The Benefits Of Fasting

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[0:38] Ephesians chapter 1 said, When I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and your love for the saints, pray and do not cease to pray, give thanks. Make a mention of you in my prayers. Give thanks, do not cease to give thanks for you.

[0:49] Make a mention of you in my prayers. That God will grant you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. That the eyes of your understanding be enlightened. So it is a prayer topic.

[1:02] It's not a teaching subject. It's a prayer topic. That should tell you something. Verse 16. Verse 16. Do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.

[1:15] Colon. The next verse. Verse 17. That's the prayer topic. The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation.

[1:26] As you are knowing him, you have revelation. You'll be very religious. You'll just be religious and be creating problems for people. So this is a prayer topic.

[1:38] I'm praying that this will happen. That you'll be granted. Kijos says you'll be granted. Grant you the spirit of wisdom and revelation as you are knowing God.

[1:48] You have revelation. So then everyone is jumping, but you jump with insight. You jump with revelation. Everybody is fasting. You are not fasting because they say we are fasting.

[1:59] You are not fasting because they are fasting. You are not fasting because you feel like or you don't feel like. You are fasting because you carry revelation. Yes. You carry revelation. It changes the dynamics of your Christian life.

[2:11] It becomes a whole new. It becomes very different. Different ballgame altogether. So sometimes physically you will even be tired. But because of your illumination.

[2:23] You know there are times you may not have enough. Those who are mad at us. Maybe there's time you are eating. This is your favorite biscuit or chocolate or something. And you are eating. And your child also likes it so much. And it's left to warm by butt.

[2:37] The child wants it. So sometimes it's okay. You have it. Like when you have a child who doesn't like eating. Okay. You have a child who doesn't like eating. You give them anything they are not eating.

[2:48] And you are eating maybe rice and some fish. And the child likes. You want to eat the fish. You want to eat the fish. In fact it's left with the little one you like most. And then the child came and said I want that.

[3:00] It's very easy for you because you want actually the child to eat. You understand. Why? Even though it's not convenient. You are operating with understanding. So it helps you to be able to go through the sacrifices because it's necessary.

[3:14] So that it doesn't become burdensome. It doesn't become a chore. It doesn't become laborious. It becomes a joy even though it tasks you. Revelation is what makes you do the things that you do which others say I can't do this.

[3:30] How can you be going to church every day like that? Huh? Hey! I can't do this. But you carry the relation so you know they don't know what they are talking about. You know what you have seen.

[3:41] You know what you have contacted. And you know what you are pursuing. Hallelujah! Likewise if you are fasting with that revelation. You'll be wasting.

[3:53] It's religious. Religion is very difficult. Very painful. It's a punitive measure.

[4:06] It punishes you unfairly and unduly. So two people are fasting 20 days. 21 days. One is doing it religiously. It's out of religion. The other one is doing it out of revelation.

[4:17] In two months time. In a year's time. The results will be far different. The results you secure in God are predicated on your revelations you have in God. Kenneth Copeland.

[4:31] Bishop David Oyedepo. These great men of God. And the other great, great men of God of our time. But these are people who operate in certain dimensions. Let me talk about the prosperity.

[4:44] Prosperity dimension they operate in. It's amazing. It's amazing. And they operate like that because of the level of insight. The level.

[4:55] Can you imagine? You are believing God for prosperity and you are not a tither. And when tithing is mentioned, you think someone is targeting your money. So you missed it. You missed it right away.

[5:07] So even sometimes when you do that little one. Even though your tithe, let's say it's supposed to be 100 pounds. You are making it 20 pounds. Try to massage your religious conscience.

[5:17] You have done it. But guess what? You have lost out. Because you are not operating by revelation. You can be screaming as others are screaming.

[5:30] Dancing as others are dancing. And one person is dancing for victory. And you are dancing to remain the same. Why? Because you are dancing in vain. Because you don't have revelation.

[5:43] You don't have understanding. You don't have insight. You don't have insight. So he said, my prayer for you is that God will give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation. In the knowledge of him.

[5:54] That the eyes of your understanding. That is what can afford for the eyes of your understanding. Not to be open. When you are born again, your eyes are already open. But it must be shined. You must see clearly.

[6:05] Clearly. So the eyes of your understanding. You are now being enlightened. Light. More light is coming. More light is coming. They say, wow. You look at the same thing last week.

[6:15] You saw something. You are happy. But this week, wow. Next week, wow, wow. Next week, wow, wow, wow. Next month, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

[6:26] Wow. Wow. Why? Because the path of the just is like a shining light. That shines brighter and brighter unto a perfect day.

[6:38] As we behold him, as in the mirror, we are being changed into that same image. From glory to glory. From glory to glory. In 2 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 18.

[6:49] We are being changed from glory to glory. As we behold him. He said that, behold, we all are with unveiled faces. Beholding us in a mirror, the glory of the Lord.

[7:02] What are we beholding? It is like you are looking into a mirror. That's the word of God. Okay. It's like you are looking into a mirror. But you are beholding the glory of God. When you see the glory, watch this.

[7:13] Are being transformed into what? Into what? The same what? What is the same referring to? What you are beholding? So your revelation is what determines your transformation.

[7:29] Your revelation. Your insights. As you behold him, you are seen. What you see is what determines what you become. As you are seen, you are changing into it.

[7:39] You are seen, you are changing into it. You are seen, you are changing. So guess what? If you don't see, that's why the eyes of your understanding must be enlightened. So when it's cleared, it removes the cobwebs.

[7:51] It removes the smudges and all the dead. So you can, wow. You can see and your life begins to soar in the Lord. But people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

[8:05] Lack of. There is something you must know. So when Paul said, this whole thing about enlightenment is predicated or is leading into knowing.

[8:16] So he said that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that he may know. Verse 18 of Ephesians chapter 1. That the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that he may know.

[8:27] Now, this is a prayer topic. It's not easy. I'm teaching you that you may know. I'm praying that you may know. Because this one is, this is not ordinary knowledge. It's knowledge that comes from the spirit. I like that.

[8:38] In 1st Corinthians chapter 2, verse 12, 13. Verse 11 actually. Okay, let's go to verse 9. One. Okay, let's, let's, let's, let's this from, from verse 9. He said, no eye has seen nor ear heard, neither has he entered into the heart of anyone.

[8:50] What God has prepared for those who love him. And then verse 10. Look at it. But God has revealed. Say revealed. Say revealed. God has revealed them to us through his spirit. The Holy Spirit.

[9:01] His spirit. For the spirit searches all things. Yea, the, the deep things of God. I like that. Say the deep things of God. Say the deep things of God. There are deep things in life.

[9:13] I'm telling you. Listen. Even just on the street. There are certain businesses and companies that you never knew they, they are just around your house.

[9:26] I mean, while you'll be searching on the internet. And people have been moving, doing the serious. You didn't actually know that your next door neighbor has this business that when you contact, contact, things will change.

[9:36] There are things you don't know. And there are deep things in life. The place you have been shopping. There's another place. Once somebody shows you, you will save more than 80% of the money you're selling.

[9:48] There are deep things. Now, even talking about natural things, they are so deep. How much more the things of God. Bible says that. How unset. All the depths. I think Romans chapter 11 verse 33.

[10:01] Romans 11 verse 33. It talks about all the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. How unsetable are his judgment and his ways are past finding out.

[10:14] The depths. The depths. Oh, the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God.

[10:24] How unsetable. They are called the unsetable riches. Not the unreachable searches, but it's unsetable riches. Oh, man.

[10:37] I feel like preaching. Brothers, read your Bible. Follow. It will do something to your spirit. It will give you a flow in God.

[10:49] All right. So, we understand that there are deep things of God. From 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 10. It says that God has revealed this to you by his spirit.

[10:59] Yeah, there are deep things of God. Say there are deep things of God. Say there are deep things of God. If there are deep things naturally. If there are deep things in finance. There are deep things about the stock market.

[11:11] There are deep things about the national security. MI5. There are deep things about the Chinese guys. There are deep things about the Americans. There are deep things about the royal family. There are deep.

[11:22] There are things of deep. Natural deep. It's a God's only self-searchable. It's way, way, way, way. But it says that these deep, deep things, the Holy Spirit revealed them to us.

[11:33] Amen. Amen. Thank you. Shout hallelujah. Hallelujah. So, when you walk with God, with revelation, you operate in a dimension that ordinary men don't get you.

[11:46] They may mock you. They may trivialize what you do. But they can't doubt your results. Verse 11. 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 11. Boy, you will like this.

[11:56] He says that for what man, no one knows. How many of you know what this gentleman is thinking? Do you know what he's thinking? You may think it's what's on the screen. But for all you may know, he's thinking about a business plan that has just come into his heart.

[12:12] No one knows. Lie detector cannot tell what your real intentions are. No one can tell what your real intentions are. They can just put the pieces together and say, okay, with intent.

[12:24] But, so sometimes you are looking at people, they don't know what's in your head. You can be smiling with somebody and the person doesn't know. You have planned some serious thing against them. They will never know.

[12:36] There's no technology that can tell what you are thinking. So, that's what verse 11 says. It says that, for no man knows. No man knows the things of a man, but somebody knows it.

[12:48] Do you know who knows what you are thinking? You. You. Your own spirit knows what you are thinking. Am I speaking the truth? Your own spirit knows. You are sitting behind the sister. There are things you are saying in your head about her hair.

[13:00] Only your spirit knows. Am I speaking the truth? Alright, let's move. How many of you agree with me? Sometimes you can come to church and all kinds of things can pass through your mind.

[13:12] You are in church, but hey, some things, some thoughts, some ideas, some interesting, concepts, images, some things, I mean, pass through your mind.

[13:22] Even though your hands are lifted worshiping, you know what has passed through your mind. That's human nature for you. Now, it says no one knows. It says that no one knows the things of God except the spirit of the man which is inside him.

[13:38] No one knows the things that man is thinking. Except the person's spirit. Then I like, say even so. So it showed you how it is. It says in the same way, God too.

[13:49] No one knows the things of God except the spirit of God. And guess what? Guess what? Go to the next verse. Are you ready for this? Guess what? Now we have received, not the spirit of the world.

[13:59] That means the world has spirit. Okay? We talked about that later. But the spirit who is from God. Why? That we may know the things that have been freely given. We may know the grief were given no school.

[14:13] We may know. We may know. So God has given us his spirit. One of the reasons why we have the Holy Spirit. So that we will know the deep things of God. Because his spirit is inside him.

[14:26] Who knows the deep things? And God has given you this spirit so that you are working as a human being. Normal human being. But you have access to the deep things of God. Shout hallelujah.

[14:39] We are working as normal human beings. But guess what? We have supernatural intelligence. Shout hallelujah. When God is speaking, it's here.

[14:51] The things, the deep things, the plan of God for UK. The plan of God for the society. The move, the things that are happening, about to happen. The prophetic moves of God. The spirit of God just downloads us into.

[15:02] That will know this into us. Why am I not getting it? It's because you are not paying the price. It's what we have seen. And watch this. He said that we may know the things that are freely given to us. Why am I talking about this?

[15:13] The next verse. It says which things we speak. These things we also speak. We are not quiet about it. So when I stand and I'm preaching and saying some things about faith. Saying some things about blessing.

[15:23] About healing. About health. About marriage. About financial prosperity. About giving. And so I have contacted something. And I'm speaking from inside.

[15:35] Which the spirit of God has downloaded into my system. Through various means. And then when I'm speaking. I know. So these things we speak. And I said not with words.

[15:46] Which human we. So I'm not speaking like the way they talk about it in university. So. But. You see. Man's wisdom has a way. You have to say it like this. Say it like this. If you want to win the man.

[15:58] If you want to win the woman. Say it like this. Say it like this. Do it like this. Do it like this. Do it like this. That's man's wisdom. Which works amongst men. But if you are receiving communication from the Holy Spirit. Sometimes you say things.

[16:08] Like. Jesus said. Lazarus is sleeping. Let's go and wake him up. He said. Do we have to travel all the way. From here to Birmingham. To go and wake somebody who is sleeping? I mean.

[16:18] Why? But he didn't know that he was speaking in the language communication of the Spirit. That is why when the man. Lazarus. A daughter died. He said. Believe. Fear not. Only believe. And your daughter shall be made well.

[16:30] You have been told that he is dead. He said. Fear not. Only believe. Why? Because he was operating from higher intelligence. And that is the essence of Christianity.

[16:40] If your Christianity lacks revelation. You will just be a mere man. Mere. Mere man. Mere man. You suffer what others suffer.

[16:51] You talk the way they talk. You are a victim to what they are victims to. Listen. Not everybody can suffer what everybody suffers of.

[17:02] No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. There is an outbreak of flu. And so what has that got to do with you? Think about what I just said. What has that got to do with you?

[17:15] I'm also a living. You are thinking like a mere man. Connect with the Holy Spirit. He will let you know that you can operate above sea level. Shout hallelujah.

[17:28] 20,000 feet above sea level. Your revelation is the word determines how high you are. You are flying high. High. The higher you go, the thinner it is.

[17:39] And the cooler it is. The lower you are, the hotter it is. So these things we speak not with words which human wisdom teach, but with the Holy Ghost.

[17:50] Comparing spiritual things with the spiritual. We speak and as we are speaking, we are comparing spiritual. Not carnal. Spiritual. So then if you are carnal and you come and hang around us, you'll be missing because the way we talk, you don't get it.

[18:04] You don't get it. And yet we are producing the result and you don't get it. This is strange. You don't get it. Yeah, because we speak with words which Holy Ghost himself has been teaching us and we are comparing spiritual things with the spiritual.

[18:17] You see what he says? And then he says that for why? Because the natural man cannot receive these things. There's four things. The natural, the normal man, normal. Every normal. He's been, he's been schooled. He's finished university.

[18:28] He has PhD. Yet he cannot receive these things. Why? Because they are not, they are, they are spiritually designed. They are spirit. So if you don't sharpen your spirit, you'll be missing so much.

[18:39] You, you can come to church and come to, just why you can't be coming to church and messing up. Because when you come to church and you are living in sin, you are living in fornication. I feel like saying it.

[18:51] Yes, let it slow. Why? You're going to church and they are always telling you, don't fornicate me. What else should we tell you? Stop the fornication then. Because this fornication is messing you up.

[19:06] You can't receive communication from the Holy Ghost because of your fornication. It has moved you above, beyond, out of coverage area.

[19:21] Ah, but Holy Spirit, he's a Holy Spirit afraid of porn. No, he's not afraid. He's afraid of you. You're a mess in your heart. Nice brother.

[19:32] Your eyes are all rotten. Only God knows what you have been practicing with your fingers. Someone say, hey.

[19:44] We haven't started a fasting preaching though. Let me tread cautiously. The Holy Spirit, see, so when the Holy Spirit has supernatural intelligence that will give you an upper hand in the affairs of life, it's choked.

[20:02] Because when the release is coming, can you imagine? They are trying to send you a message that the prime minister is coming next to us. So don't leave yet. They send you, but your battery is dead.

[20:16] So, no communication. Too bad. I like that. Too bad. Bro, too bad. We told you. It's just that you didn't receive the communication. Why?

[20:26] Because your system, your communication system was blocked. Sin, it will block your communication system. And it doesn't matter. You are coming to church and screaming and screaming.

[20:37] Your life is not really seeing a change. The only advantage is that being in church is better than being in the world. But being in God should bring so amazing results. Very fast.

[20:48] You are on the fast track of life. Today, I was having a church pastor when we were coming. And I was saying, man, it's a blessing to work with God. It's a blessing to work with God.

[20:58] I mean, can you imagine how it will feel like? You have a wife. And you are chasing another woman. How can you have peace? You can have peace.

[21:09] When your wife says, let me see your phone. What do you want to say about my phone? You can't see my phone. There are people, when they are going to the toilet, they have their iPad, their phone, and even their laptop.

[21:24] Everything. When they are going to sleep, they put it under their pillow. You have become a security officer. Every month, you change your password.

[21:41] What kind of abuse is this? It's not fair. It's not fair. You are abusing yourself. It's not fair. Please. It's not fair.

[21:52] Give yourself relief. Walk with God. There's peace. You are not afraid of it. Bible says that the righteous is as bold as a lion. I think Proverbs 28 verse 1.

[22:03] But the sinner or the wicked man runs when no one is chasing him. The wicked fling. When no one is pursuing him, he says, hey, who is that? Leave me alone.

[22:14] Well, your shadows are chasing you. You know the way when you own different companies, you don't pick every call?

[22:28] They were actually calling you from the airport to inform you that the flight has been changed and then you have been upgraded. But you didn't pick it because you thought someone is chasing you. No one was chasing you.

[22:38] It was a breakthrough that was coming. Am I talking at all? You have come to church, sitting in church.

[22:54] Pastor is saying something. Some people have even cried. Some people are saying, ooh, ooh. And you are wondering, what's going on? What's he saying? It bounces. It's going, point, point, point, point, point, point.

[23:07] Because you are a natural man. It says that the natural man cannot. 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 14. The natural man, it says that the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God.

[23:17] For they are foolishness to him. Nor can he. He can't even know that. Why? Because these things are spiritually. You tap into it spiritually. So if your spirit man is dull, you can't tap into it.

[23:29] You are like lead in water. And you are going to that boy. You think you are doing it to me. No. When a miracle, you are just at the junction of a major life-changing miracle that will save you and the rest of your brothers and sisters in your family.

[23:46] We are all struggling. God was about to use you to change them. And you diverted. Now, God is not punishing you. Just that you move yourself out of the coverage area. Bible says that righteousness exalts a nation.

[24:00] But sin is a reproach to any people. Proverbs 1734. It says righteousness exalts a nation. But sin is a reproach to any people.

[24:12] From the King James. Sin, it brings shame. It brings disgrace. How many of you have sinned and been caught before? Some of you haven't.

[24:23] Oh, God. God, help them understand what I'm talking about. Righteousness exalts a nation.

[24:33] But sin is a reproach to any people. Whether white, blue, green, Latino, Asian, whatever. Egyptian. Sin is a reproach to any people.

[24:48] But righteousness, a whole nation can be exalted. How much more your family? How much more your little life? Nine benefits of fasting. Before that, I was going to tell you that fasting is the normal behavior of the people of God.

[25:03] I was going to show you Moses. Exodus 34, verse 28. I was going to show you Daniel. Daniel 9, verse 3. I was going to show you about Ezra. Ezra 8, verse 23.

[25:13] And Nehemiah. Nehemiah 1, 9. I was going to show you about Esther. Esther 4, verse 16. I was going to show you about David. Second Samuel 12, verse 23. I was going to show you that this guy is faster.

[25:25] I was going to show you that even Jesus. Matthew chapter 4, verse 1 and 2. Paul. Paul said in first things oft. Second Corinthians chapter 11, verse 27.

[25:36] In first things oft. It's a common behavior for me. So should I go there or I should finish this one first? Shout out hallelujah.

[25:51] Hallelujah. Oh, I love the word of God. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. Acts chapter 19, verse 20.

[26:04] So the word of God grew mightily and prevailed. The word must prevail in your life. Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta. It grew. It grew.

[26:15] Colossians chapter 3, verse 16. And the word of God dwell. It's inside you. The rage. And admonishing one another. Then you can, when you're talking to people, you are talking hymns.

[26:27] You are talking psalms. You are talking spiritual songs. Hey! Singing with grace in your heart to the Lord. Ta-ta-ta-ta. It's a function of how much of God's word is dwelling in you.

[26:40] I feel like preaching. Preach! So please, carnality will cost you too much. First Corinthians chapter 3 says that I could not feed you like, with meat, but with milk.

[26:57] Because up to now you can't take it. Because since you are a canna. I couldn't feed you. First Corinthians chapter 3. So you are a canna.

[27:07] I couldn't feed you. People of God fast. It was a normal behavior. It was a normal behavior. So, if you are working with God, it's not strange for you to be someone who fasts oft.

[27:27] I like Paul. He said, in fasting. And he made it clear. In 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 27. He made it clear that there's a difference between fasting and going without fruit.

[27:38] So he said, in weariness and toil. In sleeplessness often. In hunger and thirst. In fasting often. So there's a difference between hunger and thirst and fasting.

[27:51] In hunger and thirst. In fasting often. In cold and nakedness. This man went through everything. By the first verse 27, he said, above all, the daily care of the church. Those of you who want to be pastors.

[28:03] The daily care of the church is more than all these other things. He said, besides all these things. What comes upon me daily. My deep concern for all the church. I like the King James.

[28:13] King James says that. He says that. Besides those things that are without. That which cometh upon me daily. The care of all the churches. Because it doesn't matter how you be sweating.

[28:26] Teaching deep. Someone will be sleeping deep. Insight is necessary. Let's fast with understanding. Fasting.

[28:36] We fast because it's a spiritual exercise. Fasting is a spiritual exercise. It's a spiritual exercise.

[28:47] Moses, 40 days and 40 nights. Without food. Exodus. And God delivered. Do you know what he got from that? I bet you would like to get it.

[28:59] He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. And he got the commandments. God gave him the commandments. Except this don't come cheapo.

[29:11] All right. Let's get into benefits of fasting. Number one. Number one benefits of fasting. It subdues the flesh. Subdues the flesh. Say it subdues the flesh.

[29:22] Subdues the flesh. I know some of you haven't broken your fast yet. But I think it would be helpful if you can say it louder. Subdues the flesh. Psalm 69 verse 10.

[29:35] Thank you, Holy Spirit. In my Bible, Psalm 69 verse 10 says that When I wept and chastened my soul with fastings, they became my reproach.

[29:54] Now, chastened, I punished my soul. I brought. So, fasting is like, you see, your soul is where your things are.

[30:05] Your feelings, your desires, the way you think. I subdued. Now, in the New Testament, when the word flesh is used, it doesn't mean just the physical bit.

[30:17] It means your original you outside of Christ. So, he said, I chastened, I subdued my soul in fastings. In Psalm 35 verse 13, Psalm 35 verse 13, it says, But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth.

[30:39] I humbled myself with fasting. You see that? So, fasting has a way of bringing you down. You deny yourself some privileges, normal privileges.

[30:53] Fasting. I discovered years ago, that fasting has, more often than not, if it's done in the right prop, the right guidance, it has medicinal benefits, health benefits, certain skin conditions and stuff like that.

[31:12] It's interesting. When you're fasting and you drink a lot of water, it washes your system. How many of you brothers have noticed that, in the time of fasting, sometimes you don't feel powerful.

[31:25] Your powers are taken away. But the problem is sometimes, after the fasting, that's where you have to be careful. Because, any rabbit that passes around you, you, like a lion, you jump on.

[31:40] You know, sometimes when you are fasting, depending on the state of your fasting, there are times, you lose interest in quarrels. You lose interest in a lot of fleshly activities.

[31:55] You can't be worried about some things. And most of the time, you're able to focus on the things that matter.

[32:06] You have been so lustful. Fasting sometimes brings, it subdues. How many of you know what I'm talking about? And some of you will not know.

[32:16] I'm not surprised you don't know. Because even in this fasting, you are still pornography. Fasting can subdue desires. I'm telling you the truth. Fasting comes, if you are doing it properly.

[32:29] You wake up around 5 a.m. and eat. You don't even eat cornflakes. You eat sausages. You eat sausages and baked peas.

[32:46] He said, I broke my pasta at 6. I couldn't eat much. So 9 p.m. you ate a bit more of the pounded yam. And then 10 p.m. you ate rice. But you couldn't finish it.

[32:56] So early morning, 5 a.m. you woke up to finish the rice before the... So because you say, oh, it's 6 to 6. No, no, no. What 2 to 6 is this? And so by...

[33:09] You eat it so much that by 4 p.m. you still feel very fresh. When you come, we are praying. You are screaming. I'm going to...

[33:19] Psalm 109 verse 24. Psalm 109 verse 24. It says that, My knees are weak through fasting. And my flesh is feeble for lack of fatness.

[33:35] That's fasting. Lack of fatness is a good one. It has a way of shaking some things in your physical body.

[33:47] Shakes some things. So most of the time, some people here, some people who are quite serious, they take it serious. When in the period of fasting, they don't have problems at all.

[33:58] Sin stays very far from you. Because you are able to say no. You are able to say yes. You find it easy to say no to the things that have been taking your spiritual life.

[34:11] Fasting. All right. So number one, it helps to subdue the flesh. Let's say it helps to subdue the flesh. Number two, benefits of fasting.

[34:23] Oh, I like this one. In Exodus chapter 34 verse 28, I mentioned it earlier on. This is talking about Moses. Exodus chapter 34 verse 28. Someone said, but if God will give you, he'll give you anyway.

[34:35] No, it doesn't always work like that. Ksarayasara, what happened, what happened, or God would do it anyway if he's almighty God. No. So, so, this is talking about Moses. So he was there with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights.

[34:48] He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. Everyone makes reference to that.

[34:59] To receive the Ten Commandments, you want Ten Commandments. You want special insights from God? You must learn how to separate yourself. Moses was in fasting 40 days and 40 nights.

[35:14] Fasting, fasting gives you a better positioning to receive from God. That's why Moses fasted and received the Ten Commandments. It gives you a better positioning to receive from the supernatural or from God.

[35:29] Better positioning. Exodus chapter 34, verse 28, as I said earlier on. Fasting gives you a better positioning. So, you are lighter.

[35:40] And for some reason, when I started fasting in my early years of Christian work, there was a certain people who discipled me taught me that when you are fasting, you have to be careful. You don't get angry unnecessarily because your spirit is light.

[35:54] So, it's like you are operating on a higher frequency and if you are not guard, if you don't guard your spirit, you can contact something. The enemy, when you get very upset, the enemy can take advantage of that because you are light.

[36:08] Your spirit is light. Or, you are fasting. I mean, I doubt if anyone can do that. Fasting and be watching pornography. I don't think anyone can do that. Is there anyone here who can do that?

[36:19] Let me just, you never know. Who is that person? Who? He didn't come to church today. So, so you can't do that.

[36:35] But then, can you imagine how dangerous it will be? Dangerous. Because you are very, your spirit is much more light. So, the, the download is faster, heavier, sharper.

[36:46] A lot can enter you satanically. The same like, fornication. You are fasting. I mean, I don't think anyone will do that. You know, that would be a very strange thing.

[36:59] Strange thing because, in the first day, when you are fasting, the flesh is very subdued. So, desires are quite low. It's normal. When you finish, you start eating, eating, and then they tilt, they come back, like, in a, press down, shaking together.

[37:15] I don't know if you know what I'm talking about. They come back with, look. Number three, quickly. Is somebody learning anything at all? Number three, oh, thank you, Jesus.

[37:28] When you are fasting, encounters are easier. It's very easy to have encounters. Very easy. I'm telling you, brothers and sisters, for the past four months, I've had a lot of encounters.

[37:41] Most of my major encounters in life and ministry, most of them, happened during the period of fasting. So, if you don't take some things, the bull by the horn, you mean, you know, eh, listen, the demons in, in United Kingdom, they wear suits.

[38:01] And they have mustache. Very nicely trimmed. I get you what I'm saying. Yes, sir. Encounters, actually after 10, verse 30. So, Colina said, four days ago, I was in fasting until this hour.

[38:17] And at the ninth hour, I prayed in my house. And behold, a man stood before me in the bright clothing. And you don't want to fast.

[38:28] I prophesy that this is not fasting. May you have encounters. May you have divine encounters. An angel was sent from God in the middle, in the time of his fasting.

[38:41] Please, keep your system light. Expect an encounter. Expect an encounter. Daniel said, I was fasting. And a man stood at the 21st day, 21st day of the fasting, a man came and said, since you started fasting the first day, your prayers were answered.

[38:58] So, fasting makes you easily prone to divine encounters or encounters, spiritual encounters. Are you getting what I'm saying? Did you notice what happened here yesterday? Very strange. Yesterday was very strange.

[39:10] I just stood here, brothers and sisters. I can show you my notes. That one is maybe not in the notebook. It's here. I'll give you the points I was coming to share with you. I prepared. Yes, here.

[39:21] Full of faith, perseverance, consecration, word, expectation, endurance, seize the moment. I was coming to expound some things to you. I stood here and we sang a song and then I felt there's a move in the house because my spirit was already sensitive.

[39:37] I felt there was a move in the house and so I was about to stop the singing and then speak about for about five minutes about the Holy Spirit and ask that let's pray because I already can say the Holy Spirit is moving. Then I couldn't even stop the singing.

[39:50] Then I could, I could tell, the move started. People were receiving. I said, people's spirit are already light. Some people are very light. They are catching the thing. The atmosphere was changing. So I couldn't disrupt it and I said, instead of me talking about it, let me just leave the Holy Spirit to do his thing.

[40:04] Did you see what happened here yesterday? There was a move. When fasting kicks in, it's different. The atmosphere is light. It's light. It's free. It flows freely.

[40:17] There's no reason why you should be exempting yourself from such an atmosphere because you are not doing anybody a punishment. It's you. You are denying yourself certain kingdom assets which will speak for your tomorrow. Shout hallelujah.

[40:32] Hallelujah. Quickly. Number what? Number four. I like this one. It helps your sensitivity for divine alignment. I explain it.

[40:44] Because we all need divine alignment. You must toe God's line. God is doing something in your life. God is about to bring you a husband, a wife. But if you are not toeing his line, you will miss it.

[40:57] You will miss opportunities. You have to toe God's line for what God has programmed to enter your life. But if you are disaligned, you become disjointed.

[41:09] So the flow, the flow of the circuit is short-circuited. You can receive the flow. Now, so the key point I want to make here is divine alignment is necessary.

[41:24] But fasting helps because your flesh is subdued. It's very easy for you to tune in with God. It's like that was some of you who know FM's that read you. It's 92.8.

[41:36] But you are catching 92.9. All right? So 92.8. You will be catching a little bit. It's not. How about the one who is catching who has 90.9? That one is fine.

[41:46] He will not be hearing anything at all. So the closer you are, when you are closer to the frequency, you are able to catch it. And the more you pray in fasting, you are able to tune in very easily.

[41:58] That is why some of you already in the prayer, during the prayer, you hear God. God has told you, forgive that guy. God has told you, no, take this application. Some of you have heard it already. Because your spirit is light.

[42:09] So it helps you come into divine alignment. As I said, you receive from God and not just receiving, but you come into alignment. So sometimes, it may not be even in your conscious steps, but subconsciously, you will find yourself aligning yourself with the efforts of God.

[42:24] Right, right. Are you getting what I'm saying? Yes. Let's just say, this season of fasting, some of you will be very sure whether that woman marry her or not, whether that man go ahead or not.

[42:34] Some of you will be here if you don't allow infiltrations to come in. Because infiltration comes to mess everything. So like you've climbed, you've climbed, you've gone to a certain level and then you bring infiltration, it trumps you.

[42:47] Now you have to now clean yourself, clean yourself up. Okay, you have to start again. By the time you are starting, the fasting is about to finish. And so you have to continue your own.

[42:59] But there's something about corporate effort. When we are doing it as a corporate body, it releases more intensity and it's much easier. Some of you, you've attempted your private fasting, it was not successful.

[43:11] Am I right? My church fasting goes so well. My private one, you don't know how the food managed to enter your mouth at 11 a.m. Food has already... Egg and bacon.

[43:25] You've eaten three eggs, three fried eggs. And then you add the, top it with a whole bowl of scrambled eggs. How many of you know what I'm talking about?

[43:40] It happens to all of us. Sometimes you want to embark on a fasting and you stop it because it's private. But when we are doing it as a corporate body, some of us feel weak. But you can't stop it.

[43:51] You have to because we are all... You don't want to look like you are the fake one. And then out of integrity, you still want to, you know, you don't want to be out of there.

[44:03] Or when the saints go marching, I want, oh Lord, I want to be in the numbers, not out of the numbers. It's human. The price you pay for your spiritual laxity and misbehavior and spiritual nonchalance, it's too heavy.

[44:22] In the moment, it looks like I'm frightened. What is it? What is it? That's human pride. We are all here. Now that's the approach I'm taking. I'm looking for God, doing what God says I should do.

[44:34] If you are available for pastoring, I will pastor you. If you are not available, I will do it on your terms. Just to order. If you don't come far, if you come fine, I'll pastor you. I'll love you.

[44:44] I won't take it personal because it's your future that will take it personal. I don't want to take it personal. I won't take it personal. If you like, you can give your tithe. If you like, don't give.

[44:54] If you like, you can build me a house. If you like, don't build him a house. If you like, you can come and pray. If you like, you can fast. If you like, don't fast. It doesn't take away my own fasting. I'm fasting. I'm giving.

[45:06] I'm working God. If you like, go and buy extra computers for porn. It's actually... You know the stock market. You are happy.

[45:21] You are happy. Oh boy. I'm here to see the day I'll stop talking about porn because it's a real threat.

[45:33] Not outside, in the church. Both men and women. It's here. It's here. Some of you know that this pastor is aligned with God. porn.

[45:44] We will root it out. We will preach it out by the grace of God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. As you watch, as you watch, as you watch on the internet, stay tuned to this.

[46:00] And afterwards, tune to other YouTube messages. YouTube, watch preaching messages, not dancing ladies. Ladies. Okay.

[46:17] Let me give you one or two more and then we can close. I haven't given scripture for spiritual alignment. Acts chapter 13, verse 3. I like that text. And Acts chapter 14, verse 23. Acts chapter 13, verse 3. The Bible says that, having fasted and prayed, go to verse 2.

[46:31] I asked the minister to the Lord and fasted. The Holy Spirit said, they're able to pick up from the Holy Spirit. Separate them in for the work of God. And then the next verse, verse 3 said, and then, having fasted and prayed, they laid there.

[46:43] So they made sure that they are flowing with God. Because Holy Ghost says that they could have just laid, but they fasted and prayed and made sure the right prayers, the right hands, the right in tune. Because you are sending somebody into destiny, you have to fast and pray.

[46:56] And in Acts chapter 14, verse 23, Acts 14, 1, 4, 2, 3. Acts 1, 4, 2, 3. So when they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasted, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

[47:10] These things must be done with fasting so that you don't miss God. Hallelujah. Amen. Next point. Fasting, fasting pulls down, fasting helps pull down strongholds.

[47:27] Deal with stubborn, stubborn situations. Stubborn! They are stubborn! Strongholds. What's a stronghold?

[47:37] Something that holds you strong. Strong. Strong. Strong. Strong situation. Some times you need. Jesus said, Matthew chapter 17, verse 21. Hey, brother, this kind goeth not except through kata, kata, kata, kata.

[47:53] He said, this kind does not go except by prayer and fasting. So then if you don't do the fasting meat and the prayer meat, the does not go, will stay. Jesus said, some things won't go if there are no prayer and fasting involved.

[48:10] Are you listening to me? He said it again in Mark chapter 9, verse 29. Mark 9, 29. The same thing. Mark 9, 29. He says that, so he said to them, this kind, this kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.

[48:27] Talking about demonic situations. Gabba, gabba, gabba, gabba, gabba, gabba, gabba. You need some prayer and fasting. I'm happy you are part of this team. You need it.

[48:38] After this season, some of you, you'll be shocked the way things will turn around. I'm very, I'm very, I'm very pleased I'm teaching this. You know why? Because I started by talking about insight, revelation.

[48:51] So that, and when you put aside, lay aside all the superfluous, filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, it helps you to be able to be on the highway and the high frequency of divine victories.

[49:02] You are just zooming in. You zoom in and victories are common. But if the infiltrations come in, it slows your victory. So we can't be talking, we can't be talking about power without talking about the things that choke power.

[49:19] Power blocks. We can't be talking about power and not talking about power boosters. Holiness is a booster of Holy Ghost power. Holiness is booster of power in the work of God.

[49:32] Holiness is booster of power. It will boost your supernatural flow. So I say, I'm fasting, I'm fasting, I'm fasting. If you're fasting, some things must be cleared out, the junk must go.

[49:44] And take advantage of the season of fasting and deal with it. Deal with it. Delete his number. Tell him, out, be gone, out of my life. I command you, leave.

[49:55] Yeah. Be gone, out of my life. Search. Bible said, deliver yourself like a gazelle out of the hand of the hunter.

[50:06] Remove yourself. I think Proverbs 5, 6, or 6, 5. Remove yourself. Some of you know you have been ensnared. There's a shackle on your leg. Take a shackle of my feet, so I can dance.

[50:18] But you will be singing it, but you know you are not free. Take a shackle, take a shackle, take a shackle, shackle, take a shackle, and all you know is saying it and dancing. But the shackle on your feet so you can go.

[50:31] You are going nowhere. You are going nowhere. Take a rampant of fascism. The shackle on your feet so you can go. You are going nowhere. My prophet said, the shackle is breaking and you are going free.

[50:42] The shackle is broken. The shackle is broken. The Bible says, the snare is broken and we have escaped as the bird from the snare of the fire.

[50:54] The snare is broken. Our help is in the time. 124. Praise the Lord. So, so, when you fast, it releases or it helps to deal with strongholds.

[51:06] Some of you, there are strongholds in your family. Don't look too far. Look at your brothers and sisters. Look at the common traits in your brothers and sisters. Look at them.

[51:19] Look at them. And let it inform your fasting. Don't look too far. Your uncles are too far. Your mother.

[51:31] Your father. Look at the thing that befell your father. And you have seen the thing is growing up in you. It's growing up around you. Stop it. Listen. Spiritual wickedness are real.

[51:42] Stop it with fasting and pray. Take it. When we come, we are praying. Brother, sister, don't waste the fasting. Pray. Some of us will come early because of food. I was having a chat with one of the brothers.

[51:55] He said, no, I don't want to eat until the service is over. I said, good. Take advantage. Pray. Because that's even when your spirit is lighter. You are praying. You see encounters.

[52:05] You have encounters. You see things. You are breaking them. It works. When you go home, stay away from infiltration and junk. Junk. TV junk.

[52:17] Most of us, our television is nothing but a mere junk box. The rubbish in people's minds, they have put it in a box and brought it to you.

[52:29] And then you also, you are sitting down with remote, about four remote controls in your hand.

[52:40] Somebody is blessed. Oh, man. I believe somebody is learning something. Which one last one should I give you? Alright.

[52:52] Since I've given, oh. Okay. Alright. Let me give you this last one. This one is better. Prefer this one. The benefits of fasting.

[53:05] It helps in crucial times of need. Crucial times. Am I speaking the truth? Crucial times.

[53:16] Sister, fast though. Don't give the doctors the chance to tell you what they have seen on the scan. No way. Fast and clear that thing before they come. I see what I'm saying.

[53:29] In crucial times. They have told you in crucial times. They told you that you are supposed to come back for that scan in two weeks because what they have seen is terminal.

[53:39] Ah! Sister, forget about makeup. Brother, forget about trainers. I'm trying to train it.

[53:51] It's trainers. Put some things aside and if I were you, every day I'd be lying at the altar. Oh Lord, calm down and manifest your power. Oh Lord.

[54:04] People will be looking at you like Hannah. They will be looking at you and say, what is it? What is this? This guy must have a big problem. Leave them alone. You will come back with, Bible says that he who goes whipping, bearing precious seeds.

[54:17] Psalm 126, verse 5, 6 and 7 or so. He said, he who goes forth, he who sows, I want King James, King James, King James, I was born in King James, he that swears in tears will reap with joy.

[54:31] The next verse, the next verse, he that goeth forth, weeping, bearing precious seeds, shall doubtless come, doubtless come again with rejoicing, bearing his heaves.

[54:43] you come with testimony and say, praise the Lord.

[54:55] And you always have some people who rejoice with you. Hallelujah. I said, praise the Lord. Pastor, you don't know what God has done.

[55:09] Please, can I sing a song? No, no, we don't have time. Please, please. Hallelujah. Okay, it doesn't matter. I didn't know he will answer me this way. I didn't know he will answer me this way.

[55:23] Then you lie on the floor. I didn't know. But most of us want the rejoicing, but we don't want to weep bearing precious seeds.

[55:41] What you are doing here, may I tell you, you are not wasting your time. Amen. The carnal and the natural man, the man will tell you, you are wasting your time.

[55:52] Let's give ourselves time and we'll see. Daniel, he said, you feed them on, feed us on herbs, feed them on their king's delicacies and give us 10 days. And at the end of the 10 days, check us and see.

[56:04] I was saying, they were found to be 10 times better because they dependent on God. you are not wasting. Tell someone, you are not wasting your time. Joshua prayed.

[56:18] He said, let's all fast because this one is a critical day. It's a day of trouble. Nehemiah chapter 1 verse 4. Nehemiah said, and I set myself to seek the Lord in fasting.

[56:29] He said, and it came to pass, when I heard these words that I sat down and wept and moaned for many days. I was fasting and praying before the God of Israel. And it changed the story.

[56:40] That's why today he's in the Bible. He made it into history. Because when he heard the story, he fasted. He was troubled. How many of you know something you can hear something that I'm very disturbing? When in critical times, sister, bro, learn to fast.

[56:55] You have been eating enough. But food does not comment as to God. For neither if we eat are we better. Nor if we do not eat are we worse.

[57:07] The worse. So you know eating is not killing you. And the plenty of food is not making you better anyway. So long as spiritual quest is concerned.

[57:20] Do you see that? Oh man, I thank God that God has scripture about 1 Corinthians 8. He says that the kingdom of God, Romans chapter 14 verse 17. For the kingdom of God is not a meat and drink.

[57:35] But the righteousness, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost. Someone learning something? Yes. In times, crucial, bro, how many of you know that times sometimes there are difficult days that come?

[57:51] Life can be interesting or not? Some of you are going through some rough patches. You can't just talk about it. Because even the energy to talk about it is very high. You can't love it.

[58:02] You have just managed to be quiet. Managing your movement forward. But times can be bad. In crucial and in critical times, don't be eating normal.

[58:15] That's why sometimes you even lose appetite. Take advantage of that. Anyway, some people when they are stressed, they rather eat everything. Ham. Ham.

[58:26] I will sing of your good ham. I will sing. Ham. That's it.

[58:37] Esther said, this is a critical thing. You people go and gather and pray for me. Me too and my maid. Esther chapter 4, verse 16. We gather. And then after the three days, I will go to the king.

[58:48] After the three days, I will go to the king. And if I perish, I perish. He said, and after the fasting, after the fasting, I will go to the king. My maid will go and fight against, and he said, and I will go to the king, which is against the law.

[59:03] And if I perish, I perish. But you can't perish after encounters and seeking God. So serve, I believe, will not perish.

[59:13] There is, there will not perish in God. If you can access it, there's no way you can perish. Others will be sinking. The same place, you'll be floating. You'll be floating in the same spot where others are sinking.

[59:27] Why? Because you're walking by the finger of God. Shout hallelujah. There is no reason why you shouldn't fast. Don't tell me, when I fast, I get hungry.

[59:44] I forgot I was fasting and I ate the macronas. Okay, remove the rest and continue the fasting as usual. as long as it's not an intentional forgetfulness.

[59:58] Because it's for you. Listen, you should be thankful for a church like this. God will create the room for you to fast. Some of us have not been for this church.

[60:11] We never know what fasting is. We never know what fasting is. your definition of fasting, you spell fasting S-T-I-N-G. Sting.

[60:22] Remove the fire. You have to be thankful. See, these are things that God has done for you and sometimes very likely easy to take it for granted. a church like this is a good church to be in.

[60:35] I'm not saying because I'm a pastor. I'm saying because you know it's the truth and it's helping me your life can be the same under such an atmosphere. Hallelujah!

[60:46] If you are not saved, you are not safe because life is dangerous. Life is not under your command. I don't see why I should end this service without giving you an opportunity to say yes Lord.

[60:59] Pastor, pray with me because I want to have this bread. It means I want to put all my confidence in Him, all my hope in Him. I want to give my life to Jesus. If that is your genuine desire, just lift up your hand and say this after me.

[61:11] Say it genuinely from your heart. Say, Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I've sinned against you. I ask you to forgive my sins. Wash me with your blood.

[61:23] Thank you Lord for dying on the cross to save me. From today, I will serve you. I believe in you. I put all my hope in you. I put my faith in you as my Lord and personal Savior.

[61:37] I receive you into my life. I make a vow with you that I will serve you all the days of my life. Satan, get behind me. I don't belong to you.

[61:48] I belong to Jesus. Thank you Lord for saving me in Jesus name. Father, I thank you. Your word says that you know your sheep and your sheep know your voice. No one can come to you except your father brings him.

[62:02] I pray that let your grace be upon them. Help them to be strong. I pray that the grace of God will come upon you. The power of the Holy Spirit will come upon you and help you to be a strong Christian. In Jesus mighty name.

[62:13] Amen. Thank you for listening. For more resources please visit caries.org and call us on 0207-740-9960.

[62:25] God bless you. God bless you. Annand Naray 6 Students A Ladies Myasters Random haires