and challenge.

Are you facing a great

problem, a great challenge,

a great crisis,

and you can’t fix it

and you don’t have

the solution to?

This is when

the Bible teaches us,

we should seek God in fasting.

Every year we do

a 21-day fast,

and there are tens of thousands

of people who are joining us.

Maybe hundreds of thousands.

We have had up to a million

people come to us during

this month of fasting

and prayer,

and I believe that if you will

fast and prayer,

God will move like

He did for Ezra.

So, when He was facing

this great problem,

this tremendous challenge,

Ezra – – let me tell you

what it was.

It was a financial crisis

for him in a way in a good way.

Ezra had 7,500 pounds of gold.

He had 25 tons of silver,

and there were thieves

and robbers who were all along

the path that he had to take

these great resources to.

Imagine, 7,500 pounds of gold,

25 tons of silver,

and he knew that he was going

to be robbed

if God didn’t help him,

and the Bible said

he needed protection.

He needed God’s protection

to do what God had

called him to do.

He was taking the money back

to rebuild the temple,

and the resources

to rebuild the temple,

but he was faced with

a significant problem.

That’s what I heard

the Lord say.

He said I’m going to deal

in 2020 with significant

problems that people – –

these are not small issues.

These are big issues

and listen to what

Ezra 8:23 said;

“So, we fasted…”

And do you know what?

The Bible said God gave

Israel the solution.

He told them exactly

what to do.

He told them exactly

where to go.

He told them exactly

how to do it.

He went into detail

into how to carry it,

how to disguise it,

how to hide it from those

who would try to steal it.

When you fast and you pray,

God will give solutions

to problems that you

can’t fix and you can’t handle,

and the Scripture said that

God gave him as he fasted

and prayed a divine solution.

Step by step, God gave him

the solution.

I really want

to say that again.

Step by step.

I’m telling you what

happens when we fast,

and we pray is

God orders our steps.

God begins to direct our path.

I’m standing somewhere today

that I had no idea

I would be standing,

but I’ve been fasting

and praying for many,

many decades

these 21-day fasts.

I’ve done every year

for so many,

and I’m amazed when I look back

over my life at how God

step by step directed me

and gave me the step-by-step

solutions to the crisis

and the problems that we face.

I like what Ezra said.

He said, “God, we’re fasting,”

— and listen to this wording.

He said, “…to seek the

right way for us.”

Isn’t that a great thing

to be fasting for?

You and your family to say,

God, we’re fasting and praying

to seek the right way for us.

Lord, I do,

I do speak that

over our lives,

over this ministry

that I want to fast and pray

on this fast that

God would show us

the right way for us.

Man, what a word.

What a prayer to pray.

What a purpose to fast for.

And then he said,

“Not only for us,”

— listen to this:

“but for our children.”

When we fast,

it affects our children.

When we fast and pray,

it affects our sons

and our daughters

and our grandchildren

that God would give them

the right way for us.

Not just me,

but for my family,

for my church,

for your business;

the wisdom that you need

step-by-step solutions.

This is absolutely biblical

and right out of the Bible

direct results of Ezra’s fast

was God gave him step-by-step

solutions and directions

for him, not only him,

but watch, for his little ones

or his children

and his grandchildren,

and then he said,

“and for our resources.”

The problem-solving Ezra fast.

Have you got problems

you can’t solve?

That’s really the reason

he went on a fast.

God says decree

the problem-solving

Ezra fast step by step

solutions will come

when you fast, and you pray.

No attempt to escape problems

will work.

I’m not trying to get away

from the problem

’cause what you do

when you fast and you pray,

this is so important,

is you enlist

the Holy Spirit’s aid

in tackling the problems.

I’m not trying to get out

of the problems.

I’m saying, God,

give me your solutions

to the problems and give me

the Holy Spirit’s enlistment

and aid in tackling

the major problems,

major challenges.

You’ve got major challenges

in your marriage,

major challenges

with a new job,

major challenges

with friction in the business.

Maybe you’re a church

trying to buy land,

and you’re facing zoning issues

and relocating

and a building program.

These are the times

when we invoke the power

of God into our fast.

You see the problem,

and here’s the key.

Here’s what I wanted to get to.

When you fast and you pray,

it’s not that

the problem goes away,

but you see the problem

through God’s eyes.

That’s what we’re saying,

open my eyes, Lord.

I’m looking at the same problem

like Ezra had a real

threat and problem,

but when he fasted

and he prayed,

he saw through God’s eyes

the solution step by step

to doing what

God had called him to do,

and when you fast on this fast,

the Lord is going to cause you

to see the problem

through His eyes,

and He’s going to give you

those step-by-step

instructions and directions

inviting God

into your problem.

That’s the Ezra fast.

And then the Bible said

“God granted him his request,”

and I love that phrase it said,

“and the hand of God

came upon us mightily.”

Oh, praise the Lord.

That’s happening when

I think about fasting,

I think about

what Leonard Ravenhill said.

Leonard Ravenhill said this.

He said, “The modern church

has moved a long way

from the early church.

The early church had

its upper room with fire.

The modern church

has a supper room with smoke.”

Sometimes you need

to just decree a fast.

If you’re tired of smoke,

if you’re tired of the form

of religion but no power,

no fire, no substance,

it’s time to declare a fast.

When I think about fasting

and history

and the early church,

mighty men of God

were used after they fasted.

John Wesley, the founder

of the Methodist church

said these words,

“When you seek God

with fasting added to prayer,

you cannot seek His face

in vain.”

Wow!

When you seek God with fasting

added with your prayer,

you cannot seek

His face in vain.

In other words,

He’s going to answer you.

He’s going to move

in your life.

John Calvin fasted and prayed,

and it’s a historical fact

that the whole town of Geneva

almost completely turned to God

when the man began

to fast and pray

and proclaim the Gospel.

Jonathan Edwards fasted

for 24 hours before he preached

“Sinners in the Hands

of an Angry God”,

and he read the sermon

word for word,

and it shook a continent,

and it brought revival

to the world.

Charles Finney,

who was a converted attorney,

said when he detected

a lack of the Holy Spirit,

he would set aside days

of fasting and prayer

for the anointing,

and it would always come.

Martin Luther, the Protestant

Reformation Revivalist

said these words

that he fasted and prayed,

and God gave him

the words to preach.

So, I’m saying to you

that fasting strengthens

our faith.

Fasting strengthens

our fervency

and in closing today,

I want to pray for you.

I want to encourage you

to join us on these 21 days

of fasting and prayer.

If you just joined

the telecast,

I told at the beginning

of this telecast that

according to legends

there’s a book called,

“The Legends of Jerusalem”,

and oral traditions that

have been passed down

for generations that

Ezra wrote the Torah

beside this tree.

I don’t know if he did.

I don’t know if he didn’t.

Nobody really does,

but what he wrote in Ezra 8

is remarkable.

He said, “We fasted,

and we prayed for us,

for our children,

and for our provisions

to be kept from robbers,

and God granted us our request,

and his hand come on us

heavily.”

Can I pray for you today?

Can I pray for your family?

Can I pray for your little ones?

I love the wording of that.

He used the words “little ones”.

We’re fasting and praying.

I am.

Not just for me now,

but for my children,

my five children,

my four grandchildren.

May the hand of the Lord

be on them and on your house.

Father, I just pray today

that as we’re fasting

and as we’re praying,

the same God that moved

on Ezra’s behalf for safety,

for protection,

for step-by-step solutions

to great challenges,

I thank you that you’re going

to move your hand

upon our families,

your hand upon our house,

your hand upon our children,

our little ones,

and thank you, Father,

for the provision that’s needed

for a brand-new year.

We look to you as our source,

and we thank you.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

I want to ask you something.

Do you want to start this year

off with a change?

Ask Jesus Christ

into you heart today.

This year doesn’t have to be

like last year.

What a difference He makes.

He transforms your life

when He comes in.

So, just say, Jesus,

I receive you.

Forgive me.

Cleanse me.

Help me.

Bless me in a new year.

And if you call on that name,

there’s power in that name

and ask Him.

Just say, Lord,

if you’re real, show me.

If you’re real, show me.

He likes a challenge.

He’s that kind of God.

I know He did for me.

It changed my life,

and I believe this year

God is going to open your eyes.

There’s a number on the screen

if you need prayer.

We’d love to pray for you.

And also, if you want

more material,

my announcer is going

to tell you about that.

We’re doing some amazing things

here in the Nation of Jerusalem,

and we’re so excited

about what God is doing,

and you can be a part

of this miracle.

Here’s my announcer

to tell you more.

[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.

♪ ♪

>> Today, if you’re searching,

if you in a brand new year

are ready for change

and ready to surrender,

and ready for the Lordship

of Jesus in your life

it’s the greatest decision

you can ever make.

The best life you’ll ever live

is living for Jesus Christ.

And today I want to encourage

you as you’re

listening to me right now,

just to open your heart.

If you feel that tug

and you need to

get right with God

say, “Jesus, save me,

cleanse me, forgive me.

I receive it

in your name, Lord.

I know you’re the forgiver,

the cleanser,

the One who heals broken lives

and I call on you, Jesus.”

Say those words,

“I call on you, Jesus.”

We believe that when you

turn to Jesus,

He pronounces healing

physically, spiritually,

emotionally, mentally,

relationally, in your life.

But you have to pursue Him

and the wisdom of God’s word.

That’s why we’ve prepared

this special website

that is free of charge

that you can go on and start

and 21-day journey

to a change in your life

that you never dreamed

could happen.

This will help you in

your new walk with the Lord.

Our ministry just started

our annual 21-day fast

and I know that sounds heavy

if you’ve never been around

church or any of that,

but I promise you,

it’s a partial fast.

We explain it all,

and it’s one of the most

encouraging, joyful times

as we seek the Lord together

in prayer and fasting

and calling on God

and giving Him the New Year.

And so today, as thousands

of people around the globe

are joining us to seek God

on this fast

at the beginning of a new year

momentum is building.

And if you haven’t joined us

it’s not too late.

Just go online and say

“I’m with you.

I’m gonna join and jump in.”

And we’ll teach you how to do it

I’ll be your fasting coach.

And we’ve got all kinds

of devotionals and daily things

that will help you become

intimate and deep in your

relationship with God.

Once you’ve experienced

a glimpse of the power

of fasting

and its amazing rewards

and the blessings that

follow when we seek God,

it changes your

entire perspective.

And I wanna strongly urge

you to join us.

I know that it’s a little

overwhelming sometimes to think

about doing without sweets

or if you’re doing

the Daniel Fast,

doing without meat

and doing without sugar

and doing without bread,

but think of how healthy

that is for you physically,

and even how much more

healthy spiritually

it is when you say,

God, I’m pushing back

from the table

and I’m gonna spend

extra time in your word.

We wanna help encourage you

to learn how to seek God.

The blessings are only found

if you seek God.

We have so many resources

available on our website,

so check it out today.

♪ ♪

>> ♪ I worship you ♪

♪ Almighty God ♪

♪ There is none like You ♪

♪ I worship You ♪

♪ Oh Prince of Peace ♪

♪ That is what I long to do ♪

♪ I give You praise ♪

♪ For You are ♪

♪ My righteousness ♪

♪ Oh, yes You are ♪

♪ Yes You are ♪

♪ I worship You ♪

♪ Almighty God ♪

♪ There is none like You ♪

♪ ♪

♪ I give You praise ♪

♪ For You are ♪

♪ My righteousness ♪

♪ ♪

♪ I worship You ♪

♪ Almighty God ♪

♪ There is none like You ♪

♪ ♪

♪ I worship you ♪

♪ Almighty God ♪

♪ There is none like You ♪

♪ I worship You ♪

♪ Oh Prince of Peace ♪

♪ That is what I long to do ♪

♪ I give You praise ♪

♪ For You are ♪

♪ My righteousness ♪

♪ ♪

♪ I worship You ♪

♪ Almighty God ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

>> 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.

♪ ♪