[0:00] Thank you for tuning into this message by David Entry. Every true revival is a product of the strong preaching of God's Word. May you receive a word from this message that will spark a revival in you.
[0:12] Isaiah chapter 58, reading from verse 6. Thank you, Jesus. It says that it's not just the fast that I have chosen, to lose the band of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke.
[0:35] Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out of thy house, when thou seest the naked, that thou coverst him, and that thou hide not thy face from thine own flesh.
[0:54] Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health spring forth speedily, and thy righteousness shall go before thee.
[1:06] The glory of the Lord shall be thy rare reward. Then shall thou call, and the Lord shall answer. Thou shall cry, and he shall say, Here I am.
[1:18] If thou take away from the midst of the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity, and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day.
[1:38] And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones. And thou shalt be like the watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not, verse 12.
[1:53] And they that shall be of thee, shall build the old waste places, that shall raise up the foundations of many generations, and thou shalt be called the repairer of the bridge, the restorer of the path to dwelling.
[2:11] Here ends the reading of God's holy word. Let's pray. Father, thank you. We pray that as your word is taught, let what has been predetermined, when the word of God is taught, let it happen to your glory.
[2:23] In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Fasting, power, purpose, fasting. What is fasting? Usually some people say, I'm fasting from movies, I'm fasting from TV.
[2:37] Yeah, it might be. It's okay. Yes. Abstaining from something that is part of your regular living. But really, when the Bible mentions fasting, what it actually means is, refraining from food and drink.
[2:51] For spiritual reasons, for a particular period of time. So you are refraining from food and drink. One, for spiritual reason. How long? For a particular period of time.
[3:03] So, if you don't have food to eat, it doesn't convert into fasting. And, there's a difference between fasting and hunger strike.
[3:15] Okay. So, fasting is purposefully, intentionally, refraining from food and drink. Usually, water is okay.
[3:26] For lubrication of the body. So, water is fine. But, food and drink, or beverages, including tea, and coffee, hot chocolate.
[3:45] Refraining, refraining from food and drink. Refraining from food and drink. For, this is important, for spiritual purpose, or for spiritual reason.
[3:58] For spiritual reason. for a particular period of time. It's not constant. For a particular period of time. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6, verse 16, he was teaching his disciples.
[4:13] Moreover, when, let's, can we read the first line on the screen? actually, first four words. Let's read the first four words. Let's go. I knew some people would continue.
[4:28] I knew it. I was waiting for that. All right. I mean, okay, I know some of you don't know what words are, but, to fast, okay.
[4:40] Yeah, to fast, and that's okay. Let's, let's read it. And now, some people decide not to read. Please. Let's read it again for the last time.
[4:52] When you fast. So, prior to that, he told them, when you pray, I think from verse 6, it's talking about when you give your arms. When you pray.
[5:03] So, giving is a when. Praying is a when. Fasting is a when. Not if. There must be a scheduled period of fasting in your life. There must be an intentionally programmed seasons or programmed giving in your life as a believer.
[5:21] There must be an intentionally programmed praying times in your life and likewise fasting. So, he said, moreover, when you fast. So, fasting is a necessary part of a spiritual work.
[5:36] Some traditions and some religions fast. You might think it's just an activity. No, it carries some spiritual weight. Because fasting carries some spiritual weight.
[5:50] It's different from when you're going to do surgery and they ask you to fast. Nearby mouth. That's not what I'm talking about. That's not for spiritual purpose. That's for medical reasons.
[6:01] But fasting is when it's for spiritual purpose. it begins to shift things in the spirit. Different religions and spiritual organizations fast because they know why they fast.
[6:17] You might think that it doesn't matter. It does something. So, as a believer, you must have a scheduled period of fasting in your life. What happens when we fast?
[6:28] When you fast, you subdue the flesh for spiritual leverage. So, how many of us have ever done something you didn't want to do?
[6:46] I know it's only about three people. But, it's normal with the flesh. How many of you have ever said something? I won't say this thing again.
[6:58] Or someone tells you, I'll tell you this, don't tell anybody. But you don't even know how the thing came up when you were talking to somebody else. Because sometimes the flesh can run our lives.
[7:11] We plan not to eat some things, we end up eating it. You plan to go to the gym, you don't go in. You plan, you know, even there are people who have allergies, who can still stop eating the thing they are not supposed to be eating?
[7:30] so when you fast, what fasting does is you are subduing your flesh, your human appetite, instincts, carnal instincts, and human tendencies.
[7:48] You are subduing the flesh and giving your spirit leverage. So your spirit gets an upper hand. so the more you do it, the more the flesh is subdued.
[8:02] In some parts of the Bible, it is called afflicting your soul. Psalm 35 verse 13, it said, as for me, when they were sick and they were not well, I afflicted my soul.
[8:15] So afflicting your soul is a way of expression as Psalm 35 verse 13. It says that, but as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth, I humbled my soul with fasting.
[8:29] Some translations we use, I afflicted my soul. I think maybe New American Standard Version is likely to use, or English Standard is likely to use, I afflicted.
[8:39] But it's another way, the afflicting, the amplifier said, I afflicted myself with fastings. King James says, I humbled, it's the same expression, I humbled myself.
[8:52] In Leviticus chapter 16 verse 29, Bible talks about how the Israelites, God gave them instructions on a certain day, don't do anything, but this shall be a statute forever for you.
[9:03] In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls and do no work. So that afflicting of souls is talking about fasting.
[9:14] So one phrase to reflect fasting is afflicting your soul. Also, humbling your soul. To humble your soul means that you are entering into a time of fasting.
[9:27] Okay? And it's very important to understand. So when you fast, you actually subdue the flesh. You afflict your soul. What is your soul? Your soul is the seat of your person.
[9:37] soul. In your spirit, or in your body, you have world consciousness. In your body, you have world consciousness.
[9:48] In your spirit, you have God consciousness. In your soul, you have self consciousness. The soul is the seat of yourself, of your person.
[10:00] I will, I am. You don't know who I am. That is your soul. I feel like that is your soul. So when you are flitting your soul, it's like you are making yourself take a back seat so that your spirit man can be more sensitive towards God for all to heighten or increase your God consciousness.
[10:19] So fasting is actually a good thing. John Wesley, he had a system in place. You will never be ordained as a Methodist priest in these days. He will not ordain you as a Methodist priest unless every week from Wednesday to Friday you fast.
[10:34] it must be a lifestyle. It's called a fasted life. A fasting lifestyle that every week there's a day or two in which you fast.
[10:44] You just fast. You just fast. You are supposed to with John Wesley, you are supposed to fast from the beginning of the day till 4pm. You have to ask a minister because fasting helps you.
[10:57] It gives you spiritual leverage. Now a minister of God who is feeding God's people must have a certain lifestyle of fasting. It helps you to be a bit more conscious of God.
[11:08] So in fasting we subdue the flesh for spiritual leverage or for spiritual martyrs. It does not, fasting doesn't necessarily make you holier.
[11:20] It doesn't make you holier or it doesn't make you more Christian. Is there a time where you become more a child of your father, a daughter of your mother?
[11:32] No, you want you are. Being a Christian you are. You don't become more Christian or less Christian. But, so fasting doesn't make you more Christian, neither does it make you more holy.
[11:46] So sometimes when people are fasting they think they are better than others. I'm holy, I'm holy. No, it doesn't make you more holy. It just, as I explained, helps you to be more God conscious.
[11:56] and the more God conscious you are, the less self-centered you become. The more God conscious you are, the less your flesh will be able to dominate you.
[12:07] And the more the flesh can dominate you, the more spiritual you are likely to be. Does that make sense? So the one who fasts is likely to even be able to walk holier because the flesh has been subdued.
[12:21] So fasting helps you to be able to subdue the flesh. Normally, with Kharis, when we say we are fasting, when does the fasting start?
[12:34] From when you wake up in the morning. With some people, it starts at 12 midnight from the beginning of the day. Usually, sometimes, let's say, we have a prayer meeting and we finish at midnight.
[12:48] And we are fasting, continuing to fast the next day. There's a few, you know, so usually we have to wait.
[13:01] I will eat at 3 a.m. before I go to bed. That's carnality. That's not really. There are some religious traditions, they wake up early to eat heavy.
[13:16] In fact, that kind of milk can take you to the next day. so we normally, it starts, when the day starts, when your day starts, you keep yourself away from food.
[13:32] And then till we normally say 6 p.m. but as I told you, John Wesley's own was just for regular ones, 4 p.m. but 6 p.m.
[13:42] unless for health reasons, some people do it till 12. Some of us, the way your life is busy, sometimes at 2 p.m. you have eating. So if you are saying, I'm just doing it till 12, you're doing it till 12, you are not serious.
[13:59] Are you a pregnant woman? So the ideal and the normal one for all of us is 6 p.m.
[14:09] There's no hard and fast rule on that. Some people say, okay, I'll do it, I'll break my fast at 10 a.m. Even many hotels break fast finish at 10.
[14:27] So breaking your fast at 10, you are not breaking any fast. You are just having breakfast. Yeah, that's breakfast. You are breaking the fast now. So usually we do it till 6 p.m.
[14:41] But depending on your health condition, you can do it till whatever your strength can take you. And then that leads me to the next point.
[14:54] Please remember when you are fasting, any spiritual endeavor must be in faith. do it in faith, not based on feelings. You come to church by faith.
[15:06] You see, life, good things doesn't just happen because you are hoping. You have to drive yourself. You have to, most people, their faith is about their work.
[15:18] They will not miss work for anything. Even when they are dying, they say, I will still go. I will still go. They spend all their time working and no devotion towards worship.
[15:32] In the day of their crisis, they feel, God, you owe me something. No, life doesn't work like that. If you don't have time for God, God doesn't have time for you. God does not have time for people who don't have time for him.
[15:44] Never forget this statement. If you don't have time for God, God doesn't have time for you. And so everything you do in God must be done in faith. The Bible says in Hebrews 11 verse 6, for without faith it's impossible to please God.
[15:59] Whoever comes to God must believe that he is in his own order of those who diligently seek him. Before Jesus turned the water into wine, Mary told the people, whatever he tells you, just do it.
[16:11] John 2 verse 5, whatever he tells you, just do it. That's how you work with God, by faith. Just push yourself through it and you see God waiting for you on the other side.
[16:24] There are several numerous fastings that occurred in the Bible. Moses, for instance, Exodus chapter 34 verse 28, Moses fasted. He fasted just so he can receive the commandment.
[16:38] He neither ate bread nor drank water and he wrote on the tablets the ways of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments, when he was going to receive, he wasn't eating for 40 days and 49.
[16:52] waiting on God. So we see instances in the Bible where different people, Daniel fasted. No wonder lions couldn't eat him. No wonder lions couldn't eat him.
[17:04] You don't want lions to eat you. There are different types of lions that might come your way. Esther fasted and she was able to deliver her people.
[17:19] Ezra fasted, Nehemiah fasted, David fasted, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, God, when God came on earth, he fasted. God, God, God on earth was fasting.
[17:35] You on earth are eating. Even God, when he came on earth, he knew that to have spiritual leverage in life, you have to fast.
[17:49] So we saw Jesus fasting in the early church. We saw fasting in the early church. Fasting is mentioned about 75 times in the Bible. Fasting, 75 times.
[18:01] Why is it that people are always afraid to fast? Because we love to indulge in the flesh. If I tell you fasting is something, I wasn't looking forward to this January fasting.
[18:12] I've only been looking forward to the benefits and the blessings that I'm about to follow, we call the fasting. But the means, the fasting itself, I don't move forward to it. Yes.
[18:24] But it's a necessary aspect of life. It's a necessary aspect of life. There are some things you don't like doing, but just can't do it. It's part of life.
[18:36] You just have to do it. Just have to do it. Married people, there are things you don't like doing, you just do it. Yeah. I'm trying to say that some things are just part of life.
[18:54] In the same way, fasting. Bro, bro, I know you don't like fasting, but brace yourself. It's part. If you want to have some colorful testimonies from God, it's part of the deal.
[19:07] It's part of life. Else, your life will be left to chances. So, we see fasting everywhere. When you fast, what happens when you fast? You create space for God in your busy schedule or your busy life.
[19:21] That's fasting. You create space for God. You have to do it intentionally. So, intentionally make extra room for God. Therefore, have a schedule within your day when you fast.
[19:33] Like prayer times, service times, we are fasting. So, you make, you have time. When you are fasting, it helps you to create in your busy schedule. But, because of what I said, permit me to say, you are at work.
[19:46] Don't say, it's my time for prayer. Christian, you have not been employed to pray. You have been employed to work. So, the beauty of Christianity is, you can always, you can pray anyway.
[19:58] You can be in the, excuse my language, the toilet and pray. You can, and it doesn't have to be 12 midday. It doesn't have to be a fast time.
[20:09] Any time you can pray because God is always available. So, if maybe you are working and because of that, you cannot pray, find time.
[20:19] Once you have break time, you can use that time wherever you are. But what I'm trying to say, make time for God in your busy schedule. And don't, don't put the burden on others.
[20:31] Some people, when they are fasting, it's like everybody must suffer because they are fasting. Your husband must suffer. The children can't even get time to eat because we are fasting. Excuse me. That's not responsibility.
[20:42] Bible said, to your faith, add virtue. So, it's important that you create, it should be within, between you and God without disrupting other people's lives.
[20:54] That's, that's very important. Don't disrupt other people's lives. But if it's your schedule and they are, you, I don't have time to fit you in, that's fine. If you are calling me to come and pick you from the airport on Sunday morning, you better wait because I'm in church.
[21:09] I can't come. I won't disrupt it. Oh, but you are disrupting me. No, you want to disrupt my life. So, I have to deal with what I'm dealing with before I go. Some of you who are so committed to God and you have responsibility, let family members know because some of them don't put any value on devotion to worship.
[21:27] They don't. And you have to draw the line else they will determine the limits of your worship and your devotion. It's not like they are mean, but they don't value what you value when it comes to God and worship.
[21:40] So, remember that. Before family members tell me, I've just arrived at the airport. Sunday morning, didn't you know where the play will land? Change your ticket and if that's the only time, then you have to wait.
[21:52] It's like transit. Yeah, it's transit. Wait for my car will come and pick you back. It might be eight hours of transit. So, when you are fasting, you do that, creates time for God.
[22:08] It helps you to depend on God. It helps you to identify with those who sometimes are also hungry. People are suffering. Something helps you. It's important. Fasting helps you to remember when you fast, it helps you to remember that you are dust.
[22:27] You are not exceptional. You are just a normal human being. Fasting helps you to embrace emptiness and redrawing from normal activities like socializing music, movie, etc.
[22:39] to create space for God. It helps you. It helps you. Fasting will help you to embrace emptiness. You empty yourself. Now, let me, because of this, let me just add this quickly. Fasting, as I said earlier on, Bible sometimes uses the phrase humble your soul to express fasting.
[23:00] Humble your soul because God withdraws from the pride. God does not like pride. God doesn't celebrate pride, the pride, the proud.
[23:13] He does not do pride. And so he says, James chapter 4, verse 10, humble yourself before God.
[23:25] And you humble yourself. Shall we all read it? Let's read it. Let's go. One more time. If you want God to lift you, what do you do?
[23:40] Humble yourself. In 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 6, it says that God gives grace to the humble. God resists the proud. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due season.
[23:54] Verse 5, let's look at verse 5. For God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Because God gives grace to the humble but he resists the proud.
[24:07] Then the verse 6 says that, therefore, because God does that, therefore, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God that he will exalt you in due time. God works with humility.
[24:20] God frowns from pride. The more proud you are, the more you will never get access to God. Humble yourself.
[24:30] So, fasting is actually intentionally humbling. It's called humbling ourselves. You humble yourself. Fasting helps you to empty yourself of all the normal activities of life, many normal activities of life and pleasure just to see God.
[24:49] Fasting, as I said, humbles you. In Luke chapter 14, verse 11, Jesus says that for whoever exhorts himself will be humbled, whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
[25:01] If you exhort yourself, you'll be humbled. If you humble yourself, you'll be exalted. And then when he tells a story, a parable or a story of someone who, you know, he says, when you are invited into a party or dinner, don't go and sit at the high place because go and sit at the low place.
[25:18] Humble yourself because if you go and sit at the high place and someone more noble has been invited and is coming for that seat, they will ask you, come down. And then now you'll be humiliated. But I said, go and sit at the low place.
[25:30] This is words. Go and sit at the low place and when you come and you are meant to be at there, they will invite you up. There's more honor in being invited up than being devoted down.
[25:43] So the scripture I read, James chapter 4, verse 10, I'm sorry. Let's read the out loud again, please. One more time, please.
[26:00] Never pray and ask God to humble you. I don't think you would like the results. It's a prayer you shouldn't be praying.
[26:11] God doesn't do it for you. You have to humble yourself. humble yourself. It's a personal endeavor. Humble yourself.
[26:22] Some people just can't live here on show you. Simply because you are wearing a man shoes. Because of your job, because of where you live, because of your certificate, because of your qualification, you can't humble yourself.
[26:40] He said humble yourself. When you ask God to humble you, you are asking for humiliation. In fact, you'll be, why is this happening to me? But you ask God to humble you. You better humble yourself.
[26:52] Humble yourself. Say, humble yourself. Sister, humble yourself. Madam, humble yourself. Pride is not taking you anywhere.
[27:05] Humility will expose you to grace. By grace we fly. Grace makes the journey great. grace. He targets God intentionally, allocates grace to the humble.
[27:21] He said God gives grace to the humble, but he resists the price. Don't come near me. He pushes you away. May God help us all to humble. So fasting helps us to humble ourselves quickly.
[27:37] Oh, I like this. Fasting always comes with a reward. When you fast, it comes with a reward. So, you know, I told you about, I really, I wasn't really keen and looking forward to this fasting period.
[27:51] Yeah. Since I got born again, I've lived a fasted life. I fast a lot, but as I grow up, as I'm physically growing, I don't find it funny.
[28:05] I don't, that's what I'm just telling you, I don't find it funny, but it's still necessary. If Archbishop, if Bishop Wade DePo, if our fathers are still fasting, then we also have to, as you grow, your strength changes, your abilities changes.
[28:24] I wasn't excited about coming fasting, but it's necessary. I was excited about something else. What is it? The results, the results, the results. Fasting brings untold results.
[28:36] Amazing presidential results. So don't focus on the pain, on the challenge. Focus on the results. It's like someone who is doing your PhD or a special course or something.
[28:48] You are focusing on the kind of job you'll get if you're able to finish this course. So it's the same way. Fasting is a course. Focus on the results.
[28:59] Focus on the reward, not the hunger. I don't like the hunger, but I like the results. And let me just add this quickly before I mention the benefits of fasting.
[29:15] People fast for wrong reasons. People fast for wrong reasons. For instance, Jezebel fasted to collect somebody's land.
[29:27] 1 Kings chapter 21 verse 9. The husband said, I'm sad. I'm sad. Why is I'm sad? Because I wanted the land of Naboth. He won't give me the land.
[29:39] So Jezebel said, verse 8, told the husband, don't worry, go and rest. It's cherub. I'll sort you out. Jezebel. I'll sort you out. And the Bible says that she wrote a letter saying, proclaim a fast.
[29:53] Okay. Proclaim a fast. So Jezebel wrote a letter, proclaim a fast. Why? We are going to collect somebody's land. Don't pray that somebody's husband will eventually become yours.
[30:07] Don't fast. In Acts chapter 23 from verse 11, some people fasted that Paul would die. Yes. Following, they fasted, they stood from verse 12.
[30:23] It says that the Jews banded together and bound themselves under, saying they would neither eat nor drink till they had Paul killed. They were fasting that this guy would kill him.
[30:35] So you can be fasting, people can fast for wrong reasons. Let's not fast for wrong reasons. Quickly, okay, I read from Isaiah chapter 58.
[30:48] When you fast, benefits of fasting, lose, let me just mention it, I've preached this message already, but lose the bonds of weakness, verse 6, Isaiah 58. Number 2, to undo heavy burdens.
[31:01] Fast to undo burdens. You fast to let the oppressed go free. 4, you fast to break yoke. Number 5, to share with the needy.
[31:12] Number 6, when you fast, your light breaks forth, your healing springs forth. 7, 8, your righteousness goes before you.
[31:23] 9, the glory of God will be your rear guard, verse 8. And then 10th point, God answers when you call, when you fast. God answers when you call. And verse 11, and then point 11, securing the future.
[31:38] It says that, and the Lord shall guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and make fat your bones. This is talking about what is ahead. That's why it's always good we choose to fast in January, to secure the future, the days ahead.
[31:55] Amen. When do you have to fast? When? Under what circumstances? What are the times you have to fast? I need to add this.
[32:05] It's important. Number one, you can declare a fast when there's a giant task or a major decision ahead. Sister, the guy say he wants to marry you, and I think, I might be sure.
[32:19] Look at his nose. I'm not sure about this thing. You've seen a lady you want to marry. You're checking her out. Has she been praying and all? How would you know?
[32:30] Let's say she's a prayer warrior. Do you know about what health challenges ahead? Or the kind of children she's about to produce? Or the kind of children he's about to produce?
[32:43] Maybe he's about to produce in their blood. Sickly children. You don't know all these things. Or maybe his blood and your blood. You don't know a lot of dynamics. When you're about to make a major decision in life, fast.
[32:57] You're thinking on which area to buy a house, which area to locate. You're about to go into university, thinking on which course to embark on. Hey! Try and spend some time fasting. A day or two a week.
[33:09] Fast! You're thinking on what to choose for my son, my daughter, what decision to make. When you're about to make a major decision, giant decision, marriage, location, starting a business, or what to do, going to something new, and it's going to have a definite impact on the rest of your life and the people around you, please, it's calling for fasting.
[33:33] Amen. Number two, when you are faced with danger, 2 Chronicles 20, 12, when you can tell you are faced with danger, look, the doctor said, you went to the doctors and you are feeling funny, and they said, they have seen something cancerous, come in two weeks, sister, declare fast between the time they said it before you go, brother, declare fast, it's good to seek prayer, but you too take some responsibility, your life is faced with danger, fast, Joshua first said, the people are coming to run us over, we don't have strength to deal with them, but I help us in you, so they proclaim a fast, fast, they proclaim a fast in Judah, they feared, and they proclaim a fast throughout Judah, when do you fast, when your life is in danger, when your daughter's life is in danger, when your son's life is in danger, when your husband's life is in danger, when your wife's life is in danger, sometimes your loved one might not be able to fast, you have to get into a place of fasting, because somebody important around you, his life is in danger, get into spiritual people, let's stop outsourcing prayer, oh, this one will pray for me, in some parts of the world,
[34:50] I hear they are specialists who fast, they are spiritual people, and you pay them to fast for you, because they need their money to go and buy beverage and buy meat pie to break their fast, you gotta fast, you gotta fast, this year, you've been, listen, you've been having this constant dreams of death, of death, of death, bro, I beg ya, please, fast, you can tell, danger is looming, around the corner, fast, your daughter, your son, is about to do a major exam, you're only thinking about tuition, it's good, but, fast, you've been having, strange, visitors in your house, at night, you can hear someone is walking in the house, you are going to, God means to bring anointing oil, somebody has opened the fridge, and you go and open the fridge, they put your socks in the fridge, fast, fast, am I communicating, fast,
[36:04] I'm talking to Christians, spiritual people, you have to be aware, that there's some unseen reality, seen reality, a major situation in your past, has been uncovered, it's been uncovered, documents are coming up, and your entire career, is about to be shattered, please, fast, you were innocent, social service is investigating you, it's not that you've done anything, suddenly they say your neighbors have reported something, because a cat has gone missing, and they think you are eating the cat, you are eating our pets, sorry, number three, when you fast, when you encounter demonic issues, so a similar example is actually what I said, your life is in danger, you see people in your house, you encounter demonic issues, this is strange, something unusual is happening, demonic issues, please, fast, look, every time someone wants to marry you, they have a dream that someone wants to kill them, fast, this is not calling for counseling, it's not calling just for counseling, it's calling for spiritual engagement, engage them in battle, you have the power, you can stop the enemy in his tracks, fast, believer, fast, don't walk around, see demons play around your garden, fast them out, fast, demons are, and witch, witch doctor has threatened you, they say you will see, you will see, you will see what will happen to you and your children, and suddenly one day your child was asleep and he's choking, mom, mom,
[38:03] I can't breathe, you can see the thing is happening, first of all, don't look for a prophet, don't look for a pastor, something for somebody trying to pray for me, it's good to also ask, but you yourself, take responsibility, take responsibility, but pastor, when I fast, I get hungry, what did you expect?
[38:27] First, when the doctors start telling you what you don't want to hear, first, believe God, am I preaching? Mark chapter 9 verse 29, he said, however, this kind does not go, he said to them, this kind cometh out by nothing but prayer and fasting, some kind of demonish, stubborn situations, number four, when you are faced with social issues, high crime, political unrest, confusion, fast, so sometimes Christians can come together, say, if my people who are called by my name shall, first thing he said, humble, you see, that humble, shall humble themselves, if my people, second chronicle chapter 17, 14, my people who are called my man, shall humble themselves, that's fasting, humble yourself, God likes working with people who are humble, don't tell us you are humble, just work in humility, and it will be, your grace and promotion will show, so when there, for instance, when there's high crime in the certain area you live in, or the school your children attend, a lot of things, bad things are happening there, and fast, somebody must stand in the garden fast, and then finally, to break the bondage of a yoke,
[39:46] I know some people might be familiar with this, sometimes you can be caught in a toxic relationship you can't wiggle yourself out of, toxic, you know, toxic relationship, some relationships are toxic, it's destroying your life, now you have become a storage for drugs, you can't break up from this relationship, the guy is storing drugs in your house, and abusing you, and you can't break up, sister, fast, fast to break this hold of your life, so tight, every now, you can't just walk away from this girl, and you know the devil is using her to ruin your life, but you just can't go, fast to break that thing of your life, you fast to break addictions, sometimes you are trying to overcome this addiction, it's not stopping, have you tried giving it to fasting, engaging fasting, about the topic, about it, engaging fasting, there are different types of fasting, there are corporate fasting and private fasting, so sometimes you have to do private fasting, but corporate fasting, that's what we are starting tomorrow, all of us are coming together to fast, corporate fasting,
[40:57] Nehemiah chapter 9 verse 1 to 3, is a corporate fasting, they separate themselves, they confess their sins, they stayed in the word, and they stayed in worship, five things, corporate fasting, separate themselves, so you have to separate yourself from all kinds of things that are not helpful, some people you don't have to even answer their phone calls, because of your season of fasting, they are bringing toxins into your life, or they are not a positive influence, and they are not going to help you, is that one learning something?
[41:27] yeah, so separate yourself from Nehemiah chapter 9 verse 1 to 3, corporate fasting, separate yourself, and that's cut down on some things, maybe every evening you have to watch Netflix movies, or every morning, cut down on some things, cut down on social media, cut down in the time of fasting, cut down on some things, cut down, cut down on some things that occupy your life more, so you can make more room for God, it's important, so separate yourself, confess your sins, sometimes you can even confess the sins on the behalf of your family, your granddad is dead, but he was a murderer, he murdered so many people, you can see, it is ravaging the impact, it's on your cousins, your nephews, your nieces, and it's affecting things, you can confess on the behalf of your family, you can, father we have sinned against you, my family have always insulted pastors, my family has always insulted churches, forgive us, I confess on the behalf of the family, you can do that in times of fasting, corporate fasting, so here you see they confess their sins, and then stay in the word, make more time for the word of God, make more time to hear preaching, to read your
[42:43] Bible, spend time, read it, read your Bible, and then number five is commitment to daily prayer, some of us make it, don't travel, because of the time of fasting, don't travel, if you can, so you can be around for all the prayer evenings, because God is just trying to help secure the future for you, he won't do it for you, he'll create a room for you to step into it yourself, is someone getting something, so make time for God, and I see untold benefits coming, in Jesus name, did you receive something?
[43:20] thank you for listening to this message by David Entry, we pray you have been revived to all's God, you can connect with David Entry on all relevant social media platforms, including Instagram and LinkedIn, you can also hear more messages from David Entry on all relevant streaming platforms and the Carish Church app, don't forget to like and share the message, be blessed.
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