And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind Romans 12:2
The Mind of Christ Who can deny the character-changing effects of having the Mind of Christ? It’s not a matter of being religious or belonging to a particular denomination. It’s about having a new identity and a new life; It’s about being a new creation, a new man. The natural man gives way to a spiritual man, the selfish man gives way to a generous man, the cynical man gives way to a kind man, it’s a huge transformation in all aspects that takes place deep within a person. Having the mind of the Lord Jesus isn’t an option, it is a matter of survival.
The human mind is conformed to this world—it is fleshly and for as long as a person carries within them this earthly mentality it is subject to the influence of the ruler of this world, the devil. The word of God tells us to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
This is what we will be doing throughout this 21 days Fast of Daniel, we will disconnect “That which is born of flesh is flesh, and from all that is secular and apply ourselves that which is born of Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6) to seek to have the Mind of Christ.
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Your 21 days IN THE UPPER ROOM
The upper room represents a place of prayer. It is a special space, separated from everything else with the sole purpose of entreating God, and in this 21 days, it will be to earnestly seek the outpouring of the Holy Spirit just like on the day of Pentecost. You cannot go back in time to the Cenacle or fly out to Jerusalem on a whim but you can create your very own ‘upper room’ right here where you are. Prepare a special place that will be your meeting spot with God. Make sure it’s a quiet space where there are no distractions, a location where you can keep your Bible and notebook and consecrate it so that throughout the Fast of Daniel, each time you go to your ‘upper room’, you will have a great encounter with God. Every morning at 6.30am, be sure to connect to The Upper Room at Dawn on libertyradio.co.uk for a powerful word that will help you on your journey to receiving the Mind of Christ. 5|
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus Philippians 2:5
DAY 1
Verse of the day
Spiritual Cleansing - Vanity
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
We must understand that if our body is indeed the temple of the Holy Spirit, then we must present it to God as a perfect offering. The Holy Spirit will not live in a temple (our body), that still gives in to addictions, lusts, wrong desires of the flesh, etc. There is something to be said also about how we look after our health and hygiene. Just like the church building is kept in optimum condition and cleanliness, the same care should be invested in our bodies.
Being that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, it is important we look after our health, hygiene, and to a certain extent our appearance. But we must be careful that we do not cross the line into vanity. Take time to see if you’ve been spending undue time thinking about your own appearance.
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DAY 2
Verse of the day “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
John 14:26
It is normal for us to need guidance once in a while from someone who is more experienced. However, it is not normal for someone to be constantly in need of reassurance from third parties when it comes to their decisions. One of the signs that a person is still empty of the presence of God, is that they are always uncertain about what to do when it comes to making decisions. On the other hand, those who are of God are convinced by the Holy Spirit Himself on what to do, because He guides them to all truth. Spiritual Cleansing - Wrong Friendships If you find yourself having friendships that lead you away from God’s path, it’s time to let those go. It’s not worth sacrificing your salvation for friends who influence you in a negative way.
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DAY 3
Verse of the day
Spiritual Cleansing - Lying
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2
We will always be successful in finding reasons as to why we are still not perfect enough to receive the Holy Spirit. But we must remember that we are justified by faith, and it is our faith that gives access to the throne of God, and His promise of the Holy Spirit. Of course, this is not a green light to do whatever we want. Remember that faith can only work with a clean conscience. It is just a reminder that yes; we must live daily lives of sacrifice, but we still depend on our faith to attain the promise of the Holy Spirit.
There is no form of acceptable lying. There is no such thing as lying for a good cause, to get out of trouble, or even white lies. Remember that it is satan that is called in the Bible the father of lies. Make a pact that lies will never come from your lips. 9|
DAY 4
Verse of the day “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”
Acts 4:31
We could probably call the moment the disciples were waiting for the baptism with the Holy Spirit, a kind of Fast of Daniel. Think about it, for several days they hardly left the place where they were gathered daily. They did not get distracted with anything and remained focused on why they were there, and remained in spirit of prayer continually. It was for this reason that the Spirit of God descended upon all those who were there. He found in them a desire and thirst to receive Him that overrode their lives as they were at risk just for being at Jerusalem, while the disciples were being hunted down. Spiritual Cleansing - Anger No one is perfect, and everyone certainly gets angry sometimes. The problem is when you carry anger around in your heart. It makes you a bitter and angry person, and certainly the Holy Spirit cannot live in a heart like that. Decide to wash any remnants of anger completely out of your heart.
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DAY 5
Verse of the day “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”
Ephesians 4:29
During this Fast of Daniel, our mouth will be glorifying God every day in our prayers as we consecrate ourselves to receive His Spirit. But how can a person expect to receive His Spirit, if their mouth also takes part of curiosities, gossip, lying, cursing, foul language, inappropriate music lyrics, etc. We must make a pact with our mouth not only during the Fast of Daniel, but forever, to never profess a word that will sadden God’s Spirit.
Spiritual Cleansing - Your Past We all have good memories from our childhood and our past. But there are certain things that have happened in our life that there is no point in thinking about. If you have been holding onto something someone did to you, a mistake you made that you haven’t forgiven yourself for, or whatever doesn’t let you move forward; it’s time to let go of it once and for all.
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Verse of the day
DAY 6 Spiritual Cleansing - Ambitions
“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:4-5
We are now a few days into the Fast of Daniel, and this is a stage where many people begin to lose focus and start giving undue time to other things. The Lord Jesus reminded them as they were together, not to lose focus and insist on praying together and believe that the promise of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was near. Take this promise for you also, and if you find yourself wondering from your initial purpose of having the identity of the Holy Spirit, take this moment to refocus and don’t allow anything to distract you. 12 |
There are certain hopes and ambitions that will glorify God once they are achieved, however, we must ask ourselves if everything we want to achieve in this world is really for the glory of God or our own. We must be honest enough about this in order to stop pursuing ambitions that are only for vanity and do not bring any glory to God.
Verse of the day “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.” Acts 19:5-6
DAY 7
The simple act of the laying on of hands that many people trivialise and think that is not that important, was all that was necessary for those who had just been baptised in water to receive the Holy Spirit. Many times, we are the ones who place obstacles in receiving the seal of God’s Spirit. When we think that we will only be baptised with the Holy Spirit in a special meeting, at a night vigil, when we sing a specific song, aren’t we limiting what the Spirit of God can do? Aren’t we creating barriers for something that He has already promised to do? Choose to believe that God is not limited to anything, and even while you seek Him in your house, He can reveal Himself to you there. Spiritual Cleansing - Flirting with sin When asked if they are living in sin, many people reply that they aren’t but this is not always technically true. When a person begins to flirt with sin, to court it, to dabble with the possibility of doing something before doing it; they are walking right into a trap that will destroy them. If you notice you are doing this, be strong enough to say you’ll never do this again. 13 |
DAY 8
Verse of the day
Spiritual Cleansing - Idols
“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” Psalm 139:13
One of the first signs that the person has received the Spirit of God is that they understand that they were made in God’s image, and therefore they accept themselves as they are. This means that the traumas of the past, issues about their own appearance, low self esteem, and things of this nature completely disappear. The Holy Spirit confirms within us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image, and that brings us confidence and peace. Stop focusing on the things that you don’t like about yourself, and focus on knowing God through this Fast of Daniel; because once you do, your insecurities will vanish. 14 |
It is not uncommon to see people who have been in the church for a long time, who still haven’t let go of religious idols. The Bible says that idolatry is worse than witchcraft; so that should really put this into perspective. If you still have idols in your home or on you; don’t hold onto them for sentimental or traditional reasons. Put obeying God above all else and choose to throw away any idols you may still have.
DAY 9
Verse of the day “Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Acts 7:57-60
Who would have known that the great apostle Paul stood at the stoning of Stephen and did absolutely nothing. Who knows, maybe he even instigated what happened on that day. Either way, if this man who persecuted and perhaps killed Christians stood at the stoning of Stephen doing nothing, could go on to be forgiven, regenerated, and filled with the Spirit of God; we can conclude that no one is out of reach of the mercy and forgiveness of our God. Do not let satan lie to you and tell you that you are unforgivable because of things you have done or said. If there was hope for Saul, there is hope for you. Spiritual Cleansing - Emotions Not all emotions are negative. Emotions play a key part in how we relate and live with people around us. But being an emotional person and making decisions based on how you feel and not on facts or faith, can be very detrimental to your spiritual life. Use this Fast of Daniel to live by faith and not by emotions. 15 |
DAY 10
Verse of the day “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:1-3 16 |
It is very important we understand WHY THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES UPON SOMEONE. This verse is perhaps the best explanation for why a person receives the Holy Spirit. It is not for them to feel good about it, to sing songs, to speak in tongues (even though a person baptised with the Holy Spirit will speak in tongues), or even to boast about the fact one may have the Holy Spirit. The reason God pours His spirit upon someone, is so that that person may be saved, and so that they can save others as it is written in Isaiah 61. If this is not your desire, the baptism with the Holy Spirit will not happen.
Spiritual Cleansing - Anger When we really want to receive the Holy Spirit, we learn to submit to His will and let go of our own. If it were up to us, we would not forgive, we wouldn’t abandon our sins, we would make decisions without consulting our God, etc. But when we prioritise receiving the Holy Spirit, we decide to do His will and not our own. Have you been consulting God to see if your decisions are in line with His will?
DAY 11
Verse of the day “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Take a look at this list. This list is a great way to identify if a person has the Holy Spirit or not. Many people convince themselves that they had an encounter with God, but they still practice some of the things on this list. No matter how much a person believes they have the Holy Spirit, if they practice some, or even one of these things, this is a sign that they don’t.
Galatians 5:19-21
Spiritual Cleansing - Forgiveness 1 We can see through the Lord Jesus’ example that even though many wished Him harm, He never resented them. Even on the cross, when many bore hate on their faces, the Lord Jesus prayed that the Father would forgive them because He Himself had already done so. Forgiving someone who hurt you does not mean the person got away with what they did against you, it means you are freeing yourself from the weight that brings you down and prevents the Holy Spirit from inhabiting your life. Forgiveness is a decision. Decide to do it today.
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DAY 12
Verse of the day “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ” Galatians 5:22-23
Similar to yesterday’s verses, the fruit of the Holy Spirit is the only way we can confirm whether a person has truly been baptised or not. Just like it takes time for a tree to bear fruit, when a person believes they have been baptised with the Holy Spirit, we need to wait enough time so that all of the fruit above can be manifested. One single day will not be enough to find whether these things are a part of your life or not. It’s as you go through life’s challenges and tribulations, that 18 |
Spiritual Cleansing Forgiveness 2 When we speak of forgiveness, people immediately think about those who have done them wrong. But how about people we have hurt? There is a very big chance that throughout your life you have hurt people; knowingly or unknowingly. Asking for forgiveness from someone you have hurt is a very noble thing to do, and shows that you have recognised your mistake. If you know there is someone you hurt, but you never took the step of apologising, do that today. It won’t be easy, but you will be setting yourself free from the guilt of the past.
Verse of the day “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.”
1 Corinthians 12:7
DAY 13
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not poured out on us for personal gain or benefit. We see the Holy Spirit guiding kings and prophets in the old testament through dreams and visions, and this was always for the benefit of all the people or kingdom; not one single person. In the same way, the Holy Spirit is given to a person so that they can lead others to salvation, and not so that they can sit at home or in the church enjoying moments of worship while others are dying without salvation out there. Spiritual Cleansing - Forgiveness 3 Closing this chapter of forgiveness, there is another person you may need to forgive; and that’s yourself. If you have done something in your past that you’ve never been able to forgive yourself for, remember that the Lord Jesus has already forgiven you. Yes, it’s true that none of us deserve this forgiveness, but it’s a gift that He chose to give to us. Accept that He forgave you but you must also forgive yourself so that you can accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. 19 |
DAY 14
Verse of the day
Spiritual Cleansing - Fear of Not receiving the Holy Spirit
“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
Ephesians 5:18-19
During this fast, it is very important that we not only remain in spirit of prayer in our programmes early in the morning, but that we continue talking to God in our mind throughout the whole day. The topic of our conversations should be things that are concerning the Kingdom of God, praising Him in our minds when at work or doing things that may not actively involve our thought process. The more we are connected to God in our thoughts, the more the Holy Spirit can talk to us and guide us. 20 |
When we speak to people who are on the process to receive the Holy Spirit, many have this inner fear that it will not happen. If you think about it, this thought makes no sense whatsoever. Every scripture you’ll find in the Bible about the Holy Spirit, proves God’s eagerness to baptise those who sincerely seek Him. So why let this thought become engrained in you, when every word from God confirms He wants to live in you? Choose to believe what God promised and dispose of your fears once and for all.
DAY 15
Verse of the day “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7
You will never find a person who is filled with God’s Spirit, and is fearful at the same time. The two things just don’t go together. In fact, the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of boldness and courage. When He lives within us, we don’t rely on our education or experience to make bold decisions; He urges us to move forward fearlessly because He is merged with our being. If you are a person who has been a prisoner of your fears and doubts; you will be completely regenerated once God’s Spirit comes upon you. Spiritual Cleansing - Ways of the world We all accumulated worldly habits when we were in the world. Whether it was listening to certain kinds of inappropriate worldly music, slang, clothing that are too tight fitting or revealing, programmes containing excessive amount of swearing, violence, or sex, etc. All these things contaminate our mind and distance us from the Holy Spirit. If you see these things in your life, the time has come to cleanse yourself from them. 21 |
DAY 16
Verse of the day “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Ephesians 4:30
Spiritual Cleansing - Social Media What about taking today to do a deep cleaning in your social media accounts. People you used to follow who you now realise only spew hatred and division and those you realise are no longer appropriate to be associated with what they promote as it goes against your Christian faith, etc. 22 |
God’s Word makes it clear here that the reason He seals us with His Spirit, is so that we are ready for the day of redemption, which is the day we will enter the Kingdom of God. Unfortunately, many Christians do not understand this and think that the Holy Spirit is an option that you have the luxury to opt in or out off. Absolutely not! Being baptised with the Holy Spirit is a matter of survival in our faith; because it is He that will keep us standing until the very last day of our lives here on this earth.
DAY 17
Verse of the day
Spiritual Cleansing - Anxiety
“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
John 7:37-39
We are marvelled when we see how illiterate men like some of the disciples, were able to speak so eloquently when it came to the things of God. Today it’s the same! How many of the UCKG pastors are uneducated men from previous backgrounds on the wrong side of the law, but when you hear them deliver a message about the power of the Lord Jesus with such passion, you would never have thought this was the case. This is why the Bible says that those who believe in Him, rivers of living water will flow from within them. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you have life for you and for all who surround you. That’s all you know how to give: LIFE! You can give nothing else, because nothing else flows from within you.
It’s not uncommon to see people who have allowed anxiety to take over their heart when they seek for their encounter with God. As we are approaching the final stages of this Fast of Daniel, this feeling could be creeping in, and you should not allow yourself to have this be a hinderance in your baptism with the Holy Spirit.
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DAY 18
Verse of the day “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13
Even when a person is born of God, the daily battle against the works of our flesh never ends; it is an ongoing daily battle. But it is a battle we can overcome. This verse says that by the Spirit we must put to death the works of the flesh. Meaning, the desires of the flesh don’t disappear once you receive the Holy Spirit. They will still exist, but you are equipped to overcome each one of them permanently. So why are there so many people who fall from the faith? If they are equipped to overcome the flesh, and still they fall; there can only be one explanation: It was their choice to fall. Ensure this doesn’t happen with you.
Spiritual Cleansing - Wrong Friendships If you find yourself having friendships that lead you away from God’s path, it’s time to let those go. It’s not worth sacrificing your salvation for friends who influence you in a negative way.
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DAY 19
Verse of the day “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Spiritual Cleansing Evil Eyes
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Those who are truly of God, are humble to accept correction and instruction. As you begin your day meditating on God’s words, ask yourself how you have dealt with correction recently. Don’t let your pride stand in the way of God shaping and moulding you according to His will.
Unfortunately, human beings are naturally inclined to think the worse about others. Surely we’ve all had an experience where we assumed the worse about a person, only to realise later that we couldn’t be more wrong. Have you been looking at someone with judgmental eyes? Your pastor, a friend, a family member? Choose to see that person through the eyes of the Lord Jesus: with love and mercy.
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DAY 20
Verse of the day “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ..”
1 Corinthians 2:14-16
Those who truly have the mind of Christ, value the spiritual things; while those who are carnally minded value the things of this world. A good rule of thumb to see if indeed you have been regenerated by the Spirit of God, is by seeing the value you put on the things of faith, and the things of the world. How much time do you spend thinking about the work of God, saving souls, how you can please God more, etc. reveals whether you have the mind of Christ or the mind of a person of the world.
Spiritual Cleansing - Places you go to No one needs to tell us that there are certain places that are not appropriate for Christians due to the things that happen in those locations. We’re not only talking about nightclubs, bars, and places of the sort. There are friend’s houses you may go to where the topic of conversations are always inappropriate, or places that lead you to do things that have to do with your past. Choose today to leave those places behind once and for all.or all. 26 |
Verse of the day “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” Galatians 3:1-3 This has been the very sad reality among those who were supposed to have remained until the end. In the beginning of our conversion we are usually careful not to be contaminated with the things of the world. But unfortunately for some people, it’s like they start rediscovering a new found love for the sin and destruction they used to live in. You start seeing them taking on new trends of the world as if nothing is wrong, and when you least expect, they are back in the world. Not only should you be watchful that you don’t let this happen to you, but watch out that you do not allow yourself to be contaminated by people who are falling into these habits.
DAY 21 Spiritual Cleansing Old purposes
If you have at home, in your bible, envelopes of unfulfilled vows, old leaflets, papers of purposes you did, place them all in an envelope and hand them to your pastor. Fulfil the vows you can, and decide you will never make a foolish vow with God that you will not fulfil.
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For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 corinthians 2.16
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Email: uckg.org/fastofdaniel