Understanding the Blessedness of Prayer & Fasting. - Part 1

Happy New Year to you.

Remember to have a new Year, there must be a New You. Someone once said, "Only fools do the same thing and expects a different result." This simply means to have a change of result, there must of necessity be a change of approach. If the New Year 2016 is approached the same way as 2015, you can only at best get 2015 result.

Our teaching series for the month of January 2016 is captioned, "Understanding the Blessedness of Prayer and Fatsing". It is first important for us to know that the bible is a book of instructions and all instructions in scriptures are for our benefit. God’s commandments are ordained for our profiting – 2 Timothy 3:16-17/ 1John 5:3

A man who is intimate with God is not intimidated by man.” ― Leonard Ravenhill

No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying.; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears;; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.― Leonard Ravenhill

We must note the following on the subject of Prayer and Fasting?

• Fasting is commanded for specific benefits as contained in Isaiah 58:6-12 among which includes, to undo the heavy burdens, let the oppressed go free, breaking of yokes.
• Among the benefits of prayer and fasting is fulfilment of prophecy as we saw in Jesus Christ – Luke 4:14,18
• Fasting, spiritually, expedite answers to prayers, that is, everything that prayer does is what fasting facilitates – Isaiah 58:8-9
• But we must also remember that it is prayer that gives value to fasting – Matthew 17:19-21

Knowing these benefits, we must beware of selling our birthright to the belly like Esau who the bible referred to as a profane person. A profane person is a disrespectful or irreverent person to God – Genesis 25:21-27/29-34/ Heb. 12:16. We must not allow our belly to become our god – Philippians 3:19

PROFITABLE APPROACH TO FASTING

• Define your goals and objectives

Fasting without clearly define goals and objectives is a wasted energy that will yield no positive result. All through scriptures, people fasted having clearly defined their goals. Ezra fasted to seek help from God concerning the project he had at hand. Ezra 8:21-23.

Jehosaphat proclaimed a fast to seek help in defeating the 3 nations that came against Judah in battle. 2Chr. 20:3-24

Esther and his people fasted to obtain favour from the King and she got it. Esther 4:16; Esther 5:2.

Even when Jesus saw Blind Bartimeus with his obvious condition of blindness, he still asked him what he wanted specifically. Mark 10:47-48. Hence, we can use the mystery of ONE-LINE PRAYER to make our request clear and simple for speedy answers

 

• Prepare to engage your heart in seeking the Lord

Prayer and fasting is essentially of the heart. When it is heartfelt, then it becomes effectual. James 5:14

Before we approach God in prayers, we must prepare our heart. Proverb. 16:1. Jotham, the young King became mighty because he prepared his way before the Lord. 2 Chronicles 27:6

Part of this preparation of the heart is to de-cluster the mind, seek a quiet place and time to engage in heartfelt prayers. Jeremiah 29: 11, 13; Jeremiah 30:21.

• Refuse to be offended in God and in men

Offence towards God and man is one of the greatest undoing in prayers. So to get God's attention in prayers, refuse to be offended both in God and in men. Isaiah 58:9, Matthew 11:6. Paul admonished us in Acts 24:16 that this will require exercise to operate an offence-free conscience.

• We must come confessing and forsaking our sins

To get audience with God, sin must be taken care of. Leonard Ravenhill says, "You can't live wrong and pray right.”

BLESSEDNESS OF FASTING

• It facilitates deliverance from all evils – unwanted habits, addictions & all sins that easily beset us – Isaiah 58:6,8
• It facilitates answers to our prayers. Matthew 6:5-7,16-18
• It secures favour from God like in Esther and Nehemiah – Esther 4:16-17, Esther 5:1-3,13-14, Nehemiah 1:4-11; 2:4-8
• It empowers fulfillment of prophecy – 1Timothy 1:18, 1Kings. 17:1, James 5:17-18
• It builds our prayer life, which empowers us to see His glory – Exodus 33:18, John. 17:1, Luke 9:28-29

However, until the grace for a life of prayer and fasting is imparted, it will remain a struggle for us

Therefore, what is Impartation?

• Impartation is a platform for transference of spiritual gifts – Romans 1:11
• Impartation is a spiritual medium through which we partake of the grace and unction of God upon an anointed vessel – Philippians 1:7, Psalm 133:1-3, Ephesians 2:20
• It is a spiritual platform for duplication and multiplication of grace – 2 Kings 2:15
• Impartation is a medium through which we contact the virtues of healings, deliverances and special miracles – Acts 19:11-12

But what is in the Prophetic Mantle?

• The overflowing anointing of the prophet – Ps. 45:6-8/ Matt. 9:20-22/ Matt. 14:34-36
• The overflowing priestly anointing – Ps. 133:1-3. Priesthood in the Old Testament is the apostolic and prophetic ministry in the New Testament – Eph. 2:20/ Heb. 3:1-4

What qualifies one for Impartation through the Prophetic Mantle?

• Believe the word concerning the prophetic mantle – Heb. 4:2/ 2Cor. 11:3/Matt. 9:20-22/ Matt. 14:34-36
• Believe in the person and ministry of the prophet – Matt. 10:41/ Mk. 6:4/ 2Chr. 20:20
• Be upright in heart – 2Kgs. 4:29-31/ 2Kgs. 5:20-27- Gehazi took leprosy instead of the the double anointing because his heart was not right.

Friend, I encourage you to make a decision to live your life to honour God from this day and it begins by accepting Jesus into your heart as your Lord and personal Saviour. To accept Jesus Christ into your life, please pray the ‘salvation prayer’ at the back of this publication. Congratulations!

For further enquiries, please email me at, Emmanuel.Odedeyi@winners-chapel.org.uk