Send Me!
Isaiah 6:8

In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, the prophet records a powerful vision where he sees angels surrounding the Lord on His throne continually crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.”

Isaiah sees the Lord in all of His glory and holiness and immediately recognizes the disparity between God’s holiness and the sinfulness of he and his people. An angel responds by placing a live coal on Isaiah’s mouth, atoning for his sin and purifying him. With his sin forgiven, Isaiah then writes, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? “And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’ He said, ‘Go and tell this people…’” 

God asks Isaiah a question that He asks His people today, “Who will go for us?” Who will go and tell people about the forgiveness God offers? Who will go and tell people there is freedom in Jesus? Who will go and tell people that there is a God who loves them and wants to transform their lives?

Isaiah passionately responds, “Send me!” Through this time of prayer and fasting, God is doing a deeper work in us. But the truth is what God does in us through this fast is not meant to stay with us; He wants us to go!

God is empowering us and increasing our boldness to share His love and power with others so we can witness even greater things in the days ahead. The Lord is sending you to the people in your family, your workplace, your neighborhood, and on your kids’ sports teams. Will you go?

Empowered by the Spirit
Acts 1:8

Words are powerful. Each day, we have the opportunity to use our words to bring life and strength into every situation we encounter. Perhaps some of the most important words a person will ever speak in their lifetime are the last words they share before leaving this earth. When we consider Jesus’ final words before ascending into heaven, He speaks a promise that is an essential gift to every believer.

These words are recorded in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”

If we are going to make a significant impact on this world we must be empowered by the Holy Spirit. In the New Testament the word “power” is mentioned 121 times and continually connected to the Holy Spirit. It is the infilling of the Holy Spirit that brings greater power to our words and every area of our life.

The empowerment of the Holy Spirit results in ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary things for the Lord. We see throughout the book of Acts that the disciples performed many miraculous signs and healings – all connected to the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through them. That same power continues to work in and through believers today!

The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 5:18, “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” The Greek word used for “be filled” indicates an ongoing, regular filling. It’s not a one-time instance but a daily practice. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14:4, “A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally…” and in verse 14, “For if I pray in tongues, my Spirit is praying but I don’t understand what I am saying. Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the Spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand.”

Praying in the Spirit each day provides an empowerment to believers that is essential for spiritual strength and power. The reality is our words have an even greater effect when they are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Take time today to pray for more of the Spirit’s empowerment in your life and in your words that you might see even greater power and miracles take place through your prayers!

The Spirit and the Wilderness
Luke 4:1-2, Luke 4:14

As we fast and pray, it is important to recognize that the enemy will do everything in his power to stop the moving of God, especially as we are believing for greater things and asking for a great awakening to sweep across our land.

We see an example of this demonstrated in Luke chapter 4. At this point in the Gospel, Jesus had just been baptized in the Jordan River, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him. “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, He was hungry.” (Luke 4:1-2)

The Holy Spirit then leads Jesus into the wilderness, which was a barren and unfamiliar place. As we fast and pray through these weeks, some of us might be entering or are already in a season that may seem or feel uncertain and unfamiliar. But when you are being led by the Holy Spirit, you will never be led to a place without a purpose, regardless of how it may look or feel. It’s also in those times that the enemy takes every opportunity he can get to distract, disrupt, or discourage your heart and mind.

In this passage, we read that the devil interrupts the 40 days of Jesus’s fast to tempt Him, but Jesus is full of the Holy Spirit, full of power, and purpose. After Jesus successfully resists the temptations of the devil and survives 40 days in the wilderness without food, He returns with the power of the Spirit, and His ministry spreads quickly. “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about Him went out through all the surrounding country.” (Luke 4:14)

Some of us may be in a wilderness season as we fast and pray, but if we are led by the Spirit, we know that it is for a specific purpose. There is power waiting for us on the other side as we persevere. As we face temptation and trials during our time of fasting and prayer, we can remain faithful, knowing that God has something great planned for us.

If you haven’t already, let today be the day when you settle it in your heart that God has greater things in store for you. He wants to do greater things in you through this fast so that He can do greater things through you after this fast. Don’t get discouraged or distracted by the wilderness because the Spirit of God is leading you, and just on the other side of this is a season of significant breakthrough and impact for the Kingdom. God has greater things for you!

Jesus is Building His Church
Matthew 16:13-19

In Matthew 16:13-19, we find an exciting 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 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. 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 lock up the enemy and set people free. Jesus is building His Church and using us to do it! Nothing in all of Heaven or earth will be able to stop it!

Preparing for a Miracle
Isaiah 54:1-6 

There are times in life we make special preparations for something new. When a family is expecting a new baby, there is preparation. Walls are painted, furniture is purchased, and a room is prepared for the new life coming. When you purchase a new home there are lots of preparations – from packing boxes to finally giving away items in storage that haven’t been used in years, preparation precedes something new.

Isaiah 54 records a prophecy about Israel’s future and the preparation for a new, miraculous day coming. The prophet writes in Isaiah 54:2-3, “Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home and spare no expense! For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities.”

Not only were the Israelites living in exile under the oppression of the Babylonians, but were experiencing the shame, disgrace, and humiliation of losing their country.  But that would soon change, and Isaiah calls them to prepare.

When we receive a word from the Lord, we have a responsibility to steward the word by believing, praying, and preparing.

First, we must believe the word by holding onto it in faith and trusting that the God who spoke will make it happen in His perfect timing!

Second, pray over the word. One of the best things you can do with a promise is keep it somewhere you can read and pray over it regularly.

Finally, prepare for the word to come to fruition. Perhaps you have been praying for a family member that doesn’t follow Jesus. Begin preparing for your miracle – buy them a Bible with their name engraved on it believing that the Lord is answering your prayers for their salvation. We are not trying to force God’s plan, but we are preparing by faith for the promise that is sure to come.

Number 23:19 states, “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” The answer is, No! God is faithful.

Joshua 21:45 reminds us of the reliability of God’s promises: “Not a single one of all the good promises the LORD had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.”

God will complete every word He has spoken, and our preparation makes way for the miracles He desires to fulfill in our lives!

Signs, Wonders, and the Church
Acts 2:42-47

We are in an incredible season of seeing the miraculous power of God work in an increased way in His Church. People are being saved, baptized, and supernaturally healed all over the world. God is building His Church!

This is exactly what the first New Testament churches were experiencing. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit falls on the church which leads Peter to preach to the people resulting in 3,000 salvations in just one day!

Then Luke writes in Acts 2:42-43, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.”

As the church gathered for fellowship, meals, teaching, and prayer, they experienced God’s power through many signs and wonders. Miracles have been an essential part of the church since the very beginning!

And notice what Luke adds at the end of Acts 2 in verse 47, “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” As the church gathered and prayed, as signs and wonders were among them, the lost were saved!

As a church, we are praying for a Great Awakening to sweep our area and our nation. Let’s take time today to pray for an increase in signs and wonders, for the lost to be saved, and for an awakening in our area and country unlike anything we’ve ever seen in the history of our nation!