The Courageous Fast

RECEIVE COURAGE

PROPHECY

I hear the Spirt of the Lord say He is taking us deeper in prayer, that we may birth the things God has in store for us. There is an increasing agitation in the spirit realm. The water is about to break. Delivery is around the corner. Yet the dragon rages and attempts to stifle that which is yet to come. But I hear the Spirit of God say Be strong. Be focused. Be courageous. There are yet dreams and visions that are to come forth. New and uncharted territories await you. There are yet doors we must enter in to. The harvest awaits. It is not the time to be weary and give up. Rise above the warfare. Rise beyond the distractions. It is a time to push so you can see the fulfillment of all I have in store for you.

THE WORD

“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God”. 1Sam 30:6

David and his men were living in the Philistine town of Ziklag at this time. He had been on an expedition with his men for a couple of days, away from home. They arrived back home in Ziklag, only to find that a band of Amalekite raiders had come to Ziklag and found the town with only women and children. They easily attacked Ziklag, burned it to the ground and took the women and children captive. David and his men arrived to find their town burned to ruins and their families gone.

David had killed lions and bears. He had killed Goliath with a sling and a stone. He had escaped attempts from Saul to kill him, but this was possibly his greatest challenge. His family, and the families of all his men, were gone. They imagined what could be happening to their wives and daughters and their anger boiled. Their lives fell apart overnight and the men blamed David. They wanted to stone David.

David himself was heartbroken and physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. This would have been too much for the average man to handle. But David was not average; neither is any of us in Christ supposed to be. Remember the greater the assignment, the greater the attack from the enemy. The enemy was doing all he could to stop David from becoming king of Israel.

David had a great assignment from God and no matter what happened he was determined to get there. He had nowhere to look except up and that was what he did. There, inside the ruins of Ziklag and in the midst of his woes, David found the courage to strengthen himself in God. That was the beginning of his breakthrough and restoration.

REFLECTION

Fear will tell you to give up.

Fear will tell you that you can’t make it.

Fear will make you want to blame God for your negative circumstances.

Fear will tell you that there is nothing you can do.

ACTION

Like David, let’s receive courage to seek God; courage to hear from God and courage to act upon what He tells you to do.

SONG

♬ Take Courage by Kristene DiMarco https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r49V9QcYheQ

FURTHER STUDY

Psalm 20:7-8 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+20%3A7-8&version=NIV

Deut. 31:6 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deut.31%3A6&version=NIV