Notes from this week's podcast: Let the New Year Begin

As we begin a new year, it's a time to set aside some special time to see the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength -- more than just praying but adding fasting. It's a time to seek God, deny the flesh, so that you can heart from God and press in closer to God. 

Set aside a period of time -- 3 days, 7 days, 10 days, 21 days. Ask the Holy Spirit: Would You lead me and guide me into a season of fasting where I seek the Lord with all my heart for God to plan my steps going forward? 

Fasting is all about leaning in to God and allowing the Holy Spirit to consume you as you seek God for a specific matter in your life. 

What is fasting according to the Word? It's where you voluntarily abstain from food/drink while you're seeking God. 

You are denying your flesh from some food/drink for a period of time. But, during that period of time, you're seeking God. You're leaning in to God. According to the Old Testament, "cover the mouth" = denying the flesh from food; according to the New Testament, "fasting" = abstain from food. And you focus on feeding your spirit man. How do you feed your spirit man? It's through the Word of God. This Word becomes your bread, your food. 

What are some things that can happen, some purpose that God might bring about during this time?

- God can loose the bands of wickedness. Allow God to "shine a flashlight all over your heart" to expose any wickedness. He wants to bring us back to a pure heart. 

- God can undo the heavy burdens.

- It may be time to let the oppressed go free. Maybe you've been depressed. Confess that. That's not God's will for our lives.

- He wants to break every yoke off of us so that we're totally yielded to the will of the Father. 

What does fasting do?

- It brings honor to God. It shows that your faith is in God -- not your government, not your finances, not you. 

Approach God with a heart of humility. You need God's grace on your life. God's power is on your life. 

Your will is to please the Father -- whatever pleases the king. 

CHALLENGE: May it be your prayer: Whatever pleases the King. That's what I want for my life. 

We want this year to count for eternity and show the love of God in our lives. We do it under the authority of the Word of God. 

Pick a time, season where you deny your flesh of food/water for a period of time -- to feed your spirit with the Word of God, to draw near to Him, seeking the will of God. 

I pray that as you lean into God that the power of God will fall on your life, the Holy Spirit of God will direct you, and you will increase in your relationship with the Father, that you might know Him in a greater way. 

* When you feel that physical hunger and thirst, turn it around: God, I'm going to hunger for you; I'm going to thirst for more of You. 

As you enter into the fast, as the Holy Spirit leads you, write down the direction, the kind of fast, the length of the fast, and the purpose for the fast. Ask for God's grace to fulfill that commitment. Watch God open doors that no man can close. 

Scripture for further study: Isaiah 58:6, book of Esther