BENEFITS OF PRAYER AND FASTING

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Greetings my fellow steemians and followers of the steemchurch in the order of @sirknight. Today i want to discuss a little about the topic of prayer and fasting.

Prayer and fasting are often used in the same phrase, but Prayer is simply the act of communion with God.

SO WHAT IS FASTING?

Fasting entails abstinence from all earthly things that brings pleasure to the flesh. This includes food, drink, sex and all worldly things with the aim of achieving spiritual growth.

ISAIAH 58:3-7 (KJV) says;

3 Wherefore have we fasted, [say they], and thou seest not? [wherefore] have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as [ye do this] day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? [is it] to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes [under him]? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
6 [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?
7 [Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

The sad truth is that most Christians do not know how to fast. The bible teaches us in MATTHEW 6:16

16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

But some of us choose to act like those hypocrites, announcing when we are fasting to our friends, looking pale and maltreated, forgetting that the lord doesn't reward 'eye-service' but blesses those who worship him in spirit and in truth.

WHAT ARE THE BLESSINGS THAT COMES WITH PRAYER AND FASTING?

• FASTING GIVES YOU ACCESS TO HIGH PLACES
  Everything will just start falling in place for you. God does not cheat neither is he a user of men
  DEUT. 32:13

"He made him ride on the high places of the earth, And he ate the produce of the field; And He made him suck honey from the rock, And oil from the flinty rock,

It is all a matter of if we have the faith to run with it. Promotion only comes with spiritual alertness and that is what fasting brings.

• FASTING GIVES YOU SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY
  
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Through fasting, we weaken our mortal bodies and quicken our spirit man so that th enemy will not oppress us. Fasting gives you the spiritual energy and strength to conquer the devil.
Just as the bible says in Is. 58:6

[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?

• FASTING GUARANTEES ANSWERS TO PRAYERS
  Sometimes prayer alone is not enough to bring our hesrt's desires. There is need to fast in order to consecrate ourselves before turning our faces to the creator.
  Ezra 8:23

So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

LETS ALL ENGAGE IN A FAST THE RIGHT WAY AND GOD WILL BLESS US

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT, HAVE A GREAT DAY!