Ingrained in each person is a deep desire for our lives to have significance. We all want our time on earth to count for something, to know that we made a difference with the time we were given. We all want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.

This desire is universal, and it supersedes cultures and time. The annals of history are filled with stories of people who fought, and often gave their lives, for a cause that surpassed their own life. The reason we see the need for significance as such a universal desire across humanity is because it was placed into the heart of mankind by God.

The Apostle Peter addressed this when he wrote, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

This passage gives us two incredible truths. First, we have been chosen by God to be a part of His family! God has brought us from our old life of sin and darkness into His amazing family! The simple fact that the creator of the universe chose us and brought us into His family gives our lives value and purpose.

Secondly, we are not only a part of the family, but we have been given a mission that has eternal significance. We are God’s special possession, and the reason He has chosen us and brought us into the family is so that we “may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light” (v.9b). Our value is ultimately found in reflecting the goodness of our Heavenly Father to a world which desperately needs Him. We live out that truth every time we share what He has done for us, how He has healed, saved, restored, and delivered us. We have been given His mercy so that we can show others the goodness of God.

Your life makes a difference, and your prayers are changing things!

Scriptures

1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV)
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

It’s incredible to think that there are thousands of people joining together through these 21 days of fasting and prayer. Together we are fighting spiritual battles in which we will see victories and God’s power in greater ways than ever before. In Daniel 10, we are given insight into what is happening while fasting and praying.

The prophet Daniel has been fasting and praying for twenty-one days on behalf of the people of Jerusalem. On the twenty-fourth day, Daniel has a vision of a man delivering a message from heaven. Daniel 10:12 says, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.”

Scripture says from the first day Daniel started praying, heaven heard and began responding. Daniel didn’t see anything until day 24, but Scripture assures us things were changing on day one. Whether or not you’ve seen any change, you can be sure that things began changing the first day you set your heart towards seeking God!

Verse 13 says, “But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.”

This text shows us that there are spiritual battles taking place as we pray and fast. Our prayers are powerful and defeat the plans and powers of the enemy in our lives and situations we are facing.

Then in verse 19, the man declares, “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be Strong!” Daniel is reminded and encouraged how precious he is to God, and that same truth applies to you today. You are a son or daughter of the living God. He cares for you and is fighting for you as you call on His name.

Daniel then receives insight into the future and what is to come. God answered his prayers. We can have confidence that battles are being fought and won through this fast, and we will see God work in and through every circumstance we face; we will receive the wisdom we need to make decisions and will see an even greater demonstration of God’s power in our lives and in our church in the days to come.

Scriptures

Daniel 10:3 (NIV)
“I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.”

Daniel 10:12 (NIV)
“Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.”

Daniel 10:19 (NIV)
“Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.”

One of the most encouraging aspects of our walk with Christ is that there is always an opportunity for more. We can experience more of His presence, more of His power, more of the miraculous through every situation. The Bible says His mercies are new every morning, so each day we can discover more in our relationship with the Lord.

This means that we continually have the opportunity to grow and become more like Jesus. Growth is healthy, necessary, and beneficial. It’s something that most people desire in some area of their life, whether it’s in business, leadership, spirituality, or abilities. But growth doesn’t always happen naturally – it often takes intentionality.

In the Apostle Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he provides guidance and encouragement to the young leader. In 1 Timothy 4:7-8, Paul emphasizes the importance of spiritual discipline and highlights the benefits of fasting in developing a strong and steadfast faith.

Paul writes, “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7-8)

In these verses, Paul urges believers to distance themselves from trivial and meaningless distractions, and to embrace a life of godliness instead. But notice that Paul tells us we must train for godliness. In other words, it’s not automatic. Training for godliness begins by orienting our lives around God’s Word and putting into practice what we learn.

Fasting and prayer are a couple of biblical ways we train for godliness. By abstaining from food or other desires for a specific period of time, we are training our bodies not to give in to their physical cravings. We can then redirect these desires to the deepening of our relationship with God. While we fast, we are learning to cultivate self-control, humility, and dependence on the Lord, and the end result is spiritual growth.

Paul tells us that this kind of training holds promise for this life and the life to come. Spiritual training and growth benefit us today and for all eternity! As you continue through this fast, you’ll find yourself growing closer to the Lord and strengthened by His power as a result of your obedience to pursue Him in a greater way.

Scriptures

1 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV)
“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

Over these past 21 days of prayer and fasting, we have set aside our comfort to seek something more valuable. It is impossible to spend time calling on God, asking Him to bring Heaven down, and there be no change because God is faithful, and His Word promises that He responds to the prayers of His people.

Throughout these past few weeks, God has shown up and moved in an extraordinary way. People have been saved, set free, and miraculously healed. There’s so much to celebrate, but the exciting reality is that this is only the beginning. There is still more that God wants to do!

In Ezekiel 47, we see an interesting story. The prophet Ezekiel has a vision where he sees a river flowing from God’s temple. As the water flows from the temple, it grows deeper and deeper. It starts ankle-deep, then becomes knee-deep, then continues to deepen until it is uncrossable. On either side of the river, there are many trees, and in the water, there are swarms of fish. The most extraordinary part is that at the place where the river reaches the Dead Sea, the salt water becomes fresh water. The place that was once dead and unlivable was changed so that it was fresh and full of life.

This story serves as a beautiful illustration of what we can expect in the days ahead. This season of prayer and fasting has been incredible and full of life, but the water is only ankle-deep. We have seen only the beginning of God’s work, not the end. There are more miracles that God wants to do. There are more people that God wants to save. As we have fasted and prayed, we can have confidence that Heaven is coming and our best days are still ahead!

Scriptures

Ezekiel 47:1-12 (NIV)

The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.

As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?”

Then he led me back to the bank of the river. When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea. But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”

Have you ever found yourself in this place? You have a friend that you want to tell about Jesus. You know that they don’t have a relationship with God but have never had the courage to bring it up. Every time that you start to work up the confidence, your thoughts are flooded with “What if they think I’m weird?”, “What if I don’t know what to say?” or “What if they stop being my friend?” Ultimately, you decide that it’s better not to say anything. You’re frustrated with yourself because you know what you need to do, but you don’t have the boldness to do it.

If you resonate with that scenario, then know that you’re not alone. When we come to Acts 4, we find the early church in a situation where they need boldness. Except for them, the stakes are higher. If they share Christ, they wouldn’t just be losing a friend…they could lose their lives. The Jewish ruling council had just given the order that Peter, John, and the church could no longer speak in the name of Jesus. If they broke this charge, it could result in a beating, imprisonment, or even death.

For most people, if they hear a threat like that, they would start praying for God to remove the opposition. What the church did was completely different. They did not pray for God to remove their problem; instead, they prayed for boldness. The incredible reality about this account is that God immediately answered their prayer. What was God’s answer to their prayer for boldness? The baptism of the Holy Spirit. Every person in that meeting was filled with the Holy Spirit, which enabled them to speak the word of God boldly.

So what will give you the boldness to share Christ with that friend, neighbor, or that worker at the grocery store? The baptism of the Holy Spirit. God’s desire is that we would be able to share Christ with anyone, at any time, and in any place. If you’re not able to do that, then you need the Holy Spirit!

As we’re in this season of prayer and fasting, it’s the perfect opportunity to be filled with the Holy Spirit. If you’ve never been filled, then start to make it a focus in your prayer time. If you have been filled but don’t have the boldness to witness, then God wants to refill you full to overflowing. As we are filled with the Holy Spirit, God will give us the boldness to go out and share the Gospel. As we do, we will see revival break out in our cities, our nation, and the world!

Scriptures

Acts 4:29-31 (NIV)
Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.