The power of fasting and prayer

​The Power of Fasting and Prayer
 
Fasting and and prayer are weapons of warfare.
Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.
We look at how He fasted.
 
Fasting keeps our heart conditioned to hear from God.  It does not move God, it moves us!
It does not work If it is not connected with prayer and the word of God.
Deny the flesh and natural appetites to better equip ourselves spiritutally.
There are benefits it brings to others as well as ourselves. 
Jesus in the wilderness experiences with the devil ,
 understand how to overcome Satan in our personal lives.
Our private victory is necessary first.
Submit yourselves to God resist the devil and he must flee.
Jesus’ temptations and encounters with Satan
Luke  when they were ended he afterward hungered.
 
The sword of the spirit is the word of God.
Fasting causes the word from our mouths to come forth with power!

• Luke 4:1-14 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. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

Jesus had been baptized by John and the holy spirit came upon him in the form of a dove.  He was immediately led into the wilderness to be tested of the evil.
 
1John 3:8  for this purpose
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 
 
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He showed us that we overcome the wiles of the devil and the ways of the flesh. 
We cannot have fasting and prayer with the word of God!!
It is important in our personal lives to be effective  as a witness and to have power to deliver and set others free.
 
We are in a battle!
not against flesh and blood
Our spiritual weapons give victory over the enemy
There is nothing new in this battle.
These are enemies of our souls.
temptations come in different boxes and wrappings but the same thing
3 basic forms of temptations to overcome in this life!
1John 2  love not the world…
the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life
He that doeth the will of God
 
Be transformed
2Cor 4  Satan is the god of this world, the prince of the power of the airways
 
We love the people, not the ways of the world
If you love the world, the love of the father is not in you.

• 1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Do not love the world or the things in the world.

 
 
The trinity of evil. – the world, the flesh and the devil.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
 
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Galatians 5:16  flesh against spirit  there is warfare within your soul.
the spirt of God is in your heart but the flesh/old man needs to be transformed.
 
Sow to the spirit and not to the flesh.
If you sow to the flesh, you sow corruption.
If the flesh is stronger, the flesh will lead.
Feed the spirit.
 
Man does not live by bread alone.  Keep your spirit built up!  Fasting helps that happen.
 
Genesis 3:6 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her
 The lust of the flesh
Food was the first temptation
The word of God described a group of people this way:  “Whose belly is their God.”
they were controlled by natural appetites food has become an idol to many
Job said:  “More than my necessary food, my should desires you.”
As the deer panteth after the waterbrook, my soul desires you.
 
Jesus says, “He that hungers and thirsts after righteousness shall be filled.”
There are other desires that tempt, too.
 
Our offensive weapon is the sword of the spirit.
Mathew 4:4 In the wilderness, Jesus used the word against Satan.. “It is written, man shall not live be bread alone but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth  God.”
 
The lust of the eyes.   Jesus’ 2nd temptation in the wilderness.
Matt 4”98  Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of this world in a moment of time.
And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 
Jesus replied,  Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
 thou shalt not tempt the lord thy god.”
When Adam submitted to satan, all that he had and all that he was belonged to Satan.
 
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Jesus knew the temptation was real.   He replied, “Get thee behind me satan.
Satan wants you to take shortcuts, to take a more convenient way.
 to short circuit God’s plan for your destiny.
 
This work is a process
The time will come when the kingdoms of this world will be returned to Him.
There is a process, a time.
I once heard an old prophet council an anxious saint, “You must take the stairs, not the elevator, my son.”
Wait on the Lord.  You have need of patience.
 
The enemy offered a quick fix.  “Get the kingdom now, Jesus.”
cast yourself down and the angels will catch you.
You don’t need to fall!  Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God.
 
Jesus’ Reply:  “it is written again, thou shalt not tempt the lord thy God.”
 Satan’s original sin:  I will be like the most high.
Revelation 12  Satan, the dragon.
 
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The pride of life
There is temptation to exalt our will above the word of God.  “Pride goeth before a fall.” 
 
Pride says, my way is better than yours.  Pride in our education, ethnicity, social economic status, superiority, are tricks of the devil.
Honor the lord.
Take stewardship over what God gives.
lust of the flesh.  turn the stone into bread.
 
Lift yourself up.
verse 13  departed for a season.  The fame of Jesus went to all regions.
 
He was led into the wilderness for personal battle. His will was challenged and He overcame.
Phil. 2  let this mind be in you 
 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Acts 10:38  How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
 
 
He humbled himself in the wilderness and came out in power!
Anointed with the holy Ghost and with power
He went about doing good.
Jesus read, Isaiah 60 and Luke 4:18,19 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
 
Jesus had given this promise to his disciples:  Acts 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
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preach the good news to those who are lost
this is a time of fasting, building ourselves up in the holy ghost.