One of the life-giving recreational activities in the Ozarks are the various walking and bike riding trails. Anytime you’re going to a new trail, there is a thrill in learning about the trail, where to cross rivers or streams, where the campsites are, and any points of interest that you won’t want to miss. But more than knowing all the details is the ability to see the whole path from start to finish. When you’re on the trail, your perspective is limited to what you can see right in front of you, but the map has a way of giving a bigger perspective.

As we continue our fasting, many of us are praying for situations in which, from our perspective, we cannot see the path ahead. From what we can see, things may seem impossible.

Yet fasting has a way of orienting our perspective from what we see to what God sees. God knows the whole path of our lives, from start to finish. In Isaiah 43:19, God invites us to look at things from His point of view: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

As we dedicate ourselves to the Lord through fasting, He begins to change our perspective so that we can see what He is doing and how He is working. It’s an incredible gift that God tells us that the path He leads us on “springs up.” When our hearts are in-tune with Him, we will not miss His plan. He makes it obvious; it springs up!

As we fast, our hearts are changing, and we are gaining a godly perspective. God already has a path picked out for us, and as we pray, He will show us the way forward.

Scriptures

Isaiah 43:19 (NIV) 

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

One of the wonderful results of extended time in prayer and fasting is an increased awareness of God’s presence.

As we spend extended time in prayer and fasting, we become more and more aware of just how powerful this season of spiritual fervor is. The prayers we are praying while fighting our physical cravings are significant, and a supernatural breakthrough is on the way.

One of the powerful spiritual weapons we can utilize each day is the power of praise. Isaiah 42 illustrates this truth:

“Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing his praises from the ends of the earth! Sing, all you who sail the seas, all you who live in distant coastlands. Let the whole world glorify the Lord; let it sing his praise. The Lord will march forth like a mighty hero; he will come out like a warrior, full of fury. He will shout his battle cry and crush all his enemies.”

This passage demonstrates some of the powerful results of our praise. As we are praising, God is moving on behalf of His people. Through this fast, God is moving in the unseen realm to fight your battles and bring great victory to every part of your life. And as we see in this passage, praise preceded the victory.

The truth is the more time we spend in the Lord’s presence, the more we realize there is much to praise Him for. And as we praise the Lord for who He is and all He has done, we see in Isaiah 42:13 that the Lord goes before His people as the mighty hero, like a warrior that crushes the enemy.

So, as you spend time today in prayer and fasting, utilize the powerful weapon of praise.

• Praise the Lord for the answers to your prayers.
• Praise the Lord for the amazing gifts and blessings He’s already given you.
• Praise the Lord for the victories that are yet to come in your life.

And as you praise, your troubles get smaller as you make God bigger. Victory is coming, and your praise becomes a weapon that battles the enemy. Know that with every word and song of praise from your lips, the Lord is going before you and defeating the enemy.

Scriptures

Isaiah 42:10, 12-13 (NLT)
Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing his praises from the ends of the earth! Sing, all you who sail the seas, all you who live in distant coastlands. Let the whole world glorify the Lord; let it sing his praise. The Lord will march forth like a mighty hero; he will come out like a warrior, full of fury. He will shout his battle cry and crush all his enemies.

One of the most frequent responses to the question of what our world needs today is peace. From wars to tragic shootings to an unstable economy, the opportunity to allow anxiety and fear to rule our lives is very real. In fact, studies show that more people are experiencing increased anxiety and worry, which is leading to a host of physical conditions and illnesses. The Bible shows that we were designed for something much better: peace.

Jesus said this in John 14:27, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

What an encouraging promise we have from Jesus! People are pursuing peace in many different ways, but peace doesn’t come from a place – it comes from a person. The first step to experiencing God’s peace is to recognize that it’s a gift to be received.

Then, Paul gives us very clear instruction on how to receive the gift of peace in Philippians 4:6-9, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

That’s amazing! Paul says we can live not under the weight of worry but instead with the power of peace. Here’s the path to the peace only God provides:

Exchange worry with prayer. Every time you begin to worry about a situation, exchange that worry with prayer. Instead of focusing on what is seemingly out of control, remember and turn your attention to the One who is always in control!

Defeat anxiety with thanksgiving. The number one weapon for defeating anxiety is thanksgiving – it’s the strategic defense that disarms the enemy. We thank God for all He’s done – because remembering His faithfulness in the past is the key to fueling our faith for the future.

Foster a healthy mind. Paul provides eight areas to focus our thoughts on. The peace that passes understanding comes through strategic thinking. As you go through your day, take inventory of what you allow into your mind. Studies continue to confirm that the increase of social media and news intake is one of the leading causes of increased anxiety. A healthy mind is fostered by intentionally guarding our minds.

Peace is a promised gift from Jesus. Through this time of prayer and fasting, bring your needs to God, thank him for all He’s done, and immerse your mind in His Word, “Then you will experience God’s peace…His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” 

Scriptures

John 14:27 (NLT)
 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Philippians 4:6-9 (NLT)
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Research shows that the older we get, the fewer questions we ask. One study shows that a 4-year-old will ask as many as 200-300 questions a day, and between the ages of 2 and 5, children will ask a staggering 40,000 questions! A few of the top 10 questions include: “Where did I come from?” “What is God?” “What does ‘we can’t afford it’ mean?” “Why do I have to go to school?” and “Why can’t I stay up as late as you?”

Kids have the inherent belief that their parents know the answers to all of their questions. Interestingly enough, parents admitted to turning to google for nearly half of their answers!

As believers, we have the most reliable source for life’s toughest questions. Scripture is clear that God desires to answer our prayers – not just some prayers, but all of our prayers. He wants to provide wisdom, direction, and guidance for anything we need. We are invited to approach God with confidence and boldness, believing He will answer, and this truth is covered throughout the pages of Scripture.

Scripture teaches that we are designed to experience answered prayer. God is not afraid of our questions and never grows weary of us coming to Him. In fact, one of Jesus’ instructions is to “Keep on asking…keep on seeking…keep on knocking” What an incredible invitation!

Are there things you’ve stopped asking God for because you either got tired of asking or thought it wasn’t God’s will to answer? Perhaps it’s praying for that lost friend, for the breakthrough in healing, that dream job, a spouse, or to become pregnant. Whatever you’re praying for through this fast, remind yourself that just because it hasn’t happened yet, doesn’t mean it won’t happen soon!

You were designed to see powerful, life-changing answers to your prayers. That’s why James 5:16 tells us, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking, and you will see God answer in a wonderful and miraculous way!

Scriptures

John 14:13-14 (NIV)
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

John 15:16 (NIV)
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

John 16:23-24 (NIV)
In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

1 John 5:14-15 (NIV)
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Matthew 7:7-8 (NLT)
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Have you ever found yourself in a place where it’s been so loud that you couldn’t hear the person you were talking to? Perhaps a concert for one of your favorite bands or a busy airport with constant announcements over the intercom. Regardless of the setting, the more noise in our surroundings, the more difficult it is to hear someone speaking to us.

The same thing can happen when it comes to hearing from God. It may not be the physical environment that limits our hearing but rather the place we find ourselves spiritually. This can be a dangerous place because hearing God is a critical component of walking in His plans and purposes for our lives.

One person in the Bible who understood this was King Solomon. At the beginning of Solomon’s rule, God extended an incredible offer. He said to King Solomon, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” Wow! That’s an amazing question coming from God, who can give anything. At this moment, Solomon could have asked for whatever he wanted. All the gold in the world, military dominance over the surrounding nations, or to become the greatest king who ever lived. Rather than being rash or self-centered, he asked for what he knew he desperately needed: the ability to hear from God. Verse 9 in The Message paraphrase says, “Here’s what I want: Give me a God-listening heart so I can lead your people well.” Solomon knew that if he could hear from God clearly, everything he needed in life would be taken care of.

Every believer has the opportunity to hear from God with regularity. That’s why a season of prayer and fasting is so important because it lowers the volume of the world and the voice of God becomes more easily heard. The question is never “Is God speaking?” But always, “Am I practicing a listening ear and leaning into what He’s saying?” Take time today to ask for a listening heart, and then quiet your heart and lean in to listen to what God has to say.

Scriptures

1 Kings 3:9 (MSG)
 “Here’s what I want: Give me a God-listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil. For who on their own is capable of leading your glorious people?”

During these 21 days of prayer and fasting, God is going to speak to you. God speaks through His revealed Word, the Bible, but He also speaks through divine revelation. There is no doubt that God wants to bring powerful answers to the things you are praying for, but He also wants to reveal things to you through this fast.

Revelation is a critical component to our walk with the Lord. Proverbs 29:18 tells us, “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.” Apart from God’s revelation, our lives can become increasingly destructive and confusing.

Jesus told the disciples how they would receive such divine revelation:

John 14:26, “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

John 16:13-14, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.”

These passages teach us several things about revelation:

Revelation provides wisdom and supernatural insight. The life of faith is a life of learning and discovery. But with more revelation comes more responsibility. Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” God doesn’t conceal things from us; He conceals them for us! The same Hebrew word for glory is used both times in the verse – God’s glory becomes a glory we can personally experience as we search and discover, and if we seek, we will find!

Revelation guides us into truth. In today’s pluralistic society, truth has been diluted and redefined based on whatever people think is true. Imagine living your life based on a false truth. This will lead to destructive decisions, poor choices, and ultimately a life of confusion and chaos. But God wants your life to flourish, and revelation is key to receiving His guidance and direction in every season of life.

Revelation reveals the future. Throughout Scripture, God regularly revealed coming events to different people. Whether through dreams, visions, or divine visitations, God’s desire is to lead us into the future. He cares about the paths our lives take and offers to show us the way to go.

God wants to speak and reveal things to us through this time of prayer and fasting. Our job is to seek revelation, and God promises He will reveal it! So, as you’re fasting and praying, be expectant for God to speak – grab a journal and a pen. Write down what He says because it will prepare and direct you in the days ahead.

Scriptures

Proverbs 29:18 (NLT)
When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.

John 14:26 (NLT)
But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

John 16:13-14 (NLT)
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.

Proverbs 25:2 (ESV)
It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.

Ephesians 1:16-17 (NIV)
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Today we begin 21 days of prayer and fasting, and we are calling on God to answer the “here as is Heaven” prayer that Jesus taught us to pray. This is not a timid, play-it-safe kind of prayer, so it is no surprise that the person who taught us to use those bold words was none other than the Son of God. Jesus said, “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.’” (Matthew 6:9-10).

There is no doubt the disciples were taken aback by such an audacious request. As New Testament Scholar Leon Morris writes, “In Heaven, God’s will is perfectly done now, for there is nothing in Heaven to hinder it, and the prayer looks for a similar state of affairs here on earth.” Sometimes it’s hard for us to see anything beyond hinderances—earthly roadblocks to Heaven’s agenda abound. So, there’s a choice: do we yield to the current state of affairs that surrounds us or do we refuse to accept the status quo of our sin-sick world and believe for the priorities and power of Heaven to flood our lives? Jesus’ instruction makes the answer quite clear—we believe for “here as in Heaven.”

As the Kingdom of Heaven advances, the powers of darkness begin to retreat. We can pray confidently for healing, sickness does not exist in Heaven and God is our healer. Anxiety can be defeated because God is never worried, and He is our help in any time of trouble. We can be assured that as we call on God, He will make the impossible possible.

As we prepare our hearts for these next 21 days, we are praying for Heaven to come, and as God’s will is accomplished on the earth as it is in Heaven, we will see what we have never seen before!

Scriptures

Matthew 6:5–10 (NIV)

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Revelation 21:4 (NIV)

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”