Fasting With Expectation - includes 10-day Fasting info

Josh 3:5.  And Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves,

For tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you."  

• Pull away from the ordinary; set yourself apart – as through fasting
• God’s going to do something wonderful, extraordinary, or difficult

How you sanctify yourself reveals your expectation 

What was the Sin of Sodom

Ezek 16:49-50

Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. ⁵⁰ And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit.

How many times do we see food connected to temptation & judgement in scripture? 

Gen 3:6.  The woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes.

Esau sold his future for a bowl of oatmeal – Gen 25:30-34

Ps 78:18.  And [the Israelites] tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.  KJV

• ·Preferred to be fat & enslaved ratner than freedom & manna

Rather have food than God

1 Cor 11.  Church was bringing judgement on itself at the Lord’s Supper…

The first temptation of Jesus was to eat

          This is no coincidence – the second Adam controlled his appetite

Temptation is connected to natural needs & appetites

      Appetites pushed to the extreme or perverted, i.e. food, sex, money, position

Food is often the first door of lusts – issues of self-control

The control of our appetites is linked to the control of our passions.

If we cannot control our appetite for food, how can we deal with other lust?

It actually becomes a form of Idolatry

Phil 3:19.  Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame — who set their mind on earthly things.

Rom 16:18a.  For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly.

We will obey our stomach says, & not what God says

Reverse the Idolatry

Mark 14:38.  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

2 Chron 7:14.  If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

• Humble:  "afflict the soul," discipline self, syn. Fast - Lev 23:26-28; Ps 35:13      

Stomach, you are not my god!  Stomach, you are no longer my god

Why Fast? 

Expecting the Supernatural – “Sanctifying myself because I expect wonders!”

1. Aligning with the Supernatural, instead of the natural – making your spirit stronger

Fasting rearranges our priorities from the natural to the supernatural

Serves notice to our body and our carnal nature: You don’t control me!

Brings our carnal nature into subjection; discipline

2.  Supernatural Freedom – Isaiah 58:6

Is this not the fast that I have chosen:

To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens,

To let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?

3.  Enhances Supernatural Communications, Intensifies Prayers – Isa 58:9

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.'

4.  Supernatural Victory over a certain order in demonic realm – Matt 17:14-21 

“This kind” does not go out except by prayer and fasting. 

 5.  Supernatural Deliverance & Healing – 2 Chron 20:3-22; Is 58:8

6.  Releases Supernatural Guidance – Acts 13:2-3  (many struggle in this area)

As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said,

"Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

³ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

Isa 30:21.  Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.

7.  Supernatural Favor - Est 4:15-5:3

8.  Supernatural Reversals – 1 Kings 21:27-29

So it was, when Ahab heard those words [of judgement against him], that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning. ²⁸ And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

²⁹ "See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me?

Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days.

Remember Prayer w/ Fasting

While Praying & Fasting – Believe for a Supernatural Breakthrough

Many times while not eating, still thinking about food

Reach the Realm where you’re not thinking about food,

But thinking about the Word of God

I’d rather have God than food

Job 23:12.  I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. 

Sacrificing the natural to experience the Supernatural

Abundant Grace’s Corporate Fast for 2016 will be a 10-day Partial Fast  

YOU pick the 10 consecutive days that YOU will fast, between January 3^rd and 31^st.

It is a partial fast because we will only abstain from certain foods.

Choose one (1) of the two (2) different Partial Fast:

Daniel Fast (Daniel 1:11-15):   

This fast consists basically of vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and fruit.

• You will avoid meats, poultry fish, sweets (desserts), white flour, white rice, fried foods, caffeine, carbonated beverages,

No-Carb Fast: 

This fast consists mainly of vegetables and meats, poultry, fish and eggs.

• You will avoid all starches and sugars, including natural sugars in fruit, desserts, whole grains, breads, pasta, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, and dairy products.

While you are on this fast, be sure to Feed Your Spirit every day!

• Read at least on chapter in the scriptures every day.       

Let your fasting be accompanied with Prayer – see #4 on the first page

Ps 5:3.  In the morning, O Lord, you will hear my voice; In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

Shut off the excesses that appeal to the flesh: TV, mobile devices, internet, etc.

Warning: to receive the full benefits of the fast, you must be careful to treat others fairly; you must not accuse, or speak critically or harshly of others.  Isaiah 58:9

Remember:  Fasting is not a hunger strike.  Fasting is not to change God, but to change You!

The control of our appetites is linked to the control of our passions.

If we cannot control our appetite for food, how can we deal with other lust?