Five Things I Learned in Prayer and Fasting
CCF starts the year with a prayer and fasting. 2018 is no different, with the theme "Intercede - Be still and Know that I am God" it is my prayer that you will have a purposeful week long experience of closeness with God as you pour out your heart to Him and spend meaningful time with God.
Fast with the world. Feast with God.
As I abstain from some of the things I am familiar with if not I enjoy spending my time with - drinking coffee, eating rice, social media(Facebook and Instagram) and television, it is only by His grace that I have a joyful heart now instead of cranky mood. Halfway through the week, I have been learning a lot by God's grace. Here are some of the many lesson the Lord is reminding me.
1. The greatest blessing of prayer is not answered prayers but God Himself. Because the true and greatest blessing of prayer is developing intimacy with the Lord.
2. God don't speak louder to us when we fast and pray, instead we hear Him better by removing most of the distractions and noises around us.
3. Fasting is not exclusive to Pastors and elders of the church. All believers are expected to pray and fast. The passage account instructions from Jesus telling us "When you fast" not "If you fast" which denotes fasting is not optional, it is expected from us.
Matthew 6:16 -18 “When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward! When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Jesus himself fasted, how much more that we needed to fast and pray.
Matthew 4: 1-2 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After he fasted forty days and forty nights he was famished.
4. When we pray and fast, the battle is the Lord's. While it is easy and tempting to acknowledge answered prayers happened because we prayed for it. We should not be quick to grab the credit due to God alone.
5. When we only pray for our needs and concerns, even thirty minutes is a massive time to spend, most likely we will run out of prayer. But when we pray for the needs of others, the country, the church, our family and friends, thirty minutes is insufficient time.
Fast with the world. Feast with God.
As I abstain from some of the things I am familiar with if not I enjoy spending my time with - drinking coffee, eating rice, social media(Facebook and Instagram) and television, it is only by His grace that I have a joyful heart now instead of cranky mood. Halfway through the week, I have been learning a lot by God's grace. Here are some of the many lesson the Lord is reminding me.
1. The greatest blessing of prayer is not answered prayers but God Himself. Because the true and greatest blessing of prayer is developing intimacy with the Lord.
2. God don't speak louder to us when we fast and pray, instead we hear Him better by removing most of the distractions and noises around us.
3. Fasting is not exclusive to Pastors and elders of the church. All believers are expected to pray and fast. The passage account instructions from Jesus telling us "When you fast" not "If you fast" which denotes fasting is not optional, it is expected from us.
Matthew 6:16 -18 “When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward! When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Jesus himself fasted, how much more that we needed to fast and pray.
Matthew 4: 1-2 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After he fasted forty days and forty nights he was famished.
4. When we pray and fast, the battle is the Lord's. While it is easy and tempting to acknowledge answered prayers happened because we prayed for it. We should not be quick to grab the credit due to God alone.
5. When we only pray for our needs and concerns, even thirty minutes is a massive time to spend, most likely we will run out of prayer. But when we pray for the needs of others, the country, the church, our family and friends, thirty minutes is insufficient time.
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