God's Wrestlers
Spiritual Dose
The month of September 2016.
Tagged:
September For Spiritual Service (SSS 2016) Edition.
SSS 9 - Friday 9th, September 2016
Topic: Ingredients of Spiritual Service 4
Sub- Topic: Service, Fasting and Prayer.
Text: Act 13:2-3
We have learnt so many things about prayer and fasting, but it seems the same because we have not seen reasons to deepen our spiritual insight on the area of service. I will like you to know first that fasting and prayer as ingredients of spiritual service is fueled by your consuming love for God and not to bribe Him as some of us think we could. In spiritual service, you don't fast and pray to serve, you serve your way into fasting and prayer as we see in the way the Apostles did it:
And while they were doing the Lord's work, and going without food, the Holy Spirit said, Let Barnabas and Saul be given to me for the special work for which they have been marked out by me. Act 13:2 BBE
As you see here, the service of God consumed their appetite for food and prayers become a normal attitude for them. They have no time to declare days of fasting, they fast naturally. Service! Then, the Holy Ghost selected some for specific service. Indeed, our service unto God should drive us into some kind of fasting and prayer to serve him the more. Do we see reasons to pray and fast for the salvation of men? Do we see anything worthy to cry for the restoration of the glory of the church of Christ? What is our attitude towards fasting and prayer.
We should pray into fasting not fast into praying. What was Jesus advise for us when fasting?:
"When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won't make you a saint. If you 'go into training' inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; he'll reward you well. Matt. 6:16-18 The Msg.
That is exactly what Jesus did. In fact, Jesus would better go into the wilderness to fast and pray to avoid getting people's attention.
We have heard from Apostle Paul that we should pray without ceasing and that we should pray everywhere lifting up Holy hands. 1Thes. 5:17, 1Tim 2:8. Jesus also give us this caution when we pray:
"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best—as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes. Matt. 6:7-13 The Msg.
If you take note of the prayer prologue, you will see a heart that pants after God and for his service. Hear the word again:
......Reveal who you are.....Set the world right....
This is our prayer pattern not our Lord's prayer as we use to call it. Again, I see that each of this prayer points can last for hours by the time the Holy Spirit amplified it in our hearts and open our eyes to heartbreaking issues in our environment. So, may we stop saying reading it as we do in our churches today.
A heart that wish to know God and want His kingdom to come is a heart of spiritual service.
Take time to pray and fast for unbelievers. Pray for the peace of your Jerusalem so as to experience prosperity in your endeavour there. I wish we will stop seeing fasting as a means to bribe God but as a compliment to our service to Him.
God, help us!
I see praying grace and fasting appetite distributed. Zech 12:10.
Thank You Father!
Femi Falade
God's Wrestler
Femlex1@gmail.com
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