LIFEWAY CHRISTIAN CENTRE:
#DAILY #DEVOTIONAL
THE WORD FOR TODAY
FRIDAY, 03/11/2017

#TOPIC: FASTING AND PRAYER (PT. 2)

#TEXT:
Matthew 6:16-18 (LITV)
16 And when you fast, do not be as the hypocrites, with sullen face, for they disfigure their faces so that they may appear to men to be fasting. Truly I say to you that they have their reward.
17 But you in fasting, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 so as not to appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father in secret. And your Father seeing in secret will repay you in the open.

Ezra 8: 23; So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreate

#MESSAGE:
Fasting is the voluntary denial of an otherwise normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity. Fasting is a valid, biblical tradition. Fasting reveals what ans who controls us.

# Fasting should not only be our response to urgent needs, (in emergency situations) but a lifestyle. That is why you must be disciplined. The disciplined person is the person who can do what needs to be done when it needs to be done.

# Friends, do you know that Fasting is a Fuel for the Soul and spirit?. When properly motivated, fasting demonstrates faith and commitment to God and leads to a deeper relationship with him.

# Fasting is for everyone who follows Christ. It is a tool God has given us to increase our spiritual power and help us communicate more intimately with God. And if we don’t make use of it, we are not only going to be missing out on much of what God wants to do in and through us, we will be disobeying Jesus clear instructions.

# Jesus knew there would come a time when He would not be physically present any longer with His disciples / with the church. Perilous times would come when supernatural strength would be needed. “Then they will fast IN THOSE DAYS.” Beloved, we are living in such days today - the Bridegroom is absent and our needs for spiritual power are SO very great. Jesus intends for us to seek after God with great prayer and fasting.

Now Jesus knew this great value of fasting. He developed a lifestyle of prayer and fasting. It’s clear He’d been fasting prior to this incident with the demon-possessed boy (He cast it out and said the reason He’d been able to was because “this kind only come out by prayer and fasting”. What’s the implication? Jesus had been fasting.)

# Beloved, Godly prayer with fasting releases breakthrough spiritual power. Jesus was ready for every occasion of life and ministry BECAUSE He developed a lifestyle of prayer with fasting. THERE IS GREAT POWER RELEASED THROUGH THESE PRINCIPLES. Embrace it!

#Remember, Jesus did not say "if you fast" but He said "when you fast"

#PRAYER:
Father, I receive grace to discipline myself, so as to make fasting and prayer a lifestyle after the order of our Lord Jesus, in Jesus mighty name. Amen!