by Jonathan Dirmann 
What does it say?
Luke 3:21-22 (NKJV) When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
Luke 4:1-2 (NKJV) Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
What does it mean?
In Luke chapter 3, we see that Jesus was both baptized in water and the Holy Spirit. Before Jesus was filled with the Spirit, He lived a relatively normal life as a carpenter, but when He was filled with the Holy Spirit, everything changed! Miracles took place, crowds began to gather, life-changing messages were preached, and persecution began to come, all as a result of Jesus yielding Himself to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. However, His journey didn’t start with the things just listed, it started with Him being “led by the Spirit into the wilderness” to fast and pray for forty days. The first thing the Holy Spirit did was lead Him into a time of preparation through fasting and prayer (much like what we’re doing during these 40 days). Then later in Luke chapter 4 (verse 14), it says that He “returned in the power of the Spirit”, and it was from that point on, that everything had changed.
What does it mean to us?
Has the Holy Spirit led you to fast and pray? If so, stand in faith that in the same way Jesus was activated in a new way through a time of preparation by prayer and fasting, God will do it for you too. Why? Because not only did Jesus save us, but He also showed us how we can operate in the fullness of the Spirit to fulfill our God-given calling. By becoming a real human being, He surrendered His powers as God and became dependent on the Holy Spirit to guide Him, just like us. He had the same Holy Spirit in Him that you and I have in us! Make sure to catch this… Jesus relied on the same Holy Spirit for direction and power that we have living in us today! That means that if we want to operate in the fullness of the Spirit, we should look at the life of Jesus and follow His example. If Jesus isn’t above fasting and praying, we shouldn’t be either. As you fast, pray, and prepare for God to do something amazing, believe that as in the life of Jesus, from this point forward, you will be activated in new ways.
Response
I want to encourage you to take time and pray… Pray for direction from the Holy Spirit that He would lead you and guide you as to what your next step is. It was the Holy Spirit that led Jesus into the wilderness to fast and pray, but it was Jesus who chose to obey and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. In the same way, you need to make a clear and intentional decision to listen and obey the direction of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit may lead you directly into a harvest time or straight into the wilderness. No matter where He leads you, trust that you can’t go wrong by following what He says. Just watch as the combination of obedience and time will cause you to see the supernatural fruitfulness of God in your life.