Fasting...the Powerful Secret Weapon of the Believer

Introduction: Throughout my ministry and Christian walk, I have always felt like I have had a secret weapon in prayer and fasting when faced with difficulty or attacks from the enemy, Satan. I have always tried to be led of the Lord in using it.

I used it back in 1981 when I received my calling into the ministry, I wanted make sure I was clearly hearing God. When I faced my first “big battle” as a pastor in a church plant in Rockville, Indiana, I used it when the enemy came against me personally and the young church that I was planting. I have used “the secret weapon” several times as we were childless and watched God perform a miracle in a few short days to bring about a beautiful gift in Gabriel. I used the “secret weapon” once when I was told our church couldn’t buy a particular church building and within a two-week period we raised the down payment and purchased the church. I went to my secret weapon in 1991 when faced with severe headaches every day for a year and was miraculously healed.

In 1998, we didn’t know if we should Indianapolis or stay, but through prayer and fasting God made it evident that this was His plan for Kings Point and for us to come and pastor. Back in 2002, I was very discouraged and ready to leave this church and the ministry. I used the secret weapon of prayer and fasting and God gave me a plan to implement “to disciple and equip people so that they might disciple and equip others.”

Many, many other times in my life and ministry I have used this secret weapon and God has never let me down….He has met with me intimately…drawn me closer to Him…fine tuned me…spoke to me…shown me things…removed obstacles…healed me and delivered me…opened doors for me…THE SECRET WEAPON – FASTING.

Over the 25 plus years I have practiced fasting, God has taken me to school. He has taught me some things about fasting. One of the big things he has taught me is there is more to fasting that just doing without food. One of the obvious things you see in several different places in the Bible is the connection between fasting, praying, and giving.

Almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, are three great Christian duties - the three foundations of the law, say the Arabians: by them we do homage and service to God with our three principal interests; by prayer with our souls, by fasting with our bodies, by alms-giving with our estates.

Another, practice of fasting according to the Old Testament is the removing of bondages, the breaking free of oppression on our lives and that of others.

Another practice of a “true fast” is to stop criticizing, blaming, and gossiping -If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; Isaiah 58:9

God promises many great blessings in the scriptures when we practice the fast that HE HAS CHOSEN…THE KIND OF FAST THAT HE HONORS…ONE THAT IS DONE RIGHT IN HIS EYES.

A true fast unto the Lord will life-altering, life-changing. It first of all changes you! You become broken and humble before the Lord. You see yourself differently and you see others differently. God will give you a compassion for the poor, the hurting, the oppressed. As our soul is afflicted, we become stripped of our pride which causes us to be critical of others, blame, gossip, and murmur. A true fast causes us to depend upon God for nourishment not those things that feed the flesh.

A true corporate fast moves the hand of God in a church or in a nation. In the O.T., you see God moving immediately and mightily when Israel fasted.

Lets take a few minutes and look more closely at those things God’s Word says that makes up the FAST THAT GOD HAS CHOSEN. Look at Isaiah 58:6…

Isa 58:6 "The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free.

# 1 - Remove or break the chains or bands of wicked oppression

The fast that God has chosen consists in reforming our lives and undoing what we have done amiss (Isa_58:6): To loose the bands of wickedness, the bands which we have wickedly tied, and by which others are bound.

These bands of wickedness must be loosed, or they will bring us into bonds of guilt much more terrible.

There are people here this morning that need chains of oppression broken in your lives. You are living in bondage and it is only going to get worse. You NEED TO BE FREED!

Many of you know friends, family members, or people you work with that live in oppression and need to be set free. YOU ARE NOT HELPLESS, YOU CAN FAST ON THEIR BEHALF AND SEE THEM DELIVERED AND SET FREE.

[to be continued tomorrow]