Treasure Land

A matter of if you can pray and fast! A call to prayer!!!

You can watch this message on YouTube and Facebook (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QldFE-ZUZ7I&feature=youtu.be, https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157181105362617&id=681342616)

A matter of if you can pray and fast! A call to prayer!!!

Introduction
In part 1, I shared about the need for faith in the capacity of God to answer the question, if Jesus can do anything about your situation. Jesus said if only you can believe. In part 2, we saw one of the reasons why the man would have asked such question, because of the failure of the Apostles to heal the child. Jesus expressed that this was due to the lack of faith by the Apostles and the fact that they were not prepared for this kind. In their preparation, one thing that was lacking at that time was what Jesus said in verse 29 of Mark 9 – FASTING AND PRAYER.

One will wonder, did they not pray for the child? Yes, they would have possibly commanded the demon to go out and nothing happened. In context then, Jesus was not talking about the prayer they prayed for the child in the instance of the challenge but a time of regular separation to commune with God. It is during such period of communion that you can understand the agenda of God for the time and you can work by it. During such time revelations/visions are born, inspirations are given, directions are released, faith is built and resident power is deposited.

Let us see Acts 13:1-3,
“1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”

The ministry of Apostle Paul was born as a result of such separation in the place of prayer and fasting. They were not praying and fasting to start a ministry but they were just separated and in the midst of their time with God, he spoke to them about His mind for Saul and Barnabas. You can imagine if they were not having that meeting, what would have happened to the great revival that came upon the gentiles through Paul’s Ministry.

Jesus said in  John 5:19 “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.”

Where do you think Jesus was seeing what the Father was doing? In the place of prayer and fasting. When he departs into solitary place to pray, or to the mountains, when he must have sent the disciples away, what was he doing, he was receiving revelations, inspirations, direction and checking through what was on the time table to be done in the immediate and time to come.

Many atimes, we do what the Father is not doing and we don’t see result. Because we are not looking and asking the Father what is on the agenda to be done. Our lack of intimacy with God in the place of prayer and fasting has robbed us of great exploit and has sapped our energy for too long. The secret place is the place to rule the world and to bring the kingdom of God on earth.

PRAYER AND FASTING AS INVESTMENT – Luke 18:1, 1 Thess 5:17, Eph 6:18, Rom 12:12
“Pray without ceasing.” – 1 Thess 5:17
I have come to challenge you to a consistent life of prayer and fasting. Not a fire brigade and emergency prayer and fasting when problems and challenges come your way. You are supposed to be power resident and that can only happen when you draw strength from God consistently in the place of prayer and fasting. I am not going to be talking about process here on what is fasting and how it should be done consistently with prayers, so that it will not be hunger strike (subsequent teaching will handle that). However, great revival, mighty miracles, and powerful outpouring are manifested after sessions of prayer and fasting. All investments in the place of prayer and fasting for a good course have never been in vain. Until we come to realize that prayer and fasting should be an investment, which you shall have the dividend in due season we might take it serious sowing it.

“Our praying needs to be pressed and pursued with an energy that never tires, a persistency which will not be denied, and a courage that never fails.”
― E.M. Bounds

MEN WHO HAVE MOVED THE HAND OF GOD IN PRAYER
The Lord says “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” – Ps 2:8. In history we have seen and heard of exploits that were born through a life of consistent fasting and prayer. Let me mention a few.

Nehemiah revival was born through transmitting his burden to fasting and prayer, Neh. 1:3-4

3. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

Charles Finney
He Prayed so much that when he went into a hall, as he wanted to start preaching, people ran out and were begging him not to open his mouth…

John Sung – A Chinese Evangelist who threw his Academic Award as PhD holder into Pacific Ocean to take up preaching
Was so mightily filled with the power of God, that when he came back to China for America, the elites would see him and start bringing out their occult books for him to help them burn, even when he has not preached to them…

DL Moody
D.L. Moody not only worked hard for the Lord, but he also prayed hard as he worked. His life and enduring work stand as an eloquent testimony to fruits of fervent prayer.
When he began new projects, he often called on the students and faculty of his schools to devote themselves to fasting and prayer. – Torrey

Johnathan Edwards
Was praying about 8hours everyday… And he preached a message “Sinners in the Hands of an angry God”…
People were seeing themselves step into hellfire and were screaming to be rescued from dropping in..

E.M. Bounds quotes
“The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men.” “What the Church needs to-day is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use — men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men — men of prayer.”

John Hyde
Prayed and prayed to the extent, his colleagues nicknamed him ‘Praying Hyde’…
Before he woke up any day, he would see about 50-100 people waiting in front of his house, crying and waiting for him to come and lead them to Christ, because they saw him in their dreams…
He was recorded that he prayed until his heart shifted naturally to the right

John Knox
This was said about Him
“I FEAR THE PRAYERS OF JOHN KNOX MORE THAN ALL THE ARMIES OF ENGLAND.” –
Mary Queen of Scotland (BLOODY MARY)
And his popular prayer – Imprisoned during the late 1540’s for supporting the Protestant Reformation in Scotland, Knox prayed daily, “Lord, give me Scotland, or I die”.

Azuzu Street Revival (Los Angeles California) – William J. Seymour
On April 9, 1906, after five weeks of Seymour’s preaching and prayer, and three days into an intended 10-day fast, Edward S. Lee spoke in tongues for the first time. At the next meeting, Seymour shared Lee’s testimony and preached a sermon on Acts 2:4 and soon six others began to speak in tongues as well, including Jennie Moore, who would later become Seymour’s wife. A few days later, on April 12, Seymour spoke in tongues for the first time after praying all night long.

Smith Wigglesworth – This was an interview extract granted by Smith:
They said, “Smith Wigglesworth, you’re a man of faith and miracles, you’ve raised people from the dead. You’ve cast out more demons than we’ve had hot dinners. Tell us, how long do you pray every day?
“Well, the apostle replied, “I don’t ever pray any longer than twenty minutes.”
“What?” his questioners exclaimed. After pausing for effect, Smith Wigglesworth continued, “Yes, but I never go twenty minutes without praying”.

Apostle Ayo Babalola – The Founder of Christ Apostolic Church
Prayed so much that he was suspended on the air and diverse healings and incredible miracles were recorded…

The Struggle for the pulpit
The Lord is impressing upon my spirit, that one of the reasons that His hands and His genuine moves are not witnessed was the struggle for the pulpit. He said there are some that He has called specifically to the ministry of prayers and intercession for the church. But they have been caught in the web of struggling to appear on the pulpit. The fervency that should sustain the move of God has gone down, everyone wants to be public preacher, acclaim world evangelist and miracle worker, when some have to be behind the scene.

1 Corinthians 12:28-30 NKJV
“And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. [29] Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? [30] Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?”

We need to work as a team and rediscover the secret place of prayer. The church is in a constant war as we aim to deliver the world from the shackles of sin and bondage of the kingdom of darkness.

The Ministry of intercessors needs to be reawakened in the church. People that will be comfortable and fulfill holding the hands of Moses and not contending with Moses in the public.

Public preachers should also know importantly, that it is effective to spend more hours with God than with men. Our vertical communication is more important than horizontal communication.

Importance of fasting and prayer for life journey, calling and ministry.
You cannot underestimate or over emphasize the importance of fasting and prayer. Like I have mentioned above, we have seen how prayer brings the hand and intervention of God into situation and how prayer moves people and nations.

Fasting and Prayer:

1. Helps to tame the flesh – Gal 6:8-9
2. Creates atmosphere for intimacy and fellowship with God – 1 John 1:2-3
3. Refines and identifies the sin in the life of a man. Zec 3:1, Hosea 7:1
4. Bridges the gap between God’s intervention and the problem of the people or a nation Ezk 22:30
5. Consecrates you to hear God – Is 50:4-5
6. It gives you access to divine meeting place and God’s plan– Ex 19:3 – Moses on Sinai

Conclusion

Let me conclude by saying, without taking some bold steps of faith in intervention on our knees, the Lord won’t do something about it. Ezk 22:30

Fasting and Prayer should not be a crash program or a fire brigade response, it should be a routine and continuous. It gets you ready for the days of battle and that is when God will be strength to them that turn the battle to the gate. Is 28:5-6

No wonder the Apostles said we can’t leave the ministry of prayer and the word to be serving tables.

Elijah was a man of like passion. All through the three years of famine, he disappeared from public ministry. Where do you think he was, what was he doing? 1 King 18:1, God told him to show up to Ahab, then he must have been in continuous conversation with God. Go and do likewise!

“When life gives you more than you can stand, kneel”.

JESUS SAVES! JESUS SAVES!! JESUS SAVES!!!

The Revd Bamidele Oni
deleoni2002@yahoo.com

You can watch this message on YouTube and Facebook (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QldFE-ZUZ7I&feature=youtu.be, https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157181105362617&id=681342616)