Desperate times call for desperate measures.  What exactly does that mean?  I’ve heard that saying many times in my life and my interpretation is when things get desperate you just dig down a little deeper.

When Jesus knew He was about to be betrayed, taken, beaten and ultimately crucified, He spent time in deep prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.  The Bible teaches us that this wasn’t the only time Jesus prayed.  Remember, He started His ministry out with 40 days of fasting an prayer in the desert.

On one occasion, a man brought his demon-possessed son to the disciples to heal him, but they couldn’t.  Jesus is told this after coming down from a mountaintop experience with three of His disciples in Mark 9.  After expressing disappointment in the disciples, Jesus casts out the demon and explains that “this kind can be cast out only by prayer,” and some translations add “and fasting.”

What this says to me is that there are times that a little “Now I lay me down to sleep” kind of prayer is not enough.  There are occasions where it takes more than that.  When demon powers are entrenched in your home, then it may take more than what you ever given before to kick them out.

Are you more determined to win than the devil is to cause you to lose?  If so, then when times get desperate, you get desperate.  When the going gets tough, the tough get going.  Don’t you dare let the devil have your marriage, children, finances or future.  You are a child of the King and though it may not be easy, you can dig a little deeper and win the victory.

Guest post by John Money:

This morning as I was praying about what to share during our continued 21 day fast, I sensed that the Lord was saying to remind each of us of what He is looking for in a man, woman, and child.

So that is what we will attempt to do.  Answer the question, “What is the Lord looking for in you and I?”

I believe 1 Samuel 16:7 provides a solid answer from the Lord.  The context is the selection of Israel’s next King by the Lord.  The Lord had grown weary of King Saul’s ongoing disobedience, compromises, and self-serving approach to life and leadership.  The Lord sent his prophet Samuel to anoint a new King for Israel.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1Samuel 16:7)

There’s the answer to what the Lord is looking for.  The Lord is not looking to see how outwardly attractive you are……He is looking to see what kind of heart you and I have?

He clarifies this further after he selects David as Israel’s next King and says, “‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’(1 Samuel 13:21)

There’s our aim during this time of fasting.  Let’s shoot for getting our hearts so in tune with the Lord’s purposes that he can only say that we are a man, woman, teenager, child after his own heart.

There is no reason that we cannot even exceed David’s wholehearted devotion to the Lord.  Let’s make that our fasting aim today.

Battling sin, bad habits, harmful addictions, and troubling oppressions can appear to be hopeless at times.  Some people make a New Year’s resolution each year to give up, quit, and no longer _____________ (fill in the blank), only to be back at it again faster than they imagined.  We hear about people breaking habits, giving up addictions and being free from the past, so how do you do it?

The Scriptures share a key in Isaiah 58 when it says, the kind of fast the Lord has chosen is “…to set the oppressed free and break every yoke.”  God wants to set you free!  He says that when you fast you can expect His power to be unleashed in your life break the bondages.

As you fast, cry out to the Lord to break those bonds that tell you that you will never be free.  Is there something in your life that has you bound, weighed down, and defeated?  Are you “yoked” (chained, tied) to a bad habit, a habitual sin or generational curse?  You don’t have to remain yoked to that anymore.  The fast God chooses breaks every yoke.

What chain needs to be broken off of your life?  Let Him set you free today!  Commit to God, confess the sin/habit/hang-up, and accept God’s freeing power in power of His Spirit.

Those of you that have been set free from addiction, sin, habits, hang-ups and generational curses, give praise to God for it once again!

Guest post by John Money:

I believe that during our 21 day Fast that Jesus is going to heal many within our church family and our extended families.

According to Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Jesus loved to heal people over 2,000 years ago, and since he is the same yesterday and today and forever, then I believe he still loves to heal people today.  Jesus loves you and wants to do what is best for you and for the Father’s glory.

How can we tap into the Lord’s love for us and his great healing power?  Scripture makes it clear.  It is through faith in Christ, prayers of faith, and fasting in faith.

We have so many hurting people in our church body.  Among our closest friends and family we are fasting and praying for healing from the effects of Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinsons disease, intestinal disorder, stroke, stress, and demonic oppression.  It can seem hopeless at times.  But we know that our hopeless feelings are not from the Lord.  He loves to heal and loves to comfort.

We are fasting and praying in faith for complete healing!

Matthew 17:17-21 tells the story of a time when Jesus’ disciples were fervently trying to bring healing to a young boy by casting out a demon.  The boy had epileptic type of seizures and was tormented.  The disciples tried and tried to help the boy and to cast out the demon.  They finally grew weary and came to Jesus for help! Let’s look at what Jesus did and said:

Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Jesus, is looking for at least a small amount of faith and then our faith combined with prayer and fasting will bring about impossible healings.  Faith, prayer, and fasting can move mountains!

Jesus, we are crying out to you today in faith.  We are praying in faith.  We are fasting in faith that you hear our prayer and will bring healings today.  We know you love us, care for us, and can bring healing today.  Please Lord…..do it!

Have you ever wondered why Jesus fasted before He began His earthly ministry?  The Bible says that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to fast and pray before He did one miracle, selected one disciple, or taught one lesson.  Why did He do this?  He was preparing Himself for the road that lie ahead.

What road does God have ahead for you?  Are you getting ready for it?  One of the ways we can prepare is do what Jesus did.  You don’t have to be the smartest guy around, just follow what smart people do and people will think you’re smart.  Jesus did great miracles, made wise choices, and taught powerful principles.  If you want to be like Jesus, then you need to do what Jesus did.

This is what our 21 Days of Fasting are all about this year.  We are trying to be more like Jesus so we can do what Jesus did.  Some of us need a miracle, know a captive that needs to be set free, or have a big decision that requires wisdom.  The answer is to tap into the supernatural power of God and the way to do it is follow Jesus.

For those who are taking this 21 day journey, is it getting easier or more difficult?  Are you more determined to win the victory than the enemy is to cause your defeat?  Let me encourage you today, as well as myself, keep going, don’t give up, pursue Jesus and He will supply the power for the victory.  We don’t know all the road may hold for us yet ahead, but we can be prepared by getting ready today.

Guest post by John Money

I am calling out to you today to join me in focusing on fasting and praying for our children and youth today!  Most of the kids/teens start back to school tomorrow and will be back into their school routines.  For some kids this is no big deal.  For others, school is such a challenge and even a great burden/source of stress.

We can lift them up during our fast and they will be covered by the prayers we are stacking up for them today.

Ezra was a man who was leading an expedition with women and children back to Jerusalem and knew that there would be many dangers that the children would face.  So Ezra did the most powerful thing he could do…..He proclaimed a Fast.

Ezra 8:21 – I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.

Ezra knew the power of having a group of people fasting, humbling themselves before the Lord and specifically asking for safety for their children.  He was confident that the Lord would honor their humble act of prayer and fasting.  And the Lord did!

Ezra 8:23  -So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

Ezra and the people fasted, prayed, pleaded with the Lord for the safety of their children on their long journey…..and the Lord answered their prayer.

Let’s follow Ezra’s model.  Here is my prayer this morning:

Dear Lord, we are fasting today and praying in order to be as connected to you as possible.  We are also fasting and praying for our children and asking you to protect them in their young lives.  Lord, we pray that as they go back to school tomorrow, that you will be working powerfully in their lives.  Please fill them with your Holy Spirit and guide them in your truth.  Help them hunger and thirst for you and your Word.  Help them stand firm against the devil’s wicked schemes.  We know that the enemy seeks to “steal, kill, and destroy” but you have come that they will have “life to the full” (John 10:10).

Lord we pray for our children to know you, love you, and serve you with all their hearts.  Help them love you more than the darkness of this world.  Help them walk closely with you today.  I pray that you would put a shield of life around our children and protect them from all harm.  Guide them into the great purpose and plans you have for their lives – Amen.

Making room for God is what fasting is all about and it is happening already in our 21 Day Fast.  Here’s what people said to me today:

• “My wife and I are reading the Bible together daily and sharing about what we read even if I’m traveling.”
• “My foot had severe pain in it, but after attending the Night of Prayer, and having people pray for it, the pain is gone!”
• “God is working some things out of my life and it’s just been a few days, I can’t wait to see what will happen next!”
• “I can actually keep up with this daily reading and believe that this year I will finally make it through the year reading the Bible every day.”
• “God has been using this fast to help me to see my dependence upon food, but I’m winning the fight.”

I’m sensing some great things happening in our midst and it’s only been 6 days since I started my fast.  By day 21, who knows what God will do?

If you have a report of God working in your life during these 21 Days, then let us know.  You can email the office at info@crossroadsavon.com or simply reply to this blog and give a report to bring glory to God!

Guest post by John Money:

Today is a time for meat.  No, I am not suggesting that you break your Daniel fast and feast on a Filet Mignon or a Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich.  I am encouraging you that today is a day for you to feed your soul Spiritual meat.

A Biblical teaching that provides Spiritual meat for your soul is the concept of “Repentance.”  Many times, the one thing standing between you and peace in your soul is the need to repent of your sins against our Lord.

Our secularized society does not want to hear that we need to repent.  In fact, most of us who claim Christ as Lord do not like to hear that we need to repent.  We have made repentance an ugly word, an un-friendly word.

I want to challenge the thinking that repentance is a harsh word or an ugly word.  In fact, I wholeheartedly believe it is a beautiful and life giving word from Jesus.

Consider King David.  As a teenager and young man, he was known for his great faith and the Lord described him as a “man after my own heart.”  David loved the Lord.  David served the Lord wholeheartedly.

But along the road of life, David messed up royally.  First, he began lusting after a woman, Bathsheba.  Next, he began plotting how he could be with her.  Then he committed adultery with her and had her husband killed.  Finally, he took her as his wife.

David, tried to cover this great sin up.  For a long time David acted like nothing was wrong or to act like he and the Lord were still close.  But he was miserable inside and distant from the Lord.

David’s turning point came when he finally confessed his great sin with focused/heart-felt repentance.  Repentance means to “confess and turn away” from your sin.

Psalm 51 was written by David as a confession of his sins before the Lord.  It was meat for his soul and led him to being restored.  Let these words be meat for your soul today and a guide for you to repent of any/all sin as you are Fasting:

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
² Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.
⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
⁶ Surely you desire truth in the inner parts^[a];
you teach^[b] me wisdom in the inmost place.

⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I’ve heard a lot of confusion since we said we were going to do a “Daniel Fast” of 21 days.  Here’s my attempt to clear up any confusion.

Where does the term Daniel Fast come from?

It comes from the book of Daniel where in chapter 10 he mourned for three weeks while eating no “choice food, no meat or wine”.  What people have decided from this is that there is a type of fast where you abstain from certain foods, but not all.  What I have said is that it can be a giving up of sweets (choice food) and meats during the 21 days.  This is what I am personally doing.

It seems there are many books authored around this topic that include recipes and interpretations on the Daniel fast.

What can I eat?

You can eat anything but meat and sweets according to some.  The extreme viewpoint is that you must also eliminate all processed foods.  I don’t think Daniel had to worry about processed foods?

Here’s my main thing in fasting:

It should be a giving up of something that means a sacrifice to show God you want Him more than anything else in life.  Fasting is all about making more room for God in your life for a designated period of time.  We have chosen a 21 day fast to give ample time for God to move in our lives.

Options:

Some of you may want to give up meat and sweets like me.

Some may want to give up one of the two

Others may want to give up something entirely different

Again, the main thing is to make room for God to speak, move and have His way in your life.

Don’t become a Pharisee over it!

Jesus said the Pharisees were so concerned about every little thing that they missed out on the big thing – Jesus Himself!!  Oh, they had their fasting down, and religious days and even memorization of the law, but they were lousy at living the life Jesus came to give.

Jump in.  Do something these first 21 days of the New Year.  Declare a fast and watch God move in your life.  Let God give you more of life to the full!

Feel free to share your experience and comments right here on this blog.

Guest Post by John Money:

Here we are…..day 3 of our church-wide 21 day Fast.  We pray that you are starting to settle into a good Fasting state of heart and mind and are growing more connected to the Lord.

At this point your stomach may be telling you that you are craving certain foods.  White Castles marketing team knows that for some reason some of our human minds will tell us to crave their greased soaked, onion laden, soggy-bun little burgers.  They know that sometimes the call of their greasy little burgers is so great that they have created a “Crave Case.”  You can order a White Castle Crave Case and walk out with 24 sliders to satisfy your craving.

Jesus knows what will really satisfy your soul and He tells us in Matthew 5:6 that “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.”

Jesus knows that what our soul really craves is more of a close relationship with Him.  Hungering and thirsting (craving) for righteousness (right-standing; connectedness with Christ) will fulfill our deepest longings..  Do you crave Him?  Do you long to be connected to Him like never before?  If so, then Jesus says you will be blessed (happy, content) and filled (satisfied in your soul).

I pray that during your Fast, any craving for physical food will pale in comparison to your craving for Christ Jesus.  I pray that you will meditate on Matthew 5:6 and say to the Lord today, “Jesus, I hunger and thirst for you…..I crave a deeper connection with you Lord!”

I pray this for you because, according to Jesus, you will be filled and satisfied in your soul.

Blessings to you today….Happy Fasting!