Encounter God Through Prayer and Fasting

Transcription

1 1 Encounter God Through Prayer and Fasting Exodus 3:1-5 1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, I will go over and see this strange sight why the bush does not burn up. 4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, Moses! Moses! And Moses said, Here I am. 5 Do not come any closer, God said. Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. Matthew 6: 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. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. There are three assumptions that Jesus made about those who follow him 1. They will be givers. 2. They will pray. 3. They will fast. I. Prayer and fasting are for me. Fasting is part of normal Christianity. Prayer and fasting changes me. A. 21 Days of prayer and fasting. B. Fasting is mentioned 75 times in the Bible. Bible Fasting Abraham's servant when he was seeking a bride for Isaac Moses on several occasions Hannah as she prayed for a child King David on several occasions

2 2 Elijah after his victory over Jezebel Ezra when he was mourning Israel's faithlessness Nehemiah when he was preparing the trip back to Israel to rebuild the walls. Esther when God's people were threatened with extermination Daniel on numerous occasions The people of Nineveh, including the cattle, involuntarily no doubt Jesus before he began his public ministry Paul at the point of his conversion The Christians at Antioch when they sent off Paul and Barnabas on their mission endeavor Paul and others when they appointed elders in all of the churches Why Start the Year with Prayer and Fasting Now is the time to fast We are fasting at the beginning of the year as a first fruit offering to God. We are fasting now to set the stage for what God is going to do through us. We are fasting now to say 2018 is set aside for God. We are fasting now to say to our flesh will not rule us. We are fasting now to break bondage that has been controlling our lives. We are fasting now because we have allowed some bad habits to begin in our lives. Now is the time to fast because Jesus is returning soon. Now is the time to fast because the sick need to be healed. Now is the time to fast because the lost need to come home to God. We are fasting now because most of all we want God!!! What is fasting? - Fasting is tying a ribbon around your finger to remember God. - Fasting is making space for God in your busy life. - Fasting is stepping into the heart of God. - Embraces emptiness - Withdrawing from normal life to make space for God. - Emptying out ourselves to fill it with God. - Fasting is about pulling away from the normality of life to make space for God. - Things that contaminate a fast. - Limit tv, internet, movies, social media. - Fasting is creating an empty space for god to fill. - Fasting is body talk to God. Expressing our seriousness to God. Wanting him - Fast with the right motive.

3 3 - Fast with humility. Fasting is humbling yourself so god will exalt you. - Fasting changes everything. The atmosphere will change God will draw near to you. - What do you need from God? Do you need clarity in your life? Do you need wisdom about a situation? Do you need direction on what to do? Do you need a breakthrough? Do you need healing? Do you need God to deliver you out of addiction or bondage of any kind? Do you need supernatural supply from heaven? Do you need God to cut through a bunch or red tape so you can have victory? Do you need help with an overwhelming problem? Have you failed in the past and you do not want to fail in the future? Are you dealing with a problem that you do not know how to deal with? Is there a decision you need to make but are not sure which way you should go? Are you dealing with unhealthy habits in your life? What is it you are in need of? C. Fasting is not just about going without food it is about gaining a reward D. Jesus said when you fast 1. Fasting is something that we don t hear a lot about. 2. If we read the Bible we know it s in there but we just don t hear very much about it. 3. It is one of the spiritual disciplines that is easy to ignore. 4. We know prayer is important, we know giving is important. 5. More and more were beginning to understand those things. E. I remember when the first time I heard a sermon on fasting. 1. It wasn t really the first time I heard a sermon on fasting but it was the first time I began to take fasting seriously. 2. I knew it was in the Bible but somehow I just didn t really think about it much or think it was really relevant to my life. 3. At first is sounded crazy something for someone else. Fasting is going without food or drink for spiritual reasons.

4 Types of fasts 1. Complete fast or full fast a. Drink only liquids. b. You establish the number of days. 2. The Daniel Fast a. Eat no meat, no sweets and no bread. b. Drink water and juice. c. Eat fruits and vegetables. 3. Partial Fast a. A partial fast is from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm or from sun up to sundown. b. You can select from three types of fasting. 1.) A Full Fast. 2.) Daniel Fast. 3.) Give up at least one item of food Day Fast a. This fast can be a Full Fast. b. Daniel Fast. c. Or give up at least one item of food. 5. Soul Fast 1. This fast is a great option if you do not have much experience fasting food, have health issues that prevent you from fasting food, or if you wish to refocus certain areas of your life that are out of balance. 2. For example, you might choose to stop using social media or watching television for the duration of the fast and then carefully bring that element back into your life in healthy doses at the conclusion of the fast. 4 II. Jesus warns me about fasting for the wrong reasons. A. The wrong kind of fasting. B. Fasting with the wrong motives. Vs. 16 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. C. There are spiritual dangers in fasting. 1. The wrong way. 2. The wrong mindset. 3. Jesus tells us what not to do and then what to do. D. They do this to show others they are fasting or to be seen my men.

5 1. Everybody in this room knows what it tastes like to be noticed and recognized. 2. It tastes soo good. 3. Built right into our sinful nature is a desire to be told how good we are. 4. Something in this fallen heart craves to be made much of. 5. We go to extraordinary lengths to gain approval of the right person or group of people. 6. Look at me. Pay attention to me. 7. It tastes better than all the food you can eat. 8. Jesus knows that. E. Jesus says at the end of vs. 16 Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 1. There is a reward that comes from this kind of fasting. 2. If that is the reward you aim at in fasting, that is what you will get 3. And that is all you will get. 4. If the praise of men is what you are after you will get it and that is all you ll get. 5. In other words the danger of this kind of hypocrisy is that it is so successful. 6. If you want the reward of other people s recognizing your discipline, and devotion and piety It will work and it will succeed. And that is all it will succeed at. 7. If you want the reward of peoples praise then you ll get it period F. Fasting means hunger for God not hunger for the applause of men. 1. If you put forward a fasting demeanor. 2. It means I want God and if that s not what you want then you re a hypocrite. 3. That was not what they wanted. 4. They weren t hungry for God. They were hunger for the approval and applause and the ovation of men. 5. And that was the reward they received. 6. They put forward a fasting demeanor 7. It was a lie. They were saying something with their fasting. G. They did not wear that sign because they did not want people to think that, they wanted them to think it was for God and it wasn t for God. Application 1. There is a tension that we live in. 2. Do I do this for others to see me or am I doing this for God. 3. You cannot fast and get the Father s approval he already accepts you and loves you! 5

6 6 4. You can fast and get the father s reward. 5. There is a reward when we fast. Fasting is a physical explanation point at the end of a sentence. a. It is a cry with your body b. I hunger for you 1.) Yes you are with me through the person / work of the Holy Spirit now. 2.) But One day you will return in all of your glory and splendor and I will see you face to face.. 3.) In other words, in this age there is an ache and a longing a homesickness inside every Christian that Jesus is not here as fully and intimately and as powerfully and as gloriously as we want him to be. 4.) And that is why we fast. 1. Homesickness is the birthplace of fasting. a. Where there is no homesickness there is no fasting. b. We don t fast because were not homesick c. We don t fast when we feel at home with our comfortable life and eating and TV and vacation and entertainment. 2. Intensify my hunger for that day God.. a. Prepare me for that day God b. Make me useable until that day God c. Make me productive for the day when night comes and no one can work. d. Keep me for that day. e. I hunger for that day How to start fasting If you have never fasted before, don't start off with forty-day fast. Our bodies grow accustomed to fasting by degrees. God doesn't call us to run until we have learned to walk. Consider beginning with a partial fast. Fast one or two meals and soon extend your fast to one full day--three meals in a row. Perhaps you fast breakfast, lunch and dinner on the same day. III. God rewards me when I pray and fast. A. Benefits of fasting. Vs

7 7 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. B. There are all kinds of public fasting in the Bible, including the New Testament, 1. Acts 13:1 3 group fasting at Antioch. 2. Acts 14:23 group fasting before they appointed elders. Luke knew about it and wrote about it. C. If someone finds out you are fasting, you haven't sinned. 1. The value of your fast is not destroyed if someone notices that you have skipped lunch. 2. It is possible to fast with other people. 3. It is possible to fast like that and NOT to fast "to be seen by men." 4. Being seen fasting is a mere external event. 5. Fasting TO BE SEEN is a self-exalting motive of the heart. Illustration What if someone notices you re not eating? Why didn t you eat? What do you say? It would be ok to say something like well I just didn t feel like eating. What s the matter are you sick? You could say well I m fasting and praying for God s fullness in my life or for a breakthrough. That does not contaminate your fast. D. Fasting is not to be seen by men but by God. Matt. 6:9b-10 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, 1. Fast so that it is noticed by God. 2. God rewards secret prayer and secret fasting. 3. God notices. 4. Oh how easy to do the religious thing if other people are watching. 5. Preaching, praying, reading the Bible, acts of kindness, giving. 6. This is like a two-edged sword and I struggle with this partially because many of the things I do for God are done in front of others.

8 8 your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. There are three main longings in the Lord s Prayer. a. Hallowed by your name. b. Your kingdom come. c. Your will be done. 1. We fast out of longing for God s name to be know and cherished and honored. 2. We fast for his rule to be extended in our lives, those around us and in the earth. 3. We fast for his will to be done like it is done in heaven. The reward for fasting is to see and experience and cherish God. 1. To see him glorified. 2. To see and experience his rule and reign in our lives and in those around us and in the earth. 3. To see and experience his will being done!