Transcript Prayer and fasting for spiritual breakthrough

Prayer and fasting for
spiritual breakthrough
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• “Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn
to me with all your heart, and with fasting
and with weeping, and with mourning.”
Joel 2:12
Prayer and Fasting
How to Survive in the Slum
• Prayer and fasting is vital to all slum ministry for three main
reasons;
A) The welfare of the Trainer/Leader
Prayer and Fasting is essential for the strong spiritual life of the
slum worker.
B) The welfare of the workers/trainees
Intercessory prayer and fasting is essential for the well-being of
the workers you are training especially as they face spiritual
opposition and attack.
C) The development of spiritual discernment
The leaders and the workers in the slum need keen and sensitive
spiritual discernment as they face a myriad of deceptive forces.
EFFECTUAL PRAYING
James 5:16 b
Those burdened with cares in
ministry need……effectual prayer
• James 5 verse 14 -16 tells us that
“effectual prayer offered in faith restores
the sick and heals the wounded”………
• In our Urban Mission to the poor our
workers will often be wounded and sick..
• As leaders we need to be effectual in
prayer for those we have pastoral
responsibility for.
Testimonies of effectual prayer?
• Can you share with us
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one example of effectual
prayer you have been
involved in personally?
Can you share one
example of effective
prayer you have observed
through the ministry of
another or others…..?
Fasting and prayer is a key to the
growth of our personal lives and
commitment to Christ.
See Acts 10:9,30; 21:5; 22:17-21
 Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in
my house praying at this hour, at three in the
afternoon. Acts 10:30
WHY PRAY AND FAST?
• The early Christians "devoted themselves to prayer"
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Acts 2:42.
Prayer was a key element in
discipleship and pastoral
care of new believers.
1 Thess. 1:2
Throughout the Book of Acts,
prayer and fasting is
emphasized again and again:
Fasting and prayer is a key to our
ministry to others.
• Acts 6:6; 8:14-15; 9:40; 13:3; 14:23; 20:36;
28:8
…They presented them to the apostles, who
prayed and laid their hands on them. Acts 6:6
• Empowerment by the Spirit for ministry
came through prayer and the laying on
of hands… and act of presbytery or
ordination
• And when they had
ordained them elders in
every church, and had
prayed with fasting, they
commended them to the
Lord, on whom they
believed. Acts 14:23
Prayer is a key to our survival in
persecution and spiritual attack.
• After further threats they let them go…1 After
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they prayed, the place where they were meeting
was shaken. And they were all filled with the
Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly..
Acts 4:2, 31; 16:22-26.
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and
Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be
stripped and beaten. About midnight Paul and
Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,
and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Acts 16:22, 25
People question the need for fasting
and prayer
Why is prayer so necessary?
Why is fasting necessary?
Is God a sadist who needs us
to suffer before He shows
compassion for others?
If God is all-knowing and
all-powerful, surely He would
answer our needs without us
having to tell Him about them.
Three Vital Functions of Fasting and
Prayer
• Fasting and Prayer fulfills three vital
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functions in our relationship with
God:
1. Communication with God
2. A joining together or unity
in purpose
3. Allowing ourselves to be
an intercessory vessel
for the Spirit to pray
through.
COMMUNICATION
In any relationship, whether it is between
husband and wife, parents and children, or
between friends, there has to be meaningful
conversation. Without dialogue, a
relationship will soon die.
We must have daily relationship
with God
 The two parties need to share their desires and
frustrations, and find the answers together.
 It is the same with our relationship with God.
 How can we really love Him unless we share our
heart with Him, and how can we begin to think
like Him unless we ask Him what He thinks about
the situations we face each day
 Jesus said “He was the vine, and we need to
abide in Him” The life is in the sap from the root.
John 15: 1-15
Prayer is the basis of our
relationship with God
Prayer, for the believer, is NOT a
religious duty, but an act of love.
It's part of our fellowship with a
personal God - our loving Father.
The more time we spend with God
in prayer, the closer our
relationship will become,
and the more like
Christ we will become.
Prayer is an evidence of our love
for others….
• An Encarnação facilitator needs to show his/her
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love for others by praying for each trainee each
day.
Reminding the “Enemy of our Souls” that this
person belongs to the Saviour of mankind is an
act of spiritual warfare.
Making a prayer list and updating it regularly is
an act of love.
Depressed or burdened trainees need special
prayer.
Our act of love makes us more like Christ the
Advocate.
A joining together
or unity
in purpose
We are living in the days when God is
bringing everything He has purposed to
completion.
God's plan is coming to a point of closure,
and though the future looks bleak, God will
still fulfill His plan by empowering His
servants. Prayer and fasting empowers us as
His servants.
Partner with God in His great plan
for the redemption of all things
He has actually gone as far as limiting Himself in
His plan and waiting until we pray.
As we pray, we join with Him in His purposes
and have the thrill of seeing Him work. This
action develops a unity between God and
ourselves.
We are His treasure in earthen vessels.
The importance of prayer and
fasting in spiritual victory in
our personal lives….
• Prayer and fasting enable us
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exercise power over the temptation
of the seven deadly sins:
Greed
Slothfulness
Envy
Lust
Pride
Gluttony
Anger
Are you struggling with any of
these sins ?
• Together in unity we can minister to one another
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and help each other to find the power of God’s
victory over temptation. 1 John 1:9
Together our prayers have great power. Acts
1:14
United we stand, divided we fall. Luke 22:40
We all need to learn to extend grace to each
other so we will find grace in our time of need.
1 Peter 3:7
Three Deadly Dangers
• But give attention to yourselves, for fear that
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your hearts become over-full of the pleasures of
food and wine, and the cares of this life,
and that day may come on you suddenly, and
take you as in a net:
For so it will come on all those who are living on
the face of all the earth. But keep watch at all
times with prayer, that you may be strong
enough to come through all these things and
take your place before the Son of man.
Luke 21:34-36
Are you struggling with any of
these dangers ?
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Food obsessions or, gluttony?
Addictions? Drugs or drink?
Lustful desires?
Financial worries?
Wrong affections?
Ungodly ambitions?
God’s power can set you free from these dangers
and change the affections of your heart!
A post-modern spirit of compromise
• In these days many believers have compromised
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their standards and suffer the consequences.
The Biblical standards of godly living are
timeless and wise.
Compromising our standards of godly living
weakens the power of our life.
A sacrificial life is an act of love for God and our
fellow man.
Three righteous duties
• In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus speaks of the
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three righteous duties of Christians: Giving (Matt.
6:2-4)、Prayer （Matt. 6:5-8）、Fasting (Matt:
6:16-18)
Jesus did not say, If you desire to do so, you can
give, pray or fast. Rather he said, (When you
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He assumed that every Christian would do these
three things.
Our motivation for the three
righteous duties should be the same
as for ministry
When we perform these three righteous duties,
we must be careful of our motivation. (Matt. 6:1)
The motivation of many is not pure. It is only to
cause others to look on them with admiration or
some other selfish motivation or envy.
Such people will not receive the reward from the
Lord, and are called hypocrites.
Even so, these scriptures clearly tell us a proper
fast that purifies our motives will be rewarded by
God.
Throughout the world
countless numbers die
everyday through
starvation. Christians are
blessed by the Lord, in
order to save these lost
souls, and have
compassion on them by
fasting and pray. These
sacrificial acts move the
Spirit of God to mobilize
men and women to
ministry among the poor.
Our motivation for servant-hood
comes from a new attitude
• You were taught, with regard to your former way
of life, to put off your old self, which is being
corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new
in the attitude of your minds. Eph 4:22-23.
Fasting is Contrary to our natural
reasoning
• "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor
are your ways My ways," says the LORD. "For
as the heavens are higher than the earth, so
are My ways higher than your ways, and My
thoughts than your thoughts”. Isaiah 55:8-9
People who fast can enjoy God’s
joy
• “Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'The fast of the
fourth month, ….., Shall be joy and gladness and
cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore
love truth and peace”. Zechariah 8:19
Fasting and Prayer was not
only for Biblical times
• Then John‘s disciples came and asked him,
“How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but
your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered,
“How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn
while he is with them? The time will come when
the bridegroom will be taken from them; then
they will fast. Matthew 9:14 -15
Faith increases through fasting
• If we want to be sensitive to messages
from God, one method is through fasting.
This is like finely tuning a sensitive radio.
• When Jesus taught his disciples about
increasing faith, He said fasting and prayer
is the key to this kind of faith.
• However, this kind (demon) does not go
out except by prayer and fasting. Matthew
17:21
Through fasting you will
experience an open heaven
• So Cornelius said, "four days ago I was
fasting until this hour; and at the Ninth
hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a
man stood before me in bright clothing,
Acts 10:30
• So when they had appointed elders in
every church, and prayed with fasting,
they commended them to the Lord in
whom they had believed. Acts 14:23
Fasting will make you sensitive to
the Holy Spirit
• The spirit of those who fast is sensitive to both
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the Holy Spirit an other spirits. However, if your
motivation is right, you are very safe.
“And she [was] a widow of about fourscore and
four years, which departed not from the temple,
but served [God] with fastings and prayers night
and day And she coming in that instant gave
thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him
to all them that looked for redemption in
Jerusalem.” Luke 2:37-38
Short periods of fasting and prayer and
the leading of the Spirit
• If the Holy Spirit leads you, even in a short fast
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you can grow very close to God. Whether it is a
few days, one, two or three weeks, you will be
amazed at the close communication you have
with the Lord.
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the
wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Matt 4:2
And when he had fasted forty days and forty
nights, he was afterward an hungered.”
Matt. 4:1-2
Three Types of Biblical Fasts
1. Standard Fast – You only drink water, not
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other solid or liquid nourishment.
Absolute Fast – You neither eat nor drink.
This type of fast usually is just for a day.
Because after 2-3 days, the body will
dehydrate and it will cause damage. Moses
and Elijah both fasted for 40 days without
water. This was a supernatural event.
Partial Fast – You abstain from certain foods
or all food and only take liquid nourishment.
(Dan. 10:3)
How long should you fast?
• 1. Until we finally know that God has heard
our prayer. For this you have to get the
assurance whether to have a short (1-10
days) or a longer (20-40 day) fast.
• 2. As long as our health and physical
condition permits, without resulting in
damage.
The reasons for fasting
• 1. For Personal Needs
a. Repentance and holiness 2 Sam. 12:16
b. To buffet the body, for God to hear prayers
Isa: 58:3-5
c. For salvation and deliverance from difficulty.
Ezra 8:21, Isa 58:6
a. Repentance and cleansing. 2 Sam 12:15
• Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the
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children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in
sackcloth, and with dust on their heads.
Nehemiah 9:1
And in every province where the king's command
and decree arrived, there was great mourning
among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and
wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
Esther 4:3
b. To buffet the body, for God to hear prayers
• But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing
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was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting;
And my prayer would return to my own heart.
Psalms 35:13
When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,
That became my reproach. Psalms 69:10
My knees are weak through fasting, and my
flesh is feeble from lack of fatness. Psalms
109:24
Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make
request by prayer and supplications, with fasting,
sackcloth, and ashes. Daniel 9:3
Banishing of Natural Desires
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Man has four different desires:
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The spiritual desire, the longing for God.
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The desire for food.
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The sexual desire.
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The covetousness for possession, power
and luxury.
All these needs can be justified to a certain degree.
The first desire does not take any effect at all in
most people because it is suppressed by the other
three
The second and third desires degenerated into
major vices in ancient times, of which Paul warned
severely in 1. Thessalonians, chapter 4:
"abstain from fornication..." also, "that no man go
beyond and defraud his brother in any matter:
because that the Lord is the avenger of all
such.“ 1 Thess 4:5 – 6
The fourth, covetousness for improvement of
one's life, degenerates into greed for money,
possession, power and luxury.
It is a modern trump card in satan's hand.
However, with fasting, a miracle occurs:
first of all, the second desire - hunger vanishes.
After approximately 10 days of fasting the
weakness is gone.
Thereafter the sexual desire disappears
too.
 If the person who is fasting continues in
fervent prayer to be united with God, the
fourth desire - covetousness, is taken from
him; or at least so much diminished, that
it is hardly noticeable.
To the same degree, as fleshly lusts
decrease through fasting, the spiritual
longing for God is increased:
"As the hart panteth after the water
brooks, so panteth my soul after thee,
O God." PSALM 42:2
It is the Holy Spirit who is working by His
moving force.
Now, the spirit of prayer becomes alive
and an inner urge to pray arises, wherever
you are.
c. For salvation and deliverance from difficulty.
• [Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose
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the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy
burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and
that ye break every yoke? Isa. 58:6
And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek
the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all
Judah. 4 And Judah gathered themselves
together, to ask [help] of the LORD: even out of
all the cities of Judah they came to seek the
LORD. 2 Chr. 20:3-4
• "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in
Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor
drink for three days, night or day. My
maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will
go to the king, which is against the law;
and if I perish, I perish!“ Esther 4:16
• Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river
of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves
before our God, to seek from Him the right
way for us and our little ones and all our
possessions. Ezra 8:21
Fastings as a ministry
• a. To seek God’s will, that His will shall be
done. Dan. 9:3; 9:21-22
• b. seek power for deliverance. Matt. 17:21;
Isa. 58:6
• c. to begin a new ministry – Acts 14:2-3
• d. to ordain ministry Acts 14:23
To fast for revival
• Ask God to forgive the sins of the people, to
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return to God, to bring the power of deliveranceJoel 1:14; Joel 2:15-17; Jonah 3:5
Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly,
gather the elders [and] all the inhabitants of the
land [into] the house of the LORD your God, and
cry unto the LORD Joel 1:14
Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a
solemn assembly.Joel 2:15
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? Joel 2:16-17
So the people of Nineveh believed God, and
proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the
greatest of them even to the least of them.
Jonah 3:5 .
A spiritual person is a person who fasts
and prays often
• “Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not
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blamed: But in all [things] approving ourselves as the
ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in
necessities, in distresses,5 In stripes, in imprisonments,
in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;” 2 Cor.
6:3-5
“[In] journeyings often, [in] perils of waters, [in] perils
of robbers, [in] perils by [mine own] countrymen, [in]
perils by the heathen, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in
the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among
false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in
watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often,
in cold and nakedness.” 2 Cor. 11:26-27
Our challenge:
In Bible times, men and women changed the
course of history through intercession.
Now, in these crucial days when God is
completing His glorious plan, the challenge
comes to us:
"And I searched for a person among them
who should build up the wall and stand in
the gap before Me for the land . . . but I
found no one" Ezekiel 22:30 .