This is our second message of our Annual 21 day Fasting.
Last week we learned from the book of Mark 9:29 that Jesus said there are some circumstances that cannot be changed except by fasting and praying.
We as the church of Christ are living a very hard time in this pandemic and we need to fast and pray more than ever.
There are some situations we all face that seem impossible to solve, there are some family members, friends, people we work with, people that we meet every day, who are lost, they are on the way to hell and the only thing that’s going to get them out of the darkness and into the father’s house is our decision to fast.
When nothing else works, Jesus said Fasting and Prayer is the only solution !
My brothers and sisters, there are some situations in your life, in your family, your health, your finances, your marriage or your spiritual life that according to the bible are being held by a evil spirit which will only loosen and release its grip from the people you love and the situation will only change with fasting and praying!
We need to build up the habit of fasting and praying in our Christian life.
For many of us the area of fasting it’s like a bad word, it brings chills inside your bones , it’s like you’re going to be tortured and afflicted, when actually fasting should be a natural practice like praying or giving or reading Bible.
Food is designed by God , food is good , amen ? Food is for strength, food is for satisfaction and food is a good thing. Food is a gift from God but I do believe that as Christians we must understand that there are people in the Bible who lost their blessing over food, like Esau for example. Adam and Eve also they lost what they had because of food.
Jesus was tempted with it and it’s something that we as Christians need to learn , to manage in our life and we as Christians need to develop this habit of fasting.
Because some Christians fast only when faced with a problem, but we need to live a lifestyle of fasting.
We as Christians have a lifestyle of tithing and reading the Bible, I believe that fasting should be a routine practice too, just like tithing. You don’t tithe once a year , you don’t read Bible once a year, as follower of Christ I give my tithes every week and the same thing has to happen in the area of fasting.
When you develop a routine of fasting you grow spiritually.
We start every year with 21 days fasting , but we should not do it once a year. We have to develop a routine with fasting.
Because fasting is hungering for God. When you fast you’re saying to God : God I need you , I’m thirsty for you , I’m hungry for you!
“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”
Psalms 63:1
How is your thirst and hunger for God? Many people are in church for years but now there is no more hunger for God!
Sometimes the least likely people are the most hungry, because hunger can do for you what talent and gifting cannot do for you.
The only thing that will move you out of your comfort zone is your hunger for God. And hunger will drive you and push you to have a new life in God’s presence!
Fasting is hungering for God!
It’s the hunger that you have for God that will move you towards the direction and purpose and miracles that God has for you.
There are things that God will do for His people only when they hunger for Him, because fasting is hungering for God.
When you begin to hunger for God suddenly you move out of your comfort zone, out of depression, out of self pity and out of your carnality.
Hunger for God changes our attitude and opens our eyes to bigger things.
This hunger drives you to a point of spiritual desperation that you are going to say: I’m not going to have another year like I did, I cannot sit in this addiction for another year, I refuse to live like this again.
For better or worse, hunger will always drive you to take desperate measures! Hunger can bless you or destroy you!
There is an example in the Bible in Genesis 25 about Esau and Jacob.
Esau came home from a hunting trip.
The bible said he was so hungry that his brother Jacob came out and said: I offer you a bowl of lentils if you give me your birthright.
“Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?””
Genesis 25:31-32
In a moment of weakness, he did not think of God, he tried to use carnal things to satisfy his hunger for God.
He exchanged spiritual things for food!
That’s why fasting is so important, this Word is for you that are listening me.
God says: There are things that you will never reach until you hunger for God and fast.
The Bible said that Esau lost his birthright because he fed that real hunger with silly things instead of spiritual food from God.
Now I want to read Leviticus 16:29-31
This is a holiday that God institute for Israel as Yom Kippur – a Day of atonement – Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a day-long fast and intensive prayer
29 ““This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. 30 For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 31 It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.”
Leviticus 16:29-31 NKJV
God said : You shall afflict your soul – some different versions say : you must fast , others say you must not eat and others say you must deny yourself.
Every theologian in the world will agree that this means to fast and also this is what the Jewish actually do , they fast !
Afflict your soul doesn’t mean you go and beat yourself and hurt yourself, it just means you fast.
It’s a statute forever , something that God still envisions for us today.
To afflict your soul is an interesting term because God presents fasting as a pain on the soul.
If you ever have fasted you understand that it’s an affliction to your soul because during fasting you get moody , you get cranky, during fasting you can even feel depressed. Why? Because your soul has been afflicted.
When you’re fasting it’s not your body that has been afflicted but actually your soul that feels the most.
The worldly people , people who do not know Christ, they live a fleshy life , it means their bodies rule their decisions, their flesh control their decisions.
But a lot of Christians and religious people are soulish people. What does it mean to be a soulish person?
A soulish person is the one who is stubborn. Stubborn meaning their will is not broken, their emotions are easily offended, because their emotions are not submitted to God and their ideas are always confused.
A soulish person is someone who is stubborn, emotional, always confused, easily offended and people who is always fighting with others.
Do you know why you have difficulty in relationships with people ?
Why don’t you talk to certain people? Why do you keep fighting with others and cannot fix broken relationships?
Because your flesh is so strong and alive and only fasting will kill and destroy your flesh and your old self.
What fasting does is this: the soul goes through a breaking and sanctification period as your mind loses itself, your emotions rage, and you gradually move from a soulish person to a spiritual person because your spirit gets quickened and awakened.
God wants you to be a spiritual person and a spiritual person is someone that has their soul under control and who lets their spirit lead their soul.
Why do we need to fast ? Because you can be in danger of being an emotional rollercoaster , a stubborn person , and if you are stubborn you can destroy your marriage, you can lose your job and you can lose your friends.
If your ideas are always confused you will miss good opportunities. Your soul needs to be sanctified and one of the ways for that to happen is through fasting.
Fasting humbles our soul and teaches us self control.
Through fasting your soul is afflicted for a little period of time. Your body goes in silence, and your spirit is strengthened, your emotions get stabilised , you get submitted to the will of God and your mind has a sense of clarity and even your body benefits when you fast.
There are people who get healed thanks to fasting, they get changed by this discipline.
There are several scientific studies that show that fasting Protect from obesity and associated chronic disease, Reduce inflammation, Improve overall fitness, Decrease the risk of metabolic diseases , improve both brain function and brain structure.
Fasting is abstaining from food for a spiritual reason. Fasting is not starvation, starvation is when you don’t eat because you don’t have food. Fasting is your choice!
Fasting is not a diet. Dieting is abstaining from food with the purpose of losing weight or getting a better health.
Fasting has a spiritual purpose behind it.
There are many different kinds of fasting and the two major ways you can fast are :
1- the common one is when you just drink water and don’t eat any food for certain hours, from sunrise to sundown, or go for a few days drinking water only.
2-The second way is called ‘Daniel fasting’ – when you choose not to eat any pleasant food : meats , sweets , coffee, soft drinks and you only eat vegetables, fruits and water.
Either way, if the Lord puts it in your heart to fast this year, do it for spiritual reasons.
Romans 12:1 ,2
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2 NIV
Paul the apostle, he pleaded and urged us by the mercies of God to present our body as living sacrifices.
The foundation of fasting is a revelation that you are accepted by God and your righteousness in Jesus is secure.
You and I are not fasting to get right, we are not fasting to win God’s love. Fasting is a response to a revelation of who you are in God.
If you fast without the foundation who you are in God , if you fast without this revelation you are fasting in the way !
Fast never manipulate God , it’s important when we go to a fast – then you will never earn the blessing and favour of God by work !
It’s by Grace of God , By Blood of Jesus that releases those blessings !
Fasting does not manipulate God , fasting doesn’t make God to do something that it’s not His will.
Fasting gets you ready for God’s answer , fasting humbles your soul and prepare your heart to say : not my will but your will be done
Fasting is offering your body as a living sacrifice. One of the best ways you can offer your body as a living sacrifice this year is through an extended period of fasting.
A living sacrifice – meaning , a sacrifice that doesn’t die but keeps on living. In the Old Testament, they would kill animal to offer as sacrifices to God.
But in the New Testament, the way we offer our body, is not by killing it, but it by disciplining our bodies and putting our flesh to death, but not our body to death.
The Bible says this is Holy sacrifice, acceptable to God as reasonable service or a proper worship.
I believe that if you have take the time to fast and to give your body to God , as a response there will be a cleansing , you will be more holy , you will be not conformed to this world , you will have a renewing of mind, because instead of eating food , you will get filled up from God’s Word.
Thanks to the fasting of food, praying and spending time with God your mind will be renewed and you will be transformed.
And you will know God’s will. What does God want you to do? What’s the next step to take? You will have an experience with God’s will for your life
Offer your body as a living sacrifice to God !
May the Lord bless you !