CGM Presents: In the Word Podcast

Episode 1, Nothing is Impossible with God! Empowered Through Fasting Series

April 25, 2021 Stephanie Wright Season 7 Episode 1
CGM Presents: In the Word Podcast
Episode 1, Nothing is Impossible with God! Empowered Through Fasting Series
Show Notes Transcript

Nothing is Impossible with God
Nothing is impossible with God. (Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37).  These are words of encouragement when we go through difficult times. And haven’t we all been there at one time or another in our walk with Christ? If you haven’t, keep living. But we must never forget what God has done for us and we must remember that what He has once done, He can do again and again. It is so easy to forget, but the Holy Ghost brings to our remembrance all things. John 14:26. In this and future episodes, I will share some personal experiences with you on how prayer and fasting thwarted attacks against myself, my family, friends and even people I did not know personally. Yes, I said “prayer AND fasting” because that is what I learned early in my walk with God from the very first year I truly committed my life to Him. The church I attended after I gave my life to the Lord, taught prayer with fasting. Let me stop here and give a caveat. What I am talking about is what we (my husband and I did as prayer warriors). We are not saying you have to follow our pattern of fasting but we encourage you to thoroughly research fasting so you do not do harm to yourself. This includes following and seeking appropriate medical advice.

Okay, moving on.

The Bible talks about fasting in the Old Testament and the New Testament. In general, when you think of fasting, you think about denying yourself of food and water or just food. Some people expand the definition of fasting broadly to include denial of things that bring personal enjoyment. In the New Testament, Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights without food but we believe he had some form of water. (Matthew 4:1-2; and Luke 4:1-2). He understood the importance of fasting from the moment he was driven into the desert and the Holy Spirit compelled Him to fast and continue in prayer. It was only after that wilderness experience that He returned and began His ministry which included preaching, teaching, performing healings and miracles and more. (Episodes 7, this series). In the Book of Esther (Old Testament) the Jewish people fasted on two separate occasions in conjunction with praying to God to spare them from annihilation by an evil man named Haman. Queen Esther was not in the first round of fasting. (Esther 4:1-3). However, when she was asked to go before King Ahasuerus and ask him to spare the lives of her people (something for which she could be put to death), she asked everyone to fast three days and nights. (Esther 4:16). This included her maids who were probably not Jewish. And, of course, you know the outcome, the Jewish people were delivered and their enemy, Haman, was destroyed. (Queen Esther Podcast, Episode 7). We will tell you how to access these podcasts at the end of this episode. But, suffice it to say for now that fasting is Biblical and provides sound reasons for implementing it as a spiritual warfare weapon to answered prayer. 

The Bible says there are some things that are not going to be manifested without fasting.

Yes, perhaps just praying would have been enough but I see fasting as a catalyst that boosts my faith. We do not fast to make God do anything but I believe self-sacrifice pleases Him and He does not want to see us disappointed. But, let me say this, even if He does not answer the way we hope He will answer after we have

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Nothing is Impossible with God


Nothing is impossible with God. (Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37).  These are words of encouragement when we go through difficult times. And haven’t we all been there at one time or another in our walk with Christ? If you haven’t, keep living. But we must never forget what God has done for us and we must remember that what He has once done, He can do again and again. It is so easy to forget, but the Holy Ghost brings to our remembrance all things. John 14:26. In this and future episodes, I will share some personal experiences with you on how prayer and fasting thwarted attacks against myself, my family, friends and even people I did not know personally. Yes, I said “prayer AND fasting” because that is what I learned early in my walk with God from the very first year I truly committed my life to Him. The church I attended after I gave my life to the Lord, taught prayer with fasting. Let me stop here and give a caveat. What I am talking about is what we (my husband and I did as prayer warriors). We are not saying you have to follow our pattern of fasting but we encourage you to thoroughly research fasting so you do not do harm to yourself. This includes following and seeking appropriate medical advice. 


Okay, moving on. 


The Bible talks about fasting in the Old Testament and the New Testament. In general, when you think of fasting, you think about denying yourself of food and water or just food. Some people expand the definition of fasting broadly to include denial of things that bring personal enjoyment. In the New Testament, Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights without food but we believe he had some form of water. (Matthew 4:1-2; and Luke 4:1-2). He understood the importance of fasting from the moment he was driven into the desert and the Holy Spirit compelled Him to fast and continue in prayer. It was only after that wilderness experience that He returned and began His ministry which included preaching, teaching, performing healings and miracles and more. (Episodes 7, this series). In the Book of Esther (Old Testament) the Jewish people fasted on two separate occasions in conjunction with praying to God to spare them from annihilation by an evil man named Haman. Queen Esther was not in the first round of fasting. (Esther 4:1-3). However, when she was asked to go before King Ahasuerus and ask him to spare the lives of her people (something for which she could be put to death), she asked everyone to fast three days and nights. (Esther 4:16). This included her maids who were probably not Jewish. And, of course, you know the outcome, the Jewish people were delivered and their enemy, Haman, was destroyed. (Queen Esther Podcast, Episode 7). We will tell you how to access these podcasts at the end of this episode. But, suffice it to say for now that fasting is Biblical and provides sound reasons for implementing it as a spiritual warfare weapon to answered prayer. 


The Bible says there are some things that are not going to be manifested without fasting.* 


Everyone does not believe in fasting and that is okay. If you are seeing prayers answered without fasting, then good. But, if you are still praying about the same things after years and years without the desired results, why not try fasting with prayer?


When the Lord first saved me and I was a baby Christian, my husband and I were faced with him losing his job. I was pregnant and wasn’t working and we surely could not afford to have him out of work. I was resistant to fasting, just simply did not want to do it, but when he was about to lose his job, well, I changed my mind pretty quickly. I did eat fruit so, it was not a dry fast (no food and water). Everyone was saying there was no way he was going to keep his job but they were wrong, he did keep his job. Now, that is an abbreviated version of the story. And all of these references are going to be abbreviated in the interest of time. 


My husband and I have fasted and prayed for others as well. We have seen people who were sick be healed, who lost jobs be restored to the same job or new jobs, people who were in bondage from sexual immorality, delivered. 


In one case a woman called me who was facing a serious operation that could have left her barren. I see that day in my mind right now, very clearly. I had a few sips of coffee left in my cup and when I got off the phone with her, I finished that coffee and started my fast. Anyone who knows me, knows I really like coffee, but coffee and all food came off my “food” list when I started to fast. She came through the surgery just fine.  


Sometimes, a fast doesn’t produce the results you hoped for. We prayed for another woman who was being mistreated by her employer who was threatening to terminate her. I know how devastating it can be to work in that kind of environment but I also know how terribly difficult it is to think of losing your job. I went on a 72-hour, no-food fast for that young lady. Well, she ended up being terminated but with a good severance. Not exactly the result I hoped for but I believe any fast that gives God glory is never in vain. When she decided to move to look for work in another city, her house sold to the first family who came to look at it. She had a smooth transition to the new location and found employment within a year. More important, God took care of her financially during that time. 


On another occasion we prayed for a young man whom I never met but whose parents I did meet on vacation a few years earlier. This young man, who was college age, was facing conviction for a minor offense but one that could have affected him the rest of his life. We prayed and I fasted all day until that evening when his parents called and said the jury found him “not guilty.” I was ecstatic. 


Yes, perhaps just praying would have been enough but I see fasting as a catalyst that boosts my faith. We do not fast to make God do anything but I believe self-sacrifice pleases Him and He does not want to see us disappointed. But, let me say this, even if He does not answer the way we hope He will answer after we have prayed and fasted or even if He does not answer at all, we should be like the young Hebrew men. When King Nebuchadnezzar threatened to throw them into the fiery furnace, they said, “ . . . our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Daniel 3:17-18. We too should stand for God and say He will answer but if He does not answer the way we want Him to, we will trust Him anyway. Then tell the devil to get under your foot where he belongs!


I could go on and on with these accounts of how fasting with prayer resulted in victory in my life and the lives of others I have known. However, as stated previously, in the interest of time we will stop and share more in future podcasts in this new section on fasting. So, stay with us. And, if you have a fasting and prayer victory account you would like to share please do.


Let’s join Apostle Charles and he will tell you how to contact us and access past podcasts.