There is “nothing like His presence,” Jentezen Franklin declared as he called believers into a renewed commitment to fasting and prayer at the start of the new year. According to the Free Chapel pastor, fasting is not a forgotten ritual or a religious extreme—it is one of the most powerful, yet least practiced, spiritual disciplines in the church today.
“Fasting can fast-track the purposes of God like nothing else in your life,” Franklin said, explaining that Scripture consistently reveals fasting as a catalyst for divine direction, breakthrough and spiritual renewal.
Pointing to Acts 13, he reminded listeners that the commissioning of the apostle Paul came not through strategy meetings, but through worship and fasting. “They ministered unto the Lord in fasting, and then the Holy Ghost said, ‘Separate unto Me Paul and Barnabas,’” he noted. “The altered course of his life would never be the same.”
Franklin emphasized that fasting is not about religious performance but spiritual alignment. “It’s not weird. It’s not strange. It’s not fanatical,” he said. “But when a fast is called in a church from a leader, it is a powerful thing to hook up to what God is doing corporately. It will impact your life.”
Describing fasting as a spiritual “secret sauce,” Franklin said it awakens discipline and authority that many believers have lost. “Fasting causes you to use the ‘no’ muscle,” he explained. “The church has lost use of it. People don’t say no to temptation, to the lust of the flesh, or to convictions. But when you fast, you’re flexing the ‘no’ muscle.”
Drawing from Jesus’ example, Franklin noted that Christ fasted 40 days before performing a single miracle. “He understood that it’s critical that people give the Holy Spirit a vessel to dwell in,” he said. “If you can conquer the jawbone—the strongest muscle in your body—you can conquer every other issue you’re dealing with in your flesh.”
Franklin likened fasting to a spiritual oil change. “If you don’t change the oil, it breaks down the engine,” he warned. “You don’t need to quit. You don’t need to backslide. You need fresh oil.” He added that fasting drains old spiritual pollution while renewing the believer’s mind. “When you fast, it’s God giving you a new filter over your mind.”
Referencing Isaiah 58, Franklin declared, “Is not this the fast that I have chosen—to destroy every yoke?” He said fasting breaks addictions, habitual sin and spiritual bondage. “Nothing will break bondage in your life like fasting,” he stated.
Beyond deliverance, Franklin said fasting positions believers for favor. Citing Esther’s three-day fast, he declared, “God’s favor is what God can do for you that you can’t do for yourself. When you stay humble, and you stay hungry, God’s favor chases you down.”
He also connected fasting to vision and destiny. “You cannot fast and seek God and God not give you a dream and a vision for your life—it’s impossible,” he said. “Fasting is vitally connected to the dream God has for your future.”
As he closed, Franklin urged believers not to fear the year ahead. “He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind,” he proclaimed. “Amazing miracles are coming. Prodigals are coming home. People you thought would never be free are going to get free.”
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.
