Day Four
Fasting has the intentional effect of withdrawal from the normal patterns of our lives. Its purpose is to get you on your own with God and people of like mind. However, do not feel alone in your fasting today; Remember that hundreds of people in our Church are joining you and literally hundreds of thousands are joining you from all over the world.
During this time we all have one thing in common—we want God to move in our lives, in our land and in our Church. Together we are fasting for a spiritual awakening in every area.
When you decide that you are going to fast for a day, a week or more, food becomes more attractive than ever. A plain piece of bread that you would have normally thrown out for the birds seems almost irresistible. But in the same way, if you will keep focused on the ‘why’, then food starts to lose its grip on you as you focus on what is more important.
Yesterday, we saw that the first thing that Jesus got tempted with when he was fasting came directly from the devil...
Matthew 4:1-4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread’. Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’
As much as He was hungry, He makes it clear that the reason I'm not eating again today is so that I can listen to the voice of God more clearly. How much more do we need to have the same approach.
During this time we all have one thing in common—we want God to move in our lives, in our land and in our Church. Together we are fasting for a spiritual awakening in every area.
When you decide that you are going to fast for a day, a week or more, food becomes more attractive than ever. A plain piece of bread that you would have normally thrown out for the birds seems almost irresistible. But in the same way, if you will keep focused on the ‘why’, then food starts to lose its grip on you as you focus on what is more important.
Yesterday, we saw that the first thing that Jesus got tempted with when he was fasting came directly from the devil...
Matthew 4:1-4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread’. Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’
As much as He was hungry, He makes it clear that the reason I'm not eating again today is so that I can listen to the voice of God more clearly. How much more do we need to have the same approach.
Thought For The Day
Here's a thought to take us through the day...
Fasting dethrones our normal appetite for food and replaces it with an appetite to hear clearly from the Holy Spirit.
Declare as you start today, that I don't need to eat to stay alive, because I'm chewing on the words of God instead.
Remember…Fasting sensitises you to hear more clearly what God has wanted to say to you for months!
Fasting dethrones our normal appetite for food and replaces it with an appetite to hear clearly from the Holy Spirit.
Declare as you start today, that I don't need to eat to stay alive, because I'm chewing on the words of God instead.
Remember…Fasting sensitises you to hear more clearly what God has wanted to say to you for months!
Verses For The Day
Mark 9:17-29
Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”
He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”
And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”
He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”
And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
Champions Daily Prayer Focus
For you to be able to hear and discern from God more clearly during the fast and for you to receive greater authority in dealing with stubborn situations.