TIME TO FAST
Memorise: To
everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: -Ecclesiastes 3:1.
Read: Matthew 9:14-15 (KJV)
14. Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the
Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
15. And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber
mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the
bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
Bible In One Year: Genesis
39:1-41:36; John 20:1-23
It is good to fast, but it is important to know why you should fast. One of the
reasons why we fast is so that we can be empowered to deal with demons and
forces of darkness. In Matthew
17:14-21, a demon-possessed boy was brought
to Jesus' disciples, but they could not cast out the demon. They later asked
the Lord why. He told them that some demonic cases may not be solved by praying
alone, but by combining prayers with fasting. We fast in order to be
battle-ready, so that whenever the devil raises his ugly head, we are able to
give him a good knock. Some people are surprised and disappointed when they do
not succeed in casting out demons after quoting Luke 10:19.
This Scripture says:
"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and
over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."
If you want this Scripture to be effective in your life, then you must learn to
fast and win souls to Christ. When you win souls to Jesus, you automatically
put on the boots of the gospel, and as a result, no demon will be able to harm
you.
Moreover, we also fast while preparing for high-powered ministrations, just
like our Master who began His ministry with a fast (Matthew 4:1-2). Some people ask God to fulfil His promise that we would do the same
works Jesus did and even greater works (John
14:12). To those people, Jesus says
"Fine, simply start where I did - with a 40-day fast." Many years
ago, during the centenary celebration of modern Pentecostalism in Azusa, Los
Angeles, a lot of speakers from prominent ministries were invited from across
the globe. From Africa, only two people were invited to speak, and by the grace
of God, I was one of them. There was a special room where the speakers waited
before moving to the stage. All kinds of food and drinks were available in this
room. When I got there, I saw those slated to speak eating, drinking and
chatting. An usher asked me what I would like to have, but I declined. The lady
then asked, "Won't you take even a cup of tea?" In my heart, I knew
that was not the appropriate time for me to eat or drink. It was time to hook
on to the Spirit so that my ministration would be impactful; so, I took
nothing. After God used other speakers powerfully, when it was my turn, the
fire fell. If you truly want your sermons to be effective, feed your spirit and
not your flesh. As you wait on Him from today, you will have greater results.
Action Point: Use
one to three days to wait on the Lord, just to thank, praise and worship Him.
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