Prayer With Fasting — 2 Chronicles 7

0:00 Good morning and praise the Lord. This morning, we're going to learn what the scriptures have to say about prayer with fasting. And so you are going to receive a handout, one of these front and back. And I know everybody, I was debating whether or to give them out at the beginning or the end, because I know you're to want to kind of browse through the information but it's really everything you're receiving as far as literature right now is for you to take home. Okay, so in a moment I'm going to be like a school teacher and take a class, put everything else away.

0:42 You're also receiving two pamphlets. One is a gospel pamphlet called True Peace. These are some really good gospel track I just recently discovered online and you each can have one and the information is on the back you can contact them to get more tracks if you like for yourself. I had printed on my own phone number and website and email And the website, when they go into this website, goes immediately to the Westlake Bible Fellowship website. So it brings the folks back to the church website.

1:19 So there's some good information here. I like to have my phone number and contact on there so people can contact somebody. Okay. So, but read through this later and it's a very good track for this time in history. People are looking for true peace.

1:40 And it's interesting because I hand out other tracks I've had printed up for years now. The title is Where We Spend Eternity, Heaven or Hell. And I've had on my heart for a long time to create... Write a new tract, something to the effect of, are you looking for hope? And I'm still working on that, but this, feel, very good.

2:00 It's good scripturally about the gospel. It... People are open. People are looking. The world is not what it was last week.

2:11 Right? Things are just changing so rapidly. And I I don't wanna go off on too much of a tangent here, but just to remind us that we're only blessed that it that it wasn't in Westlake, Ohio that that shooting happened. And, you know, horrible it was in San Bernardino and Paris and all that, but these are the times we live in. These are the last dangerous times of history, the bible calls them, the last days.

2:40 And they're not gonna get better. It's gonna get worse. And we're blessed to celebrate Christmas every day. Right? Christmas is every day for a believer.

2:51 And we're so glad that we can have the assurance of salvation, but many don't. And maybe you're sitting here today and you don't. Well, take time to read through this later. The other pamphlet I'm giving out is called Obstacles to Revival. I've given this out before, but we ordered these again.

3:09 And these are gonna help. I really encourage every person, as we're talking, you'll see as we go through our study this morning on prayer with fasting. I like to call it prayer with fasting. Some say prayer and fasting, but the focus is really on prayer. And voluntary, if you want to fast, we'll talk about that.

3:30 But this is really a good self examination. It's, I don't like reading it, but it's very helpful. It's gonna help us. It helps me as I go through it. And again, this is for you to take home later.

3:45 If you have, I want everybody in the room that's here to have one of you, everything that we've got here. We've got enough papers, the handouts. This is some extra teaching on fasting and praying. And actually on back side, there's resources that you can hit online. Actually, the bottom one on the back page of the sheet is from what used to be campus for...

4:10 Campus Crusade, and now they're called the cross, I think, or the... Or are they called? Crew. Just Crew. Okay, yeah.

4:18 Some very good practical information about fasting and some physical things and some technical things and should I fast if I have diabetes? Well, the doctors say no, so of course you want to be careful about that. But there's some good stuff on here and I know maybe some of you are, you know, you're thinking, this doesn't really apply to me. Well, maybe it doesn't, but I know there's some in this room that it does. And and God is gonna really help us draw near to him as we continue.

4:50 So you've got a gospel pamphlet to look at and hopefully to pass out to some. You've got this to think about as you're thinking about seeking the lord in a closer way. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word. We would be lost without it, literally.

5:15 And, we're just so grateful for your eternal word. Father, we pray that you could use all the inadequacies of your servant this morning to just speak to our hearts, Lord. Teach us. Lord, it's in the word a lot, prayer. And, Lord, we confess that we wanna pray.

5:35 We we need to pray. We learn... Need to learn to pray. And, we wanna seek you more. We wanna know you more.

5:41 And, fasting is in the prayer. It's in the word of God. And we we wanna learn. What does that mean? What is it?

5:47 And and and how does it apply to our life? So teach us this morning, we pray. And lord, please, we we want to see Jesus. We want to know him more. The power of his resurrection and yes, lord, the fellowships of his sufferings.

6:04 Pray in Jesus name, amen. Okay, so all the things I passed out, put them away. If anybody's caught reading them during class, no. I'm gonna be doing some reading, So forgive me if I'm not looking at you in the face, but it's the it's the words. Fasting.

6:48 A simple simple explanation. What is it? It's voluntarily going without food in order for a purpose to spend more time in prayer, to focus on god, to focus on prayer, and to focus on fellowship with him. Prayer with fasting is for our benefit, not god's. God doesn't get any benefit in a sense out of our fasting.

7:10 It does not earn us favor with god. Does not earn us any favor with god. No brownie points just because you fast. Our only favor from god is by grace through faith in his son, Jesus Christ, and his finished work on the cross at Calvary, right? Prayer with fasting does not force or manipulate god to do or give what we want.

7:34 Just because you fast with your prayers doesn't force god to answer and we'll see that in a very specific instance as we look. Prayer with fasting does not mean we are spiritual and it does not mean that we are more spiritual than others but prayer with fasting can help us to focus less on ourselves and this life and focus more on god and eternity which by the way is coming soon for each one of us, right? It can help us draw near to god and god promises if we draw near to him, he will draw near to us. Prayer with fasting can help revive our hearts and enhance our relationship with the lord. It can help the church to be revived and to turn back to our first love, Jesus.

8:27 The natural result of this, not fasting per se, but the result of fasting can help in us drawing closer to the lord, turning from sin, and turning back to our first love. The natural result of this will be souls saved and discipled as the lord adds daily to his church. Prayer with fasting, Jesus said, can move mountains and see people set free from sin and demons. Is prayer with fasting the missing ingredient in our individual lives today and the church today? Is biblical prayer with fasting the answer to see God's church revived?

9:08 To become the humble spirit filled, spirit led, pure and holy bride of Christ, and his powerful witness to a lost and hopeless dying world? I believe yes. Fasting is not commanded in the scriptures. Okay? God doesn't say you must fast.

9:30 This is very important. Some of the knots here. It doesn't make us more spiritual. It doesn't force god's hand to his doesn't force him to answer our prayers and do what we want him to do. It's not commanded but the fact that Jesus and his disciples sanctioned it by their own examples is sufficient justification for its practice in biblical times as well as today.

9:53 John the Baptist and his disciples, the Bible says, fasted. Jesus fasted for forty days, we know. In other times, the church at Antioch after Pentecost, the new... The established church, they were found fasting and ministering to the lord. It says, well, look at some of these passages when they sent out the first missionaries.

10:14 Jesus said, when the bridegroom is taken away, they will fast. They will fast. Again, it doesn't say they must but they will be fasting. His disciples, Jesus's disciples, when he's taken away, remember the Pharisees came and said, hey, Jesus. John and his boys, they're fasting.

10:36 We fast, the Pharisees, how come you and your disciples aren't fasting? And Jesus says, when the bridegroom's here, we're celebrating. We're not gonna be fasting, but when he is taken away from them, they will fast. Jesus also said, when you fast, giving us teaching how not to be, right? And we're gonna look at that passage.

11:00 So he was presuming that the church, his disciples, people who are seeking God take times fast and pray. Again, it's not commanded, but it seems to be the norm for people of God. Four main reasons people fast in the Bible. I kinda clumped it together. It seems to be their...

11:26 The main reasons are they're lamenting over their sin and repenting. There's confession. There is remorse over their sin. Turning from sin, turning to god. Number two, there's actual mourning and grieving.

11:42 The people many people and King David were fasting after King Saul's death. David, this is this is interesting. David also even fasted and prayed in sackcloth when his enemies were sick. Wow. Zechariah seven says that all during the seventy years of captivity, they were fasting in the fifth and seventh month, mourning and grieving over what had happened, that Jerusalem was burned to the ground and now they're captive.

12:21 So there's mourning and grieving. Number three reason is prayer and supplication. Main reasons it seems to be for fasting. Number three is prayer and supplication. Supplication simply means to asking or begging for something earnestly and humbly.

12:39 So when we're pleading, when we're when we really have a a a great desperate need, And again, and we'll look at that passage in a moment, but Jesus said, even mountains can be moved. If we have the faith of a mustard seed and and demons can be cast out with prayer and fasting. There is a woman named Anna in Luke chapter two, who was praying. It says in the temple, serving and praying in the temple. And if you do your math, it seems that she was a widow and doing that for anywhere from fifty to sixty years.

13:19 Doesn't mean she fasted for sixty years, but there were time periods of praying and fasting during that time. A woman and a widow. And it seems that she was praying. It says, she was then rejoicing for the redemption of of Israel had come. Jesus was in the temple.

13:36 Jesus comes in as baby Jesus and she's rejoicing and it and it describes who she is, that she's been praying and waiting for Messiah to come. And the fourth reason is to seek the Lord. And it's kind of all concluse... All conclusive here. Why do we pray in the first place?

13:56 Why can we pray fast and enhance our prayer life to seek the lord? For an intimate, perhaps more intimate relationship. I'm thinking of Jesus praying. He didn't need a more intimate, right? So there's some limitations here, but from our point, as far as just human, Jesus was human, but he was also God, didn't need no sin, we're sinners.

14:19 So these things apply to us. So again, lamenting over sin, mourning, and grieving, literally mourning. There's times of fasting, sometimes prayer and supplication, great need, and to seek the Lord. What we're going to do is we're going to look at some examples in scripture and just make some observations and we're going to kind of want to keep three questions in mind as we we look at these passages. What is prayer and fasting?

14:52 And it was always for the purpose of prayer. And so what does that look like? And we'll see that. And the second question is, who was fasting? Why did they fast?

15:01 When? And kind of why, when, the same kind of thing. What caused the reason? What was the reason that they were fasting? And number three, what was their end result?

15:10 What was accomplished? So let's look at a number of passages. And again, just a reminder in in I'll give you the references but we've got a lot a lot of material to cover here. So, we won't look at all of them but Luke five verse 33 to 35 is where Jesus taught about the bridegroom that the Pharisees came and said, how come you're not fasting? He says, well, we're not fasting when the bridegroom's here.

15:34 He gives the picture of a wedding feast, right? During the feast, there's not going to be celebration. During the celebration, there's not going to be fasting, but when the bridegroom's taken away, there will be. That's Luke five thirty three-thirty five. Matthew six sixteen-eighteen is one place where Jesus said, When you fast, and He teaches us not to be like the hypocrites, right, Who do it to be seen by men.

15:58 But Jesus said, go into your closet so your father in heaven who sees you in secret will reward you. Okay, so there's a reward. It says for fasting, there can be a personal reward from the Lord. And really, it's just Him. Drawing, potentially drawing nearer to the Lord.

16:19 And Let's look at the first one, Matthew 17. Matthew 17 verses 19 to 21. I wish we had more time together. And then this is just kind of the... No pun intended, whit our appetite.

16:46 Wait. We're talking about fasting, not eating. But this... Yeah. Trying to get it, you know, to just start thinking about, you know, how fasting is in the scriptures and what it means and and and how does that apply to us.

16:59 Chapter 17 verse 19. The lord had just been transfigured up on the mountain. They come down, and, the demon possessed boy is there. And the father says, hey. I asked your disciples.

17:14 They couldn't rebuke it. And the disciples come and just after Jesus did rebuke the demon. Verse 19, then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, why could we not cast it out? And he said to them, because of the littleness of your faith. Interesting.

17:30 Littleness of your faith, for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, move from here to there and it shall move and nothing shall be impossible to you. That's why he said a mountain. It's possible. If it's necessary in the will of God for a Red Sea to part, it can happen, right? And Jesus here then says in verse 21, but this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.

18:00 And there's the there's another cross reference. I forgot what it was. It's in Mark. And it's gives the same story and it it definitely includes fasting in case it doesn't include fasting here in this your Bible here. So, Jesus is saying that, He's not saying that, okay, you got a demonic problem here, so necessary you need to go and pray and fast.

18:24 I think what he's saying is, we go through our whole study, you're going to see that it's a lifestyle. And it's again, fasting doesn't force you, doesn't necessarily guarantee you're going to draw near to the Lord. Because it's the only thing that separates us from drawing near to the Lord is our will and sin, right? If we want to, we can draw near to the Lord. He will draw near to us.

18:46 And as we draw near to the Lord, we're going to be revealed our sin, and we're going to confess and deal with our sin, and we're going to draw closer to the Lord. And fasting can help enhance that process. So, Jesus is we're going to see even before here, he had already fasted his forty days and just drawing near to the lord. Food's not important. All I want is I just need this extra time to spend with you, Lord.

19:14 So he says there's certain kinds. It seems there's this kind, this kind of problem, this kind of demon, this seriousness, this spiritual war that's going on. Yes. Faith. Praying in the will of God.

19:28 God can answer. God can do anything. God can do anything. Anything. And notice that it didn't come out.

19:41 And we're gonna conclude with this that maybe some of the struggles in our life of why there doesn't seem to be movement like we'd like to see in our life, in other lives, in the life of the church. Maybe that can be enhanced through prayer and fasting. Matthew four, you back up to the temptation when Jesus was fasting for the forty days. The first four verses of Matthew four, Then Jesus was led up by the spirit. Okay?

20:14 Why did they fast? When did they fast? What is fasting? What did it look like? And what was the result?

20:19 Okay? These are some of the things you want to be thinking of. Jesus was led up by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. It doesn't specifically say that the spirit led him to fast, but I I believe he did. And and after Jesus had fasted forty days and forty nights, he then became hungry.

20:38 Yeah. A little bit. And then verse three, the tempter came, the devil came and said to him, if you are the son of God, command these stones to become bread. But Jesus answered and said, it's written, man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of god. So, Jesus says, he's in the wilderness communing with his father as he always did.

21:03 He was never out of fellowship with the father but he just wanted to be alone and we're going to see that again more and more repeated. He he he left places to get alone, to be with his father in heaven and here he was fasting. He just wanted to totally focus on the lord and of course, he I would think in his deity, he knew the temptation was coming. So, he's preparing perhaps for this, preparation and their strength as he was filled with the spirit, led by the spirit, I believe, to fast. And that's one of the things we want to consider.

21:38 When should we fast? When the spirit of God is telling us to. And notice some of the results there is, again, it's not the fasting. Fasting has no magical power in itself. But as we spend time with the Lord, acknowledging Lord voluntarily, I'm gonna set aside everything, even my basic necessities for a time period.

22:04 It can be one meal. It can be a day of fasting without food. It can be a few days and here up to forty days. Moses went forty days, came down, went up for another forty days. And then the results are that there's victory over sin and temptation and that can definitely enhance our prayer life so that we can have victory over sin.

22:30 Matthew 14. Doesn't talk actually is mentioned that Jesus fast here but I I it can be inferred and at least again, the focus here is not so much on fasting. It's prayer with fasting. Chapter 14 verse 22. Immediately, Jesus made his...

22:54 Made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side while he sent the multitudes away. He wanted to be alone. Okay? We're learning about this time of prayer. Verse 23, after he had sent the multitudes away, he went up to the mountain by himself to pray.

23:29 It was at evening time. He was alone with God. Go to Mark chapter one. It doesn't specifically say he was fasting there, but I can only imagine that during that time. And then that's when he sees the disciples in distress out in the middle of the sea and he walks on the water.

23:45 So, this time alone with god, I'm not saying that we can walk on water but if god wants us to, we can. Peter did, right? The point is nothing is impossible with the lord. Matthew chapter one verse 35 says, and in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus arose and went out and departed to a lonely place. So he left where he was.

24:15 And he wanted to be alone with the Lord in the early morning, late at night, and he's praying there. What was he doing? He was praying. Now we'll go to the book of Luke chapter six. Luke chapter six, verses twelve and thirteen.

24:38 And it was at this time that Jesus went off to the mountain to pray. This is his lifestyle. He wants to be alone with the lord. His god, his father. And he spent the whole night in prayer to god.

24:56 What happens? Verse 13, when day came, he called his disciples to him and he chose the 12 whom he also named his apostles. So, again, it doesn't say he was specifically fasting, but you can assume that he was. He just spent time along with the Lord. The whole evening, perhaps needing wisdom, just communing, making sure he was hearing from the Father, who are these 12?

25:23 But it says, he chose, right? The perfect union, the the mystery of the perfect union and yet the distinction between the father, god, and the son, god, son of god. Spent the whole night. Again, back to Luke chapter two, I'd like us to look at that about Anna. I I pretty much covered it, but it's very important because I know there's ladies here.

25:53 And there's some elderly ladies. And there's some widowed ladies. And that's specifically who person is here in the scriptures. Luke chapter two verse thirty six and thirty seven. Reminders as we walk through this little study, fasting is not commanded by God, okay?

26:12 But it's surely practiced. Verse two, chapter two verse thirty six and thirty seven. And in the temple, this is when they bring Jesus into the temple. And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of, Fenuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with a husband seven years after her marriage.

26:34 She was married for seven years. Now, it doesn't say, but the common practice back then was you were married at a young age, maybe a teenager, maybe in your early 20s, okay? And it says, And then as a widow to the age of 84. So, since her husband died, let's just say she was, you know, whatever, married at 20, whatever, 20 years old, add seven to that of marriage, 27, and until 84, I mean, fifty some years there. And again, she wasn't constantly fasting that long, obviously she wouldn't be alive.

27:13 And she never left the temple serving, interesting fact, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. And you're gonna see in the church in Antioch, the church there was worshiping, one translation says, another says, ministering to the Lord with prayer and fasting. Just some observations just to let the Lord speak to our hearts about these things. And then in verse 38, so she was serving day and night with fastings and prayers. And she just wanted to be alone with the Lord.

27:48 And the result, verse 38, and at that very moment she came up, began giving thanks to God, continued to speak of him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. So she's in the temple. She's a widow. She's elderly. She's a female, obviously, and she's committed to prayer, praying with fasting.

28:10 Let's go to the book of Acts. We'll go to chapter six. Acts chapter six. And we'll start right in verse one there. Before you go here, again, just to save a little time, if you go to Acts chapter one and two, you find the disciples after Jesus was raised from the dead.

28:44 He walked on the Earth for forty days. And then he ascended to heaven. Ten days later, Pentecost comes. The Holy Spirit comes down. So, there's ten days that the Bible teaches the end of Luke in the first chapter of Acts that the disciples were continually devoting themselves to prayer.

29:02 In the upper room, Luke says they were in the temple praising God. And it doesn't say fasting there, but you can only presume that as they were the disciples of Jesus, and now he is taken from them, they're probably so consumed, and they are so consumed, and I can only imagine that fasting was a part of that. In Acts chapter two forty two, the early church, after Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost. It says they continually devoted themselves, apostles' doctrine, the fellowship, breaking bread, prayer. They're dedicating, they're devoting themselves to prayer.

29:34 Doesn't say fasting there, but again, fasting can enhance the prayer life for sure. But in chapter six verse one, it says, now at this time, while the disciples were increasing in number, at this point, there were some say the three plus the 5,000 or some say the 5,000 grew, but anyway, there's up to 8,000 believers at this time. Wow. All in Jerusalem. A complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews because the widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of the food.

30:05 And 12 summoned the congregation, the disciples, and said, here's what the leaders of the church said. So who's fasting here? It's the leaders of the church. It's the apostles here, but later on to become, the apostles don't become, but the... We're taught to appoint elders and and and leaders under shepherds for the church.

30:25 It's not desirable for us to to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables, but select from among your your brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of spirit of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. Verse four, but we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. Again, it doesn't specifically say fasting there, but the devotion, that that is the purpose of the leaders. That's the job description of the leadership of the church, is to be devoting themselves. And here it doesn't say specifically individually.

30:57 It says we. And we were able to give this teaching in Fort Lauderdale, and God really used that to just help these four elders who never prayed once together, and wondering why their church was empty. And just helping them see in the scriptures that, no, this is the job description. And they truly repented, and it went on for weeks. They're praying now twice a week, the elders alone, coming together in prayer for a couple hours, twice a week.

31:26 And I've been in those prayer meetings. They're glorious. They're real prayer. I mean, it's just the presence of God. So the leadership of the church is described as devoting themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.

32:00 So, he's fasting for three days. And it says, Ananias, go look for a man at such and such a place. He's praying. So, he's not eating, he's praying. And you...

32:12 Why was he doing that? His whole, everything was changed. And he had just met the Lord. His first three days of conversion were spent fasting and praying. And just to seek the lord.

32:27 Now, he had already done that as a Pharisee fasting, right? Pharisees had to fast twice a week. Two days a week, no food. And it didn't earn him any favor with God. But willingly, Paul was just so overwhelmed with the presence, the glory, and I think he probably, maybe to the, well, I'm sure he is till to this day, some trembling going on in him after who he was and what God, his grace, had done for him and forgave him and has used him.

32:56 So for those days he was fasting and praying. Acts 13, very important passage of scripture. Acts 13, the first four verses. This gives us the model at... The whole book of Acts is the model for the New Testament church.

33:12 And the first four verses here really give us the whole model of fulfilling the great commission. What is the great commission? Jesus said, go, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, son, holy spirit, then teaching them to obey all that I commanded you. Number one, all authority has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples and oh by the way, I'm with you.

33:40 I've got all authority. I'm with you And here's how the church is living out fulfilling the great commission. Verse one, now there were at Antioch in the church that was there, prophets and teachers. Barnabas, Simeon, who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod, the tetrarch, and Saul. So there were some men there.

34:06 It doesn't say they were the only men. I used to think they were the only men. They could have been. It might be. But it seems to say the church was there.

34:14 And these men were there. Was it just a men's meeting? I don't know. But here's what they were doing. Verse two.

34:21 And while they were ministering to the Lord, some of your Bibles will say worshiping the Lord and fasting. So, Christians individually and together as a church, we are to be ministering to the Lord, worshiping the Lord. And then, again, the translation, one of the translations there uses the word worship. Worshiping the Lord, serving the Lord, ministering to the Lord. The lord is pleased.

34:53 Again, not necessarily just because we fast but we're putting him first. It doesn't even matter. Lord, we just want to minister to you. We want to hear from heaven. We want to know you.

35:04 We want to know what's your plan. You're the commander in chief. You're our god. You're our savior and so they're ministering to the lord and fasting and it was at this time, they had already, the first two parts of the great commission, first in Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria, that was already happening. Now, it's gonna be fulfilled.

35:28 The beginning of the fulfillment to go to the ends of the earth. Look at what happens. It was at this time, the Holy Spirit said, set apart from me Barnabas and Saul. For the work to which I, speaking of the Holy Spirit, have called them. So when did the first missionaries get chosen, called, commended, sent out?

35:52 When the church was gathered together doing what churches do. Gathering together, ministering to the lord, fasting and praying, seeking the Lord. Where? In the house of prayer. Imagine that.

36:09 Praying in the house of prayer. Praise the Lord. And now we are all individually the house of prayer, right? The spirit lives within us. And so this is when the holy spirit spoke.

36:21 And it doesn't say just be... It doesn't say because they fasted. I'm not... Don't take anything out of context, what I'm saying, but I'm just making some observations here. Then what do they do?

36:33 Okay. Here's Saul. Interesting. He's still called Saul here. Saul and Barnabas.

36:40 Send him out. Okay. See you guys. No. When they had what?

36:45 Fasted and prayed. They laid their hands on them. They sent them away. Very important few verses here to help us see the pattern of the New Testament church, Jesus' church. The great commission being fulfilled here.

37:04 Missionaries chosen, sent out, commended. Acts chapter 14, go to the next chapter. So, Paul and Barnabas go out and there's multitudes that are getting saved and then they come back, they report to the church, then they're sending church, then they go back out. Let's go revisit these guys and see how they're doing. Chapter 14 verse 21 to 23.

37:41 And after 21, after they had preached the gospel to that city, city of Derbe, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith and saying, through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God. Paul had already been beaten many times and stoned and everything. When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the lord in whom they had believed. The norm of the New Testament church is believers are praying. Their life is prayer and the house of prayer.

38:20 And there's fasting included. Times of fasting many times in order to help us pray. So in that passage, there's elders appointed. The churches are established. And you repeat the process.

38:35 Now you've got a New Testament local church, and now there's elders in the church, and now the elders are in charge of the ministry of the word, and they're teaching and appointing others to teach as as God brings in teachers. To do what? To teach the disciples in the church to go out and start the whole process over again, to reach the world, to make disciples, and then eventually, as disciples, souls are saved, there, you disciple em to grow in their faith and teach them in the in the doctrine of the New Testament, the doctrine of the apostles and then at the given time, elders are appointed with prayer and fasting and now you got another Luke New Testament local assembly and then there's teaching their believers to go out and do the same. That is the pattern. That is what Jesus sent the body of that's why he came to seek and save the lost and see lost souls get saved and established in the New Testament churches and elders appointed.

39:28 So we win souls, baptize them, make disciples, plant churches, appoint elders, then repeat the process. How? By the power and the leading of the Holy Spirit. What's our part? Fervent prayer and times of fasting.

40:00 I'll just give you some references there. There's two of them. You can write them down if you want. Exodus 34 verses twenty eight and twenty nine. And that's where after Moses was up on the mountain with the lord for forty days, it says, he came down and didn't even realize his face was glowing because he he, it says, because Moses was speaking to the lord.

40:22 He's up in the mountain fasting, praying, talking to the lord. He comes down and he is just filled with god. Humble, doesn't even know it, right? Not look at me. I've been up on the mountain before.

40:36 No. And then Deuteronomy ten ten, and that's where giving the results, Moses repeats to them before they go into the promised land. He says, hey, remember I was up on the mountain forty days and then did it again? And I interceded for you guys, and the Lord heard me and He didn't destroy you. Wow.

40:55 That second forty days, that's what He was doing. He went back up on the mountain after they were worshiping the golden calf. He went back up on the mountain. He's praying, God, please don't destroy them. Your name's at stake here.

41:06 So answered prayer, right? A whole nation saved. God was going to destroy them. That's what it says. God doesn't change.

41:16 But in God's immutability, unchangeableness, He decreed that we could change His heart. That a son, a daughter could ask Daddy to do something and Daddy would do it. In his will. Need to look at David. Second Samuel.

41:39 Very important point here. Second Samuel chapter 12. Second Samuel 12 verse 16. David commits basically, well, he commits adultery with Bathsheba and she's pregnant and the baby is sick and dying. So, what does David do?

42:09 Verse 16, David therefore inquired with... Inquired of god or pleaded with god for the child and David fasted. So, he's he's trying to get god to answer his prayer. He's serious. He's not twisting God's arm.

42:24 Look, I'm fasting, but he's serious. Food don't matter. His baby is dying. He wants to see his child saved physically. Right?

42:35 And David fasted and went late all night on the ground. He's praying all night. And the elders of his household stood beside him in order to raise him up from the ground, but he was unwilling, would not eat food with them. So, what is fasting? Not eating food.

42:49 Then it happened on the seventh day. So, he's fasting for seven days, it appears, and praying that the child died. Very important truth here. Just because we fast and pray doesn't mean God has to do what we want him to do. That's the whole point of us just looking there.

43:10 And then it goes on and the child died. Verse 21, then his servant said to him, what is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but when the child died, you arose and ate food. So, after the child died, it says, hey, okay, god didn't answer my prayer? Your will be done and so, he carries on.

43:37 He doesn't continue to fast and and and and pray. Now, he goes on with his life and he he washes himself and he eats and David says, verse 22, while the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. For I said, who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me that the child may live. So important truth here.

43:54 Just because we fast doesn't guarantee that God has to obey us. Go to the book of Jonah. Chapter three. Remember the story of Jonah? Just real quick.

44:25 Jonah's commanded to go and preach to the enemies. God's gonna destroy them. And... But if they repent, he'll spare them. Chapter three verse four.

44:37 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day's walk. He cried out and said, yet forty days in Nineveh will be overthrown. So he preaches to them after he'd been in the belly of the whale. Right? Then the people of Nineveh believed in god.

44:50 They called to fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. When the word reached the king, he arose from the throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth, sand, and ashes. He issued a proclamation in Nineveh that nobody can eat, not even the animals. Verse eight, but both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth, but man call on god earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his own hands. Who knows?

45:21 God may turn and relent, withdraw his burning anger so that we shall not perish. When god saw their deeds, not their fasting per se, but he saw that they turned from their wicked deeds. That's what it says. When they saw that... When when god saw their deeds that that they turned from their wicked way, then god relented concerning the calamity which he had declared he would bring upon them.

45:43 He did not do it. He did not destroy Nineveh. Why? Because people got serious about calling on God, even unsaved people. And they just called on God.

46:19 Don't eat or drink anything and I'll do the same with all my maidens and they did. All the Jews were saved. Persia, the Persian people were going to destroy the whole nation of Israel. And they would have. But people got serious when there was a great, great, great need, problem, big time.

46:38 And the enemies were even destroyed. Second Chronicles chapter 20, powerful story. I'd encourage you to go home and read this tonight around this this day sometime together with your family, the whole chapter. Just highlight a few things here. Chapter 20.

46:56 Verses three through six and Jehoshaphat was afraid. Why was he here afraid? Because he just received word that three nations were coming against him and they were so close. You could probably feel the earth shaking. There was thousands and thousands and thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of soldiers coming against this little nation of Judah.

47:17 Jehoshaphat was afraid. What did he do? He turned his attention to seek the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. It's not wrong to be afraid. It's wrong to stay afraid.

47:31 And but through the fear, we can turn to the lord and so Judah gathered together to seek help from the lord. Again, during this time of fasting and praying, I'm not saying, well, it says he declared a fast there, but I I... The people were... Knew what was going on. I I...

47:46 People didn't care about eating. They just needed to seek the Lord. And if ever there was a time that America, the believers in America need to really seek the Lord in prayer, even with times of fasting. It's now. Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the lord before the new court and he said, oh lord, he begins to pray and we don't have time but you go through this prayer.

48:29 It's just awesome prayer declaring lord, you're the ruler, power, might are in your hand. Verse six, no one can stand against you. Jump down to verse 12. Continuing the prayer. Oh our god, will you not judge the enemy?

48:41 We are powerless against this great multitude and we don't know what to do but our eyes are on you. Just a total dependence upon crying out for God. And the story goes on. The prophet answers the prayer, verse 15. Prophet says, listen all Judah, the prophet speaking for God.

49:08 So God is gonna answer Jehoshaphat's prayer and all the people of Judah are there. And the... Everybody's there. It says even the babies. Everybody came and they're just waiting on the Lord, it says, waiting on the Lord.

49:21 A whole nation. And the prophet says to king Josh, Beth, and all Judah, don't fear or be dismayed because of the great multitude for the battle is not yours, but it's God's. Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they will come up to such and such a place. Verse 17, you don't need to fight in this battle.

49:39 Just station yourself. Brothers and sisters, that's what we need to do. We need to station ourselves, humble ourselves before God, and cry out to God. We don't have to fight. Stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, for the Lord is with you.

49:58 Verse 18, Jehoshaphat, as he heard that response from God, he bowed his head with his face to the ground. All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. And it goes on the end of verse 19, the Levites, the Coelites, and the Corathites, they stood up to praise the Lord of God with a very loud voice, and they went to sleep. How do I know that? Because the next verse says, they rose early in the morning.

50:31 God spoke. Don't worry. What do you mean don't worry? The enemy is like right there. We're outnumbered three to one at least.

50:41 Put your trust in the Lord your God. You'll be established. Put your trust in the prophets and succeed. Verse 21, when they had consulted with the, when he, Jehosh Ved, consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the lord, those who praised him in holy attire and says, you guys are going first. What?

51:00 As they went out before the army and said, give thanks to the lord for his loving kindness is everlasting and look at verse 22. Underline this, and when they began singing and praising the lord, The lord did something. The lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seer. Those are the three nations who had come against Judah, so they were routed. And the two nations jump in and destroy the one nation, and then finally, the one nation's left.

51:31 I'm sorry. The two nations are left until it's down to two last soldiers out of maybe a million soldiers. And the two last guys stand here, I'm gonna get you. No, no, I'm gonna get you too. And they both dropped dead.

51:44 And Judah didn't lift a sword, didn't do nothing. When Judah came to look out at the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude and behold, there were corpses lying on the ground. No one had escaped. I think we'll close with Daniel chapter nine. Ezekiel, Daniel.

52:57 And then after the seventy years, there's gonna be the Lord is gonna restore Israel. After he totally destroys him. It's going be so bad. It says, the enemy is going to come in and take pregnant women. Forgive me for the graphics here but this is what the Bible says and take the unborn babies, cut the woman's womb open, take the unborn baby, and dash their head on the rocks.

53:17 That's how bad the destruction was. Because the people of God left God and God was gonna give them up to their enemies. But then he promised he's gonna restore them. And what does Daniel do? Verse three, so I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek him by prayer and supplications.

53:36 That's begging, pleading with the god, with lord, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the lord, my god, and confessed and said, alas, oh lord, the great and awesome god who keeps his covenant and loving kindness for those who love him and keep his commandments. We have sinned. We have committed iniquity and acted wickedly and rebelled even turning aside from thy commandments and ordinances and time doesn't allow us but Daniel goes on and he just pleads with god in confession and repentance of his own sin and the sin of the nation and we deserve this. God, you're righteous in judging us And he's just praising God.

54:18 And in the end, he has a simple request. Lord, just be glorified in it all. Just be glorified in it all. Write down this reference because we're out of time here. Joel chapter one verses 13 to 15.

54:33 Joel chapter one verses 13 to 15. And also chapter two verses one through 19. And you'll see how the prophet Joel is told by God to tell the people to call a fast, The assembly to gather everybody to stop everything even I know we might get some snickers here but even the weddings and the everything. Just stop and proclaim a fast. Nothing is more important because the enemy was coming in like a flood And at that time, it was the locust, but it was also a picture of the tribulation.

55:05 Judgment coming when the armies are gonna come, and it's just all hell's gonna break loose here on Earth. And we can see that we're not in the tribulation, but we are approaching that time. And there needs to be times when God's people come together individually and collectively and pray. Well, think of two Chronicles seven. What's it say?

55:25 It says, God says, If I'm going to bring judgment on my people, if I'm going to stop the rain, if I'm going to bring pestilence, if I'm going to bring enemies to come in and destroy, and if my people called by my name, humble themselves and pray. See, that's what fasting can help us do. It can help us humble ourselves and just seek the Lord. Humble ourselves and pray and seek God's face. To seek god's face simply means that we're confessing our sins.

55:52 We're saying the same about our sins. That's what Daniel was doing. How do I know that? Because the Bible says when god sees our sin, he turns his face from us. If we're living in sin, unconfessed, he has to turn it.

56:03 He can't look upon that with favor, right? So, the the fellowship is broken. Not the relationship. We're still his child but his fellowship. He's not pleased with that.

56:15 Until we confess, agree with god. God, I've done this. It's wrong. And then it says, and not only just seek His face, but turn from those wicked ways. Not just confess with your mouth and agree with God, but then to turn away from it.

56:29 I just want to read just a short little paragraph here and we'll close. So fasting can help god's people pray and repent of our idolatry. Loving ourselves in this world which is ruled by Satan more than we love god. Biblical, humble prayer with fasting can can help us come back to our first love, the lord Jesus. Again, we want to remind you once again, it it doesn't fasting doesn't guarantee anything.

57:06 It's not for god's benefit, it's for us. It's it's definitely can help really revive and encourage if you're weary, if you're needing prayer for just an issue and wisdom and direction, you're you're afraid. If you're want to see souls saved, it's just prayer is the only thing that can can help us get god's peace and seek his will and and and be ready to do his will. It can help us come back to our first love living for Jesus Christ in eternity, seeking first the kingdom of god and his righteousness. Benediction would be, may god be glorified and pleased as we, his precious, chosen, blood bought children, humble ourselves and pray and seek his holy face, which again means to confess and agree with god about our sin and then turn from our wicked ways.

58:00 If we do this, again, not if we do fasting but if we humble ourselves and really seek the lord and turn from our wicked ways, our god and father promises to hear those prayers from heaven, To forgive us of our sins, and then use us to build his eternal kingdom in the hearts of men and women and boys and girls. Jesus said, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away. Let's pray. Thank you, lord Jesus for coming. Lord, us who are saved will forever be grateful for what you've done for us, dying for us.

58:50 Now our eyes are open. Now we have the spirit of God in us. Now we're your children. Now we're alive. Now, we can see and lord, we just thank you that as we look at you in the scriptures, we we not only learn that you died for us but lord, we learn who you are and what you are and and how to live like you.

59:23 You're not looking for religious rituals. You're looking at our hearts, Lord. You want our hearts. The greatest commandment is just to love you with all. Give us grace to do that.

59:35 Lord, if you're calling individuals, if you're calling this church, you are, Lord. You are calling individuals and and us as a church and the elders to come together and seek your face in prayer with fasting. Lord, just work out all the details. Lord, give us a wonderful rest of the day. We thank you for the Christmas celebration.

59:54 Use us the rest of this day to to have great opportunities to share how glorious, how good you are, how wonderful you are, lord. We love you. We praise you in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.