Devotional Day 2

“Day 2: Hungering for Living Bread

Too many Christians find that they are malnourished in the Word of God but well fed on the world, and they live defeated lives as a result.

Where does the kind of faith come from that enables you to look to God and believe His Word no matter how grave your circumstances may appear? Your daughter is unsaved and on drugs. Your father lies dying in a hospital bed. You are about to be evicted from the house you rent because it’s been sold out from under you. Your marriage of twenty years has come to an end, and the divorce papers have been signed. I could go on and on. These are very real circumstances that have no solution in the natural. Where does such faith from?”

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). The Amplified version of this Scripture verse states, “Faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself).” It is by hearing God’s Word, by hearing the preaching of the gospel, that faith increases. There is something about getting in a church where the anointing flows and you hear the Word of God preached. Faith does not come from programs, dynamite worship teams, or being with a group of people who are like you. Faith comes when you hear a man or woman of God preach the Word without compromise to all who will listen. That is the birthplace of faith. If this revelation truly takes hold of your spirit, you will never allow the devil to talk you out of being faithful to God’s house.”

“In the introduction of Fasting, I mentioned how Eve saw that the fruit was good for food. God’s Word to Adam and Eve was, “In the day that you eat of it you will surely die” (Gen. 2:17). Yet Eve acted on the wisdom of the world that was spoken by the serpent instead of walking away in faith that God’s Word was true.

In contrast, as Jesus fasted in the desert, He was tempted by the same voice that had so cunningly whispered to Eve. Yet Jesus responded, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). What had Jesus heard just before beginning that time of fasting? “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17, KJV). The Word of God sustained Him through forty days and nights without food.”

“How I wish the body of Christ today had that same kind of hunger for God’s Word. I would love to see the day when, if a Christian had to, he or she would go to church in pajamas rather than miss hearing God’s Word! I know that sounds extreme, but we live in extreme times. We need to understand Jesus’s words when He said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Mark 13:31).

In anything you do, the first step is the most difficult, but as you walk through this twenty-one-day journey, you will find that God is there to meet you at every critical point along the way.”

“The Son of God fasted because He knew there were supernatural things that could be released only that way. How much more should fasting be a common practice in our lives?

On your second day of fasting, remember:

• Pray and stay in God’s Word.

• Rest to conserve your energy.

• The second and third days are the most challenging.

• Your body starts burning fat for energy, a process called “ketosis.”

“Thoughts for your journal:

(Write your thoughts in a separate journal.)

Do you need a deeper, more intimate, and more powerful relationship with the Lord?

Do you need a fresh encounter with God?

Prayer Focus Day 2: Pastors”

“Your pastor—all pastors—need prayer. Sometimes the weight of ministry can get so overwhelming that the joy, freshness, and power of the calling can be forgotten. As with Elijah, the spirit of Jezebel attempts to ensnare through lust and pride, and if that doesn’t work, it brings discouragement and defeat. (See 1 Kings 18–19.) The attacks affect not only pastors, but often their families as well.

Fasting and praying for protection, restored joy, and increased anointing in your pastor’s life will release untold blessings on him, your church, and even your own life. If you know of specific areas you could target in prayer, list them.”

“Specific prayer points for my pastor and his family:

(Write your points in a separate journal.)

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

—HEBREWS 13:20–21”