No weapon formed against you will prosper . . . and when you fast, fast as unto the Lord. Isaiah 54:17, Matthew 6:16, 18.
Hello and welcome to Episode 2, in our Empowered through Fasting series. Today we are going to discuss three reasons for fasting and we will share a personal testimony about fasting. My name is Stephanie Wright. Let’s talk about empowerment through fasting and prayer.
Before we get started, if you have not already listened to Episode one in this series, “Empowered through Fasting with Prayer,” please do so. It provides scriptures, some basic foundational principles, contemporary examples of fasting with prayer, and caveats on how to fast.
So, why do we fast? The simple answer is “because Jesus fasted.” And, I believe when he said in Matthew 6:16, “when you fast,” not “if you fast,” he is encouraging us to be like Him. And, after all, don’t we want to be like Jesus? We should want to be like Jesus, who after He fasted, did what He was sent to this earth to do. When Jesus returned from His forty days and nights of fasting (with no food), Luke 4:14, says “He returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and he taught in their synagogues.” In other words, Jesus went straight to work proclaiming the gospel.
Fasting is a feast for your faith. It produces the same fruit Jesus produced through the power of the Holy Spirit. The same anointing will lead you to speak the gospel to the poor in spirit, to want healing for those who are broken in their spirit, to break chains off those bound by evil spirits, to open the natural and spiritual eyes of those blinded, to give comfort and a healing salve to those who have been bruised physically, mentally, or spiritually. In short, fasting with prayer gives us compassion for those who are hurting - not just those we know, like family and friends.
Now, before we go to our final topic on why we fast, here is a personal testimony of deliverance through fasting. As I testified to in the first episode of this series “Empowerment through Fasting with Prayer,” Episode One, I learned about fasting and learned how to fast when I was a baby in Christ. My church taught the importance and power of fasting. There came a time when I was afflicted in my back so badly I could not sit. It was serious enough that I considered having back surgery, but I knew this was no normal back pain. In addition to fasting, I prayed and read faith healing materials from early-era evangelists. I do not recall what kind of fast I was on to help deliver me out of the pain but the deliverance was not immediate. I am not sure how many weeks the pain lasted but one day, while on my knees in prayer, I suddenly realized the pain was gone!
As we close, here is a final important consideration about fasting. We fast to God’s glory and therefore, we fast according to His direction if we want real results manifested from the fast.
So, what does God say about fasting? In Isaiah 58:6-14, God asks the following question and I am paraphrasing here. He asks, “Did I choose this fast or did you choose this fast?
So, why do we fast? We fast not only because Jesus fasted, and to give God glory, and to bless others, but we fast so we can be blessed. And God promises us that we will be blessed in our fasting as long as we do it to His glory and according to His purpose.
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No weapon formed against you will prosper . . . and when you fast, fast as unto the Lord. Isaiah 54:17, Matthew 6:16, 18.
Hello and welcome to Episode 2, in our Empowered through Fasting series. Today we are going to discuss three reasons for fasting and we will share a personal testimony about fasting. My name is Stephanie Wright. Let’s talk about empowerment through fasting and prayer.
Before we get started, if you have not already listened to Episode one in this series, “Empowered through Fasting with Prayer,” please do so. It provides scriptures, some basic foundational principles, contemporary examples of fasting with prayer, and caveats on how to fast.
I opened today’s presentation with scriptures from the Old Testament (Isaiah 54:17) and the New Testament (Matthew 6:16, 18). These scriptures remind us that there is no weapon that is formed against us that will succeed when we are walking in and being led by the Spirit. And when we fast unto the Lord, even if a weapon is formed, we are strengthened to defeat it through fasting with prayer.
So, why do we fast? The simple answer is “because Jesus fasted.” And, I believe when he said in Matthew 6:16, “when you fast,” not “if you fast,” he is encouraging us to be like Him. And, after all, don’t we want to be like Jesus? We should want to be like Jesus, who after He fasted, did what He was sent to this earth to do. When Jesus returned from His forty days and nights of fasting (with no food), Luke 4:14, says “He returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and he taught in their synagogues.” In other words, Jesus went straight to work proclaiming the gospel.
In Luke 4:18, 19, Jesus is in the synagogue and quotes from the Old Testament, Isaiah 61:1, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he [has] anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he [has] sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then He closed the book and proclaimed, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” These were the initial words that made those who heard what He said, want to stone Him but they couldn’t find Him because He passed out of their sight. Luke 4:21-29. That is what a fast will do. It feeds your faith and empowers you so you are unafraid to speak God’s truth. I said God’s truth, not our own self-righteous truth that condemns rather than delivers from bondage.
Fasting is a feast for your faith. It produces the same fruit Jesus produced through the power of the Holy Spirit. The same anointing will lead you to speak the gospel to the poor in spirit, to want healing for those who are broken in their spirit, to break chains off those bound by evil spirits, to open the natural and spiritual eyes of those blinded, to give comfort and a healing salve to those who have been bruised physically, mentally, or spiritually. In short, fasting with prayer gives us compassion for those who are hurting - not just those we know, like family and friends. We should want to fast just a much for someone we are not related to as someone we are related to or is a close friend. When we have that kind of compassion, then we know the love of God. When we want to fast for our enemy, well now, haven’t we moved to a new level of love. And consider this, someone probably fasted and prayed for you. I am confident someone or a number of someones prayed and fasted for me.
Now, before we go to our final topic on why we fast, here is a personal testimony of deliverance through fasting. As I testified to in the first episode of this series “Empowerment through Fasting with Prayer,” Episode One, I learned about fasting and learned how to fast when I was a baby in Christ. My church taught the importance and power of fasting. There came a time when I was afflicted in my back so badly I could not sit. It was serious enough that I considered having back surgery, but I knew this was no normal back pain. In addition to fasting, I prayed and read faith healing materials from early-era evangelists. I do not recall what kind of fast I was on to help deliver me out of the pain but the deliverance was not immediate. I am not sure how many weeks the pain lasted but one day, while on my knees in prayer, I suddenly realized the pain was gone!
This is an example of how fasting with prayer can produce healing. Faith, trusting God and patience is important as well. But, as I said earlier, I knew this was not a normal physical ailment. It was a spiritual attack. In the interest of time I will not go into further detail. Nevertheless, remember that healing is for today as it was in Jesus’ day because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8.
As we close, here is a final important consideration about fasting. We fast to God’s glory and therefore, we fast according to His direction if we want real results manifested from the fast. We do not fast to lose weight; in fact the opposite can happen if we do not fast the right way. (One young lady I heard of gained 20 pounds after she came off a fast.) We don’t use fasting to barter with God, “Okay, God, I am going on this 24-hour fast so I need this from you.” Absolutely not. Another thing, you don’t have to experience hunger pains to prove you are on a successful fast. Sometimes, you won’t even experience hunger pains depending on how long the fast is or if you prepared well in advance of the fast.
So, what does God say about fasting? In Isaiah 58:6-14, God asks the following question and I am paraphrasing here. He asks, “Did I choose this fast or did you choose this fast? Does the fast you are on set people free, deliver them from every kind of bondage there is? Does this fast you are on feed the hungry, clothe the naked, help those dying in another country from an epidemic? Does your fast help your own family members whom you may have something against? If the answer is “yes,” your fast does all those things, then, when you call, I will answer. If you stop putting burdens on others and judging them and stop being so vain as if you are doing the work instead of me doing the work, then I will bring you out of your dark places and bring into the light of noonday. I will continually guide you and your soul will be satisfied even when there is dryness all around you. You will be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. You will build others up and you will be like a foundation for future generation who will remember you as someone who repaired what was broken, someone who restored the path that led to a new dwelling place. You will delight yourself in me and you will ride upon the high places in the earth.” Now, that’s how God just gave it to me to give to you. That sounds to me like empowerment!
So, why do we fast? We fast not only because Jesus fasted, and to give God glory, and to bless others, but we fast so we can be blessed. And God promises us that we will be blessed in our fasting as long as we do it to His glory and according to His purpose.
Now, let’s listen as Apostle Charles gives us some closing remarks and tells you how to contact us and how to access past presentations.