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

Fasting Day 7: Seeing Your Sin

Welcome to Day Seven of fasting and prayer. One full week at the end of today. Drink your water and fight for time with the Lord. He is much nearer than you might have imagined and your breakthrough is closer than you think. Press in. There are literally hundreds of thousands of people who are joining us on this fast, and we’re so thankful that you’re doing it today. I was recently in a very special place, the Garden of Gethsemane. As I stood there, I had you on my mind. And I prayed, “God, open their eyes to the price that Jesus paid and the value He placed on each of them when His sweat became as drops of blood; where He, in great anguish, took the cup and took into His body their sins, diseases, pain, and heartache.” Many of you are feeling the weakness of your flesh, and your spirit is willing saying, “Don’t quit. Don’t give up. You can do it. Seek God. Seek God.” But your flesh is saying, “Just quit. What difference is it making?” You know what? I would almost guarantee, if you’re truly fasting, you’ve entered into such warfare that the enemy has hit you with things out of nowhere and you want to give up. I’m praying for you that you will not quit, that you will not give up, but you will seek God and finish this first week with great victory. You know what? The devil’s a liar because he said you wouldn’t make it seven days, and you’ve made it seven days, and now you’re going to make it another seven days, and another seven days, because your heart is set to seek the Lord. 

Open My Eyes to My Sin – If there be any wicked way in me, show me, Lord. 

Today I want to challenge you to a time of self-reflection and honest inquiry with the Lord. It seems like everyone calls themselves a Christian these days, but we know that simply isn’t true. To be born again means just that – there has been a death to the old you and you have become a new creation. I am always a bit taken back to read where people can live together out of wedlock, steal on their taxes, rage at their spouse, or fill in the blank…and still come to church, lift their hands to Jesus and worship as if there was nothing wrong. For some it is sheer rebellion and disobedience. They know better and they choose to live in it. But I have also encountered people who sincerely and genuinely do not know that what they are doing is wrong in God’s eyes. 

It isn’t always some overt in your face sin. For some it’s things they do in private, or in relationships, or even things they were brought up believing are normal. For others, it’s living in unforgiveness or bitterness. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to anything He wants to rid you of – take from you – or set you free from. Sometimes we can’t see sin with our natural eyes. But if you will ask if there is something there, He will show you. There is no time like during a fast when you are washing out all the toxins and impurities to have those areas of darkness and sin washed out as well.

Prayer: 

Father, I pray today that our spirit man would become so strong that, as we fast, the flesh would be reduced and the spirit be made more and more like the image of Jesus Christ. We submit everything to You in prayer. Lord, I hold up the people who are fasting and praying these 21 days. I hold up their families. I hold up all the prayer requests that have been coming in. I hold them up, Lord, and I ask You to move mightily. Release angels the way an angel came and ministered to You in the Garden of Gethsemane, Lord. I pray angels will be released on this fast, angels that fight, angels that direct, angels that stand by us through life’s greatest storms. In Jesus’ mighty name, Hallelujah.