Imagine this. You are going about your day like usual until you hear tragic news. A family that you know well has come across a devastating financial loss and needs $100,000 to make up for their debts. You are heartbroken for them and want to do something to help. A friend of yours who also knows the family hears about the news and decides they will help them by covering the $100,000. They want to keep the gift anonymous, so rather than paying the family directly, they ask if you would be willing to deliver the funds personally. You are thrilled with the news and have decided to give the funds as quickly as possible. You meet with the family and hand over the money they need to cover their debt. They are thrilled and so grateful to receive such a generous gift. Even though it wasn’t your money, you were still able to be a part of making a massive difference in their lives.

This perfectly illustrates what it looks like for a believer to operate in the power of the Spirit. When it comes to healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons, we are not the ones who are doing it. Instead, we are just delivering the resource that has been given to us by God. That’s why when Jesus is teaching the disciples how to minister to others, he says, “Freely you have received; freely give.”

As believers, we don’t have to worry about whether or not we have the power to impact the lives of those around us. Jesus has the power, and He has freely given it to us! Our responsibility is to go out and share with others the power that God has made freely available through the Holy Spirit.

As you go throughout your day, look for opportunities to minister to those around you. You have freely received, so go out and give!

Scriptures

Matthew 10:5-8 (NIV)

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of Heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

If you’ve been fasting food at any level, you’ve more than likely been hungry at this point in the fast. When we come to John 4, we see the disciples in a similar situation that we have found ourselves in. They were hungry! It was time for lunch, so they went into a nearby village to find something to eat. After successfully securing their meal, they return to find Jesus and offer him some food. Unexpectedly, Jesus denies their offer and tells them that he has food they know nothing about.

At this moment, the disciples are confused and are asking themselves if someone else brought Jesus food while they were gone. Jesus continues to say that his food is to do the will of the one who sent him. And as if the disciples aren’t confused enough, Jesus goes on to tell them a proverb about harvesting. It’s safe to say that the disciples were completely clueless about what was happening at this point.

The problem that the disciples had, which caused them to miss what Jesus was talking about completely, was that they were looking at the whole situation from their natural point of view. All that the disciples could see was their immediate need that they were hungry and needed food to eat. Jesus, on the other hand, was looking at the situation from a supernatural perspective. Jesus was not concerned with eating lunch. Jesus was concerned that the village they got lunch from was filled with lost people who needed to be saved.

So often in our lives, we can miss what Jesus is doing because we are looking at our situation with physical vision rather than spiritual vision. Like the disciples, we can find ourselves going through a place filled with people who don’t know Jesus, and our primary concern is not sharing the Gospel; it is getting something for lunch.

That’s why a season of prayer and fasting is so refreshing. We become less concerned with what we need and more concerned with what God wants to do in us and through us. When we take our eyes off ourselves and set them on doing God’s will, we start to see what Jesus meant that the “fields are white for harvest.” We begin to see opportunities to pray for people and see them healed. We start to notice people who are down and give them an encouraging word. We see lost people all around us and choose to step out in boldness to share the Gospel.

The opportunities are endless because the harvest is now. Resolve to step out in faith and obedience today and watch what God will do!

Scriptures

John 4:27-38 (NLT)

Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him. Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.” But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.” “Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other. Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.”

One of the most encouraging aspects of fasting is that it invites God’s favor in our life. We desperately need God’s favor because there are times when life’s circumstances are out of our control. And when we are hit with an unforeseen difficulty, the results can be tragic. Although we may not be able to control our situation, we can dictate our response to them.

A great example in the Bible of why we need favor is Nehemiah. Nehemiah was confronted with catastrophic news and was desperate for God to intervene. “Things are not going well for those who returned. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” (1:3)

This news was shocking, but Nehemiah’s righteous response would garner favor from God, which would bend the will of an enemy king and change the course of Israel’s history. What did he do? Nehemiah fasted and prayed, believing that God’s favor can turn around even the most hopeless situations! “When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of Heaven.” (v.4)

His prayer was simple, “Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” (v.11), but his faith was profound, and God went above and beyond all Nehemiah asked.

God gave Nehemiah supernatural favor with the king. God took a king that was in opposition to Israel and turned his heart to be gracious to them. Through prayer and fasting, a seemingly impossible situation was turned around by God’s favor.

Be encouraged today that no matter what situation you may be facing, God can turn it around by imparting His favor on your life. As we are fasting and praying, we can be confident that God is on the move in our lives and is more than able to do the impossible in our situation!

Scriptures

Nehemiah 1:3-11 (NLT)
They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”

When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of Heaven. Then I said,

“O Lord, God of Heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.

“Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’

“The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.”

In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer.

Nehemiah 2:8 (NLT)

And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself.” And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.

Has this ever happened to you? It’s 2 AM, and suddenly, you are wide awake. You try falling back asleep, but it’s not working out. You decide to head to the kitchen to grab a drink of water, hoping that will help. You don’t want to wake anybody up, so you decide to go covert and not turn any of the lights on. It becomes quite the journey of feeling for walls, quietly tiptoeing, and making sure you don’t step on any Legos. You make it to the kitchen, get your drink, and head back to bed. You completed your midnight mission, and the water was just what you needed to get back to sleep.

It’s funny that turning on the lights in this scenario would make everything easier. You choose not to turn on the lights because you don’t want it to disturb anyone. Light can’t help but impact its environment. When a light is turned on in the dark, it gets peoples’ attention. That being the reality, it is very fitting that Jesus is the “light of the world.” Jesus came into a broken world and revolutionized it with his teachings and miracles.

What’s interesting about Jesus saying that he is the light of the world is that it can seem to come in opposition with what he says in Matthew that “we are the light of the world.” So, which is it? Is Jesus the light of the world, or are we the light of the world? The answer is yes. We are the light of the world because Jesus, who is the light of the world, lives in us.

This means that we are able to live in a way that radically impacts our environment, just like Jesus did. So how do we do that? We do it by letting His power operate through us. We take time to stop and pray for someone to be healed. We share an encouraging word with that person God places on our hearts. We step out in boldness to share the Gospel with a stranger. As we walk in obedience, we will see God do the extraordinary in us and through us.

During this season of prayer and fasting, God is going to give you opportunities to shine His light. Be bold, step out in faith, and watch God do the supernatural through you!

Scriptures

John 8:12 (NLT)
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father.

There is nothing quite like going to a large family gathering or family reunion. You get together and reconnect with cousins, aunts, uncles, and other family members that you may not have seen for years. There is also the occasional moment of not knowing who certain individuals are, but you still know that they are family. No matter who is there, you know that because of relationship or bloodline each person is family – gathered from different locations, with different physical traits, different names – yet all part of the same family.

The same can be said for your spiritual life. Because of relationship through Jesus, each and every believer is grafted into the amazing family of God. Romans 8:14 puts it like this, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

What an amazing reminder! When we surrender our lives to Christ, it’s as if God says, “Welcome to the Family!” and His Spirit comes to live in us and unite us with the body of Christ.

This family we are part of, just like your physical family, is filled with different personalities, perspectives, and giftings, but what we all have in common is the fact that we are all led by the same Spirit. The Spirit who is at work in us and through us to do more through us united than we could ever accomplish on our own.

As you continue in this fast, pray that your hunger to be led by the Holy Spirit outpaces your physical appetite. Be reminded today that many others in your spiritual family – your brothers and sisters in Christ – are right there with you, desiring and pursuing the same. As we are seeking God together, He is going to work powerfully in our lives and in His church to change the world around us!

Take some time today in your prayer and fasting to remember those that are a part of your spiritual family. Let them know that you are praying for them and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in what to pray for them.

Scriptures

Romans 8:14 (ESV)
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV)
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

John 1:12 (ESV)
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

Whatever you are seeking the Lord about during this time, be careful about only coming to Him with a narrow perspective of just wanting your needs met. Instead, come to the Lord with the kind of faith and passion to see your prayers answered in a way that ultimately brings glory to God and has Kingdom impact.

A great way to help shift your perspective on this is by taking the time to pause and reflect on the goodness and richness of God.

In the book of Psalms, you find at various times the word “Selah.” This term means to slow down, pause, and recognize the moment. We see in Psalm 67:1 that the writer inserts this word right after stating a very powerful and significant request – a prayer for the Lord’s grace, blessing, and favor.

Psalm 67:1, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah”

And after this Selah – this time of reflection – we find a shift in perspective and the motive behind such requests in the following verse. Psalm 67:2 says, “that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.” The psalmist desired the favor and blessing of God so that many others would know of God’s power for themselves.

The psalmist realized that our God is powerful and personal, and what He does is never supposed to be kept private. Believing in God’s favor in your life is significant, and the Lord’s goodness and blessing are not only on display for others to see but also must be declared for others to hear.

Your testimony is powerful, so let your story be known. Talk to others about the goodness of God in your life. When you do, it not only brings glory to God for all He has done but also builds faith in those who hear it. Your testimony could be what God uses to spur someone else to believe for breakthrough and ultimately experience the miracles God intends for them to have.

Scriptures

Psalm 67:1-2 (ESV)

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah  that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.

In Matthew 16:13-19, we find an interesting and powerful story. As Jesus and His disciples approached the region of Caesarea Philippi, with Mt. Hermon looming in the distance, Jesus turned and asked them, “Who do people say that I am?” They gave various answers they had heard in their travels with Jesus; some said He was John the Baptist come back to life, and others said, Elijah or Jeremiah. But then Jesus quickly turned the conversation personal, “Who do you say I am?”

Seemingly without hesitation, Peter blurted out, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Out of that one statement, Jesus made a profound declaration that has since shaped the course of history, “…On this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

The “rock” on which Jesus declared he would build His Church was Peter’s realization of exactly who Jesus is. Once they knew and understood who he was, Jesus could begin using them to build his kingdom. Since then, Jesus has been building his Church, and nothing has been able to stop it.

Interestingly, the unstoppable force required to build the Church was not a unique church growth strategy or highly trained and influential people. The unstoppable power of the Church lies in ordinary people realizing who Jesus is and joining Him in His mission.

This is such a profound realization because when we understand who Jesus is and what he has done for us, the only logical conclusion is to serve him wholeheartedly. And the true power of that understanding is not our dedication to a cause but the empowerment Jesus promised would accompany anyone who chose to confess Him as Lord. He said he would give us the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, that we might bind the powers of darkness and set people free from the chains that bound them!

We have been given the keys to the kingdom; our prayers are powerful and effective. As we fast and pray, we are locking up the enemy and setting people free. Jesus is building his Church, and he is using us to do it! Nothing in all of Heaven or earth will be able to stop it!

Scriptures

Matthew 16:13-19 (NLT)
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in Heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in Heaven, and whatever you permit^[i] on earth will be permitted in Heaven.”

Thousands of people fasting and praying together is setting the stage for God’s miraculous power unlike what we have ever seen before. There is something powerful in the number of people fighting spiritual battles together. In Acts 12, we see an amazing miracle as a result of the church praying together.

In your journey of prayer and fasting, you are realizing more and more just how powerful prayer is. And what’s exciting to think about is how you aren’t the only one fasting and praying during this time – countless others are doing the same thing.

We see in verse 5 says, “But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.” And in response to their earnest requests, God not only protected Peter from the coming sentencing, but he exceeded their expectations through a miraculous escape. We see in verses 7-10 that a supernatural prison break took place where an angel led Peter past multiple prison guards, the city gate opened all on its own, and no one could see him as he left.

Verses 12-17 show how even the believers were shocked and unsure it was really Peter when he showed up to the house where they were praying.

All of this is because the church earnestly sought the Lord.

Not only should this encourage you to continue to fight off the physical cravings for greater spiritual breakthrough, but it should also build your expectations and faith because when the church prays, the power is exponential.

So be encouraged that because we are all earnestly seeking the Lord together our prayers are not only being answered, but they are exponentially powerful. God is bringing breakthrough in ways we can’t even imagine.

Scriptures

Acts 12:1-17 (NLT)

About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.) Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.

The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.

So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him.

Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!”

When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!”

“You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”

Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.

Over the years, psychologists have studied the power of our words and found that they have a profound effect on the human brain. One study of how encouragement helps athletes’ performance concluded that successful athletic performance is not just based on natural skill and level of training, but on frame of mind. When athletes are motivated with encouraging words, their performance increases for the better.

The truth is, words have great power. Words can either breathe life or death into the soul, build up someone’s spirit or tear it down. They either encourage or discourage – there is no middle ground.

That is why both the words we digest and the words we speak each day are so critical. Reading the Word of God is a way to build yourself up. We are encouraged when we read Scriptures like Isaiah 41:10, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

The Apostle Paul emphasizes the importance of encouragement in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” One of the amazing results of intentionally encouraging others is how encouraged you become through it!

The reality is that encouragement is not natural; therefore, it must be cultivated. So, what are some ways we can become carriers of courage and build up the hope of those around us?

Smile – Did you know that smiling is contagious? In fact, studies show that smiling increases mood-enhancing hormones while decreasing stress-enhancing hormones. It also reduces blood pressure and releases happy endorphins in your brain. When you smile, it not only changes you, it has a direct impact on those around you and leaves them more encouraged.

Speak Encouragement – People everywhere need encouragement – in your workplace, in your neighborhood, at your sporting events, and even in the church. An encouraging word can literally change the course of a person’s day and even their life!

Many are aware of the close friendship of renowned authors C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien was highly influenced by Lewis’s encouragement for him to write “The Lord of the Rings.” The encouraging words of C.S. Lewis spurred Tolkien on toward what has become a literary masterpiece read by millions.

Write it out – Spoken words are powerful, but there is something special about written words – they last forever. A simple card or text message reminds someone that they are valuable and seen can go a long way.

Compliment – Enter your day with the mindset of what you can give rather than what you can get. How can I compliment someone I interact with today? How can I make them feel valued?

To encourage someone is to impart courage to them. Every day we have the opportunity to leave a conversation, a meeting, or an interaction better than we found it, and that happens through our words. Choose to use your words to bring life everywhere you go!

Scriptures

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT)

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

Proverbs 12:25 (NLT)

Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.