Grace to the Humble
Sunday, September 1, 2019
The last 21 days have been rich times for me, and I trust they have been for you as well. Whenever I fast, I receive more fillings of the Spirit, more revelation from the Lord, and I experience more of His power in my life. As part of the 21-day fast, 12 of us in New York City took five days to really press in hard to the Lord. The group consisted of several Christian Union associates, as well as friends who are transitioning to new positions and therefore had time to take off a week, including a lawyer, an investment banker, a surgeon, and a few entrepreneurs. We spent Monday through Friday from 6 am to 8 pm (14 hours per day) praying, reading the Scriptures, worshipping God and discussing Biblical matters. It was an incredibly rich time, and a few of us plan to do the same for four weeks (excepting weekends) in November.
Why are we spending so much time drawing near to the Lord? The following passage from James 4:6-10 says it all:
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Taking extended, deliberate time to draw near to the Lord pays incredible dividends. Our passion is to see God work revival across America, and that means a good number of Christians need to spend extended time repenting, praying and drawing near to God so that we receive a fresh filling of the Spirit as well as increased authority and wisdom from God so that we can be used as his instruments. The only persons I have ever met who have taken such a long time (4 weeks) of seeking God so deliberately are those from non-Western nations. Perhaps it’s why so many other nations see God work so powerfully, while in the West we see a steady decline in the influence of the church. I would very much appreciate your prayers! We are starting on Monday, October 28th.
Thank you for participating in this fast with me and over a thousand others across America. I’m grateful for your partnership in the gospel. The Lord says that when we fast with the right motivations, he sees our work of righteousness and rewards us (Matthew 6:16-18).
Yours in Christ,
Matt Bennett
Founder and CEO of Christian Union
