OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY - 26/12/2013 - FASTING IS NECESSARY BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

FASTING IS NECESSARY

MEMORY VERSE

Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Matthew 17:21

READ

Matthew 17:14-21

And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

And Jesus said unto them,because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

MESSAGE

To relate with the Holy Spirit, you must be holy. You must also exercise a living faith, pray and fast. Some people will tell you that because Jesus had finished the work of salvation, there is no need to fast. To them, fasting is completely needless and is some form of self-inflicted punishment. But they forget that according to the Lord Himself, fasting is required to handle situations that appear very tough and resilient. In Matthew 17:14-21, a lunatic was brought to the disciples and they prayed but got no positive result. Later, when the same fellow was brought to Jesus, He healed him. Then the disciples privately met the Lord to ask why they could not handle it, and He told them it was because of unbelief, ineffective prayer and a lack of fasting. Also, in Luke 5:33-35, when some people came to ask the Lord why His disciples hardly ever fasted, He told them as long as He was with them, there was no need for this but that when He is taken away, they will have no choice but to fast.

But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days

Luke 5:35

Those who make excuses not to fast usually have a challenge with their appetite. They serve a god called the god of the belly, and that belly is ever asking for food sacrifices unto it. Never become a slave to your stomach! If you are and there is a reason to skip a meal, that body will be in trouble. Your body is capable of adjusting to any condition. If you are eating five times a day, it will adjust accordingly. But if you change to three times daily, there will be some resistance initially, but it will adjust. If you move from there to two times daily, once daily or none for a period, it will protest, but over a given period it will adjust. Those who find it difficult to fast often have another challenge with self control which is part of the fruit of the Spirit. The more you deny your body of food during fasting, the less control it has in manipulating your prayer life and leading you into sin. From today, make out time to seek God's face in prayer and fasting. It is advisable to fast at least one day in a week. It is for your spiritual health.

KEY POINT

 Fasting is part of a Christian's lifestyle. But any time you are exceeding 3 days of fasting, take water, and when it is time to break the fast, start with water and pap, not hard foods