Fasting Devotion 2026: Day 1

Fasting Devotional - Day One

Sunday, January 11, 2026Title: Abraham Surrenders Isaac

Text: Genesis 22Written by: Brian Lambert

Thoughts:

There are moments in the life of every believer when faith is no longer theoretical - when trust must move from confession to obedience. Genesis 22 brings us to one of the most profound pictures of surrender found anywhere in Scripture: Abraham placing his promised son Isaac on the altar. Isaac was not just Abraham’s child; he was the tangible expression of every promise God had spoken. Through Isaac would come descendants as numerous as the stars. Through Isaac would come nations. Through Isaac would come blessing. Yet in Genesis 22:2 the unthinkable command came: “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love… and offer him there as a burnt offering.”

God was not asking Abraham to surrender something small—He was asking Abraham to surrender everything: His future. His legacy. His promise. His heart. And Abraham obeyed. He rose early. He prepared the wood. He climbed the mountain. He bound his son. He lifted the knife.

Challenge: 

That is the essence of surrender: obediently releasing to God the very thing you cherish most, trusting that God is both faithful and good, even when His request feels confusing, painful, or impossible.

In this moment Abraham models for us what a fully surrendered life looks like:

1. Surrender trusts God’s character above one’s own understanding.

Abraham did not argue. He did not bargain. He trusted that the same God who gave the promise was able to sustain it—even if it required resurrection (Heb. 11:19).

2. Surrender places the promise back into the hands of the Promise-Giver.

When God gives us gifts—family, ministry, opportunities, vision—we must hold them loosely. They can never sit on the throne of our hearts. Isaac could not become Abraham’s idol.

3. Surrender positions us to see God in a new way.

Only after the knife was raised did God reveal Himself as Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides. Some revelations only come on the altar. And in the end, God never wanted Isaac’s life—He wanted Abraham’s heart.

As we enter this 2026 season of prayer and fasting, the question before us is the same one God placed before Abraham: What is the “Isaac” you need to lay on the altar? Is it control? A fear? A dream? A habit? A relationship? Your timing? Your way?  Surrender is not loss, it is a “holy release” that makes room for God’s greater work in us.

Today, follow Abraham’s footsteps. Climb the mountain. Carry the wood. Lay down your “Isaac,” And trust that the God who provides will meet you there.

Prayer:Lord, show me what I am still holding onto that I need to surrender. Give me the courage to surrender completely, trusting You with all that I am and all that I have. I choose Your will over mine. Amen.