The Daniel Fast

DANIEL FAST DAY 21:

RENDERING SELFLESS SERVICES

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OPENING PRAYER:

Father God Almighty, we call You Father. We call You Lord. In Your Holy Book the Bible, You have referred to Yourself with other attributes and titles. Today is day 21 and the last day of our consecrated and sanctified time with You dear Lord. HALLELUJAH!!!! We give You all the glory!! We could not do this without You. Father God, You have revealed Yourself to us Your children in different and numerous ways. Father, You reveal Your power and Your glory to us everyday. You are Jehovah Rapha our Healer, You are Jehovah Jireh our Provider, You are Jehovah Nissi our Banner, You are Jehovah Shalom our Prince of Peace. You love us so much that You sent Your Son to redeem us from the wicked hands of the enemy. Thank you Jesus. We love you Jesus. Holy Spirit, please come today and take control of this session. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Song: Hosanna by Hillsong

 

Bible Reading 1: Luke 9: 57-62

Along the way someone said to Jesus, "I'll go anywhere with you!" Jesus said, "Foxes have dens, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man doesn't have a place to call his own." Jesus told someone else to come with him. But the man said, "Lord, let me wait until I bury my father." Jesus answered, "Let the dead take care of the dead, while you go and tell about God's kingdom." Then someone said to Jesus, "I want to go with you, Lord, but first let me go back and take care of things at home." Jesus answered, "Anyone who starts plowing and keeps looking back isn't worth a thing to God's kingdom!" (Luke 9: 57-62 )

 

COMMENT: The Hiring Officer, Jesus Christ,  has interviewed 3 persons for the kingdom of God. In which of the 3 categories of workers do you fall? No place or Hired or Fired? For the no-place category, are you ready to rough it? Kingdom workers are not staying in the best inns, you know. They don't expect comfort! For the hired category, be a follower of the Lord. Remember, first things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God's kingdom! For the third category, you are fired for there is no procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.

 

Song: Hosanna by Hillsong

 

Bible Reading 2: I Kings 19: 15-21

The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel - all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?” So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of  oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant. (I Kings 19: 15-21)

 

COMMENT: God appoints, and He disappoints. He replaced two kings and asked prophet Elijah to anoint his own successor. Elijah requested the Lord to replace him in fear of king Ahab and queen Jezebel. How are you serving today, selflessly or selfishly? Are you serving in fear of the government? Will the Lord Jesus Christ appoint or disappoint you?

 

Song: Hosanna by Hillsong

 

Bible Reading 3: I Corinthians 12: 1-14

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing  between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body - whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free -and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. (I Corinthians 12: 1-14)

 

COMMENT: Every Believer in Jesus Christ has at least one gift of the Holy Spirit. Identify it through prayer and use to edify others.. You are something to do that shows who God is. Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful: wise counsel, clear understanding, simple trust, healing the sick, miraculous acts, proclamation, distinguishing between spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues. All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.

 

Song: Hosanna by Hillsong

 

Bible Reading 4: Esther 7: 3-10

Esther answered, " Your Majesty, if you really care for me and are willing to help, you can save me and my people. That's what I really want, because a reward has been promised to anyone who kills my people. Your Majesty, if we were merely going to be sold as slaves, I would not have bothered you." Who would dare to do such a thing?" the king asked. Esther replied, " That evil Haman is the one out to get us!"   Haman was terrified, as he looked at the king and the queen. The king was so angry that he got up, left his wine, and went out into the palace garden.   Haman realized that the king had already decided what to do with him, and he stayed and begged Esther to save his life. just as the king came back into the room, Haman got down on his knees beside Esther, who was lying on the couch. The king shouted, " Now you're even trying to rape my queen here in my own palace!" As soon as the king said this, his servants covered Haman's head. Then Harbona, one  of the king's personal servants, said, " Your Majesty, Haman built a tower seventy-five feet high beside his house, so he could hang Mordecai on it. And Mordecai is the very one who spoke up and saved your life." " Hang Haman from his own tower!" the king commanded. Right away, Haman was hanged on the tower he had built to hang Mordecai, and the king calmed down. (Esther 7: 3-10)

 

COMMENT: Esther was destined to save the Jews in Persia from being massacred. What were you destined to do? Imagine, if after all these your years of hard work you went to heaven and realized you had not really done what God created you for! Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to fulfill your divine purpose.

 

Song: Hosanna by Hillsong

 

Bible Reading 5: Matthew 4: 18-25

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great multitudes followed Him - from Galilee,  and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. (Matthew 4: 18-25)

 

COMMENT: Jesus recruited His disciples by looking deep into their hearts for what they could offer His ministry. These simple guys have become great pillars of the Kingdom of God. Only God can transform simple people into celebrities. Ask and trust Him, for your own transformation and for the transformation of your employees. Learn to pray for metamorphosis in your own life. It  makes no sense praying as a caterpillar to walk faster, when you can pray to become a butterfly. Peter and other fishermen who barely knew the days of the week, were transformed into fishers and hunters of people.

 

Song: Hosanna by Hillsong

 

Bible Reading 6: I Kings 3: 22-28

So the two women argued before the king. Then King Solomon said, "One of you says, 'My son is alive and your son is dead.' Then the other one says, 'No! Your son is dead and my son is alive.' " The king sent his servants to get a sword. When they brought it to him, he said, "Cut the living baby into two pieces, and give each woman half." The real mother of the living child was full of love for her son. So she said to the king, "Please, my master, don't kill him! Give the baby to her!" But the other woman said, "Neither of us will have him. Cut him into two pieces!" Then King Solomon said, "Don't kill him. Give the baby to the first woman, because she is the real mother." When the people of Israel heard about King Solomon's decision, they respected him very much. They saw he had wisdom from God to make the right decisions. (I Kings 3: 22-28)

 

COMMENT: God gave king Solomon wisdom to resolve disputes. The Lord Jesus is a Wonderful Counselor. Christian counseling will require great divine wisdom and discernment and understanding.

 

Song: Hosanna by Hillsong

 

Bible Reading 7: Romans 12: 1-13

Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God. Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him. I realize how kind God has been to me, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you. A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. That's how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another. God has also given each of us different gifts to use. If we can prophesy, we should do it according to the amount of faith we have. If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach. If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully. Be sincere in your love for others. Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good. Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself. Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying. Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home. (Romans 12: 1-13)

 

COMMENT: There is something for everyone to do. Christ is your head. It is your privilege to have Him continue to use your body to accomplish work here on earth. Be on constant watch out as a living sacrifice can “run off” the altar. Place your life before God voluntarily. Do not wait to be arrested like Paul or to be surprised like Zacchaeus. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. The only accurate way to understand yourself is by what God is and by what he does for you, not by what you are and what you do for Him. Don't burn out; keep yourself fueled and aflame. Be an alert servant of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

 

 

 

ONE HOUR OF TESTIMONIES, PRAISE & WORSHIP IF MORE THAN ONE PARTICIPANT!!!

 

 

CLOSING PRAYER:

Father God, allow me to serve others with a joyful heart; never keeping score; always giving; never expecting to receive. Allow me to give of myself, of our talents, and of my goods; to give of my time and of my energy, to give of my hearts and of my soul. Help us understand the needs of others, never criticizing, never demeaning, never scolding, never condemning. You have been so gracious to me, always loving, always forgiving, always restoring; never gloating over my defeats, even when I have been so wrong. Father, keep a condemning spirit far from my heart and further from my lips. Allow me to serve others as You serve: with gentleness, compassion, and tenderness, never diminishing the worth of another, choosing to extend  mercy to the brokenhearted, like You have repeatedly shown it to me. In Jesus name, amen