Matthew 9:14–17
In a dream recently, the Lord revealed that we are stepping into a season of Shabbat—a divine rest, reset, and refreshing. I was shown a bottle of new red wine, symbolizing a fresh move of the Spirit. This moment marks more than just rest from labor; it is an invitation into spiritual renewal, realignment, and expansion.
The Call to Rest in Him
The Hebrew word Shabbat means “to cease” or “to rest.” It’s rooted in the Genesis narrative, where God rested after creation (Genesis 2:2–3), but it’s also a covenantal sign, a symbol of holiness (Exodus 31:16–17), and a reminder of deliverance (Deuteronomy 5:15). May I present to you this truth, rest is not inactivity—it is spiritual positioning. When we cease from our own striving, we make room for the new wine God desires to pour out.
God is dealing with the anxiousness of our weary souls. Many of us are working tirelessly — for our families, our ministries, our communities — and yet we’re still running on empty. We’re moving, but we’re dry. We’re active, but we’re fatigued. We’re showing up, but we’re lethargic.
We pour ourselves out for our loved ones, but inside, we’re quietly dying. We’re serving in the church, but we’re spiritually drained. Why? Because we haven’t found our place of rest.
Receiving the New Wine
In this hour, I believe the Spirit of the Lord is calling His people back to the place of stillness. He is saying, “Settle, and rest.” This isn’t a call to laziness — it’s a divine invitation to come out of striving and back into abiding.
God isn’t impressed with our busyness if it’s costing us our soul. He’s after something deeper: our peace, our alignment, and our trust.
Jesus taught that new wine requires new wineskins—(Matthew 9:17). The Holy Spirit is not trying to patch up old religious selves; He is birthing something completely new. The question is: are we flexible enough to receive it? One of the greatest hindrances in the life of the believer is the lack of adaptability.
New wine represents a fresh outpouring, a move of God, and a season of transformation. But with every outpouring, there is a cost: the vessel must be ready. As Acts 2 reminds us, what some may see as foolish or strange, God is using to fulfill prophecy and awaken His church.
“In the last days, says God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh…”
— Acts 2:17
New Wine Requires Expansion
God is bringing the Church into a season of spiritual renewal and expansion, and it will be found in the place of rest. But rest does not mean inactivity—it means complete surrender to the Father’s will.
In this hour, God wants to stretch you. Stop fighting the expansion. Stop resisting what God is trying to produce in your life. Often, the greatest seasons of growth will look and feel like the greatest seasons of turmoil. That’s because God will challenge you in uncomfortable areas. You’ll feel frustrated. You’ll ask, “God, why does this feel so hard?” But the Lord is saying:
“Stop fighting Me. Rest in Me. Allow Me to expand you.”
True rest isn’t passive—it’s a radical act of trust. And it’s from that surrendered place of rest that you become able to receive the new wine the Father is longing to pour out.
There is a new wine. And just like the scriptures tell us, it must be poured into new wineskins. The Lord is preparing vessels—not just to receive—but to contain and steward this new move of His Spirit.
The Role of Fasting in Expansion
Fasting is the tool God uses to expand our spiritual capacity—but it must be done with the right posture.
In Matthew 9:14–15, Jesus explains that His disciples do not fast while the Bridegroom (Himself) is present. Fasting is not about religious obligation; it’s about spiritual hunger and longing for more of God after Jesus’ physical departure.
Jesus also warns against hypocritical fasting in Matthew 6:16–18. Fasting should never be for appearance’s sake, but as a private act of surrender that draws us closer to the Father and prepares us for the outpouring of His Spirit. We cannot be zealous yet ineffective—fasting without transformation is nothing more than tradition.
It is imperative that the Church learns the importance of developing a rhythm of fasting, which eventually matures into a lifestyle of fasting. This rhythm is not legalism, but alignment. Scripture declares that some things only come by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29). Fasting humbles us, transforms us, and prepares us to carry the new wine of God’s Spirit.
The old wineskin—rigid, stretched, and hardened—lacks the ability to expand. When new wine is poured into such a vessel, fermentation causes pressure and movement. But if the vessel can no longer stretch, the wine is lost. In the same way, when we resist transformation and cling to old patterns, what God wants to pour out will be wasted—not because He is unwilling, but because we are unyielding.
I believe God wants to deal with the stubbornness of our hearts. He is inviting us to a deeper place—not just of receiving, but of becoming vessels that can handle the weight and movement of His Spirit. Fasting softens our hearts and prepares us to be flexible, responsive, and expandable—vessels fit for the Master’s use.
Pray this with me:
Father, today I surrender myself to be transformed into Your image and likeness. I decree and declare that I am positioned to receive the new wine. Every area of hindrance that has kept me stuck in my former identity breaks off of me now, in the matchless name of Jesus. I will walk, talk, and live in the new identity You’ve given me. I receive the fullness of what You have for my life so that You may use me in a greater way. I receive this now, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
