I recently heard Bill Johnson say, "Your kids will know what is important to you by what you are willing to sacrifice for." Later, I was thinking, when my kids stand before the Lord on Judgment Day, will they thank Him for what I sacrificed for.
Brandi and I completed a 21 day Daniel Fast (vegan and no sugar, caffeine, or alcohol) this past Sunday. We had several days mixed in of fasting from all food. The longest I went was about 44 hours, fasting all day on a Thursday and breaking fast with Friday dinner. Brandi fasted all day Saturday and Sunday morning before we ended the fast together with our church in a gathering at our home.
On Sunday, we hosted our church gathering at our home. We resumed our discussion of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, picking up with Chapter 6. A sister opened up and shared her story, and we prayed over her. Then we prayed for three more people, one of whom was delivered from some sort of evil affliction and then baptized by the Holy Spirit. It was a breakthrough that we have been praying for and wanting to see for years. I hope it is a new era of ministry and culture for us.
As I was reflecting on these breakthroughs, I felt like somehow the fasting was related. Certainly, not that we had somehow earned the breakthrough by fasting, but that by fasting, we had focused our attention on the Lord so that we were more sensitive to His leading and better able to leverage our gifts in partnership with Him.
Father, thank you for these breakthroughs. Jesus, you are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Holy Spirit, thank you for your presence and power. We love you.
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