Daniel 10:3,12-14
I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
Prophet Daniel fasted for three weeks(21 days) as per the above verses.There was a warfare going on in the Spiritual realm (in the heavenlies) but Daniel the great man of Prayer was constantly praying with fasting.Our prayers do help release more Angels and Michael the chief warrior Angel came to to help Gabriel messenger Angel in the warfare to drive out the principality.Daniel had humbled himself before God and the vision was released in the Spiritual realm the very first day but couldn’t be manifested till Daniel had prayed over for three weeks.My friends God wants to reveal HIS plans for the future but it is the Prayers of the saints that helps us to know the plans of God and have visitations from Angels.Fasting and Prayer is the key.
Joel 2:12-13
“Now, therefore,” says the Lord,
“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
Man looks at the face but God looks at the heart,this is the what the Bible teaches.In the above verses Bible says rend your hearts and not your garments i.e. God doesn’t look at the outward appearance but HE wants humble,contrite hearts.HE wants that people should commit and submit their hearts fully to the Lord JESUS CHRIST.
ESTHER 4:16
“Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”
Yes the above three days fasting was told by Queen Esther for the protection of the Jews (Israel).The people of Israel fasted and God changed the decision and the heart of the king.The enemy was punished instead.Fasting can even change the decision of the Government.Here three days fasting is emphasized to change the destiny of the nation.
EXODUS 34:28
So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
Here we read about Prophet Moses fasted for 40 days specifically.The result was visible that Moses had an encounter with Heavenly Father.He saw the handwriting of God.The commandment of God was released which governed Israel from that time on-wards.My friends 40 days fasting in secluded place(cut off from the things of the world) does give us the Grace to have face to face encounter with our Lord JESUS CHRIST.
Matthew 4 and Luke 4 shows us that Lord JESUS CHRIST kept 40 day fast and overcame the temptation of the devil and also came out in the power of the Spirit.
JONAH 3:5-9
So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying,
Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?
The city of Nineveh was warned of the great Judgment of the Lord by the Prophet Jonah.But the whole city from Top to bottom fasted and prayed before God.The judgment that was destined for 40 days was withheld and history tells us that the judgment was postponed by 100 years. God’s very own decision of judgment can change if people fast and pray.
ACTS 13:1-2
Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.2 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.”
My friends fasting and prayer does place us in our calling,it can guide us according to our ministry call and also assign us the task kept by the Lord JESUS for us.It will remove every confusion if we know the voice of God.So if anyone needs guidance in any matter,fasting and prayer does help us to take correct decisions and actions as per Lord’s will.
WORD OF CAUTION
ACTS 23:12-14-For negative or evil purpose
And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy. 14 They came to the chief priests and elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul…”
My friends sometimes people fast and pray for negative purpose i.e. to harm others.This kind of prayer is an abomination in the sight of the Lord JESUS CHRIST.The fasting should have right motives.It should be mainly for Spiritual edification,to humble ourselves and to Repent, consecrate ourselves before God.We must not focus on others while fasting and praying but Lord JESUS CHRIST.
