DEVELOPING SPIRITUAL CAPACITY THROUGH FASTING AND PRAYER. 4
DEVELOPING SPIRITUAL CAPACITY
It takes the power of God to rule in the midst of wickedness. In Psalm 110:1-3 the Bible says:
"The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. ‘The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauty of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth"
Through power God said he will establish our dominion even in the midst of the wickedness of the world. The whole world 'lieth in wickedness' we are told. But with the power of God we can subdue the wickedness in the world!
Simply put, with spiritual abilities the saints can smile in the midst of spiritual hostilities! For even though 'we walk through the shadow of death we fear no evil for thou art with us, thy ROD and thy staff they comfort us'. God's presence and power surrounds us and so we are immovable.
One of the things God ordained fasting for is to increase our power base so that we can be 'spiritually fit to undermine the wickedness that is in the world. Isaiah 58:8 the Bible says, '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?'
How do we loosen the bands of wickedness, undo heavy burdens and let the oppressed go free? By the anointing of course, the power of God! For it shall come to pass in that day that the burden shall be lifted off from of his shoulders and the yoke from off his neck and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing! (Isaiah 10:27) Through the power of God we undo the wickedness in the world! We subject it, crush it until it is finally destroyed!
It is however good to note that the power of God is in levels or measures. In John 3:34, the word says, 'For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the SPIRIT by MEASURE unto him.' This statement implies that the anointing of the Holy Spirit is given in measures, and the measure of anointing upon our lives determines the level of results that we command!
This was evidently clear in Matthew 17:19-21 when the disciples could not deal with the wickedness on display, Jesus told them 'your current measure of power cannot handle this, you need to get to a higher level of unction and achieving that will require prayer and FASTING'
Jesus could talk about this because he has experience this! After fasting for 40days and 40 night the effect of that fasting was recorded in verse 14 that he returned in the POWER OF THE SPIRIT! And without publicity his fame went abroad! After fasting and prayer he experienced a power surge so tangible that himself declared 'the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because he has ANOINTED me to....'. It was an anointing that could not be denied!
Spiritual concentration in the place of prayer and fasting alters our spiritual landscape and increases the unction upon our lives! And this increased unction is what gives us dominion over every wickedness in the world! With increased unction we can increasingly undo the bands of wickedness in our lives and our immediate world spreading the knowledge and power of the saviour everywhere! This example Jesus set in Luke 4:18-21.
After that 40 days of fasting and prayer there was a power outburst that shook the world and 2000 years after the effect is still been felt today!
Just one season of protracted prayer and fasting can alter the spiritual landscape of your life forever.
DEVELOPING SPIRITUAL CAPACITY
It takes the power of God to rule in the midst of wickedness. In Psalm 110:1-3 the Bible says:
"The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. ‘The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauty of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth"
Through power God said he will establish our dominion even in the midst of the wickedness of the world. The whole world 'lieth in wickedness' we are told. But with the power of God we can subdue the wickedness in the world!
Simply put, with spiritual abilities the saints can smile in the midst of spiritual hostilities! For even though 'we walk through the shadow of death we fear no evil for thou art with us, thy ROD and thy staff they comfort us'. God's presence and power surrounds us and so we are immovable.
One of the things God ordained fasting for is to increase our power base so that we can be 'spiritually fit to undermine the wickedness that is in the world. Isaiah 58:8 the Bible says, '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?'
How do we loosen the bands of wickedness, undo heavy burdens and let the oppressed go free? By the anointing of course, the power of God! For it shall come to pass in that day that the burden shall be lifted off from of his shoulders and the yoke from off his neck and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing! (Isaiah 10:27) Through the power of God we undo the wickedness in the world! We subject it, crush it until it is finally destroyed!
It is however good to note that the power of God is in levels or measures. In John 3:34, the word says, 'For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the SPIRIT by MEASURE unto him.' This statement implies that the anointing of the Holy Spirit is given in measures, and the measure of anointing upon our lives determines the level of results that we command!
This was evidently clear in Matthew 17:19-21 when the disciples could not deal with the wickedness on display, Jesus told them 'your current measure of power cannot handle this, you need to get to a higher level of unction and achieving that will require prayer and FASTING'
Jesus could talk about this because he has experience this! After fasting for 40days and 40 night the effect of that fasting was recorded in verse 14 that he returned in the POWER OF THE SPIRIT! And without publicity his fame went abroad! After fasting and prayer he experienced a power surge so tangible that himself declared 'the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because he has ANOINTED me to....'. It was an anointing that could not be denied!
Spiritual concentration in the place of prayer and fasting alters our spiritual landscape and increases the unction upon our lives! And this increased unction is what gives us dominion over every wickedness in the world! With increased unction we can increasingly undo the bands of wickedness in our lives and our immediate world spreading the knowledge and power of the saviour everywhere! This example Jesus set in Luke 4:18-21.
After that 40 days of fasting and prayer there was a power outburst that shook the world and 2000 years after the effect is still been felt today!
Just one season of protracted prayer and fasting can alter the spiritual landscape of your life forever.
