The Christian Fast

[0:00] Welcome. Thank you for listening to this wholesome word by David Entry. The words you catch will change your world. May your story change from this message.

[0:10] Be blessed. Matthew chapter 6, 5 and 6, 16 to 18. Matthew chapter 6. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are.

[0:25] For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

[0:39] But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet. And when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father who is in secret.

[0:49] And thy father who sees in secret shall reward you openly. Verse 16. Moreover, when ye fasts, be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance.

[1:02] For they disguise their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head and wash thy face.

[1:18] That thou appear not unto men to fast. But unto thy father which is in secret. And thy father which sees in secret shall reward you openly.

[1:31] Here ends the reading of God's holy word. Father, as we hear your word taught, reveal Christ to us. What we don't know teach us. Who we are not make us.

[1:46] Where we have not gotten to take us. Through the power of your word. By the help of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen.

[1:58] Hallelujah. Well, I want to talk about fasting. Fasting. Somebody say fasting. Fasting. Fasting is not a new phenomenon or a new thing amongst men.

[2:15] Fasting has always been going on in biblical times. Fasting. So, actually, God, when he brought them out of Egypt, he actually enshrined fasting into their national activity.

[2:32] So, in Leviticus chapter 16 verse 29, he tells them about how they should engage in a corporate fast as a people.

[2:44] That's very interesting. So, it says in the verse 29 that, and this shall be a statute forever unto you.

[2:57] That in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls. Now, that phrase, afflict your souls, is your soul is where the seat of your personality is.

[3:11] Your soul is your will, your feelings, and your intellect. Right? That's where the seat of the you is. So, in your spirit, you have God consciousness.

[3:24] In your body, you have world consciousness. In your soul, you have self-consciousness. So, the soul is the seat of the self. So, that's why we say soul winning.

[3:38] Soul winning. We are actually winning the person. A man became a living soul. So, the seat of your personhood is in your soul.

[3:50] And it says that when the Bible says afflict your soul, it's a phrase to imply fasting. Because fasting brings the soul under subjection.

[4:01] So, back to the text. It says that the seventh month, on the eighth day of the month, ye shall afflict your soul and do no work at all.

[4:14] Whether it be one of your own country or a stranger that suggests amongst you. For on that day shall the priest make atonement for you to cleanse you that he may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.

[4:34] It shall be a Sabbath rest unto you. And ye shall afflict your soul by a statute forever. And the priest, whom ye shall anoint and whom ye shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement and shall put on the linen cloth, even the holy garment.

[4:59] And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary. And he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation and for the altar. And he shall make an atonement for the priest and for all the people of the congregation.

[5:14] And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year.

[5:25] And he did as the Lord commanded Moses. So it was a command. This is that at a certain day, everybody should fast. That's what he's saying. So God actually enshrined it into their ceremonial law.

[5:41] Now, when you study scriptures very carefully, you find out David was a man who fasted. Moses fasted for the Ten Commandments. Elijah fasted. It's not new.

[5:51] And you remember Esther, your favorite character. She fasted. I start chapter four from verse 16. He says that, go and gather all the Jews.

[6:02] He said, go and gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan. And fast for me. Neither eat nor drink for three days. Night nor day.

[6:13] My mates and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king and all that. So Esther fasted. And he brought a supernatural turnaround for the children of Israel.

[6:24] She was in the palace. But she said, I need to fast. She was in a position of privilege. But she said, I need to fast. So Esther fasted. Nehemiah. Ezra.

[6:34] Nehemiah. Nehemiah fasted. Nehemiah chapter one. Ezra fasted. In fact, Ezra chapter eight, verse 21. They said, he said, we fasted. The whole people. And I proclaim a fast there at the river of Hava.

[6:49] That we might humble. See that. Okay. Another phrase for fasting is humble yourself. Say humble yourself. Humble yourself. Say it again, please. Humble yourself.

[7:00] Say humbling myself. Humbling myself. All right. So fasting, another phrase which represents fasting in the Bible is. That's so important.

[7:11] I'm coming to that in a minute. It's humbling yourself. Or we humbled ourselves. When you come across this statement in the Bible, we humbled ourselves and seek the Lord.

[7:23] It means the fasted. For instance, 2 Chronicles chapter seven. If my people who are called by my name, if I shall call by my name, shall humble themselves. This is talking about fasting.

[7:35] Talking about you. Humbling yourself is to fast. So back to the scripture that we were talking about in Ezra. It says that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.

[7:55] So they engaged in fasting to seek the Lord. Right. So they wanted to seek God. So they engaged in fasting. In Nehemiah, they fasted.

[8:07] In 2 Chronicles chapter 20, verse three and four, when Jehoshaphat and Judah were under attack, Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaim a fast throughout all Judah.

[8:21] The king. You can't do this by democracy. You can't do it by monarchy. They declared the fast throughout the land that everybody, even animals, because the problem that was coming was big.

[8:37] Like verse four. Verse four. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord. And from all the cities of Judah, they came to seek the Lord.

[8:47] So it's what I'm trying to suggest is fasting is nothing new. And I found something in the scriptures we'll find out in a minute that even Ahab, the wicked king, he fasted.

[8:59] 1 Kings chapter 21, verse 27. And Ahab fasted. I'm surprised. So it was when Ahab had these words that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth on his body and fasted and lay in sackcloth.

[9:13] Wow. David, I think 2 Samuel chapter 12, verse 21, when his son, Bathsheba, bore through the bad knees.

[9:31] So you fasted and wept for the child while he was alive. David did it. But the child died. But David fasted. David was a man of fasting. He fasted. So you could see major people in the Old Testament.

[9:45] Fasting is not anything new. Then Jesus shows up on the scene. In Matthew chapter 4, Bible says that he was led in verse 1. He fasted 40 days. Luke chapter 4 from verse 1.

[9:56] He fasted. Jesus started his ministry after fasting. So it's said that John Wesley had a principle. He would never ordain anybody or appoint anybody as a minister of the Methodist church who will not commit to fasting once a week.

[10:14] Every Wednesday. John Wesley said, no. If you can't commit to fasting once a week, every Wednesday, we can't make you a minister in the Methodist church. Because that's how essential fasting was.

[10:27] And fasting is to the work of God and to our work with God and to the Christian life. So fasting is not like some, you know, some religious thing you have to do. Even though other religions also practice fasting.

[10:39] Other religions also pray. In fact, I oppose every religion. The Hindus pray. The Muslims pray. The Sikhs pray. The Buddhists pray. The Jews pray.

[10:51] The Christians pray. The animists pray. I mean, every kind of religion engage in some form of prayer. And even some of the Buddhists, they pray longer than Christians.

[11:03] Can cross their legs and chant for days. Jesus said that you think that you will be heard because of your much praying. So long prayer doesn't necessarily guarantee answers.

[11:14] That's another thing. And so it's not whether you are praying or not, but who you are praying to. You know, and the motive of prayer and all that. But prayer is necessary. So then in the New Testament, you find out that Paul, Paul said in fasting oft.

[11:29] 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 27. He said in fasting oft. But that's King James. But it means often. There's a difference between fasting and starving.

[11:40] Starving is not having food to eat when you want to eat. Fasting is not eating when you can eat. Choosing to forgo food when there is food to eat for spiritual reasons.

[11:55] So 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 27. In weariness, that's talking about the things he has been through. Paul said things that we have been through. Shipwreck and all kinds of things from verse 23. But he said in verse 27, he said in weariness, in painfulness, in watchings oft.

[12:11] That's sleeplessness. Sometimes we can pray or watch. In watchings of, in hunger and thirst. Okay? Then look at it. So fasting is different from hunger and thirst.

[12:24] In fasting often. He fasted. He fasted. He used to fast often. No wonder his results was stronger. He used to fast often.

[12:37] Minister of the gospel. You have to fast often. You must also one day say he fastes. He fastes. Minister.

[12:48] You want to do God's work. Whether you are doing it from the back or from the front. Whether you are in the music ministry. You are in the service ministry.

[12:59] Ashes and hospitality and other things. Fast. Whether you are a musician. Fast. Instrumentalist. Fast. Some instrumentalists don't like fasting. You can tell.

[13:10] Some musicians don't like fasting. All around rest. So.

[13:27] Paul said. In fastings often. So it was. In Acts chapter 13 verse 2. As the teachers and prophets. As they ministered to the Lord. And fasted.

[13:39] In the New Testament. After Jesus had gone. Somebody said. It's only. Fasting is Old Testament. Because Jesus. Actually. Technically. Jesus lived. Another Old Testament. The New Testament started. Kind of.

[13:50] After the death. So Jesus lived. So. All this is fasting. Doesn't mean we should be fasting. Some. Somebody said that. But. In the New Testament church. After Jesus died. They fasted. In Acts chapter 14 verse 23.

[14:02] Bible said. They appointed elders and fasted. So when they had fasted. And prayed. And prayed. With fastings. Fasting is not Old Testament. Fasting is just biblical.

[14:13] Let's all say fasting is biblical. Fasting is biblical. Please say it again. Fasting is biblical. Fasting is biblical. So one of the things you have to understand. Is that fasting is biblical.

[14:24] And actually fasting also has God benefits. It's not just biblical. It has benefits. We have the corporate fast. And an individual fast. What we are about to start.

[14:35] Is a corporate fast. That means we are all. As a body. As a church. We are engaging in fasting. So it's a corporate thing. Whilst you must also have.

[14:46] A scheduled private fast. After this season. Scheduled private fast. Sometimes you can choose. Okay. I'm fasting. On. This month.

[14:57] Every. Three days. In a week. Of this month. Or you know. And. Every week. Every once a week. I'm fasting. You remember.

[15:08] The scripture I just quoted. In Acts chapter 13. Verse 2 says that. Watch this verse 2. Ask they. Say they. They. So it's a corporate thing. They. As they.

[15:19] Ministered to the Lord. And fasted. Right. Then the Holy Ghost said. And. When you read. Down. That line. You realize. I think. Acts chapter 14.

[15:30] I probably think. Verse 7. Or. Verse 4. The Bible talks about. The apostles. He referred to Paul. And. Barnabas. A multitude. And.

[15:41] Part. With the apostles. Okay. Part. Part sided. With the Jews. Part sided. With the apostles. Who are the apostles? The people who were praying as prophets and teachers. In Acts chapter 13.

[15:52] Until Holy Spirit said. Set. Set. Set. Set. So how was the apostle set aside? Through the means of fasting and prayer. And. The. You see. We normally would call missionaries. But the actual biblical word is apostle.

[16:05] It's an apostle sent out to go and work for God. It's an apostle. And. So. Apostles were sent out based in the atmosphere of fasting. And you cannot have a church until there's an elder.

[16:18] Biblical language. To have a church. There must be an elder. So an elder is the same as a pastor or bishop in different categories. But. An elder.

[16:28] And to appoint. So. A church. They sent people. Apostles. And you need fasting. And appointing of elders. According to Acts chapter 14 verse 23. They.

[16:39] They also. Prayed. With fastings. So they appointed elders. So you can see how. Fasting played a very central role in the church. Played a very important role in the church.

[16:49] Now. Jesus himself in Matthew chapter 6. Verse 5 and 6. Spoke about prayer. He said. And when you pray. That's what I say. When I pray. When I pray. When you pray. It's connoting.

[16:59] You have to pray. It's not saying. If you pray. It's a when. So prayer is a when. Not an if. So when you pray. He was telling them. You have to pray.

[17:10] When you pray. When you pray. So don't be like the hypocrites. And all that. But. Pray. And it's like your father rewards you openly. Prayer brings reward.

[17:22] Prayer brings reward. But it's not only prayer. And see. If Jesus said we should pray. Then. Look at the verse 16. Chapter 6. Verse 16 please.

[17:33] Says that moreover. When you fast. Fasting is a when. So if you should pray. Then you should fast. If prayer is important. Then fasting is important.

[17:44] Because. In the same discourse. Jesus spoke about prayer. And he spoke about fasting. He said. When you pray. And then when you fast. When you pray. When you fast. When you pray.

[17:54] When you fast. You have to pray. And you have to fast. And look at what he said about fasting. He said. When you fast. Do not be like the hypocrites.

[18:05] Oh really. Hypocrites. With a sad countenance. Everybody must know you are fast. People who don't even know you. They see from a fact. You have to wait.

[18:15] You have to fast as a show. That's what he's talking about. Don't fast as a show. People to see. How you are doing well. See the way I'm fast. Fasting is not for sure.

[18:28] So in other words. When you are fasting. Don't stop your normal activities. If you have to go to work. Go to work. You don't phone in and say. I'm sick because I'm fasting.

[18:38] I can't come to work. Now. When you are fasting. You can't hide. When some people will eventually get to know. You don't have to go around announcing.

[18:50] For instance. I'm fasting. My wife is preparing meals. It's right for her to only know. That I'm not eating. Instead of letting her go through all the. The trouble to prepare the meal.

[19:01] And then I'm so. I don't want to eat. Say why? Oh no. No. I don't want to eat. It's all. What is all this pseudo spirituality? I don't want to. It's my wife.

[19:12] Just tell my wife. Tomorrow I'm not eating. Because I'm fasting. Just know what Jesus is saying. That don't tell people. It's just. It's just. You know. When. Okay. There's.

[19:24] Some. Normally lunch. You and your colleagues go and eat together. Every time. You're going to go there. And this week you are not going. How long will you just. You might not announce it.

[19:35] But people must know that you are. You are doing an exercise. So. It's not like you are being antisocial. Or some way. Or now they give you the food. Say no, no. I normally buy. When I buy the McDonald's.

[19:46] Sorry. Yeah. I buy some for you. Today what is going on? Oh. I can't. Because of. You understand what I'm saying? But when you just said. Don't go around telling people. You said. Don't. Don't make a show of it. Don't make a show.

[19:57] Everybody must see that I'm fasting. You don't know I'm fasting. You don't know. You must know I'm fasting. Okay. Don't make a show of it. For they disfigure their faces.

[20:10] That they may appear to men to be fasting. Surely I say they have received their word. Verse 17 says that. But you. When you fast. Say when I fast. When I fast.

[20:20] Say when I fast. When I fast. Jesus is expecting you to fast. That's why he said when you fast. He expects us to fast. In the New Testament. His disciples. Jesus expects his disciples to fast.

[20:32] So. But you. When you fast. Anoint your head. And wash your face. In other words. Let your normal life continue. That's one of the things of fasting.

[20:42] Continue your normal life. Continue. Unless of course. For some reason. Lack. Due to lack of strength. You can't do certain things. So. 1 Corinthians chapter.

[20:54] 7. Verse 5. It says that. Do not deprive. One another. Except. With consent. That's talking about. Husbands. And wife. Not boyfriend. And girlfriend. Please. Amen. Husbands.

[21:05] And wife. It says. Do not deprive. One another. Except with consent. For a time. That means. One. This is very important. Consent.

[21:15] Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Consent. Let's all say consent. Consent. Yes. When it says. Seek parental consent. Yes. That means that. Before you take the child.

[21:25] To the. Movies. Seek parental consent. His parents must agree. For you to undertake that activity. Yes. Yes. So when it says that. A husband. Needs consent from the wife.

[21:38] In order to. Refrain himself from the wife. Needs consent. That means that. You can't choose that. I am not available. You can't tell your wife. I am not available. Yes. It's. You must tell your wife.

[21:50] You must. You must seek consent. Not to be available. Yes. No. While's. Landasan. Must seek consent. Not to be available. So.

[22:02] Is that except for. Okay. Let's get back to the text. It said. Except for consent. For a time. Even that not permanently. Just for a time.

[22:13] that you may give yourself, do you see that, to fasting and prayer. It's not saying that during fasting and prayers, some husband and wife cannot work together.

[22:26] Now, what it means is that, you know, some, depending on who you are and the particular circumstances within your marriage, some of the activities require a lot of energy.

[22:37] And somebody might not have the energy for that. But others, too, they don't mind because they still... So, it's not saying that when you are fasting, watch this.

[22:51] It's not saying that when you are fasting, a husband and wife cannot come together. It never said that. The text does not mean that. It said that the only reason why a husband and wife, or a wife or a husband can withdraw, withstand, or keep himself from the wife, from the husband, or from the wife, on that matter, husband from the wife, is except with consent for a period of time that he might give himself to prayer and fasting.

[23:19] You know, so I'm doing that because I want to give myself to prayer and fasting. But I can be giving myself to prayer and fasting, and I still have energy to... So, please...

[23:30] So, you can tell in the early church, fasting was part of the church life.

[23:42] Okay. Fasting is part of the church life. Shall we all say that together? Fasting is part of the church life. Can you say it again, please? Fasting is part of the church life.

[23:52] Okay. So, if you want to live the church life effectively, biblically, then fasting is part of the Christian life, of the church life. There are corporate fastings, and there are private fastings.

[24:04] Now, I want you to also know that... How many points have I got here? These are three major reasons why we should fast.

[24:16] Number one reason why we should fast is it is the will of God. Now, when we say it's the will of God, it means that if you know something is the will of God, if it's the will of God for me to respect my wife, I don't have to go and do a research on scriptures and revelation on why to respect my wife.

[24:38] No. It's already clear in black and white. So, once something is black and white, you don't have to even seek God and ask whether you should do it. Don't ask God whether you should do it, since it already says, like, honor your mother and father.

[24:50] You don't have to ask about it. God, give me revelation if I should honor. No, no, no. You don't need it because it's already there in black and white. It's the will of God. And we've seen from scripture that prayer is the will of God.

[25:02] It's actually a command. We are commanded to pray. Prayer is an ought to. And fasting, if prayer is an ought to, fasting also carries the same weight.

[25:12] It's an ought to. But you can pray without fasting, but you can't fast without praying. It is the prayer that actually reinforces or makes the fasting, fasting, else is starvation.

[25:26] Okay. Bishop Whiteley Poole said something one day, which is so nice. He said, God doesn't answer fasting. He answers prayers. So, if you are fasting, add prayers. You might as well pray.

[25:37] So, it's important to understand that we should fast because it's the will of God. Okay. We are fasting. Why should we fast? Because it's the will of God.

[25:48] God wills us to fast. Number two, we should fast because, I like the verse 17 and verse 18, Matthew chapter 6, verse 18 particularly.

[26:01] Verse 18 says that. I like it. I didn't notice it in the past, but it says that, so that you do not appear okay that you fast. And your, the last bit, last statement said, and your heavenly father, who sees in secret, will do what?

[26:15] Will do what? Will do what? Oh. He rewards you for fasting? Rewards you for fasting. So, that means fasting.

[26:26] God rewards fasting. God rewards fasting. Let's all say that together. God rewards fasting. So, when you are paying a price to fast, remember, you are paying a price for a reward.

[26:40] It's not just a hunger embankment. Okay, I'm backing on some hunger project. No. It's actually a spiritual. What is fasting? I already said.

[26:52] Fasting actually is abstaining from food for spiritual purpose. As simple as that. Abstaining from food for spiritual purpose. That's fasting. All right. So, God, and actually, God rewards fasting.

[27:06] God rewards. In Hebrews chapter 11, verse 6, it says that. He's the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. So, when you seek him in a certain way, God definitely will react.

[27:18] He will respond with rewards. In Isaiah chapter 58, verse 8 to 12, it talks about the kind of fast. It says that God has chosen.

[27:30] The fast, is it not the fast that I've chosen from this? From this 6. Is this not the fast that I have chosen? No. So, God rewards fasting.

[27:42] And then, there are 12 things that I've actually, I pointed in one of my teachings, the 12 benefits or rewards that come with fasting. God rewards fasting.

[27:53] From Isaiah chapter 53, number one, he rewards us with light. He rewards us with health. Three, rewards us with righteousness. Four, with glory.

[28:04] Five, with unsaid prayers. Why, am I saying it too fast? You should listen to the message again. With unsaid prayers, he rewards us with continuous guidance.

[28:18] Continuous guidance. He rewards us with satisfaction. You'll be satisfied. That's, satisfaction sounds like rest. He rewards us with satisfaction.

[28:29] He rewards us with refreshing. He rewards us with enduring work. Our work will endure. Work that will endure. It's not work that fizzles away, that you don't even see anybody.

[28:42] Work that endure. Enduring work. He rewards us with restoration. I see restoration coming to somebody. He rewards us with restoration.

[28:53] He rewards us with the ability to raise generational foundation. Foundation for many generations. Father, mother, you might not even be married as a young person, or as a single man, a single woman, or a single man.

[29:07] But, your children, you may not have a child now, but as you are fasting, you are laying a certain foundation for generations. Foundations for generations. Most people who are doing some great things, most people, great things in ministry, or even in life.

[29:23] Sometimes, when you trace their backgrounds, you find out that there has been a faithful preacher there. There's always kind of a faithful preacher in the background of people who God is using uniquely.

[29:34] There tends to be. So, fasting, you raise the foundation for many generations, and then number 12, is that you'll be called. Isaiah chapter 58, verse 12.

[29:46] You shall be called. So, a new identity, and it's a glorious one. It's not a negative identity. It's a glorious identity. Comes on you. Your story changes, like blind Bartimaeus, he threw away his garment of blindness.

[30:00] They cover, a beggar has to cover himself with this garment. He threw it away. His identity changed. Change of, I believe that somebody's identity is changing from a single to a married person.

[30:12] Yeah. For someone who has been renting to a homeowner. Yeah. From an employee to an employer. This is changing.

[30:22] From, from joblessness, to more than several jobs to choose from. Yeah. Yeah. Your identity is changing. So, these are some of the rewards. When you fast, God gives us rewards.

[30:34] And I see, you will not lose your rewards in the name of Jesus. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then number three. So, number one, fasting is the will of God. Number two, God's rewards come when we fast.

[30:46] God's will. It's God's will for us to fast. It's God gives us reward when we fast. And then number three, it's the right attitude towards your body. It's medically proven.

[30:58] When you fast, it helps your body. You know, the, and that's why when you start fasting, sometimes you might have some headaches. Sometimes, these are some of the things that happen with fasting.

[31:11] You might have headaches. You might, or dizziness, a bit, or nausea. You sometimes feel sick. Or, dizziness, or headaches.

[31:26] It's because, the, the blood of the body is being utilized, purged, where your body is being purged. And sometimes, that's the, especially, coffee, people who drink coffee heavily, when you are fasting, because coffee has an impact on your body.

[31:41] When you are fasting, the body tends to purge itself. That's why, most times, you may have one or two headaches. But it's not permanent. It goes. Sometimes, nausea, depending on who you are.

[31:52] Now, the, medical science has proved that. You see, digestion is a lot of work.

[32:07] Digestion is, if you don't know what digestion is. Digestion is a lot of work. But, we never give it that credit.

[32:19] It's a lot of work. So, that's why, overeating is bad for the body. No way. You make your body work super, so that, the, the blood, that is being sent into other parts of the body, they all have to cease fire and come down.

[32:36] So, it slows the function of other parts of the body. Eating actually slows the function of other bodies.

[32:46] So, that is why it's not good to eat late. It's not good to eat late because, no, the body, instead of, all around rest, it's not good to eat late. No, no. That night.

[32:58] And it takes about sometimes six hours, average, to, to process and digest food. And so, the body, watch this, the body is made to work extra harder.

[33:09] When you eat, the body works so much in digesting the food, so that it can slow your productivity. It slows your ability. That's why most of us, as soon as you finish eating, you are slow.

[33:22] because, the energy needed for thinking, the energy needed for working, the energy needed for some parts of the body, is all brought into the digestive system.

[33:33] And the bodies begin to work. So, if you, if you overeat, then the body has to, you're overweight, over, people who overeat, kill their bodies. So, Christmas turkey, every time, you still have some in your food, you're, drumstick here, and you're sirloid.

[34:00] Sirloid. You just, and you, you see this, I just love my food. I really feel sorry for your health. Recently, I met a man of God, who is very much into diet, and he told me that it's always ideal to go to bed hungry.

[34:21] I said, huh? That's one of the things I don't like. I just don't like. He said, it's better to go to bed hungry. So, he said, after 6 p.m., you just eat some fruits.

[34:35] And fruits, they're not too much. So, so it doesn't, fruit doesn't take long to digest. And then the body, now the blood is used for other important things. Are you getting it?

[34:47] Yes, yes, yes. And, nowadays, the food we are eating, high in sugar, and high in different processed food, carbohydrates. And listen, listen, brothers and sisters, most of us are, we take good care of our cars, than our bodies.

[35:05] Because what you are, you won't put in your car, you are put in your body. Things that are not even meant to go in our body, we just put it in.

[35:17] We put it in. We put it in. We put it in. But you see, the body, the body is so blessed, the body is so blessed, it has ability to keep going, keep going.

[35:28] But you are weakening the body. You're actually destroying the body. So, your body, that's why when you are fasting, your body will react. Your body will react.

[35:40] Because, in fact, the Prince said a story, which was very nice. He said, he preached on fasting years ago, somewhere, at New York. And a certain lawyer, who was sitting there, he has never fasted.

[35:51] And then when he heard the preaching, he said, no, tomorrow I'm going to fast. So, he decided to go and fast. And so, he fasted the day, and he was struggling. Food, you know, in the office, and smell.

[36:03] When you fast, your sense of smell becomes heightened. It's not only your sense of smell. It's not only your olfactory nerves.

[36:14] Other parts of your body work better. Because the blood is not now being used somewhere. So, other systems in your body actually work better. That's why your sense of smell is so heightened.

[36:26] It's not like just because you are hungry. The system is working better. Your brains work better. Memory works better. It just, it just helps.

[36:38] So, this guy went through a lot, fasting. And it's like, he's about to die. The stomach, you know, will be grilling, groaning, especially when he sees food.

[36:49] He feels like he's about to faint. And so, he went through a lot. The next day, you know what he said? He said, you stomach. You were very, very naughty and stubborn when I was fasting.

[37:01] And I'm going to punish you. I'll fast again. I'm going to fast again to discipline you, my stomach. Next time, don't misbehave when I'm fasting. It is, that's why it's called humble yourself.

[37:17] You bring your body under subjection. So, Romans chapter 6, verse 13, it talks about our bodies are members. Your body has members.

[37:29] It says that, and do not present your members as instruments of righteousness to sin, but present yourself to God as being alive from the dead. And your members as instruments of righteousness for God.

[37:41] God likes to use your members, but weak members cannot be used properly. First Corinthians chapter 6, verse 19 and 20, it talks about how your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

[37:53] Now, you see, Jesus doesn't have physical body on this earth. So, it's counting on you and I, our bodies to use. And if we don't handle the body well, that means we are denying Jesus the opportunity to really work well.

[38:06] anointing lives in the body. If you are anointed but you are weak, you can't do much. If you are anointed and you are weak, you are sickly, you can't do much, but anointing will heal the sick.

[38:24] Ask Paul. You know, so you are weak in your body and the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It lifts your body. It uses your body. So, give the body some respect.

[38:36] Give your body some respect by not throwing everything inside. Another guy, so I love my food. I love my food. I love my food. I love my food. You are giving the body over work.

[38:51] Hello? Hi. Take responsibility. Let's, not only you, because I've got some belly here. Take, so let me say so that you can feel it's all over.

[39:02] Take responsibility. Let's take responsibility. He said crasps and donuts.

[39:13] No, I know it's donuts. Let's take responsibility to lose some weight. It's a corporate responsibility. Let's back on. A pastor friend of mine told me, during the COVID, quite a few people in this church tested positive and were sick.

[39:31] They caught COVID. And some of them, he himself was very unwell. But I said, they were all okay. Only people passed. And those people were obese. He said, for many years, he kept telling the church, let's exercise.

[39:44] Try and hit the gym. Do something. And some people come about it. let me kiss her ass her ass. Sarah. So, am I preaching at all?

[39:57] Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I think it's important. Don't, some of us have become so, I don't understand how he can't, a pastor is reaching, I didn't like what he said.

[40:08] What did he say? He said, he said some people are fat, but it's not true. It's not true. But, but you don't have to say, who should say it? Who should say it? You, do you want me to be doing funerals?

[40:19] No, no, no. I don't, I don't like visiting people in the hospital. That's right. It takes too much time. And I don't like church members being hospitalized. Yes. They can do a lot more when they are not in hospital. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

[40:31] So, we don't want to contribute to what to break down our health. Yes. We will contribute to it. We will contribute to it. So, we all take, it's not every one of us have some discipline to embark on.

[40:44] Every one of us, not only, me, myself, every one of us. When my friend told me, it's better to go to bed hungry, I didn't like it.

[40:56] But I knew it was true because every time I've gone to bed, without a baby, I was older, I didn't get to eat, and I go, I wake up better, fresh, I feel, I feel my mind, everything, the sleep is sweet, but when I eat, I go to bed full, I have a lot of dreams, and there are no revelations.

[41:13] I've got some dreams, different dreams, different dreams. And I struggle to wake up. Struggle to wake up. Early hours, I don't wake up, and when I go on the prayer line, snoring.

[41:28] Because you can't be in control, you are not actual enough. One thing I also learned, let me drop this in, I learned from some sources, that it is no good to drink chilled water.

[41:41] I learned from some sources, and someone told me this, from some source, that this great leader, always drinks warm water, or hot water, before going to bed.

[41:55] Drink some warm water, or hot water, before going to bed, because it helps, it helps with your system. So most of the time, you're about to wake up early. You're about to wake up okay. Yeah.

[42:07] You have finished, you have finished, and you like chilled coke. Oh, what the fuck? And you are saying, So, I think fasting helps us, to really treat our bodies well.

[42:28] Benefits are massive. Massive benefits. Your body gets to rest, and work better, purge your system, and all that. So I think that's why, so it's biblical, it comes with a reward, God gives our reward, and also, right attitude, towards our bodies.

[42:50] Praise God. Can I just quickly mention, when you are fasting, the aim, the purpose of fasting. Can I add it? Is that okay? Number one, quickly, fasting is actually, as we saw from scriptures, is to humble ourselves.

[43:03] Psalm 35, verse 13, it said, I humbled myself, with fastings. I humbled myself, with fastings.

[43:14] Let's all say that together. I humbled myself, with fastings. Say it again, please. I humbled myself, with fastings. In James chapter 4, verse 10, God tells us clearly, about how he sees pride, and humble.

[43:27] He said, humble yourself, in the sight of God, the Lord, and he will, see, there is a sure, the surest way, to be elevated, is through humility. When you see somebody, somebody who is humbled himself, he never said, let God humble you.

[43:40] Never pray that prayer, that God humble me. Don't pray that prayer. You might not like it. You might not like it. You might be humiliated, in a way that, you might not like it.

[43:53] So, it says, humble yourself, you take the response. The first sin, ever recorded, in the scripture, came through pride. Lucifer. Lucifer, was not God, but he wanted to elevate himself, to the state.

[44:07] The biggest victory, over sin, to bring us redemption, was when someone, who is God, decided that, I'm not even going to be God, I'm stepping down to, I'm not going to hold on, to the equality, and with all the privilege, of Godness, and all the uniqueness, of Godness, but I'm going to adapt, to humanness.

[44:25] That's Jesus Christ. He humbled himself. Satan elevated himself. In Psalm 138, verse 6, Bible talks about, how God knows the proud. He knows the proud, from afar.

[44:38] He sees you, coming in no such already. He says that, but the proud, he knows from afar. He knows the proud, from afar. God actually, you and God, who is strong.

[44:50] And Bible says, God actually resists, 1 Peter chapter 5, 4, 5, 6. God actually resists, the proud. You see, so pride, will never take, anybody anyway.

[45:02] Pride is one of, the biggest problems, for human beings, when it comes to, receiving from God. But it gives grace, to the humble. When you humble yourself, God will give you grace. When you humble, one of the signs, of a proud person, is a person, who ushers cannot show, where to sit.

[45:19] Yeah. See, you are coming to receive, a miracle. I need a miracle. But ushers can't show you, where to sit. That ushers doesn't like me, doesn't matter. It's his job now. That police officer, doesn't like me.

[45:30] Yeah, so it's his job, still stop, stop. It's his job, to stop traffic. So if you stop it, you know, road works, those who hold, green and, and you are in, hurry, when you come there, they turn the red.

[45:43] You feel like this guy, is being unfair. But you have to stop. See, so pride, is very dangerous. You are sitting, in church with pride.

[45:55] No one can show me, where to sit. No one can tell me, where to lift my hands. No one can tell me, right now. No one can tell me, say. That's why you left the choir, pride. So pride, is very, watch this.

[46:07] humility, is the key, for glorious elevation. Humility. If you cannot be corrected, you are not humble. Yeah.

[46:20] If you cannot be corrected, you are not humble. And it tells why, you haven't progressed. It tells why, you haven't been promoted. Many promotions, are a function, of an attitude.

[46:34] Not only ability. You can have the ability, but you are not ready. In fact, it says clearly, in the scriptures, do not make a novice, an elder.

[46:47] Else, Satan's problem, will enter the person. He said the same thing, that happened to Satan. I think in Timothy. He said, not a novice, less being puffed up, with pride.

[46:58] He falls in. So, I said, hey, you just joined the choir, you can't sing. I know why. I want, we all want to have the best. So, if you are the best, why would we stop you?

[47:10] But we don't want to use you, at the expense of your well doing. Personal well doing. So, if there are people, who have joined this church, they are good instrumentals, but we didn't let them start. Start from being a congregation, if you are comfortable, to be a congregation member, it's easier, you will be comfortable, being an instrumental.

[47:26] But if you are not comfortable, being a congregation member, you will ruin the church, behind the instruments. You will ruin the church. And we are more, we are more interested, in your spiritual well being, than what you are getting from you.

[47:39] You come to church, so we will build you up, this discipleship system. We are focused, more on discipleship, than just gathering. When we disciple people, naturally, we will grow.

[47:54] We will grow, and healthy growth. Pride is affecting, every progress, anywhere in life. And so, when you fast, it's actually, a position of humbling.

[48:07] Daniel chapter 9, verse 3 and 4. It says, then I set my face, towards the Lord God, to make requests, by prayer, and supplication, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

[48:18] Look at verse 3, verse 4. And I prayed to the Lord God, and I made confession, and said, oh Lord God, great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant, and messing with those, who love him, and with those, those who keep his commandment.

[48:31] I've made a supplication to him. Said, and look at chapter 10, chapter 10, verse 2 and 3. Daniel chapter 10, verse 2 and 3. In those days, I, Daniel was mourning, three full weeks, that's three weeks of fasting.

[48:44] Alright, that's the word you mean by mourning. I, I, I ate no pleasant food, no meat, or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself, at all, till three whole weeks were over.

[48:57] Daniel humbled himself. David said, I humbled myself with fastings. And so, fasting is a way to humble a person, to humble yourself.

[49:08] And God rewards the humble. God rewards the humble. So, one of the purposes of fasting, is I'm humbling myself before God.

[49:20] Bringing myself under subjection. Humbling myself before God. Say, God rewards the humble. God rewards the humble. And then, number two, quickly, fasting brings deliverance, healing and deliverance.

[49:34] In Isaiah chapter 58, verse 8, it talks about, then your health will spring forth speedily. What? Your health will spring forth speedily. Interestingly, can I make a confession?

[49:46] I used to do, I used to do, a lot, and a lot, and a lot of fasting. But, recent times, I toned down a bit.

[49:59] And I realized that, my, the way I feel in my health, is different from how I used to feel, when I used to do a lot of fasting. So, fasting was actually helping me. A lot. And then, sometimes I said, I don't, God has blessed me with health, because the other things I'm doing.

[50:16] So, God is behind it. You see, when you fast, you can't make God do what he didn't plan to do, by your fasting. He's not forcing God to, no, no, no. It's not that. It's not that. It just creates platform for God, to actually be able to move more in your life.

[50:31] So, it's like a big tank, big reservoir of water. So much can come, but your pipeline is so small. You see? So, a little can come.

[50:42] But when you increase your pipeline, then, more. So, fasting is like, creating more capacity, for God to manifest himself more, in our life.

[50:53] So, now, divine health, and deliverance. I mentioned Ahab, didn't I? Let me just run up quickly. Ahab, in 1 Kings chapter 21, verse 27, when you read from verse 22, God was talking about what he's going to do to Ahab.

[51:09] Very, very worried. It is. And Jezebel, said, I'll make your house like the house of your, well, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, like the house of all that, because of the provocation of which, this is what God is saying.

[51:20] Look at verse 23. And it kept going on, kept going on. And concerning Jezebel, the Lord spoke. And so, God also said, you, you'll be like, the dog shall eat Jezebel. And then, it kept going.

[51:32] Bible says that, when the guy had all these things, verse 27, so it was, when Ahab heard these things, that he tore his cloth, and put, put sackcloth on his body, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went about morning.

[51:45] That sack, you know, God forgive me. Look at the next verse. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah, the teacher, by saying, this is surprising. See how Ahab, what, has that, what, did you see that, when, that's the fasting.

[52:01] He has humbled himself before me. Because He has humbled himself before me, I will not bring calamity in His days. What I said I was going to do, because of this state of fasting, deliverance, I'm going to have, I have to give deliverance.

[52:13] He said, I will not bring calamity in His days, rather, later when He dies, the things, because what He has done, He can't be taken on. But in His days, this fasting has moved me. I can't do it in His days. Can you imagine?

[52:24] And in Jonah chapter 3, verse 5, Bible says that, and Nineveh, when they heard this, and the people of Nineveh, believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sacros, from the greatest to the least of them.

[52:35] They all fasted. And look at this thing. They fasted, and Bible says that, and God saw their works. And God relented, relented from the disaster He was going to.

[52:46] So, deliverance. Fasting can turn away. If God can withhold deliverance, which He has promised, then how much will the enemy? When the enemy is, God Himself will step in, and block the enemy.

[52:58] Fasting brings deliverance. Deliverance. Healing. Sometimes, we can fast, and your healing will spring forth, speedily. Hallelujah. This is important. So, don't let us think that, oh, yes, yes, you are doing it.

[53:11] It's so enormous in benefits. And number three, divine intervention. Second Chronicles chapter 20, verse 2 and 3. Jehoshaphat, they fasted and prayed, and God intervened. You want God to intervene.

[53:22] In Esther chapter 4, verse 16, it talks about how Esther said, let's fast. And they fasted, and deliverance came. So, fasting brings divine intervention. Listen to me, brothers and sisters.

[53:32] I don't know what is plaguing your house, what is plaguing your family, what is plaguing an aspect of your life. Sometimes, get into fasting on this matter. You have not, up to now, instead of parading yourself online, go into fasting for a husband.

[53:47] Get into fasting. This, this unnecessary noise, it doesn't mean you make news. You are just making noise, but you make news.

[53:58] Yes, yes, yes. This noise about my body, my cleavage, my boobs, my, listen, listen. I'm telling you, if you're a Christian, and you want God to be behind your testimony, settle down.

[54:14] Settle down. Step, and buckle down fast. Sometimes, if it's a demon in your family, deal with it in fasting. Jesus said, for this kind does not go, except by prayer and fasting. Deal with it.

[54:26] Because some of us are fighting spiritual battles, while we are using social systems, to fight spiritual battles. Get into fasting. When you fast, you can procure the intervention of heaven on this matter.

[54:38] When we have not had a child yet. Because I used to fast a lot. One day I said, no, when we predicate and fast to this thing. So just, just to clear it. I know God would do it, but there are things I also have to do.

[54:51] And I agree with my wife, we fasted. And today, the story is a different story. Fast, sometimes a family can come together. And fast. For divine intervention.

[55:02] Somebody say divine intervention. I see God intervening for you, in the name of Jesus. Our church will see divine intervention. Our church will see divine intervention. Number four, quickly, it's intercede.

[55:15] We fast, intercede. And when you fast, it gives you opportunity to intercede and pray for others. To intercede and pray for others. Listen, what your brother is going through, somebody needs to fast for you.

[55:28] What your, your sister is going through. What your cousin is going through. What the nation is going through. Somebody, if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves. And then from their wickedness, pray and seek my face.

[55:40] He said, I will hear from heaven. And heal their land. So, so, watch this. So, sometimes, when we fast, it gives us opportunity to intercede and pray for others.

[55:56] You are standing in the gap for somebody. Listen, your child is not doing well with 11 plus. You have, all the tutors have been, about seven tutors, seven tutors, every day too, every day too, every day too.

[56:13] And, the child is now suffering. And after all that, is that eight plus eight? Is that 88? And your heart is breaking.

[56:28] Sis, bro, I think this guy goes, I think this guy goes, but prayer and fasting. And, so, sometimes, stand in the gap for that family member.

[56:40] Stand in the gap for your mother. Stand in the gap for your, especially, sometimes people are in the state, they can't fast. They can't pray. Even, you can't, look, this is even more important. Stand in the gap for the salvation of that, that family member.

[56:54] Yeah. Standing in the gap. Fasting for them. Praying and fasting for them. Stop lambasting them. That you are disgraced. You feel, every member of the family is fighting them. Don't join them because, you are a spiritual, watch, watch man or watch woman.

[57:08] Don't join them. Take the matter spiritually, and begin to deal with it. Stop fighting your son. Stop fighting your daughter. I thought you were a Christian. And my daughter would never marry such a man.

[57:18] But, please, she has determined, when a woman says, I'm going with this man, I've discovered that, you know, you promote them in praise and worship, it won't change their status. It doesn't matter.

[57:29] Promote them in anything. When a woman said, I want this man, and you are that man, you can't even escape. You can't. You can't escape.

[57:41] You can't escape. So, so, stand in intercession. Stand in intercession for your business.

[57:52] You are complaining about, now things are bad, money is not worth. Stand in intercession for your business. Stand in intercession for your department. I'm talking about with fastings. Daniel said, he fasted and prayed, oh God.

[58:06] And you will look at the content of the prayer, he was talking about how we have sinned against you. It was an intercessory prayer. And Ezra and Nehemiah did the same thing. Stand in intercession.

[58:17] Prayer and fasting will help you to do that. Sometimes you are working with your boss, and he's dying. Pray for him. Pray for him instead of gossiping about him. Is someone learning something at all?

[58:28] Last, let me just add this last three quickly. Number five, closeness to God. Fasting brings us closer to God. When you fast, there's a close, Bible says that Daniel decided to seek God.

[58:43] You know, so when you, fasting, through fasting, fasting has a way of downgrading a lot of other things, and then focusing on God. And as well, when you are fasting, it is always necessary to try and abstain from certain things that distract you from prayer, and from fellowship from God.

[59:02] So you can be going to work, but this time, maybe you don't even, you check your WhatsApp just to see departmental information, just for some minutes. You don't stay endlessly on social media, because you are fasting, and you want more time with God.

[59:19] You are spending, so anything that can interrupt and interfere with that, you begin to marginalize it. Am I communicating to somebody? And so, it brings you closer to God, or it's closeness to God, and then, when you fast, number six or seven, number six, it helps you to, for some supernatural reason, you try to see, when you are fasting, you read your Bible, you understand it better.

[59:43] You understand? Fasting helps you to even understand the scriptures more. It helps you to, because it's like, spiritually heightened. So it helps you to understand and appreciate spiritual things better.

[59:56] The word of God comes more alive when you are fasting, so that when you are singing, you will be singing different ways. And then, then finally, finally, finally, Ezra chapter eight, let me add the scripture, I'm going to turn.

[60:13] Ezra chapter eight, verse 21, it says that, and I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that, watch this, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to do what?

[60:26] To seek from him, the right way for us, and our children. Divine direction. Divine direction. Three guys have come into my life, I don't know who to do this, this is not a problem, this is not something that, if the pastor, the pastor must tell you, marry this one.

[60:43] Some of it, get into prayer and fasting. Four properties have come on the markets, and they said, all of them, I can buy any of them, I'm not sure which one to go for. After some counsel, pray, fast, seek, fasting brings direction in a very strange way.

[61:00] You're not sure which uni you should choose, which school you'll choose for your child. You know, major decisions in life. Please, don't make a major decision in life without fasting. Fast about it.

[61:13] Fast about it. I'm talking about major decision in life. Fast about it. Sometimes, oh, I'm about to drop something, even the name of your child. Even the name of your child.

[61:26] Fast about it. It may not be seven days, or one month, or 40 days. It can be just a day. It can be just a day. The fasting, God, give me a right name for this child.

[61:38] Give me a right name. Give me a, direction. It says that, then God will guide you, Isaiah 58. God will guide you continually. He will guide you continually. Benefits of fasting.

[61:48] And most of us who only want someone to tell you what to do, especially when it comes to major, I want a pastor, what should I do? A prophet, what should I do? It doesn't always work like that. Sometimes you have to believe God.

[62:00] Fast, even though it's good to also seek physical counsel. Sometimes, when you have sought God in fasting, it makes the physical counsel very clean and clear.

[62:11] You just know it. God will guide you. God will guide you. Amen. These are some of the purposes of fasting. And when you are fasting, the prayer topic, this is called prayer fasting. Let's target to pray for our church.

[62:25] Let's pray for our nation. It's important. And then pray for your health. Pray for your health during fasting. And pray for your prosperity. It's very important.

[62:38] Pray for your church. Pray for our nation. Pray for your health. Pray for your prosperity. And pray for the salvation of your loved ones. Pray about these things when you are fasting.

[62:49] And you will see the hand of God in Jesus. Do you receive something? Thank you for listening to this message by David Entry. You're welcome to connect with David Entry on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

[63:05] You can also find more spirit-filled messages from Karis Church on YouTube and all relevant streaming platforms. Don't forget to subscribe, like, and share the message.

[63:16] Be blessed.