Mark 9:29 (NIV)
WHEN you fast...
Matthew 6:16a
Thank you Heavenly Father for a new day and a new opportunity to share from your Word. You speak, I type. I bless and magnify your name in the mighty name of Jesus.
I love being a believer! If I'm being honest, sometimes more than others but as a whole I wouldn't exchange being one for anything else. This is because I am in a dynamic relationship with my Father and my King. This year I am making a concious decision to draw even closer to God, to know His ways, to seek His paths and after making a specific prayer request, I felt the Lord tell me 'except by prayer and fasting'. It's funny, we pray and ask God for Daniel's wisdom and understanding, Esther's courage, Elijah's fervency in prayer plus the ability to be used as a conduit for miracles, to be able to understand the deep mysteries of the Holy Scriptures like Paul and yet we rarely take the time to study their lives, making observations of the decisions they made, their response to the trials they faced and then 'go and do likewise'.
For the believer, fasting is not an option! In fact, for the 21st century believer, fasting is an essential. We are at war, both within and without. The natural man is daily warring against the spirit, the world is warring against believers and sadly enough believers against believers (Father, forgive me for I know this ought not to be so!). We are in dire need of the anointing which empowers us to go forth and fulfil the Comission given to us by the Father, my dears we need to go back to the principal things.
Why should we fast? We should fast because Jesus said so, because truly there are some things can only be dislodged when you wield the double edged sword of fasting and prayer together. Fasting lets both Heaven and Hell know that you mean business. That it's no longer business as usual, no more Sunday, Sunday tonic. There's something that you feel right in the recesses of your spirit and you're not budging until it comes to manifestation. Jesus said 'when you fast' not 'if you choose to fast' or 'if it's convenient for you to fast' or 'if per chance you may want to fast' but 'when you fast'.
Why should we fast? We should fast because all the Biblical characters we love and admire did so too. Moses fasted for 40 days and when he returned, people could not even bear to look at his face for the glory that emanated from him. Even Jesus fasted for 40 days before he opened any blind eye or healed any lame person. Perchance, it was during Esther's 3 day fast that she received the revelation about how to deal with Haman! There are too many examples to give but I pray over the course of sharing on The 10 day challenge we may be able to share more.
Fasting is not about manipulating God, its not about making you seem 'superspiritual', in short Jesus said when you fast, put some MAC on (guys, I just spoke in tongues there!!). Fasting is about dulling your natural senses and sharpening your spiritual ones. Fasting is more than giving up of food, its about 'replacement therapy', replacing a desire for earthly and human wants and needs with the Father's. In the words of Jentzen Franklin, it's the private discipline that brings about public reward.
I'm getting excited, are you??
To be continued, watch this space!!
"Fasting with a pure heart and motives, I have discovered, brings personal revival and adds power to our prayers. Personal revival occurs because fasting is an act of humility. Fasting gives opportunity for deeper humility as we recognize our sins, repent, receive God's forgiveness, and experience His cleansing of our soul and spirit. Fasting also demonstrates our love for God and our full confidence in His faithfulness."--
Bill Bright
7 comments:
You're the blogger who has taught me the most about fasting so far. There are also levels of fasting, and going deeper involves a deeper relationship w/ God.
Rock on Believer... Rock on.
Yes.. some things will never go away without fasting and prayer...not forgetting the giving aspect also.
We must fast, Jesus Christ fasted and so did the great men of old.. There is tremendous power in fasting, praying and giving. Power that most believers often don't know exists...!
It is a time to be super-charged and ask God to draw us deeper into Himself, so we can soar higher. It is a time of seeking God, and then everything becomes clear ; the questions, the answers and all..
I am watching this space oh.. How you dey? much love x
True..
Fasting is very important
"Fasting is more than giving up of food, its about 'replacement therapy'"
True words...there was a time when i used to go on a hunger strike and call it a fast...lol, but I've learnt that beyond not eating n drinking, we need to open our hearts and let God's Spirit commune freely with ours, we nee to be attentive to Him and walk in the awareness of Him..
@Jaycee: God bless you sis. It is indeed the private discipline that brings in public reward.
@Remi: I am rockin' o my dear, yes there are some things that must be dislodged from my life in 2010 in the mighty name of Jesus
@Harry: Tell me about it. God bless
@jhazmyn: It's true o, hunger strike but now when we add the prayer dimension and consecrating ourselves to God then we see even more miracles. God bless you sis
My dear, it is SY. I sense a breakthrough to the next level....more confidence, more clarity and a deeper level of trust. Girl, its on!
OK, I had to go read it again because the first time around the goosebumps I was getting were a bit distracting....are we going on a group fast? If so tell me when and I'm on board. All the shackles (mental, physical, emotional and spiritual) and fears will not make it into 2011 IJN!
Love ya,
SY.
Post a Comment