The Arrow Of Fasting - Dr David Antwi

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[0:40] As we prepare for the fasting, I want to just teach on fasting. And then if you have a question, I think I've already received some two questions. We will take that question later on.

[0:50] And then if you have any other question regarding the fasting, I remember years ago, someone told me, in secondary school we were fasting, and there's one of our friends, Christian brothers, he said, so am I allowed to brush my teeth?

[1:10] Because he thinks fasting, nothing must enter your mouth. So am I allowed to brush my teeth? You know, this may sound very trivial, but there are necessary questions sometimes people want to find out.

[1:23] You know, and if in doubt, why don't you check it and just be free? And, because some of you have been drinking whiskey when you are fasting. And, you know, and you want to fast, I say, okay.

[1:36] But, wisdom, eh? Why do we fast? You know, how many of you know that other cults and occult, occult groupings fast?

[1:58] How many of you are aware of that? Yeah. The Muslims fast, but the reason why they fast is different from why we fast. Um, the, um, latter-day saints, Mormons, they fast.

[2:16] But the reason why they fast is different from why we fast. So, our fasting is not the same as the Ramadan. It's not a Christian version of Ramadan.

[2:29] Okay. So, why do we fast? In Matthew chapter 6, you remember I spoke to you about verse 3.

[2:43] Verse 3, I told you about how Bible says that when you do your charitable deeds, which means that giving is necessary. It's a when. It's an ought to.

[2:55] So, there's a time we do some things. And then verse 5 says, when you pray. Verse 6 says, when you pray. Verse 7 says, when you pray. So, prayer is an ought to.

[3:08] As a believer, we pray. We give. We pray. These are things that is necessary. They are spiritual necessities and spiritual requirements.

[3:20] Verse 16, Matthew 6, 16, it says that, moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites. Okay. So, it's the style of your fasting that he was focusing on, but then as to whether you should fast or not is a necessity.

[3:38] Well, he said, Jesus said, when you fast, just the same way he said, when you do your giving, just the same way he said, when you pray. Are we supposed to be giving as Christians?

[3:49] He's giving part of Christianity. He's praying part of Christianity. Can we have a Christian who doesn't pray and says, that is okay, you don't have to pray as a Christian because Jesus did all the praying for you.

[4:03] He said, no. So, praying is a must. Praying, prayer is a necessity. Giving is a necessity and fasting is also a necessity.

[4:15] When you read Matthew 6, he was just telling us about when we do these necessary things, how we shouldn't do it. There is a wrong way of doing these necessary things. So, there is a chance that possibility that you do these necessary things and do it wrongly.

[4:31] So, he said, when he came to fasting, he said, don't fast like the hypocrites do. Then he said, where hypocrites fast? He said, don't fast like they fast because the focus of hypocritical fast is all how people see them, how people perceive them to be.

[4:47] All right. So, I remember when I was a boy, my dad used to like fasting a lot and I grew up knowing fasting was necessary and but one thing I knew about fasting is you don't have to let anybody know you are fasting.

[5:02] You spoil your fasting. So, even if you are married, your wife shouldn't know you are fasting. All kinds of religious ideologies. If you are my friend and I'm fasting, you ask me, why?

[5:16] You know, I'm just, you ask me, that's what I'm telling you. I'm not going around, everybody look, I'm fasting. Hey, I'm fasting. No, that's hypocritical fasting but if you care to know, if I have to tell you, it doesn't spoil my fasting.

[5:28] All right. Now, so, why do we fast? Because fasting is a spiritual necessity. fasting is a spiritual necessity.

[5:42] Just as prayer is, fasting also is a spiritual necessity. Matthew 6, 16. Matthew 6, 16. What is fasting?

[6:08] And I said, that's why we fast. Now, biblical fasting is, I didn't define it.

[6:31] Let me just give it. Biblical fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose. Okay. So, that's biblical fasting. Refraining from food for a spiritual purpose.

[6:46] That's biblical fasting. So, bear that in mind. You are refraining yourself, denying yourself, not that you don't have food to eat, not that you don't have money to buy food, not that the way some people do it.

[7:02] Oh, hey, it's, it's 2 p.m. I just realized I have not eaten the whole day. Okay, I'm fasting then. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, that's not fasting. Just, just that you haven't eaten.

[7:14] So, don't, don't hijack your having not eaten and make it slap fasting on. Fasting is not accidental. It's purposeful. It's, you, you start, you, you decide that I'm doing it today.

[7:27] So, food comes, whether food comes or food doesn't come, it's not because you are, you are refraining yourself from food. All right, that's spiritual fasting. Why do we fast? Because of spiritual necessity. Number two, why do we fast?

[7:38] Because, because fasting subdues the flesh, okay, or a subduing the flesh for a period of time for particular spiritual leverage. When you fast, it gives you spiritual leverage.

[7:52] Fasting gives us spiritual leverage. Or, what do I mean by spiritual leverage? It kind of gives you an upper hand when it comes to spiritual matters.

[8:06] It does not make you holy or it doesn't make you more Christian than you already are. but spiritual transactions to bring heaven to bear, to pull down, or to evoke heaven into particular matters, when you fast, it makes a difference.

[8:27] Esther is a typical example, like Esther chapter four. Esther said that, no, Decai said, Esther, go to the king and beseech him on our behalf. Esther said, I can't go because if I go without being invited, I'm likely to lose my life, not just my job, but my life.

[8:43] And Decai said, you don't have a chance. You don't have any case. You still have to go. And so, when Esther realized that there was the need for her to go, she said, okay, I'm going to go via spiritual influence, spiritual power.

[8:59] Guys, fast for me. me and my maidens, we are also going to fast for three days, a particular period of time. All right? So fasting is not permanent. It's just for a particular period of time because man must not live by bread, what?

[9:13] Bread, what? So you need bread to live. If you don't eat, you will be sick. If anyone who doesn't eat, you will die very early.

[9:23] Of course. But, so we need to eat. But fasting is separating yourself, refraining yourself from food for a particular period of time just to give yourself for a spiritual purpose.

[9:37] All right? So Esther said, you know, three days, I'm going to separate myself from, refraining myself from food. Three days. You also, you guys do it for me and after the third day, I'm going to go to Decai. He went to Decai.

[9:48] Decai was supposed to be angry. He said, Esther, come. What do you want me to do? Tell me anything. Ah. So I don't see why you won't fast. Fasting gives you spiritual advantage.

[10:01] This year, someone is going to laugh. No, you're going to laugh. I'm telling you. A lot of things changed last year after the fasting. We didn't even finish the fasting.

[10:13] Many lives started changing. There are certain people here had it not been for the power of prayer and fasting and giving. Those three things, when you combine them, it makes you spiritually dangerous.

[10:25] I don't know being for those things. There's no way you could have had a good family life or marriage or some opportunities in life because by destiny, satanic forces have placed an injunction on people but not when you are born again and you can fast.

[10:42] Hallelujah. Hallelujah. All right. So, Nehemiah, before he went to the king to seek permission to go and build the walls of Jerusalem, he gave himself to fasting. Zerubbabel, you know Zerubbabel, 2 Chronicles chapter 20, when they heard that the king of Amnon and about four different kings have got the team up to come against them, they were so frustrated.

[11:01] 2 Chronicles chapter 20 from verse 4 down, was he said they don't know what to do. They went to God in prayer and he declared a fast. Fast, the whole, the whole, all of Judah had to fast.

[11:14] All right. So, they fasted, even animals, they made animals not eat. Sometimes, that's how wild it is. No one would eat. They fasted and after they fasted, the Bible says the Lord spoke. In Acts chapter 13 verse 1 to 3, the Bible says that they were in the church of Antioch, they were setting up, sorry, setting prophets and teachers who came together in praying, I think seven of them and then whilst they prayed, the Bible says, as they, verse 2 and 3, whilst they ministered unto the Lord and fasted, you see, when they ministered unto the Lord and fasted, the Lord, the Holy Spirit said, the Spirit of God gave clear directions and that changed Paul's life forever.

[11:53] They were prophets and teachers and Paul was called to be an apostle according to Romans chapter 1 verse 1. He was called to be an apostle but at that time he was also praying at the level of prophet and teacher.

[12:06] When they prayed and fasted and prayed, the Holy Ghost said, hey, Paul and Manamas, separate them unto me because I've called them to be a prophet. They are apostles, they are praying as prophets and teachers.

[12:18] Praise the Lord, as you fast, you engage, you gain spiritual authority, audacity to separate you from your background, to separate you all to what you have originally been called to be in life.

[12:35] You can't, you see, you can't live a fasted life or be, you can't engage in fasting as the Holy Ghost gives the opportunity. Be engaged in fasting and praying and your destiny remains locked up based on your background.

[12:48] The devil is a liar. Your background can't hold you down anymore. So, see, when they said, as for this family, marriage is difficult, they said, no, it's not minus me. One, two reasons.

[12:59] One, I'm born again. And then number two, I'm even fasting. Ah, once I fast, I'll show you. Bible says, is it not the fast I've chosen to break the bones of wickedness? All right, so, you, listen, when you see some things repeating in your life, which is, has been from your background, all you need to do is to begin to find your roots in the scriptures.

[13:22] That's where it starts. And then once you find out what your heritage is or your heritage is in Christ, then you begin to deal with it in prayer and fasting. Because I say, when you fast, when you fast, oh, I believe in fasting.

[13:36] One of the ways, I, I, I, I make sure some things don't, don't tie me down. Negative things or things that I believe that they are not supposed to be tying me down.

[13:46] I give myself to prayer, fasting, and giving. Oh, those three combinations, I use them regularly. That is what has brought me where I am. And it keeps me going by the special grace of God. Say amen.

[13:57] Amen. So, when you fast, you give yourself a spiritual leverage. Paul said, say pray, Holy Ghost said. When they fast, I'm telling you, as we enter into this 20 days fasting, some of us will hear the Holy Ghost clearly.

[14:10] Yes. I said, you'll hear the Holy Spirit clearly. Yes. All of a sudden, the Holy Spirit will drop a business idea in your head. Ah! If we drop it in your heart, it will drop some application you should have to write, drop something.

[14:21] And you'll be saying, ah, how come we never knew all this, all this well? Yes. Because when you fast, the Holy, you are, it gives you the opportunity to actually hear the Holy Ghost speak clearly to you.

[14:34] Say hallelujah. Spiritual audacity. And then, Isaiah chapter 58, verse 6. Isaiah 58, verse 6.

[14:48] It says that, is this not the fast that I have chosen? To lose the bonds of wickedness. Fasting will lose the bonds of wickedness.

[15:01] Say amen. Amen. Every wicked spirit, every wicked situation from your background that has tied you down as you fast, that bond of wickedness will be loosed in Jesus' name.

[15:14] Amen. To lose the bond of wickedness, to undo heavy burdens. Some things are sitting on somebody's life, somebody's marriage, somebody's health.

[15:27] It's heavy burden. This thing doesn't seem like it has anywhere to go. It has come to stay. It's settling on your life. The devil is a liar. As you fast, fasting will undo to undo heavy burdens.

[15:42] Say amen. Amen. You try it and see. I don't know how many of you have, sometimes, especially in your personal quest, something is bothering you and you begin to give yourself, you just give some days of fasting to it.

[15:56] Decides to separate yourself fast and deal with it. It deals with a lot of stuff, man. Yeah. So something is trying to tie you down.

[16:07] Make sure that you just zoom in, take advantage of this period of fasting and you undo the bonds of wickedness and then the third one over there, oh, you know, Isaiah 58 verse, say something there.

[16:23] And to let the oppressed go free and to break, let the oppressed go free. As you fast, every satanic oppression on your life is losing its grips on your life.

[16:38] In the name of Jesus, fasting is powerful. All right. Fasting is powerful. It's very necessary. All right. Now, then number, what, number four?

[16:49] I've said so many, but number three. All right, four. It depends on what you are hearing. So just write. Excuse me.

[17:00] Evoke, I like this one, to evoke the hand of God. Let me go to the next one. Last, so last one is intensify the pressure on the kingdom of darkness.

[17:14] When you fast, you are bringing pressure on hell. You are bringing hell under pressure. When you fast, you are bringing hell under pressure.

[17:27] Hell is bringing under pressure. You know, have you realized that hell does not let go without a fight. Some of you haven't discovered that by now. Hell doesn't let go without a fight.

[17:40] So the devil will not say, okay, okay, it's time for me to leave you alone. It's time for me to leave you alone. I will, I will, I will just let you go free.

[17:51] Praise the Lord. And the devil will not say that. He will not leave people alone. You have to put pressure on him and draw the line. Break his bounds.

[18:02] So when you fast, you bring hell under pressure. In other words, in other words, you intensify the battle against hell. These are a few things I wrote down.

[18:18] Why should you fast? If you are fasting, these are some of the things that should make you take the fasting serious. You need a healing or miracle?

[18:31] If you need healing or a miracle, fasting, fasting paves way for some of those things. Healing or a miracle? Or you need a touch, a tender touch of God in your life.

[18:45] You just want, God, I just need a touch in my life. The way it is, someone called me the other time and said, Pastor, I think I'm losing myself. I'm losing it. I don't know, Pastor, please. You need a touch from God.

[18:58] Give yourself to fasting. Okay? You need a tender touch from God first. Is there a dream inside you that only he can make possible?

[19:15] Sometimes, I know you have a dream inside you. Maybe you have a wish, you have a dream, but you can tell from situations around you, you're surrounding your background, it will take God.

[19:27] How many of you know something like that? Some of you, the dreams you have, it will take God. The kind of dreams you have for your children and the way they've started, it will take God. The kind of dreams you have for your marriage, you had a plan that by the time you are 39, your children are all in university.

[19:48] and now you are and now you are 29 and you don't even have anyone. You see what I'm saying?

[20:00] You don't have anyone. Every woman you try to propose to, they look at you from head to toe and they say that, let me pray about it and you don't hear from them again. They leave.

[20:12] If you are in a certain church, maybe you want to propose to a woman, they leave the church. It happened recently somewhere. A guy went to propose to the woman.

[20:23] The woman left, stopped coming to church. And that time, a lot of people already leave in the church. The pastor called the gentleman. He said, what's going on? He said, pastor, I just, she should just tell you if she doesn't. He said, no, you should have asked me first.

[20:37] I would have advised you. So now they had to find a way of recovery program, trying to chase this one. Please come. The guy won't say anything again. Please come. Listen, there are some things you want to achieve and you need to take heaven.

[20:52] I don't see why people can't hold in fast. How much would this food do for you apart from satisfy your desires at the moment? Think about it.

[21:03] Food satisfies desires at the moment, but fasting satisfies life's dreams. So give yourself to fasting. That was my secret. That was what helped me when I was in secondary school and I gave myself unreservedly to fasting because sometimes you're about to fast and this food just shows up.

[21:23] Hello today. And you've been meaning, you've been believing God for this kind of food or hoping and then it never comes until you are ready to fast. It shows up. And I saw that trend and I said, me, if I'm able to press on in fasting, I'll secure my destiny to the standard that all this kind of food would not be natural.

[21:42] Today, those food is, if you give me, I don't eat them because there are better ones in London. Do you understand what I'm saying? So just relieve yourself from the pressure of your background, where you are coming from, some things that are following you that will not let you go.

[21:59] When you begin to give yourself fasting, you are evoking God's help for this dream that you have, is this where you are doing your hair? For this dream that you have in your life.

[22:12] Hallelujah. So, maybe you need some more hair. Fast. Fast. Give out the food. Don't tell me I want to lose weight.

[22:24] That's why I'm fasting. It's not part of the spiritual reasons. Do you desire a deeper, more intimate and powerful relationship with the Lord? Fast. I am not saying that fasting is the only thing that guarantees these things.

[22:42] But every now and then, it's just like washing your car, taking your car to car wash. Having good violating done. Every now and then, it's good to do some things to be fast or boost is turbo, turbo charge.

[22:57] Boost what you are trying to achieve in the Lord and what God is trying to bring your way. Boost. Because fasting gives you leverage, such leverage. So you want to intensify or desire a deeper or more intimate and powerful relationship with the Lord, give yourself to fasting every now and then.

[23:15] Are you ready to have heightened sensitivity to the desires of God? Now, watch this. This is very important. There are times people, I'm not sure what God wants. I'm not sure what I should do.

[23:26] When you fast, it helps you, it heightens your sensitivity to what God wants in your life. That's how you follow what I'm trying to say. When you fast, it heightens. It makes you sharper. It makes you sharper to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

[23:41] When you fast and you spend time praying, not arguing and fighting though, because people fast and it doesn't change their disposition. The only thing they are doing is they have given away food, but as to who they are, the things they do, where they go, the same thing.

[24:00] That's not fasting. But fasting, you give away refrain from food so you can dedicate yourself to spiritual activities for a season.

[24:17] So, sometimes when it comes to some critical moments in your life, and you really, okay, someone has come to propose to you. Hello?

[24:30] Someone say, I want to marry you. Someone say, will you marry me? Someone say, amen. Yeah, that's good. May it be so for you. Someone said, I want to marry you.

[24:49] Or, this guy, I don't know, is this the will of God? And really, getting confused. Sometimes, separate yourself.

[24:59] Give yourself some decent fasting. It declutters your mind. It makes you a bit more sensitive to God. You are able to perceive the will of God a bit more clearly.

[25:12] When you separate yourself in fasting, fasting does so much for you and I. Praise the Lord. I see you receiving divine direction. Clear divine.

[25:22] This year, before we hit the second month of the year, you have received clear divine directions. Clear divine directions. No confusion will linger around your life.

[25:33] In the name of Jesus. Clear divine direction. I don't know how many of you have come to a crossroads before. You are not sure what decision to make. Sometimes it can be so frustrating. And you are not sure.

[25:43] You are afraid. Just ask you fast. Take advantage of it. And say, God, order my steps. Guide me. What should I do about this matter? You will be shocked how fast directions will come.

[25:55] Say amen. And so it's necessary to fast. Now, I want to take you to the scriptures. A certain scripture we will read quickly. And then, if I will take one or two questions.

[26:06] In the book of 2 Kings, 2 Kings chapter 17. 2 Kings chapter chapter 13.

[26:19] Verse 15. And Elijah said to him, take a bow and some arrows. So he took himself a bow and some arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, put your hand on the bow.

[26:30] So he put his hand on it. And Elijah put his hands on the king's hand. That's very important. Elijah put his hands on the king's hands.

[26:42] Verse 17. And he said, open the east window. And he opened it. Then Elijah said, shoot! And he shot. And he said, the arrow of the Lord's deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria.

[27:00] For you must strike the Syrians at Afek till you have destroyed them. Verse 18. Then he said, take the arrows. So he took them and he said to the king of Israel, strike the ground.

[27:12] So he struck three times and stopped. And the man of God was angry with him and said, you should have struck five or six times. Then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it.

[27:26] but now you would strike Syria only three times. Now, much more what I want us to look at is verse 17. And he said, open the windows and then, no, verse 16.

[27:38] Then he said to the king of Israel, put your hand on the bow. So he put his hand on it and Elijah put his hands on the king's hands. All right? And so his natural ability couldn't go any far.

[27:55] But the prophet, the man of God, everyone is a man of God. It's very important. Those people who say things like, oh, everyone has special access to God.

[28:05] We are all men of God. We are all men of God. It's like saying that someone who's been to secondary schools at least is rest in biology to form one, form two, form three.

[28:16] And so we all understand medicine. We are all doctors. You will die. You will die. Even I realized that the pharmacist in the church, there was a time I was checking some things with them. They couldn't be affirmative on some things because they said you check with their doctor.

[28:31] All right? So now, now, he said that and the man of God put his hand on the hand of the king. And then the man of God told the king, now shoot!

[28:43] Okay? This is what fasting does. When we fast, it's like we bring heaven. Heaven, we allow heaven to put heaven's ability, heaven's hand on our hands. So you begin to have, you begin to have leverage.

[28:56] You begin to have an upper hand in the things you are doing. And so when you fast, you are just allowing the hand of heaven to rest upon what you are doing. That's what fasting does.

[29:07] And this year, heaven's hand will heavily rest upon your business. Heaven's hand will heavily rest upon your marriage. The hand of heaven will heavily rest upon your career.

[29:19] The hand of heaven will heavily rest upon your ministry. In the name of Jesus Christ, who will heavily rest upon your studies, your education. In the name of Jesus, your marriage, your family life, your health, the hand of heaven will rest upon you.

[29:37] And then when you begin to shoot with heaven's hand on your hand, it's different. So that's what we are doing. When we are fasting, we are allowing the hand of heaven to come upon our hands.

[29:47] And I see that it's going to be someone's testimony and experience in the name of Jesus Christ. That will be someone's experience in the name of Jesus Christ.

[29:58] Quickly, so that when you shoot, when you are shooting, that fasting is like the arrow. The arrow of fasting with the hand of heaven upon your hand.

[30:09] You shoot. You begin to have supernatural dimension of results. different results. Your results will be different.

[30:20] I said your results will be different. Three things quickly. How do you go about this fasting? You have to stand firm. How many of us have been tempted before during fasting?

[30:32] I know some of you have done even fast so you won't know. Or those who fast, they never have, people have never been tempted before. How many of you when you fast?

[30:48] Sometimes you'll be tempted to give up. We are doing 21 days fast. You will do every week, you have to start every week, I'll do at least four days. I'll do three days.

[31:02] It's enough. Or I'll do five days. Oh, let me just do two weeks. We are okay. Please, you have to stand firm that watch this, that this fasting, you are taking it to the end.

[31:19] Stand firm. You are doing, hey, don't let anything determine when you eat. You define when you are eating, when you are breaking the fast.

[31:31] You do that decision. You make that decision. And then stand firm and hold on to the end. it gives you an upper hand. You see, if you do it haphazardly, you have haphazard results.

[31:46] If you do it in a cavalier banner, you have a cavalier result. But if you do it with supernatural, divine, or intensity, focus, like Bible said, Daniel pebbles in his heart that he will not defy himself with the king's feet.

[32:02] It was, it was a determination. In Isaiah, it talks about how I've set my feet like a flint. Nothing will make me bad. Nothing will make me change my mind.

[32:13] I am going full on. Someone must make the decision that at least some other fastings, some people, there are different categories of people here. Some people say, other fasting, I did all. As for this year, I'll take it easy.

[32:29] Because there's extended grace. I'll take it easy. No. If I were you, some of us would have even said, I've started mine already. Three days ahead.

[32:43] Hey, pastor, you want to, not eating will not kill you. You see, that's the problem. People are afraid, but they want the results. But they are afraid. Even, man, just only 21 days.

[32:58] 21 days. I have a friend who told me something. He said, he was so busy. You know, sometimes you get so busy, you don't have time to eat. Now, certain promotions and certain elevations are going to come your way.

[33:13] You literally become so busy, you don't have time for some things. Some of you, a time is coming, you won't have time to go to shop, to the supermarket or the shopping center to where I'm working three hours, every day.

[33:25] You are too busy for that. Because God is blessing you, you are becoming big and great. You send people to go and buy for you because you don't have time. You don't have time to go and sit at a restaurant and be eating.

[33:39] You don't have time. So you send for the food, you eat it on the way. Or you just, when you get on the flight, you just eat. Because obviously, the food that they serve you on the flight, you will not be sitting anywhere.

[33:56] You go first class alone. Shout out, hallelujah. You know, but you have to start from somewhere. Aim, on your mark, set. How come you have an exam tomorrow, you have a major exam next week and you are watching TV and like everybody's doing, you are going, you have an exam and we see you going to the cinema.

[34:16] You're going to watch that and then next week, a major, major life-changing exam. No. Sometimes you don't sleep. Even though you finish preparing, you make sure that you cross all the T's and dot every I.

[34:30] In the same way, when you want something from God, what we are doing, can you imagine, Bible, Bible says, seek ye first the kingdom and this righteousness.

[34:40] That's the first thing we are trying to do the year. We want to start the year with fasting that we say, God, let your hand be upon our lives. Let your hand be upon our hands that as we shoot, we don't miss targets.

[34:51] That's what we are talking about. And you are thinking about, oh, I love my food. It's only failures who like food. Only failures who like dancing, patting.

[35:03] It's not failures, sleeping. Because anybody at all can sleep. Do you get what I'm trying to say? So, so, deny yourself the comfort because you, you are on an assignment.

[35:18] You deny yourself the comfort because you have a target. You, you know, people will look at, but what, what are you looking for? They will see when you get there. They will say, oh, we are doing something, it doesn't matter.

[35:30] Some of you, your work colleagues put pressure on you. Put pressure on you. Why? Just eat. And you sometimes say, oh, I don't want them to think I'm antisocial. And so, it doesn't matter. Let me go and sit with the pub.

[35:40] Let me go and sit at the pub. Listen, if you want to employ them later and buy that whole company, deny, deny yourself that favor. Deny yourself. You will, you later, they may not agree with you now, but later they'll be running to you.

[35:53] They say, can you, can you help us? But if you bring yourself, reduce yourself to their level because you are clamoring for acceptance, you cap your destiny. You stay with them and some of them will still be rising because the means for their lifting is different from your means.

[36:08] And so, if you relinquish yours or abandon yours and join them, they may be holding on to because they may sleep with their boss. Yeah, but you can't do that. You can't do that because when you come, you'll pick it up in church.

[36:24] The Lord will tell me, there's a sister here. And then you'll be hot. Oh God, please, I won't go down there. And then the Lord, a sister here, you, the Lord is showing me.

[36:38] The Lord says, I should stop. He'll bless you. Then he'll say, God, thank you, Jesus. Lord, I won't do that again. Praise the Lord. And imagine if we were doing that, people wouldn't come to church.

[36:49] Some of you, will you come? I know everyone will look okay. How many of you will come if God is doing that? I know you will come. Because everyone here is okay.

[37:02] Amen. Praise the Lord. But the point is, please, give yourself to something. Give yourself to it. And so, stand firm. Tell someone, stand firm. Don't be tempted by food.

[37:15] Food. Food. The food is nice. And then, number two, give it your best effort. Give it your best effort.

[37:27] Determine, I am ending. If it's not yet six, I am not eating. Give it your best effort. Give it your all. God is on your side.

[37:41] That's how fasting goes. Fasting doesn't go okay. Today, I don't feel like it's okay. Today, I feel like eating at two. I hear people, adults, who so today, I said, did you fall?

[37:52] Yeah, I broke a bit early. Oh, just around 11. You actually did not fast. You are trying to make yourself look so religious.

[38:04] I broke my fast at 11. I broke my fast at one. I broke my fast at, oh, and I hear that a lot of the time.

[38:15] But just because, you have to be a very diplomatic pastor in this morning. Sometimes people say it. It depends on who you say it. I say, oh, wow, okay, well done.

[38:27] But they don't know in my head and saying, look at you. You actually didn't do it. Because originally, every time you go to work, you don't eat till around one.

[38:39] So stop telling me, oh, today, I just broke around one, just after one. And sometimes they know, they tell you, I'm sure before three or something. Obviously, one is before three. What I'm trying to say, give it the effort.

[38:53] Give, give, give, give it your best effort. Give yourself into it. Unless on the grounds of medical issues or health issues. But give it your best effort.

[39:03] You won't die. And people say, Pastor, when I'm working, my work, we drive a lot. I'm dizzy.

[39:16] Even, you, people can make themselves dizzy. So, Pastor, can I eat bananas? You, you fag about. 20, 20, 20, 20, 20 pounds of banana.

[39:28] Your stomach, somebody who's fasting. If, if, you're eating so much. Maybe, okay, because that maybe, maybe, Friday, I'll, I'll talk about the different types of fasting.

[39:44] Okay, quickly. So, give it your best. Plan, watch this, plan to succeed. Give it your best effort. Plan that, this fasting, I'm succeeding. I'm going to go through it.

[39:55] Well, you get what I said? That's how you do it. And then, the last one, avoid distractions. Some places you don't have to go. Some people you don't have to hang around with, because they will always undermine your fasting, and it ends up, invariably, you end up saying, I, I, I, I, I, I ended up giving up.

[40:12] So, avoid some places, avoid some things, avoid distractions. Some things will just, and be unnecessary distractions to you. Unnecessary distraction.

[40:23] You know, this guy has broken your heart. You are trying to get over it. And anytime it comes into your life, he messes too many things. And you are fasting. As soon as you fast, you've gone for his picture. She didn't have done that to me.

[40:42] I love you. I forgive you. And you put it down, then you, all of a sudden, you feel, ah, should I send him a text, say I'm praying for you? Why are you sending a text to tell you I'm praying for you? What has that got to do?

[40:53] Already? Yes. I'm praying for you, okay? I forgive you. I'm praying. What? You don't need that. Avoid some distractions. It will come. Yeah. Things will come and distract you.

[41:04] And all of a sudden, you begin to remember certain people, certain places, certain things. That the devil will try to help you to remember in order to stop your fasting because the pressure on hell is too much.

[41:19] Your fasting brings hell under pressure. Say, my fasting brings hell under pressure. My fasting brings hell under pressure. So hell will have to devise a means to undermine the fasting.

[41:31] Praise the Lord. I see someone having victory. Amen. Please, this fasting, stand firm. Give it your best effort, okay, and avoid distractions.

[41:45] That's how you can go through it. Because a time will come, certain times you feel like, huh, I'm tired, I have to give up. But don't give up. Press on to the end.

[41:56] For a day that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. Question. Let me take the question. You have a question there. Isn't it? Okay, Rian, you have a question. Yes.

[42:08] Yeah, the question's about the length of fasting. I have a friend, their church are doing 100 days of fasting. Hey, hey. Yeah. I'm Jesus. Exactly. So I just wanted to know, is it more about direction from God?

[42:20] Yes. Or is it, the more days you do, and the more intense it is, the bigger the results? Let's clap for that one. Sometimes you don't take care, you kill yourself by becoming very religious.

[42:33] Because fasting can make you very religious, can make you look very religious. That's why you said, when you fast, don't be like some people. Because fasting can, because it's a spiritual necessity, and it's a physical activity.

[42:45] By carrying spiritual weight, people can be restricted, or can be distracted by death. Physical activity thereof. All right, now, besides corporate fast, say corporate fast.

[42:57] Corporate fast. Corporate fast is what we are about to do. It's a declared fast, maybe 21 days of fasting, 14 days of fasting, 30 days of fasting. It has been declared corporately. So we are doing it together.

[43:09] But what private and personal fast, you don't have to embark on unnecessary long days of fasting unless you're under the promptings. In fact, there are certain teachers, Bible teachers, who believe that you don't even fast more than a day unless God is prompting you to.

[43:28] But the only downside to that is many people, God will never tell them. Because if it doesn't matter how God is giving, it doesn't matter how much God is telling you, you say, no, no, God didn't say that. All right.

[43:39] But you must have a program. All right. Personally, every week I fast, not the whole week. It's my personal custom. But I know, in secondary school, I know I have a friend who said he was fasting the whole year.

[43:53] There's something wrong. It's not correct. Eventually, he became a mental patient. Yeah. I've told you about him several times. Eventually, because he said, God has told him to fast the whole year.

[44:05] And so, a hundred days, I'm not sure about, unless she says, God told her to. And I'm not, I'm yet to find out when, how many people, God, have told them to.

[44:17] Oh, it's a church fast. Hundred days. Oh, yeah, I know, I know, I think the general basier does that by himself. And so, the whole church is doing this. Ah, once it's a corporate fast.

[44:28] That one. I thought it was a personal one. Hundred days. That's a powerful one. Yes. You see, the way God has been favorable to us. Only 21 days. Some are afraid.

[44:40] Lord, give us the grace. For 200, we will overtake you. 200 days. We'll be fasting. You see, that's what people do. Ah, this guy, when I became born again, wasn't born again, and he's doing 40 days, I'm going to do 70.

[44:53] You will kill yourself. You will kill yourself. It doesn't, it doesn't mean, God will give you more results than he's given. You must know what God has put on your hand.

[45:04] God has put, last four years, we didn't, we fast. We didn't, I think, no, we've been fasting for about five years now. But there was a time we were not fasting. So, God gave us the prompting.

[45:16] And last year, it was a different way we did it. We did it twice in a year. Okay. So, it's based on divine promptings. We are doing it. And the hundred days to, it's, I'm sure it's, I mean, I know, I know, I know, the general of us here normally does that every year.

[45:33] And sometimes there can be some mysticism or spirituality shrouded in that, around that. So, it makes people feel spiritually. Fasting hundred days.

[45:46] I mean, can you imagine? You feel good, isn't it? But then, I think if it's a corporate fast, then that's a different thing. All right. That's a different thing. Did I answer that? All right. Question.

[45:58] The question says, Pastor, my work does not allow me sometimes to get a time to read my Bible during the fast. But when I'm breaking, I pray.

[46:10] Does that make my fasting improper? No, it doesn't make your fasting improper. Just make sure you wake up early, read your Bible. Yeah. Find time.

[46:21] Make sure. No, even if you are not fasting, you should be reading your Bible. Let it know when you are fasting. All right. But if the nature of your, if the nature of your job places demands on you, and, when you are at work, actually, when you are at work, you are at work.

[46:38] Yeah. Okay. Okay. So, you are being paid for the time you are, don't be using that to be, break time, reading your Bible. Technically speaking.

[46:49] You understand what I'm saying? You can do the break time. Technically speaking. But then, yeah, it doesn't, the fact that you didn't have time to read your Bible during the day, it doesn't nullify the fast. But, you read your Bible in the morning.

[47:00] That's why, read your Bible, pray every day. I mean, morning is better you pray. Read your Bible in the morning. And then some of us on the train, on the bus, you can still be reading your Bible. So, any opportunity, leisure time, opportunity you get, that shouldn't replace personal set aside time for studying your Bible, or reading your Bible.

[47:20] So, every Christian must have a personal time set aside to read your Bible. Every day. Whether you are fasting or you are not fasting. Let alone when you are fasting. When you are fasting, you should even believe God to read more.

[47:31] Make time to read more. Got it? Got it. All right. So, when you are about to break to, reach and pray and break. Significance can't wait to break their fasting.

[47:43] I remember in secondary school, there's a boy I knew, brother I knew. You see, he has peanuts in his pocket. So, the fasting is breaking at, we are ending the fasting at six.

[47:57] So, 5.55, then he looks at his time. 5.56, he's just waiting. then he begins to get it ready. Five.

[48:09] Count now. 5.59. Six. Six. That's very interesting.

[48:21] Yeah, what's the other question? What time? Yes, what time does his fasting start? Six to six. So, if I manage to wake up at four and eat. That, that does not spoil the fasting, is it?

[48:37] The Muslims, they have to wake up, it's down to dusk, so, they have to wake up before the sun, and then they, they feel their belly, like, that can take them for, a number of hours, the whole day, and then, but I believe, there's no hard and fast rule on that, but I believe that you wake up, once you wake up in the morning, now, to be very strict, many people start their fasting from midnight to 12, once the day starts, okay, but, I don't subscribe so much to that, depending on the kind of, engagement, the work you do, and your time schedules, and stuff like that, so, what I believe is that, once you wake up in the morning, your day has started, okay, if you wake up at six, start at four, if it's three, your day has started, and then start your fasting, and then break at a time, you want to break, you're supposed to break, so you don't, start with breakfast, there's no breakfast, and then you, okay, so, yes,

[49:40] Ross. Pastor, what if someone's on medication, what, what's the right route to go about, for fasting? I found out that, some medications, need food, and if you're on medication, and you're supposed to, continue the medication, take your medication every day, and you need food, then, don't see it as a breakthrough, but for every single, just, just, you know, take your medication, or just take your medication, unless, of course, you know, that you can do without it, for a while, or something, but then, if you've been given a course, medication, or something to follow, please, take your medication, if you are pregnant, if you are, pregnant, pregnant women don't take medication today, if you are pregnant, I know, some of us, they say, when you are pregnant, folic acid, but, so, there are certain medications, you don't need food, all right, and then, so, just, if you are not sure, based on, the grounds of health, see any of the pastors, or see myself, and, we'll try and explain things, you're looking at your situation, and then sometimes, to some of us, maybe,

[50:57] I don't, we see, the keyboards, the keyboard, there are different keys, black and white keys, you get the music, based on how you combine it, so, sometimes, when it comes to some of these things, we don't have to be, we just have to know the general rule, general principle, certain people's situations are different, do you understand what I mean, certain people's situations are different, but if you come and tell me that, pastor, my work, if I stand here and say, if your work is, demand, you have to do, you have a lot of lifting, then please eat, someone, your lifting, is different from someone's lifting, someone just have to arrange this, but I will tell you that, pastor, you know what I'm talking about, so, it boils down to you, make the effort, be determined that you're giving it your best, and then nothing is going to stop you, all right, last two questions, I think I saw two hands, no, I saw you, yeah, before, yes, thank you, pastor, I've got a colleague at work, and then, I tried to explain to her, about this fasting, because, actually, she's doing it with us, and then, she was going on about the, early morning, six to, well,

[52:04] I said six to six, and then, he, sorry, she said, okay, if it's six to six, does that mean that, she can wake up and eat, as you've just explained, and, then I tried to explain it, as you've just explained, but then, she was still going on about, if that is the case, then why do we say six to six, so, how do we, I don't know where that six to six came from, okay, it's not six to six, it's just, we break at six, that's right, okay, we break at six, all right, when do we start, when your day starts, okay, yeah, so, when your day, that's how I say, so, when your day starts, start, normally, people say six to six, just to reflect, that's too done, that the day starts in Sodom, you know, so, and then, can I drink beverage, when I'm fasting, can I drink water, yes, that's the question, I was thinking about, someone said, can I drink water, this is not a completely dry fast, okay, so, I think it's actually healthy, to drink water, when you're fasting, it helps wash down the collars,

[53:07] I'm kidding, it just helps wash down, so, I've said this over and over, when you're fasting, and you pass out, water, you find out that, it's a bit, it's like, it looks very condensed, because, you've washed down, stuff from, your, your system, it helps, I mean, it just helps, it helps from lubrication, Minister Bobby, um, Pastor, my question is, um, with this present, weather condition, can someone, take, uh, tea, intermittently, hot water, yes, hot water, were you the leader, who has been, yes, the whole, the whole idea of fasting, is to refrain yourself, from food, that's right, okay, so that's, that's the whole idea, of the fasting, so I want to encourage you, just refrain yourself, from food, you can have, as much as, as much water, as you, you want to, is good, and unless, in extreme situations, you may need some, sort of, beverage, or just to, just keep you, you know, but I don't want to go into that, because everyone will end up, needing, needing beverage, people like Minister Kobe, especially in extreme weather condition, okay, last question, last question,

[54:50] I just wanted to ask, in the guys, you mentioned about, mince, to freshen your breath, but also, during fast, a lot of people, tend to eat chewing gum, for the whole day, and chewing gum, for some people, stems their appetite, so I just wanted to know, should mince, or chewing gum, or eat vice five, I think it's after you, it's after you, but let's not be, chewing gum in church, it's after you, when you chew gum, when you eat ching gum, you have to eat, you'll be, you'll be more, hungry, and then you get tired, you know, all that, so, it's after you, but I think, mince are okay, obviously, not like, who, does that make sense, so, I think it's good, to put some mince, in your mouth, because, you don't, you don't want, you don't want, to put people off, you want to attract them, to Jesus, amen, Mr. Jay, what were you going to say?

[55:42] All right, let's take that, and then, first, first, I would like to, this goes for everyone, actually, whether, can you start again, fasting in the modern world, it's, it's different from what, used to be the case, in the, biblical times, because, I want to believe, when they declared fast, back in the day, there'll be no work, they all gather together, work, circles, lying in the altar, all day long, twice fasting, but in the modern world, sometimes, can be challenging, I don't know, unless I'm completely mistaken, let's say, construction worker, who has to lift, all day long, and then, if you compare, what they do now, to what the, priest of old, used to do, they lie at the altar, all day long, can you tune, the distance, the microphone, the teeth, to say that, they break construction, a construction, a laborer, all day long, has to carry lift, at least, in other parts of the world, not here really, yeah, and then, the priest of old, they lie at the altar, in sackcloth, and ashes, all day long, so the demands, on the body,

[56:52] I mean, we are two different levels here, I think, oh, they used to work too, they also used to work, but, it's true, that's why, we also, we don't have to be, so religious about things, okay, if you can, if you can tell, don't say, I'm moving to the end, can I tell you a secret, if you, there are times, that, I am, I do a lot of fasting, and maybe just before six, I realize that, not every time, like this happened to me, about once or twice, I realize that, brother, the thing is, you, I'll just get some bananas, and break ahead of time, 5.30, I broke it, I'm determined, I won't stop it, but, I can tell that, my body is stopping it, you see what I'm saying, that's why, I don't want to go, because there are people, who are looking for opportunity, to hear this thing, they say, yes, this is what I've been waiting for, pastor,

[57:57] I thank you, you said it, but, on the flip side, the most important, please, I think it's between you and God, you are determined, you are not doing it for me, listen, listen, listen, every morning, go to man, you can't eat, that's fine, when you come here, we will all pray, but, you're, garbage in, garbage out, right, like, this man, sometimes you are, like you are a footballer, and you are on a pitch, training, and with an empty stomach, and you have a major match, you know, you have to eat, before you go and play the match, practically speaking, come on, give me a break, if you, I've never played football, but if you can't play on empty stomach, then you might as well get something, into your system, so that you can be effective, and, since you don't play every day, or something like, so, that's, but then, the whole thing is between you and God, it's, my fasting is not for you, I'll be fasting that God, give miracles to people, but the way you connect yourself, it determines how the miracles, will pass in your life, so, it's between you and God, do you determine that,

[59:02] Bible says that, it said, shoot, for the hand of the prophets, on your hand, so you have to shoot, when, the days where people, wait for people, to do things for them, are over, so it's between you and God, and please be determined, if you have questions, and concerns about, these things, talk to me, talk to any of the pastors, because there are dynamics, nuances of, some of these things, and we have to be, particular about that, amen, all right, if you have any questions, see me later, or come to us later, of course, we join us together, for more resources, please visit, caries.org, or call us on, 0207-740-9960, God bless you,