The Power Of Prayer And Fasting

There are certain covenant forces that reinforce your prayer. They are not supplementary to prayer, but complementary. These boosters, among which is fasting, not only enhance communication in prayers, but also aid other aspects of spiritual growth.

You need reinforcements in prayer, because there are certain oppositions that will not respond to your faith and prayer alone. Such oppositions require your building up a stronger spiritual energy to deal with them. One of the ways to build up this stronger spiritual energy is by fasting. Let us look at what fasting is all about.

Unfortunately, there have been many erroneous beliefs about fasting. In my early Christian days, people used to equate fasting with spirituality. They saw it as a competition among themselves, using every opportunity to boast about their fasting ability. For instance, the Bible makes us understand that Jesus fasted for 40 days and never made reference to it once; but the effect was evident in His life and ministry (Luke 4:14). When fasting is void of tangible results, it is a mere waste of time and efforts.

The purpose of fasting is for the release of power; it is not to beg God to act, neither is it to impress Him or force Him to grant your request. It is a spiritual device that empowers you with the unction needed to deal with the storms of life (challenges).

When we are fasting, we are not begging or struggling with the devil to leave, we are connecting with the heaven for the release of power to send the devil packing from our environment. That is why during fasting, you must have period(s) of separation to study and fellowship with the Word of God.

For instance, during Jesus’ fast in the wilderness, He was engaged in Word warfare. In three instances, He resisted the devil with, “It is written...,” until He eventually sent him packing (Luke 4:1-13). Without Word intake, fasting is dangerous. It is nothing but a hunger strike, which has claimed the lives of many people in times past. Fasting is not a time for outward show of piety (Matthew 6:16-18), it is a serious spiritual business.

It is unfortunate that people have become so indisciplined that they cannot control their unquenchable appetite for fast foods. They cannot fast and so, they remain on the same spot. You need to wake up to the demands of fasting! There is a type of ailment or problem that cannot go, unless you reinforce your prayers with fasting! So, wake up!

A fast is meant for the building up of your spirit-man so that you can obtain the desired results in the physical. The Bible makes us understand that there was a time when the disciples of Jesus could not cast out the spirit of insanity in one boy. The father of the boy took him to Jesus, who healed him (Matthew 17:14-21). So, when the disciples asked Jesus why they could not cast out that foul spirit of insanity, Jesus answered them, “This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Verse 21). He meant to say, “You need a higher level of unction to deal with this case that you have now.”

So, when you are faced with an opposition that seems not to be yielding to your faith and prayer, organise a fast to help generate a fresh supply of power to deal with it. When you fast, your spiritual perception is increased so that you are able to receive direct instructions and strategies on how to deal with the situation(s). Fasting, therefore, is not a religious exercise, or one of those things we do in Christianity; it is a vital kingdom force which empowers us to loose the bands of wickedness, undo heavy burdens and break every yoke (Isaiah 58: 6-8).

The God-ordained fast is one that is done out of a delight for God, not in contention, bitterness or strife. Among other things, fasting guarantees breakthroughs (Isaiah 58: 8). It also delivers outstanding accomplishments, a breaking forth in your health, spiritual breakthroughs and answers to prayers.

God’s Word says: Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward (Isaiah 58: 8). These should be the outcome(s) of fasting, not loss of weight or famished haggard looks.

Friend, fasting is a covenant obligation. The power to embark on it is available, if you are born again. You get born again by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as the Lord of your life. You can be born again now if you have not been, as you say this prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. Forgive me my sins. From today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You for saving me. Now I know I am born again!

I will continue this teaching next week. May God bless you! I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. Our mid-week services hold on Wednesdays between 5 and 7 p.m. We have two services on Sundays: The first one holds between 7 and 10 a.m., and the second one between 10.30 a.m and 12.30 p.m. May God bless you!

Every exploit in life is a product of knowledge. For further reading, please get my books –Winning Prayer, Keys To Answered Prayer and The Release of Power.

I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: BISHOP DAVID OYEDEPO, Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; Or call 7747546-8; Or E-mail: bishopoyedepo@yahoo.com

The Power Of Covenant (2)

By Bishop Francis Wale Oke

(Continued from last week)

They, who are of faith, are of faithful Abraham. Child of God, you are blessed (see also verse 13): “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, cursed is every man that hangeth on a tree.”

Verse 14: “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith.” I say this again that this covenant took its root from Abraham but manifested through Jesus. If you are born again, you are a child of Abraham and so you are blessed. Everything about you is blessed.

Laet me explain more about this covenant through the Book of Genesis 12:1-2 and Genesis 15:18; also see 17:1-2. God’s covenant with Abraham was that he would become the father of many nations. This is the portion of those who believe. God changed Abraham’s name, garment and status.

In the verse we read before, which says “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and they see after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant.” Mark the word “everlasting.” This is not a covenant that passes out with time. It is forever and is binding until today. If you doubt this, go and touch a Jew, God will deal with you. But now we are the real Israel of God.

If God can still honour that which fades away, how much more such a covenant which abides forever. Our relationship with him is based on the fact that He is faithful, reliable and dependable. This covenant is sealed with blood and abides forever.

There is no covenant without sacrifice; it involves sacrifice, blood and it is binding until death. It is only if God dies that His covenant will no longer be binding but because He lives forever, His faithfulness is forever more.

Now, let’s talk about the blessing that flows from the covenant. Blessing is all about empowerment to succeed, being equipped or enabled to succeed; assistance to enjoy goodness and favour.

You have been assisted to do what you cannot ordinarily do. For example, if I call a one-year-old baby to lift up a heavy glass pulpit, he cannot do that. Supposing I call the boy and assist him to do that, the baby will rejoice that he has done it.

There is a hand there for him, whereas both of us may be seen while I am assisting him. In the case of God, He is always there assisting His children without being seen physically. He is real. The fact that He is unseen does not make him less powerful.

Word can kill or set alive, but you cannot see the word. Although, we cannot see the air but is real. God will help you. In your assignment in life, you will not fail. There are so many blessings that flow from covenant.

One of it is long life, see Genesis 15:15 “And thou shall go to thy fathers in peace and thou shall be buried in good old age.” This means that Abraham will not die by accident or violently but in peace and at a very ripe age.

You will not die before your time, for this is part of the covenant blessing. I am talking about long life that is not wasted in the hospital but the type that is spent in satisfaction, see Job 5:26: “Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in his season.” At sixty or sixty-five years, you are still young. Do not allow anyone to deceive you, that you are very old at this time by calling you (Papa).

God appeared to Abraham when he was seventy-five years old. If there is any sickness in your body trying to kill you untimely, I command that sickness to die in Jesus name. The devil may want to kill you before your time, God will deliver you. Have faith in this covenant relationship with God.

I will conclude by giving you some other scriptures to help you to properly key into this covenant blessing: Psalms 118:16, Exodus 23:26-27, Psalms 91:16, Genesis 24:1 & 2 and Isaiah 46:4. Receive the word of God, then, go and distribute it to others. You are a deliverer, not a survivor.

Outside this covenant, we are nothing but whenever the covenant blessing is there, we are somebody in the sight of God. For the rest of your life, you will carry the covenant, you will be a blessing, a deliverer and a saviour — you and your household in Jesus name. Celebrate this covenant, wherever you find yourself. He is faithful.

(To be continued)

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