DEVELOPING SPIRITUAL CAPACITY IN FASTING AND PRAYER(6) - ONE DAY MAY NEVER BE ENOUGH
‘In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the FIRST DAY that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. BUT THE PRINCE OF THE KINGDOM OF PERSIA WITHSTOOD ME ONE AND TWENTY DAYS: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days’ (Daniel 10:2-3, 12-14 KJV)
Sometimes it takes persistence to bear spiritual fruits!
From the first day Daniel chasten himself in fasting before God and prayed, he was heard, the answer was released but was not delivered because of some satanic ambush and delay. From the first day he prayed answers was granted but not delivered, meaning that sometimes it may take more than one day to enforce the release of our desires in prayer and fasting! One day may never be enough! Daniel stayed on fasting and praying until spiritual reinforcement came to help the angelic emissary out to deliver the answer!
Had he given up on the first day he would have truncated God's plan and purpose by reason of his lack of spiritual tenacity!
Jesus teaching on prayers in Luke 18:1 emphasized how men ought to always pray and not to faint. He went further to reiterate this truth by giving the illustration of how a widow was persistent in pestering the wicked judges for justice until she was answered! Then he made a statement afterward.
'And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, THOUGH HE BEAR LONG with them?'(Luke 18:7 KJV)
Here we see the same spiritual truth reiterated: some spiritual breakthroughs may require you to stay put! Staying put until there is a breakthrough!
Jesus clearly express here that 'God may bear long with the saint'. Now that may sound scary if you don't understand the process and the purpose for God bearing long in prayers with the saint!
The process for this protracted season of prayers and fasting we see in that book of Daniel, there was need to crush the opposition before Daniels position could be guaranteed! So as he stayed in that season of prayers and fasting for 21days, spiritual reinforcement came that crushed the opposition and Daniels delivery was confirmed. The spiritual process is clear, the opposition to our victory may be stubborn, but as we remain persistent and spiritually dogged and tenacious we wear them out!
James also said this, 'resist the devil UNTIL he flees from you'(James 4:7). The key word here is "UNTIL", the spiritual resistance must be until victory is achieved! Look at it here portrayed in Luke 18.
'And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' Luke 18:4-5 KJV.
Our spiritual persistence wearies the opposition!
God may bear long why? What's his purpose for doing so? He wants to develop spiritual capacity in us, spiritual strength, for Isaiah 40:29-31 says they that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will stack it up. So the longer we stay in his presence praying and fasting the more spiritual capacity that we develop! And this spiritual capacity is the premise for spiritual tenacity! We are able to stand strong in the days of battle because we have strength. Yes Job said if you fail in the days of adversity it is because you are lacking in strength!
Tenacity in the face of adversity has its foundation on the spiritual capacity stored up before the days of battle.
And in spiritual warfare when all has been done there is just but one thing to do to see victory: STAND! Ephesians 6:13 advised us that after we have done everything there is to do, still there is but one thing that we accomplish the victory: stand! In other words, stay put until you breakthrough!
‘Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’
In spiritual warfare it is our spiritual tenacity that accomplishes our victory!
Many have done all, all that remain is to stand!
Standing in the flesh can be tedious but when we stand strong in prayer and fasting we build capacity and tenacity to defeat the enemy! Weariness has no room when our spirit is focused and attuned to God!
‘In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the FIRST DAY that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. BUT THE PRINCE OF THE KINGDOM OF PERSIA WITHSTOOD ME ONE AND TWENTY DAYS: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days’ (Daniel 10:2-3, 12-14 KJV)
Sometimes it takes persistence to bear spiritual fruits!
From the first day Daniel chasten himself in fasting before God and prayed, he was heard, the answer was released but was not delivered because of some satanic ambush and delay. From the first day he prayed answers was granted but not delivered, meaning that sometimes it may take more than one day to enforce the release of our desires in prayer and fasting! One day may never be enough! Daniel stayed on fasting and praying until spiritual reinforcement came to help the angelic emissary out to deliver the answer!
Had he given up on the first day he would have truncated God's plan and purpose by reason of his lack of spiritual tenacity!
Jesus teaching on prayers in Luke 18:1 emphasized how men ought to always pray and not to faint. He went further to reiterate this truth by giving the illustration of how a widow was persistent in pestering the wicked judges for justice until she was answered! Then he made a statement afterward.
'And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, THOUGH HE BEAR LONG with them?'(Luke 18:7 KJV)
Here we see the same spiritual truth reiterated: some spiritual breakthroughs may require you to stay put! Staying put until there is a breakthrough!
Jesus clearly express here that 'God may bear long with the saint'. Now that may sound scary if you don't understand the process and the purpose for God bearing long in prayers with the saint!
The process for this protracted season of prayers and fasting we see in that book of Daniel, there was need to crush the opposition before Daniels position could be guaranteed! So as he stayed in that season of prayers and fasting for 21days, spiritual reinforcement came that crushed the opposition and Daniels delivery was confirmed. The spiritual process is clear, the opposition to our victory may be stubborn, but as we remain persistent and spiritually dogged and tenacious we wear them out!
James also said this, 'resist the devil UNTIL he flees from you'(James 4:7). The key word here is "UNTIL", the spiritual resistance must be until victory is achieved! Look at it here portrayed in Luke 18.
'And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' Luke 18:4-5 KJV.
Our spiritual persistence wearies the opposition!
God may bear long why? What's his purpose for doing so? He wants to develop spiritual capacity in us, spiritual strength, for Isaiah 40:29-31 says they that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will stack it up. So the longer we stay in his presence praying and fasting the more spiritual capacity that we develop! And this spiritual capacity is the premise for spiritual tenacity! We are able to stand strong in the days of battle because we have strength. Yes Job said if you fail in the days of adversity it is because you are lacking in strength!
Tenacity in the face of adversity has its foundation on the spiritual capacity stored up before the days of battle.
And in spiritual warfare when all has been done there is just but one thing to do to see victory: STAND! Ephesians 6:13 advised us that after we have done everything there is to do, still there is but one thing that we accomplish the victory: stand! In other words, stay put until you breakthrough!
‘Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’
In spiritual warfare it is our spiritual tenacity that accomplishes our victory!
Many have done all, all that remain is to stand!
Standing in the flesh can be tedious but when we stand strong in prayer and fasting we build capacity and tenacity to defeat the enemy! Weariness has no room when our spirit is focused and attuned to God!
