As a word of encouragement:
Well, here we are in day ten already – I like to think we are in the groove of it all at this point! Most headaches have passed if you are doing the total fast, and I am sure you have seen the faithfulness of God in these past few days. It is amazing just how quickly fasting gains God’s attention!
I was reading in the Scriptures the other day during the fast, and a certain Scripture jumped off of the page at me. Can you remember a time in the past when you suddenly saw something in the Bible you had never seen before? The truth had been there all along, but it had been hidden to your eyes. Then suddenly one day, it was as if someone pulled the covers off that verse, and it literally jumped off the pages in front of you. You saw it! You understood it! You had a revelation! This is what happens when we fast. We gain revelation.
A revelation is something that has been veiled or hidden for a long time and then suddenly, almost instantaneously, becomes clear and visible to the mind or eye. It is a fact that truths remain hidden until God chooses to reveal them to us. This is why Paul prayed for God “to give” the Ephesian church a spirit of wisdom and revelation. “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (Eph. 1:17).” From my personal experience, I have gained more revelation from God’s Word during a fast than any other time in my life! I am sure you are starting to feel the same way?
God has all the answers we need for this year. By ourselves, we will never be smart enough to figure it all out. So like Paul, we need to beseech God to impart to us the wisdom we need during this fast. This kind of wisdom only comes to us by revelation – which only God can give. If you need guidance and direction today, stop right now and pray Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:17 in your own life. In one moment, He can remove the veil of ignorance and help you see clearly the things you need to understand. All you have to do is ASK this fast!
So what was the Scripture that was revelation to me the other day?
"And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him." - Acts 5:32
As we are on this journey together fasting over these next few weeks, I am so encouraged by this Scripture. What excites me about this Scripture is its promise. I have seen so many people passively wait for the Spirit to imbue and endue them. This week I gained a new perspective from it: each new act of obedience will always bring a new baptism of His Spirit and love! As we obey the Lord in fasting (Matt. 6), He promises a fresh baptism of His Spirit. Oh how we need that!
We need a baptism of His Spirit in this New Year. We must allow love to be perfected in our lives through simple obedience, like fasting. Sin does not destroy God's love, it frustrates it; but as we combine our hearts together and walk in obedience, He promises to give us His Holy Spirit.
Each of us over the next month must empty ourselves of selfish ambition. It is time for us to hold up our emptied vessels to be filled with the grace of God. I pray that you are experiencing a fresh baptism as you obey Him during this fast!
How have you experienced a fresh baptism of His Spirit in these first ten days of the fast? What new revelation has God given to you as you’ve sought Him in His Word? In what areas of your life do you need His wisdom that only comes from revelation?
It’s always an honor,
Pastor Craig Mosgrove
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