Fasting: A Path to Spiritual Clarity and Strength

"Fasting is a position of humility and you and God said God told them this behold in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure you oppress your workers you quarrel you fight basically your fasting but your attitude doesn't reflect a humble heart you can have you ever wasted a fast I have I've wasted a fast in the end done it in the flesh bitna and not got any spiritual benefits because it's not something you used to twist God's arm it's a it's a way of humbling ourselves starving the flesh to be filled with the spirit." [00:49:29]

"Fasting is not like a magic bullet and I look back I think I told you this before I don't know how many months ago it might have been a month and a half two months I left here and I was just so thankful God him he moved in both services I felt the Spirit of God on me I mean and people for the atmosphere was thick and it was a wonderful two services but that evening the Saturday night I said I'm just gonna I'm gonna fast tomorrow I'm gonna fast now I'm gonna watch you move Lord I know you'll honor this and no sooner has I said that I get in here and somebody made homemade chocolate chip cookies and put them in there put them in the office and I grabbed them and tried to put them in the ushers room guys eat these quick and the might my flesh got the best of me and I ate three chocolate chip cookies before I preached but see God says I'm not going to shame even and didn't despite of you I'm going to move I'm gonna show you there's not a magic bullet there's not a little formula I'm gonna move powerfully whether you oppa the fast or not now that's not permission to break it but it's not like you're putting God's arm behind him or twisting it or or making him change his mind or like you know a magic wand or some special little thing it's positioning your heart to receive from God." [00:56:44]

"When the body rests in the area of digestion it is lat it is allowed to heal what many call miraculous is really just the way the body was designed and I'm sure most of you know this isn't a secret but most of our diseases most of our sickness comes from what what we're putting in what that that affects our health in a very big way and it's a word I've here's a word I've used before a toff eg you've heard that before it's a word they've newly discovered actually somebody just won a a Nobel Prize discovering a toffee G and it's a it's a comes from two Greek words every autophagy it basically means consuming itself you are so well designed that your body will begin to go after cancer cells and disease cells and tissue that's not healthy and it'll consume those as fuel your body was designed to do that so fasting allows a tough og to take place meaning I have no more energy I have no starters to start to store carbohydrates so instead of my body starting to consume my liver my heart it could if your body could consume organs and different things it begins to consume the dead and decaying and a tissue and things that are not healthy in your body it cleans house not only that new stem cells are regenerated and created remember the research on stem cells embryonic stem cell research and adult stem cells and how important stem cells are and actually if you want to get really specific cancer starts from stem cells so it's sometimes if a person shrinks a tumor or say for the radiation or different things if the stem cell isn't dealt with it can keep fueling the cancer and the disease so as we fast the body says oh I have no fuel stored I'm gonna begin to consume the dead and decaying cells and tissues." [01:54:49]

"Fasting is very good provided the commandments of the Lord be observed st. basil the great fasting gives birth to prophets and strengthens a powerful fasting makes lawgivers wise fasting is a good safeguard for the soul a stet companion for the body have you heard of Polycarp never mentioned that name Polycarp was actually a disciple of John who is a disciple of Jesus wonder if he had anything to say about fasting well Shan you probably checked it out of course I would checked out before saying that he said this he wrote a letter to the Philippians he warns against the temptation of false teachers and heresy and believers and heresy turning away believers he said let us turn back to the word which was delivered to us in the beginning watching unto prayer and persevering in fasting these are all early church so where did this do where did this jewel go where did this gym a fasting go what's declined mainly in the last 100 years mainly a lot of things through teaching like I just read to you earlier it's in the shadows Jesus hadn't talked about it if fasting was important they were to outline how to do it and when to do it and that's just that that just as a hold any weight it's often because these people don't want a fast and I'm gonna make a statement here I was hoping I would forget about it because I even took it out of my notes yesterday but maybe somebody needs to hear this often those who are not been mildly filled with God's Spirit often do not want to fast it's just at what I've noted over the years what I've seen over the years those who need a mighty filling of God's Spirit they've quench and grieve the spirit of God they do not want to fast they need to but they don't want to they also don't like to come to prayer meetings they also don't want to get to worshipful hey that's enough that's enough we did 15 minutes come on cut it off now guys that's a look see it's the whole package when someone is spirit filled they want more of God they want more worship they want more prayer they want more fasting they want to be on their knees before God and cry out to him and these leaders who don't like fasting I've read in their books were they they will put down people who spend all night praying they'll put down people who might wear grooves in their hardwood floors because of praying after 20 years because they've never experience that and that's why they mock it the lust of the flesh is one of three bullets that Satan uses correct do you know would you know the bullet that Satan puts in his gun they're very simple here it's gonna be the same three every time the less of the flesh the lust of the eye with the iowans what I see want want want covetousness the flesh with the flesh craves and the pride of life Oh pride is deadly is it not pride is deadly pride if so deadly that right now it's working in some of you why you should not fast why you should not humble yourself and fast well how can you say that because it happens in me too I'm starting a fast and my flesh is already negotiating it's changing just try the Daniell fast you don't need to get that my flesh is already negotiating with me telling me how I'm going too fast and I came not listening to the voice of the flesh we're gonna listen to the Spirit of God and seek God and see what you would not believe what has happened when I when I told my wife I'm gonna fast and planning for it the week I'm gonna which is coming up gonna say I get call for jury duty you have jury duty on fasting no no I don't think so so I had to get up get on line contact and postpone that and then this coming we on Thursday this coming week I get a text that the mayor wants me and a few other pastors to meet at his house for dinner and talk about our community so I told the guy well mm-hmm I'm fasting I don't think that's gonna look real good no you're right you don't need to come right because you know it's and and and then the place I'm going I usually go for just a couple days I just found out it's it's not it's closed because the power went out so now a stuck at home with five kids trying to fast the first couple days is very difficult I've done that so all these things so now my flesh is negotiate hey let's just let's just change this plan around let's just let's just go to easy fast and the flesh hates being starved because you're taking away its power I talked to the men yesterday you want to decrease you want to get rid of lust in your life for a season fast fast it will take away that drive many times completely because you're starving you often do you see often the gluttony and sexual sin is tied together it often is because once you give up once you give into one area of life in the flesh it begins to affect all other areas you know it's all connected come on this isn't I'm not speaking to a bunch of people who just became Christians last week you know it's all connected Leonard Ravenhill said this how can you pull down strongholds of Satan if you don't even have the strength to turn off the TV but I changed it for you how can we pull down the strongholds of Satan if we don't even have the strength to say no to food the weapon we use the weapons we use to fight Satan our spiritual correct they should match the warfare not by might not by power but my might but by my spirit says the Lord so if you want 20/20 vision what is 20/20 vision you see I mean I don't have to explain about it 20 feet some of you know better than I but 20 feet you can see what normal a normal person would say let's see let's say it at twenty hundred vision is at a hundred feet in other words your eyesight is terrible and with twenty hundred vision 20/20 is normal good vision it talks about clarity sharpness coordination depth perception and focusing are all normal and I thought what a good what a good analogy what a good parallel with us because when you fast there is a clarity there's a sharpness your coordination is better your mind is clearer your depth depth depth perception is right on you're focused you're your tune the spiritual and the physical are going together 20/20 vision you can have 20/20 vision spiritually speaking I think many times we miss it because we're not in a cease of prayer and fasting can you imagine this how many of you are wanting God to answer prayers or you're needing direction in an area of your life you don't have to raise your hand you can if you want let's do that cuz I'll start I am I've got a list going what about if you said Lord I'm going to I'm gonna not eat today I'm gonna take my Bible I'm gonna take a drive or go somewhere if you're a woman you have kids have a hubby watch them rotate you know it's okay to do that and then Lord I want to hear from you today I'm gonna go all day I'm just gonna seek you I'm gonna put you on my calendar you're my priority I want to hear from you in this area do you think at the end of the day you're not gonna have any extra insight any any assurance any other direction now you might not hear from heaven but I guarantee you'll be better for it I better I know you'll have when I do that I have peace now that okay I'm in a season of waiting I don't need to know because there's a peace a peace of God that surpasses all understanding comes upon you when you when you begin to to to seek Him in this area and what I do is when that hunger comes that's when I pray here come for me it's a reminder to pray for my kids and my family for you at this church many people many people that you don't know we pray for you we see it on the prayer list we see things on Facebook we pray for your marriage we pray for your health issues we pray for a loss that you had we pray for so many different things in that hunger signals the time to pray it's a battle it's a hunger strike against hell so let's get into some application before we close out what do you think application fasting with a purpose intensifies your prayers so you have what is your purpose you can't just say well that was a good sermon I'm going to try this later today and just try it and about about four hours into it your flesh will win what was I thinking I'm not made to fast you know how many years I avoided fasting because I'm hypoglycemic and I have low blood sugars and I don't feel very well when I don't have food every three hours that's come to find out who's addicted to sugar so and caffeine so that that that kind of narrowed that down but we have all these excuses and when you when you begin to say okay I'm fasting with the purpose Lord I can't just jump into this on my high blood pressure medication I've got to take my medication and that's true but when you're fasting your blood pressure lowers so make sure you see a doctor and regulate that correctly there's so many benefits to fasting for example many people don't know this I'm still shocked type two diabetes have you heard of that you might have it you know people have it that is diet related that disease we have a disease that they call an epidemic we have a disease in our nation that is dis bankrupting the healthcare system in many cases we have a disease that is preventable by our diet but it's a doctor saying do this they say here take this now I'm not saying not to take things please don't misunderstand but I am saying how many of those who take things can get off of those things if they wanted to if they restructured their lifestyle and if you don't like what I'm saying could it be that you need to hear what I'm saying could it be don't and if you're upset take it to God take you to ask him I'm fully onboard with with repenting or saying I apologize if I have misspoken according to God's Word if I've taken things too far if I've done things the wrong way but I don't come up here with a pointing a finger I come up here with a broken heart because I've seen people being in the fitness industry that's one thing I have seen I have seen thousands yes thousands of people changed their life get off medication hold their grandkids again by changing their diet I've seen it I've seen it firsthand I know it's difficult so here's the application you have to have a purpose and that purpose intensifies with prayer so so here's what I would do number one here's what I'm doing ask God even if you can only go a day you can keep starving the flesh just ask Daniel the people say well Shane I can't really fast that long well you can get off everything you're addicted to and do it be careful right I know people have went cold turkey on coffee and they turn into a monster you got you got a week it's maybe exchange it for green tea and prepare for headaches prepare for hell but play it pray for heaven but plans on hell and it shows how addicted we are I I mean I've done where I've went days without sugar I turn into Jekyll and Hyde this stuff is powerful so you can fast from the things that are addictive if you can only go a day or half the day without water ask God seek Him let him answer that list the prayer needs list your prayer needs you this is so important I have three by five cards to do and I list the prayer needs and what do I do i attack and I attack again and I attack again and I hit it again and I hit it again and I hit sometimes the prodigal son doesn't always come home sometimes the wayward daughter doesn't always call that that same day but you go and you attack again and you keep on you keep on that's why he says break down strongholds bring the sledgehammer out one brick at a time one brick at a time one prayer at a time what I've noticed it's usually through persevering prayer that our prayers are answered praying clear through even when you don't feel like it going days and weeks and months and God I know you hear me I'm gonna keep pressing and why because it's a battle what soldier shows up on the battlefield shoots one-one shell and the Boers over what the who does that doesn't it's a fight it's a battle that's why I told them in yesterday get back up and fight again but Shane I'm discouraged I'm beat down you bet you are but you put on your big-boy pants and get back up and fight again God didn't call you to live in a state of being defeated God calls you to live in a place of victory if you don't believe that look to the Scriptures they will see you through so lists of Prayer needs and then attack and attack again my hunger for prayer to be answered outweighs my hunger for food have the right attitude don't grumble and complain amen I grumble and complain on my face I'm just telling you up front pray for me expect God to answer number four expect God to answer impossible prayers that align with his will expect God to answer impossible prayers that's why I love that song we that same God who raises the dead and and in heals and restores that God we still worship I love the verse from first Corinthians I has not seen nor ear heard nor has it entered in the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him now that can be talking about heaven but I looked at the context of who Paul was quoting he was quoting Isaiah 64 and Isaiah said from ancient times no one has heard no ear has perceived no eye has seen any God but you who acts on behalf of those who wait for him if you believe the scriptures are in there as I do I believe that Scripture it says God waits on behalf of those or God acts on behalf of those who wait for him fasting is part of waiting on God I'm not hungry I'm hungry right now Lord but I'm I'm saying no and I'm pressing in I'm pressing it you don't know what breakthroughs are just on the horizon are just there and that need to be broken through at this hour and in this season I believe our nation needs to call back days of pressed fasting in prayer pray for America as your fasting and really at the core this fasting is persistence what is persistence it's a continuation in a course of action in spite of difficulty in opposition we need to start preparing Christians for the real warfare we persevere regardless regardless of the Opposition so here's what happens I'm this year we're just I'm going to end with what I told them in yesterday prayer and fasting sets the guard in place it puts a guard on the how much safer would you feel having Navy SEALs at your front and backyard or SWAT team or whatever just there there that's what prayer and fastening does it sets the guard over your home mark 14:38 watch and pray watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak so there's a guarding there's a keeping Watchers being there's things spiritually alert all of this happens through prayer and fasting Psalm 1:19 I rise up before dawn and I cry out for help you know it's okay to do that I gave them a man permission yesterday I said you can cry out for help you can that doesn't sound very manly no but it sounds very godly we have to stop worrying about being manly and start worrying about what what means to be godly the same men who don't want to worship God will go out and do incredible things in the name of sin so they rise up before dawn they cry out for help I wait for your word do you do that if you need God to answer begin to pray and fast and rise up early and cry out for help God I need you today God I need you today you know a prayer I've been praying all month I'm gonna give you a little little nugget into my prayer life I pray pray God and I mean this if I don't mean this God please show me my heart but I pray God I don't want to be well-known I don't want to be popular I want the power and presence of you in my life until the day I die and I don't care about anything else I want the power and presence and the life those of my children and in my family and then the church God we don't need a name for ourselves we don't maybe we need the power and presence of God that's what we need today I also told the story yesterday of a man I don't remember who it was I heard it awhile back he was going through a lot and he pulled up two chairs one chair here one chair here and he sat down and he said devil you're gonna sit and watch me worship oh I love that devil you're gonna sit and watch me fast you're gonna watch me worship God I'm going to persevere I'm going to continue in a course of action despite difficulties in opposition the that's why when you read all these scriptures that people take out of context when we said you are the head and not the tail you're above and not beneath you're a child of God you are a hair of heir of the kingdom of God you have been given all these grace and all these blessings in Christ Jesus these this is a this comes from a persistent fighting attitude a fight that a person that gets back up and fights again though the enemy has got your children though the enemy has got your grandchildren though the enemy's got you bound you fight you get up and fight we don't become passive and upset and disgruntled that's that's when the enemy moves a true believer gets up and fights and they keep fighting regardless of what it looks like the outcome I don't see any outcome what's the point well without faith it's impossible to please God could it be could it be could it be the goddess testing faith we have this we have this perception many Christians have this perception that they have to see what God is doing I have to see the results or I'm going to give up I think we miss it I think it's more important say god I don't see the results but your word says and I'm trusting you I'm holding you at your word even now I can get frustrated and people email me say hah hah hah hah hah look what look at America is falling apart why do you keep saying if my people are called by my name if they humble himself and it's because I'm gonna do that till the day I die your word says if we humble ourselves your word says the God of heaven hears the cries of revival all God waken your people your word says it and I trust you I have faith that can move them out and I don't see it I don't feel it but God I trust in you and you get back on track in that faith begins to turn into a mighty power within you because regardless of results I trust in you that's that's the position that a person must have during this battle with Satan so I just want to encourage you if you've never fasted if you're not sure about it just pray pray and Google all Scripture." [02:56:50]