Mensa Otabil - Let Us Fast
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This is the first day of our 40 days of power. We begin today dedicating our lives to the Lord and proclaiming this fast. The Lord will help us; He will guide us; He will lead us, and He will order our steps in this fast. Joel chapter 2, verses 15 and 16: «Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a sacred assembly; gather the people; sanctify the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children and nursing babies. Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room.»
Welcome to day one of our 40 days of power. Joel was a prophet of the Old Testament, and God told him how to consecrate a fast unto Him with the people of Israel. A couple of things I want to bring to your attention: First, it says «blow the trumpet.» The fast was announced by the trumpet because they didn’t have radios or other public address systems to announce something, so the trumpet was the announcer. The trumpet, in those days, played the role of talking drums in our ancient tradition, where the talking drum announced what was happening. When they blew the trumpet, it was equivalent to making a public announcement that the fast had started.
So, he says, «blow the trumpet in Zion.» The trumpet was also sometimes used for warfare, so this is spiritual warfare during this period. We blow the trumpet and say the fast has started. He says, «consecrate a fast,» which means dedicate a moment, a period, a time for the fast. Then he said, «call a sacred assembly,» and the reason is that this is not a private fast; it’s a public fast and a corporate fast. A private fast is what you do by yourself; a sacred assembly fast, or a public fast, is what you do with other people.
So, this is why we call a sacred assembly for those who gather in churches, for those who are gathering on social media, and for those who are watching on TV or radio. Wherever you are, we proclaim a sacred assembly: that from this day onwards, our gathering is unto the Lord; we are joined in spirit and mind with other believers in various parts of the world who assemble before the Lord and call upon His name. As we call upon the name of the Lord, He will hear us from Heaven. The Lord will stretch out His hand and favor His people. The Lord will deliver His people from every trap and captivity. The Lord will lift up His countenance upon us and show us His peace.
We make a proclamation: the prayers that are offered in this time are presented before the Lord. There is corporate prayer, there is a corporate anointing, there is a uniting of hearts, a uniting of faith, and a uniting of purpose. One will put away a thousand, but all of us together will put away so much more. God will do far more for all of us than we could achieve on our own because our prayers are gathered together in intercession, together in dedication, together in proclamations, together in worship.
Together, we declare that the Lord will be lifted up over our prayer. The Lord will sit upon the canopy of our prayer. The Lord will stretch forth His mighty hands and show forth His goodness upon His people. If you are bowed down, you will be lifted up. If you are sick, you will be healed. If you are blind, you will see. If you have been denied, a door will be opened unto you. We proclaim this as a sacred assembly for the people of God unto the Lord, for the Lord to show Himself strong on our behalf.
May the beginning of this day, and for the next 40 days, become exceptional days for you. May the Lord increase you; may the Lord do extraordinary things for you. May the Lord show you favor and kindness. May it be well with you and your family, wherever you are, in Jesus' name. We make this proclamation. Amen.
Let’s pray together. Say with me: Heavenly Father, I consecrate myself to wait on You. Let Your Holy Spirit lead me as I seek Your face. In Jesus' name, Amen and Amen.