Open Heavens 28 October 2023 Saturday – Fasting Takes You Higher
MEMORISE: “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting”. Matthew 17:21
READ: Acts 13:1-12 Open Heavens 28 October 2023
1 Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”
3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.
5 When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their attendant.
6 When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar Jesus,
7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9 But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him,
10 and said, “You son of the devil, full of all deceit and all cunning, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
11 Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
12 Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
Open Heaven For Today 2023
Bible In One Year: Luke 16-18
MESSAGE: – Open Heavens 28 October 2023 Saturday Daily Devotional
When you start fasting, you will notice changes which show that your flesh no longer controls you. First, fasting will bridle your tongue. During a fast, it becomes clear to you that many a time, you don’t gain anything by talking. James 1:26 says if you say you are religious and you cannot control your mouth, you are deceiving yourself. Thus, as you fast and talk less, you also sinless.
Fasting also helps you to control your temper, particularly prolonged fasting, because you would have no energy to fight anyone. When you get angry easily, it is because you have a lot of energy; let me see how you will get angry when you have been fasting for twenty-one days and nights! If anybody offends you, you would simply say, “God bless you, just leave me alone”. Ecclesiastes 7:9 says clearly that you should control your anger because anger rests in the bosom of fools. You should ask yourself how come your body hates fasting. Galatians 5:17 says the flesh lusts against the Spirit. In other words, your flesh wants to fight the Spirit.
If we do not say there is fasting tomorrow, you can wake up and not eat until 2 p.m., but once we announce that there will be fasting, some people would eat until midnight and still wake up hungry. This is because the devil does not want you to fast; this should tell you that fasting is good for you. When you learn to fast, you will be amazed that there are certain agents of darkness in your life that you have been coping with, but they move easily when you fast. Matthew 17:14-21 tells us that there was a demon the disciples tried their best to cast out but could not, without fasting and prayer.
There are certain mountains that won’t move unless you back your prayers with fasting. In Exodus 17:8-13, when there was a war to be fought between Israel and the Amalekites, Moses went to the mountain top and lifted his hands, while Joshua was below the mountain, fighting. Whenever Moses’ hands were up, the children of Israel would be winning the battle, but when his hands came down, they would start losing. The spiritual controls the physical. The solution to that lingering problem could just be some days of fasting in addition to your prayers.
Key Point – Open Heavens 28 October 2023
Fasting lifts you higher so you begin to operate in a realm higher than the natural.
Open Heavens 28 October 2023 Saturday Hymn
HYMN 20: – Stand Up! Stand Up For Jesus
1 Stand up, stand up for Jesus
ye soldiers of the cross;
lift high his royal banner,
it must not suffer loss.
From vict’ry unto vict’ry
his army he shall lead
till ev’ry foe is vanquished
and Christ is Lord indeed.
2 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the trumpet call obey;
forth to the mighty conflict
in this his glorious day.
Ye that are men now serve him
against unnumbered foes;
let courage rise with danger
and strength to strength oppose.
3 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
stand in his strength alone;
the arm of flesh will fail you,
ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the gospel armor,
each piece put on with prayer;
where duty calls or danger,
be never wanting there.
4 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the strife will not be long;
this day the noise of battle,
the next, the victor’s song.
To him that overcometh
a crown of life shall be;
he with the King of glory
shall reign eternally.
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