Fasting 101

[0:00] Hallelujah. Thank you for tuning in to this powerful message by David Entry at Karis Phase 2.! Our Christ Centred Youth Services. You can never find Christ outside of the open Word of God.

[0:14] May Jesus Christ reveal Himself to you as you listen. Some of the benefits of fasting is that it expresses our earnestness and urgency in our prayers.

[0:26] When you fast, it helps to express your earnestness and urgency in prayers. And then, that's the one you spoke about, right? You spoke about the point too.

[0:37] It increases, I like that bit, it increases our capacity for spiritual power. How many of you want God to use you? That means that you must be ready to fast.

[0:51] God doesn't use you because you are fasting, but fasting expands, gives you the spiritual capacity to host, to accommodate what God wants to do.

[1:06] Because we are so restricted as human beings. We are so restricted as human beings. There's not much room in us for God.

[1:18] But fasting helps the elasticity of your humanity. When you fast, what does it do? You humble yourself.

[1:30] Some Bible says, Daniel said, I humbled myself with fasting. Fasting denies the flesh from full operation.

[1:44] So, it kind of puts the flesh on the back seat. Do you understand that?

[1:58] You know, when you are fasting, and long-term fasting, sometimes you feel your appetite go low.

[2:09] You feel your appetite for- You feel your appetite for- If after long- by the time we are finishing 21 days, many of you will want to continue because you don't feel the appetite for breakfast again. Everybody who eats breakfast without missing, is not a serious person.

[2:24] You never miss breakfast, it's likely you will fail. You don't fail. Yes. Most of us, especially working with God, most of us who work with God, and are serving God a certain dimension, don't do breakfast.

[2:46] I'm not saying if you do breakfast, they're the same. But sometimes, you are preoccupied so much with God, that breakfast is not a regular thing for you. So, when I heard that they said breakfast is the best meal in the day, I'm wondering, so am I going to miss out like that?

[3:03] I don't do breakfast unless I'm doing a camp. Of course, it's a long day, then I have to just build the system. So, when it is 10 p.m., I'm still jumping, having eating, no, there's a breakfast foundation.

[3:20] But apart from that breakfast, I don't, I don't, not that I don't like it, but I don't actually most of the time have time for it. Everybody who has body mass needs a lot of food intake.

[3:37] You never amass body mass without food unless you are sick and you are swelling. If you eat too much, it will affect your health very much.

[3:52] So, have you ever seen a very fat American man who is 80 years old?

[4:04] You don't see an old fat man. Old fat lady, you might. Because of childbearing or something. But old fat man, your heart overwakes, it's tired.

[4:17] Your heart says, oh God, I'm tired. Pastor, so are you speaking against those of us who are a bit plump?

[4:29] No, no, no, no, no. I'm saying that your body mass, there's food behind it. So, it looks like, you feel like when you fast, you will die.

[4:41] No, no, you won't die. Fasting doesn't kill. Look at someone and tell the person, don't fear. Fear not, fasting doesn't kill. There are a lot of things you can achieve in life.

[4:59] It can only happen if you fast. Don't forget that. I want to encourage all of you. Develop a habit of fasting.

[5:11] Develop a habit of fasting. Develop a habit of fasting. Develop what?

[5:22] A habit of fasting. What do I mean? Not only January 1 church is fasting in June. You schedule your own intermittent fasting. Sometimes, you have a schedule that every two weeks, I will fast three days.

[5:37] If you want to be a man of God, very anointed, you better do maybe weekly fastings, maybe every week three days. Every week four days.

[5:48] Try it and see. Try it and see. No one gets radically anointed if he doesn't fast. I'm telling you. If I'm anointed, there's a fasting lifestyle behind it.

[6:01] I fast a lot. I can comfortably believe that I'm a fasting guru.

[6:12] Do you understand what I mean? So, you won't go to use you. You have to give yourself to fasting. Give yourself to fasting.

[6:23] Give yourself. Because what fasting does is, it helps to humble the flesh. Subdue the flesh.

[6:35] Subdue the flesh. Subdue the flesh. And the best time to fast is when you are not yet 40. When you are fasting, you feel very weak easily.

[6:48] And you can't do excessive fasting. Sometimes you have to use the toilet. Your body. Oye! Don't wait till you grow old. Because you don't have energy.

[7:01] But when you are young, like you, don't wait till you start having children before you fast. If you are planning your wedding, I'm wondering how often you've been praying and fasting and praying about your marriage.

[7:13] Most people plan wedding without praying for their marriage. Wedding is not marriage. There's a difference between wedding. Wedding is a door into marriage. So you prepare all your time for the wedding and never for the marriage.

[7:26] And you enter the marriage, you realize that, oh oh. Oh oh. But let me restrict myself more to the ones who want God to use you.

[7:38] If you want God to use you. Say, you must be at it. You must be known. And you must know yourself that, I fast a lot.

[7:50] Your wife must know you fast a lot. My wife knows that. My wife knows it. I fast a lot. Women, it gets to a time you won't be able to fast man because of child bearing and, you know, nurturing and all that, breastfeeding.

[8:08] Women's system is different. But as for men, you have to fast. You have to fast. A woman can fast every now and then. It's good. Because we are all the same.

[8:19] But anatomically, we are not the same. The woman's body is different. So sometimes she might not even, sometimes the time of the month might not help her to be able to fast effectively.

[8:31] But the man, young men who don't fast. I don't understand. What will God be able to do with you? You don't fast. What will God be able to do with you?

[8:45] Never wait for church to call fasting before you start fasting. And you, listen, when I was like you, before I got married, even after I got married, December is time of fasting.

[8:59] Like Christmas, you are eating. Check it out. And you are able to say, church is about to start fasting next week, so let me eat today. No.

[9:10] You start ahead of time. Be ahead of the game. Be ahead of the game. Let the church come and meet you on the road of fasting already.

[9:23] So that if God wants to prepare something ahead, He prepares you to be a blessing before the others come. You must have a discomfort. You must have a discomfort. You must have a discomfort. You must have a discomfort.!!! Some of you young people, some of you young ladies, you don't plan fasting.

[10:05] When you hear the word that we are going to fast, your heart, oh no, oh no. You are thinking, how am I going to do this? Okay, let me find a way of getting myself out of this thing.

[10:19] You are finding a way of excusing yourself from the fasting. And so suddenly, you felt a discomfort in your throat, you are going to the GP to prescribe for you.

[10:30] So you can say you are on medication. I am really sharing some things with you. He spoke about how Jesus fasted.

[10:44] God, even God when he came to the earth, he fasted. God, God in the flesh was fasting. You and I, we have to fast.

[10:59] Say, I attended a pastor's conference, I think 2004, by a very senior man of God.

[11:10] Idahosa was very close to him. Idahosa used to come to his church to preach regularly. Regularly. His church was in Brentford or Brentwood.

[11:21] He had a school. He was always on TV. The TV has been doing big crusades. And, you know, but I went for the pastor's conference.

[11:33] And he was teaching the pastors. And then he said, fasting is no New Testament. That's the first time I heard something like that. Hey, man of God. He said, fasting is no New Testament.

[11:46] Fasting is Old Testament. I said, oh, so when it's time for questions. I said, but there's fasting in the New Testament. He said, oh, my friend. When Paul said fasting often, he was talking about when he didn't get a chance to eat.

[11:59] No, but Paul said in hunger and in fasting. Second Corinthians chapter 11 from verse 24, 25 somewhere there.

[12:10] He said in fasting, in hunger often, and in fasting. So he puts them next in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often.

[12:24] And he said, my friend, shut up and sit down. You Africans, you everything you want to kill yourself. These are his words. He's a pure English man.

[12:37] A elderly man. He said, you Africans. Africans, you always want to do everything by energy. And when you're even praying, you're sweating.

[12:48] Oh, God! He's not a racist. No, he's not a racist. This generation is so mad. Everybody is racist. He wasn't a racist. But he was making his, but he was saying that Africans like energy.

[13:03] So even when we are praying, one day, one pastor in Africa, he said, when we are praying, in the name of Jesus. Like super restless. My hand! And after the prayer, your leg is hurting.

[13:24] He died. He died. He died. He died. He died. He died. He died. He died. He died. He died.

[13:34] He died. He died. He died. He died. He died. He died. I couldn't believe. A man of God who believes in miracles?

[13:45] He said fasting is no New Testament. And Acts chapter 13, verse 1, ask the minister to verse 2, ask the minister to the Lord and fasted. He said, oh no, they're not talking about fasting. But Jesus fasted.

[13:56] Jesus was under the Old Testament. You know how theology can make you have answers to escape everything. I was shocked.

[14:08] It's that way. So he didn't mean it in a disrespectful way. So it's not offensive. I said, what do you say is foolish, my friend? Sit down. I was not offended. But I'll never forget.

[14:19] Because that's the first time I could hear anybody who is a man of God and says that fasting and he believes in miracles. Why am I telling this story?

[14:33] But there are demons in the United Kingdom that I hate churches that do well. And if you are not in a spiritual shape, they will throw you.

[14:48] My God. Somebody say, have mercy, Lord. Have mercy, Lord. Yeah. And he became a big... He used to speak out against all those sexual perversions.

[15:00] He would go to parliament, mobilize people, and speak. When you are dealing with those things, you have to be on guard. Because it's spiritual. It's not ideological. Those things are not ideological.

[15:11] It's intensely spiritual. That you look at me, a whole man like me, suddenly I said, I believe I'm a woman. No, it's spiritual. Because it goes beyond common sense.

[15:22] So if you are going to speak against those things, it's not a political thing. It's more spiritual than political. So when you take a stand against some things, you better stand strong.

[15:37] And some standing, you need fast things often. That's where I'm going. Any fast things often? You need fast things often.

[15:49] Fast things often. You want to shake United Kingdom for Jesus? Hey! You cannot do it without fasting. Many major things that we have done in Kairos is because I went away.

[16:02] Fasting. I have to go more. Spend time with God. That's how you become a man of God. A man of God is always in the public and spending time with people.

[16:12] You can't be a man of God. You must be isolated. Spend time with God like Moses. You are on the mountain. When you come from God, God is showing in your face. This is becoming like a minister's conference now.

[16:29] Fasting. Fasting. You are struggling with temptations and pornography and your exes. Pictures keep coming on your mind. It's not leaving you.

[16:40] It's not leaving you. You saw something. You know, when you were with him or you were with him. There are times those things can invade your life. How many of you understand what I'm saying? You don't want it by invading you. It's asking for fasting.

[16:52] You feel so attracted to somebody and you can't... This thing is... How many of you have felt attraction to somebody before? Yeah. Sometimes even in church. You don't mean it but the thing is troubling you. Hello!

[17:03] Hi! It doesn't mean you are bad. You are not bad. It's just natural. It's natural. You can have serious crash on somebody if it shows that you are healthy. But!

[17:17] When the crash is not leaving you it's invading your thinking. It's capturing you and you don't like... You know it's not right. You don't want it. Something has invaded your purity.

[17:29] Has invaded your spiritual sanity. And you can't wiggle yourself out. You are praying and it's not working. You are reading your Bible and you do... Fast. Fast!

[17:41] You'll be shocked the way the thing will snap off. Yeah. Oh, you'll be fine after fasting. A lot of things are troubling. Girl, you'll be fine. You'll be okay.

[17:52] Don't worry. You'll be okay. Trust God. You'll be fine. You are not a worse person. You're not a bad person. It's just that your flesh is trying to have an upper hand over you. Once you fast you suppress the flesh.

[18:05] And you give the spirit. So you expand your spiritual capacity to be able to walk with God. Imbibe and absorb more of God. Then you can say, Who are thou on mountain before Zerubbabel?

[18:17] You shall become a plain. Don't talk big language. In the name of Jesus. I curse you. Without fasting. Please don't do that. Get some backing.

[18:31] Get some backing. Fasting. Fasting gives you spiritual muscles. Builds your spiritual muscles. Someone who is always fasting and is doing well in fasting can never have problems with pornography.

[18:47] Yes. But I can tell you, when we start fasting the first few days, the pornographic instance, if you've been struggling for the past week, it will still be lingering. But keep pressing on.

[18:59] Pressing and fasting. Pressing. You'll be shocked. It will snap. Snap off. Just that when you finish the fasting, it will come back. But by that time, you are ready.

[19:10] You are tough enough to be able to say, No. I can never go back. No. It's already too late. No. It will make sense. No. No.

[19:20] It will make sense. Wow. Wow. Fasting is good. It's good. It's good. It's good. I have to move on so I can't end quickly. My background, we came into life with nothing.

[19:37] And all we know is God fasting, reading my Bible, praying, being in church, serving consistently, fasting, reading my Bible.

[19:48] That's why I know my Bible. Because for the past 35 years, that's all I've been spending my life doing. Oh, I read my Bible every day. I love it. There'll be one or two days I'll miss, obviously.

[19:59] But not like you. I read my Bible. That's all I know. Reading my Bible. Going to church.

[20:12] Praying. And I said, those people who raised us, helped us, they made me understand that if you want spiritual power, you have to do fastings.

[20:24] Yeah. So I used to give myself to fasting, which I still do. But when I was younger, it was more. Fasting, regularly fast.

[20:35] When we first got married, before we married, I was always fasting. There have been times my birthday I'm fasting and I didn't even remember it was my birthday. Oh, yeah, yeah. Fasting is normal. If fasting is not normal in your life, you cannot be exceptionally anointed.

[20:50] You want anointing. It's annoying to think you can have anointing without fasting. It's deception.

[21:02] Your cheeks are too rosy. Sir, you want to do ministry. Hey, give yourself to fasting. Give yourself, tell someone, give yourself to fasting.

[21:14] So use this season of fasting as a stepping stone. What I'm teaching you, what I'm telling you, is not for normal church.

[21:27] So I'm not focusing on the fasting that starts tomorrow. I'm focusing on a fasted life. Fasted. I'm trying to edge you into a lifestyle of fasting.

[21:39] Into a lifestyle of fasting. Fasting. Fasting. Where we are and where the church is going to be, it must be on the platform of fasting.

[21:52] Regularly. Regularly. Regularly. You can't see the supernatural in a radical way if you are not fasting. When I say supernatural, the manifestation of God's power.

[22:06] God's power. God's power. Jesus had to fast. When he finished fasting, Satan took notice of him. Because he has made a registry or entered some registered, entered the registry in the spiritual realm with his fasting.

[22:23] So that's why Satan was the first to come. Satan noticed him. Somebody has surfaced. Because they are in a certain realm and they saw he has surfaced. So Satan came. Fasting takes you into a certain spiritual realm.

[22:36] That's what I mean by it gives you spiritual capacity. Spiritual capacity. Jesus said, this kind has no goal except by praying and fasting. You need to fast for your marriage.

[22:51] You have to. You have to. Once you see certain signs, you can tell, hmm, I don't feel safe.

[23:03] You see signs that look like a threat to your future and you ignore it. you write, you keep writing the exam and you are failing but this is necessary.

[23:19] You fail and then you didn't do well and then the other time just before the exam you had severe headache and something always interfering with your, the pathway to your future. Ah! be smart, spiritually smart and tackle that thing and get rid of it.

[23:35] Why is it that someone, every time a guy comes into your life he's interested in you for marriage after one or two time just cast off he's not interested. Every time, hey, sis, sis, sis, pray and fast.

[23:47] Sometimes, the advantage of fasting is it settles something permanently. so, it's like something is lingering on your life that women in this family don't get married.

[24:03] Ah! Sister, you don't need to be told. Look at the statistics. Look at, and the only one who got married, look at what happened to them. So, you look at the statistics. You realize that, hmm, this thing seems to be in my background and it's going to happen to me.

[24:20] So, you dedicate a time of fasting. fast because this kind doesn't go Matthew chapter 17 verse 21 and stand by praying fast.

[24:30] You dedicate fast and fast and fast and call on God for this matter to be settled. As you're fasting, you are also declaring every demonic stronghold from my background in this area of my life.

[24:45] I break the stronghold. I break myself free. I break my... Some of us, you have to pray and break the yoke of untimely death. Untimely death.

[24:57] Why is it that all your father's siblings or your mother's siblings, they all keep losing their child? It's a trend. Or, their child is, has gone mad.

[25:08] Mental has gone schizophrenic. It's, the trend is too strong. You have to rise up like a Deborah through fasting and said, this thing is stopping and if you see it's still lingering, that means don't stop the fasting.

[25:27] You have to fast until it breaks. Am I, am I teaching you? my heart is heavy with the matter.

[25:39] I feel the burden for people to rise up to the occasion because I can sense and I can see beautiful, glorious destinies.

[25:52] but they are all concealed. We need to fast and break the outer shell so that the glory buried in your life and concealed will emerge.

[26:08] This year will be the year some of you are going to walk in the biggest breakthrough ever. Mark my words.

[26:20] This year, there are people in this congregation in Kp2 who are going to take some of us by surprise. What do I mean? Certain doors that will open.

[26:35] I won't be surprised if some celebrities emerge from this congregation. Some people, suddenly, you are all over the place.

[26:46] People are looking for you. You are big. And it just happened. I don't know. But it doesn't just happen. If fasting makes it look like it just happened.

[27:03] Well, number three, it gets us ready for God's answers when you fast. You can't control God with your fasting. God!

[27:14] I'm fasting, so let me pass the exam. Hey, hey, go read your books. Study your... Go and study. God! God!

[27:26] Because I fasted, I'm going to get a job in the next two weeks. God, if you don't do it, I won't fast again. God!

[27:37] Amen! Amen! Zachariah chapter 7, verse 5. He said, when you fast, is it not... Zachariah chapter 7, verse 5? It says that, say to all the people of the land and to the priests, when you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month during those 70 years, did you really fast for me?

[28:02] No. Really, this is what it means. You will like this. Really, when we are fasting, we are fasting to have more of God.

[28:14] But if you are not careful, there are times you will fast for your own results. You are fasting because you want financial breakthrough. and God is not really in the picture.

[28:27] So, you are not fasting for God to show up. You are fasting so you can see something show up. Fasting, when we fast, we fast for God to get in.

[28:43] But when we eat, we eat for ourselves. The next verse. When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourself?

[28:57] You are not, and listen, when you are eating, you are not doing anything breakthrough. You are not helping God. Eating doesn't attract God. Is it a bad thing to eat? No. There's nothing wrong with eating.

[29:09] How many of you eat? Yeah. Anyone who doesn't eat, we have to take him to your knee from here. That's the normal way to live. Okay.

[29:20] So, but I said, when you eat, you are eating for yourself. Many years ago when I was in secondary school, I saw a scripture that really, hey, in 1 Corinthians chapter 8, I think verse 8, it said, when you eat, when we eat, but food does not commend us to God.

[29:37] Change the translation, NIV. Commend to me, don't really understand. Yes. Food does not bring us near to God. Hey. Did you see that?

[29:48] Food, food does not bring, ask somebody, did you hear it? Did you hear it? Food does not bring us near to God. We are no worse off if we do, you won't die.

[30:04] You won't die. Two days fasting will not kill you. Yes. Three days fasting will not kill you. Sometimes, when you hear the fasting, you feel, oh, my God, listen, you won't die. You gain more than you lose.

[30:16] He said, we are no worse off if we do not eat or better off if we eat. Eating doesn't make you better and not eating doesn't make you worse.

[30:27] But not eating can give you an advantage. That's what the scripture, it's there. So, when I was in secondary school, I used to always fast to understand that the school authorities brought my father to come and warn me not to fast.

[30:45] How can you stop me from fasting? Yeah. School authorities, they brought my father to come and warn me not to preach, warn me not to be sharing the Bible with people or praying with people and then warn me to stop fasting.

[30:58] So, that's how bizarre it was. How do you ban fasting? Because of me. He said, no student should be able to fast. It's banned. You won't feel. Are you forced me?

[31:12] Yeah. That's how much I was giving. But, you know, sometimes when you are fasting and you see some food that you've been looking for for a long time and you see the food of your friends, oh, today I brought. Oh, thank you.

[31:26] They are all going to eat this thing. Okay, should I postpone the fasting? How many have felt that before? Should I postpone? Now, this is how I used to encourage myself that let me suffer the losses.

[31:42] Let the food go because the reward of the fasting is more than ten times the food. So, don't think you are punishing yourself.

[31:52] Look at the results, the reward for what you are doing. It comes with untold rewards. How many of you are having good reason enough to fast?

[32:06] Yeah. Remember, food doesn't do us any better spiritually. Physically, that's what it does. But, spiritually, food is not bringing you, food is not giving you advantage spiritually.

[32:20] This is all spiritual matters. But, physically, it's necessary. Okay, so, food does not bring us near to God. We are not, we are no worse if we do not eat.

[32:33] I like that bit. If you don't eat, you are no worse. Spiritually, but physically, you are worse. You are weak. You'll be weak physically if you don't.

[32:43] When I was fasting for Pastor Wu, on three days we were all fasting. On the third day, I was so weak. I was lying on the floor and praying. God, I was weak.

[32:56] So, fasting for a long time makes you physically weak. Years ago, I learned something about fasting. If you have, you know, sometimes when you fast a lot, you hardly get certain type of sickness.

[33:10] Yeah. Some sickness, you don't, you hardly get them. Like when, because I grew up in Accra, malaria was always, a problem.

[33:22] But, when I got born and I started fasting, I never was sick anymore. And, pimples, pimples, and all those, fasting cleans your blood.

[33:36] It cleanses your system. That's the, that's why it's good to drink water when you are fasting. Because it helps you wee a lot. And then you see your wee is very yellow. Yeah, it, it's very good.

[33:48] Fasting has some good benefits, physical benefits, or health benefits. No, and sometimes it gives your, your body to burn the excess fat.

[34:02] So, when you have it, it's in, the energy you are getting, you are getting from the excess fat that is stored. That's why, when people fast a lot, they don't get fat because the fat is burned.

[34:13] The fat is used by the body to keep the energy, give the body energy. So, when you fast a lot, your skin is like lean meat.

[34:26] Your, your flesh is lean. You know, lean meat. It has little fat. But when you eat sugar and all those oils, those things, it stores the fat some way.

[34:38] Some of you, it stores it here. The body has different, everybody's body is different. But the most favorite place as you grow is here. Yeah.

[34:50] Hallelujah! Well, let's get serious. So, when, when you eat, it doesn't bring you any closer to God.

[35:01] But when you fast, you get access to God. Fasting prepares us to receive the answers of God. So, don't think because I've fasted, God must answer. No, God has never prayed like that.

[35:15] It's because I've fasted, I'm believing God to remember me. That's a humble approach. So, in 1st, 2nd Samuel, chapter 12, verse 16, 17, 18, 19, particularly verse 20, David's prayed from verse 16.

[35:31] He fasted that his son will not die. And the child died. When the child died, they were wondering how do we tell David because if we tell him, we'll be too broken. And so, David saw verse 18 or so.

[35:43] He said, what's going on? You want to tell me something? Is the child dead? They said, yes, the child is dead. Bible said, David got up and went, verse 19, and went and worshipped. Went to the house of God and worshipped.

[35:55] Because he was, do you know why he was fasting? That his child will live. He fasted and fasted that the child will live. And what happened? The child died. But he got up and went and worshipped God.

[36:05] You know better, God. God didn't answer the prayer. But he got closer to God. He got closer to God for the better things God was about to do in his life.

[36:19] So David didn't say, I'm upset. He fasted that the child will not die. But the child died. He went and worshipped. And then finished, went to his wife and then comforted the wife.

[36:31] Said, my darling, don't worry. God is with us. God is with us. So, don't force, don't use your fasting to force God. It's like God owes you a testimony.

[36:43] He doesn't. But when you fast, it rather makes you ready for what God is bringing. That's where the testimony comes from. So you see, it's very interesting. Your fasting prepares you or positions you to receive God's blessing.

[36:59] I see the blessing coming. Amen. I said, I see the blessing coming on somebody. When you fast, you are trying to make a statement or it increases our sense of humility and dependence on God.

[37:14] You are making a statement that God, my help is in you. Fasting is not for strong people. Fasting is not for powerful people. Fasting is for people who feel they need help from God.

[37:27] That's nice, isn't it? In 2 Corinthians chapter, sorry, chapter 12, verse 9 and 10, God said, my grace is sufficient for you and my strength is made perfect.

[37:40] Where? God's strength, where is God's strength made perfect? In weakness. So if you yield yourself and you are weak towards God, His strength is made perfect in your weakness.

[37:54] My strength is made perfect in weakness. weakness. Number five. Oh, I like this one. This point was so good. It helps or revelation of what's on the inside.

[38:09] Revelation of, there's something in your life sometimes you don't know is inside there. Sometimes when you go for therapy, therapy sessions, they will help you see things in your life that you didn't know existed.

[38:22] The psychiatrist or the therapist or the counselor who asked you one or two questions and said, then you said, you see, the reason why you keep reacting this way is because of the trauma.

[38:38] The trauma you went through when you were a child, when your parents relocated to Japan and they left you with your auntie. There was a trauma.

[38:48] You felt it. It was the most traumatic time. But you were a child. You were only three years old. And so it left a mark on your brains or your mind.

[38:59] And then you were, you became very insecure. Every time anything comes in your life, you think it's going to go. Now you are 38 and every time a guy, a lady comes into your life, you feel someone's going to take her away from you.

[39:13] And so you begin to be violent. Then they begin to explain, see, that thing has had an impact on you. Then you remember, oh, okay, when I was in secondary school, that's why.

[39:27] Then you can see the trail. It's always been there, but you never knew. Fasting helps you to see what has been there, whether good or bad, positive or negative. That has been inside you, that is governing the affairs of your life or without you really didn't realize that this thing is there.

[39:44] sometimes you don't even know that you are so good with fashion. You never knew. So you are fasting. You are fasting, then it dawned on you. Even me, I can start the fasting thing here.

[39:56] Because that's actually, I've been doing it for everybody. I've never thought about it. Praise God. So sometimes, there's something in you you didn't know it exists. Maybe there's a genius in you you didn't know it exists.

[40:10] There's an advocate in you you didn't know it exists. But as you fasted, sometimes God begins to reveal things inside you. There are things that have been covered, whether positive or negative.

[40:21] Sometimes the reason why you keep getting irritated, irritated, irritated, is probably because of what happened to you when you were in year 10 or year 8.

[40:35] What the teacher told you and humiliated you before all the students. You didn't realize that it has made you very, very vindictive and angry. You didn't know. But sometimes in the time of fasting, as you pray, something will get you and realize, ah, some people are investing so much money in hairs and makeup and yet nothing is getting made up.

[40:59] Ah. And nothing is changing in your life. Maybe it's your attitude you learned from your aunties you lived with because your mom traveled. and your aunties don't respect men.

[41:13] Doesn't matter how gorgeous you are. Doesn't matter how pretty you are. No woman who doesn't respect men can keep a man. Men, they will be attracted to your beauty when they come and eat and go.

[41:27] No, no, no, no. No man stays with a disrespected woman. It's not in a man to feel comfortable around. So, that's why sometimes a man can be married but I enjoy spending time with this, this other lady who makes him feel like a king.

[41:44] And then madame is there like a jata, sorry, married, something like that. A madame, where are you? Where did he go? And he doesn't feel appreciated, doesn't feel respected and he feels so happy in the arms, not that even she, he likes her but just loves her company and she's not even so pretty.

[42:03] She's not even so pretty but the way she feels, men stay around women they feel very welcome to and very celebrated to.

[42:15] The secret to keeping a man is not hairstyle, it's not makeup, it's not body, whatever. It doesn't, body can attract a man but it doesn't keep a man.

[42:28] It's your attitude and what betize you, if you grew up, you're a woman, you grew up among women who don't always insult men, they don't respect men, you are like that.

[42:39] So that is why you can't keep men and don't think that it's women you can't keep. Don't go there! Am I communicating something?

[42:55] Yes. So you see, just this small statement of me, I've saved somebody's life. Because you are waiting to be married but I can tell you will never stay married.

[43:07] No man, no, the fasting is working. No man will ever, you check, you do some research and see, men never stay and if they stay with a woman who doesn't respect, they're always quiet.

[43:33] That's why your uncle doesn't talk at home. It's always like this because he can't move because if he moves he doesn't have the house, the complications and sometimes they stay because of the children but not because of that woman.

[43:51] Many women don't know how to keep men especially this modern generation women but they know how to look nice. They are only nice when they are outside. Most of this nice wig you are wearing is only for show.

[44:02] What you get home is different. Your original hair is like... So, someone is living with you and that's what they see.

[44:15] That's what they have to live with. But when you go out so polished, hallelujah, some of you are desperate to be married but you are not ready to respect. Your attitude, you find it so easy to insult a man.

[44:28] I feel sorry for your marital destiny. Find it so easy. Stupid man. Didn't you do that to your boyfriend? Their boyfriends, all of them, you insulted them.

[44:40] That's why they left you. And they went for a not so pretty version of you and they are happy there. Fasting. See, fasting revealed things.

[44:51] Yes. Yes. So, sometimes, what is spoiling your opportunities is something inside you you are not aware of. You are believing God for a big job but you don't have the big discipline to study.

[45:11] No, many good jobs come through education. Many, not all, but many. Good education. Good education. Some people can't keep a job because you are always arguing with your supervisor.

[45:24] They will suck you. They will suck you. They will suck you and you will come for prayer. In the name of Jesus, I am. The prayer is working but your attitude is spoiling the prayer.

[45:37] So, when you fast, these things will begin to come. Now, we have long of these activities. God is showing us. Many men, the way your attitude is, you are just like your father.

[45:50] He doesn't respect women. But he wants to have happy family. You are joking. You want happy family? It comes at a high sacrifice as a man.

[46:03] So, the woman, don't always be pointing at you are wrong. You have done this wrong. You have done this wrong. You will never have a happy family. You will have to, sometimes your wife has spilled the tea on the cup and said, honey, darling, sweetie, sweetie, babe, but I told you.

[46:21] You are not happy about it, but he said, babe, that's okay, that's okay, that's okay, that's okay. You just leave it. Even though, and those worst guys who say, I hate my dad, you don't know you are just like him and maybe a worst version.

[46:34] Unless the word of God saves you and you fast. Yes. Yes. Yes. Because some of you, when I look at you, you are not that likely to have a happy family because you are a very useless man.

[46:49] You only know how to pray, you only know how to get, do work and bring in money, but you don't know how to make a woman feel happy at home. You don't know how to make a, how can a child be happy when their mother is not happy?

[47:02] Yes. Yes. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. The best training to give your children is by loving their mother. Wow. You begin to feel, you begin to see, you begin to sense things in your life that you did not know before.

[47:19] You did not feel before, you did not sense. Once you start fasting, you begin to feel, you begin to sense. Suddenly, you begin to put two and two together. All the trail, you begin to see. It's been there always, in black and white, in plain sight, but you never saw it.

[47:34] You never saw it because some of the things, when you, when you fast, when you fast, you heighten your discernment. You heighten your sensitivity.

[47:49] You are not sure which course to choose. Give a little bit of fasting to it. Just maybe a day. God asks, I'm about to choose. Give me, lead me, lead me. You see, to become clear.

[48:01] When I saw Pastor who I wanted to marry her, no, no, it was only because she was a good girl. I prayed about it and I fasted. No, before the main fasting. No, the other fasting I spoke about this morning, three days raw fasting.

[48:13] That was in that one. To choose that is the one I want to pursue to marry. I had to settle that in fasting. I fasted and I had peace. I fasted.

[48:24] The more I was fasting and praying, the more I had a sense of peace. That is fine. She's the one. Because I was coming into terms with spiritual reality as you fast.

[48:35] Your sensitivity is heightened. you begin to, all the cobwebs or your system becomes decluttered. So, you can see well. You can understand well.

[48:47] You can hear well. You can perceive well. Fasting. Now, there's you guys and some of you ladies. Before you come to me and tell me, Pastor, I've seen this lady.

[48:58] I'm interested. I'll ask you, have you fasted? Fast first and then when you fast, come for counseling. It will make, I may say one word that God is not respecting our persons.

[49:12] I might just say that and immediately God will heighten your sensitivity. You will understand it. You will understand it more than what I said. Pastor.

[49:23] Is it a blessing? Oh, God bless. Number six, it's a good exercise for self-discipline. If you are struggling with some self-discipline issues like sleeping, you know, some of us we sleep a lot like a snake that has swallowed a rabbit.

[49:43] You know, when a snake swallows a whole bed and sometimes it takes days to digest so it lies down for a long time, sleeps, anaconda, it can sleep for a long time.

[49:57] You have entered a new year. You are still sleeping like last year. And you are calling his new year. So, so sleep.

[50:16] Temptation. How many of you have had temptations before? Yeah. Hey, somebody didn't lift your hands. Well, maybe you are yesu. Even Jesus was tempted.

[50:30] But, when you fast, it helps with self-discipline. Okay, boost your self-discipline.

[50:42] So, how many of you have fallen into temptation before? And fallen again and again before to that same temptation? And then sometimes, you know what's funny? Sometimes you vowed that God, this temptation, this argument with my sister, it will never happen again.

[50:57] It doesn't matter what she says, I won't say anything. And then the next day, it even blows up more. You determine that, God, I won't do this thing again. I won't do this again.

[51:10] You know what? There are different things we all plan not to do again. Hello? Hello? Hi. So, I will leave you to interpret yourself. Okay, interpret yourself. Sides that you don't want to go again, things that you don't want to do again, but you keep doing.

[51:25] And when you're a genuine Christian, it really breaks your heart. I don't know if you know what I'm saying. When you keep finding yourself doing what you really didn't want to do or don't want to do, but it's like you are weak.

[51:38] When you fast, the discipline to fast begin to spill over to the discipline you can apply in the other places of your life.

[51:49] Did you understand that? The discipline to fast spills over. So, that discipline, that's what this morning I was talking about. When you're a pastor and you are struggling, you are sleeping too much and you are sleeping to be disciplined about, maybe you're eating and you're sleeping, it is a sign that you are also not disciplined in other places.

[52:12] Because discipline, once you get the mode of discipline, it begins to, it's like cascading effect. It affects other places. Do you understand what I'm saying? Yeah. It affects other places in your life.

[52:23] If you can't read your Bible regularly, that means that you might not be able to avoid pornography. That means that maybe you might not be able to wake up early to pray the way you wanted to.

[52:34] So, it's not only one. It's not a stand alone. When you are failing in one area of discipline, it's not a stand alone. It shows in a lot of other areas too.

[52:45] In the same way, when you begin to get it right in one area of discipline, it begins to spill over to also, you certainly begin to realize you are reading your Bible more. You are praying more. The pornographic temptation, you can walk away from it.

[52:59] Because one area is coming under discipline and you are exercising self-discipline in one area is beginning to affect another area. You can look at something and walk away.

[53:12] There are things that are to tempt you, gambling and alcohol. It's sad. Some people are here, you are always tempted by alcohol. Wow. It's sad.

[53:23] It's sad. A young man like you, a young lady like you, every time you go and buy alcohol, they know you from the corner shop. But, you know, as I grow in my Christian life, the more I grow in the Lord, the less judgmental I become.

[53:43] So if I see you, God forbid, struggling with alcohol if you are drunk, I won't. I won't condemn you. My heart's rather breaks because I know you are a good Christian. You have been caught in something you are struggling with.

[53:55] And now my heart breaks for you. I'm thinking, what can we do for you two? So in times of fasting, it's leverage for everybody. It's like sale time. When we are doing corporate fasting, it's like sales.

[54:07] You know, June sales or summer sale or winter sale. You know, where you can buy one, get one free easily. You go to Boots or Superdrag. They do a lot of that there.

[54:19] Boots or Superdrag or TK Maxx. You can have one coat. Very cheap. You can have another one. So when it's sale time, people do a lot of shopping.

[54:32] Sale time. In the same way, when it's corporate fasting time, that's the time most of us should take advantage and build some discipline. Are you getting it?

[54:45] And then finally, let me add this. Myself, it draws us into a sense of oneness and closeness to God. Oh, when you fast, it draws us into a sense of oneness and closeness to God.

[54:59] Sometimes you feel so good. You feel so good. You know you are with God. Not just the discipline. Say, there's some sweetness in getting closer to God.

[55:11] How many of you have felt that before? God is so sweet, you know. It's sweet. And that's what Christians have, others don't have. The sweetness of getting closer. It's joy, internal joy.

[55:24] It cannot be faked. It's not cosmetic. It's intrinsic. The sweetness of getting closer to God. So when you fast, one, you feel this oneness with God.

[55:38] You feel closer to God. But not just that. When you feel close to God, you feel it boosts your self-confidence because you are able to look at sin in the face and say no.

[55:49] You know, when you're able to say no to what you want to say no to, how many of you know that it feels very, it's like, yeah, yeah. Somebody told me the other time, I said, Pastor, I can't believe for three months I've never watched porn.

[56:05] Meanwhile, I used to struggle every evening, every evening it was a problem. I said, for three months and I feel, yeah. I feel so victorious. I feel so empowered.

[56:19] It actually can lengthen your life because when you fast and you are close to God, depression can't take over you because closeness to God gives you something that even if you don't have money, you don't have material, you don't have friends, you feel so fulfilled and this richness in self, richness in self that your looks don't intimate, your gender, your race, your body size in the past, maybe you are very uncomfortable about some things.

[56:53] When you get so close to God, it doesn't matter. You feel satisfied. You feel complete because we are complete in Him. So fasting has a way of really boosting your self-confidence because of your closeness to God.

[57:09] Boosting, that's when you can see someone who is six years old. I'll pray for you. I'll pray for you because there's nothing to hide. There's nothing.

[57:19] But you know, when you are struggling with sin, someone comes and says that the other time somebody told me, a friend came and the friend said, I'm really going through a lot of problems in my body.

[57:31] I need you to pray for me. He said, good prayer for you. But at that time, he was not in the best shape. When the person said, I feel demons are attacking me. He said he was scared because this is the wrong time.

[57:43] I can't pray. Even when I pray, I don't mean it because I know I've been messing up. So when you are close to God, it gives you the audacity to want to say, Satan, get lost.

[57:59] Your mom or your brother, your sister, your dad, your wife, your husband tells you, I've been feeling this pain. I don't know. I've not been feeling well at all. He said, come, let's pray.

[58:11] Father, I command this sickness. You speak with authority because you and God are close. Fasting is good, boys.

[58:23] Fasting is good. So make sure you get involved. Now, if you are not sure because of health conditions, speak to somebody senior to guide you. Okay? So let's say you are 34, four weeks pregnant.

[58:42] What energy can you get to fast? And then suddenly you are feeling so, or you are a breastfeeding mother. You know, when you are breastfeeding, some of the children, they can't eat though. They will drain every energy from you.

[58:57] Because of the child, you have to be eating. But you always love fasting. and now you are breastfeeding and you are thinking, oh, don't feel bad, we will fast for you. Because we are one.

[59:09] So when one cannot do it, the rest, we call it corporate fasting. It's important. Let's say you are on medication and it needs food to take that medicine.

[59:23] And the doctors have put you on because it's necessary for your health. You don't say I'm fasting so I won't take my medicine. I don't think it's smart. It's not good. Take your medicine.

[59:35] And if you need food to take it, just buy something for energy, eat, and continue the fasting. Because you are not eating to be food, you are eating for medication.

[59:48] So even if you buy a cheeseburger, not a hoop, hoopo, hoopo, or something. Not that one.

[60:02] Just buy something so it can give you energy for your stomach lining because the medication will need that. And then put it in, drink something, and continue the fasting.

[60:17] If just in case tomorrow you get to the office or in the morning, normally McDonald's they supply without you buying in your house, and you wake up and you start eating. Somebody calls you and says, oh, are you going to come for the fasting prayer?

[60:29] Say, what? Oh, we are fasting. You remember you are fasting. Wherever you are, stop the eating. And continue the fasting. Don't say, oh, I forgot.

[60:42] I've swallowed my food. It's not spout. It's not spout. It's not spout. Continue the fasting. Don't say, okay, let me take the last bite. Because you did it on purpose.

[60:57] That last bite was on purpose, so you put a whole screen. Then you say, I'm choking. Then you drink milkshake.

[61:11] But you are just eating normal, then you remember. Stop it. Show God you are really into. Listen, if you can't control your stomach, what makes you think you can control the devil? Your own belly is controlling you.

[61:25] Demons will control you more. So, these are all just little, little. When I was in secondary school, there was one boy in our class. He became born again.

[61:36] He used to follow us. Then we were fasting. He came and asked me a practical question. I've never heard that question before. I said, what? He said, so, can I swallow my saliva? I said, yeah.

[61:48] It's Islam that every now. Your saliva came from your inside. It's not something from. You can swallow it. That's one. It doesn't spoil fasting. And then he asked, how about, can I brush my teeth?

[62:00] I said, you have to brush it regularly. In fact, morning, afternoon, and for information, because when you are fasting, you tend to have bad breath.

[62:15] And then you are in church. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. So, it's advisable if you can have some mint. You need some mint to freshen your breath.

[62:30] These are all okay. These are all okay. Get some mint, freshen your breath, and then get on it. And the fasting is for a period of time. Fasting is not permanent. Accidentally, having no eating doesn't make you fasting.

[62:44] Fasting is purposeful. That's why when it was defined, I said deliberate. It's a deliberate abstinence from not food.

[62:55] Particularly food, yeah. You can see I'm fasting from ice cream. Fasting in the Bible is about food. Food and beverages.

[63:06] Water is fine because it helps to wash your system so you can't drink water. But deliberate abstinence from natural physical gratification. Deliberate abstinence from some form of physical gratification for a period of time for the purpose of spiritual power or spiritual closeness to God.

[63:26] So there's a reason for it and it's for a period of time. Don't fast all your life. It's no sense. No, no. You don't need to do that. Every day you are fasting for two years. No, you kill yourself.

[63:37] You kill yourself. There's no sense in it. Even Jesus did only 40 days. 40 days. The way that I won't have to save the whole world. To listen to this message by David Entry.

[63:49] We hope you were blessed by it. You can connect with David Entry on all relevant social media platforms including TikTok and Threads. There's also many more messages to listen to from David Entry on all relevant streaming platforms and on the Karish Church app.

[64:05] Be blessed.