Prayer And Fasting

Q: What does the Bible say about prayer and fasting?

The Bible teaches that prayer and fasting are powerful means for seeking God's intervention, particularly in situations of deep need. In the Bible, prayer and fasting are often linked together as essential practices for drawing closer to God and seeking His help in desperate situations. For instance, in Matthew 17:21, Jesus indicates that certain challenges can only be overcome through prayer and fasting, emphasizing the need for serious commitment when approaching God in prayer. Fasting serves to heighten the fervency of prayer, demonstrating earnestness and dependence on God. Similarly, David's example in 2 Samuel 12 shows that he sought God with prayer and fasting when his child was gravely ill, highlighting the significance of these practices in serious spiritual warfare.

Q: How do we know the effectiveness of prayer and fasting?

Prayer and fasting are shown to be effective through biblical examples that demonstrate God's responsiveness to heartfelt supplication. The effectiveness of prayer and fasting is evidenced throughout Scripture, where individuals who earnestly sought God were met with His grace and intervention. For instance, the story of David in 2 Samuel illustrates that his sincere prayers while fasting for his child's recovery were indicative of his desperate need for God's mercy. While the child ultimately died, David's actions reveal a heart dedicated to seeking God sincerely. Jesus also teaches that approaching God in earnest prayer, accompanied by fasting, can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Therefore, the connection between earnest seeking through prayer and fasting and obtaining an answer from God is a consistent theme found in Scripture.

Q: Why is prayer important for Christians?

Prayer is essential for Christians as it builds a personal relationship with God and empowers them to face life's challenges. Prayer is foundational for the Christian life as it fosters a deep relationship with God. In Ephesians 6:18, Paul emphasizes the necessity of praying in all circumstances, underlining how communication with God equips believers to handle spiritual battles. Through prayer, Christians express their dependence on God for strength, guidance, and wisdom. Furthermore, Jesus teaches that persistent and earnest prayer is vital for spiritual breakthroughs, specifically in confronting challenging adversities. This is evident when He counsels His disciples to seek God boldly and continuously, illustrating that prayer connects believers with divine resources critical for overcoming trials and temptations.

Q: How does fasting enhance prayer?

Fasting enhances prayer by intensifying earnestness and focus, making the act of seeking God more profound. Fasting enhances the practice of prayer by promoting a heightened sense of urgency and focus on seeking God's will. When individuals fast, they often abstain from food and other distractions, which can help clear their minds and hearts for a deeper engagement in prayer. The act of fasting demonstrates a serious commitment to seeking God's intervention in critical situations. In Isaiah 58, God addresses the attitudes people have toward fasting, showing that true fasting aligns with seeking Him earnestly and selflessly. Similarly, David's fervent fasting and prayer for his sick child reflect a sincere and intense reliance upon God's mercy, illustrating how fasting can amplify the effectiveness and focus of prayer.

No, my God, it won't return today. My sorrow tears away. Okay. Have you turned in your Bibles,
first of all, to Ephesians chapter six? Ephesians chapter six. Our subject tonight is a very
deep and mysterious one, difficult to understand, yet
it can be believed and acted upon. Our subject tonight is
prayer and fasting. Now, obviously, we could spend
a lot of time on the subject of prayer itself. I bring many
messages, and I've heard many messages, and I've read many
books on the subject. But I want us to look at these
two things together, because this is the way our Lord groups
them, and I want to give some generalized thoughts because
of our time frame. The purpose in bringing this
message to you tonight is found here in Ephesians chapter 6.
Let's look at it together. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 10,
he says, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God
that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Do you want that? Because we're not wrestling against
flesh and blood. This is the purpose of this message
tonight. We're not wrestling with flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore,
take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able
to withstand in the evil day, and have him done all to stand. Stand, therefore, Having
your loins girt about with truth, having on the breastplate of
righteousness your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel
of peace. Above all, though, take the shield
of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation,
the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. Pray in all ways. with all prayer and supplication
in the Holy Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance
and supplication for all saints. And for me, start to stop there,
but don't stop there. Verse 19, for me, that utterance
may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make
known the mystery of the gospel. We're not wrestling with flesh
and blood. provided that we are in that
group that Christ clearly described as those pressing into the kingdom
of God. Not mere nominal professors,
part-time Christians, but those that Christ described as being
violent. The kingdom of heaven suffereth
violence, and the violent, or those who are going into it,
take it by force. They'll have it at all costs. And if we are true men and true
women, true seekers and followers of Christ, we're in this thing
for real. We're not doing like Paul said,
we're not fighting as one who beats the air, putting on a good
show, shadow boxing, as one uncertain. But we say with the Apostle Paul,
oh, that I might win Christ. that I might win Christ and be
found in Him, that I might know Him, not about Him, but know
Him and walk with Him like we studied about Enoch. Walk with
Him. God is real. God can be known. In the page
of this book, I want to know. God speaks to some people. God's a friend to some people.
I want Him as mine. I want to be like the Apostle
Paul in that same passage that said that I might by any means
attain unto the resurrection. Any means. That I might know
him and the power of what he has done. The power. Yes, the
power. All right. So this is for those
who wrestle. Not arm-wrestling. Wrestle. This is for those who are really
seeking, really struggling with salvation, with sin, with Satan, with self, with the
world. We wrestle with a strong adversary. And Paul said, above
all, we need to take faith. Above all. And in verse 18, he
said, pray in all ways. Faith and prayer seem to be inseparable. Those are two things that Paul
emphasized there in Ephesians 6. Above all, he said, take faith,
shield of faith, and pray in all ways, with all prayer, without
ceasing. Paul, over and over he says that
through his scripture. Now turn with me to Matthew chapter
17. We'll stay here a while. Matthew
chapter 17. And this is what our Lord is
dealing with here in Matthew 17. He deals with the subject of
prayer, and we're going to see how the fasting is directly connected. And part of true prayer. And
like I said, this is not for the. For babies, this is meat,
strong meat, this is for those who are really seeking some answers.
For those that are really wrestling, those are real problems that
want real answers. All right Matthew chapter seventeen
let's read verse. Fifteen. Verse fourteen beginning
there and when they were come to the multitude there came to
him a certain man of Christ and his disciples James Peter and
John had been up in the mountain transfiguration. And they were
coming down, and the rest of the disciples were down with
the people. And Christ and these three disciples were coming down
from the mountain. And they came to the multitude, there came
unto him, to Christ, a certain man, kneeling down to him and
saying, now he didn't just say this, he cried it. If any of you have had your children
sick or real trouble, I'm talking real trouble now, not the flu, He cried, Lord have mercy on
my son. He's a lunatic. You may recall that message we
did on the Lord and the lunatic. We dealt with that in depth,
what it is to be a lunatic. But what he says here, he says
he's a lunatic, and some writers said this is epilepsy, epileptic
fits he was subject to. They said he's sore vexed. He's sore vexed. Now, I can apply
this to me. At times I act like a lunatic.
Do you? epileptic fits, sore vexed with
sin, with unbelief, sore vexed, sorely plagued with my evil nature. Anybody else? Sorely vexed. He says sometimes he falls into
the fire. Sometimes he's real hot and on
fire for the gospel, real warm, zealous for the truth, for the
gospel. And the next day he's in the water, he's cold as ice,
can't be moved by the least or by the greatest message, hot
and cold spiritually. Is that anybody in here? A spiritual
lunatic? Christ, this is recorded three
times in the Scripture. It must be pretty important.
Mark chapter 9 says that the spirit, this evil spirit that
had a hold of this lunatic would tear him. And he would fall on the ground
and wallow. Now you picture this scene, this
fellow. Spirit would just rip him like
something, and he'd fall on the ground and he'd wallow. Well,
I'm not altogether different from that at times. I feel like
an evil spirit has a hold of me, just ripping my heart into
it. Anybody plagued like that? Heart
for the world and part of it for God, you know. Just tearing
me asunder. And I fall. Anybody ever fallen
into sin? I mean actual sin. And wallow in it? Well, he says in verse 16, and
the man says, I brought him to thy disciples. I brought my son
to your disciples. And this was good. This was well
and good. This is what the man should have
done. Brought his son to the disciples because the disciples
were the Lord's helpers. And the Lord had obviously evidently
invested or vested in them powers which ordinary men did not have
wisdom to deal with their problem. The Lord had vested in these
men powers to heal the sick. Yes, he had. And this man brought
his son to these men which he should have done. And let me
stop right here and make a note on this. If you cannot find help
or answers to problems within yourself or within your family
or whatever, and never bother to consult those the Lord has
obviously called for that purpose. Not only his word, but the men
who obviously are called for that purpose, and God's given
wisdom and gifts and so forth. Then don't ever wonder if you're
never rid of your problems. If you only resort to earthly
and worldly means, Especially if you use worldly
earthly means instead of God's means of grace. Don't ever expect
to have any answers to the problem. Listen to the Isaiah chapter
eight, verse nineteen. You listen to the scripture. When they shall say unto you,
well you need to go here, you need to go there. When they shall
say unto you, seek unto them that have familiar spirits. And the wizards that keep. And
that murder should not a people seek under their God first. Let's go over here to go to this
expert go to this one do this. So the man brought his son to
his to the disciples of Christ. As well he should have he did
the right thing. And look at it. It says they
could not cure him, and no man can. I'm not saying any man can
cure anybody at any time. But the Lord working through
men can. And the Lord did. These men did
heal many people, even raised some folks from the dead. So
the man did right, but something happened here. Something happened
that these disciples could not cure this man. And then Christ
begins to rebuke the faithless generation, an unbelieving, wicked
world that he was associated with there at the time. And he
says this in so many words, verse 17, Jesus answered and said,
Oh, faithless and perverse generation. I'm sure he said this with a
frown on his face. How long shall I be with you, he said. In so many words he said, how
long am I going to put up with you? That's exactly what the Lord
said. How long shall I suffer you? Bring him to me. Bring him hither to me. Boy, we need to hear that word,
don't we? Bring him hither to me. Bring what? Bring your sin.
You got a problem? Bring it to me. Don't seek this
sick thing. Bring yourself to me. Like that
old Indian chief, you know, bring his bow and arrow and this and
that and the other. God doesn't want your bow and arrow. God
doesn't want your headdress. God doesn't want this and that and
the other. Finally, the chief said, well, I'll just bring my
sin. The man said, the missionary
said, you'll take that. My son, give me your heart. Give
me your petty this and that and the other. Bring your life to
Christ. I know there's a lot of talk
these days about making Christ Lord of your life, but there's
a real sense in which we don't live like He is Lord. And He
does need to become absolute sovereign ruler and controller
of our lives. Bring your life. Bring your cares.
We've got cares. He says, be not careful for anything. Why? Give it to me. Cast your cares upon Him. He's
the one that will bear them. That's why He's here. That's
why He came. Your problems, bring your child. How many in here don't have problems
with their children? Where are you going to take them? Bring them to the Lord. Bring them to the Lord and don't
leave until He gives you an answer. And don't go off seeking for
worldly and other means. How about your husband? You might
have an unsaved husband, unsaved wife, unsaved relative. Christ said, Bring them to Me.
Bring them to Me. And Christ talks about prayer
and fasting here. All right, he says, now look
at this. Christ says, how long shall I suffer with you? And
I have to ask the same question. How long is he going to put up
with me and my unbelief? I really don't know. There were
some disciples that fell away. This is not, as you've already
surmised, a message of comfort. We can be comforted to the point
where we're too comfortable. There's scripture talked about
there at ease in Zion. Ten virgins, they all looked
pretty good, five of them didn't even have oil on their legs.
They were sleeping. How long will Christ suffer with
us? How long will Christ put up with my insincerity? How long
will Christ put up with my hypocrisy? How long will Christ put up with
my half-hearted religion? How long? I said, meet, didn't
I? How long? When am I going to
really start believing God and start acting like it? I'm talking
to me, Henry Sowell. But if the shoe fits, you'll
wear it, won't you? How long is God going to put
up with me? That's what Christ says, and how long shall I suffer
you? Christ Jesus, we've seen recently,
we've been studying this, he's at the door. I mean, he's at
the door. This world is being plagued such
as never before. Famines, plagues, pestilences,
diseases, killing hundreds of millions of people, floods, tornadoes,
earthquakes, Hurricanes wiping the masses out. And one of these
days, God's going to burn this planet up like He did Sodom.
And I feel like a lot at times. I'm right down the midst of it.
And I wonder, will He pull me out like He did Sodom? He had
to grab a hold of that boy and jerk him out of there. And once
he got out, once he'd been delivered, it says, let me down here into
the cities of the plains. He had to convince him he was
going to destroy them, too. Well, this man brought this son
to Christ. Look at verse 18, and it says,
Jesus rebuked the devil, and he departed out of him, and the
child was cured, not relieved, cured from that hour. That's what I need. I don't need
temporary relief. I thank God for that that he's
given me at times. I believe we've got some problems
that need curing, don't we? If we confess our sins, he's
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to what? He
might quote the rest of us. Cleanse us. Isn't that what David
said after he fell into that grievous sin? Cleanse me. Wash me throughly. Don't just
give me a spun bath and a spit bath. Wash me. Cleanse your servant,
even from presumptuous sins. And I've got some problems, and
I believe some of you all do too. I know you do. You know
better than I am. And I want, I need them taken
care of. And I need answers. Before my sins and my iniquities
take me down into the pit, like David talked about. How about
you? Just one person in here. And I don't know what your problem
is. I don't know what your trial is. I don't know what it is.
But how serious are you about it? How serious are you about
this thing of knowing God? How serious are you about this
thing of worshiping God? How thankful are you to God for
what he's done for you? How much has God done for you? Is it not our reasonable service?
like Paul said in Romans 12, to commit, to make our bodies
living sacrifices. Is it? All right. So they came to the
Lord and brought him the child. And the Lord cured that child
from that very hour. Well, the disciples couldn't
cure it. And they asked this question. I'm sure glad they
asked this question. Verse 19. Then came the disciples
to Jesus the part that took him to the side, and they said to
him, Lord, why? Why couldn't we cast him out?
Lord, what's the problem here? Why can't I get rid of this?
Why, Lord, why? I believe if we start asking
that a little more, we might get some answers. Why, Lord, why
is this going like this? Why am I like this? Why does
it have to, does it have to be this way, Lord? The old Puritans
talked about arguing with God in practice. Now, you know, I'm
not dealing with some immature people who had never heard the
gospel before here. I'm talking about people that know that you
don't speak to God but in absolute reverence. But once he's your
heavenly Father, Christ said, you ask anything in my name.
Come boldly to the throne of grace that you might have help
or receive help any time of need. Didn't he? Boldly. And they came,
they pulled the Lord over the side. Lord, why can't we cast
him out, huh? And I have to ask the same question.
Lord, why? Does this have to go on? Do I have to live like
this the rest of my life? Do I have to be torn and blown
about with every wind of doctrine that comes along? Do I have to?
Does my life have to be like this? Do I have to be a slave
to my lust and passions? Do I have to? Lord, why? And
the Lord said to these men, he didn't say, well, there's nothing
you can do about it. He didn't say that, did he? He didn't say there's nothing
you can do. On the contrary, he said, it's all your fault.
Yeah, he did, Barbara. Look at it, verse 20. Jesus said
unto them, because of your unbelief. Not my fault, he said. I am come that they might have
life and might have it more abundantly. A joy which no man can take from.
I am come to comfort them. I am come, Christ said. That's
why I'm here. It's not my fault, he says. It's
your fault. Can we possibly blame the sovereignty
of God for where we lack in faith and practice? Can we? For our
problems? Can we possibly blame the sovereign
God? for our problem, our sin. No
way. That's blasphemy. But he says
it's your unbelief. Your unbelief. Stan, pass these
out there, would you? I don't want anybody over this
until I tell you. Christ said it's because of your
unbelief. Your unbelief. Now listen, I'm not going to
deal, address these dudes out there that are
preaching a faith that will get you a Mercedes Benz. I'm not
even going to deal with that. That doesn't even bear dealing
with. These fellas, why don't you,
why can't you be healed of your polio? Because you don't have
enough faith. That's blasphemy. God says I wound and I heal.
He does heal. God is in the healing business.
If anybody heals, God will have to do it. You can count on that.
And we are to pray for him. But I'm not addressing these
foolish things that these men are talking about, that God's
going to give you this. If you just have enough faith,
God will give you all that you need. That doesn't even bear
dealing with. I'm talking about inward problems.
I'm talking about unbelief. I'm talking about sin, besetting
sin. I'm talking about these problems,
real trials and problems we go through. And I'm talking to people
who have heard the gospel before. These fellas don't even know
Jesus Christ, and they can't even be talking about faith.
They don't know the first meaning of faith. Faith, first of all,
is knowing Christ. Faith, first of all, is looking
to Christ and Him alone. Faith, first of all, is believing
in Christ and Christ alone for your salvation. And they're not
doing that, so they can't talk to anybody about faith. Right? And I'm talking to people who've
heard the gospel time and time and time again. Myself included. And what I'm talking about are
solutions to these trials and troubles and things that grip
us and take a hold of us and make us up and down and tear
us and when we ought to be rock solid. If we've been under the
sound of the gospel for ten years, five years if we've heard it
well enough, we ought to be grounded and settled in the truth. unmoved. I know, thank God, the Lord knows
our frame and that we're dust and we will fall, but there came
a time in the lives of the disciples, you know, they were just with
the Lord three years. We give them a hard time, don't we? We give them
a hard time for things they got into. That's just three years.
They were babies. But after a while now, it's time they grew up,
wasn't it? It's time they had some maturity
about it. Brother Don Bell and I were talking on the phone today. And he was expressing to me,
and I was expressing to him how that, you know, if I walk, if
I'm a believer, if I'm a follower of Christ, if I'm a disciple
of his, and I'm listening, I'm reading, I'm searching, I'm seeking,
I'm asking, I'm seeking the Lord, it looks like we ought to find
some answers and just leave it at that. It looks like we ought
to finally get some peace, doesn't it? I mean peace. Christ said, My peace I give
unto you. Not the world gives you that
says peace, peace, when there ain't no peace to it. My peace,
I want that peace, don't you? Unmoved away from your hopeful
pillar. Unmoved. I know whom I have believed,
and I'm persuaded. Ain't nobody going to persuade
me otherwise. That's what I want, don't you? And the longer I'm
in this thing, that's what Donnie was saying, the longer I'm in
this thing, the more I want to look like Christ, the more I
want to act like Christ. More I want to follow Christ.
More I want to put away childish things. I want to be a man. And I want others to be helped
by me, not hurt. Don't you? I want somebody to
come around me. I've been around the gospel for
ten years, been following Christ for ten years. They ought to
see Christ in me. All right. Open up that little
package. And look at what Christ says
here. Matthew seventeen twenty. He said, Verily I say unto you,
if you have faith as a grain of a mustard seed. Now I'm not trying to be cute
and clever here. I'm just trying to show you, we, he said, if you have faith. That much. Now, he said, if you have faith
as a grain of a mustard seed, you'll say unto this mountain,
depart from me. He said in another place, Henry,
he said this three times, say unto this sycamine, sycamore
tree, get up and get out of my way, if it was for the glory
of God and for your spiritual good, in the name of Christ,
for the glory of God, my spiritual good, and maybe the good of others. Now listen, I'm going to deal with a different
kind of faith here, what we're talking about here. Our Lord's
subject here is not justifying faith. All right, now Paul dealt
with justifying faith in Romans, didn't he, right? What did James
deal with? James dealt with faith too. James
dealt with active faith. There's a difference, right?
Paul dealt with justifying faith that will save your soul by looking
to Christ, depending upon Christ, His person, His work alone. Blood
and righteousness, blood and righteousness, imputed righteousness,
shed blood for the remission of our sins, that God might be
just and justify them that come to God by Christ. That's faith
that saves, okay? I'm dealing, and what Christ
is talking about here is active faith, faith that moves. Faith
that does something. That's what Christ is talking
about. Faith that handles things. Now, like I said, I'm not even
going to deal with these fellows. I'm not even going to make any
parallels with these fellows, these false prophets out here. We've got enough gospel background
here to know that I know that I'm not talking in any way, shape,
form, or fashion about this making you accepted to God. that this
meriting anything to God, that there's anything you can actually
do. No. But we're just going to look
at what the Scripture says here. Active faith, faith that actually
takes God at His Word. I mean, it doesn't just say so,
does it? Is that what you want, Terry
Kinsley? I believe in God. I don't want
to believe in God. The devil believes in God. I
want to believe God. There's a difference between
the faith that saves and the faith that cleans. There's a
difference between faith that justifies and faith that sanctifies,
that where Christ said, where God said, come ye out from among
them, separate yourself, sanctify. There's a difference between
the faith that looks to Christ and faith that follows him. Right? Christ said about many that believed
on his name, didn't he? Many believed on his name, but
Christ turned and said, now you follow me, get your bellies full.
There's a difference between the faith that says, I hear the
word and I believe it. And James said there's a difference
because real faith does it. It doesn't just hear it, it does
it. There's a difference between
faith that calls on God for salvation from sin, from sin's curse. And there's another faith which
calls on God for the strength to fight sin and the power to
fight. There's a difference in faith
that depends on Christ to pray for me, and we do at all times. One hundred percent of the time,
we depend on the fact that we've got a high priest at the right
hand of God. The effectual, fervent prayer
of that righteous man availeth much everything. That's faith
that saves and keeps me saved. OK? But there's another faith
that starts calling, that prays itself, right? There's another
faith There's one faith that Christ does all the praying for
us. There's another faith that prays to Christ. Actual prayer. Listen, here, let me try to illustrate
it this way. Abraham, it says, believed God.
And that was counted under him to righteousness, right? That's
salvation. That's salvation. To take God
at his word, about who he is, about who we are, what God says
about him, about us, about Christ. Believe God. Ain't doing anything. Believing God. Taking him at
his word. Abraham believed God. He was
counted righteous. Son of God. But then what'd Abraham do? Hang
around his idols? Stay at home with mom and dad?
God said, come on. He left. Abraham believed God would raise
up a seed by him and his wife, Sarah. Oh, he was a hundred years
old, Henry. Now, you're talking about... He believed what God
said. God said, Abraham, I'm going
to give you a seed from your loins. You're going to go...
Your wife, Sarah, is going to have a son. Well, he failed a
little bit, didn't he? A whole lot. Unbelief. Got him
in a mess of trouble. His unbelief got in gave him
one of the greatest trials he ever had in his life. He had
to kick his boy out of the house. That was Dudy's unbelief. Well,
if he'd just waited, waited on God, believed God, he didn't.
He went on about his life. But he finally did. He went into
old Sarah one night. And they went there for thirty
years. God said it, here we go. And
it happened. Do you see the difference? Is
that clear enough, the difference? Abraham believed God. Whatever
you say, I believe it. I do it. Well, that just doesn't
seem right. I'm going to have to resort to
my own methods here. Hager, you come here to Sarasota. OK, I'll do it. I don't see how, but you said
so. Nevertheless, at your word, and they filled up the nets,
didn't they? Couldn't hold it off. I wish they'd get hold of me.
Mustard seed. He just, he's not saying faith
like Job. Didn't he say, if you had great
faith, you'd say, and he didn't say that, did he? Man, I'm telling you, Job went
through a lot, didn't he? He lost all of his earthly goods. I mean, he didn't have a flood
in the kitchen. He got his hardwood floors messed up and his new
plush carpet. Boy, that ain't no trial. Job lost it. His house
burned down. His barns burned down. He lost
every worldly possession. And on top of that, they came
in to him and said, your kids are dead. And his wife cursed
him. And then he got boils all over
his body, scraping them on a dungheap. And then his sons, or his friends,
his self-righteous pious friends came around and said, How'd that,
he's a Christian, how could this have happened? What'd Job say? Well, he had great faith. Great
faith. He blessed the Lord. Cursed himself, but he blessed
the Lord, didn't he? The Lord gave, the Lord took it to rest.
He had tears run down his eyes. I know he did when he lost his
children. But he said the Lord did it.
And he knows what he's doing. He didn't sorrow. I mean, he
did not sorrow. But he didn't sorrow like those
who had no hope. I was telling my wife last night.
I said, I tell you what, if we'd just get our eyes off the here
and now and look to the promises, look to the certain future, we'd
read the last chapter of the book, we wouldn't have to cry
in the middle, would we? You know, Torrey, just go on
over and read the last chapter. He said, I give unto them eternal
life and they'll never perish, never. He said, come hell or high water,
nothing will rip them out of my father's hand or take them
from me. Now, there's no wise catch to
that. That's the last chapter. I get all tore up in the middle. But he didn't say great faith
like Job. He says it's middle. I'm talking about faith that
can They can take it when you've got a flat tire. We just need
that much, don't we? Got a flat tire. Oh, no! My blood pressure's up. Whoa, what am I going to do? A child may have got bad grades. Oh, my soul, the world's coming
to an end. Problems in the school. A little
sickness here, a little there. We say, well, I believe God is
sovereign. No, that's Calvinism. Faith says,
I believe God. Everything he says concerning
me is ordered in all things and sure. And this is all my hope
and all my desire. And although he make it not to
grow, that's just fine with me. It's ordered in all things and
sure. All he does concerning me, like Eli. Eli had been around
a while. The Lord came in with news of
his son. Stan, Rick, his boys, his active
boys, he loved them. Like any man loves his son. Your boys are dead. It's the Lord. The Lord did it. I don't understand. And it's hard. And I'm going
to cry about it a little bit, but it's the Lord. I know this. Satan ain't doing it. Huh? It's the Lord. It's the Lord's doings, and it's
marvelous in our eyes. Read the last chapter. We're
going to look back. This is what Paul said, Nancy.
He said that the sufferings, the afflictions, the things that
we're going through, the trials we're going through right now
are not even worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed of that. We're going to look back someday and say,
why in the world? He was blessing me all the time,
and I thought I was getting cursed. Like a little child, you know,
has something, has a rattlesnake or poison taken away, a gun,
a loaded gun taken away from it. Cries and weeps. And when
it gets older and matures, says, I could have blown my brains
out. Thank you, Daddy. Thank God Dad knows best. Shall
not the judge of the earth do right? Do what right? All things
work together for good. Right? to them that love God,
who are the call according to His purpose. And Christ says,
even not flat tires, dead batteries, mountainous problems, death,
it's the Lord. Grave illness, it's the Lord. He wounds, He heals. He knows what He's doing. What is faith? What is faith? Faith, like I said, is like the
scripture says, to believe God. Believe God. And then faith, real faith, it
believes God and then it acts like it. Real faith, this is
what Christ is saying, acts like it. And I have to say this about
myself, I'm not really, I'm not preaching at you. I'm with you. I'm for you. I'm sitting there
with you, taking this right along with you. When am I going to
start believing God and not just saying something? Some people, and I don't want to say this with
as much compassion as I can. I hope this is on tape and everybody
can hear. Some people want you to pray for them when they've
got a cold. or little minor this and that
and the other and then they miss church I've known people and perhaps
you have too to drag their bodies that are ridden with cancer wasted away down to 90 pounds,
in pain, and dragged their bodies into the church house to worship
God Almighty. And everybody else ended up going
away blessed by those people. I've seen it. I've seen real
believers act like it in the face of severe trial of pain,
ridden with pain. I saw a woman who had major surgery,
had a colostomy and major surgery, was in church five days later. And, you know, some people, some
people, you can't even ask them if they're having a good day.
How are you? Oh, my, this is probably good. You want problems. That couple have called me. You
want problems. You want trials. You know what
a trial is? It's to sit there like the Smiths
down in Crossville and watch your baby's fingers and toes
rot off in front of your eyes. And little tears run out of its
little eyes, and it can't even move a muscle. And you don't
know if it's screaming on the inside with pain. Pray for me. I've got a cold.
The car broke down. Pray for me, Preacher. I've got
this indwelling sin of unbelief. Pray for me, Preacher. Do you
remember when Simon Magus came to him one time? Pray for me.
And they said, hey, we ain't gonna pray for you. Pray for
yourself. This kind of severe trials and
problems, though. He said, look at verse 21. This
kind, I mean real problems, real problems, goeth not out
but by prayer and by severe testing. Like I said, now, please forgive
me if I'm just telling you like it is. I'm being as honest with
you as I can. I want to be as forthright as I can. I don't
want us to be, I want us to be strong men and women in Christ. Real trials. Trials are not inconveniences,
such as a little financial trouble. Take all your cares to the Lord,
but don't weep and wail over things like their major problem
and call on other people and so forth. Take it to the Lord.
Leave it there. Leave it there. Leave it there. Real trials,
though Peter talked about real trials, can be the trial of your
faith, though it be tried with what? What do you say? Tried
with what? You've been burned, haven't you, Nancy? Is that about
the most painful thing a person can go through in their life,
bodily affliction? Everybody I've ever heard talk to has been
through anything. The Lord blessed you in that
that happened when you were a real young child, okay? I've seen
adults. I've seen people horribly disfigured. I can feel everything. It's a painful pain. I'm losing a husband to cry.
Child gives you rebellion. Child that falls into sin is
a trial. That's a trial. Losing a parent
is a trial. Watching your child gravely ill
like the Smiths down there, that's a trial. But these other things
can't even be categorized as trials. They're mere inconveniences.
Colds and sickness, common afflictions of the body. We're going to have
them. We're poor. We're going to be poor. The Lord
never promised us we're going to be rich. You can just count
on that. We're going to count on living
from check to check. The Lord never promised us any
different. Your Social Security check is going to have to do,
Violet. It's going to have to do. He never promised you'd win
the lottery. On the contrary, there ain't
no way a believer is going to win the lottery. But this kind. Now this man had
a son who was sore vexed. And he loved that boy. And he
said, Lord, you've got to take care of this. And like I said, I don't know
what your problem is. I've got one. I've got some. And I want
to come to the Lord and say, Lord, you've got to take care
of this. And he doesn't rebuke, he doesn't
say, who do you think you are? He says, now listen, here's the
answer. Didn't he? He says, you're unbelief, it's
a problem. I'm going to give you the answer. This kind goeth
not out. He didn't say it can't be, it's
not impossible, it's going to stay with you forever. He didn't
say that. He says, this kind goeth not out but by, what does
he say? Prayer and fasting. prayer and now. Prayer. James said you have not. Yes. We've got two problems we
don't have more we don't have the things we need we don't have
faith. We don't have hope. We're moved away from our home
too easily. We don't have love for the brethren
like we ought to, love for Christ. We don't have communion with
God like we ought to. We have a love for the world.
We don't have these things that we want. Why not? He says, you
have not because why? That's not right. That sounds
simple, doesn't it? You don't pray. Now, I ain't talking about praying
on Sunday or Listen, there's prayer that goes like this. Dear
Sovereign God, would you thank you for your mercy and your grace.
And Lord, we've met together here and we hope that you'll
be with us. And Lord, we thank you. And for Jesus' sake, Amen. And then there's prayer. Have
mercy on me, O God, according to your loving kindness. My God,
my God, why have you forsaken me? Is his mercy clean gone? No, that's prayer, isn't it?
Then there's prayer like Jacob. I will not let you go until you
bless me. Is that presumption? No, that's
prayer. Right? Luke 18. Go back and read it again sometime.
Men ought always to pray and not to quit. Depends on how serious
you are about something. And he gave this parable. This
woman came to an unjust judge. Though I regard not God or man,
I'm going to bless her because if she doesn't quit coming, she's
going to bug the living daylights of me. Shall not God avenge his
elect, his babies, his children? Shall not the Father Give unto
you good things, the Holy Spirit. That's prayer. I will not let
you go. I'm not going to keep... Turn
with me to 2 Samuel 22. Let's look at this thing of fasting
along with prayer. 2 Samuel 22. I'm sorry, 2 Samuel
12. 2 Samuel chapter 12. This kind
of prayer is vitally connected to this thing of fasting too.
I never even touched on this subject before, but we're going
to. We're going to look at it. It's vitally connected to fasting.
Now, needless to say, our generation
doesn't know a thing about this. Our bellies reveal it. But this kind of prayer from
the heart, With all sincerity, importunately, that'll never
quit, is vitally that keeps, that wants answers, that must
have an answer. It's vitally connected to this
thing of fasting. Now look at it with me. 2 Samuel
12, verse 15. Nathan departed unto his house,
and the Lord struck the child at Uriah's wife, Baron, to David,
and it was very sick. It was very sick. He didn't have
a clue. He was very sick. And David therefore besought
God. What did he do? The first thing
he did was go to the Lord. He didn't take him to the doctor.
I'm not saying we don't use me. I'm not saying that at all. You
know what I'm saying. The first thing you do, though.
David besought God for the child. And David fasted. and went in and lay all night
upon the earth. He prayed first and he kept praying
and kept praying, didn't he? And like that importunate widow,
kept praying about it. David was serious about this
thing. You see what I'm trying to get at here? David was serious
about this thing. And he kept praying. His child
was very sick. It wasn't An overnight thing
and a fever break in the morning it was dying. And he kept praying
he wanted an answer and he wanted an answer God gave him an answer. God answers prayer. Yes he does
look at the answer God gave you wouldn't answer. But he gave
him an answer. It came to pass, verse 18, on
the seventh day, the child died. I've never been through this,
and I don't want to. But what did David do? See, David was weeping, and somebody
came to him. Who was it? It was one of his
men, one of his servants. came to him and thought, if I
tell him the child's dead, how he's been acting when the child
was sick, weeping and fasting, wouldn't eat anything, praying
and calling on God. What's he going to do when I
tell him he's dead? Well, David did. See, it's the
man after God's heart here. He said, without saying it, it's
the Lord. Wipe these eyes. Crossed his
face, combed his hair, got him a bite to eat. Smiling, right? Weeping on the inside, but it's
the Lord. He got his answer, though, didn't
he? Huh? And I tell you what, like I said,
if we're serious enough, things are bad enough, we want out of
something bad enough, then call on the Lord. I had all these
scriptures written down, and I'll give them to you. John 14,
all the way through chapter 17, Christ says it, I didn't even
count it, seven or eight times, ask. He said, if you'll ask anything
in my name, I'll give it. Ask, seek, knock. And it doesn't
mean just one time. It means keep on doing it. I'll
answer you. Is that rhetorical? Is that idiotic
ideology? Is Christ just saying this because
it sounds good? No. Ask, he said, I'll give it
to you. Knock, I'll answer you. Seek,
you'll find an answer. Might not be the answer you want,
but you'll get one. And Joe, I've got to ask some
answers or something. Now, this thing of fasting, let
me give you a few notes here and I'll quit. This thing of fasting, turn with
me to Isaiah 58, first of all. This will be the last place I'll
have you turn. Isaiah 58, this thing of fasting. What I tried to illustrate there
from that passage of scripture is that David was so serious
about getting an answer from the Lord that he didn't, he didn't
have any desire for anything. He didn't want to take the time
to eat. He wasn't doing like the Pharisees who disfigure their
faces, you know, and like for everybody to see that they're
fasting. He said, Christ said, they have their reward. With
a person who's really fasting like David and praying like David,
their reward is an answer. That's why they're fasting and
this thing of fasting. Everybody, I've read and experienced
what fasting does is it sharpens or heightens prayer. That's what it does, it sharpens
the prayer. Now, it can be a conscientious
effort on your part to do without something for God to see how
serious you are. Yeah, it can. The man will come after me, let
him deny himself. Self-denial is what it is. Lord, I'll not let you go until you
bless me. And I ain't even going to do
it until it dulls my appetite. I'm hungry. But I got to have
blessing from you first. I got to be filled with your
Holy Spirit first, not my belly. Because as soon as I get my belly
full, I lay down and take a nap and forget all about what it
was I was calling on in the first place. It can be a conscientious effort
on our part to do without something for God to see how serious we
are, yes. Yet don't let men see it. Now
listen, the Scriptures are full of this thing of fasting. They're
full of it. And I'm not talking about it
like it's some magical incantation, it's some power in fasting itself.
The whole purpose of it is to seek God with all your heart.
To do without, to seek God. And this thing of fasting, Don't
let men see it. That's what Christ said there
in Matthew 6. Be careful. Don't do your alms
to be seen of men. And don't tell anybody about
it. I get so sick and tired of hearing some of these fellows
talking. I prayed all night last night. No, you didn't. You didn't
utter a word of prayer. Anybody that's ever done any
praying note never told anybody about it. When you pray, I take
that literally. Enter into your closet and your
Heavenly Father would seeth and secretly reward you openly. Who's
reward? Who's approbation are you looking for anyway? Whose
approval? Man or God? Well, you'll get
it. Whichever one you're looking for, you'll get it. Right? And
the minute a man said, I fasted, no, you didn't. No, you didn't. John Calvin said this about this
thing. He said, Satan fixes deep roots. Satan's realm stand is in the
flesh. I mean, the way he really can turn us inside out, can he? I mean, manipulate us. For a
man, it's a little blonde-headed girl walking down the street.
Just turn him upside down. He can, kings can conquer countries,
and yet be conquered by a little maid. And Satan knows that as
well as anybody. I don't want that. Satan fixes these deep roots,
and they're usually connected to the flesh, Henry. And they've
ruled this a long time, like that man back in Matthew 17. The man said this has been a
long time on him, from a child. He's had this problem. Barbara,
you can't get rid of problems that have been with you from
a child. Just forgive him. You know, I'll just forget about
it. Can you? These deep-rooted inner problems, the old man. And Calvin says, it's hard to
uproot, and there must be a fight with all the strength. Paul said,
Be strong in the Lord, the power of his might. Take unto you the
whole armor of God and the means. Use every means at our disposal.
We're not using them. It wasn't all spiritual there
in Ephesians 6, was it, Terry? He said, Be strong in the Lord.
That's the first thing. and the power of his might, take
unto you the whole armour." Faith and all these things that soared.
Didn't it? Look, if you never read it, how
in the world can we possibly expect to have any peace or comfort
or answer? Pray in all ways, prayer, reading
the Scripture. These are not magical things
that work like a rabbit's foot. No, no, no, no. But if God, the
Holy Spirit, I've got to quit. Look here at Isaiah 58. Fasting
can also be other things that you do without in favor of God's
glory and your own personal good. Look at it, Isaiah 58. He says,
cry aloud Isaiah, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet,
show my people, my people, not hypocrites, my people, their
transgression in the house of Jacob, their sin. They seek me
daily. the light to know my way, God
saying all this sarcastically. As a nation that did righteousness,
forsook not the ordinance of their God. They ask of me the
ordinance of justice. They take the light in approaching
to God. But they say, why have we fasted?
And you don't see it. Why have we afflicted our soul?
Take no knowledge. You take no knowledge. God said in verse four, you fast
for strife and debate. That is, those Pharisees, you
know, they were fasting to prove, to show everybody they were fasting,
being religious, in other words. He says, that's not the fast
I've chosen, verse 5. Isn't it a day for a man to afflict
his soul? Isn't that what worship is all
about? Not body, but soul. Isn't it to bow down his head,
spread sackcloth and ashes hundred? Would thou call this a fast,
acceptable day of the Lord? Is not this the fast I've chosen?
If you do these things, loose the band of wickedness. If you
want clean, don't you want to be like Christ? Undo heavy burden?
Don't you want to bear one another's burden and fulfill the royal
law of Christ? Isn't that what he said, the fulfillment of the
royal law of Christ? Bear you one another's burden? Don't you
want to do that? Isn't that the fact? How are you going to bear
one another's burden? By not bearing your own so much. by not being full of self-pity
so much on your own and looking at the needs of others. That's
fast. Do without your own pity in favor
of others, because there's other people who've got worse problems. Isn't that the past I've chosen,
he said? When you see the naked, the covering, when you hide,
and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Self-denial. Self-denial. with a purpose, a motive, a goal
in mind, a particular problem. Lord God, I won't let you go
until you bless me. He said, Seeking me, you shall
find me. When you search for me, everybody
repeat it, with your whole heart, all your
heart. with all your heart, seeking
me. You shall find me. And as I said so many times already
in the course of this message, it's not a one-time thing. It's
not a once-a-day thing or a once-a-week thing. It's a once-a-week thing. Christ said, if you abide in
me and I in you, you'll ask what you will. You'll bear much fruit. You'll have joy. You'll have
comfort. You'll have peace. I want those things, I'm telling
you. I'm not going to be happy until I have them. I mean, I'm happy, don't get
me wrong. I'm satisfied with Christ, but
I'm sure not satisfied with myself. Sure not. And I'm not going to be satisfied
with myself until I awake with His likeness, and I'm not going
to be at ease in Zion. I don't want to sleep, as do
others, but I want to watch the Lord's coming. I mean, he's here. He's not. He's even not at the
door. The door. I tell you, Christ
said, when the Lord comes, will he find faith on his own? We've got all the doctrine straight,
don't we? But that doesn't say Stand with me and I'll try to
dismiss. And I. Think which I apologize for keeping
you so long but I let you out early last Wednesday. I only
preached about 20 minutes last Wednesday. But I shouldn't apologize. I really shouldn't have to apologize.
Man, this is life and death. This is Bible. I needed this. I spent a lot of time on this
message, much or more time on this than any message I've ever
prepared. Why? I needed it. I needed it. A particular problem bothering
me, and that scripture jumped out at me like a mule kicked
me between the eyes, Henry. this time go with my dad but
my friend what's that all about I want to go back and I've gone
by that too many times and so I looked it up and looked it
up and looked it up and I thought I bet you somebody else out there's
got a problem I didn't know they did they're like me and if they
like me want their problem as bad as I do, then this is for
us, and we can use this. And so I hope just one, just
one. I know everybody in here needs
it, but I hope just one in here needs it. All right, let's pray. Dear Lord, dear Lord, how we
thank you that you've not left us to ourselves. that you've
not left us without hope, without strength, without God in this
world, but you've given us, you've made yourself a very present
help in time of need. And Lord, we want to know you
as that help in time of need. We don't want to wallow in self-pity
or sorrow or anxious care or trouble and trial. be moved around
here and there. Lord God, we want to be grounded
and settled. We want to have faith, Lord,
even if it's just like a mustard seed. Lord, we do believe. You said all things are possible
to them that believe. Lord, I do believe. I believe
Jesus is the Christ, and I think I can say that on behalf of many
people in here tonight. We believe Jesus Christ is our
only salvation, that his blood made propitiation for our souls
on the mercy seat of God, and God will not hold us guilty.
And we are accepted in the blood, and we believe that, Lord. Now,
Lord, help us act like it. Help our unbelief, help us forgive
us where we act like there's no savior at the right hand,
when we act like there's no mediator, when we act like Christ didn't
do all this, when we act like there's no help in time of need,
like all is helpless, Lord forgive us. So glad you know our frame,
so glad you know we're dust and you deal with us accordingly,
but Lord we need rebuke, we need to be admonished, we need correction,
reproof, instruction in righteousness, that the man of God, that the
woman of God may be thoroughly, thoroughly furnished, for that
is made perfect. We need to add to our faith virtue
and all these things, even made like unto the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself. The more we're like Christ, the
more we'll be able to walk in this world and overcome it. This
is the faith that overcometh the world, faith in Christ. and acting upon his word. Lord
God, we love you. We'll keep your commandment.
Help us, Lord. Help us. Don't let us be deceived. Don't let us be deceived. I pray,
God, I earnestly pray with all that's within me tonight, for
every person under the sound of my voice, that you don't let
us be deceived. That you keep us by your power.
for Christ's sake, for our eternal good. Amen.

Prayer And Fasting

What does the Bible say about prayer and fasting?

How do we know the effectiveness of prayer and fasting?

Why is prayer important for Christians?

How does fasting enhance prayer?

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Prayer And Fasting

What does the Bible say about prayer and fasting?

How do we know the effectiveness of prayer and fasting?

Why is prayer important for Christians?

How does fasting enhance prayer?

Sermon Transcript

About Paul Mahan

Comments

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