Tuesday, October 15, 2013

The Power of Faith while Fasting

Faith

Fasting helps produce faith. Every aspect of our life as a believer is based upon our faith and our trust in the Lord. When we fast it releases our, and it allows us to receive and tap into the promises that have been made available according to God’s word. Fasting also breaks and destroys the power of unbelief (Remember - Chapter 5 goes into detail).

When we fast we are releasing our faith! How?  Because we may or may not get the answers we are seeking for so we are operating in faith!  It takes a person to operate in faith and expect a breakthrough that doesn’t appear to be in reach! It takes a person to operate in faith to trust and believe God for a healing when the doctors say otherwise! It takes  a person to operate in faith when God tells an individual to stay in a marriage where it seems as if all hope is gone! Without faith it is impossible to please God.

Many of us need our faith activated in order to believe God and what he has declared in his word. Fasting HELPS release faith! We have endured much suffering, and we tend to think it will always be this way. I will never receive my breakthrough, or I will never walk in the promises that God has for me. When our faith is shaken and tested and tried on every end we must still grab hold to the ounce that may be left within and trust in The Lord to see us through. As we fast, God will bring healing to our hearts and renew our faith and trust in him so that we will be able to not only receive his promises but also not walk in doubt. Everything we receive from the Lord requires faith in order for us to possess it. Since this book is on fasting for breakthrough our faith sets the precedent for everything to be built upon as we trust God to release answers to prayers that which we desire.

Faith builds belief, and belief is very important! It is important because in order for us to understand that we can have more, do more, accomplish more, tap into the destiny, plans and purpose that awaits us, we must believe first that we can. What we think on we will ultimately attract. The more we believe we can obtain the promises of God according to the word of God, the more we will be able to obtain them. No matter what it is, his word is final, and IF things regarding you are looking differently from what is outlined in the word you must stand firm and believe him for a turn-a-round. If his words states, “But without faith it is impossible to please him:” we can certainly draw the conclusion that doubt and unbelief doesn’t please the father.

In fact, unbelief is sin. Let us take a look at a few passages of scriptures.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest. 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Hebrews 3 11-19

Strong huh?

Fasting increases faith as we allow God’s Word to saturate our minds.
Faith activates our hearing whether it’s negatively or positively. Since faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, it can also be translated that whatever you are hearing, that is how you are going to operate. For that reason, it is imperative that we read the word of God on a daily basis.

Scriptures on Faith

Corinthians 5:6-7 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Ephesians 6:16 (KJV) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Little Faith

Matthew 8:26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (Jesus speaking to His Apostles)

Matthew 14:29-31 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Luke 12:27-28 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! (Jesus speaking)


Healing Faith

Matthew 9:22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Matthew 21:21-22 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Mark 10:52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

Saving Faith

Acts 15:8-9 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.

Acts 20:18-21 “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

2 Corinthians 4:13-14 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.




READ The Faith Chapter: Hebrews 11

If you didn’t read “The Faith Scriptures” verses 1-40, I want you to go back and highlight the verses in your bible where individuals operated in such a GREAT amount of Faith. Let us examine one person. Think about Noah! Now that REALLY took a great amount of Faith!  Not only so, but I know while he was building that ark, his mind was playing tricks on him.

“God I am hearing you correctly?” “God did you really tell me to do this?” “God do I have to do this right now?” Etc. etc... etc…

I am sure he was hearing all kinds of voices. Let alone, he had to deal with the naysayers, those are the folk that often talk against what God has told you to do!  Oh yes! There are people that are quick to say, “God didn’t tell sister/brother so and so do to that.”  What we have to remember is this. For the most part, no one will fast or pray on your behalf more than you so we must be careful not to speak against what we haven’t prayed or even fasted about for that matter.

I’m sure Noah experienced much mockery, persecution, and was even scorned but he had to obey God!  Just think; he had to deal with a level of unbelief. According to biblical scholars it states that it took one hundred and twenty years to build the ark. That alone is enough time to have to deal with the opinions of others. However, I am sure at some point and time the more he obeyed and yielded to the process of obedience that the task at hand became more easier to yield to.
This is a sidebar... God revealed this to me the other day, and I want you to think about something.  God saved MORE Animals than he did HUMANS! God wasn’t playing; He spoke, and he held up his end of the bargain when he made a covenant with Noah that he would save his family! They were saved because of the obedience of one Man!

Do you see why Faith is such an important part of fasting?

Many Blessings,

Please check out some of the other blog posts and if you want more information regarding this same topic order a copy of Fasting for Breakthrough book! 

It is packed with great information that will help answer many questions believers have regarding tapping into "Breakthrough God's Way" and drawing closer to the Lord through fasting.

Lenika Scott

Author of
Fasting for Breakthrough

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