Fasting and Prayer
Spiritual benefits to praying and fasting!
• Prayer needs to accompany fasting in order to give it spiritual power!
The sole purpose of fasting is to seek the presence of God!
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13 NIV
• Fasting isn't something we do to manipulate God into action....
Fasting is an act of humility that moves god because you humbled yourself!
1 Peter 5:6 - God will exalt you!
• Fasting restores your heart to His, and restores all the enemy has stolen!
Joel 2:22-25 - God promise because they sought Him!
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6
(Fasting is to abstain from food for a period of time for a spiritual outcome)
Literally means to cover your mouth and refuse to eat (TSUM) in Hebrew
I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.
Daniel 10:3 | NIV
• Fasting is something that removes the flesh from making a decision that the spirit needs to make.
• Breakthrough - any significant or sudden advance. A military movement or advance all the way through and beyond an enemy's front-line defense. Breakthrough has to be sought after!
Matthew 17:21 - Unless through prayer and fasting!
Whenever you feel stuck in anything In live, Fasting along with prayer will provoke a breakthrough!
• Fasting is paying a price for your request!
• Fasting is a natural response for a spiritual desire!
• Prayer is your spiritual communication, and fasting is your physical response to your faith.
Why we fast!
1. When you are seeking the direction of the Lord
2. When you haven’t received an answer to your prayer
3. For deliverance (breakthrough)
4. On behalf of a friend who is under a heavy burden (to receive insight into their situation or for their deliverance from oppression)
Faith, fasting, and function!
Fasting takes you to a deeper dimension on God!
God showed him a vision:
“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.”
Daniel 10:1-2 NKJV
"Fasting doesn't move God it moves you closer to God"
Fasting opens up Gods rule for your life!
Matthew 6:33 - kingdom means kings domain (royal, rule and realm)
“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “ LORD, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Romans 10:14-17 NKJV
“Faith is the ability to hear and believe”
Seeing is not believing, hearing is according to the WORD!
Fasting helps us develop spiritual discipline and stamina!
I started working out to get off pills and create a healthy life, so I wouldn’t be depended on pills to function. If we don’t develop the spiritual discipline we will be depended spiritually on things to validate our growth.
Fasting produces
1. Breakthroughs
2. Removes the weight of a burden
3. Creates revival
4. Gives you revelation