FASTING (6)                                                                           Zechariah 7:1-7

Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? (v5)

Whatever principles are called into operation, the general testimony is that prayer is intensified, spiritually is sensitized and ministry is more powerfully effective. Hallesby expresses a general statement when he says that: “fasting helps to give us that inner sense of spiritual penetration by means of which we can discern clearly that for which the spirit of prayer would have us pray, in exceptionally difficult circumstances”

Dereck Prince tries to be more specific when he claims that: “Fasting deals with two great barriers to the Holy Spirit… self will … and self gratifying appetites of the body (Galatians 5:19) … With these carnal barriers removed the Holy Spirit can work unhindered in His fullness through our prayers… Fasting makes way for the Holy Spirit’s Omnipotence. Derek Prince concludes: “If God’s people will go on to seek Him more earnestly with prayer and fasting on a wider scale, we shall see more of the Holy Spirit throughout the entire world such as history has never yet recorded.” In the practice of fasting, a caution needs to be added regarding personal attitudes. Note Acts 13:2 –we should not fast out of self-centeredness or for drawing attention to ourselves – Luke 18:12, Matthew 6:16-18 – Note hunger strike (Jeremiah 14:10-12) Leonard Le Sound concludes: “Fasting is designed to make prayer mount up as on eagles’ wings. It is intended to usher the supplant into the audience chamber of the King and to drive back the oppressing power of darkness, thereby lessening their hold on those being prayed for. Fasting definitely will give an edge to (a person’s) intercession and power to… petition.” (Stuart Robinson)

PRAYER LINE: Father, let my fasting mount up as an eagles wings.

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When we come to Christ in our brokenness. He makes us whole.