Mountain Top Life Daily Devotional 11 April 2021 By Dr. D.K Olukoya – Spiritual Benefits Of Fasting
Click HERE for Previous MESSAGES by Pastor D.K. Olukoya
TOPIC: Spiritual Benefits Of Fasting (Mountain Of Fire and Miracle Ministries, MFM Daily Devotional 11 April 2021)
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 13-14
FIRE SCRIPTURE: Matthew 17:14-21
14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
MEMORY VERSE: “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” – Matthew 17:21
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE:
Fasting is the fertiliser that gives our prayers nutrients and humble the activities.
PRAISE WORSHIP: Take a worship song as led by the Holy Spirit
PROPHETIC WORD FOR TODAY:
YOUR GOD SHALL ARISE AND HONOUR YOUR FASTING AND PRAYERS, IN THE NAME OF JESUS.
The MESSAGE:
Jesus emphasised the importance of fasting to His disciples and all children of God. He made it clear that some levels of spiritual feats can only be attained with fasting and prayers. Hence, you need to raise your spiritual frequency above the usual in order to overcome some of the battles you are engaged in.
Also See: OPEN HEAVEN 11 APRIL 2021 – THE NAME ABOVE ALL OTHERS
Fasting is one of the ways Christians empower and energise the spirit man. It purges, breaks and humbles the flesh (the old man) in the believer. It brings the body under subjection to the spirit man. It humbles the believer before God. It sanctifies his soul and spirit. When a believer fasts, he is telling God that He takes priority over his desires. Fasting is choosing God and denying oneself.
Beloved, fasting is no bribery; it does not change God. Rather, it changes us. It is one of the ways we consecrate ourselves in order to bring down the power of God upon our lives. It is a way to prepare you as a vessel for God and cleanse you for Him to use. Fasting keeps believers away from sin.
Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before He started His ministry (Matthew 4:1-3). Before embarking on any assignment, take your time to commit it into the hands of God with fasting and prayers.
The people of Nineveh fasted and prayed in repentance when Jonah confronted them with their sins (Jonah 3:5). David also fasted and prayed when Prophet Nathan confronted him with his sin (2 Samuel 12:16). You should be ready to do the same when confronted with the guilt of your sins. That is, repent and ask for forgiveness in prayers and fasting. Jehoshaphat declared a fast throughout Judah (2 Chronicles 20:3) and God gave him a miraculous victory. The disciples of Jesus and John the Baptist fasted.
It is amazing, that even the children of the devil know the importance of fasting. In Acts 23:12-16, there were forty men who took an oath and fasted to kill Apostle Paul. If the children of the devil could fast because they wanted to kill one man, the children of God should know and do better.
The good thing about fasting is that it brings us closer to God and increases our spiritual temperature if done in consecration and submission to His will. Please note, beloved brother and sister, let your fasting be done purposely in order to achieve the desired result.
PRAYER POINTS:
MORNING
- Lord, help me to redefine my priorities to fit into Your will for my life, in the name of Jesus.
- Fire of revival, enter into my bones, in the name of Jesus.
- Holy Ghost fire, cleanse and purify my vessel, in the name of Jesus.
EVENING
- Lord Jesus, make me a useable material in Your hand, in the name of Jesus.
- I bind and destroy every instrument of spiritual laziness in my life, in the name of Jesus.
- Every work of the flesh hindering my spiritual growth, die, in the name of Jesus.
- Father, open my eyes to my spiritual weaknesses and help me to overcome them, in the name of Jesus.
MOUNTAIN TOP LIFE is a daily devotional by Dr. D.K Olukoya (General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries, Worldwide)