REBUILD MY HOUSE!
THE POWER OF FASTING
“… rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the
LORD. Haggai 1:8 NLT
Fasting is abstinence from food or drink for a specific period of time while
focusing on prayer and fellowship with God.
FASTING IS WHEN YOU DENY NATURAL DESIRES
FOR SPIRITUAL PURPOSES.
TYPES OF FAST:
- Partial Fast: Daniels Fast (Vegetables Only)
- Liquid Fast: Water, juice, smoothies etc.
- Full Fast: Water Only
- Absolute Fast: No Food / No Water
- Private Fast, or Corporate Fast
Do not deprive each other [of marital rights], except perhaps by mutual
consent for a time, so that you may devote yourselves [unhindered] to
prayer, but come together again so that Satan will not tempt you [to sin]
because of your lack of self-control. 1 Corinthians 7:5 AMP
1) FASTING POSITIONS YOU FOR VICTORY
Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord; and
he proclaimed a period of fasting throughout Judah. 2 Chronicles 20:3 NASB
(853 BC)
12 Our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great
multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes
are on You.” 2 Chronicles 20:12 NASB
15 … ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is
not yours but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15 NASB
You will not even need to fight. Take your position; then stand still and watch the
Lord’s victory… Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you. 2
Chronicles 20:17 NLT
Though they fast, I will not hear their cry; and though they offer burnt offerings
and grain offerings, I will not accept them [because they are done as obligations,
and not as acts of loving obedience]… Jeremiah 14:12 AMP
“Say to all your people and your priests, ‘During these seventy years of exile,
when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really
for me that you were fasting? Zechariah 7:5 NLT
“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid.
Tell my people Israel of their sins! 2 Yet they act so pious! They come to the
Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a
righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to
take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me. 3 ‘We have
fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very
hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ “I will tell you why!” I respond.
“It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep
oppressing your workers. 4 What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and
quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. 5 You
humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads
like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with
ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord?
Isaiah 58:1-5 NLT (711)
4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting
like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Isaiah 58:4
ESV
“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the
straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7 Is it
not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your
house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your
own flesh? Isaiah 58:6-7 ESV
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring
up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall
be your rear guard. Isaiah 58:8 ESV
2) YOUR LIGHT SHALL BREAK FORTH
3) YOUR HEALING WILL SPRING FORTH SPEEDILY.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here
I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and
speaking wickedness, 10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the
desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom
be as the noonday. 11 And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your
desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a
watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:9-11
ESV
4) WHEN YOU CALL, GOD WILL QUICKLY REPLY. “HERE I AM”
5) HE WILL GUIDE YOU.
6) RESTORE YOUR STRENGTH.
12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of
many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of
streets to dwell in. Isaiah 58:9-12 ESV
12 Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be
known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes. Isaiah 58:6-12 NLT (711
BC prophet to Judah )
7) FASTING BRINGS INSIGHT AND UNDERSTANDING
So I gave my attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and pleading,
with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. Daniel 9:3 NASB
22 And he instructed me and talked with me and said, “Daniel, I have come now to
give you insight with understanding. Daniel 9:22 NASB
In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. 3 I did not eat
any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment
at all until the entire three weeks were completed. Daniel 10:2-3 NASB
In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. 3 I did not eat
any tasty [hamad] food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any
ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed. Daniel 10:2-3 NASB
HEBREW WORD
Hamad: desire, desirable, to greatly desire
10 Then behold, a hand touched me and shook me on my hands and knees. 11 And
he said to me, “Daniel, you who are treasured, understand the words that I am
about to tell you and stand at your place, for I have now been sent to you.” And
when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling.
And he says to me: Daniel, man greatly desired, attend to the words that I am
speaking to you, and stand on your station, for now I have been sent to you. And
when he speaks with me this word, I have stood trembling. Daniel 10:11 Literal
Standard Translation
8) WHEN YOU FAST DESIRABLE THINGS, YOU BECOME DESIRABLE TO
GOD!
Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set
your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God,
your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. Daniel
10:12 NASB
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing in my way for twenty-
one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I
had been left there with the kings of Persia. Daniel 10:13 NASB
13 But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my
way… Daniel 10:13 NLT
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against
the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces
of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 NASB
For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and Satan
hindered us. 1 Thess. 2:18 NASB
Now as soon as he spoke to me, I felt strengthened… Daniel 10:19 NASB
9) FASTING INCREASES ANGELIC ACTIVITY
11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Matthew 4:11 ESV
Are not all the angels ministering spirits sent out [by God] to serve (accompany,
protect) those who will inherit salvation? [Of course they are!] Hebrews 1:14 AMP
10) FASTING RESULTS IN EXPLOSIVE POWER
Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around
by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And
He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry.
Luke 4:1-2 NASB
And so when the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an
opportune time. Luke 4:13 NASB
And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him
spread through all the surrounding region. Luke 4:14 NASB
11) FASTING ENHANCES YOUR ABILITY TO HEAR
Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers… 2 While they
were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me
Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after
fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. Acts 13:1-3
ESV
When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with
fasting, they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Acts 14:23
NASB
12) FASTING LEADS TO A REWARD
16 “Now whenever you fast, do not make a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for
they distort their faces so that they will be noticed by people when they are
fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But as for you, when
you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting will not be
noticed by people but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who
sees what is done in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:16-18 NASB
