Brethren, Lent is here.  

It’s time once again to reflect on what the Lord Jesus went through to bring about our salvation.  It is also the period when we try to emulate the Lord by abstaining from the pleasures of life and move closer to the Lord.

Either, Pentecostal Christian or not, I am yet to see any Christian that does not believe in fasting.

What is the essence of fasting? The answer varies but what is constant is that, it is a sure way of connecting with God.

We have evidence in Luke 4 vs. 1&2: {KJV}  ” And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.

Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing; and when they were ended, he afterward hungered”.

Note that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. That is a place that there is no distraction. 

A place of minimal comfort.

Since the Spirit of God led Jesus there, the Spirit abideth with him.  Therefore, though the devil tempted him, the devil failed because Jesus   had the power of the Holy Spirit.

Bibles scholars said it was after this that Jesus went into the full ministry with miracles, signs and wonders.

Brethren, you have to give up something to get something.

The power of God is readily available for Believers.   It is like a socket in the house.   In a completed building, the socket has power in it but that power is of no effect because it hasn’t been connected to any plug.

When the plug fits into the socket, power that has remained invisible would become visible.

I pray for you in the name of Jesus every treasure that is hidden inside your body or your destiny; the power of God would push it into visibility in Jesus name.

For a moment, imagine Jesus as the socket and you as the plug.   When the plug is fixed into the socket, what happens, power is transmitted?

In the same way, Brethren, your connection with the power of God would make the invisible visible in your life.

That same power is capable of removing any mark of the enemy placed on your destiny.

Brethren people connected the forces of darkness are very wicked but the power of God is the only power that can subdue them.

There is a basis for this statement.

Do you know that the forces of darkness can put a mark on a woman’s womb to stop her from conceiving?  The victim need not have offended the person or persons that engaged in this evil act, they might just not like the lady.

They sometimes place evil invisible mark on a lady or even a man to prevent him or her from getting married.  

Or even to stop a person from progressing.

If a man works hard in the office and never gets promoted, such a person needs to look beyond the ordinary.   It doesn’t just happen. Some forces are at play.

How do I know?  I have seen the Anointing broke the yoke of evil mark placed on a lady during a deliverance service.

Today, that lady is a mother to the glory of God and to the shame of the forces of darkness.

Brethren, like the Lord Jesus, we must never assume that the forces of darkness would not attempt to plant evil seeds in our lives even when we are connected to the Holy Spirit but with that connection, you are a Conqueror.

Remember that it was after our Lord Jesus fasted that the devil came to tempt him.

Matthew 4 vs. 2&3: ” And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread”.

You know the rest of the story.  The devil failed to subject Jesus to his command.

Brethren, you need the power of the Most High God to overcome.

The unlimited power of God will surely overpower the forces of darkness.

However, you may need to deny yourself, some pleasures of life especially food in order to fast and pray.

You may choose a day of your own to fast and pray without anyone’s knowledge.  Let it be between you and God.

Fasting helps to increase our faith, it helps us to hear from God, it makes God answer our prayers faster because at that period, we are drawn to him.

Don’t get me wrong. God is not against eating but God appreciates self-denial especially when combined with prayers.

We need to fast to seek God’s direction.

Moses did it.  Exodus 34 vs. 28 confirms this.  It states: “And he ( Moses) was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water.   And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments”.

Fasting makes God to reveal himself to us and when he does, you just know that you are on the road to freedom from any kind of oppression.

May the LORD give us the strength that we need to wait upon him with fasting and prayer in Jesus name?

When we fast, it is also advisable that we not only pray but also give to the needy.

Isaiah 58 vs. 6 &7 tells us more. ” Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out of thy house? When thou seeest  the naked, that thou cover him: and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?”.

When we fast we submit totally to God and He  responds to us. Psalm 69 vs. 10-20 says it all.

For our purpose, we’ll select some of the verses.

Verse 10 & 11″ When I wept, and chastened  my soul with fasting,  that was to my reproach.

I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them”.

Verses 13&14: ” But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me  be delivered from them that  hate me, and out of the deep waters”.

Verses 16&17: ” Hear me , O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according  to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble; hear me speedily”.

This is the prayer of a person that wants  to be set from  the bondage of the enemy.

Such prayer with fasting would definitely end in Praise because the merciful God would respond with amazing miracles.

Brethren, Jesus spoke about stubborn challenges when he spoke to his disciples that wanted to know why they couldn’t cast out demons from a child that was possessed.

Jesus replied them in verses Matthew 17 verses 20  and 21: ” And Jesus said  unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily  I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain , Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible  unto you.

Howbeit  this kind  Goethe not out but by prayer and fasting”.

In this short passage, the Lord Jesus gave three keys.  They are Faith, Prayer and Fasting.

May God empower us to use the keys regularly?

 Shalom!