Fasting is Powerful

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

Fasting is Powerful

Wednesday, 23 October

 

When I went up the mountain to receive the tables of stone, the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, I remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water. Deuteronomy 9:9

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: Acts 13: 1-4 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 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. 4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

 

MORE LESSON: Deuteronomy 9:9-18 When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water: 10 And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. 11 And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant. 12 And the LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image. 13 Furthermore the LORD spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: 14 Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they. 15 So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands. 16 And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you. 17 And I took the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and brake them before your eyes. 18 And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

 

Fasting is an extremely powerful spiritual weapon when used correctly. With it we humble our souls before the Lord, asking for total cleansing and truly repenting of our sins, and experience sanctification through the blood of Jesus: 2 Chronicles 7:14 says: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Through fasting we seek the face of the Lord, asking for His help and intervention on very critical matters as we see in 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.

We pull down the strongholds of the enemy and destroy all his evil works during fasting. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.

We also worship the Lord, in spirit and in truth, and hear His voice of direction concerning the work He has given us to do as recorded of the apostles in Acts 13:2: 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.

Fasting enables us to move the hands of the Lord against the enemies in our way, and ask for His help and His good hands upon our lives (Ezra 8:21). The heroes of faith, who have gone before us, used fasting effectively to turn situations around, and to advance the Kingdom of our God. Examples include: Moses (Deuteronomy 9:9,18); David (Psalm 35:13); Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:4, 9:1); Ezra (Ezra 8:21-23). 4:16); Samuel (1 Samuel 7:6); Jesus (Matthew 4:2); Esther (Esther 4: 2); Paul (2 Corinthians 6:5; 11:27); the early Church (Acts 13:1-2).

Let us, therefore, follow in this glorious tradition of seeking the face of the Lord in true fasting, as we humble ourselves before the Lord.

 

Prayer/Action

* Give thanks to God for His Word. 

* Give thanks to God who answers prayers. 

* Ask that the spirit of grace and supplication may come mightily upon you.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: As I lay my hands on my head, I command every dormant grace of God upon my life to come alive now, in the powerful name of Jesus.