A wrong doctrine creates wrong belief system. When you believe wrong, you will live wrong, but when you believe right, you will live right.
For instance, some people believe that before they can get God to move, they have to fast, and many preachers prescribe fasting as remedy for every life challenge.
They treat it as an all in one cure. They are swift to call for a 40-days fasting. As if fasting is prerequisite for God to move or if we don’t fast God will not move.
Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights, but nowhere did he direct you to fast for forty days and forty nights.
You might say, Jesus said, … “This kind cannot come out except by fasting and praying”. (Mark 9:29)
But do you know that the word fasting is not mentioned in the original or Greek text?
The original simply says “…This kind cannot come out except by (proseuchē) prayer”. The translators added the word fasting.
However, the church has formed a doctrine on something that was added by men.
Some have even taken this to another level. Some church folks, due to their inability to provide for their dependants, call for a fast, children wake up in the morning and ask for food, which they have a right to, only to be told: “we are fasting this morning.”
“…But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”( 1 Timothy 5:8.)
What Jesus was saying in that text is that: this kind cannot come, except by complete reliance or dependence on God. In other words, God is the only one that do this. Prayer demonstrates your complete reliance or dependence on God.
Prayer takes place when you depend on God. Prayerlessness occurs when you depend on yourself.
Fasting originates from the Greek word “nesteia,” it simply means to refrain from eating or drinking. Jesus let us know that there are two kinds of food: natural food which nourishes and builds the body and spiritual food or the word, which nourishes and build the spirit. Essentially, man is a spirit,he has asoul and lives in a body.
Fasting deprives and weakens the body “…But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection…” (1Corinthian 9:27)
It is a way of subduing your body, so that your spirit can rule over your body, thus, making you more alert to the spirit. But it is not a guarantee for answered prayers or working of miracles. As a parent, do your children have to deprive themselves before you do things for them ? God is your father.
Remember Paul’s question to the church at Galatia…”… He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Galatians 3:5)
You see, God gave you his presence, the Holy Spirit and worked miracles in and through you because of your faith in him and not your self-effort or moral striving.
Once I ministered to a woman, who had been diagnosed with cancer. After two surgeries, chemotherapy was prescribed to remove the remaining cancerous cells in her system, but through the power of prayer, all the cancerous cells disappeared from her system. And she has been cancer free for two years. God healed her through the power of prayer.
I remember a story Kenneth E. Hagin once told about an African Evangelist, who had received Jesus, through his missionaries. The Evangelist began to read about all the great things some evangelists in America were doing for God and was greatly inspired. He decided he was going to fast until God gave him that power also.
So he decided to go on a 21 day fast so he could get the power of God.
About the tenth day of the fast the Lord spoke to him and told him to get up and stop fasting because the power was already in him. What he needed to do was start using it. He did exactly that and soon enough his meeting drew crowd of 80,000 people in attendance.
He was going to fast until he got the power, but the Lord told him that he already had the power – the person of the Holy Spirit
God does not respond to you because you deprive yourself of food. But because you believe in him.
You might say, Pastor Emmanuel, are you trying to tell us not to fast?
Certainly not! I am saying this so that you may have the right perspective as regards fasting.
Self-effort does not move God. Faith is what causes him to swing into action. Fasting benefits you, not God.
Recall, Paul urged couples not to deprive each of their conjugal duties, except with mutual consent and for a time, “so that you may devote yourselves to prayer.” (I Corinthians 7:5).
But you might say Pastor, you cited the verse incorrectly, Paul said devote yourselves to “fasting and prayer.”
No, Paul never said “ Fasting and Prayer.” He said Prayer. Check the original or Greek rendering of the Bible, but if you do not have a Greek rendering of the Bible, get an NIV OR NASB. It says, « so that you may devote yourselves to prayer”
To learn more, you can call or write to order my teachings on Believe!!!
Pastor Emmanuel Emeke Asiwe, Joint Heirs International, #441 Cresecent, Brockton MA 02302 : Worship Hours: Sunday 10a.m, Wednesday 7p.m, Saturday 6a.m : Phone: 508-510-5540: Email: info@jointheirsint.org
