The glorious keys of fasting

1. The glorious keys of fasting Bro Josphert and Sis Jane Kuanping Fellowship 16th August 2009

2. What is fasting? • Definition: • Fasting is voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes. • It is not forced. • One chooses to say no to food. • It is triggered by a desire which is beyond the natural desires.

3. Are there people who fasted? • Yes…great men and great nations have been known to fast. • Example: Jesus, Moses, Daniel, Paul, Elijah, David etc • Some religions even require the followers to fast. • Example: Christianity, Buddhism, Islam etc

4. Medical benefits • Even doctors recommend that fasting is good for the body. • Fasting makes the body to rest. • Fasting helps the body to remove toxic substances. • Fasting helps the body to burn excess fat. • Fasting sharpens mental abilities

6. Types of fasting 1. Partial fasting In partial fast one can abstain from particular types of foods for some time . It can take a long time. • Daniel 10:3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. • 2. Total fasting • This means no water no food. It can only be to a maximum of three days. Or else you damage brain cells.

7. Kinds of fasting 1. Individual fasting 2. Church fasting 3. National fasting 4. Corporate fasting among several people, family

8. The Length of fasting Fasting can take a duration between 1 day to 40 days. The main categories are; 1. 1 Day: Daniel 6:18 (Survival level) 2. 3 days: Esther 4:16, Acts 9:9 (Word level) 3. 7 days: I Samuel 31:13 (Holiness level) 4. 14 days: Acts 27:33-34 (Gifts level) 5. 21 days: Daniel 10:3-13 (Visions level) 6. 40 days: Exodus 24:18, I Kings 19:8, Matthew 4:2 (Miracles level)

9. How did Jesus regard fasting? • Jesus placed fasting at the same level with prayer and giving. • Matthew 6 :2,6,16-18 2 Therefore when( He did not say if ) thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, • 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. • 16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

10. The benefits of fasting • 1. Fasting enables one toRepent completely (Joel 2)…as in Jonah 3 • 12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?

11. 2. Fasting makes God to pity His people 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? • 18 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

12. 3. Fasting brings prosperity • 19 Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: 21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. 22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.

13. 4. Fasting brings restoration • 25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. 26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

14. 5. Fasting brings the out pouring of the Holy Spirit 28 And it shall come to pass afterward, thatI will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

15. 6. Fasting was done to help overcome bereavement • 1 Samuel 1:12  • And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.

16. 7. Fasting brings Victory • Judges 20:26 • Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

17. 18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first. 19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. 20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah. 21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men. 22 And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.

18. 23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day. 25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword. • 26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. 27 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

19. 8. Fasting enables one to humble himself • 1 Kings 21:27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. • Psalms 35:13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: Ihumbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

20. CHOOSE Eating a lot Fasting Pride Humility FAILURE IN LIFE SUCCESS IN LIFE

21. 9. Fasting makes our way safe • Ezra 8:21-23 •  Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. 22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. 23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

22. 10. Fasting causes the house of the LORD to be built • Nehemiah 1:3-4 • And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. (hopelessness) • 4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

23. 11. Fasting prevents great calamities • Esther 4:16 •  Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

24. 12. Fasting prepares one for the ministry • Matthew 4:1-2 • Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. You can fast before you start your career!

25. 13. Fasting releases the power of God in a believer. • Luke 4:1 • And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, • Luke 4:14 • And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

26. 14. Fasting channels the anointing to cast out all demons • Matthew 17:19-21 •  Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

27. 15. Fasting was used to commission called out believers • Acts 13:2-3 • As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

28. 16. Fasting establishes the revelation of the Salvation of Christ. • Leviticus 16:29-31 • And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever

29. 17. Fasting can be a ministry • Luke 2:36-37 •  And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; • And she was a widow of about 84 years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

30. Where to start! • 1. You eat 21 meals per week. Please tithe it! • 2. Spiritual power is available for those who deny themselves. • 3. There are many temptations to eat, but if you love the Lord and His work, you will have a desire for Him which is stronger than the sweetest and most delicious food.

31. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness. Ezekiel 16:49