A Jesus Principle

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6).

God will release something supernatural through prayer and fasting. Isaiah 58:10 tells us, “If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom as the noonday.”

God is telling us that a true fast will shift our focus from living for ourselves to living for others; from being self-absorbed and self-indulgent to living a life of satisfying the desires of the afflicted. Those who live to satisfy their own desires find themselves thwarted in their pursuits, frustrated and not finding the fulfillment of life they are looking for.

A true fast is not just about abstaining from food; it is the idea of consecrating yourself to God, separating yourself from something so that your heart is awakened to helping stricken people. It may be people around the world through missions or it could even be your own family. Jesus modeled this principle of living an others-centered life.

“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail” (58:11). God gives you his power, his glory, his presence when you begin to live for others. And God is the one who gives us the transformed heart to make this shift happen — the shift from being self-centered to being God-centered and others-centered.

If you will allow the Holy Spirit to grip your heart and cast off doubt and fear and undue concern for the things of this world, he will transform you. Something supernatural will happen in you so that something supernatural will happen through you.