Fasting

Did you know that there are many purposes for fasting? Here are a few purposes.

• To develop more spiritual power
• To become more humble
• To prepare our spirits to receive the Word of God
• To develop a closer relationship with God
• To win souls
• To make decisions
• Healing
• To cleanse the body
• To bring revelation
• To loosen the bands of wickedness
• To undo heavy burdens
• To strengthen
• To loosen shackles
• To break yokes of bondage
• To receive insight from God
• To receive understanding of the Word
• To be healed
• To cleanse the body
• To cast out demons
• To hear God clearer
• To bring others into God's kingdom
• To pull down strongholds
• To remove Satan from blocked blessings
• To be anointed and powerful
• To humble thyself
• To be delivered
• To prepare our spirits to receive the Word
• To develop a closer relationship with God
• To win souls
• To make decisions
• To be more spiritually disciplined
• To bring revelation
• To loosen the bands of wickedness
• To undo heavy burdens
• To strengthen
• And more

• Enhanced relationships with the Lord
• Increased prayer lives
• Increased fasting lives
• A stronger walk in humility
• Hearing the voice of the Lord more
• Enduring hardness as a good soldier without retaliation
• Total dependence upon the Lord
• Expect to be more humble
• Expect to be better listeners and doers of God
• Expect to become closer to God
• Expect to learn of our unknown sins
• Expect to better recognize the voice of God
• Expect to draw souls to Christ
• Expect to lift up bowed down heads
• Expect to stand more on the promises of God
• Expect to pray more frequently and fervently
• Expect to be better witnesses for Christ

A 10-day Daniel Fast focuses on vegetables, water, and simple whole foods. Here are a few benefits.

To be more spiritually disciplined, and more.

With a more intimate relationship with God, our spirits will readily receive the Word of God, which makes us more determined to abide by the Word of God and not be hearers of the Word of God only. In essence, if our hearts and spirits are readily in receipt of the Word of God, we can abide by the Word of God easily.

• Expect to be more humble
• Expect to be better listeners and doers of God
• Expect to become closer to God
• Expect to learn of our unknown sins
• Expect to better recognize the voice of God
• Expect to draw souls to Christ
• Expect to lift up bowed down heads
• Expect to stand more on the promises of God
• Expect to pray more frequently and fervently
• Expect to be better witnesses for Christ

When we fast, the commitment that we make unto God as to what we are abstaining from, the nature, our expectations, and the length of time is considered our own fast; however, there are fasts in the Bible that give concrete instructions as to the abstinence, the purpose, the length of time, and the results of the fasts.

If you are unable to fast three days or 10 days in its entirety, I encourage you to fast from sunrise to sunset.

Is prayer the key or is prayer the door? Let's read Matthew 16:19 and Matthew 18:18.

Peter was given the keys to the kingdom of heaven to preach and teach the Word of God. His name was changed by Jesus from Simon to Cephas, which means Peter. Peter means rock. Jesus appointed him as a leader.

Though Peter's name means rock, he was not the Rock; Jesus is the Rock. His name is always mentioned first when the apostles are listed. Peter was not the only apostle given power and authority; he was the leader.

He preached after the 120 received the Holy Ghost saying, “These men are not drunk.” After one sermon, 3,000 people were added to the church. Peter performed miracles. He questioned Ananias and Sapphira when they lied about their earnings. He was prayed for by Jesus so his faith failed not.

He was also given authority to bind unclean spirits on earth so that they were bound in heaven and to loose clean spirits on earth so that they were loosed in heaven. Just as God gave Peter authority to do great work, He has also given it unto us.

Let's find out whether prayer is the key or the door, then we're going to bind and loose spirits forever.

Prayer is most definitely the key, but it must be coupled with faith. The key unlocks the ears of Jesus so He may hear us. Prayer is most definitely the door. The door is the entrance into the heart of Jesus so He may help us.

The key causes God to hear us. The door causes God to feel us, then He moves with compassion to help us.

Jonah gives a perfect example of how prayer meetings should be. The Word of the Lord came to Jonah in Jonah chapter 1. The Word of the Lord came to Jonah in Jonah chapter 3. This means the Lord spoke then, meaning the Lord still speaks because He changes not.

The Word of the Lord came to Jonah with instructions to go preach. Jonah went on vacation, a cruise. He left the presence of the Lord. By the Lord, a mighty wind came. The mariners were afraid and prayed to their god, while Jonah slept. The shipmaster woke Jonah up to pray.

The men cast lots; it fell upon Jonah as being the cause of the storm. The men questioned Jonah; he directed the men to overthrow him into the sea to calm the sea. The Lord prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah.

What has the Lord directed you to overthrow into the sea to bring peace to your storm? Who has the Lord directed you to overthrow into the sea to calm your storm? Who in your life has been directed by God to tell you to overthrow them into the sea so you may have peace in your storm, but did not?

In Jonah 2, Jonah went from the Tarshish cruise lines to the bow cruise lines with no ticket, no passport, and no identification. Jonah was at a prayer conference, alone. Jonah prayed with no microphone. Jonah used his key and the Lord heard him.

Jonah 1:3: Jonah fled out of the presence of the Lord. He caused the storm due to disobedience and wanting to be out of God's sight. The storm affected everyone.

Jonah 2:4-5: The Lord made it possible for Jonah to be out of His sight. “I am cast out of Thy sight.” Only he was affected. Jonah was in the deep, with billows, waves, waters closing him round about, and weeds wrapped around his head.

Stuck-ism and trapped-ism. Do you feel stuck? Do you feel trapped? Are you stuck? Are you trapped? Are there weeds wrapped around your head? Are billows, waves, and water compassed around you? If you answered yes, use your key.

Keys represent power and authority. The keys to your home, car, office, safe, safe deposit box, and mailbox can also be passwords, passkeys, and PIN numbers. When you put your key in the hole and turn it, and when you put prayers in your mouth and speak them, something happens. Either the lock will turn or not. Either the prayers are heard or not.

Unanswered prayers. Proverbs 1:22 asks, “How long will ye love simplicity?” Clothes, shoes, jewelry, vehicles, status, homes, furniture, nails, tattoos, piercings, fads, clubs, and recreation can consume us.

Scorners delight in scorning. These are people full of pride, causing discord, disrespecting others, hating others, laughing at and degrading others. Fools hate knowledge. The Lord did not answer.

Answered prayers. When we pray, our prayers are to come in unto the Lord. How?

• Pray with faith
• Pray with sincerity
• Pray with power
• Pray with boldness
• Pray with pure motives
• Pray in Jesus name

Jonah 2:2: The Lord heard Jonah's prayer. That was Jonah's key. Jonah 2:7: The Lord felt Jonah's prayer, then He moved with compassion. That was the door. When the doors of heaven are opened, God pours Himself upon us. In Jonah 2:10, the Lord answered his prayer.

Expectations of prayer. When the key is used, expect change. When the door is opened, know that it is God. Expect the Lord to hear you when you pray. Expect the Lord to feel you when you pray. Expect the Lord to answer you when you pray. So it was with Jonah, so it is with you.

Let's understand the visible versus the invisible spirit realm. The spirit realm is invisible. The earthly realm is visible. The things seen visibly are temporal. The things not seen are eternal. We must set our affections on things above, not on things of the earth.

We must set our affections on things above such as faith, compassion, kindness, the gift of the word of knowledge, the gift of the word of wisdom, discerning of spirits, Jesus' return, and holiness, to name a few. We are not to set our affections on things of the earth.

This is what happens in my busyness. While I'm busy watching movie after movie, playing game after game, making call after call, posting text after text, and snapping photo after photo, out of the presence of the Lord like Jonah, a war is going on in the invisible world.

When I see the trouble with my own eyes; when I see people hurting people; when I see children discouraged and angry; when I see marriages ending; when I see older adults dressing as the youth; when I see children drinking alcohol; when I see teenaged parents; when I see people losing jobs, gambling, and stealing; and when I hear the news of sickness, what do I do?

Do I continue doing what I'm doing because the problem isn't mine? In my busyness, Satan is planning strategically to kill, steal, and destroy me.

I cannot awake every morning, get cleaned up, get dressed, then start my day. I must use my key first. I must speak to Jesus before brushing my teeth. I must start my day in prayer, binding things on earth like all unrighteousness so they are bound in heaven and loosing things on earth like righteousness so they are loosed in heaven. I know Jesus will hear, feel, and answer me; it is so and so it is.

Matthew 16:19: “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 18:18: “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

I must bind and loose if I expect change. When I walk into a room of chaos, people arguing, talking loud, name calling, and cussing, it is my responsibility to say, “Lord, You said whatsoever I bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever I loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Lord, I bind chaos and I loose peace in the name of Jesus.”

If I go to school and the teacher has a bad attitude, I will say, “Lord, I bind the spirit of anger right now and loose the spirit of comfort in the name of Jesus.” When I am conversing with someone and I know without doubt that they are lying to me, I will say, “Lord, I bind the spirit of lying and loose the spirit of honesty immediately in the name of Jesus.”

When I watch my friend steal or witness myself picking up something that does not belong to me, I will bind the spirit of theft and loose the spirit of uprightness or trustworthiness in the name of Jesus. I will make binding and loosing a habit, a daily practice. I will see changes and I will testify about them.

When binding, we must loose too. Example:

• Bind hatred, loose love
• Bind jealousy, loose contentment
• Bind pride, loose humility
• Bind selfishness, loose generosity
• Bind insolvency, loose solvency
• Bind sickness, loose health
• Bind lying, loose truthfulness

Remember prayer is the key because it causes God to hear us and prayer is the door because it causes God to feel us, then He moves with compassion.

From this day forward dear Jesus, when I pray, I will utilize my faith. I will believe You will work on my behalf. I will pray from the depths of my soul, with all of my heart, sincerely, and with all of my strength.

I will not be cute as I pray because my outfit is new or my hair and nails are done. I will not pray in pride, sticking out my chest as if You Lord should be honored that I'm speaking to You. I will not use big words as I pray openly to impress the masses. I will not belittle others in my prayers so that I am seen as the star.

I will not deceive others as I pray, making listeners think that I commune with You for hours, but actually pray only when I eat. I will not pray for things You disapprove of such as someone else's spouse, someone else's job, or someone else's gifts; that's called praying amiss, inappropriately, erroneously, or incorrectly.

I'm using my key. I need You to hear me, feel me, and answer me. I will pray with pure motives, boldness, and with the power that's within me all in the name of Jesus.