Welcome to Waymaker Church! We are so excited to have you join us today! We exist to Encounter, Live for, and Advance the Kingdom of God!

As we begin our time of fasting together as a church this week, I want to share a few principles on prayer and fasting. If there is one principle that resonates in my heart more than any other, it is this. Fasting and prayer are about relationship with God, Not Rules.

Fasting and Prayer aid us in humility and submission to God through the act of drawing near to Him with intentionality. As we draw near and submit to God, we also resist the enemy. The result is that the enemy will flee from us.

Fasting and Prayer help us to “cleanse our hands” from sin. This deals with our actions. It helps us to purify our hearts. The heart of man is the place where the decisions are made. We are called to operate and live with singleness of mind renewed by the word. Fasting and prayer help us to not be double minded. Humbling ourselves allows God to promote and elevate us.

Whether humanity wants to admit it or not, we need God. We came from Him, we are made in His image, and without Him we can do nothing.

Our view of fasting and prayer needs to be rooted in God’s love for us.

Times of fasting and prayer might sound sensational today, but in Jesus’ culture, it was weird for a religious person not to fast and pray. Biblical fasting is not a hunger strike between you and God. Fasting is more about abstaining from food for the spiritual purpose of drawing near to God relationally.

Fasting is not about starving yourself to look more Holy. It is a spiritual discipline that God has chosen to help us humble ourselves before Him.

Kingdom fruit requires kingdom alignment. We cannot seek the things of the earth and expect kingdom results. We must seek those things that are above, where Christ is. We must do more than seek, we must set our mind on things above.

The earthly passions we must put to death, and we must put on the new man.

God is the ultimate source of our life in every way. Fasting and prayer help us renew that understanding. Food is not evil, nor it is sin. Gluttony is evil, and is a form of lust because it is unbridled and uncontrolled eating. Basically the flesh is in control. Food is intended to fuel our body not be the source of our fulfillment. A lack of Prayer is a form of pride because it says I don’t need help from God.

What does biblical fasting and prayer accomplish?

Fasting and prayer are a means of humbling ourselves before God.
King David said in Psalm 35:13 “But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart.”

Fasting and prayer enables the Holy Spirit to reveal your true spiritual condition, resulting in brokenness, repentance and a transformed life. When we fast we spend focused time in the word of God. That focused time allows the word to illuminate what is inside of us.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Fasting and prayer strengthen your faith in God and gives you spiritual confidence leaving you feeling mentally, spiritually, and physically refreshed.

Isaiah 58:6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?”

Fasting and prayer renew our connection with God. When we fast we get our hunger back for the presence of God. John Piper made this statement about fasting, “The absence of fasting is the measure of our contentment with the absence of Christ.

When we purpose time to fast and pray, we are creating opportunity to cry out to God in our need, position ourselves for conversation and dialogue, and to battle and confront spiritual enemies.

When we fast and pray, here are a few basics to understand.

Prayer is not a monologue to God; it is a dialogue.

When we come to the place of prayer express gratitude and thankfulness. 1 Thessalonians 5:17–18 “pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Psalm 100:4 “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”

Use the opportunity to confess your sin. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Mark 11:25–26 ““And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Ask God for what you need.
Matthew 7:7–11 ““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

Pray in the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 14:14.
1 Corinthians 14:14 “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.”

Pray for others. This is what we call intercession.
Ezekiel 22:30 “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” 1 Timothy 2:1 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,”
• Sometimes, you pray with someone. Matthew 18:19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”
• Sometimes you pray for someone James 5:16 : “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
• Sometimes you pray against something Ephesians 6:10–18 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”

As you pray, learn to wait on the Lord.
Isaiah 40:31 “But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”

I have a bad tendency personally to want to pray a list and hurry on to the next item on my list or agenda.Waiting on the Lord is crucial to effective prayer.

We need to hear from the Lord.
John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

Dr. Myles Monroe made this statement about prayer,
“Prayer is earthly license for heavenly interference.”

Fasting and prayer empower us to fulfill God’s calling in our lives. Examples:
• Jesus being led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness fasted for 40 days. He was successful in defeating the temptations of the enemy. Matthew 4:2 “And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.”
• Anna a widow of 84 years served the Lord in the temple through prayer and fasting. Luke 2:37 “and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.”
• Cornelius prayed and fasted four days and received a visitation from the Lord. Acts 10:30 “So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,”
• Prophets and Teachers in the NT served and fasted and the Holy Spirit spoke to give direction. Acts 13:2 “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.””

Fasting and prayer help us defeat the flesh. This is why most of the battles during fasting are mental, not physical. There is much warfare in the mind during times of fasting. The goal of the enemy is compromise.
Fasting and prayer help us defeat the devil.

In Matthew 17:21 a man brings His son to the disciples to cast out a demon, and they could not do it. Jesus tells them the key to overcoming this demon is prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:21 “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Fasting helps us overcome the calamities of life.
• Esther fasted when faced with danger. Esther 4:16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!””
• Ezra fasted for protection. Ezra 8:23 “So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.”
• Jehoshaphat fasted during an invasion by the armies of the Canaanites and Syrians. 2 Chronicles 20:3 “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.”

Fasting and prayer are great gifts to the believer. They position us for great encounter with the Lord.

Instructions:
There are daily emails being sent out to those who have subscribed to our weekly pastor’s email. The daily reading and devotional will also be posted on our Facebook page.

The instruction of the Lord for this fast is to ask you to fast one or more meals each day beginning today through Saturday. During the mealtime, utilize your time to draw near to Him. Read the word, spend time in worship, and pray.

What to expect when fasting?
• Persistent hunger. Hunger is a common side effect of any fast. Avoiding water can make you feel even hungrier, since water helps increase satiety.
• Tiredness. If you don’t eat food or drink water, your body won’t have enough fuel. You’ll likely feel fatigued, dizzy, and weak.
My knees are weak through fasting, and my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness. (Psalm 109:24)
• Irritability. As the hunger builds up, you’re bound to feel cranky.
This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. (Leviticus 16:29)
Fasting exposes unhealthy relationships with food and our flesh. We comfort our negative emotions through eating. Emotions surface and they are forced to go to the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.
• Headaches. Restricting caffeine and nutrients, especially carbohydrates, can lead to headaches.
• Poor focus. When you’re tired and hungry, it can be difficult to concentrate at school or work.

HOW TO END:
Don’t overeat when the time comes to end your fast. Begin eating solid food gradually; eat small portions or snacks. Physical reason is that your digestive system has been at rest and will need to restart. Remember, if you have underlying medical issues, it may be wise to fast technology, or be under the care of your physician while fasting.