A Time of Corporate Prayer and Fasting
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. - (2 Chronicles 7:14)
What is prayer and fasting?
Prayer: is communicating with God. Prayer is the getting into the presence of God. It is the place where pride is abandoned, hope is lifted, and supplication is made. Prayer is the place of admitting our need, of adopting humility, and claiming dependence upon God.
Fasting: is the abstinence from food for a spiritual breakthrough, ultimately to get to know God better. Fasting is often seen as abstinence from some form of gratification, for a period of time, in order to achieve a greater spiritual purpose.
What is the purpose of prayer and fasting?
Prayer is for the pourpose of acknowledging who our father is, giving glory and honor unto his name. Praising him for His creation, and His will for our lives. Prayer exercises our faith and hope in the Lord. Prayer is the privilege of touching the heart of the Father through the Son of God, Jesus our Lord.
Fasting is for the purpose of cleasning and purifying of our flesh, bringing our flesh, mind, and spirit under subjection. Fasting done properly according to Isaiah 58:4, the purpose of fasting is to “make your voice heard on high.” Fasting humbles us and positions us to hear from God.
Why should we fast?
1. Honor God - Mt. 6:16-18, Luke 2:37, Acts 13:2, Matthew 5:6
2. Humble Yourself – 2 Chron. 7:14-15
3. Discerning Healing – 1 Cor. 11:30, James 5:13-18, Isaiah 59:1-2
4. Deliverance from Bondage – Matthew 17:21, Is. 58:9 (loose bands of wickedness)
5. Revelation – God’s vision and will – Dan 9:3, 20-21, Dan 10:2-10, 12-13
6. Revival – personal and corporate – Acts 1:4, 14, 2:16-21, Joel 2:12-18
7. Repentance – personal failures – Psalm 51, Jer. 29:11-
14, James 4:8-10
How to pray and get results:
Jeremiah 1:12b; "for I will hasten (watching over) my word to perform it. Therefore; we need to begin to speak God's word back to him, knowing that His Word will not return unto Him void but it shall accomplish that which pleases Him and it shall prosper in the things whereto He sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) Whatever the need is in your life and in the life of the ones you are praying for, find the
scripture that fits that need and pray it. We need to speak or call those things which be not as though
they were. (Romans 4:17-18)
Genesis Chapter 1, God teaches us the way we should pray. God saw and made what He spoke or
called and as children of God we must follow His example.
Entities to pray for:
Pastor & Pastor’s Family
Church
Families
Children
Relationships
Government
Nation
Jerusalem
Missionaries
Eight steps to prayer and fasting:
1. How to begin our fast
2. Set an objective-(know what you are praying for)
3. Make a commitment
4. Prepare ourselves spiritually
5. Prepare ourselves physically
6. Put yourself on a schedule
7. End our fast gradually
8. Expect results
God says in Isaiah 58: 6-8 that he has chosen
fasts so that:
(1) loosen the chains of injustice,
(2) untie cords of the yoke,
(3) set the oppressed free,
(4) break every yoke,
(5) give bread to the hungry and provide the poor
with clothes and housing,
(6) allow the people’s light to break forth like the
morning,
(7) cause their health to quickly appear,
(8) cause their righteousness to go before them,
(9) cause the glory of the Lord to be their rear guard.
Let's stay together! A people that pray together stays together, a house divided against its self can not stand.
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