WHY FAST?
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WHY FAST?
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Derek Prince was instrumental in the formation of IFA. He taught extensively on the importance and power of fasting. His words, written decades ago, are just as timely today.
If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. (James 4:17)
Today the American people and nation are in desperate need of healing, and God’s word has the answer. [I]f my people who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chr 7:14). God will hear and respond to our prayers, forgive our sins, and heal our land.
But we must first humble our soul. The soul is the ego, which is self-assertive, demanding, and self-centered. It is a tremendous barrier between us and the answer to our prayers— between us and a right relationship to God. We must pray out of humility and brokenness, with a humble dependence on God that acknowledges our desperate need of Him. If He doesn’t come to our aid, there is no other source of help that can meet our needs. Praying out of arrogance, self-righteousness, or self-sufficiency will not move the arm of Almighty God.
But God doesn’t make us humble. We have to humble ourselves; it’s a decision of our will. And God tells us how to do it. The appointed Scriptural way to humble ourselves is by fasting. That is deliberately abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. Sometimes it’s from food and water, but normally from food. That’s an unfamiliar word to many Christians today, but the Old Testament shows us the importance of fasting.
Consider David in Psalm 35:13: I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer kept returning to my bosom. Humbling his soul with fasting made his prayer more intense and more effective. That’s how it should be. Fasting intensifies prayer.
Next, we have Ezra and the returning exiles from the Babylonian captivity, carrying the sacred vessels of the temple back to Jerusalem (Ez 8). They were embarking on a long and dangerous journey through country infested by enemies and brigands, and in order to obtain safe passage, they sought God with humility and fasting. God heard them and granted them a safe journey.
Then we have to seek God’s face—break up your fallow ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes to rain righteousness on you (Hos 10:12 KJV). This is not a short prayer meeting; it means seeking the Lord until He comes, until there’s a definite, specific response from God, until we see His arm stretched forth, and there is clear evidence that God is moving to answer our prayers.
Fasting “breaks up fallow ground.” These are areas of our lives that haven’t been cultivated, not bringing forth fruit for God, no real results, no real work of the Holy Spirit. Breaking up the fallow ground in our lives is the only hope for our nation.
‘Turn from their wicked ways,’ may raise questions. ‘What wicked ways? I go to church, say my prayers, read my Bible, pay my taxes, harm no one. Wait a minute! Who’s right? You or God? Paul said, ‘Who are you to reply against God?’ (Rom 9:20). Are you arguing with God? Are you saying to God that you or I don’t have any wicked ways? God says it’s our wicked ways that have brought the problems on our nation.
We must face our sins of omission. It’s a sin not to do the right thing when you can. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin (Jas 4:17 NKJV). It may not be the things you are doing, but the things you’re not doing that God is concerned about. For instance, if fasting is God’s appointed way, and you know it, but you’re not doing it—then that is sin in your life. God requires you to change that. (Derek Prince (1915-2003) was an internationally known Bible teacher and a founder of Intercessors for America. Born in India of British parents, he became an American citizen primarily due to his unwavering belief that our biblical heritage made America the strongest hope to ignite a revival for the restoration of godly government and a restoration of biblical standards before the return of Jesus Christ, Lord of the Church. For more excellent teaching like this, visit IFApray.org. )
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Heavenly Father, We depend on You for everything. You give us air to breathe & the ability to breathe. You give us food to eat and our bodies to digest the food to nourish our bodies to keep them healthy. Thank You for Your provision for all we need.
Father there are many people who do not have the food & water they need. Show us how to feed the hungry, heal the sick, clothe those who need clothing, & find homes for those who are homeless. Lord, the need is so great in some countries it is overwhelming. The documentary about the people in Hatti who make mud cookies to feed themselves and their children breaks my heart. I don’t understand why they don’t try to grow food instead of spending their time making mud cookies. Lord, thank You for the ministries who are there to help. Give them the finances they need & wisdom to help these people learn to grow food. Teach us Your ways Lord to help those in such dire need. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Fasting does make a difference. There are even more examples in scripture than Derek Prince mentioned here.
But we American Christians are not familiar with saying “no” to our freshly demands.
I liked that he brought up sins of omission which could include not fasting. We may not consider sins of omission as wicked ways but maybe God does.
I like a quote of Derek Prince found in his booklet, PRAYING FOR GOVERNMENT: You say, “Brother Prince, I don’t have any wicked ways.” I reply, “You never got close enough to God to see. If you had gotten into God’s presence, you would have seen your wicked ways. The fact you say you have no wicked ways just shows how far you are from God.”
There are some specific “crisis areas taking place in my life right now. Praying and fasting for the breakthrough and miracle
May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! my body is in trouble, and my relationships are in trouble. Thank you, God, that through your Son Jesus, you have set me securely in your grace. Amen.
For about two years now I have been praying and sometimes fasting about a matter that seemed utterly impossible to change. It was a broken relationship with a daughter-in-law. I waited and prayed and waited and prayed. Thankfully I knew God’s timing was going to be perfect so I tried not to get ahead of Him. Over the Christmas holiday the issue was resolved. God has helped me to keep looking for ways to show love to my daughter-in-law. “Dear God, I thank U that your hands do go to work when we pray. Prayer,like fasting is a discipline of the Christian life. God, help believers to desire the abundant life you promised us if we walked close to U. As your children we need to be mature in our faith. Help us not to settle for so little when U want us to live a life full of evidence that U are at work within us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”