It’s Wednesday, the last day of the fast! There is light at the end of the fasting tunnel—can you see it? I encourage you (and me!) to press on, don’t give in, keep up the fight against ourselves and our human appetites. I have been tempted to quit—anybody else?  But, I WANT a mighty move of God in my own life and in the life of our church, and I am convinced that our corporate fast is part of how God is going to usher it in.

I’d encourage you to not simply distract yourself when you are feeling hungry this last day. . . Instead of sleeping or watching Netflix or whatever else you might do to take your mind off food—spend some devoted time with God. Psalm 42:2 says “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” So, go sit with Him and your Bible. Write in your journal. Go for a walk with just Jesus. Ask God what he wants you to hear from Him—for yourself and for others. And I’m believing you’ll have ears that are sharp enough to hear what he has to say.

Today, I was reading in 2 Chronicles 20 about King Jehoshaphat, and I thought it applied so well to our fasting and to today’s prayer focus—which is on WORSHIP. In the Bible passage, all these armies had declared war on the people of Israel and were marching against them to destroy them. They were getting closer and King Jehoshaphat was freaking out a bit. 2 Chronicles 20:3-4 (NLT) says,

^“Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting.  So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help. . .”

King Jehoshaphat prays a mighty prayer in front of all the people and one of the men of Judah heard from God. . . 

“He said, ‘Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, march out against them. . . You will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory.”

Once the Israelites and King Jehoshaphat heard this word from God, you know what they did? They worshipped! King Jehoshaphat bowed his face to the ground in worship. The people of Israel did the same. Others stood up to praise God with “a very loud shout.” They appointed singers to go before the army, praising God as they marched forward. And they were victorious! (You can read the whole story in 2 Chronicles 20.)

The people of Israel heard the word of God, they believed it, and they worshipped. And God gave them victory.

So, this last day of the fast, let’s worship our God who gives us victory! And if you would, join with me in praying for those who will lead all of us in worship during these next four days of Chasing God. Our worship teams will be giving all they have to lead us into a deep and meaningful place with Jesus. Through our worship, the Holy Spirit is ushered in and we set the stage for all that God is going to do.

 Brad Helmink

 Kathy oversees spiritual development, which includes all our classes, groups, retreats and event with the ultimate goal of creating spiritually healthy followers of Jesus here at The Vineyard Church. She also directs our community outreach and missions efforts, helping our church become the hands and feet of Jesus in our community and across the world.

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