I want to share something with you and to extend an invitation for you to join me if you feel compelled by the Holy Spirit.
I believe that God desires to break many strongholds over my life so that I can move freely in the things of Him that He has ordained for me in this season. I feel like I've hit a ceiling... a roadblock spiritually. I feel "stuck" in a sense and it's hard to explain in the natural. The Lord is showing me that there are many areas in my life that are still bound spiritually and they are hindering me from moving like He wants me to move. Deep rooted issues, fears, doubts, etc... For example... the poverty mindset. I grew up poor and have this "I need to save or buy thrift" mentality that is rooted in fear. I am not saying not to save or buy thrift, but when you have the means and you still "think" you're poor, this is STRONGHOLD over your mind. A STRONGHOLD is anything that will keep you from experiencing the fullness that the blood of Jesus was shed for.
I know I am anointed to walk in supernatural faith and to have supernatural wealth (NOT pride, but a statement of Truth). The Truth is.... you are all anointed to walk in the FULLNESS of God as well. How far you go in this life is directly proportional to your faith. Do you believe that these are the things that God wants for you? If you don't... there may be a stronghold in your mind. Strongholds are mindsets that are formed by what we are taught. They are learned thoughts and they ultimately manifest in natural behaviors. So... I said all that to lay a foundation for what I want to share with you.
I want to get ALL that God has for me and I believe that there is a mighty move of God right now in the atmosphere. It's not a time thing. It's a God thing. He's stirring up faith in Crossway and I want to jump on board. But we can only go as far as we allow ourselves to go. Our weaknesses will dictate how far we go in God. Our weakest link. We are sooo powerful that we can STOP God from being God in our lives. That is how much power we have brothers and sisters. So powerful that if we desire, we can override the power of Jesus' blood and send ourselves to hell! That is a powerful revelation.
The good news is this. We can break the stronghold over our lives and over our families' lives. The answer is in FASTING. Fasting is a powerful tool that Breaks STRONGHOLDS and releases God's blessings into your life. Fasting doesn't move God, but fasting moves us. It causes us to be very sensitive to the spiritual things when our flesh is "quieted".
Matthew 6 speaks about fasting.
Specifically, Mathew 6:16 says, "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward."
Jesus says, WHEN you fast. Not IF you fast. So, this implies that fasting should be an active part of the believer's life!
Why are we called to fast?
The three things that God commands for us to do that releases His blessings are
- Prayer
- Fasting
- Giving
This is amazing because He gave me the revelation today.
We are tripartite, just like God is TRIPARTITE (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). He is all three but yet, ONE! (Think of the three phases of water - ice, water, vapor). We are also Tripartite. We are body, soul, and spirit.
Our bodies are the flesh part of us that carries our soul and spirit.
Our souls houses our mind, will, and emotions. It is our personality and intellect.
Our spirits are the part of us that is connected to God. It is the part that becomes born again when we receive Christ.
The spirit man is the part of us that is connected to God. God deals with our spirits and not our soul or body. When our souls line up with the spirit man, then we "feel" God and in that sense, He deals with our emotions. Think of those times you have had those pity parties and you feel down right bad. God doesn't respond to that. He responds to our faith. Read the story of the woman came to Jesus concerning her daughter in Matthew 15:22-28. Jesus wasn't moved by her emotions. He was moved by her FAITH! Faith moves God! Faith is a product of the spirit realm! It is impossible to please God without Faith! (Hebrews 11:6).
So, here is the revelation.
Giving kills our desires - correlates to the soulish realm
Praying quiets our mind for communion with God to our SPIRIT - correlates with the spiritual realm
Fasting kills our flesh - correlates to the body.
These are all our acts of obedience to make us miserable people... NO! :D
It is our acts of obedience to draw us closer to God. God desires to commune with us in a level that we don't even know exist, but He is SPIRIT. He is so humble that He did lower Himself to His Creation's level when He put on flesh and walked the Earth. But the purpose of that was to DIE so that the viel would be broken and we would be free from the curse that binds us to the natural realm (subject to death). When He died, we are now free to move into the spiritual realm anytime we want (in God's way of course and not through witchcraft and the occult) to "see Daddy!". The way to do that is through fasting, praying, and giving.
It's like getting married. I know that there is something GREAT coming and it's SOON! But I need to get ready for it. I can't show up in jeans and a sweater. I need to do all necessary things to prepare. So, fasting prepares us to receive. It changes us and NOT God.
I encourage you to seek the Word and to study concerning Fasting and its implications and spiritual principles. Seek God concerning His direction for you for fasting.
