Fasting is the one of the most powerful spiritual disciplines of all the Christian disciplines. It is God’s prescribed method of dealing with urgent needs. How badly do you want an answer? How much do you want a breakthrough and deliverance from the destructive habit? How bad do you need God’s intervention in that situation - marriage, health, ministry, career, purpose/destiny? Do you want it enough to give up food or some other gratification? If the answer is yes, then come to God in Prayer and Praise coupled with fasting.
The mystery of fasting is a major principle throughout the bible. It is essential to accessing the infinite possibilities of the Kingdom life.
Definition: Voluntarily going without food in order to focus on prayer and fellowship with GOD. Drinking of water is recommended; especially, with prolonged days of fasting. According to medicine, one can live without food for one week, but only three days without water.
Forms of Fasting:
1.) Absolute Fast: Completely abstaining from eating & drinking. Employed by Ezra as he mourned over the faithlessness of the people of Israel in Exile- Ezra 10:6
2.) Regular Fast: Abstaining from all food. Illustrated by Jesus following His baptism- Matthew 4:2
3.) Partial Fast: Abstaining from certain foods as illustrated by Daniel-Dan. 10:3; 1:12
Length of Fasting: Varies in length as the Spirit of God lays in your heart. However, below are some time frames recorded in the bible: 1.) One day - Judges 20:26, I Samuel 14:24, 2Corinthians 11:27; 2.) Three days - Esther 4:16-17, Acts 9:9; 3.) Seven days - I Sam. 31: 11-13; 2Sam. 12:16-18; 4.) Twenty-one days - Daniel 9; 5.) Forty days Exodus 34:28; I Kings19:18; Matt. 4:8.
By the leading & direction of the Holy Spirit, we are engaging in a five day fast as we kickoff the year 2022.
1. Purity: Fasting starves the flesh so that the Spirit can be nourished. It facilitates the breaking of the bondage of sin in our lives- Isaiah 58:6;I Cor. 9:27; Matt. 16:24
2. Revival: Fasting brings an awakening of our spirit-man. It gives you a renewed and constant awareness of God’s presence- Isaiah 58:9,Daniel 9:1-3, Jonah 3:5-10
3. Guidance/spritiual sensitivity: Fasting facilitates fellowship and intimacy with God; which in turn quickens your spiritual senses to hear/see/smell/taste/sense/experience God for guidance- Is. 58:8,10-12; Is. 40:29:-31
4. Humility/Brokenness: Fasting brings you to a place of brokenness. A place where you see yourself as worthy of nothing; a place where you absolutely need God in your life- Is. 58:5
5. Power: During fasting, you experience fresh power to overcome unseen forces militating against you- Is. 58:6, Luke 4:14a, Matthew17:14-21, 2Chron. 20:1-30
6. Healing: According to Paavo Ariola (Health expert), “ Fasting is the oldest therapeutic method known to man, even before the advent of the medicine man and in the healing arts, man instinctively stopped eating when feeling ill and abstains from food until his health was restored.” Fasting is the body’s most natural way of getting rid of harmful toxins and causes the mind to think clearly.- Is. 58: 11b&c
1. Set Your Objective: Identify your aim/objective for fasting- E.g for power vs healing vs grace to handle a difficult situation vs revivial.
2. Make a commitment: Pray that God will help you a.) Limit/restrict certain physical and social activities b.) Identify how much time you will devote to prayer and Word of GOD.
3. Prepare yourself spiritually: The primary foundation of fasting is repentance. Unconfessed sin will hinder your prayers.
4. Prepare yourself physically: Fasting requires reasonable precautions. Consult your physician first; especially, if you are on prescribed medication or dealing with chronic ailment. Few pointers include:
a.) Do not rush into your fast.
b.) Prepare your body. Eat smaller meals before starting a fast. Avoid high-fat or high-sugar foods.
c.) Eat raw vegetable and fruits for two days before engaging in a long fast.
d.) Limit your physical & mental activity.
e.) Avoid medications, even natural herbal medication and homeopathic remedies. Please consult your physician if your’re on prescribed medication.
f.) Exercise moderately and rest your body as much as you can.
g.) Prepare yourself for the body’s natural reaction to the new restrictions/conditions- e.g. crankiness, irritability, hunger pains, dizziness and even headaches, which may be the result of sugar and caffeine withdrawal.
h.) GROOM YOURSELF WELL & SMELL FRESH. Only God should know that you’re fasting.
5. Put yourself on a schedule and be disciplined enough to follow the schedule( Avoid Television & Social Media or other distractions that will dampen your spiritual focus): Set aside ample time with God during your fast. The more you spend time alone with Him, the more you will hear Him speak and reveal things to you.
a.) MORNING:
• Begin your day in Praise & Worship
• Read and meditate on God’s Word
• Invite the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself to you during the fast
• Invite the Holy Spirit to possess you completely
b.) NOON:
• Get back to GOD in prayer and God’s Word
• Take a short prayer walk
c.) EVENING:
• Spend some unhurried alone time in the presence of the Lord just seeking His face
• If others are fasting with you, meet together for prayers.
• Log on the Zoom Platform at 7PM each day for a corporate prayer of faith.
• Expect results!
1. Worship the Lord for who He is- Psa. 96:9; I Chron. 29:11-14 and thank God for being our help in ages past- Psa. 90:1
2. Thank God for His good hand upon The Agape Christian Church Baltimore; Worship the Lord for what He is doing in our lives - Neh. 2:8
3. Like Noah & Moses, thank God for the miraculous cross over into a brand-new year - Gen. 8:13 & 20-21; Exodus 15:1-13
4. Holy Father, give us the strength we need to embark on this fast - Isaiah 40:29
5. Father remove from us every distraction that the enemy of our soul will stage against us or our family during this fast - I Peter 5:8-9
6. Holy Father, during this year of Divine Fulfillment, remove from us every negative behavior/attitude, unforgiveness, guilt, sin, or iniquity that will hinder us from experiencing the Divine Fulfillment You have for us.
7. Father create in us a deeper desire for more intimate relationship with the HOLY SPIRIT, such we are consistently being transformed to be like CHRIST in character and experience.
8. Take authority over the princes and principalities of the air; send them packing and moving out of this neighborhood in the name of Jesus.
9. Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest during this year 2022 - Matthew 9:35-38. Pray for strategies, that work, to counter the forces of darkness and destroy their strongholds in this community, such that the LIGHT He has called us to shine would be made manifest.
1. Thank God for blessing this congregation with a good shepherd; thank God for the Senior Pastor and his wife.
2. Arise Oh Lord and scatter every enemy militating against this ministry - Psa.68:1-2
3. Let God reach forth to hold your right hand and use it to subdue every personality that is rising against the Body of Christ here in Timonium- Isa.45:1
4. Daddy in heaven, please protect Your church from the aggression of destroyers- Psa. 91:1-16; Isa. 54:17 and let Your Shekinah Glory overshadow every activities of darkness in this neighborhood in the name of Jesus- Gen. 1:3
5. Father, as many as fellowship in this church and are not born again, meet them this 2022 & permanently change their story in Jesus name- Acts 9:1-18
6. Pray for all the church projects during this year 2022, including the parking lot project.
7. Oh Lord give us the correct contractors for the projects, in the name of Jesus.
8. Pray against any lawsuits, fines, legal issues, wrong contractors in the name of Jesus.
9. Father, from the North, South, East, West, and from Heaven above, send financial help to Agape Christian Church and the members therein.
10. Father, we claim our new level of financial overflow, business expansion, career and academic promotion - Gen 48:4
1. Thank You Father for being the Shepherd of our souls - Psa. 63:7-11
2. Father in this year 2022, speak Your permanent peace into my life, family, the Nation, and Your Church in Jesus Name.
3. Pray for the peace of the United States and our different countries of origin. Pray against natural disasters, any form of destruction and disease outbreak, including COVID- 2 Chronicle 26:5; 2 Kings 18:3-7.
4. Pray against every terrorist attack plotted against the US or your country of origin- Psa. 68:1-2 & 30
5. Father, protect us and our families from random school/workplace shooting- Job 5:21-23
6. Decree safe arrival of travelers throughout this year - Psa 91:1 and let us enjoy peace like a river - in our body, marriage, business, academics, ministry, etc. – Psalm 23:2
7. Pray against hospital admissions during this year in Jesus name.
8. Rebuke every terminal or chronic illness that the devil will try to attack the people of God.
9. Decree divine healing upon any member of the Church family that is currently sick.
10. Lord, meet every need (marriage, employment, fruit of the womb, immigration…etc.) in Agape according to your riches in glory by Christ Jesus - Philippians 4:19
11. Profoundly thank God for answer to prayers and seal all the prayer topics with the blood of Jesus.
(Proverbs 1:23; 1 Cor. 2:4, Luke 5:17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 5:12; Romans 12:1-2)
1. Pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Agape.
2. Pray for mental transformation through the Word of God in our lives.
3. Pray for an increase in the flow of supernatural gifts of the Spirit.
4. Pray for the demonstration of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
5. Pray for an outstanding flow of healing anointing.
6. Pray for uncommon signs and wonders to find expression in Agape.
7. Pray for increased appetite for the Word of God.
8. Pray for open heavens over all the ministries of the church both locally and internationally.
(Luke 19:9; Romans 1:16; Acts 16:30-32)
1. Pray that the Lord will give us a passion for the unregenerated/lost.
2. Pray that the Lord will use us as a light in this dark world.
3. Pray for the confidence and boldness to share the gospel of our LORD JESUS CHRIST with people.
4. Claim the community where the church building is located for Jesus Christ - the blinders of the eyes of the lost be removed - salvation for the lost.
5. Pray for the members of your household, friends, colleagues, and neighbors that they will come to know the Lord.
6. Pray that the fear of the God will be released in the hearts of men so that they will pursue after righteousness.
7. Pray for the miraculous/supernatural bountiful harvest of souls in Agape and throughout the body of Christ worldwide.
8. Pray for Agape to experience phenomenal growth to the glory of God.