Like Jehoshaphat, when we become desperate enough, we, too, will drop to our knees, seek the Father, and keep our eyes fixed on Him. When a person engages this age-old biblical principle, he or she will wake up and experience revival personally. I define fasting as "the abstinence from food with a spiritual goal in mind." It is when we deny ourselves the most natural thing in order to pursue the God of heaven to do something powerful and supernatural in and through our lives. When they became desperate, they shifted their focus to God and away from their hopeless, degenerate, discouraging, depraved situation. He said that they sought Him and kept their eyes on Him. Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast for his people so they could once again see the face of God. And because physical food is not our ultimate source of nourishment, then physical food must be seen in its physical perspective: we must be willing to renounce the natural to invoke the supernatural. Whatever stands in the way or is idolized in our lives has to go and take its rightful place.The truth is this: We are powerless in and of ourselves. Sometimes we want these things more than the bountiful riches and promises found in the Word of God.īut when we're desperate, we cannot have it both ways. We want our cars, our bank accounts, our stocks and bonds, our toys, our recreation, our steaks, and our mashed potatoes with gobs of gravy. Worldly counsel teaches us that whoever ends up with the most toys wins. You are more important than food." This is a revival principle, a resurrection principle and a resurrection always is most credible in a graveyard. He declared, "God, I don't want food I want You. Jehoshaphat learned something you and I must never forget: we must renounce the natural and invoke the supernatural. We do not know what to do, but we look to You." The Revival Principle In verse 12, he makes this powerful declaration: "Our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast multitude that comes to fight against us. He understood the spiritual practices of fasting and praying, and he knew that to fast before God was the best way to show his complete helplessness and humility before God. He asked the people to stop eating until God prevailed in their situation. In his terror at the prospect of massive defeat, Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast throughout all of Judah. He became so fearful that he turned all his attention toward seeking the Lord in his life as he began to pursue God more intently than he'd ever done before. Even Jehoshaphat, the warrior king, was afraid. It looked as if it was going to be total devastation for God's anointed. Jehoshaphat's Powerful Declaration to God There is a story in 2 Chronicles 20 that illustrates the attitude we must bring to prayer and fasting.
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