Front Lines - Despise Not the CallZechariah 4:10 NLT"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin..."It's easy to underestimate the impact of our small beginnings, but God delights in the initiation of His work. The importance of not despising the call, even when faced with challenges, and trusting that God can work wonders with the little we have cannot be un...  Read More

Front Lines - Believing and Embracing the Call Judges 6:12, 15 NIV"When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The Lord is with you, mighty warrior…' Pardon me, my lord,' Gideon replied, 'but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.'"The journey from doubt to belief is a crucial aspect of Gideon's story. In our own lives, we often fac...  Read More

Front Lines - Recognizing the Call to Battle Judges 6:11-12, 14-15 NIV"The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The Lord is with you, mighty warrior…'"As we conclude our series, "Front Lines," w...  Read More

Day 21: Let's CelebratePsalm 27:4 NIVOne thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.As we conclude the fast today, let's continue to believe in God for everything we have fasted for! I know that God will fulfill His promise and accomplish His will in your life!Ton...  Read More

Day 20: Fasting as Surrender 1 Samuel 1:10 NIVIn her deep anguish, Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.Hannah's heartfelt prayer, accompanied by fasting, is a poignant example of fasting as surrender. In moments of deep anguish, fasting becomes a way to surrender our desires, fears, and concerns to God, trusting in His sovereignty.Hannah's act of fasting is intertwined with surrendering he...  Read More

Day 19: Fasting as Separation Daniel 1:8 NIVBut Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine...In the book of Daniel, we encounter Daniel's remarkable resolve to separate himself from the king's delicacies through fasting. This act of separation showcases the power of intentional fasting as a means to distance ourselves from worldly influences and draw closer to God.Daniel's ...  Read More

Ezra 8:23So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.What do we do when God doesn’t answer our prayer? I think it’s important to remember that fasting is not about imposing our will on God but about hearing His voice, seeking His face, and becoming more like Him. If you have a long time of unanswered prayers, I encourage you to start at the place of reflecting on you...  Read More

Psalm 56: 8 – 11List my tears on your scroll. Are they not in your record? Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this, I will know that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God, I trust and am not afraid.Many times, the Old Testament associates fasting with a time of mourning. While this is not true of every fast, I believe that somethi...  Read More

Galatians 6:9Do Not become weary in well doing, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest. I want to encourage you today not to give up. Keep going on the fasting journey. I know it’s been a long few hard weeks, but the end is almost near, and I believe that if you stay faithful at the proper time, you will receive a harvest! See the fast through to the end; God will bless your faithfulness. I...  Read More

Isaiah 58:3Why have we fasted, they say, and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you haven't noticed? Yet, on the day of fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.Today we are looking at the Old Testament Passage found in Isaiah 58. In this Chapter, God paints a picture of what true fasting looks like. God’s children have seemingly been using fasting as a mani...  Read More

Luke 18: 1-6“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said a certain town had a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And a widow in that town kept coming to him with the plea, Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time, he refused. But finally, he said to himself, Even though I don’t fear God or care wha...  Read More

Psalm 35:13 “…. I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting.”Fasting is a discipline of humility. It is a practice of laying down ourselves, placing our wants and desires aside, and putting God above all other things. It is humbling in that it allows us to realize how weak we are apart from food and earthly sustenance and draws us back to a dependence on Jesus.John 15:4-8 says, “He who abid...  Read More

Matthew 4:7 -10“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. He said I will give all this to you if you bow down and worship me. Jesus said to him, away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”In Matthew 4, Jesus was led into th...  Read More

1 Corinthians 10:13“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted beyond what you can bear, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”The Bible tells us Jesus was tempted just as we are tempted. Let’s cling to Jesus. When our fleshly desire can sometimes take o...  Read More

Matthew 6:16-1816 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”If our goal in fasting is to appear righteous or to prove to others how righteous we are, then we are receiving our reward here on earth. Fasting is a practice that is between you and the Lord. Liked we...  Read More

Joel 2:12-1312 “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate…There is a return to God that happens as we fast and pray. We talked about on day 6, the city of Nineveh was spared when it turned back to God. Ultimately, what fasting do...  Read More

Exodus 31:18“When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God”Today we are going to discuss Moses's fast on Mt. Sinai. Most everyone has heard of the Ten Commandments. These are the commands that God gave to Moses while fasting and spending time with God on Mt. Sinai.These commands summed u...  Read More

James 2:14-1714 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have w...  Read More

Jonah 3:5-95 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his [a]nobles, saying,Le...  Read More

Daniel 10:12-1412 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with th...  Read More

2 Corinthians 12:9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.Today we will continue discussing Daniel and the benefits he reaped from fasting. The logical mind will tell you that when you refrain from food, you will become weak, hangry, and, hone...  Read More

Daniel 10:3I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.Chapter 1  of the book of Daniel records a similar account where Daniel refused the king's delicacies, and the Bible said he stood out from the rest. The king of Babylon had a special diet for most elite men in the country. It produced a fit Army and some of the world's be...  Read More

Matthew 4:1 -11“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “IF YOU ARE THE Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “it is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took h...  Read More

Matthew 17:20-2120 … and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 [b]However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”Fasting and Prayer are two of the most impactful things we will do as a church! When you start the year with fasting, you are telling God that your relationship with Him is your top priority. Today is day one, and as you walk through your 21-day journey, this devotion...  Read More