A Call to Fast and Pray — Isaiah 58 and the Gospel!
Thank you for continuing to fast and pray for our precious students! God moved mightily this past school year!
At the Montgomery Bible study, 15–20 students shared how God changed their lives this semester. One young man broke down in tears, saying Prince was like the brother he always wanted—and thanked him for the time and discipleship. Another said he thought he knew God, but meeting Prince’s team showed him what true surrender looked like—and it changed his life. The gospel is transforming hearts!
Let’s keep pressing in and believing for a consecrated revivalist to come forth to lead the Atlanta club and for God to move in a redemptive, restorative, relational, and revival way—in the heart of every student, teacher, and parent (12-12-12-12 prayer vision). The best is yet to come because of the power of the gospel!
In this season, God is calling us higher—not just into action, but into affection. Isaiah 58 is more than a blueprint for justice—it's an invitation into the heart of God, and ultimately, into the very heart of the gospel.
“Is this not the fast which I choose:
To release the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the ropes of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free,
And break every yoke?”
—Isaiah 58:6
This kind of fasting is not about punishment—it’s about freedom. It’s not about abstaining from food alone—but about saying “yes” to something far greater: the love of Jesus.
At the center of Isaiah 58 is not striving, but surrender. It’s about laying down the world to feast on the One who said:
“I am the Bread of Life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty.”
—John 6:35
Biblical fasting is not starvation—it’s substitution. We give up earthly appetites to feast on the love of God in Christ. We turn down the noise of the world so we can hear the whisper of His voice. And as we do, His gospel begins to move through us—reconciling the broken, healing the wounded, and bringing sons and daughters home.
Isaiah 58 paints a picture of what happens when our fast becomes worship:
“Then your light will break out like the dawn…
Your recovery will spring up quickly…
The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.”
—Isaiah 58:8
And again:
“You will call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry for help, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’”
—Isaiah 58:9
God is near to the brokenhearted—and He draws close when we humble ourselves in prayer and fasting. The gospel is not about our strength but about Christ’s sufficiency. Jesus, the perfect Intercessor, has already broken every yoke on the cross—and when we fast, we align our hearts with His finished work.
As we feast on His love letter—the Word of God—we are not just filled; we are transformed. And out of that place of fullness, we begin to overflow:
“And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places…
And you will be like a watered garden.”
—Isaiah 58:11
This is the fast He’s chosen: one rooted in relationship, expressed in revival, and overflowing with redemptive love.
So let us fast—not to earn God’s favor, but to enjoy His presence. Let us pray—not just for outcomes, but for oneness with Jesus. Let us feast on the Word—until His truth burns in our bones. Let us love Him—because He first loved us!
“You will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.”
—Isaiah 58:12
Will you join us as we fast the world and feast on the love of Jesus?
Revival doesn’t start in stadiums—it begins in hearts that burn. And when we are filled with Him, we will carry Him into every classroom, home, and city!
United for the harvest,
—Joseph and the Crossroads Team
