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By Bill Leonard, Ph.D. Introduction: Fasting and prayer was a lifestyle in my dad’s home. It was as common as eating supper. My mother and dad taught us children the significance of the Christian discipline. Luann and I have continued this discipline in our home as well. Fasting and prayer have been a stabilizing force in our relationship to God and our marriage. It has brought intimacy to us and to Christ. Fasting that pleases God Anyone can fast. The non-Christian fast. Gondi of India was notorious for his lengthy fasts. It’s interesting, but the world fast to bring attention to themselves, or an issue they are raising. The Christian fasts secretly to bring attention to Christ. So it’s important that we take Micah 6:8 to heart, “To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Fasting is not an end in itself; it is a means by which we can worship the Lord and submit ourselves in humility to Him. We must not let fasting become a bondage but a discipline that gives us more freedom in Christ. Some people think that fasting will force God’s hand to do what we want when in fact fasting will break our will to conform to His. We will see our weaknesses and his almighty power. Our self-sufficiency will be exposed and our need for dependency on Christ will emerge. “Hindu fasts focuses on the self and tries to get something for a perceived sacrifice. Christian fasting focuses on God. The results are spiritual results that glorify God – both in the person who fasts and/or others for when we fast and pray.” Pg 18 (Fasting for Spiritual Results) Look at some fasts that did not please God. “On the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fasts as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. (Is. 58: 3,4, NIV) “Is 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? (v. 5, NIV) One of the purposes of a counselor is to accumulate all the information
from the client then propose “change” to reach the resolve
or goal. The same is true of fasting. God gave us Christian fasting
to bring about change, mostly in us, to resolve our sin or to reach
our God given purpose. “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy houses? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall by they reward. (v. 6-8, NIV) The need to crucify the flesh “What cause fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:1-3) There seems to be a notion that fasting is for the purpose of twisting God’s arm for what we want. But fasting is for spiritual purposes. The main purpose is to get our flesh (imperfections) out of the way so that the Spirit of God can move in our lives. Fasting is a barrier remover so that communication with God is possible. It takes a spiritual man to communicate with God and fasting develops that kind of person. When a person chooses to fast, they are submitting themselves to God and placing themselves into a situation where God can remove obstacles from their life. The focus of hell trembling at the thought of a child of God fasting. It tares down strongholds. It clears the way for victory. Fasting exonerates the sovereignty of God. That He is owner of all that exists including us. IT teaches us to control our appetites and carnality. Fasting brings us in close fellowship with Christ. Man, according to Fletcher, is a triune being made up of body, soul, and spirit. IT is the spirit that came from God and longs to be reunited with God. Given the opportunity, the spirit will reach out to God and communicate with Him. These three parts of the person, however, compete for influence. Your spirit can influence your soul, and your soul can influence your flesh. If you are in tune spiritually with God, your soul has no choice but to delight in the decision of your spiritual life. Your flesh submits to authority of your soul. When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, she responded: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:46-47) When our souls are magnifying the Lord, our flesh will bow in submission. We are constantly in a wrestling match with flesh and God’s spirit within us. Jacob exemplifies this well. Listen to his words in Genesis 32:30, “So Jacob called the place penile, saying it is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” When we see God face to face our imperfections will show up like Jacob’s limping leg. Elmer Towns shares nine fasts that God can use:
Types of Fasting Fasting is as diversified as praying – fasting is a spiritual discipline with many approaches. Dr. Rex Russell (What the Bible says about Healthy Living; Regal Books, 1996; see Appendix 1), are good guidelines for us to follow as the Lord leads.
The Benefits The benefits bestowed on us by God through our fasting is only if we do it according to God’s standards and by His grace. Here are a few benefits from fasting according to David R. Smith,
A Neglected Discipline. Remember fasting never forces the hand of our Lord, but submits our will to His that he may appropriate His grace to us. Matthew 6:8 says, “He always knows in advance what we are going to pray about.” Fasting will create a deeper desire to be in communion with Christ. This will usher in a new liberty to pray. The apostles were used to fasting. Listen to Acts 13:1-3, “Now there were in the church at Antioch certain prophets and teachers: as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, set apart me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” Fasting helps to provide guidance. When we ‘afflict our souls’ we humble ourselves. The early people of God clothed themselves in sackcloth when fasting (1 Kings 20:31). The people saw their utter dependence on God. We know that hearing the word of God produces faith. Fasting encourages faith in the one who is involved in this discipline. John Wesley said, “prayer and fasting are the appointed means by which unusual faith is attained.” Fasting gives the believer an unusual power over evil. “Why could not we cast it out?” (Matt. 17:19, Mark 9:28, and Luke 9:40) Luke the fourth chapter gives us insight on Jesus’ fasting. Jesus returned to Galilee from the wilderness “in the power of the Spirit.” After His forty day fast in complete isolation Jesus was strengthened in the power of the Spirit. No wonder He could die on the cross for He had died to self in the wilderness while fasting. Likewise, you and I can have power in the Spirit through much prayer and fasting. Uncion in preaching comes from fasting. Charles G. Finney said, “Sometimes” he wrote, ‘I would find myself, in a great measure, empty of this power. I would then set apart a day for private fasting and prayer, fearing that this power had departed from me. After humbling myself, and crying out for help, the power would return upon me with all its freshness. Power over carnality, power to cope and the list goes on. Fasting should become a part of our lifestyle of Christianity to
have a full and rich ministry in Christ. Prayer for Effective Ministry There are no fewer then 650 definite prayers, of which no less than 450 have recorded answers. What is Prayer? Judson Cornwell says, “Prayer is a divine provision. The Bible teaches us that prayer is the channel God has provided for mortal humans to reach into the eternal realness of God’s dwelling”. In great anguish David testified, “the Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.” (Ps. 6:9) David’s son Solomon prayed “The Lord…hears the prayer of the righteous,” (Prov. 15:29) “The writer of the New Testament extol prayers as a vibrant part of a believer’s contract with God.” The four Gospel writes portray Jesus as a praying man, and they record His teachings on prayer. Paul was a great exponent of prayer, writing, “I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting,” (1 Tim. 2:8). The wrier of the book of Hebrews pled, “pray for us,” (Heb. 13:18), while James wrote, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much”, (James 5:16). Peter “the rock”, quoted the psalmist who said, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers,” (1 Peter 3:12) John the beloved, went even further by saying, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, 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 petitions that we have asked of him,” (1John 5:14, 15). Even Jude, in his very brief book, exhorted us, “But you, beloved, building yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God.” (Jude 1:20,21) E.M. Bounds says, “The power of the preacher lies in the power of prayer in his ability to pray so as to reach God and bring great results. The power of prayer is rarely tested, its possibilities seldom understood, never exhausted. Nothing is so feeble, so insipid, and so non-productive as a little tedious praying. Brainerd lived the life of holiness and prayer. His dairy is full and monotonous with the record of his season of testing, meditation, and retirement. Our commitment to God is an awesome thing at least. Paul said Jesus Christ was, “He was the blessed and only Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.” (1 Tim. 6:15, 16) T.W. Hunt says prayer is universal. Adam and Eve enjoyed God’s presence. Abel offered a pleasing sacrifice to God and he must have prayed. Seth was born to Eve and a new dimension of fellowship with God was introduced. Enoch was born, then men began to call upon the Lord. (Gen. 4:26) God wants our devotion to him. Constant fellowship with Him is His great desire for us. It is not forcing our way into God’s presence like a gate crusher at a party. God has already granted an audience. Prayer is merely taking advantage of that invitation. The appointment has been made; it is up to us to keep it. God has committed Himself to be available to the person who will pray, and in that availability, He has promised to listen and to respond, for Jesus promised, “whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son”. (John 14:13) Prayer is a person committing to God. Discipline, dedication and determination are some of the ingredients to it. Prayer requires seeking Him, and searching Him with all of our heart. Prayer is a command commitment to God. Jesus said in Luke 18:1 “And he spoke a parable unto them, to this end that men ought always to pray, and not faint”. John Rice says, This is a statement, not that some men should pray. It is an impelling duty that Jesus taught. “Pray without ceasing,” (1 Thess. 5:17) Here is a command without any modification by the context. Durnall says, “We place one hand on the throne of grace and the other on the need of the world.” Moses did. I said, Jeremiah, and Daniel did. Will you? Luther did. Wesley and Whitefield did. Finney Brainerd, and Hyde did. Will you? First, you get the vision asking the Spirit to let you see the World’s people and their needs with the loving eyes of God. By this you will see the great weepers like Nehemiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Paul. Seeing the world with its pain will cause you to become a weeper also. The next step is to plead the spirit’s help. Praying becomes futile without the power of the Spirit. The purpose is to see how much of God you can receive into your praying. After all, He makes the difference. Stay filled with the Spirit. Surrender your will each day to His. Obey God in everyday decisions. Here’s a challenge by R.A. Tarry. “Many of the most blessed seasons of prayer I have ever known have began with the feeling of utter deadness and prayerlessness; but in my helplessness and coldness I have cast myself upon God, and looked to Him to send His Holy Spirit to teach me to pray, and He has done it.” I owe my mother and dad so much in my early years of training. They constantly prayed. Prayer was apart of our home as meals were. I would go into my dad’s bedroom and find him on his knees before God. You could call my mother and she would pray with you about any need. My wife, Luann, and I have made prayer a lifestyle for us. Prayer is asking "Ask, and it shall be given you”. (Matt.
7:7) How much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matt. 7:11) “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”. (Matt. 21:22) “There are two principal words in the Greek New Testament translated ask. One is the word eperato, which means to ask, to inquire, as asking questions. But the word used about prayer is aiteo, which means to ask, to receive, to crave, to desire, to call for, always meaning asking for something. I have counted thirty times that this word is used about prayer in the New Testament, and it is properly translated as ask.” (John R. Rice, Prayer Asking and Receiving) Prayer is asking is kind of summed up with the story of Ken Gaub. It had always been Ken Gaub’s goal to help those who were hurting. “Some people just need a boost and I wanted to influence their lives in a positive way,” he says. He became a traveling missionary and with his family, conducted crusades not only throughout America but in many foreign countries. He established a magazine, a radio and television ministry and a youth outreach program. But sometimes-even preachers get drained and discouraged and they
wonder if they should consider another line of work. That was how
Ken felt one day in the 1970s as he, his wife, Barbara, and their
children drove their two ministry buses on I-75 just south of Dayton,
Ohio. God, what am I doing, traveling around like this, telling people
about you? He wondered silently. Is this what you want me to do? Ken’s son and daughter-in-law maneuvered the second bus into a pizza parlors’ parking lot, and they stood waiting as Ken pulled up. The rest of the family bounded down the steps. Ken sat staring into space. “Coming?” Barbara asked. “I’m not really hungry,” Ken told her. “I’ll stay out here and stretch my legs.” Barbara followed the others into the restaurant and Ken stepped outside, closed the bus doors, and look around. Noticing a Dairy Queen, he strolled over, bought a soft drink, and ambled back, still pondering. He was exhausted. But were his doldrums a sign of permanent burnout? A persistent ringing broke Ken’s concentration. The jingle was coming from a pay telephone in a booth at the service station right next to Dairy Queen. As Ken approached the booth, he looked to see if anyone in the station was coming to answer the phone. But the attendant continued his work, seemingly oblivious to the noise. Why doesn’t someone answer it? Ken wondered, growing irritated. What if it is an emergency? The insistent ringing went on. Ten rings, fifteen… Curiosity overcome Ken’s lethargy. Walking to the booth, he lifted the receiver. “Hello.” “Long-distance call for Ken Gaub,” came the voice of the operator. Ken was stunned. “You’re crazy!” he said. Then, realizing his rudeness, he tried to explain, “This can’t be! I was just walking down the road here, and the phone was ringing.” The operator ignored his rumblings. “Is Ken Gaub there?” she asked. “I have a long-distance phone call for him.” Was this a joke? Automatically, Ken smoothed his hair for the Candid Camera crew that must surely appear. But no one came. His family was eating pizza in a randomly selected restaurant just a few yards from where he stood and no one else knew he was there. “I have a long-distance call for Ken Gaub, sir,” the operator said again, obviously reaching the limits of her patience. “Is he here or isn’t he?” “Operator, I’m Ken Gaub,” Ken said, still unable to make sense of it. “Are you sure?” the operator asked, but just then, Ken heard another women’s voice on the telephone. “Yes, that’s him, operator!” she said. “Mr. Gaub, I’m Millie from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. You don’t know me, but I’m desperate. Please help me.” “What can I do for you?” Ken asked. The operator hung up. Millie began to weep, and Ken waited patiently for her to regain control. Finally she explained, “I was about to kill myself, and I started to write a suicide note. Then I began to pray and tell God I really didn’t want to do this.” Through her desolation, Millie remembered seeing Ken on television. If she could just talk to that nice, kindly minister, the one with the understanding attitude. I knew it was impossible because I didn’t know how to reach you,” Mill went on, calmer now. “So I started to finish the note, and then some numbers came into my mind, and I wrote them down.” She began to weep gain. Silently, Ken prayed for wisdom to help her. “I looked at those numbers,” Millie continued tearfully, “and I thought – wouldn’t it be wonderful if I had a miracle from God, and he has given me Ken’s phone number? I can’t believe I’m talking to you. Are you in your office in California?” “I don’t have an office in California”, Ken explained. “It’s in Yakima, Washington.” “Then, where are you?” Milled asked, puzzled. Ken was even more bewildered. “Millie, don’t you know? You made the call.” “I don’t know what area this is.” Millie had dialed the long-distance operator and given the numbers to her, making it a person-to-person call. And somehow she had found Ken in a parking lot in Dayton, Ohio. Ken gently counseled the women. Soon she met the one who would lead her out of the situation into a new life. Then he hung up the phone, still dazed. Would his family believe this incredible story? Perhaps he shouldn’t tell anyone about it. But he had prayed for an answer, and he had received just what he needed – a renewed sense of purpose, a glimpse of the value of his work, an electrifying awareness of God’s concern for each of his children – all in an encounter that could only have been arranged by his heavenly Father. Ken’s heart overflowed with joy. “Barb,” he explained,
as his wife climbed back into the bus, “you won’t believe
this. God knows where I am.” The dictionary gives an example of the word effectual: Quinine is an effectual preventative of malaria. Effectual means to be valid or to be effective. To be effective means to produce the desired effect. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16) Benny Triplett says, “Prayer will affect the heart of God.” God said to Moses, “Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their names from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.” (Deuteronomy 9:14) Moses shows us how a pure heart praying can effect the heart of God. This prayer Moses prayed is found in Exodus 32:32, “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” This prayer touched the heart of God at a special time. God would have been justified in what he would do to the people because of their sins. “Prayer can become a motion – shaking, history-making, world-moving affair!” declaims F. J. Hurgal in Successful Praying. In this he recounts the miracle of Dunkirk in World War II. France had fallen and three hundred thousand British soldiers fleeing toward the channel. The backbone of the British army would soon be Humanly speaking there was no hope. Then King George VI called for a day of prayer. People outside the British Empire joined them. God moved: “On the side of German forces came a storm such as had never been witnessed. Every phone was grounded. Tanks were bogged down in mud. In the grip of the storm not a soldier moved. On the British side, the channel was like glass. Never was the water quieter. Thousands of boats plied all day long across the channel – even women in small craft came to the rescue. The island was never invaded. Hitler was stopped at Dunkirk. How? God intervened to answer prayer.” To pray effectively avoid the following: Prayerlessness; lack of faith; wrong motives; not abiding in Christ; rebellion and sin; idols; sinful anger; keeping your marriage vows; live in agreement; lack of importunity; sin. How to pray authentically Jesus warned us that hypocritical prayer would be useless. Prayer must be private or secret to you as a person. Then your Father in heaven will reward you openly. Jesus wants his people to pray secretly, sincerely and specifically. Jesus gives us the full example of a prayer life. Jesus prayed in the morning and at night. He often prayed alone. “He withdrew again to the mountain by himself along,” (John 6:15). “Any of the three expressions – “withdrew”, “by Himself”, and “alone” – would have indicated seclusion, yet John felt compelled to provide all three. He prayed with others present. (Matt. 14:19) He prayed in large public gatherings, (Matt. 14:19). Luke tells us He prayed all night, (Luke 6:12). Jesus told his disciples to pray sincerely. Don’t get caught in the reputation process. We can simply pour our heart out to God according to Psalm 62:8, says, “Pour our your hearts to Him.” Praying authentically is: “Prayer is the soul’s sincere
desire, uttered or unexpressed; the motion of a sudden fire, the
trembles in the breast. Prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling
of a tear, the upward glancing of an eye, when none but God is near.” Praying authentically is to pray correctly. Searching the prayer book (Bible) for prayer correctness is key. Jesus authentically prayed privately, humbly that God would see Him openly. How to Pray Luann and I desire to make prayer a simple lifestyle. That is pray often, daily, for each other and be instint with it. We refuse to wish or just talk about praying, but pray! Pray because we love to. Pray because God answers correct praying. Here are a few suggestions on how to pray. Remember God will answer non-hypocritical prayer. The Pharisees will teach you how to have dead prayer. Jesus taught the disciples how to pray. Christ taught them to get incredible results. Bob Bitz teaches man to pray by using the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern. He does the following: (1) gets the Bible; (2) gets up early; (3) gets a cup of coffee and heads for his favorite spot. He takes his Bible and reads a short passage to get focused on spiritual things. He always reads a chapter from Psalms to get warmed up. He suggest for the first five days to read Luke 11:1-3 daily and Psalms 1-5, one Psalm per day. He lists quite an array of prayer approaches. David was a man who daily got up and prayed early. “Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early,” (Psalm 57:8). The first church in Acts 6 was in a dispute over taking care of widows. Their decision was to choose seven men to be deacons. They would serve the widows in their need. The disciples were to give themselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4). “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved, (Acts 2:45-47). Dr. Cho in South Korea prays hours a day and had cut single prayer booths in the mountain for his praying church. Cho has all night prayer meetings starting at 10:30 p.m. He teaches God’s word for about two hours, then they pray. After prayer they sing gospel songs. Then an associate pastor preaches and afterwards there is more singing, then he takes personal testimonies of God’s blessings in lives. By then it’s 4:30 a.m. and time to go home. David was accustomed to spending all night in prayer. In Psalms 63, he calls his all night prayer meetings “night watches,” (Psalms 63:6; 119:148). Have a method of prayer: When I was in college (Lee University) I read a sign that stated, “if you are too busy to pray, you’re to busy.” Jesus constantly went to the desert and there prayed, (Luke 5:16,17). Whether it be standing, sitting, facedown, face-up, crawling, meditating or any other position, just pray! When Luann and I pray we want to get results. Let me share this personal story. My thirteen-month-old grandson, Christopher, was diagnosised with a whole in his heart. The doctor said he must do open-heart surgery on him. We began to pray and ask all of our friends to join us. About one week before the operation, I had a dream that the nurse told us that Christopher had died in the operation. Now that got my attention in prayer. The next night I dreamed I was with Dr. T. L. Lowery and he was instructing me concerning divine healing. The next morning, the Holy Spirit revealed to me to find Dr. Lowery and let him pray for me concerning the healing of my grandson. At a funeral Dr. Lowery walked up to me and I shared the dream with him. Immediately he took my hand and began praying for healing and an anointing on me for my grandson. Whew!! I felt a warm tingle go from my head to my feet. He was so gracious to pray with me. My wife and I traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina. When we arrived at the hospital that morning, my grandson, my son, and the family had just parked in the parking deck at the same time we had. We got out, anointed my grandson with oil, and had prayer. The doctor said he had a hole the size of a fifty-cent piece in his little heart. The surgery went so well they sent him home two days early. Later, the doctor said out of 249 procedures performed last year, Christopher was the best he had seen. In fact, he wants to use him as an example in the medical field. Christopher is doing great. It was a privilege to pray and fast and have other join with us in this great victory from God our Father. Pastor, I pray that something in this article will be of help to you and that your life can become saturated with prayer and victorious from it. A tip: Luann and I pray for each other in the privacy of our home. I want her to be full of God’s love and joy and she the same to me. What better way to get close to each other than getting close to God together! |
