Thursday May 12, 2011
Today's Passage: Joel 1 & 2
Memory Verse: Joel 2:12
Should corporate fasting still be a regular occurence in ministry, or was it just something the "old church" had to do? How would it affect the life of the church as a whole? The answer to these questions lie in this question: How much of God's power does the church really want? Without question, fasting is as new to the chuirch as prayer. God has instructed the church to "sanctify itself" since the great exodus. But as the question stated, should it still be done today?
In the book of Joel, God called the nation of Israel to fast because worship had "left the church". Seems to me, God instituted fasting as a means to communicate with Him, and/or seperate ourselves from the influences of the flesh. Therefore, we shouldn't relegate fasting to the old testament church. As a matter of fact, we should look to fasting more today. If we ever needed the Lord before, we definitely need Him now. Our world is full of violence and abuse, pain and neglect. To survive in it, and recieve our marching orders, fasting and prayer are essential. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. That's not just a reference to passing away, it's a description of what a strong and committed fast will do. To get closer to God, we must distance ourselves from the pleasure/will of the flesh. Fasting is a strategic way to put the flesh "in its place". So, what if corporate fasting were a regular practice? If it were, hearing God's voice in our services would be a regular occurence. Also, healings and other signs and wonders would happen at a normal rate. I personally have found fasting to be a powerful weapon for seeing into the spirit realm. When I need direction, refreshing, or just more of God, fasting for a season of time proves to be just what I've needed. I know it'll work for you.
Prayer: Father I'm so glad You desire to be close to us. It's not hard for us to come before You and we value that. Lord, we need to corporately come to You. You made us a holy nation; a peculiar people. What makes us peculiar is our intimacy with You. You are always with us. You're not a statue on our tables, or a trinkett on our necklaces. You live, move, and exist within us. And we want to keep it that way...in Jesus' name. Amen
Today's Passage: Joel 1 & 2
Memory Verse: Joel 2:12
Should corporate fasting still be a regular occurence in ministry, or was it just something the "old church" had to do? How would it affect the life of the church as a whole? The answer to these questions lie in this question: How much of God's power does the church really want? Without question, fasting is as new to the chuirch as prayer. God has instructed the church to "sanctify itself" since the great exodus. But as the question stated, should it still be done today?
In the book of Joel, God called the nation of Israel to fast because worship had "left the church". Seems to me, God instituted fasting as a means to communicate with Him, and/or seperate ourselves from the influences of the flesh. Therefore, we shouldn't relegate fasting to the old testament church. As a matter of fact, we should look to fasting more today. If we ever needed the Lord before, we definitely need Him now. Our world is full of violence and abuse, pain and neglect. To survive in it, and recieve our marching orders, fasting and prayer are essential. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. That's not just a reference to passing away, it's a description of what a strong and committed fast will do. To get closer to God, we must distance ourselves from the pleasure/will of the flesh. Fasting is a strategic way to put the flesh "in its place". So, what if corporate fasting were a regular practice? If it were, hearing God's voice in our services would be a regular occurence. Also, healings and other signs and wonders would happen at a normal rate. I personally have found fasting to be a powerful weapon for seeing into the spirit realm. When I need direction, refreshing, or just more of God, fasting for a season of time proves to be just what I've needed. I know it'll work for you.
Prayer: Father I'm so glad You desire to be close to us. It's not hard for us to come before You and we value that. Lord, we need to corporately come to You. You made us a holy nation; a peculiar people. What makes us peculiar is our intimacy with You. You are always with us. You're not a statue on our tables, or a trinkett on our necklaces. You live, move, and exist within us. And we want to keep it that way...in Jesus' name. Amen
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