2013-03-03 - Fasting: Derek Prince

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

*
<http://www.2rbetter.org/>*

 *2013-03-01 - WHEN YOU FAST, NOT IF - Derek Prince*

“*SECRETS TO ANSWERED PRAYER”*


 *See the one specific key - The majority of believers - unaware it exists!*

*Failure to use this key - one more source of ineffectiveness in the body
of Christ.*

*To hear this key - will not necessarily bring forth a “Praise the Lord!”*

*The Sermon on the Mount has 2 parallel passages concerning this.*

*Matthew 6:5-6 - When you prayer - be not as the hypocrites*

*- but when you pray - be like this!*

*See how it starts with a negative, but ends with a positive.*

*- Now see Matthew 6:17-18 - another dimension of prayer -*

*Moreover - when you fast - be not as the hypocrites - starts with a
negative -*

*- but when you fast - positive - how to be acceptable to God*

*A close parallel between what Jesus says about praying and fasting*

*Most** will agree we **will pray - not if*

*But - the next stage - when you fast - God expects us to fast in the same
manner in which we pray!*

*Will we? Do we agree? Perhaps reluctantly? Don’t be reluctant.*

*- For when this key is discovered - then we will say “Praise the Lord!”*

*These 2 passages are exactly parallel*

*Jesus puts praying and fasting on exactly the same level!*

*If He expects us to pray - then He in the same manner expects us to fast!*

*See predecessors in this truth - Luther and Wesley among many others*

*Wesley’s Journal - he says - if Christians understand Bible teaching on
fasting - and don’t -*

*they will backslide just as one who won’t pray. He would not ordain
Methodist preachers *

*unless they committed themselves to fast each Wednesday and Friday till
tea time.*

*Why? what purpose? to take pleasure from us? No*

*One**. - Because it is “God’s appointed way” to **humble ourselves!*

*The greatest single barrier to getting answers to prayer is pride!*

*Whatever** reverses pride will be a key to answered prayer.*

*We need to see the awful danger of pride!*

*Andrew Murray in his “The Humility of Our Lord” spoke to Derek in this. *

*He hates pride - it is vicious and evil - it keeps one back from all
blessings.*

*This message** runs through the Bible.*

*Pride didn’t start on earth - but in heaven - with Lucifer, a created
archangel.*

*How much more** are we then susceptible to pride on earth!*


 *3 passages of Scripture on Pride and Humility*

*1. Luke 14:11 - how to act when invited to a banquet*

*Don’t ask God to humble you - He leaves it entirely to us to humble
ourselves!*

*He will humiliate us, so that we come to ourselves to see the necessity of
humbling ourselves!*

*At a banquet - take the lowest place - else we will most likely be
humiliated.*

*John Bunyan saw this very clearly and said - “He that is down - needs fear
no fall;*

*he that is low - need fear no pride; He that is humble - shall always love
God!”*

*When you are on the floor in prayer - you are always safe*

*Luke 14:11 - He that exalts himself - shall always be abased*

*Who humbles himself - will be exalted. *

*See the contrast between Lucifer Versus Jesus.*

*The created one wanted to be like God*

*Jesus had equality with God - but humbled Himself - Philippians 2 -
and Godhighly exalted Him!
*

*Exaltation is promised if we humble ourselves - no exceptions.*

*Humility: an essential condition for answered prayer.*


 *2. James 4:10 - humble yourself (with fasting) - and God will lift you up!
*


 *3. 1 Peter 5:6 - therefore humble yourself (with fasting) that He may
exalt you. God resists the proud - but He gives grace to the humble*

*The Lord knows the proud afar off, and prevents them from coming into His
presence, *

*and **fasting** - is **most effectual** **to break our pride, **so we can *
*then** come into His Presence!*


 *Psalm 35:13 - a simple statement by David - **I humbled my soul with
fasting**!*

*Why? because the ‘soul’ is the **arrogant** part of us - self-assertive -
egoistic*

*It contains our will, intellect and emotions - I **want** - I **think** -
I **feel**!*

*But - the **only** important thing is **God’s will**!*

*So - we **must** deal with our soul with **fasting**!*

*Our stomach is a wonderful servant - but a **terrible** master. Rees
Howells ha**d** a **terrible** time with his stomach when he commenced
fasting. Punish your stomach with **more fasting**!*


 *A Few Examples of the tremendous effectiveness of fasting.*

*1. Leviticus 16:29-31 - the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The most sacred
day in the Jewish calendar. A response is required - it affects the soul.*

*There is sacrifice on this day outside of the people - **but** - no
benefit to the people for the sacrifice - except they **fast**. They **must*
* meet God’s condition of fasting.*

*It is a statute forever on the 7**th** month, the 10**th** day of the
month - to afflict the soul with fasting, so that they could then receive
cleansing through the atonement.*

*It was a sabbath of rest to afflict the soul - forever.*

*The Jewish people understand this - **no food** - FAST - and for them - no
water.*

*Derek’s definition for fasting: **abstaining from food for spiritual
purposes**.*

*For Israel - it was **required** - to receive benefit.*

*For 3400 years - all Jews know - they are to fast on this day - and
**all**do it
*

*In Acts 27:9 this day is called **The Fast** - afflicting their souls -
bringing the soul into subjection -*

*submitting to God. God here is down to earth - very practical*

*This is **one way** to humble one’s self - by fasting.*


 *2. Ezra 8:21 **- the story of the returning exiles from Babylon - a 4
month journey through enemy territory - with women and children - and very
valuable temple vessels.*

*And Ezra committed himself to the Emperor, by telling him that God would
look after them.*

*So he couldn’t ask for soldiers to guard. So what was the solution?*

*FAST - humble themselves - a **public** fast - at the river Ahava - Had to
live up to his testimony!*

*We cannot be carnal like the world - must do things **God’s** way!*

*So - they fasted - and **God** answered their prayers! *


 *Derek Prince testimony - when married, was father of 8 adopted daughters
in Israel*

*- **followed Ezra’s example - fasted and prayed - in the midst of war and
famine - and **received** - just like Ezra - every member of family of 10
miraculously save**d**. Fasting **works**!*


 *When people are under God’s impending judgment because of sin - **FAST**.
- It **can** be averted!*

*See Ahab - confronted by Elijah with complete destruction to his family -
Jezebel egged him on.*

*But - 1 Kings 21 - when confronted - he feared the Lord - tore his clothes
- put on sackcloth and **fasted**. Word of Lord came to Elijah - God
because of this, delayed judgment until his son’s day!*

*If fasting could do this for wicked Ahab - **what** for **us**? See the
potential*


 *Jonah and Nineveh - a wicked Gentile city - proclaimed judgment in 40
days.*

*Response: Jonah 3 - **king** put on sackcloth - whole city called to fast
- even the **animals*

*God saw - and relented - and the city was preserved for 100 years!
Amazing. Shaping History through Prayer and Fasting! Indeed!*


 *See book of Esther! Under Haman - all Jews in 127 provinces of Persia
slated for destruction, from India to Ethiopia. But - Esther - a secret
Jewess in the palace and wife of the Emperor. But - not called for for 30
days - to appear apart from a call - death. Her cousin Mordecai said - If
you fail to request deliverance - you will perish too - but - who knows -
perhaps you have come to the empire for such a time as this. So Esther
responded: call a fast by every Jew in Shushan - for 3 days - without water
as well as food - then I will go in to the king unannounced - and if I
perish, I perish.*

*But - God heard the Jewish prayers of the entire city - and the King
received her - and Haman’s device was defeated and overturned - and he and
his 10 sons all perished on the very scaffold he had prepared to hang
Mordecai on! - **Poetic Justice**!*

*- All Christ’s ministers should take a page out of Esther’s book and the
whole Bible*


 *2. See 2 COR 6:4-5 - Paul’s list of heavy trials - hungerings and
thirstings one of them, but this was of necessity - **Fasting** was **
voluntary** - and by Paul done **often**! See a similar list in 2 COR
11:23-27.*

*If we preach these things like Paul - then we ought to **practice** them!*

*- When Derek saved in 1941, within a month he was led to fast **every
Wednesday**. For 4 ½ years he faithfully did this in Africa, with 10 other
soldiers. Impossible to hide this decision. They called his Wednesday
“Ramadan”. Derek felt this was perhaps the key reason why he moved so
rapidly in the principle of the Kingdom of God! I agree with him!*

*- Later as a teacher of a college in Kenya, he felt he was to**o** busy to
fast, so he dropped it for 2 weeks. Such a disaster followed, that he
immediately resumed this habit, and maintained it to the end.*

*So - Derek believes in the efficacy of fasting **passionately**!*


 *3. Acts 13:1-3. The above with Paul was individual fasting. Now see **
corporate** fasting*

*Derek counts this passage as one of the most significant moments in the
book of Acts.*

*Here at Antioch certain prophets and teachers - 5 men - ministering to the
Lord. How? by **fasting**. No agenda of their own - waiting on God for **His
** agenda. If only the church of today could follow **this** example! We
come to God with **our** agenda. God is only committed to fulfill the
agenda **He** initiates - **not** what we initiate. We say - “Now Lord,
bless these decisions **we** have made!” Forget it!*

*- So after a few days, God the Holy Spirit spoke, and gave **His** agenda
- Separate for me Barnabas and Saul for the ministry **I** have ordained.
The first missionaries? Not really - but the first **apostolic** delegation
sent out. Whoever **God** sends out are **apostle**s**. Unless God has sent
out ministries following fasting and prayer, He is not obligated to bless
and use them.*

*And note - following this word from the Holy Spirit, these 5 did not
immediately obey God - but spen**t** **another** session in fasting and
prayer for confirmation - and **then** from Antioch launched the first
truly apostolic ministry. Are there prophets and teachers in the church
today? Indeed. Are there apostles? Indeed - if **God** has sent them forth
following fasting and prayer and **His** direction.*

*And apostles are given for the **perfecting** of the church. Only **
God-sent** apostles can effectively do this. And what did they do?
Following **fasting** and prayer in the churches they founded in modern
Turkey - they under God’s direction appointed **elders** to rule over the 3
main churches there.*

*- **God-ordained** apostles for founding churches and maturing disciples,
and **God-ordained** elders following fasting and prayer for His **election*
* - not man’s - for the governing of these disciples into churches - **this*
* is the pattern set forth in this passage and Acts 14.*

*Derek Prince is absolutely committed to **this** method of apostolic
church planting, followed by God’s elective process in pointing out
**His**choice of elders! - No nominating committee!
*

*Have we a **better** way? God isn’t looking for our better ways - but for
leaders like in Acts 13:1-3 and Acts 14 who will **follow** **His pattern
and way**! And **fasting** is basic to these 2 steps!*


 *2 Conclusions. 2 Chronicles 7:14 - **“Hope For A Nation**”*

*If my people - will **humble** themselves - **How** - by **Fasting**! -
Because **pride** must be broken **before** we come to **prayer**! *

*Then **prayer** - but **not** till we have **fasted** to humble ourselves
and deal with **pride**!*

*Seek my face - that is - till **in His presence**.*

*Turn from wicked ways. One may say - but I have no wicked ways - Ah - that
is because you haven’t first come into His Presence. There - **every one of
us** - will see extraordinary wicked ways!*

*One church in Florida of which Derek was one of the elders had an elder’s
wife give a Joel 2 challenge. The elders decided to call the church to a
daily 5:00 am prayer meeting until revival came. 13 the first morning; 7
the next; 4 the next! typical charismatic church of 500 members. But **then*
* a non-elder had the Spirit come upon him. He wept and prayed for 24 hours
- then the Spirit started to fall on the church. Derek and his wife Ruth
returned from meetings and joined them. Even the children and babies were
brought. If parents did not wake them and bring them they were
disappointed. Terrible sins were now confessed, because in **God’s Presence*
* - these were no**w** revealed, so that the last of the 4 conditions of 2
Chronicles 7:14 started to be fulfilled: adultery, fornication, abortions,
thefts - etc. Just like the Korean revivals and many others.*

*- The responsibility of leadership is to **lead**! One pastor said, “I
have to run to keep up with my people.” **That** is not leading - and will *
*never** lead to revival.*

*- then Joel 2:28. Afterwards, God says, I will pour out of My Spirit on **
all** flesh. This did not happen at Pentecost - that was but a sprinkling -
an anticipation - to what God will do before His Son returns.*


 *Islam is impenetrable in the natural. But there are some who
**are**seeing much fruit with our Islamic friends. But
**they** are the ones who with prayer and **fasting** are breaking through
the strongholds of Satan, and wresting his prisoners from him! *

*- There is **no other** solution but that which follows through all of
Scripture - linking prayer and fasting together. Prayer without fasting
doesn’t cut the mustard.*

*- Derek challenged his hearers of this message to **ask God** for
confirmation whether this message was of Him! Derek believed i**t** was.
David and Dale Garrett in Hawaii sent Derek and Ruth to New Zealand with
faith that there would be a break-through. Derek believed it was **this
fasting message** that God ordained as the **key** to break through on
their behalf.*

*- **But** - God is **no respecter of nations**. Australia, South Africa,
Britain, Canada, the USA, and **all other countries** could just as easily
use this key and see the results that God intends for the earth before the
return of His Son!*


 *Go to <Derek Prince You Tube> on the Net - and this message on fasting -
is at the very beginning of dozens of messages by Derek found there. I have
made rough notes on this one - but you will benefit by listening to him
yourself.*


 *To meditate on the parts of the Word he uses in this message, you will
find it a help to make use of our “Outlined Interlinear New Testament” - go
to <www.outlinedinterlinear.com> for information.**
*

*
<http://www.2rbetter.org/>*



*TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org*


 *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org*


 *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/attachments/20130303/63d13228/attachment.htm>