Most times you hear people saying fast and pray your way to breakthrough or fast and pray your problem will be solved.

I really want to know what is involved in praying and fasting. Can someone who work in a bank do this? Were will he or she get the time to read his/her bible and also pray. Actually how can one carry out a successful prayer and fasting section. Does it require one reading any book of the bible or just the book of psalms.

Your sincere response will be appreciated.

Marami, let me first stress the fact that life is not fair. Some were born rich, the others were born poor. Some need to go thru hell b4 they could achieve meaningful things in life, while the others have meaningful things (breakthrus, if u will call it dat) thrown at them. So, some have it easy while some have it tough. But doesn't EVERYONE still have a cross to bear?

Therefore, life seems a battle ground, and it's a survival of the fittest. But it wasn't so before Adam's fall in the Eden. Mn had ALL things easy then. Sin came and so did toil and strain. God says to Man, hencefort, you will now work and suffer for every comfort you will ever desire for yourself Gen 3:16-19.

Jesus came so that we can redeem the very thing dat Man lost in Eden, Life in God (Rom 6:23). Jesus says, I come that you might have life and to also have it more abundantly John10:10. So, Jesus came to give us life and life more ABUNDANTLY. This means, suffering afflictions should not be for a follower of Christ, we should enjoy daily breakthrus.

Does life abundantly come without a strife? Not at all, u must fight for it. Because Jesus also says, Since d time of John d baptist, d kingdom of God suffers violence and the VIOLENT take it BY FORCE (Matt.11:12). What's d kingdom of God? Those are d good things u want in life and even in eternity at last.

So, the question is, Do you really want what you want or you can do without it? If u really NEED the breakthru u desire, then u must fight for it and be VIOLENT about it, or else it will just be a mere wishful dream to be carried to d grave (I forbid dat for u).

My point is, u must BE DETERMINED TO FIGHT AGAINST WHATEVER WILL HINDER YOU.

Personal convenience must go while u fast and pray. It's a time of necessary sacrifice. FAST FROM THE NIGHT OF ONE DAY TILL 6PM OF THE 2ND DAY (dat is one day, if u repeat it the following day it's 2 days and so on) My dear, there are some breakthrus u won't get UNTIL u join fast to ur prayer Mark 9:29.

Some don't want a break at all from the eating and drinking, and even their self indulgences and yet they want miracles to happen. Do u know some will even still continue in their sins of womanizing, stealing in offices, cheating etc and will still be complaining God didn't hear their prayer Isaiah 59:1,2; Rom6:1,2.

Therefore, prepare to give what it takes for victory and abstain from sin. Now coming to ur specific question, Anyone working in any place can fast and pray whereever they are, the matter depends on how desperate u are in getting ur problems solved. You will not die. If u have history of ulcer, consult ur doctor and see if u can fast till 12pm instead of 6pm.

Bank environment is a tense and busy place so u may not have too much luxery of reading Bible, but u can pray ALL dat time in ur heart while working and God Who is faithful and MERCIFUL will hear u. The Bible says, 'For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.' (2Chron. 16:9).

Also, u can make use of early morning or 12am to 1am praying and Bible reading time. In traffic holdup while going to office u can read Bible and pray. U can get bible study manuals like Our Daily Manna to GUIDE in prayer and in Bible study.

I hope I've been able to help a little thru d help of the Holy Spirit. U can ask me any question further later and I will be glad to of assistance.

Goodluck and God bless u.

AngelRalph:

Marami, let me first stress the fact that life is not fair. Some were born rich, the others were born poor. Some need to go thru hell b4 they could achieve meaningful things in life, while the others have meaningful things (breakthrus, if u will call it dat) thrown at them. So, some have it easy while some have it tough. But doesn't EVERYONE still have a cross to bear?

Therefore, life seems a battle ground, and it's a survival of the fittest. But it wasn't so before Adam's fall in the Eden. Mn had ALL things easy then. Sin came and so did toil and strain. God says to Man, hencefort, you will now work and suffer for every comfort you will ever desire for yourself Gen 3:16-19.

Jesus came so that we can redeem the very thing dat Man lost in Eden, Life in God (Rom 6:23). Jesus says, I come that you might have life and to also have it more abundantly John10:10. So, Jesus came to give us life and life more ABUNDANTLY. This means, suffering afflictions should not be for a follower of Christ, we should enjoy daily breakthrus.

Does life abundantly come without a strife? Not at all, u must fight for it. Because Jesus also says, Since d time of John d baptist, d kingdom of God suffers violence and the VIOLENT take it BY FORCE (Matt.11:12). What's d kingdom of God? Those are d good things u want in life and even in eternity at last.

So, the question is, Do you really want what you want or you can do without it? If u really NEED the breakthru u desire, then u must fight for it and be VIOLENT about it, or else it will just be a mere wishful dream to be carried to d grave (I forbid dat for u).

My point is, u must BE DETERMINED TO FIGHT AGAINST WHATEVER WILL HINDER YOU.

Personal convenience must go while u fast and pray. It's a time of necessary sacrifice. FAST FROM THE NIGHT OF ONE DAY TILL 6PM OF THE 2ND DAY (dat is one day, if u repeat it the following day it's 2 days and so on) My dear, there are some breakthrus u won't get UNTIL u join fast to your prayer Mark 9:29.

Some don't want a break at all from the eating and drinking, and even their self indulgences and yet they want miracles to happen. Do u know some will even still continue in their sins of womanizing, stealing in offices, cheating etc and will still be complaining God didn't hear their prayer Isaiah 59:1,2; Rom6:1,2.

Therefore, prepare to give what it takes for victory and abstain from sin. Now coming to your specific question, Anyone working in any place can fast and pray whereever they are, the matter depends on how desperate u are in getting your problems solved. You will not die. If u have history of ulcer, consult your doctor and see if u can fast till 12pm instead of 6pm.

Bank environment is a tense and busy place so u may not have too much luxery of reading Bible, but u can pray ALL dat time in your heart while working and God Who is faithful and MERCIFUL will hear u. The Bible says, 'For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.' (2Chron. 16:9).

Also, u can make use of early morning or 12am to 1am praying and Bible reading time. In traffic holdup while going to office u can read Bible and pray. U can get bible study manuals like Our Daily Manna to GUIDE in prayer and in Bible study.

I hope I've been able to help a little thru d help of the Holy Spirit. U can ask me any question further later and I will be glad to of assistance.

Goodluck and God bless u.

AngelRalph, you are a real angel. Thanks, I gained a lot from this. Please I have three questions:

1. Please does God give somebody free money for example after paying tithe,you get a 1million naira contract? Or one has to work for every penny?

2. Why is it that when somebody is doing the wrong thing spiritually and does not know, one can get punished for this? For example, maybe I don't know that if I speak in tongues the devil cannot intercept my prayers and I am not in a church that preaches this. Then my prayers keep going somewhere else and I don't know why I can get answers to my urgent needs and God does not bother to tell me. And maybe I have not studied my Bible to that level. Why will God allow you to suffer unnecessarily, just be looking at you and not tell you what you can do to change this?

3. A member of Pastor Rick Warren's church was despoiled on the day she gave her life to Christ. She said this as part (negative) of her testimony (which was positive at the end). Why?

Angelraph thanks so much for your explanation. Please can I discussion some personal issues with you thru your mail box, mine is megiszo@yahoo.com. I realy need to discussion with someone like you. I have loads of problems bothering me, please.

@Marami
I've sent my email address into ur inbox. I'm glad u were helped.

@Oyinkansow
I'm flattered, ha ha ha. Non d less, I give all thanks to God dat u received help from d post. Thanks.

Now, let's see what answer d Bible will give to ur questions thru d Holy Spirit:

1. Please does God give somebody free money for example after paying tithe,you get a 1million naira contract? Or one has to work for every penny?
2. Why is it that when somebody is doing the wrong thing spiritually and does not know, one can get punished for this? For example, maybe I don't know that if I speak in tongues the devil cannot intercept my prayers and I am not in a church that preaches this. Then my prayers keep going somewhere else and I don't know why I can get answers to my urgent needs and God does not bother to tell me. And maybe I have not studied my Bible to that level. Why will God allow you to suffer unnecessarily, just be looking at you and not tell you what you can do to change this?
3. A member of Pastor Rick Warren's church was despoiled on the day she gave her life to Christ. She said this as part (negative) of her testimony (which was positive at the end). Why?

Q1

First of all, u must understand dat WORK in itself is God's idea and not man's from d beginning, even b4 d fall of man, "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden TO DRESS IT AND TO KEEP IT" (Gen2:15). Why? because He Himself is a hardworking God Who's never idle! (Gen2:2). Then u can ask these idle, lazy children of God why they are not like their Father.

So, work is God's idea. Work in itself has rewards depending on what direction u direct ur energy. You work for smthing, u get it if work hard enough for it. U work for 30days, u get d reward at d end. That's the law God has put in motion since d foundation of d world, WHAT YOU SOW, YOU REAP (Gal. 6:7). Nothing can change dat. It's a force. I believe dat should answer, does God give free money? The answer is NO, there is no free money. God can use someone to provide some money for u, but it must be for an intent, not for idle reason. And even in dat d fellow who gave u d money also worked for it. So whichever u look at it, U work for whatever u need. D beautiful thing God does for u is "Then the Lord your God will bless you in all your work (Deut. 14:29; 2Thess. 3:10).

Moreover, what ensures d blessing of God on ur work is ur faithfulness in regularly paying ur tithe and offering. Ur tithe is 10% of ur gross income or salary. That belongs to ur God who gave u d life, job provision, energy and enablement to WORK for d money. Don't spend it cos if u do, u make urself become a thief b4 God. And, offering is a freewill giving over and above the tithe.

(Mal 3:8-12)
"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?
In tithes and offerings". It also attracts curses, "Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me".
But d obedience to it brings great and untold blessings, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it". Take it literaly, dat's what d Lord does.

He says, "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts". In our own days many of us are not farmers, but d Lord has a way of warding off all those things dat bring unneccessary expences like recurring sicknesses, losing money to thieves and armed robbers etc. And He also can direct us in d way we'll invest d money so it can yield much dividends to us "What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose"(Psalm 25:12). Also see, Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: AND THE LORD BLESSED HIM (Gen 26:12).

So, u see, it's in what u do for a living God will bless u. Even if it's a contract, it's still a work 'cos u have to do d the work for which u were contracted. U should not do what many d dis days, collecting money for a contract and never doing it. God won't bless u in dat. Dat kind of money has a way of going wt d wind, "The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin" (Prov 10:16).

Q2

Let me start by saying dat our God is not a wicked God. He's all loving and kind. What would u say of a Father dat would give His only Son to die for and n u. Could such a God bear to see us suffer? No. D problem wt many of us is dat we are ignorant most of d time n because we are, we suffer for our ignorance "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). So, know from today dat whatever u suffer, u suffer it for ur own ignorance n not because God doesn't care. Sometimes He even speaks, but do we listen? We live in a noisy world. In d morning, we're awaken by neighbor's stereo, we're always busy at work, on the road d sound of motor engines is mixed with headphones in our ears blaring d loudest volumes of d latest gig in town on d radio, so, WHEN DO WE HAVE TIME TO LISTEN TO GOD?

First of all, u need to understand d original purpose of God giving men other tongues to speak, perhaps in prayer. D speaking in tongues is not a primary substance in itself but an evidence dat something exits or has taken place. Let's see d origin of speaking in an unknown tongues: Acts 2:1-4, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance".
From here, why were they speaking wt other tongues? because of d infilling of d Holy Ghost (cloven tongues like as of fire). Why were they gathered in one place in one accord? because they were obeying d command of Christ, "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" (Luk24:49). What is d PURPOSE of d Power of d Holy Ghost? To receive Power to preach and win souls for Christ! "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:. And immediately u get to Acts 2:14-47, u read about d manifestation of dis Power in d previously fearful Peter who preached with BOLDNESS and 3 thousand souls were won to Christ in one day!

So, as u can see clearly here, d original purpose of speaking wt other tongues is not to confuse satan, it is an evidence dat u have received d power of d Holy Ghost. U can now begin to wonder why many xtians today speak wt other tongues and yet they are powerless against d enemy and too ashamed to witness for Christ. Many do not even have power over d sins dat had held dem captive b4 they started professing they were born-again, n d Bible says
"sin shall not have dominion over u"(Rom. 6:14). They still live in their old sins of fornication, adultery, lying, stealing, backbiting, anger, malice etc. So, if d Holy Spirit will NEVER dwell in a dirty heart and body (1Cor. 6:18-20), by whom are these ppl speaking in other tongues? For me to go into dat will take another lenghty note, but let me simply just go straight to d questn of ur praying.

Pray with the language dat u understand best. When Jesus taught d disciples on how to pray in Matt 6:9, He didn't teach dem in other tongues but in d tongue dey were already familiar wt. When Daniel prayed in Daniel 9:3-20, he prayed in his native tongue. So ur praying n not receiving answer is not because u were not praying in other tongues. D reason may be one or two out of many reasons.
For instance, d time for answer to d prayer may not be yet in God's time table. Sometimes God could determine dat dat is not for u, n probably give u a better thing which many times we don't recognise as better or God's answer. Or it may be some household forces collaborating wt satan to deliberately hinder one of his inheritance, d blessing is there but for one reason or d other they have 'permission' to hinder u from getting dem. And, an unanswered prayer may be a result of sin in d life of the one praying.

Whatever's d reason, u can discover it thru sincere heart searching and cooperation wt the Holy Ghost, surrending ur total self to God. Repent where necessary and ask for forgiveness. Determine to do God's command at all times and it shall be well wt u. Jesus says, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened" Matt 7:7,8. Dis is an express promise of d Son of God, will we den make God a liar? God forbid! Read dis, God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Numbers 23:19)

And if ur prayer is hindered like dat of Daniel in Daniel 10:1-13, thru d wicked works of ur household wickedness collaborating wt satan, PRAYER will still conqurer dem. Pray n join fasting wt ur prayer, and if need be consult a trusted servant of God wt genuine anointing of God in his life to break d evil yoke thru d Power of d Holy Ghost, in Jesus Name thru PRAYER.

Q3

Since I didn't listen to dis testimony, neither was I in d woman's thought, I may not know why. But it would be good to bring her bitter experience in d church to d knowledge of d church's pastor so dey can deal wt d situation so it doesn't repeat itself in d future.

God bless u. Thanks

@AngelRalph, thanks