Why Fast: Part 5

‘Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world’ James 4:8.

Personal Spiritual Development: For personal spiritual development. ‘He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name’ Ps.23:3. There are things that you cannot delegate or ask people to do for you. You cannot delegate praise and worship of your God; knowing your God; intimacy with your God; and personal spiritual growth.  There are levels that God has for you that you have to work out by yourself. No Pastor can know God for you or read the Bible for you; no one can grow in fasting and intimacy with God for you. You have to do it yourself. There are things that God wants to say to only you. You have to ensure that you are available to hear them. Do not fall prey to pastors who tell you they can develop spiritually for you. If he is really fasting what is he doing with all that food. If your only litmus test for knowing a real ‘man of God’ is that he is using the Name of Jesus, then you are setting yourself up. Do not let anyone deceive you. The point is this, there are things your Pastor can do for you – he can intercede and fast for you. However you also need to pray and fast for yourself. You need to fast because your own voice must be heard in Heaven. ‘…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’ Phil.2:12b [KJV]. Growing in intimacy with God involves you seeking God by yourself.

Problem Resolution: ‘Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting’ Matt.17:21[KJV]. Some problems will not go away simply because ‘God said it, I believe it, that settles it’. Jesus has tagged such problems as ‘this kind’. It will not be resolved unless you pray and fast. Fasting breaks the back of some of the most difficult problems in life. There is more to some problems than meets the eye. Only prayer and fasting can cut if off from the roots so that ‘affliction will not arise a second time’.

Prayer: Father, I pray that as I seek Your face I will grow in intimacy with You and that the light in Your presence will drive out every darkness before me in Jesus Name.