21 Day Fast | Day 20
21 Day VICTORY Fast | Day 20
From Pastor Brian Gibbs
January 23rd, 2021
Good morning, dear friends! Today is day twenty as we have entered a very special time of consecration and humility and we open the door to a deeper, more intimate and more powerful relationship with our Father!
Bren and I are blessed that you have chosen to participate in the VICTORY FAST by setting aside 21 days to pray, fast and draw near to God. Fasting is not just an exercise for super-spiritual people. It is actually supposed to a part of every believer’s personal and private spiritual life. Personally, we have found there is no better way to reset our spiritual compass and bring about change and discipline in every area of our lives than through fasting.
We pray that you will experience the presence and power of God in an extraordinary way as you commit yourself to Him over the next 21 days. May God continue to bless you and ignite your passion for Him as you seek Him first!
For these 21 days together, I will provide a daily biblical focus and some thoughts to encourage and strengthen you throughout the fast.
FASTING: Brings Deliverance
Day 20
“Is this not the fast I have chosen? To loose the
bands of wickedness….” — Isaiah 58:6 (KJV)
“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the
Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” — Colossians 1:13 (NKJV)
We have been delivered from the power of darkness through the sacrifice of Jesus. Praise our God! The price has been fully paid. If there is any harassing, oppressive yoke against you, be encouraged—your inheritance is victory and freedom in Christ. Yet, anyone in Christ failing to receive deliverance from bondage is being held back by this one thing—unbelief.
This is what happened to Jesus’ apostles. Jesus had given them power to cast out the devil (Luke 10:19), and they even experienced some of that power (verse 17). But in Mark 9:28, we find them staggering in a challenging and tough situation when they were unable to drive a demon out of a young boy. When they later asked Jesus why they had failed, He said, “Because of your unbelief.” But He also went on to say — “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting” (verse 29, NKJV).
Now fasting, in this instance, would not have changed God, or His will, concerning the boy. But it would have changed the disciples. Jesus had already directed the disciples to cast the demon out. That demon was undoubtedly stubborn, and when he resisted, the disciples slipped into unbelief. Had they been fasting and praying, they would have been strong in the spirit, and they would have been able to do exactly what Jesus did— cast the demon out!
(See John 14:12.)
As a believer, when you begin to face a temptation to submit to darkness, start fasting and praying. Get into the presence of God through quiet quality time with the Lord in worship and His Word, until you get enough of the Word of God in you to separate you from the things that are trying to pull you back. This is a major key to victory!
Keep this in mind too—it’s not the fasting itself that brings the deliverance, but spiritual fasting leads to deliverance. Jesus has already obtained deliverance through the completed work of Redemption. The Holy Spirit who lives within you knows how to pray in order to bring the deliverance. Fasting simply brings the spirit man, which is in union with the Holy Spirit, into ascendance over the flesh. It also limits the influence of the physical appetites, so you can more effectively hear from and respond to the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps you have been praying for unsaved family members. You may feel that there should be
more you can do to see them come into salvation. Your fast may be undertaken as a time of special intercession and breakthrough. In this case, you are not trying to motivate God to save them. He has been trying to do that for years. You are simply making a faith connection with our Heavenly Father, giving Him the opportunity and the faith to get that job accomplished. Establish that as your reward.
This is also true of a proclaimed fast. Declare the purpose of the fast and that will be the reward.
An Important Word of Caution:
As you embark on the quest for the rewards of fasting, be sure you have met the conditions required to see results. Be sure you get rid of all strife, gossip or anything else that is out of the love walk. You must be operating in the love of God to see results from a fast. These conditions prevent Satan from coming in and destroying the effectiveness of the fast. If you are not operating in love, your fasting will not profit you.
Are you ready to receive the rewards of fasting? Fasting subdues the flesh, fasting brings revelation, and fasting leads to deliverance. Fasting unto God is worth the sacrifice!
Feast on The Lord today! Separate yourself from the things of the world — your rewards will be priceless!
Make it a great day and be blessed!
Brian
From Pastor Brian Gibbs
January 23rd, 2021
Good morning, dear friends! Today is day twenty as we have entered a very special time of consecration and humility and we open the door to a deeper, more intimate and more powerful relationship with our Father!
Bren and I are blessed that you have chosen to participate in the VICTORY FAST by setting aside 21 days to pray, fast and draw near to God. Fasting is not just an exercise for super-spiritual people. It is actually supposed to a part of every believer’s personal and private spiritual life. Personally, we have found there is no better way to reset our spiritual compass and bring about change and discipline in every area of our lives than through fasting.
We pray that you will experience the presence and power of God in an extraordinary way as you commit yourself to Him over the next 21 days. May God continue to bless you and ignite your passion for Him as you seek Him first!
For these 21 days together, I will provide a daily biblical focus and some thoughts to encourage and strengthen you throughout the fast.
FASTING: Brings Deliverance
Day 20
“Is this not the fast I have chosen? To loose the
bands of wickedness….” — Isaiah 58:6 (KJV)
“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the
Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” — Colossians 1:13 (NKJV)
We have been delivered from the power of darkness through the sacrifice of Jesus. Praise our God! The price has been fully paid. If there is any harassing, oppressive yoke against you, be encouraged—your inheritance is victory and freedom in Christ. Yet, anyone in Christ failing to receive deliverance from bondage is being held back by this one thing—unbelief.
This is what happened to Jesus’ apostles. Jesus had given them power to cast out the devil (Luke 10:19), and they even experienced some of that power (verse 17). But in Mark 9:28, we find them staggering in a challenging and tough situation when they were unable to drive a demon out of a young boy. When they later asked Jesus why they had failed, He said, “Because of your unbelief.” But He also went on to say — “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting” (verse 29, NKJV).
Now fasting, in this instance, would not have changed God, or His will, concerning the boy. But it would have changed the disciples. Jesus had already directed the disciples to cast the demon out. That demon was undoubtedly stubborn, and when he resisted, the disciples slipped into unbelief. Had they been fasting and praying, they would have been strong in the spirit, and they would have been able to do exactly what Jesus did— cast the demon out!
(See John 14:12.)
As a believer, when you begin to face a temptation to submit to darkness, start fasting and praying. Get into the presence of God through quiet quality time with the Lord in worship and His Word, until you get enough of the Word of God in you to separate you from the things that are trying to pull you back. This is a major key to victory!
Keep this in mind too—it’s not the fasting itself that brings the deliverance, but spiritual fasting leads to deliverance. Jesus has already obtained deliverance through the completed work of Redemption. The Holy Spirit who lives within you knows how to pray in order to bring the deliverance. Fasting simply brings the spirit man, which is in union with the Holy Spirit, into ascendance over the flesh. It also limits the influence of the physical appetites, so you can more effectively hear from and respond to the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps you have been praying for unsaved family members. You may feel that there should be
more you can do to see them come into salvation. Your fast may be undertaken as a time of special intercession and breakthrough. In this case, you are not trying to motivate God to save them. He has been trying to do that for years. You are simply making a faith connection with our Heavenly Father, giving Him the opportunity and the faith to get that job accomplished. Establish that as your reward.
This is also true of a proclaimed fast. Declare the purpose of the fast and that will be the reward.
An Important Word of Caution:
As you embark on the quest for the rewards of fasting, be sure you have met the conditions required to see results. Be sure you get rid of all strife, gossip or anything else that is out of the love walk. You must be operating in the love of God to see results from a fast. These conditions prevent Satan from coming in and destroying the effectiveness of the fast. If you are not operating in love, your fasting will not profit you.
Are you ready to receive the rewards of fasting? Fasting subdues the flesh, fasting brings revelation, and fasting leads to deliverance. Fasting unto God is worth the sacrifice!
Feast on The Lord today! Separate yourself from the things of the world — your rewards will be priceless!
Make it a great day and be blessed!
Brian
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