Days 4 and 5 of a fast can be some of the hardest days as we are really starting to feel the sacrifice of what we are giving up. Those hunger pangs start to feel stronger, the craving of the things we use to comfort ourselves become a little more intense. The FOMO (feelings of missing out) from being off social media is kicking in. It shows how strongly we are driven by our fleshly desires. But we were never meant to be ruled by our flesh. Our flesh is meant to submit to our spirit. Our spirit is meant to submit to the Holy Spirit. Today as we take inventory of our flesh, we are in the process of bringing things back into proper alignment. We all have areas where our flesh drives us. Whether it is anger, selfishness, gossip, gluttony, addiction, slothfulness, sexual sin, lying, cheating, oppressing others… ANY sin creates a wedge between us and God. 1 John 1:9 stipulates the need for confession. When we confess, we are declaring to God and the enemy that we are no longer aligning ourselves with sin. When we break agreement with sin, it takes away the enemy’s legal right to access or oppress us in that way. Confession allows the beautiful gift of forgiveness to cleanse us and bring us into the freedom Jesus paid for on the cross. When we confess our sins and turn from them, we make a supernatural exchange where we give the dirty, soiled rooms of our temple to Jesus and allow him to cleanse them with his blood and make them pure and clean. Then we can be filled with more of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit creating fertile soil in which the fruit of the Spirit can grow and develop in our lives.
Listening Prayer: Holy Spirit, please reveal to me and help me to remember any areas in my life where I need to confess my sin. Take time to listen and write down what you hear.
Heavenly Father, your word says that if we confess our sins, you are faithful to forgive them. I confess that I have not lived a life free from sin. In my humanness, I have given in to my flesh and sought comfort from things that are not from you. I confess that I ____________(confess any areas where your flesh ruled over you: anger, lust, gluttony, apathy, slothfulness, gossiping, addiction…). Forgive me, Father. I renounce _____________(the sins the Holy Spirit brought to mind) and break agreement with those sins. Remove my sin from me as far as the east is from the west. I rebuke and renounce any shame or guilt attached to these sins and command them to go in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you Jesus for making me new. Holy Spirit, come and occupy the place where that sin resided. Give me the strength to turn from these sins. Holy Spirit, be the ruling and reigning Spirit in every area of my life. Thank you Jesus, for the gift of forgiveness. Thank you for making me clean.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
Resource: Bible Verses on Cleansing
Isaian 58 (meditate on this chapter)
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and’ uphold me with a willing spirit.” (Psalm 51:10-19)
“Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:19-21)
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:11-12)
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians 3:5-11)
Worship Songs:
“Back to Life” by Bethel Music and Zahriya Zachary
“Rescue Story” by Zach Williams