A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 D E V O T I O N A L

“Spiritual Breakthrough”

Let’s make it real practical. A breakthrough is needed when something stands in front of you and it needs to be broken so you can get through to whatever is on the other side. A breakthrough is necessary when there’s no other way around. You can’t go over, under or around. Some times in life you just have to go through in order to get to the other side.

The difference between a break down and a break through is one simple factor, what breaks first. In order to achieve break through and not just have a break down you have to be stronger than whatever you are trying to break. If you break first then it’s a break down. If you persist until the resistance crumbles then it’s a breakthrough.

Often times however we struggle to break through because we neglect to remember we will be never be strong enough on our own to break many of the things that stand in our way. We can fail to breakthrough because we try and try on our own. However, we serve a God who is able to not just break, but crush and completely obliterate anything that even attempts to stand in His way. Breaking

through requires faith, surrender and persistence. For this month’s devotional and time of consecration we will obviously be discussing spiritual breakthrough. It’s particularly apropos to discuss this during our time of consecration as taking the time to set ourselves apart and engage in prayer and fasting is often a huge key in obtaining spiritual breakthrough.

We pray this devotional assists you, not just in your pursuit of breakthrough in whatever areas it’s needed in your life, but even more so simply in your pursuit of the God of Breakthrough. We also strongly encourage you to seek the Lord about how He would have you fast and participate in the corporate meetings during this time. Again, fasting is often a monumental key to breakthrough.

Even though you have probably heard previously about the power of a praying church, we pray you are willing to lend fresh ears to hear what happens when the church prays. The discovery is life changing. The results are astounding. We hope you will enjoy this journey with others.

We have provided a daily devotional for the purpose of inspiration and greater unity during these days of consecration. Each devotional will include a section called READ with key scriptures for study and memorization. A second section of the devotional called REFLECT will provide a brief study as the heart of the devotional. Finally, we will conclude each day with asection called RESPOND, which will assist you in applying the revelation gained from the READ and REFLECT portions.

A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 D E V O T I O N A L

“Spiritual Breakthrough”

PURPOSE OF THE DEVOTIONAL

Visit bethelworld.org and the January 2015 devotional for information on the purposes of fasting, helpful tips while fasting, and appropriate things to do and not do during a time of fasting.

INFORMATION ON FASTING BETHEL PRAYER SCHEDULE

Monday: Prayer at 6am and Noon in the sanctuary (Fasting optional)Tuesday: Prayer at 6am and Noon in the sanctuary (Fasting optional)Wednesday: Monthly Church-wide Day of Prayer and Fasting (Prayer at 6am and Noon in the sanctuary • 7pm Service)

Ask the Lord to increase your faith to trust Him for breakthrough. Pray for those around you who need to see your through faith in action. Write out what “through faith” would like in this situation.

“Through Faith”MONDAY // AUGUST 3RD

READ Matthew 19:26 • Acts 3:16 • Acts 15:9 • Romans 1:17 • Romans 3:22 Galatians 3:24-26 • Philippians 4:19 • Hebrews 6:12 • Hebrews 11:33-39

God is the God of the breakthrough! He is the God of the impossible! But Faith is the currency of God’s Kingdom and the key to God’s heart. Faith is what pleases Him. We need to have a through kind of faith; a faith that doesn’t just get us beyond things, but actually gets us through them. Through kind of faith versus faith to just get past something is the faith that believes I’m not just going to get through this, but I’m going to be transformed more into the image of Jesus and experience His grace and glory to a greater degree on the other side.

Let’s be clear. It is only God’s grace and power that enable any of us to break through anything. Faith is what allows us to tap into the grace and power of God. Another reason we need to break through

with faith is because it’s not just about us. Let’s consider the example of pilots years ago who first broke the sound barrier. When approaching the speed of sound it’s said that everything in your plane begins to shake and feel as though your whole plane is just going to crumble into a million pieces and fall out of the sky. However, the pioneers to break the sound barrier had the faith to believe that what’s on the other side of that preexisting barrier was worth it. The first guy to break the barrier didn’t know how peaceful and silent it would be on the other side. He didn’t know for sure he would even survive. But his faith to press through has made a way for many others to more easily follow and reap the benefits.

REFLECT

RESPOND

What things do you need to break through right now?

What kind of faith have you had up to this point? How can you ask the Lord to strengthen your faith?

Who else might need you to breakthrough so they can learn and benefit from your faith and God’s grace in your life?

REFLECT

Ask the Lord to show you how greater surrender is needed in order for breakthrough in your life.

Repent for any times you’ve focused more on what needs to change around you instead of inside you.

“Through Surrender”TUESDAY // AUGUST 4TH

READ Job 11:13-15 • Proverbs 3:5-6 • Matthew 21:44 • Matthew 16:24-27 Romans 8:28-30 • Romans 12:1-2 • James 4:8

Sometimes the breakthrough we really need only comes as we allow Jesus to break through us. Let’s be honest, sometimes this requires a break down on our part. Think of a carpenter working on wood. The original pieces of wood look nothing like what they’ll become. It’s only as they are cut and broken by a master carpenter that they are transformed into something marvelous and full of purpose.

When we talk of wanting or needing breakthrough it’s often in reference to life circumstances. However, whenever God is trying to bring about breakthrough in your life, it’s not as much about your

circumstances as it is about you breaking through to another level of knowing and walking with God. True, lasting breakthrough comes about as we surrender and submit to God’s timing and way of doing things. While there may be some legitimate things that need to change in your family, workplace, marriage, etc we cannot change other people. When God is talking to you, He is talking to you, about you. Part of surrendering for breakthrough means you quit focusing on how other people and things need to change and instead humbly allow God to change you. Honestly, surrender is costly, but that’s often the high price of breakthrough.

REFLECT

RESPOND

How is greater surrender a necessary part of the break through you seek?

In what ways, or what things do you need to surrender in order to obtain breakthrough?

How do you think shifting your focus from the problems you see around you to your own heart and life will change things?

What is God speaking to you through this devotional?

REFLECT

Repent for the times you have given up too quickly or easily when God is asking you to persist and press through

Write out specific things you can do to persist in your situation(s).

Ask our Heavenly Father to give you a tenacious spirit that won’t relent from following after Him and pursuing His Kingdom.

“Through Persistence”WEDNESDAY // AUGUST 5TH

READ Romans 5:3-4 • 2 Corinthians 3:18 • Galatians 6:9 • Colossians 1:11-12Hebrews 12:1-2 • James 1:2-4, 12

Coal, more specifically its base material of carbon, is remarkably flaky and easy to break. Even its molecular structure is literally flat and flaky. It’s only through heat and pressure, continued resistance and breaking through, that the internal structure actually changes from flaky to multidimensional. That internal change in structure is the difference between something completely dirty and flaky and something that not only sparkles and shines, but also will break through most anything, a diamond. Are you flaky and easily broken apart? Or are

you unbreakable and break through the roadblocks of the enemy with ease? One of the big elements in creating the difference is how much you persist and allow God’s refining process to permeate your life and change your internal structure. Are you the same person you’ve always been? Or, are you becoming more and more like Jesus? Breakthrough does not happen quickly or easily. There’s a reason scripture often repeats “he who endures…” Breakthrough requires persistence. Let’s commit to press through in faith so we can break through.

REFLECT

RESPOND

What types of things make you want to quit and throw in the towel?

What would it look like for you to persist and press through to breakthrough in your situation?

How do you see God changing you from flaky and easily broken to shining His light as you become unbreakable in the situations of your life?

What is God speaking to you through this devotional?

REFLECT

PRAYER POINTSWhat are your main prayer points for this time of prayer & fasting?

What are you hoping to see God do in your life during this time of consecration?

How do you see God moving during these three days?

NOTES

A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 D E V O T I O N A L“Spiritual Breakthrough”