Praying and Fasting
Part six of “Dynamic Duos”
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6
Prayer . . is vitally important to your spiritual life.
I’ve taught you before that there are three levels of prayer.
Level One: Petition
Level Two: Devotion
Level Three: Intercession
Prayer . . .
A middle-aged man was distraught over his wife’s stubborn refusal to admit she had a hearing problem. One day he asked his family doctor for advice how to convince his wife that she has this problem. The doctor promptly told him that when he got home he was to confirm the problem by opening the front door and from there asking his wife what’s for dinner. Then the doctor said, if she doesn’t answer, move closer to the kitchen. Repeat the question again, and if she still doesn’t answer, move right up to her ear and whisper in it, “What’s for dinner, honey?” In this way, the doctor assured him, she’ll have to admit she has the problem. So the man raced home with joy in his heart and opened the front door. “What’s for dinner, honey?” he asked. When there was no reply he moved closer to the kitchen and asked again. “What’s for dinner, honey?” No reply. When he looked into the kitchen, sure enough, there she was. So he tiptoed over to her and whispered in her ear, “What’s for dinner, honey?” Immediately she turned and looked straight at him: “For the 4th time, I said we’re having Spaghetti!”
Prayer is all about listening to the voice of God.
Prayer opens the doors of communication to God.
You cannot have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ if you do not pray.
And I’m not talking about praying before a meal.
For some people that’s the only time they pray . .
“Good food, Good meat, Good God, let’s eat!”
Or maybe a memorized prayer like . . . “Now I lay me down to sleep . . “
Sometimes, people pray the Lord’s Prayer and stop there.
The Lord’s prayer is great – but don’t stop there.
God wants to hear from your heart!
1) Brings in the Holy Spirit
"A young man was apprenticed to a master artist who produced the most beautiful stained glass windows anywhere. The apprentice could not approach the master’s genius, so he borrowed his master’s tools, thinking that was the answer. After several weeks, the young man said to his teacher, ’I’m not doing any better with your tools than I did with mine.’ The teacher replied, “So, it’s not the tools of the master you need, but the spirit of the master.’" The Holy Spirit works constantly with our spirit to transform our lives into something beautiful.
2) Brings in God’s wisdom
A 2 year old boy and his parents were sitting toward the front of a church worship service on Sunday. And he began to act up. His dad leaned over and whispered you better behave or else I’ll take you to the back for a spanking. 5 minutes later, he began to act up a little and dad leaned over and said, “This is your second warning. One more time and you are going to the back for a spanking.” Five minutes later, he began to act up. Dad picked him up, stood up and began walking to the back. With all of the eyes of the people on him, the little boy interrupted the pastor and by yelling out, “Please, pray for me!”
3) Brings in God’s power
A missionary and his family were forced to camp outside on a hill. They were carrying money and they were fearful that thieves might rob them. After spending time in prayer, the finally fell asleep. Several months later, a man that had been injured was taken to the mission hospital. He asked the missionary if on that special night they had soldiers guarding them. The man said to him, “We intended to rob you, but we were afraid of the twenty-seven soldiers.” When the missionary returned to his homeland, he shared this story with his church. One of the members responded, “We had a prayer meeting that night, and I took roll. There were just twenty-seven of us present.”
4) Reveals God’s agenda
Recently, someone gave me a CD of an Evangelist. I was listening to it. He said some good things and then, he said some negative things about prayer. He said, We have everybody running around because one time in their life they did something even less - they repeated a stupid superficial prayer.” I disagree with this evangelist. When I said that prayer many years ago, it was the door that opened up a personal relationship with my Lord and Savior. Prayer opens doors!! It is not stupid and superficial.
This evangelist also said, “‘Come to the altar.’ That language is blasphemous. This is not an altar. These are some steps. . . . That’s why I don’t invite people up to do a five minute psychological thing and pronounce free.”
Again, I disagree with this statement. I believe we must be challenged to be people of prayer and to build altars of commitment to the Lord.
Prayer put me on God's agenda.
5) Relieves stress
Joseph Scriven was a brilliant young man engaged to a beautiful lady. On the night before the wedding, his fiancé was pulled from a pond where she had accidentally fallen and drowned. As he was dealing with his grief, he wrote this poem: "What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh, what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer."
Do we really trust God?
One day a woman was rushing home from a doctor’s appointment. The doctor had been somewhat delayed at the hospital, and the lab work took a little longer than usual so by the time she left the clinic she was running quite a bit behind schedule. She still had to pick up her prescription, pick up the children from the baby-sitter, and get home and make supper, all in time to make it to the prayer meeting at her church that evening. As she began to circle the busy Wal-Mart parking lot, looking for a space, a heavt, heavy downpour of rain began to come down hard. While she wasn’t usually the type to bother God with small problems, she began to pray as she turned down the row closest to the front door. "Lord, you know what kind of a day I’ve had, and there’s still an awful lot to do. Could you please grant me a parking space right away, oh, and close to the building so I don’t get soaked. And Lord, if you do, I’ll pay my tithes this week." The words weren’t even completely out of her mouth when she saw the backup lights of a car come on at the end of the row. It was the best space in the whole parking lot, right next to the handicap spots and straight out from the front door. She made straight for it and as she pulled in, she said, "never mind God, something just opened up."
We’ve got to learn how to pray.
Now, I want to talk about taking prayer to a whole new level . . FASTING.
Prayer and Fasting form a Dynamic Duo!
What is fasting?
Biblical Fasting: The process of bringing spiritual and physical discipline to one's life by denying the flesh and feeding the spirit.
What is the difference between fasting and dieting?
Dieting is denying the flesh for physical purposes.
Fasting is denying the flesh for physical and spiritual purposes, and using the time you would normally feed the flesh to feed your spirit.
Example: If I skip lunch because I’ve been eating too much or I want to lose weight – that is dieting. But, if I skip lunch and use that time frame (30 minutes, 45 minutes, one hour) to read the Word of God, pray and worship the Lord, then that is fasting . . because I have replaced the physical with the spiritual.
Did you catch the difference?
Are there different types of fasts?
Yes. The most popular type of fast deals with food. But there are other types of fasts as well. For example, some people fast from reading the newspaper. Once again, the time they would normally spend reading the newspaper, they would spend it reading the Word of God.
Some people fast from television. Same thing here.
Some people fast from radio – or certain types of radio.
Some may fast from secular radio, and purpose to listen to only Christian music and/or Christian during the time frame of their fast – so that they can spend quality time feeding their spirit. There is a great radio station, KDRY, AM1100, that will feed your spirit. And a great Christian music station, KLOVE that feeds your spirit as well.
Other secular radio stations tend to feed your flesh.
Fasting Food. When it comes to fasting food, there are different types of food fasts as well.
A complete fast is when you restrict your food and beverage intake to just water only. Then, there are other types of fasts.
Some people fast dinner for consecutive days or weeks.
Some people fast certain days of the week.
There are many kinds of partial fasts.
What is the Daniel Fast? The Daniel Fast is a partial fast.
The Daniel Fast is based on Daniel 1. The Bible says that Daniel chose not to defile himself with the king’s royal food and wine.
8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you."
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
Wow! I want to experience what Daniel, Hannaniah, Mishael and Azariah experienced.
Is the Daniel Fast for everyone. No.
But if you do not get on the Daniel Fast, do something else to bring your physical body and spiritual heart into discipline.
Is it easy? No, it is not.
I’ve been frequenting certain eating places that serve Daniel Fast.
Over at Souper Salads on DeZavala, I’m on a first name basis with all the employees there.
Thursday, I was driving back from the radio station and I was hungry. I stopped at China Sea and ate from the buffet – Chinese vegetables and fruit. I was full. I was content.
Now, if you try to bring some Krispy Kreme donuts near me . . I just might rebuke you . . .
Am I expected to fast for 21 days? No. You are not expected to fast for 21 days.
Now, if you want to do it for 21 days, praise God!!!
If you desire to know details of how to facilitate a Daniel Fast, we have created a website,
www.FortressFast.com that has the
- Details of what you can eat on the Daniel Fast and what you cannot eat on the Daniel Fast.
- Daily Devotionals
- A daily discipleship principle on Prayer and Fasting
- Daily Fortress Church Fast Target
- Daily Personal Fast Target
- Information in Spanish
Why is Fortress Church fasting?
1) To experience spiritual breakthroughs
2) To experience the power of agreement
3) To experience spiritual growth
4) To experience the glory of God
Someone told me recently, “The Daniel Fast is really just a diet.”
I said, “Well, if you do not spend time in the Word and time in prayer and worship . . yes, it is just a simple diet. But if you do spend time in the Word and in prayer and in worship, then it is considered a fast – because you are denying your flesh of certain things and feeding your spirit.”
What is the correlation between the Spirit and the Flesh?
Discipleship Principle: Whatever you feed will grow and whatever you starve will die.