The Blessing Of Fasting | David Antwi

[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.

[0:14] Isaiah chapter 58 reading from verse 5. It says that, Is it such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bull rush?

[0:30] And to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will thou call this fast an unacceptable day of the Lord? Verse 6 is the main point now.

[0:42] Is it not the fast that I have chosen? To lose the bands of wickedness and to undo the heavy burdens and to let the oppressed go free and that ye break every yoke?

[0:55] Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thine house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him?

[1:08] And that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thine health shall spring forth speedily and thy righteousness shall go forth before thee.

[1:24] The glory of the Lord shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer. That thou shalt cry and he shall say, Here I am.

[1:35] If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger and speaking vanity, and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfied afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noonday.

[1:57] And the Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfy thy soul in drought and make fat thy bones. And thou shalt be like a watered garland and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.

[2:10] Here ends the reading of God's word. Shall we please pray? Father, thank you. We pray that as we get in your word, give us illumination by your spirit. Give us understanding. Take us into chambers in your word which natural man cannot take us.

[2:25] Holy Spirit, you are the magister veritatis, the master of the truth. Teach us the truth and the ways of God. For he said in your word, Even though affliction shall come to you, your teachers shall not be hidden from you.

[2:41] For you shall hear a voice behind you saying this is the way. Walk in it. Holy Spirit, you are our teacher. Show us the way. Amen. So we can have mastery and upper hand to your glory in this year.

[2:52] In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Praise the Lord. Amen. Another first week of January has started. Some of you are aware we will be fasting.

[3:05] And this morning by 8 a.m. you're already hungry. And you're wondering, how am I going to do this thing? We live in a generation of entertainment.

[3:18] Generation, everything is all about what you are receiving and enjoying and enjoying and enjoying. So to put yourself in a state of a sacrifice to give, it's not the mood of our generation we live in.

[3:31] People are not giving to sacrifices, denying themselves pleasure and gratification. Everything I want, I must have it now. We live in a generation of instant coffees and credit cards.

[3:45] Spending money you don't have. So we live in a generation that doesn't want to hear fasting. Because of narcissism. Everything is about us and what we are getting.

[3:57] But fasting actually gives you an upper hand. Fasting is intentional or deliberately abstaining from normal gratification.

[4:08] So it's a normal, it's nothing wrong about the gratification. Like if you are eating food, if you are eating nice food. There's nothing wrong with it. But the purposeful, you know, intentionally denying yourself, abstaining from certain physical gratifications.

[4:29] Watch this for a period of time, not constantly. So intentionally abstain. So intention, abstainence, gratification, period of time for a spiritual leverage and a spiritual reason.

[4:46] So if it's not for spiritual reason and a spiritual leverage, it's not fasting. Do you understand that? For spiritual power, for spiritual leverage, for spiritual advancement.

[4:57] So fasting is deliberate abstinence from some form of physical gratification for a period of time.

[5:10] For a period of time with the intention, for spiritual power or spiritual leverage. And everybody who wants to enjoy God to a certain dimension must learn to fast.

[5:31] In the book of Matthew chapter 17, the Bible talks about how the man brought his son possessed with a devil for the disciples to come. The disciples, come out! In the name of Jesus, come out!

[5:41] They were doing it, come out! And the disciples couldn't do it. And they were struggling. So when they came, the man brought his son to Jesus. And Jesus Christ commanded the demon, and the demon left.

[5:53] Then when the demon left, the disciples were all having questions on their mind. But why couldn't we deal with this? Why couldn't we? So one of them mastered the courage and asked Jesus, Say, we are all thinking about this, but no one is talking.

[6:05] I want to talk. So Peter said, Say, how come we were not able to cast out the devil? Then Jesus answered and said, Because of your own belief, for verily I say unto you, If you have faith as a great of master, you shall be removed and be cast into the sea.

[6:19] But then, verse 21, Jesus dropped the master key. He said, in spite of all that, I know you've been praying. You were praying, you were doing it and had faith. However, this kind, it doesn't go out, not out, but by prayer and fasting.

[6:39] Everybody say prayer and fasting. Prayer and fasting. Say prayer and fasting. Prayer and fasting. So prayer and fasting, watch this. There are certain things that on earth you can never experience without fasting.

[6:54] Let us think. Pastor Ho, as I was preparing the message, you don't know me, I started meditating. And I realized, every landmark step in Kairos is through fasting.

[7:07] Every major thing we have started doing and it's benefited the church and it helped the church bless people. Miracles that, great miracles that I have seen in our ministry and in my life are a product of fasting.

[7:23] Aftermath of fasting. I heard Bishop Eudepo say this about five years ago. We were in a pastor's conference and it says that every pastor must have a scheduled fasting period.

[7:35] Every pastor. So like every week you have three days you fast in a week. Some of you are scared. I said, I won't be a pastor. I had a story of a child who, like church was fasting and so five-year-old child said, Mom, I'm going to fast then.

[7:50] I'm also going to join the fast. He said, now that I understand fasting is to abstain from something, some gratification. And so he asked Mom, Mom asked, what are you going to fast? He said, I'm going to fast from Barbie. Mom, I'm not going to play Barbie for the 21 days.

[8:06] Three hours later, I came to Mom and said, Mom, I don't think I can fast. I don't think I can fast. I have to do something else. And then he said, Mom, okay, then I'll fast food.

[8:18] And Mom said, you don't have to fast food. Just some juice. You can do juice. He said, okay, Mom, I'm going to do it. A few hours later, I said, Mom, I don't think this thing makes sense.

[8:30] I won't do it. I can't do it. Then two days later, she came to Mom. Mom, I've got an idea. I'm going to fast. Yes, I'm going to fast. Mom said, what are you going to?

[8:41] I said, I'm going to fast from smoking. Because she doesn't smoke. So that's it. Funny, an easy way out.

[8:55] I don't smoke so fast. I'm going to fast smoking. But the bishop said that a pastor must fast. A Christian must have scheduled time of fasting.

[9:09] Besides even the corporate fasting we do. The health situation you are dealing with this child, it's likely there's a demonic dimension to it. Don't wait for anointed pastor to pray for you.

[9:21] Take matters into your own and get to God. There is something the Pentecostals call the priesthood of all believers. It's a major doctrine in the Protestant church.

[9:34] The Catholic church taught sacerdotalism. It's only special priests and special people who have access to God. So you need to consult them so they consult God on your behalf on some matters.

[9:47] No, that's not what the Bible teaches. The Bible says that we are a royal priesthood. So Jesus Christ came when he died. The curtain in the temple tore. That means every human being.

[9:58] Hebrews chapter 4 verse 16. Let us come boldly before the throne of grace. So we all have bold access to God. So don't wait for an anointed pastor.

[10:09] Even though God can use them and God still uses them. God will use me for you. Definitely. God will use me for you. But take personal responsibility. Nobody, if you don't go to the filling station to fuel your car, you won't be able to drive with time.

[10:28] You have to, it's not an electric car for you to charge it at home. You have to go to the petrol station. Put, Americans say gas. Put diesel. Put petrol in the car.

[10:40] You must take responsibility and go to the station. Take responsibility and go to the station. Take responsibility spiritually and give yourself to fasting.

[10:54] Listen. We, the Westerners, because there's so much. Nowadays when you go to restaurants, even the way they present the food alone can make you satisfied. Food is getting more sophisticated and enhanced and appealing.

[11:11] The way they can present food. You are wondering, am I going to eat this food? We, we have so much available for us. We find it very difficult to delay gratification.

[11:21] Or withhold gratification. So people, some of us, when we say we are fasting, you say, oh man, I'll break at 10 because, because I keep shaking.

[11:34] Listen. Listen. If you fast for two days, you will not die. If you fast for three days, you will not die. So the opposition you are dealing with, you might think is just normal.

[11:47] No. There is a spiritual dimension to it. And when you pray, you can break that spiritual dimension. Pray for that child. And fast about the situation.

[11:58] Stop on situation and asking for fasting. Personal fasting. So, it's important to understand that you will not die fasting.

[12:10] You can do 21 days raw fasting and only drink water. And you won't die. I'm telling you. You see the way you are scared. You won't die. You won't die. I had a conversation with a pastor friend of mine about five years ago.

[12:24] And he likes fasting. And he's doing well. I'm casting my mind to people who I know do a lot of fasting. They tend to do well, usually. They tend to have spiritual upper hand. He's doing well.

[12:35] He told me, man of God, we fast a lot. And you don't have to be a pastor to fast. No. I want to challenge everybody here. If there are stubborn situations you are dealing with, it shouldn't repeat this year.

[12:47] No. No. This year should not. You have to take the bull by the horn. You can have an upper hand. When you look through scriptures, people fasted for different reasons.

[13:01] So Nehemiah, he fasted when he wanted to go and see the king for a release to go and do the work of God. So Daniel fasted for the end of captivity.

[13:12] Esther fasted when her life and her people's life were at stake. When antisemitism was so high everywhere, they said, kill the Jews. Esther fasted.

[13:24] In the book of Esther chapter 4. Esther fasted. Moses fasted 40 days. Why are you worried about 2 days and 3 days and 20? Jesus fasted 40 days.

[13:35] Moses fasted 40 days. Esther fasted 3 days. People have been fasting in scripture and they will see the hand of God. You will also see the hand of God. I'm trying to tell you that this year will be actually your finest year.

[13:50] So people fasted. Jesus himself fasted. Can you imagine before he started his ministry? Before Jesus started his ministry, he went to fast. He gave himself to fasting.

[14:04] And you want to start your industry and you fast. And sometimes, please, don't forget the conditions from your background. And the conditions you are dealing with.

[14:16] So, let's say, if you're a woman and you want to run a, you want to be a chief executive of a certain multinational organization. It's male dominated.

[14:27] You can tell that there's some, you know, existing resistance already. So it's not favorable for you. Some of us, you want your child to be in Oxford?

[14:40] And this child, when you said one plus two, he said 21. In year eight. I get you upset.

[14:54] The man you have married, men don't do well from their background. The woman you've married, girls always go way off. From their, it's there.

[15:05] Their history is speaking. And you're beginning to see the traits. Mom, two days, three days fasting will not kill you. It will not kill you.

[15:16] Most of us, instead of fasting, you are buying more makeup for marriage. You keep making up and nothing is adding up. It's about time.

[15:28] Put on sackcloth and ashes. In other words, humble yourself. Come to a place. Now, when we fast, I have some points here. Somebody getting something. One of the things that you must understand is that I want to mention some benefits of fasting.

[15:45] Fasting benefits you, not God. So when you fast, you are not fasting for God. There's a scripture in Zechariah chapter 7, verse 5 and 6.

[15:57] But the way he puts it, one of the translations or so, he puts it this way. He says that if you fast, it's for God. If you eat, it's for yourself. You know, but this doesn't say it.

[16:08] One of the words, certain translations. You fast, you think you are doing me a favor. No, fasting is not helping God. Say, when you look at your age and you look at this marital blockage, deal with it in fasting.

[16:27] Sometimes look at your father's history. Your father's marital history. And you can tell it's repeating in your life. No, you have to break the siege. And don't say, Pastor, anoint me with oil.

[16:41] There's a place for that. But it must start from you. Am I preaching? It must start. Sister, you think you found a man. You don't start praying and fasting. Fast.

[16:53] You are preparing for wedding and you are not fasting. Knowing that marriage in your background is a very difficult thing. You are not being spiritually smart. When you fast, you are not.

[17:07] Fasting is not for God. It's for me. One of the benefits of fasting is, our advantage is when we fast, it expresses our earnestness and urgency in our prayer.

[17:19] So it's like there's an emergency to deal with. So fasting is expressing earnestness and urgency in our prayer.

[17:29] Number two, fasting increases capacity for spiritual power. That's why many religions that have spiritual dimension, they also fast.

[17:40] Yeah? The occult, they fast. People who are into satanism, into the occult, they fast. Because fasting gives you some spiritual upper hand.

[17:54] Gives you some spiritual upper hand. There are some religions, they are vowed to take over the world. And their fasting period is so crucial, global. They are all fasting together.

[18:06] It gives them some unified impetus. You will stay somewhere and say, oh no, they are joking. They already are gaining spiritual upper hand.

[18:18] Now, when you fast, you gain spiritual upper hand. And then, when people sacrifice blood, it gives spiritual acceleration. That's why Christianity was born on, as you might say, somebody decided to commit suicide.

[18:37] It was a suicide mission. Jesus said, I'm going to be killed. So, he didn't kill himself. He knew he was going to be killed. He gave himself for us. That's why, the more they were killing the Christians, the more they were giving their lives for Christ, the more the church was.

[18:52] You can't. So, certain religions, when they commit suicide, by the time you realize, when people should rather turn against them, people become more sympathetic. People will write, I love people of this religion.

[19:05] And they are rather trending. It's not media. It's spiritual upper hand. So, if you think you are going to take over a land for Christ by just eating and drinking, you are joking.

[19:21] That's what I mean. You can't. There are some things God can do until some people fast. And I see, this year, God will show up in your life. So, it increases spiritual capacity for power.

[19:34] Number three, it gets us ready for God's answer. I need you to understand this. Fasting does not control God. Don't say, God, because I fasted, you have to do it.

[19:47] God, you have to do it. I fasted. You have to do it because I fasted. No, no, no, no, no. It doesn't work like that. God doesn't have to do it because you have fasted. Fasting prepares you for God's answers.

[20:00] David, in 2 Samuel chapter 12, his son was sick and the child was dying. David fasted. David fasted for days.

[20:10] He said, he will eat. So, David, therefore, pleaded with God for the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. David was praying, fasting, fasting, fasting, fasting.

[20:23] Then, the news came, the child died. Why was he fasting? That the child will live. And the child died. In verse 19, the Bible says that, When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead.

[20:39] Therefore, David said to his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, he is dead. Look at the next verse. It's shocking. So, David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, changed his clothes, and went into the house of God to worship.

[20:52] Not to complain against God. Good. I'm disappointed. I will fast again. One lady said, sometime ago, she said, Pastor, last year when we fasted, I had so much attack, so I don't want to fast.

[21:07] David didn't use his fasting to control God. When God had his own way, David went and worshipped God. And he said, thank you. And the Bible said, he took his wife Bathsheba and comforted his wife Bathsheba and spent time with her.

[21:24] It's in your Bible. His wife went into her. Yeah, he comforted her first. You should have brought her comfort first. Amen. David went on life.

[21:35] Because fasting is not to control God. Fasting is not to force God. God, you have to give me my marriage. This year, you are giving me my marriage. No. Fasting is not controlling God.

[21:46] It's not forcing God. Fasting rather prepares us. Listen to this. Very important. It prepares us for God's answers. Because sometimes God has something for you, but you are not fasting, so you are misaligned.

[21:59] It comes and you miss it. So, fasting prepares us for God's answers. Number four, it increases our sense of humility and dependence on God. It increases our sense of humility and dependence on God.

[22:13] Sometimes you know you can talk, but what you are dealing with is not talk. Sometimes what you are dealing with is not getting the lawyers to deal with it.

[22:24] Prayer! And you two, you are depending just on doctors. You are depending just on lawyers to win the case. I'm not saying don't use lawyers, don't use doctors, don't use professionals, don't use experts.

[22:40] But this thing we are dealing with requires fasting. This thing requires fasting. And sometimes you can see something is not straightforward. Every time around a season like this, this happens.

[22:52] There's a guy, a minister years ago. He's a very popular person. Great singer. And he was over 40. He couldn't get married. Growing.

[23:03] Every time he was about to get married, he finds a woman. Something happens. And the marriage doesn't work. And one day he found a woman. She's about to marry.

[23:14] I think two weeks or a month or two to the marriage. His mom died. So, you know, the tradition is you can't. So, they have to defer the marriage. And then prayer, prayer. And then eventually, I think the woman, things were.

[23:27] The woman said, no, I can't wait anymore. It's something. Nothing. So, eventually, another time, he got somebody. He got married. Listen, brothers and sisters. When he married, I think three months or six months later, he died.

[23:39] He just died. He just died. Because there was something against his marital life. Marriage is a good thing. But not everybody will walk into it easily.

[23:52] You have to pray. Especially sometimes. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree. So, look at the prevailing circumstances around your mom, your dad.

[24:03] Around your sisters, your brothers. In your family line. Look at the prevailing circumstances. It's likely the way your dad died is the way you also died. It's likely. I'm not saying that. But you have to be aware and rise up in prayer to stop the finger of the devil.

[24:20] And be relevant for God's work. Don't say this year I'm taking a break. You need a break from God's work. Something will break you. You may break.

[24:32] Because you haven't realized that it's God who is sustaining you. God who is sustaining you. Most of us are always in church. Health condition has never been able to keep me out of church.

[24:45] But I know. The day I begin to relax. Oh, today I'm not preaching. I want to relax a little bit. By the time I realize. The health condition that can keep me out of church. Will keep me out of church. Some of us are too busy for God's work.

[25:00] To be victimized easily. I'm telling you a master key. To keep you going. It keeps you going. It has a way of keeping the cool things in place in your life. Health first.

[25:12] When you are busy for God. Your health hardly deteriorates. Except for aging. Do you understand what I mean? When you are aging. You will be tired. And then that means you have to be exercising.

[25:25] So if you are not exercising. That one needs to facilitate the weakness. That's aging. But suddenly health crisis hits you from somewhere. When I'm not saying anyone who has health challenges is not busy for God.

[25:38] That's not what I'm saying. But what I'm saying is that I've found out by clinical statistics. That when you get so busy for God.

[25:49] He sustains you. He sustains cool things around your life. He sustains your health. Your children's health. Your children's future. Your spouses. A lot of things.

[26:00] Your finances. Sometimes you can even lose a job. But God sustains you. Because you are relevant for God. May it never be said in your life. That you are taking a break from God's work.

[26:12] May it never. Bible says that. Be steadfast and unmovable. Always abounding. And you are breaking. Am I preaching at all? Number four.

[26:23] Increase our dependence on God. Number five. I like number five. It brings revelation of what's on the inside. What's on your inside. There are times.

[26:35] That there are things inside you. You don't know they are inside you. Maybe anger is inside you. You don't know. The way you are behaving. There's bitterness somewhere. The way you are becoming erratic.

[26:46] Towards your husband. Towards your wife. Towards your children. You are frustrated. And you are taking it on them. And you are very bitter. So fasting. Brings a revelation of something inside you.

[26:59] The spirit will help you to. Realize that. This is. You know. Let me say this. One of our pastors here. Used to have some terrible headaches. Sometimes terrible headaches.

[27:10] You can't sleep. You can't. You don't know anything. Persistent for a long time. Taking medications. Terrible. Gone to GP. Gone to doctor. Nothing was changing. And one day.

[27:22] For some reason. He realized that. It's just the egg. Anytime I. For some reason. I believe it's true. Period of fasting in church. He realized that.

[27:33] This egg. When I ate the egg. It's. Ah. The little cause for this major. Was egg. Egg. Eating egg. Now I'm not saying. Don't eat egg. Please don't. The way you like your omelets.

[27:47] With mushrooms. And spinach. And spinach. And cheese. So. He found out. Yeah. He would have been dying.

[27:59] Without knowing. Yeah. Yeah. But fasting reveals. This inside. You never know it. The way. Since. One day. Your mom said something. Your dad said something.

[28:09] Not knowing. It has hurt you. Deep inside. And you didn't realize. That is what is making you behave. The way you keep behaving. And keep losing jobs. There are things inside. That's women. I don't even know. But when you fast.

[28:20] And you depend on God. Sometimes there are revelations. Of things inside you. Things inside you. One of the things. That can poison a person's future. Is bitterness. Bitterness.

[28:33] Bitterness. Is a stopper in life. You are stuck. Without knowing you are stuck. You are stuck. You don't know you are stuck. Bitterness. Stifles your productivity.

[28:45] It chokes your creativity. Bitterness. You will never see anybody creative. Who is bitter. Apart from creativity. In revenge. It reveals things in you.

[29:00] Sometimes you begin to feel. You begin to see. You begin to sense things. In your life. That you did not know before. Or you don't notice before. You begin to sense things. In your life. This is in my life. This is.

[29:11] And sometimes. Even good things. You didn't realize. Are there. You begin to sense. It. It. It heightens. Your. Spiritual. And mental alertness. This is all revelation.

[29:22] Fasting. You see. So. This. Under. Under. The revelation. Of things inside. He has a way of. Heightening your spiritual alertness. And mental alertness. Suddenly realize.

[29:33] I think I'm making a mistake here. The way I've been talking to my daughter. Is what is driving her away from home. It reveals things. It heightens your spiritual awareness. Reveals things that you never knew existed.

[29:44] It brings it to your focus. Your attention. You become. More alert towards God. Develops your alertness to God. So when God is trying to point you to something.

[29:55] You get it. You get it. As a pastor. Sometimes you sit down with people. You are talking to them. Helping them to solve their problem. And you realize that they are not realizing where the problem is. They are not realizing where.

[30:06] So that's sometimes the job of a pastor. Help you. To say. Is this thing. No. Stop blaming this person. This thing. This thing. It's there. So. But fasting sometimes helps you.

[30:16] To be very alert towards God. So God can point some things. In your life. Very easily. God is real. God is real. Why should you be a Christian. And you don't enjoy the presence of God in your life.

[30:29] You don't enjoy the presence. You have left it. Pastors are not special. Than anybody. Pastors are not. If you take it upon yourself. To see God. You'll find him. What makes a pastor special.

[30:41] Is his responsibility. Of teaching God's word. For people to understand the word of God properly. But your responsibility. Of getting close to God. Is not less than anybody. You can be.

[30:53] I was telling some people yesterday. I had a meeting. I said. There are times. Where people can be in church. And they are closer to God. Than maybe some pastors in the church. Because they are spending time with God.

[31:07] Being a pastor. Doesn't give you an automatic access to God. It doesn't make you automatically. Deeply spiritual. And. You can be a minister. And your water level is so low.

[31:18] Dry. Water. Spiritual water level. Is so dry. But you are a pastor. You are a minister. You are. You are dead. You are. You have a name. That you are alive. But you are dead.

[31:28] But. Spirituality is not an entitlement. It's a pursuit. So me. If I stop praying. If I stop reading my Bible.

[31:39] If I stop surrounding myself. With the healthy messages. And healthy association. By the time you realize. I have started thinking so much. I will just be doing. Work. I come. Hello.

[31:50] Hallelujah. I will go. I get some information. And be thinking. But I will nourish you. And I am dying. I am dead. Or dying. On the inside. But you. You might not know.

[32:01] Apart from people. Who might also. Be growing. And realize. Now in this. Now in this. It's not sharp. I'm talking to you.

[32:12] Most of us know. You know when your spiritual life is down. Stop blaming people. And being upset with people. Stop blaming people. I didn't like the way. He spoke to me the other time. It really irritated me. Set off. Think about someone.

[32:22] Someone is. Is my problem. Nobody's your problem. Not even the devil. You are your own demon. You can't be a Christian.

[32:33] And be at the mercy of the devil. It's incongruent. No Christian is at the mercy of the devil. We have an upper hand. We have an upper hand over demons.

[32:44] Over forces of darkness. It says that nothing shall by enemies hurt you. I give you authority over all the power. So we are on top. No temptation is to.

[32:56] The devil said okay. This guy will make you fall. He can't make you fall. Until you comply with him. Am I appreciated? Don't blame somebody for your spiritual slackness.

[33:10] And the problem is. When people are becoming spiritually slack. They find people to blame so quickly. They find people to blame so quickly. This one has done. This one has done.

[33:20] This is because of this person. I lost my job. Because of this person. I didn't get married. Because of this person. Because of this person. Because of this person. Now. It's going to undermine me so much. So now. If you know.

[33:30] Allowed. I'm not. Pastor. No one undermines you. You did it. You did it. Because a man can receive nothing. Yes. It's giving to him from above.

[33:41] Come on. Number six. Are you getting it? Number one. It expresses. Endlessness and urgency. Number two. Increases capacity. Spiritual capacity. Number three.

[33:52] Gets us ready for God's answers. Number four. It increases our sense of humility and dependence. Number five. It helps give the revelation of what is on the inside. By the spirit. Number six.

[34:02] It's a good exercise of self-discipline. You are struggling with something in your life. Yes. I won't wait for you to say it. I'll say it for you. Yes. Are you struggling with something you know you need a little bit more discipline to deal with?

[34:20] Yes. No. Don't say it. I'm saying it for you. Yes. Some of you is three yeses. Or four yeses. You are in. You understand that.

[34:31] But when you begin to fast. It prepares and gives you. It's a good exercise of self-discipline. Yeah. Good exercise for self-discipline.

[34:41] So you're able to discipline yourself. Once you engage in it. By the time. Watch this. By the time you realize. It's spilling over. To other places. One of our pastors said something.

[34:52] That. It really blessed me. We were in a pastor's conference. Last October. With all our pastors from around the world. And I think ministers. Camp. And. I was teaching them.

[35:03] And I said that. If. You are a pastor. And you keep gaining weight. If. You are. Putting on weight. Too much. It's a sign that something.

[35:15] Spiritually is off. I'll explain it. Because. Weight gain. At the base of it. Has. Loss of discipline. Some way. People are beginning to think.

[35:33] Weight gain. Has. At the bottom of it. Some lack of discipline. Some way. Everybody knows it. Either. Discipline.

[35:44] In. Exercising. Which I have to give myself more to. Or discipline. In putting it. From break. To what you are eating. Everything is going.

[35:55] I will sing of your goodness. I will sing of your kindness. If I dance. I will sing. Every time. Your mouth seems to be busier than your heart.

[36:07] It's a recycling center. It's a recycling center. But. I know what.

[36:18] I know what blessed me. One of the pastors. Afterwards. He said. Pastor. That thing changed my life. I knew it was true. Because. Spiritually. The church was not thriving.

[36:31] But I was trying to give excuses for. But when he said it. I knew that the thing was me. My level of spiritual discipline. And I said. Once it's there. See. One area discipline is losing.

[36:42] It's showing other. It's other places. Your Bible study. So it's not about the food. I'm not talking about food. It shows. Your prayer life is weak. Your Bible study.

[36:53] If you can't conquer. The food one. How can you conquer a demon? If you can't. Deal with your stomach.

[37:05] How can you deal with the devil? How can you deal with the devil? I'm not talking about it. Please, don't make me look like a liar.

[37:16] Is it not true that when discipline of some sort is missing, it actually affects more your spiritual disciplines? If your discipline with food is low, it will affect your discipline with the Bible, your discipline with prayer, your discipline with attendance to church and how early you get to church.

[37:36] Some people are late not because they are bad. They are late because they are spiritually so low. Your spiritual life is sinking, but you polish up to look spiritual.

[37:47] But you know, boy, you are not in a good shape. This ain't good. This year must be a different year for you. Last year you wallowed in the worst lack of spirituality.

[38:03] It's okay. It's past. It's past. It's past. Pick yourself up again. We are starting a new season. It's a new beginning. It's a new beginning. It's a new beginning.

[38:16] It's a new beginning. Pick yourself up. Pick yourself up. Because there's always a better day ahead if you can pick yourself up. Nobody is invincible.

[38:28] We all have our own discipline matters to deal with. All of us. All of us. So face your front. Why are you running on your track looking at somebody's track?

[38:43] You will lose. You will crash or you will lose. So opportunity for self-discipline. Start it. Start some way. Because this year it must be very significantly different from last year.

[38:57] And let me add this last one. It draws us into a sense of oneness and closeness with God. It draws us into a sense of oneness and closeness with God.

[39:07] Sometimes your advantage is your weakness. I'll explain it. Your weakness helps you to depend on God. Fasting is not for strong people.

[39:20] Fasting is not for powerful people. God says that my strength is made perfect. In weakness. In weakness. So when you go to God, I am weak and need help to overcome this temptation.

[39:35] You haven't prayed about that temptation. That's why you can't overcome it. Jesus said when you pray, he said, lead us not into temptation. But you have not added that. You're only asking for promotion, financial breakthrough.

[39:46] Financial. Meanwhile, you are breaking down. Say, add your temptation to your prayer list. Bible says God is able to make a way with the temptation.

[39:59] So God makes the way. God, help me to overcome this temptation. How many of you have experienced temptation that really unravels, disturbs you? Disturbs you.

[40:09] I know most people can't lift their eyes. But if you are a godly person, if you are a God, temptation really disturbs you. If you are genuinely for God, temptation, when you fall into temptation, and you are, especially when no one knows.

[40:22] Many temptations people don't know. Is it true? Yeah. Your wife can be sleeping, sharing the same bed with you, and never know the temptation you have been caught in.

[40:34] Your feet have been entangled in something, and then you can't lift it. Oh, God. Oh, God. How come I be in this? Oh, God. And nobody knows. Oh, God.

[40:44] This fasting is about to break. Praise the Lord. Some side health benefits.

[40:55] It helps with your heart condition. It helps with your blood condition. And it helps with your weight. Fasting. Fasting. Tomorrow, at the prayer meeting, God has a lot.

[41:12] Oh, I'm going to be teaching. I have my notes. I was going to go on to how to make your fasting effective. And I'll show you how it says, bring your shoulder, your belly, and your cheek to the Lord.

[41:24] And if time permits, I will also go, what to do during the time of fasting. Let me mention these five. Is that okay? I won't comment on it. Pray. Saturate yourself with the word of God.

[41:38] Be in faith. Stay focused. Don't be distracted. Things will come and distract, but stay focused. Stay focused. You're on a mission. Stay focused. And then separate yourself from things that will distract you.

[41:51] From junk. Some things you don't need it. Separate yourself from something. Stay away from that guy. That guy you have been having FaceTime and stay away from. That girl, stay away from.

[42:03] Separate. During the fasting, don't mix it. Because fasting heightens your spiritual openness that if you stay in sin during fasting, you are vulnerable because you catch some spiritual code.

[42:17] And in the realm of the three, there's no face mask. Am I coming to the kids? Yeah, so stay in faith, stay in focus and give your fasting a target.

[42:32] I'm targeting this thing from, this fasting from my marriage. Give it an assignment. Do you understand what I'm saying? For your business, for your child, for something, for your ministry, for your health.

[42:43] Deal with this matter. And God will help us all. Did you receive something? Hallelujah. Praise the Lord.

[42:57] Thank you for listening to this message by David Entry. We pray you have been revived towards God. You can connect with David Entry on all relevant social media platforms including Instagram and LinkedIn.

[43:11] You can also hear more messages from David Entry on all relevant streaming platforms and the Carriest Church app. Don't forget to like and share the message. Be blessed.