7 Day Fast | UNTO THE LORD | Day 6
7 Day Fast | UNTO THE LORD | DAY 6
From Brian Gibbs
January 14, 2022
Good morning, dear friends. Today is day four as we have entered a very special time of consecration, humility and opening the door to a deeper, more intimate and powerful relationship with JESUS! Our desire is to possess hearts that are fully set apart Unto The Lord. We hunger and thirst for deeper intimacy, heart to heart union and a more powerful relationship with JESUS.
Bren and I are blessed that you have chosen to participate in “UNTO THE LORD” by setting aside 7 days to pray, fast and draw nearer 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 and recalibrate our spiritual compass, as well as 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 Jesus in an extraordinary way as you commit yourself to Him over the next 7 days. May God continue to bless you and ignite your passion for Him as you seek Him first.
Happy New Year 2022!
Day 6
FASTING: DEALING WITH WORRY
Philippians 4:6-7 | The Message Translation
“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.”
Worry seems to be an inescapable fact of modern life in 2022. No doubt there is plenty to worry about: our Nation’s future, the election chaos, our kids’ future, the American cultural decline, the economy, the Middle East, wars, diseases… the list could go on forever. Unfortunately, for some it might seem that worry has even replaced Jesus as the focal point of their lives. Truthfully, if you have a steady diet of the news, you can be sure this will happen. (As a watchman, I believe in being well informed and keeping the pulse of what’s happening in America and throughout the Nations.)
However, Jesus Himself admonished us several times not to worry. And the apostle, Paul, tells us in the passage above that there is an antidote to worry —prayer and setting our affections on the Lord.
When we worry about something, we are spending energy on it, wondering what might happen, rehearsing the “if only” and “what if” in our mind. Fear is expecting the enemy to move. Faith is expecting God to move. Why not take that same energy and refocus it on prayer instead? When we worry, we are simply talking to ourselves about our fears of what could go wrong, but when we pray, we are taking those fears to God and focusing on His glory and brilliance.
I’ve learned, and continue to learn, to repent of worry, which is packaged in fear, and then decree out loud to The Lord —"I renounce all fear and worry, and I will not worry, because You have given me a spirit of love, power and a sound mind. I am not a prisoner to worry or fear. I live in Your victory and triumph, and I am enveloped in Your presence and kept safe by angel armies. I set my heart and mind today in You.”
In many ways, I can’t control the future of the big picture of life, but the good news is that God is already there. He knows exactly what is going to happen, and he promises to be with us every step of the journey. As we are now over half way there in this extended season of prayer and fasting, let’s make a strong effort to convert our worry into prayer. As Paul says in the verse above, “let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers,” and you will find that the peace of God will guard your heart.
It’s wonderful what happens when Jesus displaces worry as the center of your life. Are there things that you consistently worry about? As you go through your day, recapture each worried thought, and send it up to God as a prayer. See how dramatically your outlook improves when the peace of God is activated through prayer and fasting.
Be strengthened and nourished today by The Holy Spirit.
Make it a great day and be blessed!
Brian
1 Peter 5:7 | The Passion Translation
“Pour out all your worries and stress upon Him and leave them there, for He always tenderly cares for you.”
From Brian Gibbs
January 14, 2022
Good morning, dear friends. Today is day four as we have entered a very special time of consecration, humility and opening the door to a deeper, more intimate and powerful relationship with JESUS! Our desire is to possess hearts that are fully set apart Unto The Lord. We hunger and thirst for deeper intimacy, heart to heart union and a more powerful relationship with JESUS.
Bren and I are blessed that you have chosen to participate in “UNTO THE LORD” by setting aside 7 days to pray, fast and draw nearer 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 and recalibrate our spiritual compass, as well as 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 Jesus in an extraordinary way as you commit yourself to Him over the next 7 days. May God continue to bless you and ignite your passion for Him as you seek Him first.
Happy New Year 2022!
Day 6
FASTING: DEALING WITH WORRY
Philippians 4:6-7 | The Message Translation
“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.”
Worry seems to be an inescapable fact of modern life in 2022. No doubt there is plenty to worry about: our Nation’s future, the election chaos, our kids’ future, the American cultural decline, the economy, the Middle East, wars, diseases… the list could go on forever. Unfortunately, for some it might seem that worry has even replaced Jesus as the focal point of their lives. Truthfully, if you have a steady diet of the news, you can be sure this will happen. (As a watchman, I believe in being well informed and keeping the pulse of what’s happening in America and throughout the Nations.)
However, Jesus Himself admonished us several times not to worry. And the apostle, Paul, tells us in the passage above that there is an antidote to worry —prayer and setting our affections on the Lord.
When we worry about something, we are spending energy on it, wondering what might happen, rehearsing the “if only” and “what if” in our mind. Fear is expecting the enemy to move. Faith is expecting God to move. Why not take that same energy and refocus it on prayer instead? When we worry, we are simply talking to ourselves about our fears of what could go wrong, but when we pray, we are taking those fears to God and focusing on His glory and brilliance.
I’ve learned, and continue to learn, to repent of worry, which is packaged in fear, and then decree out loud to The Lord —"I renounce all fear and worry, and I will not worry, because You have given me a spirit of love, power and a sound mind. I am not a prisoner to worry or fear. I live in Your victory and triumph, and I am enveloped in Your presence and kept safe by angel armies. I set my heart and mind today in You.”
In many ways, I can’t control the future of the big picture of life, but the good news is that God is already there. He knows exactly what is going to happen, and he promises to be with us every step of the journey. As we are now over half way there in this extended season of prayer and fasting, let’s make a strong effort to convert our worry into prayer. As Paul says in the verse above, “let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers,” and you will find that the peace of God will guard your heart.
It’s wonderful what happens when Jesus displaces worry as the center of your life. Are there things that you consistently worry about? As you go through your day, recapture each worried thought, and send it up to God as a prayer. See how dramatically your outlook improves when the peace of God is activated through prayer and fasting.
Be strengthened and nourished today by The Holy Spirit.
Make it a great day and be blessed!
Brian
1 Peter 5:7 | The Passion Translation
“Pour out all your worries and stress upon Him and leave them there, for He always tenderly cares for you.”
No Comments