The Power of Fasting: Purifying the Heart for Victory

• Fasting and Reaping 00:23:30 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor introduces the sermon series 'Sowing and Reaping' based on Galatians 6:7, linking the concept of sowing good things to the practice of fasting and prayer.
• Definition of Biblical Fasting 00:26:48 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor clarifies that biblical fasting is not dieting or proving spirituality, but rather choosing to go without physical food to seek God and focus on prayer.
• Biblical Precedent for Fasting 00:26:45 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor cites Moses, David, Esther, Daniel, Nehemiah, Jesus, and the early church as examples of those who fasted, establishing a historical and scriptural basis for the practice.
• Spiritual Benefits of Fasting 00:29:11 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor argues that fasting is a life-changing experience that helps believers hear God's voice, purify their hearts, and prepare for spiritual battles.
• Fasting and Justice 00:30:34 ▶️ 📄
  > Referencing Isaiah 58, the pastor connects fasting to loosening chains of injustice, setting the oppressed free, and breaking yokes, linking spiritual discipline to social action.
• Fasting as Spiritual Exercise 00:33:23 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor compares fasting to physical exercise, suggesting it is necessary for spiritual health and helps rid oneself of distractions to hear God more clearly.
• Fasting and Spiritual Discipline 00:34:25 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor defines fasting as a key to the kingdom that purifies the heart and raises spiritual temperature, emphasizing that it is about the heart's posture toward Jesus rather than just the act of not eating.
• The Heart as a GPS 00:34:37 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a GPS to explain how the heart guides life, noting that fasting helps keep the heart on track and prevents getting off course from God's will.
• God Notices Sacrifice 00:35:12 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor asserts that God notices sacrifice, encouraging believers to make sacrifices like fasting or giving up time to show seriousness to God.
• Fasting as Armor 00:37:30 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor describes fasting as part of the armor for battle, noting that it must be worn (practiced) before the battle begins to be effective.
• Benefits of Fasting 00:37:51 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor lists specific benefits of fasting: raising spiritual temperature, bringing clarity to vision, cleansing the heart, shifting personal atmosphere, bringing wind into sails, and increasing faith.
• Fasting for Marriage Restoration 00:40:09 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares that fasting and prayer have been used to restore marriages facing affairs and addictions, breaking yokes and chains.
• Types of Fasts 00:45:26 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor outlines different types of fasts: regular, absolute, partial, and extended, while warning against absolute fasts without direct divine instruction.
• Corporate Fast Targets 00:46:27 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor outlines the three main targets for the upcoming corporate fast: repentance and humility, seeking God's guidance for personal and corporate direction, and declaring dependence on the Holy Spirit.
• Church Expansion and Physical Preparation 00:47:45 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor describes the physical construction of a new building, noting the fencing, dozers, and dirt flying, to illustrate the church's growth and readiness to receive more people.
• Dependence on the Holy Spirit 00:48:17 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor emphasizes that the church cannot succeed through its own strength or talent but relies entirely on the Holy Spirit, citing the biblical principle that it is not by might or power but by His Spirit.
• Corporate Fasting and Prayer 00:49:00 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor invites the congregation to join a three-day fast and prayer meeting from 6:30 to 7:30 PM to seek God's guidance and experience His movement in their lives and the church.
• Holy Communion 00:50:21 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor transitions to the Lord's Supper, explaining its weekly practice and leading the congregation in a prayer of remembrance regarding Jesus' body and blood.

• Sermon Illustration 00:25:25 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about meeting his wife Diana when she was 15 and he was 17, suggesting that God revealed she was 'the one' during a fast, and noting they have been together for over 51 years.
• Sermon Illustration 00:28:30 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor recounts planting a church in Raleigh in 1984 with very few members, emphasizing that they did 'serious fasting and praying' because they needed God, which led to many lives changing.
• Sermon Illustration 00:31:57 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal reflection on his wife Diana being a 'woman of prayer' and 'woman of fasting,' and mentions her experience with fasting during their early church years.
• Sermon Illustration 00:34:42 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a GPS to describe the human heart, explaining that if the heart gets 'messed up,' one goes off track, and fasting helps purify the heart to keep it on track.
• Sermon Illustration 00:37:00 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor recalls his young son Jesse dropping car keys under a deck, using it as a metaphor for how fasting helps hide or protect spiritual keys from being lost or accessed by the enemy.
• Sermon Illustration 00:43:05 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a story about his daughter Hannah facing a life-threatening surgery, where he and his husband fasted and prayed, resulting in her miraculous recovery and a subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
• Sermon Illustration 00:42:07 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the biblical story of Isaac digging up wells that the enemy had filled with dirt to illustrate how the world tries to clog the 'living water' of Jesus in our lives.
• Sermon Illustration 00:47:45 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the visual of construction equipment, fencing, and dirt flying as an analogy for the church's upcoming expansion and the need for spiritual preparation.

• Pastoral Charge 00:48:55 ▶️ 📄
  > Join the church in a three-day corporate fast and prayer.
• Pastoral Charge 00:49:14 ▶️ 📄
  > Join the three-day evening prayer and fasting meetings from 6:30 to 7:30 PM.

[00:01:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Our souls will wake to You and lift us up We've seen the things that You have done And still we know the best is yet to come There's more to come

[00:01:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Worship, pour out, pour out in this place, Jesus
[00:02:26] Make all change with sound to victory You're changing everything Open the gates of hope
[00:02:55] Let your glory come down Open our hearts and let our worship fall down Come from this place, come from this place
[00:03:24] Let your glory come
[00:04:32] Boy, I'm in this place, Jesus.
[00:04:36] Come on, let's give shouts.
[00:05:05] ... ... ... ... ...
[00:05:59] And up in my soul there is life for the needy Cause He calls me to Him in my hallelujah At the seat they take me Oh, there's no sound out of them counting Come on, let's sing it out!
[00:06:25] Oh, there's no sound out of them counting Set free
[00:06:30] The Lord is with you.
[00:07:01] Come on, let's get those hands together.
[00:07:25] It feels so good to be redeemed in the house of the Lord, yeah.
[00:07:26] Come on, church.
[00:07:27] You are my deliverer, the freedom I'm living in.
[00:07:28] You are my deliverer, you are my promised land.
[00:07:29] You are my deliverer, the freedom I'm living in.
[00:08:06] Say so.

[00:09:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Give a shout of praise to the Lord this morning.

[00:09:08] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]:
Turn to your neighbor and say, I have been redeemed.
[00:09:10] Welcome to Lake City.

[00:09:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
Good morning.
[00:09:33] Welcome to Lake City Church.
[00:09:34] If it's your first time here, open up your worship guide, grab that guest card, fill it out, take it to the front desk.
[00:09:41] We have a special gift just for you.
[00:09:43] I'm stoked that you're here.

[00:09:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
So tomorrow begins our church-wide three-day fast.
[00:09:48] Each evening, 630 to 730, we'll be here.
[00:09:51] Just praying and worshiping the Lord together.
[00:09:55] I look forward to seeing you.
[00:09:56] Jesus said some things come about only through prayer and fasting.
[00:10:00] So God's going to use this time this week to change things in your life, in your family's life, in our church life.
[00:10:07] Look forward to seeing you here.

[00:10:08] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Hey church family, if you're new to Lake City or maybe you've been coming for a while and you'd like a chance to meet the lead team, meet our pastors, hear a little bit more about our core beliefs and values, we want to invite you to Next Steps.
[00:10:21] It's going to be Sunday, January 25th, 1 o'clock right here at the church.
[00:10:25] You need to go to the church app and get registered and we can't wait to see you there.

[00:10:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]:
The collective is going to be January 30th at 6 30 p.m it's for young adults ages 18 to 28 bring a friend and come experience the power of god revival youth conference 2026 is just a month away and we are so excited to see god move in a powerful way last year was incredible so many lives changed testimonies that came from that conference and he's going to do it again

[00:10:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
If your student needs a sponsorship or you're interested in serving you can email me daniel at lakecitychurch.org will you be a part of the movement once again thanks for being here make sure to check us out on our socials or our website lakecitychurch.org and remember we love you god loves you make it a great day good morning good morning third service my favorite service

[00:11:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Man, you guys need to pray for all the other services.
[00:11:29] No, I'm just playing.
[00:11:30] Why don't you guys stand up to your feet?
[00:11:32] We're going to continue to worship with our giving.
[00:11:34] If today's your first day at Lake City Church, welcome.
[00:11:37] If you're watching online, it is good to see you.
[00:11:40] You're a little black box, but I can see you.
[00:11:42] It's good to have you.
[00:11:44] It's been an amazing day today already.
[00:11:46] I know God's got something for each and every one of you, but I want to read a passage of Scripture over you this morning, because I saw this and I thought of you.
[00:11:54] I thought, man, this is perfect for us today.
[00:11:57] Before we give, we've got four ways that you can partner with us.
[00:12:00] You should see them on the screen in case you're confused.
[00:12:02] My wife and I, we like to use our phones and just treat it like it's a person.
[00:12:05] We just text it, you know?
[00:12:07] That's how we like to do it.
[00:12:08] I want to read this Scripture.
[00:12:10] This is from...
[00:12:12] Leviticus, everybody say, oh no, it's Old Testament.
[00:12:15] Oh no.
[00:12:17] Leviticus 27, this is verse 30.
[00:12:19] Listen to this.
[00:12:21] A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, it belongs to the Lord and it is holy to the Lord.
[00:12:34] As some people, your personality reads that and you go, oh my gosh, God wants everything.
[00:12:38] He wants everything for me.
[00:12:40] But you should look at that and say, man, God will take anything.
[00:12:44] Some days I have the fruit from the trees and some days all I have to give God is the soil.
[00:12:48] Some days I feel really great about what I can do for the Lord and some days I know that God's just gonna have to take what's left of me.
[00:12:55] Amen?
[00:12:56] But the scripture says it's the tithe itself that is holy, not what you give.
[00:13:02] It's the tithe, the act of the gift is what's holy.
[00:13:06] If you wanna try some holiness on this week, get generous with God.
[00:13:11] Get generous with God in some area of your life.
[00:13:15] That's my invitation to you today.
[00:13:18] Amen?
[00:13:19] Amen.
[00:13:20] Let's pray over this thing and we'll get back into the music.
[00:13:22] God, thank you so much that we get the honor and the privilege to be Lake City Church, that we get to be your kingdom and community on this lake.
[00:13:31] God, I pray that you would just give us a confidence this year and a boldness this year to pursue you in every part of our life.
[00:13:38] Not just the personal inward thoughts in our hearts, but God, every piece of our life, our finances, our family, our friendships, sharing our faith in 2026 with other people, God, I pray that you would make us bold and make a gift for you out of something in our lives.
[00:13:55] In Jesus' name.
[00:13:57] In Jesus' name.
[00:13:58] And everybody said, Amen.
[00:14:00] Amen.
[00:14:00] God bless you as you give.
[00:14:02] Let's worship.

[00:14:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
I know who I am, cause I know who you are The cross of salvation was only the start And now I am chosen, I'm free and forgiven
[00:14:42] I have a future and it's worth the living And I wasn't made to be tinned in a grave I was called by name Born and raised back to life again I was made for more
[00:15:12] Why would I make a bed in my shame in a fountain of grace?
[00:15:21] It's running my way, I know I am Yours And I was made for more I know who I am Yes, I know who

[00:15:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
The cross of salvation was only a start And now I am chosen
[00:16:10] I was made to be tender the grave I was called by name Born and raised back to life again I was made for
[00:16:31] I bend in my seat where the fountain of grace is running my way I know I am yours and I was made for more Hallelujah
[00:17:13] Alleluia!
[00:17:30] You've made my path so I'm not going back I wasn't made to be tending a grave I was called by name Born and raised back to life again
[00:17:41] I was made for more Why would I make a bed in my shame when a fountain of rage is running my
[00:18:09] To be chained in a grave I was called by Thee For You raised me back to life again
[00:18:52] Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy

[00:19:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]:
I was a manger tending a grave I was called by name born and raised back to life again and I was made for more Why would I make a bed in my shame when a fountain of grace is running my way I know
[00:19:58] I was made for more.

[00:20:13] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Amen.

[00:20:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
You can be seated this morning.

[00:20:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Every choice we make, every word we speak, every step we take,
[00:20:27] is a seed placed in the ground.
[00:20:31] Some seeds are sown in faith, trusting God with what we cannot see yet.
[00:20:39] Some are sown in fear, holding back, protecting ourselves, choosing comfort.
[00:20:46] And most days, we don't notice the ground changing.
[00:20:50] But over time, something always begins to grow.
[00:20:55] Galatians 6 reminds us, a man reaps what he sows.
[00:21:01] What we reap is never accidental.
[00:21:04] It reflects what has been planted, nurtured, and allowed to take root.
[00:21:11] Because the future we hope for starts with what we sow right now.

[00:21:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Good morning, everybody.
[00:21:27] Yes, I brought my girlfriend with me today.
[00:21:29] Yes, and it's so good to see you all.
[00:21:35] It's good to see them, isn't it, honey?

[00:21:36] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
It is great to see you guys.
[00:21:38] How y'all doing?
[00:21:39] Yeah, this is the happening group right here, isn't it?

[00:21:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
This is definitely the place to be.
[00:21:44] Why would we want to be anywhere else?
[00:21:47] This is it.
[00:21:48] This is the happening spot.
[00:21:49] Diana has some really good news that she wants to share with us before we get started, so go ahead, hon.

[00:21:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Yeah, I wanted to tell y'all that we raised over $58,000 in our fight against human trafficking.
[00:22:06] and we are so excited I just want to thank every one of you who had a part in raising this money and giving and I want to mention Jeff and Melissa Sutherland who donated all the Christmas trees and that made a huge difference so we just are excited yes thank you Jeff and Melissa yeah
[00:22:30] Yeah, because we won't know until we get to heaven how many lives we've saved through this effort.
[00:22:36] And I thank you guys for jumping into the fight.

[00:22:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Amen.
[00:22:40] So, hon, we went a little bit long last service, so we're going to shorten it up, you guys.
[00:22:47] Don't look at me.
[00:22:49] How many of you have already had lunch?

[00:22:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
We're not going to hold you that long because we haven't eaten.

[00:22:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
We haven't.
[00:22:57] So you're in good shape.
[00:22:58] So why don't you pray us in and we'll get this thing started, okay?

[00:23:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
All right.
[00:23:02] Father, we just thank you for the opportunity to come into your house and worship and to hear your word.
[00:23:08] Lord, we ask that you would give us hearts to receive your word as well as obey and walk in it.
[00:23:15] Lord, we just thank you that you have done so much for us and we just love you today.
[00:23:21] Amen.

[00:23:22] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Amen.
[00:23:23] As you probably know, we are in a series we actually started last week and we're continuing this week.
[00:23:30] It's called Sowing and Reaping.
[00:23:32] Our theme verse for this series comes from Galatians 6-7 where it says, Don't be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a person sows, he will also reap.
[00:23:46] Now, I can't think of a better way to sow good things than to sow through fasting and prayer.
[00:23:53] And as you probably are aware, tomorrow begins our annual churchwide three-day fast.
[00:24:00] How many of you have been a part of one of these three-day fasts in the past?
[00:24:04] Okay, you know, it's just amazing.
[00:24:07] How many have never been a part of a Lake City church three-day fast?
[00:24:11] Let me see your hand.
[00:24:12] Wow.
[00:24:13] I'm so inspired after each of the services people came up to me, and they weren't even around a year ago, but they said, we're going to be a part of the fast this year, and I'm so encouraged by that.
[00:24:29] So today, because we're launching the fast tomorrow, today, Diana and I want to talk with you about fasting and how the next three days can change your life.
[00:24:40] Diana, we've been doing this for a little while now,
[00:24:43] How long do you think it's been and why do we do this?

[00:24:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Well, I think I was 15 when I first fasted and our youth group decided to take us on a retreat and we were fasting for that whole time and I'm like, oh my gosh, I don't know if I can make it through this.
[00:25:05] It was a three-day retreat and it was so life-changing though.
[00:25:11] It was like...
[00:25:12] The Holy Spirit moved in such a powerful way, and God called people to ministry, and just, it changed our lives.

[00:25:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
You know, I think it changed my life because I hadn't really thought about it, but you were 15.
[00:25:25] I saw Diana for the first time when she was 15.
[00:25:29] She was standing in the church lobby, and this is a rabbit trail, isn't it?

[00:25:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
We don't have time for this.

[00:25:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
And I remember coming out of the audience.
[00:25:40] Would you all like to hear this?
[00:25:42] No.
[00:25:44] No.
[00:25:44] They want to hear it.
[00:25:45] They know.
[00:25:46] So I was walking out of the auditorium and I see this young lady and I just heard angels.
[00:25:54] And then I think we went on that fast, and maybe it was during the fast that I just knew, she was 15, I was 17, but I think it was during the, I'm pretty sure it was during the fast that God said, hey, she's the one.
[00:26:05] But at any rate, every year when we do this fast, I'm glad you heard that.
[00:26:13] You didn't hear that.
[00:26:15] It took the Lord a little longer to convince her that I was the one, I think.
[00:26:20] But she's stuck with me now for over 51 years, so that's good.
[00:26:26] You're great.
[00:26:28] Every year when we do this fast, people ask questions about fasting, and so for just a few minutes I'd like to talk about fasting and what it really is.
[00:26:37] First of all, you should know that fasting appears in the Scriptures more than 70 times.
[00:26:45] And so there's a huge precedent for fasting.
[00:26:48] People like Moses, David, Esther, Daniel, Nehemiah, Jesus, the first century church, they all fasted.
[00:26:58] But just to be clear, biblical fasting is not dieting, it's not about losing weight, although you might just lose some weight.
[00:27:07] It's not even about proving how spiritual you are.
[00:27:10] Biblical fasting is really about choosing to go without physical food in order to seek after God, to go after spiritual food.
[00:27:20] So it's choosing to set aside certain physical needs, the physical need for food, for a time in order to focus entirely on prayer and hearing from God.
[00:27:32] When Jesus was asked by the Pharisees, who, by the way, the Jews at that time all practiced fasting, but at that particular time, Jesus' disciples were doing more feasting than fasting.
[00:27:47] And so the Pharisees asked Jesus, they said, well, why don't your disciples fast?
[00:27:54] And Jesus told them in Matthew 9, 15, He said, "...the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them."
[00:28:02] And he was speaking about him going back to heaven.
[00:28:05] Then, Jesus said, they will fast.
[00:28:10] And they did.
[00:28:11] In fact, the early church in the book of Acts, they fasted and they prayed regularly.
[00:28:16] Historians tell us that the first century church fasted Wednesdays and Fridays.
[00:28:23] Our church in Raleigh, we fasted every Wednesday and we did that for years.
[00:28:30] I mentioned in the other services that Diane and I planted that church in Raleigh back in 1984 and all we had was the two of us and Pastor Jordan's father and mother and maybe a couple of others
[00:28:47] and we we started in our living room and so we did some serious fasting and praying we needed God in a big way and the good news is that through fasting I believe through fasting and just seeking out to God God did move in an incredible way and we saw so many lives change we saw so many people come to the Lord it's it's just amazing and so
[00:29:11] We have a little bit of experience with fasting to the point that I would say that the spiritual discipline of fasting, when it's done from a pure heart, is one of the most life-changing experiences you can ever have.
[00:29:27] It says of Moses speaking about his fasting experience, it says in Exodus 34, 28, that Moses was there with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights without eating bread or drinking water.
[00:29:43] He was fasting.
[00:29:44] But the thing that really catches my attention, it says he was there with the Lord.
[00:29:49] And it's like that when you're fasting, it's like all of a sudden you're with the Lord.
[00:29:54] If you want to dive a little deeper in your relationship with God, fasting is a great way to take you there.
[00:30:01] Moses was with the Lord in this time of fasting, it goes on to say, and he wrote on the tablets, the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
[00:30:11] So fasting changed his life, but not only his life, but changed every one of ours because the Ten Commandments actually came from that fast.
[00:30:22] One of the familiar passages about the effectiveness of fasting is found in Isaiah 58, verse number 6, where God says, Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen?
[00:30:34] To loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke?
[00:30:40] To set the oppressed free?
[00:30:42] Anybody need freedom?
[00:30:43] And to break every yoke?
[00:30:46] And then it goes on.
[00:30:46] God says, Your light, in verse 8, Your light will break forth like the dawn.
[00:30:52] Recently, I've been talking about this word, unmuted.
[00:30:55] In 2026, God wants us to be unmuted to share our faith.
[00:30:59] I think this verse speaks to that.
[00:31:01] Your light will break forth like the dawn.
[00:31:05] And it goes on to say you're healing.
[00:31:06] Anybody need healing?
[00:31:08] Your healing will quickly appear.
[00:31:10] Then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
[00:31:16] Then you will call, and the Lord will answer.
[00:31:20] You will cry for help.
[00:31:22] Anybody need help?
[00:31:23] You will cry for help, and He will say, Here am I.
[00:31:29] Some of the most intimate times that I've ever experienced with God happened either during a fast or after a fast.
[00:31:37] There were times when it was like He showed up and said, Here am I.
[00:31:41] Do you need one of the Here am I moments?
[00:31:43] If so, fasting is a great way to go into that.
[00:31:47] Diana, one of the things, honestly, that appealed to me so much in those early days and throughout our days together is that she's a woman of prayer.
[00:31:57] She's a woman of fasting.
[00:31:58] and Diana you've got all kinds of stories and experiences.
[00:32:03] Talk to us from your perspective.

[00:32:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Well, first of all, I would say that I am not an expert on fasting, and I would like to do more.
[00:32:15] When Rob and I had our churches in earlier years, we always had one day of fasting.
[00:32:22] And so it's really great to get in the habit of fasting because I feel that fasting is probably a lost key spiritually.
[00:32:35] I feel like fasting is the gateway to the supernatural if we really really want God to do something then we're going to be willing to do more than normal Jesus said in Matthew 6 when you fast when you pray and when you give he doesn't say if you fast he says when and I think
[00:33:01] It's part of the armor that we leave out like we need fasting on a regular basis because it prepares us for what's coming and sometimes things happen little battles come up and we're not ready we're not prepared for it and we need fasting to prepare our heart to tenderize our heart
[00:33:23] I think in America the church is a little lazy.
[00:33:26] I'm really talking to myself.
[00:33:29] I don't like to do stressful things and like exercise.
[00:33:35] And you know, fasting is like exercise.
[00:33:38] Spiritually, we need to be fasting.
[00:33:41] It helps us to hear the voice of the Lord more clearly and to kind of rid ourselves of all the stuff going on.
[00:33:50] Do you guys feel that?
[00:33:51] Like, there's so many things happening, and I know that young families and young moms, they have all the
[00:33:57] Children, and it's super hard to fast when you have children who need to eat three meals a day.
[00:34:04] Like I just want to give a shout out.
[00:34:06] I remember those days like those chicken nuggets never looked so good when you're fixing stuff for the kids.
[00:34:14] But Jesus said to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
[00:34:22] And strength represents physical being.
[00:34:25] And I think everything that is a key in the kingdom has something to do with either renewing our minds, opening our hearts to change.
[00:34:37] I mentioned in the previous service our hearts are like GPS in our lives.
[00:34:42] If we don't keep our hearts on track we easily get off track.
[00:34:48] Our hearts are like GPS and if they get a little bit messed up then we we kind of go in and out and maybe weave out of something that God has for us.
[00:35:01] So fasting helps to purify our hearts.
[00:35:05] I think that's
[00:35:06] One of the most important things, I heard a statement the other day that I thought was really good.
[00:35:12] It said, God notices sacrifice.
[00:35:16] And I think all of us don't particularly want to make big sacrifices, whether it's giving up food or accepting something in ministry to do or more time in prayer.
[00:35:31] But this is where Jesus is at.
[00:35:35] Sitting at the feet of Jesus is where we need to be.
[00:35:39] And I mentioned in the other services that even if you can't fast the whole time, it's okay.
[00:35:46] Even if you fast one meal a day, but take that hour that you would normally take for eating and just sit and study the Word, just pray, wait on the Lord,
[00:35:59] because that will do more in your life than fasting all day and not having time with Jesus so it's not all about you know fasting the whole three days it's about your heart and taking that time especially to to spend with Jesus I love the statement that Bill Johnson made he said I have purposed in my heart
[00:36:23] To live in such a way that nothing ever gets bigger than my consciousness of God.
[00:36:31] And I think that's a big deal.
[00:36:34] Yeah.
[00:36:35] Living our lives in such a way that we're always conscious of the presence of God with us.
[00:36:43] And I just want to mention a few things that fasting does for us.
[00:36:49] And I really do believe that fasting is part of the keys of the kingdom.
[00:36:54] And sometimes we lose our keys and we forget about them.
[00:37:00] Of course, if you have to drive a car, that's hard to do.
[00:37:03] But I just remember our little boy, Jesse, when he was about two years old, and somehow he got my keys.
[00:37:10] And we're out on the deck.
[00:37:12] I just glance over at them in time to see them take the keys, drop them under the deck where nobody can get them.
[00:37:21] And I was like, thank you, buddy.
[00:37:23] That's okay.
[00:37:25] I don't need those anyway.
[00:37:26] But no, fasting is such an incredible part.
[00:37:30] I would even consider it to be part of our armor for battle.
[00:37:35] And the only thing about this armor is you can't put it on right before you go to battle.
[00:37:40] You have to have it working in us before the battle gets there.
[00:37:46] And I think that's a super important thing.
[00:37:49] Fasting does a few things.
[00:37:51] It raises our spiritual temperature.
[00:37:54] it's easy to get a little bit you know lukewarm and we don't realize it i mean the devil loves to just get us distracted and then before we know it we're not spending as much time in the word or prayer and fasting so forth we just we kind of get sidetracked and the enemy wants us to cool off to where we're not hungering and thirsting after god i think it brings clarity
[00:38:23] To our vision and a lot of us are myopic in our vision and we see our own little world and we don't see the bigger world and the bigger picture and what God's saying to us as how to reach our culture, how to reach our world, how to do things that he has for us to do.
[00:38:43] It cleanses our hearts.
[00:38:46] Again, going back to the hearts, our GPS, it cleanses our hearts so that we can clearly see what Jesus is asking of us.
[00:38:56] He's speaking to us all the time, but we're not always hearing what He's saying.
[00:39:00] And I just want to share a couple of stories before we close up a little bit, but I do want to say fasting helps shift
[00:39:11] bring a shift in our personal atmosphere and perspective and sometimes we don't realize we're kind of in this little bubble in our own atmosphere and Jesus wants us to break out of that and and he needs to be at the center of our atmosphere fasting also i feel like brings wind into our sails when we get tired
[00:39:37] Like, do y'all ever get tired?
[00:39:40] Physically, mentally, emotionally, and we need the Holy Spirit to just bring that wind back into our sails so that we feel like, yes, yes, I can do what God wants me to do.
[00:39:54] It increases our faith.
[00:39:56] Fasting definitely is a faith increaser.
[00:40:00] It just changes our perspective completely.
[00:40:03] But Rob and I, through the years, we have fasted and prayed with a lot of people.
[00:40:09] And several couples have come to us over the years and had marriage problems.
[00:40:15] Some had affairs.
[00:40:17] Everything was falling apart.
[00:40:19] Some of them were separated, but one thing we did do, and I believe in counseling, but I also believe that there needs to be fasting and prayer in these situations.
[00:40:32] And sometimes we don't think of it.
[00:40:33] Like, we think of everything else under the sun but fasting and prayer.
[00:40:37] And through fasting and prayer and of course joining with these couples and encouraging them, fasting with them, God brought marriages together that in the natural you would not have expected any hope in that situation.

[00:40:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Yeah, I remember so vividly some of these cases where couples had experienced tremendous hurt, betrayal, through affairs, addictions, and different things.
[00:41:07] And as we have fasted and prayed, those things were broken.
[00:41:11] We read the passage in Isaiah where it talks about these yokes, these chains being broken.
[00:41:19] And if there's something going on in your life, your marriage, your family, something with your kids,
[00:41:24] So many times we kind of overlook this great power that God has given to us of fasting and prayer.
[00:41:33] And so we just want to encourage you, if there's something like that going on in your life, don't think about counseling first.
[00:41:42] Don't think about some of the other things.
[00:41:44] Think about committing yourself
[00:41:47] The fasting, you know, get serious.
[00:41:52] When you're fasting, I think God looks at us and says, boy, he's serious.
[00:41:58] Whenever I put food aside, I know God looks at me and says, okay, now I know he's really serious.
[00:42:04] But there's another story that you tell.

[00:42:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
And I'm just going to share this real quick out of Genesis 26 because in life sometimes we don't realize that we're not getting fresh living water out of the well because the enemy has thrown dirt in there.
[00:42:23] and out of Genesis 26 you can read the story about how Isaac has to go around and dig out every well that his father dug because the enemy threw dirt in it and I think when we're in the world in the culture of the world it's constantly they're wanting to throw dirt
[00:42:43] Where our life source is, which is Jesus, He is the living water, and we don't want the world, the junk of the world, to clog up that living water.
[00:42:56] But I will share this one example as we close, and this is an example of how we need to hear the voice of the Lord
[00:43:05] Sometimes we need to fast ahead and we're not sure you know that what exactly is going to happen but our daughter had had some health issues and one day the Holy Spirit spoke to me very clearly and he said the enemy is going to try to steal your daughter's life you need to fast and pray and so Rob and I both went on a fasting time several days we fasted we prayed and
[00:43:35] and then I just I just every day would pray and and just give her to the Lord and a few weeks later she went in to have surgery that was supposed to be something simple but it turned into a life-threatening event that she almost died I called Paul her husband during the
[00:43:57] What was her she should have been finished with the surgery she was still there and he said I don't know what's going on the chaplain just came and talked to me and you know at that moment like the enemy was like coming in okay this something's happening and you know your prayers aren't working and
[00:44:17] And I just said, no, in the name of Jesus, I have fasted, I have prayed, I have sought the Lord, and He has heard us, and He will bring her back.
[00:44:29] And through a miracle, really, Hannah came back.
[00:44:34] The cool thing about this, after it was all over, God just did something amazing in Hannah's life, and God poured out His Spirit in such a great way that we've never seen before.
[00:44:49] So God takes those battles and turns them into amazing victories.
[00:44:55] And I just want to encourage you, if you're going through a battle right now,
[00:44:59] This is the time.
[00:45:01] Fast, pray, seek God for the victory.
[00:45:04] Because He will give it to you.
[00:45:07] And I believe that 2026 is a year of transformation.
[00:45:11] And God wants to transform your life.
[00:45:14] And whatever you're going through, God wants to bring victory.
[00:45:18] In Jesus' name.

[00:45:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Amen.
[00:45:21] Amen.
[00:45:21] I so believe that.
[00:45:23] So believe that.
[00:45:26] So on the matter of fasting, there are several kinds of fasts.
[00:45:30] There's what's known as a regular fast, where you fast from food, you just drink water.
[00:45:35] There's a fast known as an absolute fast, that's where you eat no food and you drink no water.
[00:45:43] I did this one time for four days, and I don't recommend it.
[00:45:50] I think I almost died.
[00:45:52] Unless God tells you, and it better be God for an absolute fast.
[00:45:56] Then there's something called a partial fast, where you give up certain foods.
[00:46:00] Then there's an extended fast, which is a number of days long.
[00:46:06] Our son Jesse has fasted numerous times over the years, 40 days at a time.
[00:46:13] and Tremendous Impact on His Life and Ministry.
[00:46:16] But for the next three days, we are calling for a corporate fast, which is where the whole church fasts together for the same reasons.
[00:46:27] And yes, we'll all have our personal prayers that we'll pray about our own situations, but there are three main targets that we would like to take aim at during our three-day fast.
[00:46:38] And you should have seen the little bookmark in your
[00:46:42] worship guide these will give you the emphases but on day one number one we want to repent of sin and humble ourselves before God if somebody says well I don't have any sin in my life maybe you need to repent of the sin of pride because the Bible says for all have sinned and we've all missed the mark and so it all begins with just
[00:47:09] Repentance and humbling ourselves before God.
[00:47:13] That's number one.
[00:47:14] And so tomorrow, that's our focus for the day, repentance and humbling ourselves.
[00:47:18] And then tomorrow evening at 6.30, from 6.30 to 7.30, we'll all be together worshiping and praying.
[00:47:25] It's going to be powerful.
[00:47:26] Then on Tuesday, our focus is that we want to seek God's guidance and God's direction.
[00:47:32] And this is for each one of us personally because we all have decisions to make.
[00:47:36] We need God's direction.
[00:47:38] We need his guidance for the things going on in our own lives.
[00:47:41] And then there's the matter of our corporate direction.
[00:47:45] You've seen the fencing that has gone up all around.
[00:47:47] You see the big dozers and all the equipment.
[00:47:51] This week and from here on out, you're going to see dirt flying.
[00:47:54] The building is going to come out of the ground.
[00:47:56] We're going to have a building to hold twice as many people.
[00:47:59] It's going to be amazing.
[00:48:00] God's going to bring people from the north, south, east, and west.
[00:48:04] And we want to be ready.
[00:48:06] We want to receive God's guidance and direction because we want to be true to the mission of preaching the gospel and making disciples.
[00:48:15] And so on Tuesday, that's the emphasis.
[00:48:17] On Wednesday, number three, we want to declare our dependence on God and His Holy Spirit working through us.
[00:48:24] The Bible says it's not by might, not by power, it's by His Spirit.
[00:48:27] Folks, we can't do it in and of our own strength.
[00:48:31] We can't do it through our own talent.
[00:48:32] We're not talented enough.
[00:48:34] We can't change anybody's life, but God's Holy Spirit can.
[00:48:39] And we want God's Holy Spirit working in our lives individually and in the life of our church, don't we?
[00:48:46] And so for the next three days, don't we?
[00:48:49] I didn't give you a chance to respond.
[00:48:51] Sorry.
[00:48:51] We want God moving in our lives and in our church.
[00:48:55] So for the next three days, we dedicate to the Lord through fasting and prayer.
[00:49:00] And I just want to ask you, if you are a member, if you're a regular attender, if you are a guest even, if you would like to join us, I invite you to join us for the next three days and each evening, 630 to 730.
[00:49:14] We're going to pray.
[00:49:16] We want to just pray over you.
[00:49:18] Let's stand together.
[00:49:19] And Diana, I'm going to ask you to pray a prayer of blessing as we prepare for this three-day fast.
[00:49:27] Would you pray?

[00:49:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Father we just thank you that we get to fast we get to seek your face Lord that you have revelation and new things that you want to reveal to us this week so Lord we humble ourselves before you today we know that we are weak in the flesh
[00:49:50] but you make us strong in the spirit and lord we ask that you would do mighty things through this fasting time mighty things for individuals mighty things for this church god we see a great outpouring of your spirit as we seek you and we fast and we pray so lord we love you today we thank you for the great things in store in jesus name amen

[00:50:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Amen.
[00:50:20] Amen.
[00:50:21] I can't wait to see you all tomorrow night, but before we go, we're going to transition into our time of communion.
[00:50:28] Maybe you're a guest.
[00:50:29] This is something we do every week here at Lake City Church.
[00:50:33] We share together in the Lord's Supper, Holy Communion.
[00:50:36] And so, Father, in the next few moments, as we prepare our hearts to receive these emblems, help us once again to remember what you've done for us.
[00:50:47] We remember the love that you had that you sent your one and only Son, Jesus.
[00:50:53] And God, as we prepare to hold that little wafer in our hands, we're reminded of the body of Jesus that was bruised and broken for us.
[00:51:03] As we hold that cup in our hands, we're reminded of the blood of Jesus that was shed on Calvary's cross for us.
[00:51:12] And God, we just say thank you for your love.
[00:51:14] Thank you for your sacrifice.
[00:51:17] Thank you for your forgiveness of our sins.
[00:51:20] In Jesus' name.
[00:51:22] Amen.

[00:51:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Were creation suddenly articulate With a thousand tongues to lift one cry Then from north to south and east to west We hear Christ be magnified
[00:52:20] His name would burst from sea to sky From rivers to the mountaintop We hear Christ be magnified Oh, Christ be magnified
[00:52:50] Christ be magnified in me Christ be magnified from the altar of my life Christ be magnified
[00:53:19] Five to ten most melodies In every human heart its native cries
[00:53:48] Christ be magnified Let his praise arise Christ be magnified in me Christ be magnified On the altar of mine Christ be magnified
[00:54:25] I won't bow to idols, I'll stand strong and worship you If it puts me in the fire, I'll rejoice cause you're there too I won't be formed by feelings, I hold fast to what is true If the cross brings transformation, then I'll be crucified
[00:54:54] Jesus the doorway into resurrection life If I join you in your suffering Then I'll join you when you rise And renew the eternal glory With all the angels and the saints My heart will still be singing And my song will be to say Oh, Christ be magnified
[00:55:29] Christ be magnified in me Christ be magnified From the altar of my life Christ be magnified in me Christ be magnified Let His praise arise
[00:56:09] Let's give God praise this morning.

[00:56:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]:
We worship you.
[00:56:23] You are worthy in this place.
[00:56:28] Holy Spirit, thank you for what you're doing in our hearts and in our lives.
[00:56:35] We give you all adoration, all praise, and we ask you to speak to us.
[00:56:42] Fill us afresh.
[00:56:44] Fill us anew in this place.
[00:56:46] We pray that over the course of the next three days, as we set our hearts to prayer and fasting, as we solely focus on you, Lord, that you would grow our faith, grow our passion.
[00:57:00] We pray for miracles, Lord.
[00:57:02] We pray that prodigal sons and daughters would come back home.
[00:57:06] We pray for new salvation.
[00:57:08] We pray that as we go out of this building and go into our communities and our workplaces and our schools, Lord, that you would have the battle, you would win the victories, that you go before us, that you would give us favor in all of our ways.
[00:57:26] we love you in your name we pray amen come on church give god praise hey we love you god loves you we'll see you tomorrow

[00:58:36] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Thank you for watching!