“God’s Secret Remedy: Fasting & Prayer” with Jentezen Franklin

the following program is sponsored by

friends and partners of Kingdom

connection hello I’m Jenson Franklin

thank you so much for joining us today

on Kingdom connection

I believe today’s program is really

going to bless you as you know if you’ve

watched this program we have been on a

21-day fast as a ministry so many of you

have joined us and we’re thrilled about

that you know when people’s hearts turn

to God when people just clean the slate

and say God you are the priority of my

life

there’s nothing but good that comes out

of that for our families our life our

spiritual want with God and we’re

certainly seeing that the worship has

been amazing at our church and I pray

wherever you are you’re experiencing the

presence of God in a powerful way

today’s message is called God’s secret

remedy of fasting in prayer specifically

we’re going to Center in on the subject

of prayer and its power in our life when

it’s combined with fasting listen to

this message let it speak to your heart

and I’m going to come back and pray for

you in just a moment

you have your Bibles I want you to open

them with me for a few moments this

morning to the Book of Psalms 141 verse

1 Lord I cry out to you make haste to me

give ear to my voice when I cry out to

you let my prayer be set before you as

incense the lifting up of my hands as

the evening sacrifice verse 2 let my

prayer be set before you as incense I’m

preaching today on God’s secret remedy

of fasting and prayer and specifically I

want to focus in on that word incense

it’s one that we really don’t relate to

a lot in our time but it had profound

implications in the scripture Old

Testament and new it’s found the word

incense what is that about well he said

in this writing that let my prayers be

like incense before your throne in the

old testament in the book of Exodus

chapter 30 when God gave instructions to

Moses for the Old Testament tabernacle

where his presence would dwell he said

you’re going to have to build several

pieces of furniture if you want my

presence and he said one of them is

going to be placed right in front of the

big curtain that separated the people

from the Holy of Holies and you will

place this altar called the altar of

incense right in front of this massive

curtain and behind the curtain was the

Ark of the Covenant where God’s mercy

seat in God’s residence on planet earth

as much as he can be contained in one

place was there and he said you are to

always have the priests burning incense

on days of sacrifice as sacrifice in the

morning a sacrifice in the evening and

on special days like the day of

atonement every person is to bring a

lamb for their house

or an ox according to how they had

prospered or a Turtledove

but everybody was to bring an offering

and it would be slaughtered on the altar

of sacrifice and then the priests would

take hot coals from off of the altar of

sacrifice put them in a sensor and we we

actually have one but perhaps something

like they would use which a sensor is

just like a container and they would put

these hot coals in it and they would go

to the altar of incense and in Exodus

chapter 30 there were four ingredients

it could only be made with these four

ingredients and it gives those four

ingredients such as frankincense and

myrrh and there were several others but

four and all and they would take this

perfume once they had those hot coals

and they would pour it on to the hot

coals and that would cause the curling

smoke to come up not only off of the

altar of incense as the priest could not

go into the presence of God without the

incense of prayer and praise going up he

could not enter in unless there was the

incense curling smoke going up but it

was not confined the the incense were

not confined to the tabernacle because

they would then take them and run

through the camp and walk out into the

outer court sometimes I saw pitchers

this week a priest who would carry as

many as six of these three in one hand

and they would walk through the camp and

many of the priests would walk through

the camp and the smell of those incense

as the curling smoke would go up would

feel the whole camp of Israel and that

doesn’t make a lot of sense to us and we

really we don’t see why that was a big

deal because we don’t really comprehend

what it was like and I promise I’m going

somewhere with this so just just come in

here with me

or just a few moments because we don’t

really come we almost make it like when

when the priest was slaughtering the

animals and you know all of this stuff

that it was like a holy hush over the

camp it was real quiet and reverent and

it was a slaughterhouse you have to

understand on the day of atonement there

would be tens of thousands of animals ox

and Bullock’s goats lammed and I could

see six priests as they are wrestling to

the ground a cow or a bullock and

they’re holding it down and they

screamed for two other priests to run

over and hold it down and it’s kicking

and it’s bellowing and it’s and it’s

crying and it’s leg is kicking and they

sit and and this is a little graphic but

they would slit the throat of that

animal in the blood and they would try

to capture as much as they could and

it’s a gruesome thing and the priest

would get up the priest wasn’t walking

around with a necktie and a suit on he

he wouldn’t do this one time but I’m

talking about imagine ten thousand

animals and this blood is all over his

clothes and it’s all over his feet and

it’s all over have you have you if

you’re hunter many of you men or a

hunter and you’ve seen someone or you’ve

done it yourself you’ve had to fix and

and clean an animal in the field it’s

it’s gruesome it’s the everything has to

be cleaned out and blood is everywhere

and there are smells there smells and

aromas the smell of blood the smell of

all of the gore it and not just one

animal but thousands and thousands of

animals and blood is everywhere and then

the priest is sprinkling the blood seven

times on every piece of furniture and

it’s all over him from head to toe it

would be it would be nauseating and then

on top of that you have something in

your in your nose called the old

Factory Oh l fa ctor why olfactory nerve

and the olfactory nerve is a sensor that

God put into her nose that can trigger

things and some things when it when that

sensor picks up it triggers nausea it

makes you sick certain smells just turn

your stomach other things would cause

hunger you know if you smell a delicious

smelling food cooking it would it would

trigger hunger in you so all through the

count imagine on the Day of Atonement

and the reason is so gruesome is it’s a

picture of Calvary the gore the blood it

was horrible and it’s a picture of

Calvary and what our Savior would do for

you and do for me – to cleanse us of our

sins but on that day of atonement can

you imagine the blood the gore the

stench it was just stench everywhere

there was there was the smell there was

this horrible rich it smell and it was

all over the camp of Israel and all of

the sudden there comes this God inspired

substance that is like a perfume it’s

very strong smelling they were forbidden

to ever use it anywhere only the priests

could could could put it together the

apothecary would would make it and here

comes the priest just when you couldn’t

stand it anymore just when you couldn’t

take it anymore just when you were about

to just I can’t handle can you imagine

those priests and the people and the

smell and the gore and everywhere you

look and I can’t take it anymore and

just when you couldn’t take it anymore

here comes a priest and he has this

smell and suddenly it changes the whole

atmosphere there’s this sweet smell that

comes in the middle of all that

suffering and all of that blood and all

of that pain and

all of that gore and all of the

bellowing of the cows and the screams of

the lambs and the end and the blood and

in the middle of all of that comes the

incense that brings a sweetness to a

horrible wretched situation the priest

is swinging the censor and everything

smells sweeter and suddenly that you see

people so thank God for that

oh it’s it’s temporary relief but I’ll

take it and I can almost see the priest

probably having hours of doing this and

he even goes to the altar of incense and

just stands there and says I can’t take

it anymore it’s so it’s so it’s it’s my

nerves are going off and I’m about to

throw up I’m about to lose it so let me

stand here and let me be in a sweeter

smell and a sweeter atmosphere it made

it bearable something sweet was mixed

into a horrible situation the incense

the writer says is a type of our prayers

that goes to God there is a power in

prayer there there is a sweetness in

prayer life can begin distinct things

can happen in your life that are so

horrible listen I’m a faith preacher I

believe in miracles I believe in signs

and wonders and healings and a massive

God can do it

oh I don’t I don’t not believe I believe

in it and yet I’ve been pastoring 25

years long enough to say that I have

seen God not answer my prayer like I

wanted him to pray and I wanted him to

answer and I prayed and I prayed and I

prayed in the situation notice when

they’re swinging the sensor it didn’t

change the reality it didn’t change the

situation but it made them able to deal

with it in a sweeter better atmosphere

and sometimes we think the only way that

prayer is effective

if it changes the horrible situation

we’re praying about into a complete

transformation right before our eyes and

we want it instantly when in reality one

of the greatest things that prayer does

is right in the middle of it it helps

you to stand it I know I’m not out of it

but if I’ll pray I can bear the

unbearable if I pray it brings a

sweetness right in the middle of my gore

and my mess and my gas cemani that’s the

power of prayer that’s the power of

calling on God talking to God I may not

solve the problem but it’s sure to

sweeten up your life let’s get real I

may not be able to bring your dead child

back I know I can’t but if you will pray

it was sweeten up the atmosphere of your

life you may not be able to change some

things you go to that rest home and your

mother who raised you has Alzheimer’s

and she doesn’t even know your name

nothing’s unless a miracle nothing’s

gonna change that so why pray you go in

there and you start praying and it turns

that ugly thing suddenly there’s a

sweetness to the way that you deal with

it because prayer makes a difference in

our lives things come but God says the

way that you tolerate it the way that

you bear the unbearable how do you bear

the unbearable you take the sensor a

prayer and you walk through that house

where the hell may be trying to take one

of your children and their own drugs and

alcohol and it’s not a quick fix but

sometimes it’s years that people

struggle with stuff but what you do is

you just that stinkier the house gets

you just get the sensor out and you want

to our Father which art in heaven

hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come

thy will be done in these children as it

is in heaven

get

this day our daily bread in the

workplace I know money’s running tight

and we need some big give us this day

our daily bread forgive us our

trespasses as we forgive those who

trespass against us

have you ever fasted and prayed God

would kill somebody you ever had you you

know okay let me preach this is it have

you ever had somebody get on your nerves

and you convince yourself that it’s

probably God’s will for them to go on

home anybody been that deceived like

your pastor has maybe once or twice in

his life just just take them Lord you

know what just fast and pray about it

and you get in about the third day of

that fast and it’s just like what Jesus

said he said pray for those who

despitefully use you and you know what

here’s the big deal they may never as a

matter fact they might get worse but

what prayer does is it changes you

it changes your atmosphere it changes

your spirit it changes your ugliness to

a beautiful sweet spirit all you got to

do is pray for those in and this all you

got to do is swing the sense or a prayer

and it’ll sweeten you up and they may

keep on despising you and doing you

wrong and talking about you but you just

pray for them some of you oughta those

people you are hating you ought to just

start doing like this

prayer doesn’t always get rid of

everything let me preach this right here

the father they were from the altar of

incense the more things dunk and the

further you stay away from prayer the

stinkier your life will get the less you

pray the more things sting the less you

pray the harder it is to stand it to

bear it to take it but if you will pray

I believe God there’s a scripture in

Ecclesiastes 3 that’s I love it it said

he makes oh this is gonna bless somebody

it said he makes everything beautiful in

its time not your time but if you keep

praying about it it may be stinky and

ugly and stinky and what a mess and it’s

easy to boat and give up and say forget

it

but if you keep praying about it he

makes all things beautiful even the

tragedies even the losses even the

terrible things that that that are were

gorian and if you’ve ever walked with

someone who was sick and ill and they

kept getting worse and worse and worse

it just breaks your heart and you pray

and you pray and they’re not getting

better but what it does is it sweetens

the atmosphere enough for you to bear it

for you to stand it and then you begin

to trust you’ll make all things

beautiful all things are working

together for the good I don’t understand

this right now but I’m just gonna make

the best out of it and gonna turn it

into beautiful worship and beautiful

prayers of God I trust you even when you

don’t answer my prayers like I thought

you would

Jesus used this prayer when he said

father if it’s possible let this cup

pass from me nevertheless not my will

but thine be done the cup was not

removed the cup was not taken the cup

was not removed but something came when

Jesus prayed that sweetened the

atmosphere of what he was about to go

through enough that he could bear the

unbearable and the angels came and

ministered to him

that’s what prayer does prayer may not

solve every problem in your life

instantly but prayer sweetens up your

life it brings joy to your soul it

brings strength to your life let’s

sweeten up the air in the atmosphere of

our families and our homes you may have

trouble everywhere but if you will pray

about it that’s why what what what what

we’ve been doing during this fast is

we’ve been saying to this church pray

the Lord’s Prayer at least four times

every day at least four times out loud

verbally utter the Lord’s Prayer I’ve

been doing it and the bad thing is I

have been doing more than four I’ve been

doing more like 40 or 50 it just it’s

consumed me and I get up and the first

thing on my brain is my Father which art

in heaven hallowed be thy name what are

you doing I don’t know what this day is

gonna bring that I’ll be prepared for it

because I have created the incense of a

sweetness that whatever comes so be it

he’s never failed me yet my God is a

faithful God he doesn’t require

perfection in our life

he just says lean on me and call on me

and trust me everybody sweeten up the

air with the incense of praise right now

let’s just take a moment

nothing may change while you’re fasting

and praying except the atmosphere of

your own life but he’ll make all things

beautiful in his time the Apostle Paul

said I have this stone in the flesh and

he said I pray three times take this

take this take this he fasted and prayed

take it take it take it and gods strip

God said listen is my strength is made

perfect in your weakness one translation

said God’s strength is not perfect until

it finds human weakness to apply to I

qualify for your greatest strength Paul

my strength is made perfect in your

weakness and then God gave him the

second part I will not remove it I will

not take it away you keep praying about

it and you keep creating a sweetness

about it’ll give you enough to bear it

and my grace is sufficient for thee not

taking it I’m going to give you faith to

bear it now that didn’t make you shout

desert that didn’t make you you’re not

you’re not engaged right now you’re just

kind of it’s not one of what I want up

we’re a microwave generation but we

serve a crock-pot God and he says I’m

going to let you walk through some stuff

and you’re going to learn how to pray

and the only reason you’re gonna pray is

to get relief because nothing on the

natural seems to be changing but when

you pray you change that must feel like

I got the burden off and you go back and

the stench gets on you and you run back

and that’s how you develop a prayer life

there’s a sweetness that comes drifting

across the atmosphere and it’s bearable

I can’t change it but I can live with it

that’s what prayer does prayer says I

some things I can’t change but if I pray

I can live with it and that in then what

they did it was awful the smell was

awful but the incense was just enough to

make it bearable tolerable never get

bitter at God well how do you not get

bitter at God he took my child he took

my my wife my husband he tooks how do

you not get bitter at God prayers are

like incense perfume that sweeten you up

instead of making you bitter don’t get

bitter in God because you lost a child

or something happen he may not fix

everything but like you want it right

when you want it but he makes all things

here’s a word from the Lord right in the

middle of the fast he will make all

things in your life that are so ugly and

so jacked up and so messed up and so

they stink it just stinks

he will make those stinky ugly things

beautiful in his own time you watch what

I tell you everybody take a praise break

just praise God just from

I believe today’s message is speaking to

your heart your life you may have

situations that you know in the natural

they can’t be changed but prayer can

sweeten your life up and that’s what I’m

going to do for you today and I want to

say to somebody watching this program

you just needed a clean slate you needed

a new beginning you don’t want to live

another year like you’ve been living it

and it’s still early in a brand new year

turn everything over to Jesus your life

can be sweetened up with salvation today

in a way you’ve never experienced life

before I want to invite you to pray this

prayer invite Jesus to be Lord of your

life just say Lord Jesus I give you my

life I surrender to you take control

wash me cleanse me and fill me with your

Holy Spirit

in Jesus name I pray amen and amen i

hope you’ll find you a good church and i

hope that you will just follow through

and get baptized in water do all that

the bible teaches and tells us that if

we do the blessing of god just magnifies

in our life and in our closing moments

together i want to say thank you to all

of our friends and partners that have

responded this month and fasting and

prayer we’re agreeing with you remember

as you have done this 21-day fast you

don’t just see results during the fast

but i think way over into March and

April and June and August and September

November God is scheduling your

blessings he’s going to do things that

are going to bless your life and you

know just just see the faithfulness of

God you’re going to see it this year in

amazing ways and remember our gift this

week is this beautiful book that our

ministry has put together called the

gift is in u.s. incredible it’s full of

one-liners and things that we’ve you

know shared through the years and

beautiful conversation piece that you

can place on the coffee table or maybe

out in the office if you have a business

and it’s just a beautiful reminder of

the promises of God we want to sew that

back end

your life as you help us in Haiti and

all over the world with the gospel being

preached this is going to be our

greatest year and I’m agreeing with you

for that and lord I ask you to heal the

sick today

I ask you to encourage the discouraged

to ask you to bless families and homes

in Jesus name I pray we love you thank

you so much for watching and we’ll see

you next time right here on Kingdom

connection

start through Huron on the right path

seeking God’s best in 2014 this month

we’ve prepared a brand new resource of

encouragement and inspiration in this

vibrant gift book this beautiful work of

art is a daily reminder of encouraging

thoughts life lessons and Scripture that

gift is in you is available for your

best gift of $35 or more this month and

when you order this month we’ll also

include the clean slate confession cards

for 21 days of God’s promises to build

your faith and expectation ask for the

gift is in you kit today a great

marriage is more than a sweet melody of

love it can be a beautiful symphony when

two hearts are joined as one husband and

wife

join Jensen and Charisse Franklin for

the one marriage conference February

21st and 22nd at free chapel in

Gainesville Georgia and discover how to

live in rhythm and grow in grace with

the one you love one husband one wife

one Accord whether you’re newlyweds or a

seasoned couple the one marriage

conference will give you the tools to

create the marriage of your dream

I’m gonna go home with a new whole

perspective of my marriage with special

guest dr. mark and Alison Rutland this

weekend will be filled with music fun

laughter and best of all your marriage

will be stronger than ever

go online for registration and more

information and see how you can have a

marriage that’s whole fulfilling

exciting and strong as one husband one

wife one Accord this program has been

brought to you by the friends and

partners of Jensen franklin media

ministries for more information on this

broadcast or for additional resources go

online and Jensen Franklin dot o-r-g