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September 20, 2023

FASTING FOR SPIRITUAL BREAKTHROUGH

Text: Mark 9:29 “So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting”

Introduction:

Fasting and prayer are weapons/tools in the Believers inventory box and these are either abused or underutilized; prayer is one tool many assume that they use it often, while in actual fact abuse it (“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” James 4:3), while fasting on the other hand is literally underutilize it (“So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting” Mark 9:29).

What is Biblical Fasting?

Biblical fasting is defined as abstaining from food for spiritual purposes, not because it is not available but rather in the presence of abundance one chooses to deny him/herself of the pleasure of food for the sole purpose of seeking God (“I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over” Daniel 10:3, “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” Nehemiah 1:4).

Misconceptions:

Fasting is not in avoiding sin (“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” Romans 6:1-2)

Some argue that as New Testament believers we are not required to fast (“Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast? Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast” Matthew 9:14-15)

There are some who also argue that assigned days of fasting is unscriptural (“This is what the Lord Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace” Zechariah 8:19),

Types of Fasting:

There are four (4) types of fasts shown in the scriptures, but there is a fourth that has come into play from modification of some of the types of fasting:

1. Daniel’s fast/white fast: (“I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over” Daniel 10:3).
2. Dry fast: (“And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you. So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God” 1^st Kings 19:7-8).
3. Pleasure fast: (“Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep” Daniel 6:18).
4. Partial fast: This kind of fasting is similar to the dry fast or Daniel fast, but the difference is that the fast is daily.

How does fasting work?

Proverbs 30:21-23 “Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat, a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress” The presence and the ability received from food is identified as one of the issues that befall man and also history has shown that those who are filled with food tend to give themselves to flesh, so as believers the intention for fasting is to deny oneself of the

Fasting is a deliberate process to break down one’s body, so one can be more in tuned to the Holy Spirit (“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” Matthew 26:41, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want” Galatians 5:17)

Fasting puts one’s body under subjection, so that the Spirit can gain control (“No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” 1^st Corinthians 9:27)

Motivation for fasting:

The motivation for fasting determines if it is accepted by God or it is a show off for men which has no rewards in Heaven (“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” Matthew 6:16-18).

Wrong reasons for Fasting:

1. To be seen by others (“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full” Matthew 6:16).
2. To be justified before God (“I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess” Luke 18:12).

Right reasons for fasting:

1. To awaken a spiritual hunger: 2^nd Chronicles 7:14 “if 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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” Jonah 3:6-9 “When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence”
2. Seek spiritual strength/anointing: Matthew 17:21 “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting”.
3. To master self: 1^st Corinthians 6:12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say–but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”–but I will not be mastered by anything” Philippians 3:8 “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ”.
4. To demonstrate our love and desire for God: John 4:34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work”

Biblical Examples of Fasting:

1. Moses: Moses is the first recorded man that fasted in the Bible and he did this to engage with God (“So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights” Exodus 24:18, “When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the Lordhad made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water” Deuteronomy 9:9)
2. Elijah: (“And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you. So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God” 1^st Kings 19:7-8).
3. David: David was man who fasted on many occasions; he fasted for God’s divine intervention and mercy over the child borne by Uriah’s wife (2^nd Samuel 12:16-17), to mourn Saul (2^nd Samuel 1:11-12), to seek intervention from God concerning others (Psalm 35:13).
4. Daniel: (“I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over” Daniel 10:3).
5. King Darius: (“Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep” Daniel 6:18).
6. Nehemiah: Nehemiah 1:4 “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven”.
7. Mordecai and the Jews: (Esther 4:3 “In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes”).
8. The people of Nineveh: Jonah 3:6-9.
9. Jesus: (“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry” Matthew 4:1-2)
10. Paul: (“For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything” Acts 9:9)
11. The Early Church: Acts 13:2-3 “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for 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”.
12. Paul and Barnabas: Acts 14:23 “Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust”.

Conclusion:

Yes, fasting is more than food for God desires that our fasting should not just be without food, while other important things are left behind, but rather we are to do these things too (“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter– when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” Isaiah 58:6-7).

DECLARING HEALING OVER THE LAND

Confession: Job 5:19-27 “From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will touch you. In famine he will deliver you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword. You will be protected from the lash of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes. You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the wild animals. For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you. You will know that your tent is secure; you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing. You will know that your children will be many, and your descendants like the grass of the earth. You will come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaves gathered in season. “We have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself”

Thank You Lord for the land:

1. Ecclesiastes 9:4 “Anyone who is among the living has hope –even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!” Mighty God, we thank you for the land of Canada, and the world as a whole, we thank You for safety, protection, and divine provision
2. 1^st Timothy 2:1-2 “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” Romans 13:1 “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” Heavenly Father, we thank You for this land and all in authority; we thank You for You are the One who has appointed them and You will cause them to do Your perfect will
3. Isaiah 45:19 “I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right” Mighty God, we thank You, for what You have spoken over Canada and Nations of the World and we know it is not in vain, but rather it will come to pass in Jesus name

Confessing the sins of the land:

1. 2^nd Chronicles 7:14 “if 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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” Merciful God, we confess the sin of this land and we ask that You forgive us now and hear us in Jesus name
2. Revelation 6:9-10 “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Merciful Father, we ask that You forgive every error the land has committed that has brought death, sickness and judgment, we pray that the Blood of Jesus will speak better things over the Land (Hebrews 12:24 “to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel”) because of Your Saints in Jesus name
3. Leviticus 26:40 “But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors–their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward me, which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies–then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land” Mighty God, we confess the sins of homosexuality, abortions, immorality and the likes and we ask that You remember Your covenant with the founding fathers of this land in Jesus name
4. Jeremiah 31:4 “I will build you up again, and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt. Again you will take up your timbrels and go out to dance with the joyful” Mighty God even as You have decreed rebuilding for this land, rebuild now, so we will dance to You in Jesus name
5. Zechariah 3:1 “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him” Father, we confess every error or sin in that the enemy might want to use as a legal ground to bring judgement over us in Jesus name

Dealing with the horsemen and their horses

1. Revelation 5:1-5 “Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.² And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴ I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals”. Jesus the son of God, the Lamb of God we invite You to come to the world You created for Your pleasure and will break every seal holding the world in bondage in Jesus name
2. Jeremiah 51:21 “with you I shatter horse and rider, with you I shatter chariot and driver” Man of war, scatter every horse and their rider parading the world with pestilence, diseases, lack and death in Jesus name
3. Revelation 6:2 “I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest”, Isaiah 8:9 “Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered!”. Mighty God, overthrown every power of coronavirus, HIV, homosexuality, vagabond spirit, homelessness bent on conquest; Father let their bows, horses and strongman riding the horses become powerless in Jesus name
4. Revelation 6:4 “Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth …”. Mighty God, every power assigned to take away peace in marriage, families and Canada be destroyed in Jesus name
5. Revelation 6:4 “Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword”, Numbers 23:23 “There is no divination against Jacob, no evil omens against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!”. Heavenly Father, we declare that the large sword of the enemy against Canada’s economy and morality become worthless; every large sword of coronavirus afflicting and destroying lives be made of no effect in Jesus
6. Revelation 6:5-6 “When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”. Mighty God, we rebuke the power of famine and ration in Canada; causing us to work and not have enough, or that is causing joblessness in Jesus name
7. Revelation 6:6 “Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”. Oh God of Heaven, we decree as oracles of God that our wine and oil will not be touched/destroyed in this land in Jesus name
8. Revelation 6:8 “I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth”, Psalm 91:7 “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you”. Father, we declare upon Your promised that every spirit of death in the land will not come close to us and all that concerns us in Jesus name
9. Revelation 6:9-11 “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” ¹¹ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been”. Heavenly Father, compensate us for every goodness that the enemy has destroyed through recession, regression, death or in any manner and we declare that we receive a sevenfold restoration in Jesus name
10. Revelation 6:12-14 “I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,¹³ and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place”. Mighty God, shake the heaven and earth on our behalf, so all the powers that stand against God in Canada may know that You are fighting for us in Jesus name
11. Revelation 7:3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God” Galatians 6:17 “From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” Mighty God, seal Your children with the mark on Heaven, so no harm will come upon us in Jesus name
12. Jeremiah 29:7 “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper” Heavenly Father, we declare the peace and prosperity of God upon the world so that we may live in peace to serve You in Jesus name

Breaking the strong hold of death:

1. Father, I stand upon Your promise in Job 5:25-26 “You will know that your children will be many, and your descendants like the grass of the earth. You will come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaves gathered in season” I will live long, I will see my children even to the fourth generation and will not go to the grave in young age in Jesus name
2. Exodus 12:13 “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt” Father, mark my door post and windows with the Blood of Jesus Christ, that the spirit of death will pass over me and all that concerns me in Jesus name
3. Isaiah 28:18 “Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand” Father, break every covenant with death and hell over China and the world at large in Jesus name
4. 1^st Corinthians 15:54-55 “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Father, nullify the power of death over me, so these promises of life will come true in my life; I will not die by coronavirus, nor be cut short by death in Jesus name
5. Colossians 2:14-15 “having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” Jesus, You broke the power of death and hell when You died on the Cross and rose up again, and by that resurrection power, break the hold of death over me in Jesus name
6. Isaiah 54:17 “no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD” Father, every weapon (coronavirus and pestilence) of the enemy forged against the land to cause death be destroyed today in Jesus name
7. Job 5:12 “He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success” Isaiah 8:10 “Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us” Mighty God, every word or demonic prophesy that has been spoken that this coronavirus will wipe the human race be overturned and thwarted in Jesus name
8. Exodus 4:19 “Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead” Matthew 2:20 “and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead” Heavenly Father, as You fought for Moses and Jesus, that You kept them from death and You destroyed those who sought their lives, I declare that all who seek my life receive judgment, so I may live in peace in Jesus name
9. 2^nd Chronicles 18:31 “When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “This is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him” Father, every affliction and battle that the enemy has put against me because of any affiliation with anyone (man or woman) be nullified today in Jesus name
10. Romans 8:11 “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” Father, input in me the same power that rose Jesus Christ from dead that my mortal bodies may receive life and strength in Jesus name

Breaking down the walls:

1. Joshua 6:26 “At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: “At the cost of his firstborn son he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates” Mighty God, every curse speaking against this land saying the foundations will be built on the first born and the gates on the last son we destroy them in Jesus name
2. 2^nd Kings 2:20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive” Mighty God, we stand as the salt in the new vessel in Canada and we speak life to the source of this city that it is healed from every bitterness in Jesus name
3. 2^nd Kings 7:6 “or the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” Mighty God, terrify every power that has put a siege over Canada (Alberta)-nothing going out, nothing coming in, so Canada may be restored in Jesus name
4. Exodus 5:2 “Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lordand I will not let Israel go” Every power in the order of Pharaoh is enslaving people saying they will not serve God receive the plague now so that the children if God may be set free in Jesus name
5. 1^st Kings 18:44 “the seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea…” Mighty, God we prophesy the cloud on God like the man’s mand to overshadow Canada to bring abundant rain in Jesus name
6. Isaiah 62:4, 6-7 “Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the LORD delights in you and will claim you as his bride…I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth” Mighty God, overturn every curse that has been placed upon this land in Jesus name
7. Zechariah 1:20-21 “Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. I asked, “What are these coming to do?” He answered, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise their head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people” Mighty God, empower me with the anointing of the carpenters of Heaven, so the horns that scatter Canada and the world may be terrified and destroyed in Jesus name
8. Daniel 4:17 “The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people” Mighty God, I stand today as the Messenger of God and I decree that that all we have prayed is made manifest now in Jesus name

Declaring healing over the land:

1. 1^st Peter 4:11 “If anyone speaks, let him speakas the oracles of God” Mighty God, anoint me with the anointing of Your oracle, so that I I sepak the heaven and the earth will give heed in Jesus name
2. Job 22:28 “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways” Mighty God, a child of the Kingdom that coronavirus become a thing of the past and death loose its hold over the land in in Jesus name
3. Isaiah 62:4 “No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married” Mighty God, we prophesy over Alberta that the recession come to an end now in Jesus name, and Alberta will again be called the delight of God and land flowing with milk and honey in Jesus name
4. Isaiah 43:18-19 “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness Andrivers in the desert” Mighty God, even as You have declared February as a month of “New thing”, we decree that war, natural disaster and pestilence end today and newness begin with February in Jesus name