The Encounter E-Book

Gretchen Rodriguez

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Seitenzahl: 162

Beschreibung

Encounter God through forty days of fasting and prayer. Fasting advances our spiritual life, and Scripture encourages its practice. These times of physical denial help us grow spiritually and give us the opportunity to feel the loving embrace of Jesus. The Encounter is a practical, powerful guide to fasting and deepening your intimacy with God. As you walk through this forty-day devotional, you will - experience the love of God daily, - learn to tune out distractions in order to focus on his voice, - encounter a profound sense of his presence, - cultivate a tangible relationship with him, and - receive fresh insight from heaven. Set your heart on a journey of sacred discovery as you fast and seek God.  

Leseprobe

Endorsements

If your heart is longing for deeper intimacy with God and for breakthrough in your relationship with him, I highly recommend Gretchen Rodriguez’s new forty-day devotional. Each day of devotions will take you deeper. I have known Gretchen for many years and can attest to her intense, passionate, and focused pursuit of the Lord.

Patricia KingAuthor, Minister, Television Hostwww.patriciaking.com

Fasting can be challenging as well as beautiful. During this time, we draw closer to Jesus and experience just how much we need him. Gretchen Rodriguez has written a beautiful forty-day devotional. As she says, “This is about Jesus.” You will find The Encounter to be a wonderful handbook to help you both spiritually and physically during your times of fasting.

Beni JohnsonBethel ChurchAuthor, The Happy Intercessor, Healthy and Free,and The Power of Communion

Many people have felt the pull of the Spirit toward a season of fasting, and yet they haven’t always been obedient to follow through on that divine instruction because they just didn’t really know where or how to start. Maybe you’ve found yourself in that place. I am so glad that my friend Gretchen Rodriguez has written this timely devotional. It gives you the where and the how, along with spiritual encouragement, steps for transformation, and Scripture that will speak directly to your heart as you seek an encounter with the God of glory through forty days of fasting with Jesus. Through fasting, we’re able to hear the voice of the Spirit clearly and enjoy the supernatural realities of the glory realm. I will be using this devotional myself, and I would highly encourage you to join me in this pursuit. Every moment in the presence of God is a moment of transformation. Are you ready for The Encounter?

Joshua MillsBestselling Author, Power Portals:Awaken Your Connection to the Spirit RealmFounder, International Glory, Palm Springs, CAwww.joshuamills.com

BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLCSavage, Minnesota, USABroadStreetPublishing.com

The Encounter: 40 Days of Fasting with JesusCopyright © 2021 Gretchen Rodriguez

978-1-4245-6217-6 (faux)978-1-4245-6218-3 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

All Scripture quotations are from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2020 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com.

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Contents

Foreword by Brian Simmons

Introduction: Let the Encounter Begin

Day 1Him Alone

Day 2Fully Yours

Day 3Search Me

Day 4Finding Peace

Day 5Thankfulness Precedes the Miracle

Day 6Praying in the Spirit

Day 7Feasting on God

Day 8Listen

Day 9When God Takes Over

Day 10A Quiet Mind

Day 11Joy

Day 12Motives

Day 13Yield to the Silence

Day 14Trust

Day 15Precious Moments

Day 16The Mind of Christ

Day 17The Power of Humility

Day 18Merciful Love

Day 19Fear Must Go

Day 20Adoration

Day 21Processing Emotions

Day 22Something New

Day 23Our Most Holy Pursuit

Day 24Hands Off

Day 25This is Our Honor

Day 26Hearing God

Day 27The Well of Grace

Day 28Rising to the Surface

Day 29Facing Truth

Day 30He Has Prepared a Feast

Day 31Time

Day 32Unbroken Fellowship

Day 33Sensing the Shift

Day 34Beholding Him Releases Wisdom

Day 35Until Your Soul Sings Again

Day 36The Garden

Day 37These Are His Gifts

Day 38Secrets

Day 39Breathe Again

Day 40Every Day

Ending the Fast with Communion

About the Author

Foreword

After being a Christian for two decades, I decided to fast. My first fast was for three days, and then I bumped it up to ten days. Eventually, I completed four forty-day fasts, and three of them were water-only fasts. I quickly discovered the atomic power of fasting mingled with prayer. Immediately I felt my spiritual eyes open to a deeper realm in Christ. Yes, it is difficult, and yes, I got very hungry. In fact, my wife once busted me watching the cooking channel on day thirty-nine during one of my fasts. I think I was so hungry I just wanted to look at food and remember what it would taste like. Ha! We still get a laugh over that. But truly, fasting brings the soul into the chamber room of the King, where we learn the ways of God through our emptiness and need.

Fasting is all throughout the Bible. The three greatest men of the Bible each fasted in the desert for forty days: Moses, Elijah, and our Lord Jesus. It should be no surprise that the three most anointed, powerful people to walk the earth each endured forty days without food. As the ultimate test of faith, these biblical greats used their fasts to achieve specific goals. Moses proved his loyalty to God and received the Ten Commandments. Elijah gained instruction on how to lead the people of Israel. And Jesus thwarted Satan’s temptations. In each case, they passed their tests and gained new insights into God’s ultimate plans.

Throughout church history, some of the great spiritual fathers, godly men and women who accomplished many great things for God’s kingdom, have testified to the necessity of prayer with fasting. For example, John Wesley shook the world for God during the Great Awakening. His fasting and prayer resulted in seeing the Methodist Church rise toward the end of the eighteenth century. He so strongly believed in the power of fasting and prayer that he urged early Methodists to fast every Wednesday and Friday. In fact, he refused to ordain anyone in Methodism unless they agreed to do it.

Other great Christian leaders who made prayer with fasting a part of their lives include

•Martin Luther

•John Calvin

•John Knox

•Jonathan Edwards

•Matthew Henry

•Charles Finney

•Andrew Murray

•And many more

Today, fasting for the believer involves three basic goals: receiving power and grace for ministry, transformation of the heart, and intimacy with Christ. Our fast is to draw close to God and hear his voice. I call it the “Bridal Fast,” for we are fasting to become intimate with our Bridegroom Jesus Christ.

Some may be slow to fast, thinking that is simply a “work of the flesh.” But the Bible teaches us that we are to engage in good works, such as caring for the poor, helping the broken, financially supporting the work of God, interceding for others through prayer, and fasting. Jesus did not say, “If you fast” but “When you fast” (Matthew 6:16). Fasting is not a “work,” it is a “grace.” I have discovered that there is a grace that comes to the one who seeks the Lord in prayer and fasting. It is a grace to overcome the physical longing for food and replace it with a spiritual longing for intimacy with Jesus.

I love how Gretchen Rodriguez has given us such delightful truths to ponder as we fast and pray. She is an anointed lover of God who writes from the overflow of a heart on fire. You will feel the passion on each page. God is calling for people to set apart their devotion exclusively to him. Distractions may nag at you, but Jesus’ sweet voice will win your heart as you take the journey into fasting and prayer. I know you will love this book. Expect great things from God as you dive in. Grace and peace be yours, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Brian SimmonsThe Passion Translation Project

INTRODUCTION:

Let the Encounter Begin

When a friend suggested I write a devotional for seasons of fasting, it settled effortlessly upon my heart. As I prayed into the idea, the Lord confirmed his desire for a fasting devotional that facilitated holy intimacy with him.

This particular fast is an expression of our intense desire for more of the Lord. It’s a form of surrender that declares that God alone satisfies the deepest cravings of our starving souls. It is our response to his invitation to a lifestyle of holy intimacy and daily encounter. We are setting aside time to be with the One we love.

Jesus is the focus of this fast, not our prayer requests. Regardless of how important our prayers are, we need him more. He is the center around which everything in life flows harmoniously. When we’re in sync with him, he imparts faith, strength, peace, and wisdom. When we have him, we have the answers to everything we need. In him, we find life’s greatest treasures, so in him is where we must stay—wrapped in the reality of God’s presence. He is our breakthrough. What an incredible privilege it is to honor the Lord not only with words but also with actions. Jesus is worth every ounce of our searching, seeking, and yielding.

Fasting denies the natural appetite, and though you may feel physically weaker, your spirit is growing stronger. Don’t be afraid of the physical discomfort. Acknowledge it. Feel the stabbing pain of hunger and notice the weakness of your flesh—they serve as powerful reminders of our frailty and absolute need for God’s strength.

When you have thoughts of food, turn your attention to the Lord. If possible, sit for a few minutes with your eyes closed and lean into his presence. Invite his awakening breath to blow upon your life. If you hear a Bible verse, get an idea, or simply feel his love for you, don’t dismiss it. Write down everything you sense his Spirit saying or impressing upon your spirit. If you’re working or doing something where you can’t step away to spend time with him, simply whisper his name in the quiet of your heart. Notice the warmth of his Spirit and his response to your statement of love. He is there with you— now and always.

Fasting often stirs emotions and causes attitudes and unhealthy reactions to rise to the surface. You may get triggered more quickly than usual. This is a great thing. It’s a way the Lord uses fasting to reveal the areas that aren’t completely surrendered to him or that need healing. Again, I encourage you not to ignore these feelings but to press into his presence and process these issues with him.

During your fast, slow your pace. Step away from distractions like social media, cell phones, news, television, etc., and spend this time with the Lord. Schedule moments for stillness and contemplation where you’re not saying anything but simply beholding him in the quiet of your heart and listening. Give yourself permission to stop thinking, to be fully present with the Lord instead of wholly consumed by problems. An overwhelmed mind has trouble hearing the voice of God. Stillness allows the Lord to fill places overgrown with weeds of stress and anxiety with his glory. The anxiety will lift, his glory will become more noticeable, and you may feel lighter and more peaceful. This is the place where prayers are answered. When your mind and soul are at rest, it’s much easier to recognize his voice and receive his instructions.

This devotional can be used for any length or type of fasting. Each devotion contains a short encouragement, a prayer, steps for transformation, and verses to ponder. At the end of the book, there is an invitation to close the fast with prayer and holy communion.

It is my prayer that you will encounter the Lord in new and glorious ways.

Gretchen Rodriguez

DAY 1

Him Alone

God is the fulfillment of every promise. All that we desire—breakthrough, wisdom, healing, etc.—has its home in him. He is constant. He is the Sustainer. The profound power we’ll find nowhere else. His presence contains our breakthrough, and when we find absolute contentment in him, the most unexpected blessings manifest. Let’s not approach this fast as a way to get something from God but as a way to experience more of the One who encompasses all we need. With uninhibited devotion, let’s turn our focus to him throughout the day and surrender everything that hinders this holy relationship.

This time of fasting and all that he’s working within you will bear fruit for eternity. By setting aside distractions and passionately pursuing the Lord, you’re declaring your utter dependence upon him. You’ve set your heart on a journey of discovery because you want to know him. You long to hear the sweetness of his voice, see the beauty of his face, and experience the safety of his arms. He alone is what you need. When you seek him with all of your heart, you will find him. He wants to manifest his love to you in ways you never knew were possible.

Today’s Prayer

Father, I long to know you more. You are the very core of this fast, the reason I’ve set myself aside. When my soul is in agreement with you and your glory fills my vision, every earthly desire fades. If I had riches, fame, joy, and peace all around, I would still need you, still feel this emptiness that only you can fill. Nothing in this world could satisfy my deepest yearning—to be one with you. So I stand in the mystery of divine encounter with the One who loved me before I drew a single breath.

As I seek your face, manifest your love to me. I want to behold you, to experience you in a way that transforms me and frees me from lowly thinking. Make my desires your desires. Let your holiness infuse my thoughts, emotions, and actions. I want to know you, to live in agreement with what is on your heart, and to pray your words with confidence. Unveil my eyes to see beyond what is in front of me into the limitless possibilities of heaven’s plan. As I unite my heart to yours, entirely resigned to your will, you will lead me. You will teach me to pray. You will inspire me to love.

Steps for Transformation

•One of the most important aspects of fasting is spending time with the Lord. If you haven’t already, decide on a time of day that you can dedicate to him. I think there’s something special about mornings. Starting each day by feasting on his love helps center your attention on the things of God and sets the tone for the day. Regardless of when you decide to be with him, carve out as much time as possible. Release expectations of what you think it will be like and simply enjoy the Lord by worshiping, listening, dancing, reading, or however else he may lead.

•In today’s devotion, we discussed the importance of setting aside distractions to focus on him. Pay attention to the time-stealers in your life. A fifteen-minute social media check, a short game on an app, a television show— none of these are wrong—but during this fast, notice these mindless habits. Perhaps you can cut some of them out, and instead, tune into the Lord, ponder a verse, or pray in the Spirit. Learning to be more intentional with the minutes and hours you have and using them to focus on him is one way to grow closer to the Lord.

So I stand in the mystery of divine encounterwith the One who loved me before I drew a single breath.

Scripture to Ponder

Here’s the one thing I crave from Yahweh,the one thing I seek above all else:I want to live with him every moment in his house,beholding the marvelous beauty of Yahweh,filled with awe, delighting in his glory and grace.I want to contemplate in his temple.

PSALM 27:4

Just as I moved past them, I encountered him.I found the one I adore!I caught him and fastened myself to him,refusing to be feeble in my heart again.Now I’ll bring him back to the temple withinwhere I was given new birth—into my innermost parts, the place of my conceiving.

SONG OF SONGS 3:4

Seek more of his strength! Seek more of him!Let’s always be seeking the light of his face.

PSALM 105:4

DAY 2

Fully Yours

There is something beautiful about times of fasting. This physical expression of our internal desire for connection with God awakens every part of us—spirit, soul, and body. As we respond to the beckoning of his Spirit to push aside the plate, a deeper hunger eventually takes over. We become aware of our physical emptiness. We slow down to recognize his invitation to a more fulfilling life.

Fasting forces us to pay attention. It strips away distraction and reminds us of what’s essential. Our weak flesh serves as a reminder— every breath and each beat of our heart are dependent on a source more significant than food. For our prayers to flow in agreement with God’s will, we first surrender. We resign ourselves to the discomfort of hunger, instead of fighting it. We plunge into the emptiness and discover his Spirit filling every void. We find the One our soul truly loves and deeply longs for. When we didn’t realize how lifeless, stagnant, and distracted we were, God, in his mercy, invites us to taste and see that he is good. His presence brings us back to life and restores our soul.

Today’s Prayer

Lord, setting aside all distractions, I turn my heart to you. This fast reflects my desire to be fully yours. Make me tender. Capture my attention and teach me to set my gaze on what is true, holy, and magnificent. Draw me close. Even closer, until every yearning for you is uninterrupted.

Though there are situations and people on my heart and my list of prayers is long, I seek you first. I choose to drink from the well of truth so it will saturate every thought and drown every fear. I lay my burdens at your feet as an offering of love, as a token of my decision to trust. I need you. I need your anointing of grace—not just for this fast but every day and every moment.

You’re calling me higher. I hear you. Feel you in my bones. This is why I’ve come: to learn to exist in the reality of your presence, to rise above lowly thinking and soar on clouds of faith, to forsake worldly distraction and run with you—to walk in the peace that defies circumstances. Consume me with the awareness of your love. May nothing hinder me from a lifestyle of holy and absolute devotion.

Steps for Transformation

•