- [Instructor] The power of fasting.
"To the chief musician, Maschil,
"for the sons of Korah.
"As the hart panteth after the water brooks,
"so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
"My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God:
"when shall I come and appear before God?
"My tears have been my meat day and night,
"while they continually say unto me,
"'Where is thy God?'"
Psalm 42, one through three.
Welcome to a Grace Digital presentation.
What is fasting?
Since there are so many misunderstandings about it,
I would like to start by clarifying what fasting,
biblical fasting is not.
Fasting does not just mean giving up food
for a certain period of time.
That will be called dieting or maybe even starving
but it is not fasting.
It must also be recognized
that fasting is not just something done by fanatics.
Fasting is not to be carried out by religious monks alone
in a cave somewhere.
Fasting is not limited to ministers, pastors
nor is it limited to special occasions and events.
Simply put, biblical fasting means refraining
from food for a spiritual purpose.
Fasting has always been a part
of our relationship with God.
As expressed in the passionate plea of David in Psalm 42,
fasting leads to a deeper
more intimate and powerful relationship with the Lord.
When you eliminate food from your regimen for some days
your spirit becomes unplugged by the things
of this world and more receptive to the things of God.
As David stated, "Deep calls onto deep."
Psalm 42:7.
David was fasting,
his hunger and thirst for God were greater
than his natural thirst and hunger for food.
As such he reached a place where he could cry out
from the depths of his spirit, to the depths of God,
even amid his trial.
As soon as you have even a glimpse
of this type of intimacy with God, our Father
the holy Creator of the universe,
and the infinite benefits and blessings that follow,
your entire viewpoint will change.
You will soon realize that fasting
is a secret source of power, that many overlook.
"And if one prevail against him,
"two shall withstand him;
"and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
Ecclesiastes 4:12.
During the years in which Jesus walked on this earth,
Jesus dedicated time to his disciples
to teaching the principles of the kingdom of God.
These kingdom principles were contrary
to those of this world.
In the Beatitudes specifically in Matthew six
Jesus provided the pattern according to which
each one of us should live as a child of God.
That pattern marked three distinct duties of a Christian.
These three duties are giving, praying, and fasting.
Jesus said when you give
and when you fast
and when you pray.
He made it very evident that fasting,
like giving and praying
was a regular part of Christian life.
Attention should be paid to fasting as much
as to giving and praying.
Therefore the three duties of every Christian are giving,
praying and fasting.
When Solomon wrote the books of wisdom for Israel,
he pointed out that a cord or rope
braided with three strands cannot be easily broken.
In other words, when giving praying and fasting
are practice together in the life of a believer,
a threefold thread is formed that is not easy to break.
Could we be missing our biggest findings
because we fast too little?
Let us remember the 30, 60 and 100 times
the return of which Jesus spoke.
Mark 4:8.
"And other fell on good ground,
"and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased;
"and brought forth, some 30, and some 60,
"and some 100.
Consider it this way.
If you pray, you can release this 30 fold return
but if you both prayer and giving are part of your life,
I think that the,
"As the deer pants for the water brooks
"so pants my soul for you O God,
"My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
"When shall I come and appear before God?
"My tears have been my food day and night,
"while they continually say unto me, 'Where is thy God?'"
Psalm 42, one through three?
What is fasting?
Since there are so many misconceptions about it
I first want to clarify what fasting,
biblical fasting is not.
Fasting is not merely going without food
for a period of time.
That is dieting, maybe even starving.
But fasting it is not,
nor is fasting something done only by fanatics.
I really want to drive that point home.
Fasting is not to be done
by only religious monks alone in a cave somewhere.
The practice of fasting is not limited
to ministers or to special occasions.
Stated simply, biblical fasting is refraining from food
for a spiritual purpose.
Fasting has always been a normal part
of a relationship with God
as expressed by the impassioned plea of David in Psalm 42,
fasting brings one into a deeper
more intimate and powerful relationship with the Lord.
When you eliminate food from your diet for a number of days,
your spirit becomes uncluttered
by the things of this world
and amazingly sensitive to the things of God.
As David stated, "Deep calls unto deep."
Psalm 42:7
David was fasting,
his hunger and for God
we're greater than his desire for food.
As a result, he reached a place
where he could cry out from the depths of his spirit,
to the depths of God,
even in the midst of his trial.
Once you've experienced even a glimpse
of that kind of intimacy with our God, our Father,
the holy Creator of the universe,
and the countless rewards and blessings that follow,
your whole perspective will change.
You will soon realize that fasting
is a secret source of power
that is overlooked by many.
"A threefold cord is not quickly broken."
Ecclesiastes 4:12.
During the years that Jesus walked this earth
He devoted time to teaching his disciples
the principles of the kingdom of God,
principles that conflict with those of this world.
In the Beatitudes, specifically in Matthew six
Jesus provided the pattern
by which each of us is to live as a child of God.
That pattern address three specific duties of a Christian;
giving, praying and fasting.
Jesus said, when you give and when you pray
and when you fast.
He made it clear that fasting
like giving and praying
was a normal part of Christian life.
As much attention should be given to fasting
as is given to giving and praying.
The three duties of every Christian are giving,
praying, and fasting.
Solomon when writing the books of wisdom for Israel,
made the point that a cord or rope
braided with three strands is not easily broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:12.
Likewise, when giving, praying, and fasting
are practice together in the life of a believer,
it creates a type of threefold cord
that is not easily broken.
In fact, as I'll show you in a moment
Jesus took it even further by saying,
"Nothing will be impossible."
Matthew 17:20.
Could we be missing our greatest breakthroughs
because we failed to fast?
Remember the 30 fold, 60 fold, and 100 fold return
Jesus spoke of.
Mark 4:8 and 20.
Look at it this way.
When you pray, you can release it that 30 fold return
but when both prayer and giving are part of your life,
I believe that releases the 60 fold blessing.
But if all three, giving, praying, and fasting
are part of your life,
this hundredfold return can be released.
With this knowledge one must ask oneself,
what blessings are not released?
What answers to prayer do not get through?
What bonds are not broken because we do not fast?
Matthew tells a story of a father
who had a son who was possessed by demons.
For years he watched helplessly
as his son suffered from terrible convulsions.
As he grew older, the attacks became so violent
that the boy often threw himself into an open fire
or trench of water,
a terrible spirit tormented him constantly.
The situation became life-threatening.
After all attempts to cure the boy
or even bring him to the disciples were unsuccessful,
the plight of the fathers seemed impossible.
Then he heard that Jesus was close by.
Going to the master he cried, "Lord have mercy on my son."
he said, "He has seizures and is suffering greatly.
"He often falls into the fire or into the water.
"I brought him to your disciples
"but they could not heal him."
Matthew 17:15.
When the boy was taken to Jesus
the Bible says, "Jesus rebuked the demon
"and it came out of the boy.
"And he was healed at that moment."
Matthew 17:18.
But what made the change, after all Matthew 10:1 records
that Jesus had already given the disciples power
to cast out evil spirits and to heal every disease.
"Jesus called his 12 disciples to him
"and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits
"and to heal every disease and sickness."
Why then could the disciples not cast out the demon
and heal the boy?
That is what they wanted to know also
and so they asked him later that night
when they were alone with Jesus.
"Jesus replied, "Because of your unbelief.
"'For assuredly I say to you,
"'if you have faith as a mustard seed
"'you will say to this mountain,
"'move from here to there
"'and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you.
"'However, this kind does not go out
"'except by prayer and fasting.'"
Matthew 17:20 and 21.
Concentrate on the statement,
and nothing shall be impossible to you.
I think many people stop right there
but Jesus did not
because he knew that there was more.
When you faithfully follow the three duties of a Christian,
God rewards you openly.
See, that single word, howbeit, is the connection.
It's the key that unlocks the power in the statement,
nothing shall be impossible onto you.
Jesus told the disciples that they needed faith,
even faith as small as a tiny seed
but that wasn't all.
Long before this event,
the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness
where he spent 40 days and 40 nights
without eating any food.
"Howbeit this kind goeth
"not out but by prayer and fasting."
For Jesus casting out that stubborn demon wasn't impossible.
If Jesus could have accomplished everything he came
to without fasting, why should he fast?
The Son of God fasted
because he knew there were supernatural things
that could only be released that way.
How much more should fasting be a common practice
in our lives?
Perhaps you're thinking to yourself,
I still do not know how if fasting is really for me.
According to the words of Jesus,
it is the duty of every disciple and every believer to fast.
When Jesus asked the Pharisees
why his disciples did not fast, he answered,
"And he said to them, 'Can you make the friends
"'of the bride groom fast
"'while the bridegroom is with them?
"'But the days will come when the bridegroom
"'will be taken away from them,
"'then they will fast in those days.'"
Luke five, 34 and 35.
Then they will fast.
Jesus didn't expect his disciples to do something
he hadn't done as well.
Jesus fasted and according to the words of Peter,
Jesus is our example in all things.
"For to this you were called,
"because Christ also suffered for us,
"leaving you an example, that you should follow his step."
1st Peter 2:21.
"A disciple is not above his teacher
"but everyone who is perfectly trained
"will be like his teacher."
Luke 6:40.
Our question for the day,
what one thing helps you during your fasting journey?
We pray that you are encouraged to fast more,
and we pray that your breakthroughs
come through this information,
and you make generational impact in the name of Jesus.