Transformative Power of Prayer Retreats and Fasting

"Fasting has been such a gift in my life I'm so grateful I have a thought I would say my my number one battle that I have fought with in the uh 17 years that I've struggled with this vocal Affliction my number one struggle has been with depression. I hate that Beast I've smelled demons breath I've I've engaged that thing in a dirty significant way and beloved I'm just being I'm just gonna say a real clear I would not be here tonight if it wasn't for the gift of fasting." [04:38]

"Fasting is a gift helping us to pursue the kingdom of God with spiritual violence I don't fast to change God I fast to change me. I am the one that doesn't hear I'm the one that has a hard heart and so I fast in order to slop for my heart to be softened for my hearing to be sharpened that I might hear Lord is saying to me God is Shifting everything in the church right now the church is going through birth pains as God is changing the understanding and expression of Christianity in our generation." [05:50]

"A personal prayer Retreat put it on your list must do and may the Lord meet you in that in a mighty way no in this session I would like to talk about being awakened to the there is an Awakening that comes to us in the word of God and I want to encourage you to pursue it with everything you have." [07:07]

"One thing that happens is this book goes with you everywhere you just you just can't get caught without it you'll just take it everywhere you go because because it means so much to you I sit on airplanes sometimes and I just groan in my heart when I look at the stuff people are reading you are using this time to read People magazine oh you could have Life coming into your spirit right now and you're eating vultures food oh and my heart just groans for me the stuff that people will do when they have time the things they read." [07:48]

"The Church of Jesus Christ and I'm speaking bra General Strokes if for the most part General and Body of Christ has not been awakened to what we have here we have the Living Word of God that feeds the heart that empowers us and some well somebody says well it was just a prayer meeting and so I didn't think I needed it but but this is exactly what you needed at the prayer meeting 31 103 verses to empower your prayer life." [09:14]

"I found that I came to the secret place absolutely for one reason to survive it was like oh God I have got to get something from you today because if you don't talk to me today I'm gonna lose my mind if you don't give me from your word today oh god I think I'm just going to go in say my God what's happening in my life you have got to show me do you do this kind of stuff with your friends and if you do who are you and where are we going with this and and I found myself with this desperate coming after the face of God." [15:09]

"When the word of God is literally your Lifeline when it becomes a matter of survival when you're when you literally live because of what God has given you in his word now something becomes awakened in your heart whoa I've got something here in my hand this is a gift from Heaven man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." [16:08]

"Those who devote themselves to the secret place because they're trying to gain the father's affection or approval need to recover the freedom of the Gospel love you he loves you not because of something in you because but because of something in him you are never going to be able to perform your way into earning God's affections if you spend an hour in the secret place two hours in the secret place three hours the more time you spend it's not like he likes you more." [18:29]

"Try to perform our way into gaining Abba's acceptance we are actually dishonoring the performance of Christ it's not my performance that gets me accepted to Abba it's Jesus performance on the cross and so by faith I accept the performance of Christ the righteousness of Christ is now mine and I am accepted before Abba because I I believe in the performance of the Lord Jesus Christ what he did on the cross I believe not in my work but in his work not in my performance but in buttons performance it's all about faith in the performance of Christ." [20:09]

"The more time you spend in the logos the better your chances of getting a Raymond now I just gave you a jewel with that statement right that we pursue the secret place that's why we come after the word of God because you know sometimes the word can just be a little bit dull a little bit low-gosy if you know what I mean but if you will stay in it there will come a time when the arraignment will come to your heart." [28:34]

"Once God feeds your spirit with a living word from Heaven ah you will become awakened to the glory and the Wonder this is such a remarkable book I love this book every time I get depressed I come back to this book you cannot get depressed reading the Bible it is such an awesome book in fact the pressing chapter in the Bible I think Psalm 88 I used to think Psalm 88 was one of the most depressing chapters in the whole Bible because it starts with pain it's filled with pain and it ends with a cry of pain that's also amazing it is there's no Thanksgiving there's no praise there's no joy there's no hope there is just one massive Cry of pain." [29:42]

"Even in your darkest hour the word of God has a purpose even in this darkness and he will bring you through I love this book and it lifts my heart it empowers me it's my life it's my sanity it's our source beloved I pray for you an Awakening to the word of God let's just pray right now Lord Jesus I am asking that you would awaken the Church of Jesus Christ in this hour I am asking that would use somehow in a small way even this course this book secrets of the secret place would you help us in our discussion groups would you Empower your people be awakened to the joy and the glory of a secret place living relationship with you and your word I ask you to do it." [31:21]