Open My Eyes: A 21-Day Fasting Devotional from Jentezen FranklinSample

Fasting Day 20: Seeing Your Purpose

For most people on this 21-day journey, it’s the end of the final week and you are at the end of your fasting time. I believe you will see results that continue to happen throughout the rest of the year and even into next December as we have witnessed every year from so many people. The fast isn’t just about what happens during these 21 days. I’m going to pray for you today and for your family and for your life as you’re fasting and as you’re praying. Just release your faith now. Make up your mind that this is going to be a year of prayer. I have been fasting right along with you every step of the way and have felt the things you have felt physically and worshipped right along with you under that same set of stars. I never regret one single second I have fasted and the rewards have been too many to count. I will be praying that the Lord gives you extra strength these last few hours until the fast ends.

What If Your Purpose was Everything You Can Imagine? Trust Your Kingdom Desires.

I have a question for you. What if the very thing God has for your life is exactly what you would love to do the most? The problem with that for so many people is that they really don’t know what that is. What about you? When you dream a dream, what do you see? Who is there with you? What kinds of things are you doing? Who are you helping? Psalm 37:4 says to “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” What are the desires of your heart? I believe that God wants us, as New Testament believers, to establish this year in prayer. Drive a stake down and say I will pray this year! You need a place of prayer and you need a time of prayer if you’re going to have the power of consistency in prayer. So just make up your mind that you’re going to have a time of prayer and a place of prayer this year. The thing about prayer is that even if you don’t feel like praying, when you have an appointment with God, you can go and be silent. Your very presence says, “I’m here for you, Jesus. I’m here to be with you. I’m here, just in the silence.” Sometimes when I go to my prayer place, I pray out loud. I like to walk through the woods and if you came up on me, you would think I was talking to myself, but I’m really talking to God. But other times I just walk those trails. The moment that my feet hits those trails, I sense and I know and I believe God knows that I’m there for Him. Sometimes I don’t talk at all. I just walk and think. I just say, “I’m here, Lord, and I worship you.” Sometimes I’ll put on some music in my ears and just listen to worship and walk through those woods and give God praise and give God thanksgiving. You decide in those moments what you will do – but make that appointment – pick that place and designate that time. He will meet you there every time.

Too often we wrestle with the question, “Is this from the Lord or from my own mind?” But I have come to learn that when I am walking with Jesus, I can trust the desires I have as seeds He is planting in me; desires He is giving me just like the passage says. But I also believe that God helps us by confirming what we think we have heard from the Lord through His Word, His people, or by revelation.

Prayer:

Lord, from this powerful place of prayer, I humbly acknowledge You, Jesus, as Lord. And I praise You. I pray this prayer over the people who have fasted and prayed for 20 days. Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation in this year, deliver us from the evil one in this year. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.