What’s Your Assignment?

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.… Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

—Luke 4:1–2, 14–15, NIV

Fasting and prayer are essential to receiving a clear vision of God’s specific path for our lives. Many times after a season of prayer and fasting we have a more defined understanding of the part we play in the body of Christ, as well as a greater sense of our particular spiritual giftings (1 Corinthians 12).

Fasting and prayer are essential to receiving a clear vision of God’s specific path for our lives.

We learn a lot from observing the circumstances surrounding the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry (Luke 4). Notice that He went into the desert “full of the Holy Spirit.” However, He returned to Galilee “in the power of the Holy Spirit.” Being full of the Spirit is to know God and His character; walking in the power of the Spirit is when we know that we have the God-given strength and authority in our lives to walk out His will.

The power of the Spirit is essential for us to accomplish the assignment God has for us. God could be leading you to fast so that you can receive His specific instructions for your life. He will empower you not just to know Him but to walk in His power to accomplish what He has called you to do.

That’s exciting!

A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God’s boundless store of grace from day to day, as we need it. —D.L. Moody 

Bible Reading Plan: Genesis 20

Prayer Focus: Are there areas of your life that need more clarity? Are you walking in the power of the Spirit and living in God’s purpose for your life? Write down those things God is speaking to you. As you conclude your fast, pray that God continually reveals His purpose and gives you ever-increasing clarity and strength to walk it out.

A New Wineskin

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins.

—Luke 5:37–38, NLT

Two things that do not mix are new wine and old wineskins. The reason is simple: old wineskins cannot grow and stretch to hold the new wine.

The new wine God wants to fill you with is a picture of God’s Spirit, and this wine is expansive. A container that is dead, dry, stiff, and shrinking cannot be trusted as a storehouse for God’s valued treasure. Our vessels must be prepared for the fresh, dynamic, living presence of God, because everything we do will flow from that.

God’s new wine always changes us by expanding our faith, enlarging our purpose, and bringing renewed vision.

This preparation comes through prayer and fasting, during which we produce a container that is ready for the new thing God wants to do. God’s new wine always changes us by expanding our faith, enlarging our purpose, and bringing renewed vision.

God is not into old wineskins; it is up to us to shed them. As we seek Him in this season, let’s shed the old wineskin and ask God to fully prepare our hearts for what’s to come.

God became man to turn creatures into sons; not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man. —C. S. Lewis

Bible Reading Plan: Genesis 19

Prayer Focus: What has caused you to shrink back in your expectation of what God wants to do in your life? Are you ready to be expanded beyond recognition? That’s what God’s new wine will do in and through you. Pray that the Lord will expand your life to glorify Him, giving you boldness to step out and be used by Him.

Walking in the Power of the Holy Spirit

Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.

—Luke 4:14

After praying and fasting for forty days, Jesus returned to Galilee empowered to do all the Father had called Him to do. Jesus was so powerful in public because He was so prayerful in private.

To accomplish the assignments God has for our lives, we also need the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us. God does not expect us to go through the challenges of life without this power.

Prayer and fasting bring us to the place where we can power up. Walking in the power of the Holy Spirit is living with a comprehension of the God-given strength and authority in our lives to walk out His will.

Through prayer and fasting, God can prepare us for what lies ahead. We might not know what obstacles we’re going to face, but we can know that God will be faithful to us. He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5) and He will empower us to meet whatever challenges life may bring.

Every movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure. —D. L. Moody

Bible Reading Plan: Matthew 7

Prayer Focus: Today as you worship God in prayer, let Him know that you refuse to go into the future without His power and that you want all the spiritual resources He has for you.

Pray Instead

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

—Philippians 4:6–7, MSG

Worry seems inescapable in modern life. No doubt there is plenty to worry about: our kids, the economy, global warming, war, disease… Sometimes it might seem that worry has even replaced Jesus as the focal point of our lives. Jesus Himself admonished us several times not to worry. And the apostle Paul told us that there is an antidote to worry…prayer.

When we worry about something, we are spending energy on it, wondering what might happen, rehearsing the “if onlys” and “what ifs” in our mind. Why not take that same energy and refocus it on prayer instead? When we worry, we are simply talking to ourselves about our fears, but when we pray, we are taking those fears to God. We can’t control the future, but as Anne Graham Lotz said throughout her book Fear Not Tomorrow, God Is Already There, our timeless God owns the future. He knows exactly what is going to happen, and He promises to be with us every step of the journey.

As we are nearing a close to this season of prayer and fasting, let’s heed Paul’s words to “let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers.” Then the peace of God will guard your heart.

Growing an unshakeable trust in God as you face your tomorrow is not about self-improvement or mastering your circumstances, but about God—who He is, what He does, and how we can trust Him. —Anne Graham Lotz

We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties. —Oswald Chambers

Bible Reading Plan: Genesis 18

Prayer Focus: What consistently causes you to worry? Today, recapture each worried thought and send it to God as a prayer. See how dramatically your outlook improves when the peace of God is activated through prayer!

Humility

And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” —Matthew 17:14–16

What a great example of humility: this man approached Jesus and knelt before Him in the midst of a crowd. As the father approached, he believed that Jesus would bring his son relief. But even in his belief, his approach was humble and submitted to what Christ would choose to do.

Looking further into the story, we find the father was also persistent and resisted taking offense. Though the disciples were not able to help him, he set aside his temporary disappointment in their failure and continued to seek after Jesus—the solution to his circumstance, the source of relief through his trial.

God is never late and His solution is always perfect!

Being humble before God is realizing our need of Him, submitting to His will, pursuing Him, and being confident the outcome will occur in God’s perfect timing.

Be encouraged that approaching God with a heart of humility will always position you to find relief in Jesus. Don’t be ashamed to humble yourself before God, even in the presence of others. Though offenses and disappointments may come, continue in your pursuit of Jesus. You may not get relief right away but know this: God is never late and His solution is always perfect!

The higher a man is in grace, the lower he will be in his own esteem. —Charles H. Spurgeon

Bible Reading Plan: Genesis 17

Prayer Focus: Prayer is a posture of humility. Humble yourself before the Lord each day and bring your cares to Him. He wants to meet you where you are and answer your every need. Pray, too, that God will help you with the disappointment and discouragement that we all face along the way. Is there discouragement in your heart today? Write it down and release it to our perfect God.

Taking Off the Grave Clothes

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

—John 11:44, NIV

When it comes to the transforming power of God working in someone’s life, God often uses people to bring about divine life change. The story of Lazarus in John 11 illustrates how it was the power of Jesus’ prayer and spoken word that resurrected Lazarus from the dead, but the disciples played a role in this miracle too.

When it comes to the transforming power of God working in someone’s life, God often uses people to bring about divine life-change.

Lazarus was bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face had been wrapped with a cloth during his time in the tomb. When he arose from his death and came out of the tomb, Jesus called on the disciples to help in the transformation process. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” The disciples needed to help Lazarus. Likewise, we all have a part to play in the lives of those around us.

God has done some incredible things around us during this fast. Could it be that someone around you is still walking around in grave clothes? What do you need to help them let go of?

Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still. —E. M. Bounds 

True prayer is measured by weight—not by length. A single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length. —Charles H. Spurgeon

Bible Reading Plan: Psalm 3-5

Prayer Focus: Who in your world is still walking around in grave clothes? Think about friends and family or those you know who may not know God. What part has God called you to play in the life change He wants to bring them?

The Spoken Word

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” John 11:43, NIV

The story of Lazarus’s death and resurrection reflects the power of Jesus’ spoken word. Jesus was so in tune with the will of His Father that He already knew in His heart the miracle that was about to take place, but His words spoke the miracle into existence.

While prayer is our declaration of our dependence on God, our spoken words can be the manifestation of what’s happening in our hearts. There is power in our spoken words, whether they are used to build up or tear down. It is important to keep our heart filled with the truth from God’s Word so that our words will produce good fruit.

As you seek God in prayer ask Him for discernment to know a need and the words to help someone today. Pray that your words would be encouraging, edifying, and aligned with the truth of God’s Word. Building others up around us with our words allows us to be God’s instrument to accomplish His good work.

The key to praying with power is to become the kind of persons who do not use God for our ends but are utterly devoted to being used for His ends. —John Piper 

I am persuaded that love and humility are the highest attainments in the school of Christ and the brightest evidences that He is indeed our Master. —John Newton

Bible Reading Plan: Genesis 16

Prayer Focus: As God continues to fill you through this season of prayer and fasting, He wants to take what is now in your heart and share it with others. How can you use the power of your spoken words to speak God’s truth in the lives of others?

FASTING TIP

For many, week three feels like a breakthrough week! By now your body should be thoroughly detoxified, and if you successfully navigated that metabolic shift that happened in week two, you’re likely to find yourself coasting until day twenty-one.

As your body has become used to less food, you are more than likely experiencing fewer hunger pangs. Since your body has detoxified, you are most likely also experiencing less achiness and headaches. Because your body is not using as much energy to digest food, it can devote more energy into the restorative processes. During this last week you may also find you are sleeping better too.

Spiritually speaking, this week can be really powerful as you find yourself in your Fast Zone and your mind has made the leap to focusing more on God.