THERE IS POWER IN FASTING:

Fasting Shapes you and Re-Shapes you Physically, Psychologically, Emotionally and above All: Spiritually. The Fasting in The Name of The LORD God Almighty, The LORD Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit.

Fasting should be part and parcel of The Lifestyle of a Born-Again Christian. I know of someone, whom The LORD has put in his heart, at the beginning of the Year 2018 (“New Year Resolution”) to Fast for about 144 days in 2018 (3 consecutive Times/Days a Week, which will be about 12 Times a Month: about 12 Days * 12 Months===about 144 Days of the 365 Days of the Year).

He will be undertaking what he calls King David Fasting-------The Fasting whereby one breaks the Fast after the normal Sunset (6 pm), for each of the 3 consecutive Days. Total Dry Fasting (No Water, No Food, Nothing) while he is Fasting. 2nd Samuel 3:35 ‘“And when all the people came to persuade David to eat food while it was still day, David took an oath, saying, “God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!”’

This Person, I know of has not taken an oath per se, but is Trusting The LORD to help him, to undertake the Fast, not by strength nor might, but by The Holy Spirit.

So I want to talk yet again about Fasting, in the Oracle Below:

THE REASONS AND THE BENEFITS OF FASTING AS YOU WALK WITH THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY:

This moment in time, The LORD God Almighty, The LORD Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit is going to help us understand the Reasons and the Benefits of fasting and we will eventually also talk about the different types/forms of Fasting. Fasting as we will find out shortly, should be an integral part of the walk with The LORD.

You have to note that it is Prayer and Fasting; they go hand in hand. It is important to note that fasting refers to self-denial of food (or some type of food) so as to dedicate oneself to prayer and submission to The LORD and before The LORD.

It is also very important to note that Fasting is not Starvation; because during Fasting one feeds on Spiritual food (Heavenly Food-----and The anointing of The Holy Spirit), by One Humbling Oneself before The LORD, which is Generally not the case during Starvation.

1-The First Benefit/Reason of Fasting is to acquire The anointing (The Presence) of The Holy Spirit, to a higher level, so that one operates in a higher level of The anointing of The LORD.

This is because during fasting, the flesh is “killed” (emptied) and the “spirit person” (inside) is uplifted, because the Holy Spirit empowers the “spirit person” during fasting; to a higher level of anointing and power.

Galatians 5: 16-26 ‘“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 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. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”’

2nd Corinthians 5:6-8 “Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from The LORD. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with The LORD.”

2-The Second Benefit/Reason of Fasting is to Receive Deliverance from bondages and chains of the evil forces.

There are some diseases and demon-possession that does not go out except by prayer and fasting.

Mathew 17:21 “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting”

3-The Third Benefit/Reason of Fasting is to find Favour before the LORD.

So fasting is very necessary as one humbles himself/herself before The LORD, so as to find Favour in the sight of the LORD; so that The LORD intervenes in a particular situation.

Remember, The LORD will still do according to His Perfect Plan, Perfect Will and Perfect Timing as much as He will take note of our Petition before Him. We thus should Pray that His will be done, even as we present our petition before Him in Fasting and Prayer.

Esther 4:15-17 ‘“Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.”’

2nd Samuel 12: 15-23 ‘“…………And The LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill. David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them. Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, “Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!” When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of The LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether The LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”’

4-The Fourth Benefit/Reason of Fasting is that fasting Averts (Prevents) the judgment (wrath) of the LORD.

This is so, when a person (a people) humbles himself/herself (themselves) before The LORD and Repent (for The Forgiveness) of their sins.

Jonah 3:1-10 ‘“Then the word of The LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah obeyed the word of The LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. 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. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.”’

5-The Fifth Benefit/Reason of fasting is that Fasting leads to Cleansing of our body, soul, mind, heart and spirit.

Leviticus 16:29-34 ‘“This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you— because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before The LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. It is a day of sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance. The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the tent of meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the members of the community. “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.” And it was done, as The LORD commanded Moses.”’

NOTE: This atonement for sins has now been fully paid by The LORD Jesus Christ, by The LORD paying the ultimate sacrifice for sins at the cross of Calvary by shedding His blood for the salvation of those who believe in Him.

6-The Sixth Benefit/Reason of Fasting is to Gain Understanding.

This means to acquire a deeper meaning of mysteries, knowledge and revelation.

Daniel 10:12-14 ‘“Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”’

Daniel 10:1-3 ‘“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 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.”’

7-The Seventh Benefit/Reason of Fasting is to Present a Petition Before The LORD In Humility So That There Be a Break-Through.

Ezra 8:21-23 ‘“There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.” So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.”’

8-The Eighth Benefit/Reason of Fasting is to Humble Oneself Before The LORD During Trouble, Disgrace and Distress.

Nehemiah 1:1-4 ‘“The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”’

9-The Ninth Benefit/Reason of Fasting is to Repent Before The LORD and Return to The LORD, by Rendering Ones Heart to The LORD.

Joel 2:12-17 ‘“Even now,” declares The LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to The LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for The LORD your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priests, who minister before The LORD, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

10-The Tenth Benefit/Reason of Fasting is to Enquire of The LORD and to Seek Him.

2nd Chronicles 20:1-4 ‘“After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat. Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.”’

THE MAIN TYPES OF FASTING:

1-Dry Fasting: This is the fasting whereby one does not take any food or drink i.e. no solid food or liquid food taken during the period of fasting. It is the type of fasting that Esther and the Jewish community living in exile, during Esther’s time took when Haman schemed to finish (kill) them all.

It is known as Esther Fasting (Esther and the Jewish community took 3 days of The Fasting; The Dry Fasting).

There is also King David Fasting; which is also a form of Dry Fasting, but it is where one Breaks the Fast after the sun set (normally 6 pm), for each of the Days of The Fast.

2-Water-Only Fasting: This is the fasting whereby only water is taken during the period of fasting.

3-Juice-Only Fasting: This is fasting whereby only juice is taken during fasting.

4-Daniel Fasting: This is the fasting whereby only vegetables, fruits, Cereals, legumes and water are taken. No Animal product be it meat or milk is taken. No sugar or coffee or tea is taken.

It is the Fasting that Daniel and his Friends took for 10 days, while in the King’s Service.

Daniel 1:5 ‘“And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.”’

Daniel 1: 11-12 ‘“So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.”’

NOTE:

(a)-Fasting can take the form of half a day; one day; two days; three days; five days etc as led by The LORD for any of the above Types of fasting.

(b)-Remember that Fasting is very important for your Spiritual growth and development, as you walk with The LORD God Almighty, The LORD Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit on the Narrow Road; The road of Repentance, Righteousness, Holiness, Truth and Complete Surrender & Submission to The LORD Jesus Christ. So I urge you to partake of it.

SHALOM!!! SHALOM!!! SHALOM!!!

PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN ABSOLUTE REPENTANCE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, HOLINESS, TRUTH AND COMPLETE SURRENDER TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (YESHUA/YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH). TIME IS ABSOLUTELY OVER; THE MESSIAH JESUS CHRIST IS IMMINENTLY COMING TO PICK HIS BRIDE!!!

REPENTANCE PRAYER:

Precious Jesus,

I acknowledge today that you are LORD and Savior of all mankind,

and today I have recognized my shortfall,

I Repent and turn away from all Sin.

Please cover me with your Precious Blood,

and establish your Word in my life,

that I may be found in Righteousness and Holiness

and write my name in your Book of Life

and Baptize me with the Power of The Holy Spirit

in The Mighty Name of Jesus Christ.

AMEN.

Your Brother in Christ Jesus, and a Shepherd of The LORD,

Kevin Mirasi