Series: Breath of Heaven 2011
Sermon: 21 Days – Taste and See
For many they have started their fast. We are basing our called fast for a fresh Breath of Heaven in 2011 from the Lord.
Scripture Text: Joel 1:14
14Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.
Illustration: Lenten Laughs: A Hypocritical Robber
A priest was coming back to his rectory one evening in the dark when he was accosted by a robber who pulled a gun on him and demanded, "Your money or your life!"
As the priest reached his hand into his coat pocket, the robber saw his Roman collar and said: "I see you’re a priest. Never mind, you can go."
The priest, surprised at this unexpected show of piety, tried to reciprocate by offering the robber a candy bar that he remembered was in his pocket.
The robber replied, "No thank you, Father. I don’t eat candy during Lent."
Harold A. Buetow, Embrace Your Renewal (Alba House, 2004)
Introduction:
The key behind times of giving, prayer and fasting should be centered into developing a deeper and more meaningful relationship with the Lord. Giving, prayer and fasting is not meant to change the will or plans of God but to change our wills and our plans for Him.
If you research all the major Biblical characters in the Bible you soon discover that they all practiced the discipline of fasting, prayer and giving.
Thesis: We need to have a biblical understanding of 3 spiritual disciplines giving, prayer and fasting so that we practice these disciplines and attain spiritual changes in our hearts and lives.
Jesus in Matthew 6:1-24 emphasizes the 3 duties of every Christian.
Scripture Text: Matthew 6:1-24: NIV
Giving to the Needy
1“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Prayer
5“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Fasting
16“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Treasures in Heaven
19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Matthew 6:1-24: The Message
The World Is Not a Stage
1“Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding.
2“When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get.
3When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks.
4Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out. Pray with Simplicity
5“And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?
6“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.
7“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God.
8Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need.
9With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are.
10Set the world right; Do what’s best— as above, so below.
11Keep us alive with three square meals.
12Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
13Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.
14“In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others.
15If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.
16“When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won’t make you a saint.
17If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face.
18God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well. A Life of God-Worship
19“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars.
20Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars.
21It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.
22“Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light.
23If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!
24“You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.
Notice how Jesus emphasizes the three spiritual duties of Christians in this passage and teaching of His. We see them clearly giving, praying and fasting.
Please hear Jesus words today: “When you give…When you pray….When you fast…” Jesus expected all of his followers to do these three spiritual disciplines and practices. Jesus the one who died for you on the cross expected us as believers to do these 3 in our Christian walk. These three are an essential dimension or part of our love relationship with the Lord. Our relationship with the Lord should compel us to make these three spiritual disciplines a priority.
Why and emphasis on these 3 responsibilities of the Christian?
Jentezen Franklin states in his book “Fasting,” “Solomon, when writing the books of wisdom for Israel, made the point that a cord, or rope, braided with three strands is not easily broken (Eccles. 4:12). Likewise, when giving, praying, and fasting are practiced together in the life of a believer, it creates a type of threefold cord that is not easily broken.”
The question could be asked today to the church of Jesus Christ, “Could we be missing our greatest breakthroughs and miracles in our lives, our families our churches and communities because we do not practice these three spiritual disciplines?”
Note: Here is a brief overview of last week’s message “21 Days” pt 1 which covered point one giving and ½ of point 2 on prayer.
T.S. – So over the next few weeks we will focus on these three spiritual duties and spiritual disciplines. Let’s look at our first one:
I. The first discipline we should be practicing is giving.
a. If we really want ‘The Breath of Heaven in 2011” we need to be giving as God directs us to give.
i. Jesus did not say “If you give” he said “When you give!”
b. I believe most people do not give because they do not plan on giving – they don’t budget therefore they live beyond their means and God gets robbed:
i. So may ask “How do you know if you are financially irresponsible and living beyond your means?”
1. Do you place more faith in your material possessions than you do in God’s provision?
2. Are you enveloped in greediness which means you are always wanting the best and thinking you deserve it?
3. Do you value your money above God?
4. Do you have a get rich mindset?
5. Do you have to delay paying bills by borrowing more money so you can pay them?
6. Do you frequently have overdue bills?
7. Are your family needs not being met?
8. Do you have to over commit to work?
9. Do you go on binges of self-indulgence placing yourself further in debt?
10. Do you have a lack of commitment to supporting God’s work with your finances?
11. Do you compromise your integrity in the financial realm?
a. Answering yes to these questions tells a lot about this spiritual discipline and your relationship with God.
c. Illustration: Man Burns His Possessions to Find Happiness
i. British style writer Neil Boorman has decided to burn every branded thing in his possession. "I am addicted to brands," he confessed in a magazine article: From an early age, I have been taught that to be accepted, to be loveable, to be cool, one must have the right stuff. At junior school, I tried to make friends with the popular kids, only to be ridiculed for the lack of stripes on my trainers. Once I had nagged my parents to the point of buying me the shoes, I was duly accepted at school, and I became much happier as a result. As long as my parents continued to buy me the brands, life was more fun. Now, at the age of 31, I still behave according to playground law. Boorman finally realized that the happiness found in his possessions is hollow and short-lived, leaving him with a "continual, dull ache." So he’s taking drastic action and turning to a life of simplicity. He summarizes:The manner in which we spend our money defines who we are.… In this secular society of ours, where family and church once gave us a sense of belonging, identity, and meaning, there is now Apple, Mercedes, and Coke.… So, this is why I am burning all my stuff. To find real happiness, to find the real me. Video: Brand Burning. Lori Quicke, Wheaton, Illinois; source: Neil Boorman, "Bonfire of the Brands," BBC Magazine (8-29-06).
T.S. – Our first spiritual duty and discipline is very sensitive but it does reflect how our relationship with the Lord is. The next discipline Jesus emphasized was praying. Let’s explore this topic a little deeper.
II. The second discipline we should be practicing is praying
a. Prayer is basically talking to and with God
i. One writer put it his way: Imagine meeting your best friend for coffee at your favorite cafe. Your friend knows everything about you. You can count on your friend being exactly where he says he will be. Anytime you need him, you can call and he won’t be upset with you. He is willing to listen and responds with love and concern. That is just like prayer. The only difference is that your best friend is God.
God is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. He knows everything you ever did and He still loves you! He knows your future too. He has the best plans for your life. He cares for you so much that He gave His Son so that you could be with Him forever. “For God so loved the world, the He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
You can talk to Him about anything that concerns you. Tell Him your desires and passions. Share your concerns for your loved ones. Talk out your fears with Him. Communicate to God what is inside you without fear.
1. From http://allaboutprayer.org/prayer.htm
ii. Many have asked me this question about Prayer – “What do I say?”
1. Prayer is a conversation with a person you love and respect. In prayer there is an element of trust as well. The best way to pray is to be natural and pray what is in your heart.
a. God is very anxious to hear every word you say.
b. He’ll even listen to anger, pain, anguish and even sadness just read the Psalms and you discover this truth over and over.
b. So let’s come back to the question – Why Pray?
i. The writer from “All about prayer” says this,
1. Why is prayer important? If God already knows all about you and knows all that He has written, why should you pray? It’s because God created us to have free will. He wants us to come to Him willingly and not as robotic creations. He has given us a mind to make decisions and the most important decision is about eternity. Even though He knows the future, we don’t know the future choices we will make. It’s important to live by His guidance to make the right choices.
a. He also adds:
i. In the Bible, you will find kings, prophets, and ordinary people like you and me, averted destruction by praying to God. One prayer stopped the sun, one prayed fire down from heaven, one gained fifteen years to his own life, and one prayer even saved a whole city. These people prayed intensely to the God who answers prayer. When you pray, God listens to your cries. When you don’t pray, God feels left out of your life. “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9b).
ii. As you pray consistently, you are affirming the existence of God in your life. You are building your faith as you see God’s hand do His mighty work on your behalf just because you asked. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).
1. All the above is From http://allaboutprayer.org/prayer.htm
2. Story from Preaching Today: I was sitting at a lunch table at the Canadian Fellowship of Christian Assemblies Conference in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, in early October 2005. Paul Vallee, a pastor in Red Deer, Alberta, was recalling his early days as a youth pastor in a town far up in the northeastern part of the province. Another younger pastor at the table had been a member of Vallee’s youth group back then. Vallee and the younger pastor were talking about the time they loaded up a bus for an 11-hour ride to a youth retreat with the FCA church in Fort St. John, British Columbia. One girl in the group had said she would not be going, because she was prone to migraine headaches—especially when riding long distance in a vehicle."Oh, come on," her girlfriends pleaded with her. "We really want you to go with us. You’ll be okay." In the end, the girl was won over. About three hours into the bus ride, sure enough, the girl began to experience a fearsome migraine. She had told the group, including her youth pastor, that once the attacks started, there was no relief. She would be in agony for three or more days. What was Vallee supposed to do as the leader of the group? Well, he did not ask for the shades to be drawn or for the kids to lower their noise level. He didn’t take up a collection of Motrin or Advil. Instead, he called for prayer. As the bus kept going down the highway, the youth began a "rolling prayer meeting." They fervently called out for God’s intervention on the girl’s behalf. About 30 minutes later, her head came back up, her eyes were clear, and the migraine had stopped! "This is incredible," she said. "This never happens. I’ve never gotten relief until it ran its full course." But what was even more remarkable was that, as the following months and years went by, this girl never had a migraine again. God had healed her permanently that day on the bus.
a. Dean Merrill, author and editor, from the message "Five Faces of Pentecost," given at the Christian Life College Fall Festival, Mount Prospect, Illinois (11-15-05)
3. I am not sure many Christian really believe in the power of prayer in America today:
a. For Example: Illustration of Churches praying against Brewery and being sued by the atheist owner. The judge said he was in a dilemma on one side the atheists who does not believe in God blames the churches for praying and having his brewery destroyed and on the other side the churches deny that it was their prayers that burned down the brewery.
c. The next question we should address about prayer is, “Why should we earnestly pray?”
i. Because the enemy’s plan is to destroy the church and that will only be thwarted by prayer.
ii. Because the spread of the Gospel will continue as long as the church prays.
iii. Because people will find Jesus and be saved.
iv. Because there will be people set free by the power of prayer.
1. Story: Woman in Coma Hears the Prayers for Her Recovery
a. In the winter of 2007, a close friend of mine was felled by not one but two brain aneurysms. For weeks she lingered on life support, growing weaker each day. As her condition deteriorated, her children were called in to say their goodbyes, and her church prepared for a funeral. Then Linda suddenly snapped out of her coma. As she came to, she looked over at her husband and asked, "Where is everybody else?" Shaking his head, he explained, "They allow only one of us at a time in the ICU. There is no one else here." Linda argued, "No, I heard them. They were all speaking at the same time, and there were hundreds of them, too. Some of them I knew; others I didn’t. But they were all around me. They were here!" Linda’s husband assured her that all those people had never been in the room. Like many, he initially thought that Linda must have been hallucinating. Some people speculated that Linda had seen and heard angels. But the real answer was probably much closer to home. A few days after her miraculous recovery, Linda discovered that a large prayer chain had been created to pray for her. This group had been formed when news of her condition was sent out to local churches, and then it had spread to other groups throughout the region. Within days Linda’s name had been placed on hundreds of prayer lists and written in scores of prayer logs. For weeks, thousands were praying for her each day. Her miraculous recovery convinced Linda of two things: the voices she heard were of the people who had been praying for her, and those prayers had pulled her back from death’s door. Linda’s story is far from unusual. Countless people have been touched by the power of prayer. Science and personal experiences have proven that the words of prayer do have impact. But that impact can’t happen unless the ones doing the praying believe their words carry weight. Ace Collins, Sticks and Stones (Zondervan, 2009), pp. 207-208
v. Because there will be testimonies shared with us all this year to the delivering power of God through prayer.
vi. Because people will be encouraged by praying.
1. Woman Serving in White House for 24 Years Prayed Regularly for Presidents:
a. Emma Daniel Gray died on June 8, 2009, at the age of 95. There was a big story about her in the Washington Post because for 24 years she was the woman who cleaned the office of the President of the United States. She served six presidents till she retired in 1979. Her official title? Charwoman. What made the story even more interesting was that Mrs. Gray was a devout Christian. She would stand and pray over the President’s chair each time she dusted it—her cleaning supplies in one hand, the other on the chair. She’d pray for blessings, wisdom, and safety. While reflecting on the way she lived life, her pastor said, "She saw life through the eyes of promise is the way I’d put it. You can always look around and find reasons to be [unhappy]…but you couldn’t be around her and not know what she believed." That is exactly what God’s people do: see life through the eyes of promise—and pray accordingly.Lee Eclov, Vernon Hills, Illinois; source: Patricia Sullivan, "’Christian Lady’ Cleaned for 6 Presidents," The Washington Post (6-21-09)
vii. Because if we stop the church will stop an hover in the water like a dead ship with not power.
1. Illustration: There is one interview with a pro football player that stands out in my mind as we think of tuning into God. This player tells a sports reporter why he choose to go to a certain city to play ball. He was honest enough to say that God spoke to him and he responded back. In other words I talk to God. The interviewee was Reggie White, who at that time had just completed the terms of his contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he had made the All-star team almost every year since he became a professional. After his contract with Philadelphia had been fulfilled, White, who is also an ordained minister – hence his nickname, "The Minister of Defense" – had been free to sign with any team he wished. And he had several offers that would have made him a very rich man. But when decision time came, White shocked most football observers and many of his friends by signing with the team which was located in the smallest city of all the National Football League franchises – the Green Bay Packers. The reporter who was conducting the interview asked White how he had reached his decision to play for the Packers. I will not soon forget what White said next. "I spent a lot of time praying about this," White said. "And one day as I prayed, I heard God say, ‘Reggie, go to Green Bay.’ So that’s what I did." White saw something in the way the interviewer looked at him at that point because White said this: "You know, when you tell people you’ve been talking to God, they don’t have a problem with that. That’s praying. If you believe in that sort of thing, it’s okay. But when you say that God talked to YOU, then they think you’re crazy or something! Isn’t prayer supposed to be a conversation with God? And in a conversation, don’t BOTH parties talk?" (Illustration from Scott Hippler, Sermon central)
T.S. – We need to practice the spiritual discipline of giving and praying if we want to see a “Breath of Heaven in 2011” and prayer is the ultimate point where we and God meet to develop our relationship. It’s through prayer that we will hear God’s direction.
III. The third discipline we should be practicing is fasting
a. Testimonies of those who have fasted:
i. Quote Franklin: in his book Fasting states, “The discipline of fasting releases the anointing, the favor, and the blessing of God in the life of a Christian” (Page 4)
1. His testimony:
a. For me, fasting has been the secret to obtaining open doors, miraculous provision, favor, and the tender touch of God upon my life. I was on a three-day fast when God called me to preach. I was on a twenty-one-day fast when our ministry received its first million –dollar gift. When I was an evangelist, my brother and I traveled together. We would rotate our preaching nights. On my night off, I would fast all day for him. On his night off, he fasted all day for me. We went from obscurity to doors opening all over the world through the power of fasting’ (Page 3).
i. He quotes the verse from Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”
1. This should be our motivation to fast!
2. FASTING TOGETHER: THE MINNESOTA GRASSHOPPER SWARM
In Minnesota, during the summer of 1876, there was a swarm of grasshoppers destroying the crops. There was a fear that the grasshoppers would return, so Governor John S. Pillsbury proclaimed a day of prayer and fasting on April 26, 1877, urging every man, woman and child to petition God’s protection. When the appointed day arrived, schools and businesses were closed as people prayed for Divine intervention.
The next day began a series of days that were unseasonably warm. It was more like summer than spring. The three days of warm weather triggered the hatching of the grasshopper larvae. People wondered why God had not responded to their prayer and fasting.
However, the fourth day brought a sudden dip in temperatures. The entire state of Minnesota was covered with frost that night. The vulnerable grasshopper larvae perished in the frost, and the crops and economy of Minnesota were rescued from certain devastation.
(Source: John Maxwell, Partners in Prayer. From a sermon by Tommy Burrus, Power of Biblical Fasting, 2/10/2010)
ii. Pastor Mark’s testimony of fasting.
1. Share with us in the meeting how God supernaturally provided finances to open on of their campuses in Chicago in the middle of their fast last year.
iii. Stella Kimani from Nairobi shares the wonderful blessings she has had from the Lord during a time of fasting. Two of her family members accepted Jesus during her fast. From http://www.christian-faith.com/forjesus/blessings-through-fasting
iv. Man’s testimony about fasting: http://www.christian-faith.com/forjesus/blessings-through-fasting
1. I started to fast, no food or water for 3 days and 3 nights in a row for 5 weeks in a row, every week one more relative came into church. On the 5th week we went to a church camp and started to pray for people to get the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Four family members received the gift…My wife also had been diagnosed with cancer right after we started going to church and we prayed and fasted. I took her to the hospital to have an operation and about a half hour after they took her into the operation room the doctor came into the waiting room and told me he didn’t understand but he knew she had cancer but she didn’t have it any more, he gave me a medical term when I got home I looked it up and it said scar tissue in the healing stage. PRAISE GOD for his many miracles these are only a few of the things that happened to us when we first started going to church. Submitted by michael on Sun, 09/02/2007 - 23:48
b. Many have Misconceptions about fasting
i. They do it as penance, a diet plan, it can only be food.
ii. Or, “I am going to make God do something.”
iii. Some think fasting is for those grieving, or its fanatical, it’s legalistic, done because of guilt and or manipulation.
iv. That it is powerless.
v. That it is not relevant for today.
c. The following is from http://www.allaboutprayer.org/prayer-and-fasting.htm
i. Prayer and Fasting - A Definition: Prayer and fasting is defined as voluntarily going without food (or something else) in order to focus on prayer and fellowship with God.
1. Some clarification on this discipline.
a. Prayer and fasting often go hand in hand, but this is not always the case. You can pray without fasting, and fast without prayer. It is when these two activities are combined and dedicated to God’s glory that they reach their full effectiveness.
2. It’s important to note:
a. Having a dedicated time of prayer and fasting is not a way of manipulating God into doing what you desire. Rather, it is simply forcing yourself to focus and rely on God for the strength, provision, and wisdom you need.
ii. Prayer and Fasting - What the Bible really states about it:
1. The Old Testament law specifically required prayer and fasting for only one occasion, which was the Day of Atonement. This custom became known as "the day of fasting" (Jeremiah 36:6) or "the Fast" (Acts 27:9). Moses fasted during the 40 days and 40 nights he was on Mount Sinai receiving the law from God (Exodus 34:28). King Jehoshaphat called for a fast in all Israel when they were about to be attacked by the Moabites and Ammonites (2 Chronicles 20:3). In response to Jonah’s preaching, the men of Nineveh fasted and put on sackcloth (Jonah 3:5). Prayer and fasting was often done in times of distress or trouble. David fasted when he learned that Saul and Jonathan had been killed (2 Samuel 1:12). Nehemiah had a time of prayer and fasting upon learning that Jerusalem was still in ruins (Nehemiah 1:4). Darius, the king of Persia, fasted all night after he was forced to put Daniel in the den of lions (Daniel 6:18). Prayer and fasting also occurs in the New Testament. Anna "worshipped night and day, fasting and praying" at the Temple (Luke 2:37). John the Baptist taught his disciples to fast (Mark 2:18). Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before His temptation by Satan (Matthew 4:2). The church of Antioch fasted (Acts 13:2) and sent Paul and Barnabas off on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:3). Paul and Barnabas spent time in prayer and fasting for the appointment of elders in the churches (Acts 14:23).
iii. Prayer and Fasting – Is it required or recommended?
1. The Word of God does not specifically command believers to spend time in prayer and fasting. But at the same time, prayer and fasting is definitely something we should be doing. Far too often, though, the focus of prayer and fasting is on abstaining from food. Instead, the purpose of Christian fasting should be to take our eyes off the things of this world and focus our thoughts on God. Fasting should always be limited to a set time because not eating for extended periods can be damaging to the body. Fasting is not a method of punishing our bodies and it is not be used as a "dieting method" either. We are not to spend time in prayer and fasting in order to lose weight, but rather to gain a deeper fellowship with God. By taking our eyes off the things of this world through prayer and biblical fasting, we can focus better on Christ. Matthew 6:16-18 declares, "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
iv. Prayer and Fasting - What Does it Accomplish?
1. Spending time in prayer and fasting is not automatically effective in accomplishing the desires of those who fast. Fasting or no fasting, God only promises to answer our prayers when we ask according to His will.
a. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him."
2. How can you know if you are praying and fasting according to God’s will? Are you praying and fasting for things that honor and glorify God? Does the Bible clearly reveal that it is God’s will for you? If we are asking for something that is not honoring to God or not God’s will for our lives, God will not give what we ask for, whether we fast or not.
a. How can we know God’s will? God promises to give us wisdom when we ask. James 1:5 tells us, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
3. In the prophet Isaiah’s time, the people grumbled that they had fasted, yet God did not answer in the way they wanted (Isaiah 58:3-4). Isaiah responded by proclaiming that the external show of fasting and prayer, without the proper heart attitude, was futile (Isaiah 58:5-9).
d. Scripture Text: Isaiah 58 (The Message):
i. Your Prayers Won’t Get Off the Ground
1“Shout! A full-throated shout! Hold nothing back—a trumpet-blast shout! Tell my people what’s wrong with their lives, face my family Jacob with their sins!
2They’re busy, busy, busy at worship, and love studying all about me. To all appearances they’re a nation of right-living people— law-abiding, God-honoring. They ask me, ‘What’s the right thing to do?’ and love having me on their side.
3But they also complain, ‘Why do we fast and you don’t look our way? Why do we humble ourselves and you don’t even notice?’ “Well, here’s why: “The bottom line on your ‘fast days’ is profit. You drive your employees much too hard.
4You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight. You fast, but you swing a mean fist. The kind of fasting you do won’t get your prayers off the ground.
5Do you think this is the kind of fast day I’m after: a day to show off humility? To put on a pious long face and parade around solemnly in black? Do you call that fasting, a fast day that I, God, would like?
6“This is the kind of fast day I’m after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts.
7What I’m interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families.
8Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage.
9Then when you pray, God will answer. You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’ A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places “If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people’s sins,
10If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
11I will always show you where to go. I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places— firm muscles, strong bones. You’ll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
12You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build a new, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.
13“If you watch your step on the Sabbath and don’t use my holy day for personal advantage, If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy, God’s holy day as a celebration, If you honor it by refusing ‘business as usual,’ making money, running here and there—
14Then you’ll be free to enjoy God! Oh, I’ll make you ride high and soar above it all. I’ll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob.” Yes! God says so!
e. Isaiah 58:1-14(NIV):
i. 1“Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins.
2For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.
4Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?
6“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
7Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 9Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
11The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
12Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the LORD has spoken.
f. Another writer has this to say about fasting:
i. Through the centuries, fasting became such an important tradition in the Jewish religion that it was given the force of law. The Jews had many traditions that involved afflicting the flesh that were not commands of God, but which they kept as if they were. Many such traditions are mentioned in ancient Jewish literature but not in the Bible. Some are in the Bible, and even a cursory reading of the Gospels shows Jesus in conflict with the Jews about traditions that made people’s lives difficult, including Sabbath traditions (Matt. 12:10-12), traditions about helping parents (Matt. 15:3-6), and traditions involving cleanliness (Mark 7:1-6). Jesus also did not require his disciples to fast, something that confused the people of his time (Mark 2:18-20). Even though fasting was a tradition, not a commandment, it was an important part of the Jewish religion and was also practiced by the early Christians, so it is mentioned many times in the Bible. For example, Zechariah mentions a public fast in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth month (Zech. 8:19); Jesus mentions fasting in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6:16-18); the Day of Atonement is called the “Fast” (Acts 27:9); and the early Christians fasted (Acts 13:1-3).
g. Isaiah 58:6, 7, 9 and 10
(6) "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
(7) Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
(9) …If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
(10) and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
Conclusion:
I noticed at the end of chapter 6 of Matthew Jesus moves from giving, praying and fasting to then you don’t have to worry! God promises to take care of you. As a matter of fact Jesus adds this thought: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
Schoolteacher Started African Revival
In 1935, Blasio Kugosi, a schoolteacher in Rwanda, Central Africa, was deeply discouraged by the lack of life in the church and the powerlessness of his own experience. He followed the example of the first Christians and closed himself in for a week of prayer and fasting in his little cottage. He emerged a changed man. He confessed his sins to those he had wronged, including his wife and children. He proclaimed the gospel in the school where he taught, and revival broke out there, resulting in students and teachers being saved. They were called abaka, meaning “people on fire.”
Shortly after that, Blasio was invited to Uganda to share with the Anglican Church there. As he called the leaders to repentance, the fire of the Spirit descended again on the place, with similar results as in Rwanda. Several days later, Blasio died of fever. His ministry lasted only a few weeks, but the revival fires sparked through his ministry swept throughout East Africa and continue to the present. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been transformed over the decades through this mighty East African revival. It all began with a discouraged Christian setting himself apart to seek the fullness of God’s Spirit. Ajith Fernando, The NIV Application Commentary: Acts (Zondervan, 1998), p. 118; submitted by David Slagle, Decatur, Georgia
Ezekiel 37:1-14: This story reminds us of what happened in Ezekiel’s story of the dry bones coming back to life when all looked dead and gone.
The key behind times of prayer and fasting should be centered into developing a deeper and more meaningful relationship with the Lord.
Giving, prayer and fasting is not meant to change the will or plans of God but to change our wills and our plans for Him.
Thesis: We need to have a biblical understanding of 3 spiritual disciplines giving, prayer and fasting so that we practice these disciplines and attain spiritual changes in our hearts and lives.
Illustration
America’s Sin of Self-Sufficiency
In 1863 President Lincoln designated April 30th as a day of national humiliation, fasting, and prayer. Let me read a portion of his proclamation on that occasion:
"It is the duty of nations, as well as of men, who owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by a history that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord. The awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has grown, but we have forgotten God."
Richard Halverson, "The Question Facing Us," Preaching Today, Tape 46.
