Daily Bibel Devotion - Fasting Day 1 RELEASED FROM

Released from - Breaking Free From Everything That Has Held Us Back

26. August 2026

Devotion by Reverend Joseph Antwi

Theme: Translating the Fire of the Unleashing Agenda into Our Lives and Our Churches

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📖 Main Scriptures

Galatians 5:1 • Colossians 1:13–14 • Exodus 12:31–32

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

— Galatians 5:1

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🌿 DEVOTION

Beloved Church,

I am very excited as we begin these three days of fasting and prayer under the theme RELEASED.

There is something powerful about praying as we enter another gate of the year. We are not simply changing the calendar; we are intentionally seeking God concerning what He wants to do in the next season of our lives, our families, our church and our nation.

And one of the spiritual disciplines that helps us enter these seasons with greater sensitivity is fasting.

Jesus did not say, “If you fast.”

He said:

“When you fast…”

— Matthew 6:16

There is an expectation in the teaching of Jesus that fasting should be part of the believer’s spiritual life.

Fasting is not simply about refusing food. It is about deliberately creating space to seek God, bringing our appetites under discipline, and giving greater attention to the Spirit and the things of God.

Even as a pastor, I can honestly say that without a life of fasting and prayer, I would still be a pastor, but I would struggle in areas where God wants me to grow. I thank God for the discipline of fasting and prayer and for how the Holy Spirit uses it to help me walk the walk Jesus has called me to walk and to lead His people.

I am not better than you.

And I cannot stand before God’s people and ask them to fast while I refuse to fast myself.

So this is a corporate fast.

We are fasting for ourselves.

We are fasting for our families.

We are fasting for our church.

We are fasting for our people.

We are fasting for our nation.

We are fasting for the Kingdom of God.

But please, let this not become starvation.

Some of us have become accustomed to rushing through the day, coming home, eating quickly and moving on without really praying.

That is not the kind of fast we want.

If you are fasting, use the time you would normally spend eating to seek God.

If you break your fast, do it prayerfully and responsibly. And if you take medication or have a medical condition that makes fasting from food unsafe, please speak with your doctor or healthcare professional about what form of fasting is appropriate for you. You can still participate meaningfully through another form of consecration.

Jesus also warned us not to turn fasting into a performance.

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.”

— Matthew 6:16

We are not fasting so people will know that we are fasting.

We are fasting because we want God to change us.

My prayer for myself as a pastor is:

“Lord, by the end of these days, make me a different person.”

And that should be our prayer.

Not simply:

“Lord, give me a new job.”

“Lord, give me money.”

“Lord, open this door.”

But:

“Lord, change me.”

Because sometimes the greatest thing that needs to be released is not something around us.

It is something within us.

Israel spent generations in Egypt.

They needed to be released from Pharaoh.

They needed to be released from oppression.

But after leaving Egypt, God also had to deal with Egypt inside them.

They had left the place, but their mentality had not immediately changed.

That is why this first day is so important.

We are praying:

LORD, RELEASE ME!

Release me from recurring cycles.

Release me from fear.

Release me from bitterness.

Release me from unforgiveness.

Release me from lust.

Release me from unhealthy relationships.

Release me from wrong environments.

Release me from the pressure to conform to this world.

Release me from the need for social-media validation.

Release me from comparison.

Release me from every pattern that keeps returning and contradicting Your purpose.

Paul says:

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

— Romans 12:2

Some chains are not around our hands.

Some chains are in our minds.

And Christ came to make us free.

Peter reminds us:

“You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold… but with the precious blood of Christ.”

— 1 Peter 1:18–19

Colossians tells us that God:

“has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”

— Colossians 1:13

Therefore, as we begin this fast, we stand upon the finished work of Christ.

The blood speaks freedom.

Israel was released from Egypt, and we have been redeemed through the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

Today, let us believe God for freedom from everything that has held us back.

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🙏 DAY 1 — PRAYER POINTS

1. WORSHIP & THANKSGIVING

Psalm 103:1–5

● Worship the Lord as the One who forgives, heals, redeems and restores.

● Thank Him for every bondage He has already broken and every victory He has given you.

2. RELEASE FROM RECURRING CYCLES

Galatians 5:1

● Pray against destructive cycles repeatedly appearing in your life, family, relationships, finances and spiritual walk.

● Ask God to establish a new pattern of freedom, obedience and victory.

3. RELEASE THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS

1 Peter 1:18–19; Revelation 12:11

● Pray for the blood of Jesus to speak over every area where you need freedom.

● Declare that the finished work of Christ is greater than every bondage, accusation and oppression.

4. RELEASE FROM MODERN BONDAGES

Romans 12:2; Colossians 3:5

● Pray for freedom from lust, unhealthy appetites, social-media pressure, comparison, materialism and worldly values.

● Ask the Holy Spirit to renew your mind and restore godly desires.

5. RELEASE OF OUR NEW CHURCH GROUNDS & LEADERSHIP

1 Corinthians 16:9

“For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

● Pray for the launching of Delémont City Church and Love City Church Baden, thanking God for the doors He has opened and asking Him to remove every adversary.

● Pray that people living in darkness in Delémont and Baden will be released into the light of Christ and that these new grounds will enlarge our district.

● Pray for Pastor Joseph, his wife and family, all officers and leaders, and the vision and divine agenda God has entrusted to us.

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🔥 DAY 1 DECLARATION

I am released from every bondage and every destructive cycle is broken. I walk in the liberty of Christ!

Shalom,

Rev. Joseph Antwi

Author: Rev. Joseph Antwi

Rev. Joseph Antwi is the District Pastor of the Basel City Churches District. He is passionate about teaching God’s Word, raising young disciples, and empowering believers to live purposefully and impact their generation through Christ.

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