“Day 16: Purest Worship
The discipline of fasting breaks you out of the world’s routine. It is a form of worship—offering your body to God as a living sacrifice is holy and pleasing to God (Rom. 12:1). The discipline of fasting will humble you, remind you of your dependency on God, and bring you back to your first love. It causes the roots of your relationship with Jesus, and your worship, to go deeper.
Heaviness drains worship out of your life. Church is depressing unless you learn to worship. I know that is a strange statement, but it is true. There is nothing worse than a Spirit-filled church that loses the garment of praise and picks up the spirit of heaviness. God desires our praise more than our mere church attendance. That is not to say we should forsake assembling together as a corporate body. But our times together, just as our times alone, should be to glorify and praise our awesome, mighty God. Praise pushes back the enemy!”
“One of my favorite examples of this fact is found in 2 Chronicles. King Jehoshaphat is told “‘a great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar’ (which is En Gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah” (2 Chron. 20:2–3).
Now, Jehoshaphat had just gotten the kingdom of Judah in order. Things were going well. No sooner did they start enjoying that peace when they heard that an army—far larger than they could defeat on their own—was already on its way. Jehoshaphat could have died under that spirit of heaviness. The scripture says that he “feared,” but he only paused a moment there. He immediately set himself and all the people of Judah to seek the Lord through fasting and prayer. Then he took his place in the assembly of the people and began to praise—proclaiming who God was and all that God had done for them. He ended by saying, “We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes“are upon You” (v. 12). Then they waited.”
“How many times do we find ourselves saying that same thing: “I don’t know what to do. This problem is far too big for me to handle.” We must put our eyes on God! The story continues: “Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel…a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly” (2 Chron. 20:14). God told them that the battle was not theirs but His. He told them exactly where the enemy would be, but He said, “‘You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you” (v. 17).
I don’t know about you, but realizing that the Lord was going to destroy my enemies would be reason enough to shout! And that is just what the people of Judah did. Young and old “stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.” The next day, they went early to the place the Lord had directed them. “Then Jehoshaphat addressed the people again saying:”
“Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever.
—2 CHRONICLES 20:20–21
Now, notice what happened when they began to praise: “The LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated” (v. 22).”
“There is power in corporate fasting and power in corporate praise! It creates a river of healing, a river of deliverance and victory, a river of cleansing in the house of God. It is time to exchange ashes for beauty, mourning for joy, and a garment of heaviness for a garment of praise.
The discipline of fasting breaks you out of the world’s routine. It is a form of worship—offering your body to God as a living sacrifice is holy and pleasing to God (Rom. 12:1).
On your sixteenth day of fasting, remember:
• Observe your prayer time and prayer place.
• Reflect on your fast and how it is helping you to grow spiritually.
• Your senses become more sensitive to your surroundings and the voice of God.
Thoughts for your journal:”
“(Write your thoughts in a separate journal.)
• Remember to stay the course. Write out your thoughts on how you can continue to present your body as a living sacrifice, and see if the Lord does not open up the windows of heaven to you and shower you with His presence.
• Fasting is a form of worship that will humble you. Remind yourself of your dependency on God.
Prayer Focus Day 16: Personal Ministry”
“God has given you giftings to use for His purposes. It makes me think of Abraham and the five dynamics that brought him into the place of ministry, the place of destiny that God had for him. First, he could “hear” God. Second, Abraham believed what he heard. Third, he came to a place of denouncing the comfort zone he lived in, in order to follow God’s leading. Fourth, Abraham had the courage to follow God’s direction for his life. And finally, he had the tenacity to focus on the promise and not the problems that stood in his way. So, on this day of the fast, I encourage you to pray and seek God about His purpose and plan for your life, your ministry unto Him.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”
—MATTHEW 16:24, NASU”
No comments:
Post a Comment