good morning my friends and welcome to
morning glory I'm Pastor Steven Brooks
so happy that you're here with me this
morning why don't you take your Bibles
and meet me in the Gospel of Luke
chapter 4 and we'll take off from there
in just a moment
let's open up today in prayer Heavenly
Father thank you for this day this is
the day that you have made we're going
to be glad and rejoice in it
we thank you for taking such good care
of us we thank you that your mercies are
new every single morning so father we
give you praise we thank you for fresh
bread fresh revelation from your word
let it flow today thank you father in
Jesus name and we all agree and we
receive and say amen praise the Lord
forever today I would like I would like
to talk about refreshing through fasting
I know that in the body of Christ the
word fasting still is just a word that I
think some Christians have a hard time
embracing they think that fasting is
something that is going to take away
from your enjoyment but everything that
God has planned that God has sanctioned
is actually for our betterment and it
will bring us into greater levels of
happiness and joy it'll also bring us
into greater realms of peace and
contentment and also the blessings of
the Lord so we want to talk about
fasting today because while it is a very
detailed subject and I certainly can't
cover it all in one message I just want
to give some highlights and and
encourage you to fast this is something
that it is important I believe it's one
of the one of the heavy primary
spiritual disciplines along with prayer
study of the Word of God
when and also with giving as well when
you combine these things together and
also you fast you really begin to I
guess I could use the word fast track
God's plan for your life and I think
fasting is really good if you ever feel
stuck or if you feel like you've been on
a plateau
I know sometimes that happens in
athletics where an athlete maybe if
they're a runner they just can't they
can't get a faster time maybe if they're
a weightlifter or strength training
they're stuck on a certain maximum
weight that they can lift or move and so
there's a plateau so when things like
that happened in the natural what you
have to do is you have to make a change
in the natural your body
let's take strength training for a
moment your body will adapt and it will
it will plateau off on a certain level
and you have to they sometimes say shock
your muscles I don't know if that's
probably the best way to describe it but
you have to come from a different angle
because your body is used to responding
like this responding like this and then
it'll eventually taper off and if you
don't change that format then your your
gains are not going to continue to grow
so you're gonna have to make some
adjustments do something fresh do
something new I do think fasting should
be something that is you know not rare
but should be something that's
integrated into our Christian walk
praise the Lord
doesn't mean that you always need to
swing for the bleachers every time and
try to hit a Grand Slam by saying that I
mean you don't always need to do a forty
day fast sometimes when I mentioned
fasting people's mind just automatically
goes to 40 days and you know then it's
kind of like tilt you know they think
well there's no way I can do that but
even even three days or five days just
one day can really do some things to
begin to do a refreshing in your life so
if you feel stuck if you feel
spiritually lethargic I would encourage
you to just come in from a different
angle change things up a little bit and
do some fasting and when you begin to
come off of that fast you're going to
begin to see a lot of the benefits of
being able to hear from God much much
better and and some people have been in
the church for a long long time and
while they have had
the guidance of the Holy Spirit through
what we would call the inward witness as
mentioned in Romans chapter 8 verses 14
through 16 while there is the guidance
of the Holy Spirit through the inward
witness there is still the leading of
God by the Holy Spirit through the voice
of God and so those are directions and
some of the great blessings I've had in
life in in in many ways some of the
great results I've had in ministry have
simply been because I heard God tell me
something and it was beyond and inward
witness it was it was the the word of
the Lord coming to me telling me to do a
certain thing and when I did that of
course anything that you do that God
says to do is going to work because God
is initiating it so I believe for some
of you but that by doing some fasting
with prayer you're going to actually
begin to hear from Heaven's headquarters
and receive instructions where there's
no doubt see when when you really hear
from God it's not like well I I really
don't know if that was God or not no
when you really do hear from God you
know you've heard from the Lord and it
removes all guesswork
so I'm believing that many of you will
step into situations like this and you
will begin to walk in this consistently
but let's talk a little bit today about
fasting because it brings a great
element of refreshing into your life so
maybe if you feel a little bit of
fatigue on the journey if you feel a
little bit maybe you could even use the
word boredom that can sometimes get into
anything that's a long term project such
as your work you know if you just go to
work every day and you do that every
every year eventually you need a break I
remember years back when I was working
at a certain job you know you had two
weeks off out of the year that were just
paid vacation and of course everybody
was looking forward to their two weeks
off they would take the vacation time
because you know you got to get paid
while you're gone but there was one guy
there that he would get his paid
vacation money and he would stay and
keep on
that's just he would never take a day
off the only time he would ever take a
day off was when like the factory would
closed you don't like for Christmas or
just something like that that was not
about he was just like a robot and there
came a year when the the factory manager
said look you he said I'm not letting
you just work through your vacation
again he said for your the sake of your
mental health you're going to have to
take the two weeks off now today with
all of the rules that are out there they
would probably you know you can't do
that anymore they're gonna require you
to take your time off and and and just
be away from work but some some people
they just push so hard and maybe life
can get into like a little bit of a
monotonous where you lose the color and
you you just you want to get that
vibrancy back in your life that is where
fasting will bring the refreshing in
that you're looking for now what we're
talking about is something that
spiritual in the sense that it's from
God and that it's very good for you and
while it is good to have vacations and
it is good to take care of yourself and
enjoy life really fasting and time
dedicated and devoted to the Lord will
do some things for you that no vacation
could ever do whoo praise the Lord we'll
talk we'll talk about that today
praise God by the way when you fast most
people that I know including myself when
I'm fasting it's very very rare when I
have time to go away and fast because
there's usually too much going on and I
know that's probably the same for you
you're working you know 40 hours a week
maybe some of you a little bit more some
a little bit less but you you don't
really have that ability to you know
just just leave and go to a retreat and
just lay out before the Lord and fast
those times are wonderful when they can
happen but we'll talk today from the
perspective of fasting while you're
still working and how you can do that
you know I just had a very dear minister
friend called me and he just finished a
10-day water fast and he
wanted me to pray a blessing over his
life in his ministry at the conclusion
of the fast he lives in Nigeria so he
called me and I prayed for him but he
had the blessed privilege of just being
able to take the entire ten days and go
off to a retreat and just lay out before
the Lord spend the whole time in prayer
before the Lord and just waiting on the
Lord and I think that's great on a water
fast because I know for myself if I fast
with water my energy level just goes
just like that and there's no way I
could work there's no way I can even
really preach or teach if I'm on a water
fast because I don't have the energy now
here's something that's interesting we
all have different chemistry in the
sense that what works for some might not
work for others but I had another pastor
friend he was doing a water fast and
even on day 30 he was I mean he was just
like the Energizer Bunny I mean he was
like moving around and talking and just
doing all kinds of stuff and I do you
wouldn't even know he was fasting from
the perspective of he he didn't look
fatigues he didn't look tired you
couldn't even tell so everybody's
different and he was doing nothing but
water and it's different for everybody
but for me if I just do water I'm just
like pretty much wiped out I just need
to lay down and stay in a quiet place
and just spend time with the Lord but
what will work for most people is a
liquid fast and on a liquid fast you're
just drinking whatever it's necessary to
keep you going
that could be vegetable juice it could
be fruit juice some people go a little
bit further they'll take chicken broth
or beef stock of course not with any
beef or chicken in it you know no chunks
of meat but just you know real thin
stock and they mix it with hot water and
that could certainly help also I think
sometimes when people are bringing our
drinking beef broth and chicken broth
what they're really looking for are I
know they want the taste and the taste
help the soul but I think they're
craving salt so sometimes when you
realize what your body is actually
wanting maybe you can just you know do
something else like drink a v8 which for
some reason just seems to be loaded with
salt I know it's got a lot of tomato in
it but if you need that salt thing see a
lot of times people start fasting they
have a great urge for potato chips or
and I get hit with that potato chip
thing but some it what it is is it's a
it's a thing for salt and so and also
for minerals so if you drink vegetable
juice and you have a little bit of salt
on that or mixed in that that will help
take that edge off where you're not
wanting to rip a back of potato chips
open I know one minister he actually
wrote a book on fasting just like I did
and he admitted in his book that he was
you know quite a ways into a fast and
for whatever reason got hit with the
potato chip thing and it you see the
more he thought about it he he the more
he just got weaker and he had a
breakdown and just tore the bag open and
a giant bag ate the entire bag and said
Lord I really messed my fast up but um
he repented before the Lord Kasim he
made a commitment to go the whole time
and get that time to the Lord so he had
failed but he said Lord I'm just gonna
go ahead and finish this whole fast
anyhow I think he blew the fast on day
18 but he still went on and did 40 days
after um you know having eaten a bag of
potato chips some people would say well
that's not a real fast well you know 18
days is pretty good and then well you
know 20 something after that that's
pretty good so 40 days with no food
except for one interlude of chips that's
pretty good it reminds me of the the
young teenage girl one time that did 40
day fast on it on a milk on just
milkshakes and somebody told me later oh
that's not a real fast but but yet they
had never gone 40 days on anything but
you know without without anything you
know on any type of fast so the Lord was
honoring what she was doing I actually
talked to her on day 40 it was the last
day of her fast and she had drank drank
nothing but milkshakes that's not really
my thing
but she was way ahead of me as a
teenager I mean when I was a teenager I
didn't even know what fasting was and so
he
she was as a teenager she's completing a
40 day fast well and the glory of the
Lord was all over - it was a very very
precious thing so I'm just saying find
what works for you as an adult and those
of you that are I would suspect are
further along in the Lord I wouldn't
encourage you to do milkshakes
I think you could probably rise to a
higher level than that but you know some
people they're just starting out they're
trying to do the best they can that's
totally fine
I don't even judge it I just would say
tried to stay with the thinnest liquids
and you'll find out that you actually
can you can do that you can go for you
can use apple juice or something like
that
whatever works for you I like orange
juice but I usually drink just the low
acid orange juice because when I was
younger and I would fast but I when I
was in my 30s I could just drink regular
orange juice all the time and it
wouldn't bother me but as I got you know
kept on moving through life I found out
that the acid of me and the acid weren't
doing too well so I I can go to the
grocery store today and get the for me
it's the Minute Maid low acid orange
juice and I could just drink that stuff
and you know just keep on going and you
know it gives you the energy you need
but just find what works for you and
there are great benefits great
refreshing released through fasting Luke
chapter 4 verse 1 then Jesus being
filled with the Holy Spirit returned
from the Jordan and was led by the
spirit into the wilderness so he has now
been filled with the Holy Spirit being
tempted for 40 days by the devil and in
those days see 8 nothing and afterward
when they had ended he was hungry
praise the Lord I'm sure he was that was
his limit at 40 days he reached the
limit where all of his fat reserves were
consumed and that's a very dangerous
spot you have a very short window to
start eating again before your body
turns inward because all of the all of
the fat and all of those things that
that can be burned up they've all the
fuel has been burned up so your body
will
actually start to go into a starvation
mode where it begins to consume healthy
stuff like muscle tissue and things like
that so when you are on a long fast and
you have reached your duration and your
hunger kicks in that's the last end of
the road signal that says you need to
start eating now because the body's
saying we don't have anything else we
can burn up so you need to get food
quick and that is when Satan came to
tim-tim now Jesus reached that point
which is right at the end of the
reserves at 40 days I'm a little bit
thinner I know where my I know exactly
what day I can go to if I go on water
and that'll take me to a point where
Stephen Brooks doesn't have anything
left and so I don't I don't like going
that far I've done that with water just
once just once and that was the end of
the road for me I was so skinny I could
hide behind a flagpole and you couldn't
see me whoo hallelujah it was it was
just all anything that could be burned
it was burned and that was the end of
the line and I was so fatigued that I it
felt like my legs like each leg weighed
500 pounds it took great effort just to
put one leg in front of the other and so
when I had reached that point and hunger
I got I got just touched for that hunger
I knew it was time to start eating again
so those are things you you learn and
again as I'm talking today this is more
of a light talk I'm not really talking
about you know long term go as far as
you can and you know this is not like
swim across the Pacific Ocean you know
see how far you can go this is more just
like incorporate faster into your life
stay tapped into that spiritual
discipline and you'll be blessed and
because it's it's better just to be
consistent instead of trying to you know
always like you know do the epic fast I
had a dear pastor he texted me the other
day and he said I'm really praying about
doing and he's only younger than the
Lord in these things he said I'm really
praying about doing 120 day fast I
texted him back I said I don't think
that's a good idea I
don't think that's a good idea so that's
just first of all not realistic because
you're gonna get in trouble doing that
even if you're doing I've never heard
good reports about those those types of
things now I have heard people that have
gone over a hundred days but the people
that I've heard who have done that I've
never met one Christian who's done that
the people I've heard do those types of
things I've never met any of them or
heard any reports of any of them being
believers much less spirit filled
believers so to be real careful with
things like that I'm not saying that
wouldn't be the case there probably are
some exceptions where there have been
those who've gone a long time
and I'm not teaching about the Mystics
either because that that's a different
rule there are certain rules but there
were exceptions of certain rules such as
people like Saint Therese Neumann others
that Joseph of Cupertino and many others
Teresa Newman went I believe it was 38
years no food and no water it's great
that's supernatural she was living
completely off communion being served
the Holy Communion once every day so you
know she was monitored 24 hours around
the clock for quite some time is there
were skeptics in her days just like
there were today and she was pretty much
bulletproof from their sense that this
thing is valid this thing is real so but
again I'm not talking about those type
of situations that also is a ministry
gift or a grace gift to be able to do
that and Saint Nicholas the great saint
of Switzerland he also was a person that
just went off and lived off of communion
and lived his life in intercession and
prayer no food for over a decade at
least and no water either just living
off communion and living off basically
the life of Christ flowing into him so
that is I wouldn't say it's rare but
it's in church history but it's
definitely not common so we're sticking
more with the basics here today so just
relax praise the Lord you don't have to
go ten years with no food
praise God amen first for some ten days
would be an epic experience and you have
to realize also that that most people
have never fasted in their life most
Christians have have never fasted it's
extremely rare to meet any believer
who's gone over ten days fasting but I
tell you what although this is a
discipline that's not practiced much and
I really feel a compassion for those who
don't understand it they think maybe
it's legalism they think it's a form of
asceticism they think that you know you
don't really see enough scriptural
backage for doing it but I see plenty of
scriptures and you know it's not like we
have an Old Testament God and a New
Testament God that's not true we have
the same God but we have an Old Covenant
and we have a new covenant but
throughout the scriptures old and new
with the various covenants I still see a
strong emphasis for fasting for prayer
for walking close to the Lord and it'll
really do some amazing things in your
life now verse 13 it says now when the
devil had ended every temptation he
departed from him until an opportune
time verse 14 then Jesus returned in the
power of the Spirit to Galilee so he
returned to the power of the Spirit to
Galilee he's already been filled with
the Holy Spirit that that happened
before he even went on the forty day
fast that happened at the River Jordan
after he was baptized by John and the
Spirit came upon him so he was filled
with the spirit then but it says now
after the forty they fast and the time
of Prayer all of that is completed it
says he returned in the power of the
spirit to Galilee so what we have here
is a great example that demonstrates to
us that that fasting and prayer is
primarily theirs they have other reasons
also but it's primarily a platform for
what spiritual empowerment okay so look
at that again then Jesus returned in the
power of the Spirit to Galilee when
after the 40 days of prayer and fasting
were completed praise the Lord thank you
Lord Jesus
so I believe that the Holy Spirit will
empower you as you seek the Lord you
know when you when you fast and pray
layers and layers of fleshly nature are
just taken off of you like old garments
dirty old garments they just began to
come off and when you come off a fast
and you complete it your your time of
dedication you've completed it which is
also time of consecration when that is
completed you know I tell you light
breaks forth you see things with new
eyes light breaks forth and you know you
may walk in that that fresh revelation
that fresh glory for six months or for
four months and then you met you just
might sense you know I need to do
another fast maybe maybe three days
maybe five days or something like that
and you just get that that freshness
back so that's something that you want
to keep and again if you feel a little
bit dull a little bit flat I would
encourage you to do some fasting along
with your prayer now I do know there's
quite a few mothers who watch this
program and some of you are nursing
mothers you have little children and so
obviously this is not going to work for
you at this time when you're nursing
your children so you know you have to
use wisdom in these things so that you
don't get yourself in trouble and so
take care of yourself just use common
sense when you're fasting I when I was
younger pushed myself too hard sometimes
when I was fasting and you know I have a
book called fasting and prayer and in
that book I tell the funny story
although it wasn't very funny when it
happened when I had been doing a fast
and was doing okay but felt kind of weak
and I was moving one of these speakers
in the church and up until that point I
was doing okay on my fast but when I
when I move that big speaker it just
drained all of my energy and then later
I had to preach and in the middle of my
preaching in front of the church members
it's like it's like the room began to
spin and I collapsed in front of the
church why I had pushed myself too hard
with fasting and I shouldn't have lifted
that heavy
wait and so you know while while I was
laid out they put actually put me on the
front pew and laid me out and I asked my
my daughter Jennifer to go get me some
grape juice and she wouldn't grab the
bottle of grape juice and brought it to
me what I didn't know is that she had
grabbed the wrong bottle
we were sharing a facility with another
church and the other church had their
bottle of grape juice in there and that
bottle of grape juice was I think we
checked it later I think it was 14 years
old I guess they didn't take communion
very often well when my daughter went to
grab the grape juice for me
she didn't grab our grape juice she
grabbed their grape juice and she
brought it to me and I didn't look at
the bottle because I'm half out of it
and I just start drinking I said just
hand it to me that'll help me to recover
and I start drinking it and it was like
drinking like gasoline or something it
was so bad our date cancelled the
service for the day when that happened I
cancelled the service for the whole week
I knew this was going to take a little
time to recover
but all is well no harm done but a good
lesson learned don't push yourself too
hard when you're younger you can you can
probably push a little bit harder that's
okay but you also still want to be wise
do you want to do anything that would
hurt yourself because the Lord wouldn't
be in that but let me see if I can
balance this also your flesh is never
going to want to fast so it's not like
you know you're gonna die if you do a
fast unless you have some kind of
medical condition and the doctor is
advising you not to but outside of that
you need you need to do some fasting
because some people they're just like oh
you don't need to fast you if you go
fast for two days you might die no you
won't die you could probably go 40 days
actually so you know our bodies are
pretty amazing they're pretty amazing so
just let the Holy Spirit lead you but I
would encourage you to do some type of
fasting Jesus when he was teaching he he
talked about when you pray and when you
give and he also talked about when you
fast so it's not if you pray it's when
you pray it's not if you give no it's
when you give these are things that
you're just supposed
to do and so it's not if you fast its
when you fast so we have a duty to fast
we have a duty to pray I think the
church is okay with the praying and the
giving but the church still likes to
dance around the subject the fasting and
by not engaging in practicing clearly
what Jesus taught the church is missing
out on one third of a 3-part great truth
and we just need to accept it walk in it
and you start walking it you'll find out
hey this is this is loaded with benefits
what in the world have I been missing by
not doing this so you begin to move into
these things and receive the blessing
from them praise God
there is a grace to fast especially for
longer fast there's no question about
that I think it takes a grace from God
to do 40 days I know that there's people
in the world who are not saved or not
born again people from other religions
they fast and maybe they'll do 40 days
but you know I'm not just talking about
doing something as a religious work I'm
talking about something where you really
grow close to the heart of God and to do
that in the eyes of the Lord where it's
pleasing I believe it takes the grace of
God and the Holy Spirit to just help you
along the way so if that grace lifts
then you could just injure fast and you
can conclude I was on day 21 of a fast
one time and I was planning on going 40
days but the the hunger came back so
strong I had actually just completed 21
days so maybe technically is day 22 but
the hunger just surged back so strong
and I'm trying to push it off because
I'm like no no I want to I want to keep
on going to 40 but the hunger was so
strong even my mouth was salivating when
I would think about food and I was just
trying to still fight it off but I was
in agony and Jesus appeared to me in a
vision personally and he actually walked
through the wall and he came into this
little room where I was praying and the
first thing he said to me he said I
would like for you to start eating again
so that's why I knew the in the fast
well yes because he told me but also
because the grace had lifted so is if
the grace lifts
then you know you just go back to your
normal thing but I believe there's also
a grace to fast and so you just need to
step into it and you'll see that that
grace is there and just go as you would
like and enjoy the fast and draw near to
the Lord praise God now it's very
important when you're fasting to pray if
you're not praying on a fast then it's
more or less maybe we could call it a
hunger strike and you know who wants to
waste their time doing that I think if
you are a Christian and you just fast
you can be more sensitive to the
presence of God but if you don't pray
and you always see the context of fast a
fasting mixed and coupled with prayer so
if you go too fast and not pray I would
really just encourage a person to not
even really fast because you need to
pray if you're not going to pray it's
not going to do much good it's not going
to do much good at all
and there have been times when I've
looked back and I've seen others that
I've encouraged the fast or maybe
they've joined me on a corporate fast
but I I could just tell there when they
weren't praying and you know I can't I
just can't constantly do corporate
prayer meetings to try to like pull them
along with me so I'll pray so they'll
pray we could have some corporate prayer
meetings but I just can't I just can't
like carry it for them but there are
some people they're just they're just
not going to pray and you know what if
you fast without prayer not much is
going to change even if you're riding
the coattails because your church is
doing it and you jump in on the
corporate fast you just kind of get
pulled along with that if you're not
praying you know eventually that's that
ship's gonna reach the harbor you're
gonna pull in it's gonna be over and you
just continue with your life and not
much is going to have change except for
the fact that maybe you could say hey I
did a 21-day fast or I did a 10-day fast
or something like that I did it with my
church but if you're not praying you're
not going to see long-term results and
you're not going to see the release of
the blessing that God will give to you
if you really pray
you draw near to the Lord on a fast so
it's very very important that if you're
fasting that you need to be spending
extra time in prayer I also want to
mention that fasting is not a fix-all
some people have certain problems in
their life they're having they're having
difficulties in their life and they
think that if they just fast that's
going to fix their problem well if you
are a person that works with tools and
you need a hammer you go to your tool
kit you don't grab a screwdriver you
take the hammer you cannot make a
screwdriver or at least you shouldn't
try you shouldn't try to use it or make
it you know do what only a hammer can do
and that's what I've seen some people do
they have a certain issue they won't do
the right thing to fix it but they're
going too fast and they think if they
fast that's going to fix it but I I see
them they're taking the wrong tool and
they're making the wrong application
with it and then they fast and then the
fast ends and then nothing happens and
then three months later nothing's
changed why they're using the wrong tool
maybe they need to do something else
maybe they need to let me see if I can
give an example sometimes people fail to
use wisdom and they make a bad decision
because of the bad decision now there is
a bad consequence in their life let me
say this if you are disobedient to the
Lord if you're disobedient to his
Commandments you open the door of your
life for the devil to come in and if he
comes in he will introduce an area of
chaos in your life disobedience to God
whether knowingly or unknowingly
disobedience to God at His Word will
bring chaos into your life so sometimes
if there's an open door and the enemy
comes in what's up what so Christians do
is they'll say I'm gonna fast so that
God will cause us
and I'm like well you don't need to fast
you need to stop doing the thing that
you're doing that's wrong these crazy
decisions these these things that you're
doing that are wrong you need to stop
doing those wrong things you don't need
the fast to do that used to just stop
doing it because the vigor too fast to
keep on doing these wrong things you're
still going to get this this mess so you
know I'm reminded of the scripture from
the Old Testament where the prophet
Samuel told Saul King Saul he said
obedience is better than sacrifice well
I want to do a forty day fast I'm I'm
going to sacrifice and do a forty day
fast well look that's nice but God God's
not interested in your forty day fast if
you're not going to be obedient you need
to be obedient first and then if you
want to do some type of offering or
sacrifice or holy consecration go ahead
but you need to be obedient so you can't
take a screwdriver and make it do what a
wrench could do you can't take fasting
and make and and think well it's just to
fix all it can't fix everything and some
things don't respond to fasting Wow how
about that the law of the harvest will
not respond to fasting you could be a
farmer and you could you could sit on
the front porch of your house as a
farmer and look out over your your
fields all the acreage that you have you
could sit on the front porch of your
house and look at all of that acreage
and you could say I'm going to fast for
40 days and I'm going to fast and ask
God to give me a harvest but you know
what that harvest and that field will
not respond to your fasting God did not
design it to that that harvest that
would await you and that field that's
that has that's open and ready it's
gonna only respond the seed and so until
that farmer is willing to sow in plant
seed he's never going to have a harvest
okay
so it's nice that maybe he would want to
fast but you you're trying to take the
wrong tool and apply it to something
it won't work on that whoo praise God
hallelujah so it is good to fast and
pray because while you're faster to pray
and sometimes the Holy Spirit will give
you the right tool he'll give you the
right tool will show you that you're
making a wrong application but just
realize that realize it can't fix
everything it's not meant to be there's
something that we that we can do we need
to do it but still you always want to
fast now in the sense that seed or
harvest is also very similar to money
and receiving you know as we would say
giving and receiving sowing and reaping
this is still where fasting can help you
because while that harvest is only going
to respond the seed won't respond to
fasting while the law of the harvest
deals with seed and it doesn't have
respect for fasting fasting will help
you to get your life right so that you
can work with God's principles and you
can get the harvest in whoo praise God
how about an example let's use pastor
Jerry Falwell as an example he's now in
heaven the founder of Liberty Baptist
University now they just call it Liberty
which if I'm correct as the largest
Christian university in the world today
I think their endowment now is over 1
billion dollars so they're financially
strong and they're experiencing
wonderful growth and I'm very happy for
them and I'm sure dr. Falwell in heaven
is very happy to look over the balcony
of heaven and see how well the
university is doing which he found it
but there was a time if we go back about
two decades when it was on the rocks and
it looked like it could collapse and be
shut down because of two things
gigantic debt and the the potential
failure to lose their accreditation they
were going to have their accreditation
pool because of their shaky finances and
if you're a university
and you're you're handing out diplomas
that are not accredited who wants to go
there because your diploma doesn't mean
anything it's not it's not credit that
it's just a piece of paper you know does
it mean anything so Jerry Falwell
decided it was time to do something he
had never done before pull out all the
stops and do the wild crazy thing what
was that Pastor Steven for him who was a
man that was a little bit hefty he
decided to do a 40 day fast so I you
know he figured he's got the reserves
the fuel to burn so he decides to do it
and he locks in and gets into the fast
and you know he brings the subject up
before the Lord because I read his book
about the fast and so forth and he
brings the subject subject up before the
Lord you know Lord we're having a lot of
trouble financially we have we have a
lot of debt and we're facing the loss of
accreditation Lord we need some money
and you know what the Lord told me Lord
said I don't want to talk with you about
money I want you to get your your
relationship and your walk with me right
because you know as a as a pastor of a
large church and as the president of a
university it's really easy to get busy
busy busy busy
and your walk with God can begin to slip
but you have to be careful that those of
you that are preachers you know what I'm
talking about you can still get up there
and talk and there's a lot of people
they can't tell the difference in the
anointing and you could stand up there
with no anointing and just you know just
yet you know share some kind of a
message but in your heart you know
you're empty in your heart you know
you're dry and you in your heart you
know this is not on the level that God
wants me the minister app so the holy
holy spirit revealed him you need to get
your walk right in the Lord totally and
that you need to get you walk with me
right and then you know we can talk
about that but not right now the Lord
actually told him I don't want to talk
with you about money Wow but you know
what
he wasn't discouraged she continued on
the fast and he completed the forty day
fast I can't remember how many pounds he
lost I think he lost like 40-something
pounds and you know after the forty day
you stop and think about that forty days
food and he's drinking water and one
time a day he would drink a v8 which is
like a vegetable drink a very you know
very thin liquid and that that was it so
you know 40 days prayer and fasting the
fast was over and nothing changed but he
sensed in his heart that he was happy
because he had gotten his relationship
back with God where it needed to be real
close with God back in love with God you
know happy about the things of God and
so what's going on the light's breaking
forth like Isaiah chapter 58 talks about
the fast where the light begins to break
forth and so there's joy what is all of
this this is refreshing that you get
you're getting refreshed and so he ate I
think over the next 21 days and regained
his natural weight and he said 21 days
after the fast was over he said the Lord
spoke to him and said I'm now ready to
talk with you about money whoo
hallelujah you know what he did he went
right back into another 40 day fast with
no food in that amazing you know when
something means something to you and
that that University was like a child
that was like his baby you know that's
that's then the assignment the the thing
that God gave him the raise up and he
was not going to let it die he was not
going to let it you know crash and
become a failure and I really want to
ask some of you what are you gonna do
about your about these great promises
God has given you or you could just
gonna let it just linger forever you
know you're gonna rise up and seek the
Lord and say Lord let's do something
about this let's let's push it through
let's see your glory come well you know
that's just something you have to sign
your own heart
are you hungry do you really want to see
God move in your life I'm giving you a
platform to go into the glory realm
fasting and prayer praise God well he
goes into another 40 day fast this would
be the second one and he completes the
second forty day fast forty days no food
just drinking water one v8 throughout
each day one time a day
and after after that forty day fast the
second one was complete he sensed God
was going to do something he didn't know
how he you know you know all the natural
problems are still there
the the financial lack the great debt
the accreditation potentially falling
apart but he feels peace he feels like
God's got it and a man and his wife
shortly after this walked onto the
campus talked with him visited with him
they were sending their young daughter
there was a freshman incoming daughter
as a freshman and while they were
talking with him they handed him a check
for fifty million u.s. dollars fifty
million dollars how about that v I want
to say it again just feels good to say
it fifty million dollars and by the way
that same man came back later and
brought another check I can't remember I
didn't have to read the book again but I
think the other check was for 20 million
or 30 million or something like that but
long story short God also so through
that act they were able to pay off debt
I think all of it and also God did
another great miracle by sending to
brother Falwell a man who could be the
president who had the skill the run the
university and a very high very
prestigious level he used to be a
Division one college president so he
came in he was a God's in got everything
squared away with accreditation and
really got the university on the right
track helped take it to the next level
and it's just you know heaven came down
the glory came down over that situation
but my friends you know don't just wait
around then think I'm waiting for an
angel to hold up a sign saying it is
God's will for you to fast
I wouldn't wait for that it's probably
not going to happen I would just
encourage you just to go for it
okay just fine find a date you could
start and write it down have a you know
a couple of good meals before you start
enjoy yourself and then just you go into
a fast praise the Lord
one day three days whatever whatever you
feel you need to do just get close to
God and also the Holy Spirit knows your
schedule you know he'll work with
with your schedule I try to not fast on
anniversaries or you know me you know
major kind of like family events because
you know you've got to be able to kind
of eat with people and hang out and
stuff like that I kind of watch that on
the calendar and try to find those times
where I could you know get in between
and not have something that's gonna
interrupt me or really make others kind
of feel like awkward because I'm the
only one not eating I try not to do that
I don't want people especially
unbelievers or people that aren't
spiritual I don't want them to ever know
that I'm fasting I don't ever want that
to be revealed sometimes with some of my
close team members I have to let them
know because we're all around each other
all the time doing things and so they
would need to know just for the sake of
our schedule and stuff like that but
outside of that I always try to keep it
low profile and you know if we're doing
a corporate fast where there's a group
of us together well then that has to be
kind of you know more open but not to
those outside just to those that are in
on the on the loop praise God now let me
talk a little bit more I want to just
put some more faith into your heart
share these things with you let's talk
about another example this would be the
evangelist Tommy Hicks who was used by
God in the late 50s early 60s and what
was known as the Argentine revival the
great Argentine revival and so he had
fasted the kind of like brother Falwell
did these long back-to-back fasts he did
a forty day fast and he still did not
hear from the Lord in a sense with an
answer that he was looking for kind of
reminds me of Habakkuk who said he would
go up in the tower and he would be had
already prayed and then he would wait to
see what the Lord would say well Tommy
Hicks did earth 40 they fast and still
did not receive the breakthrough that he
was looking for so he did another second
forty day fast no food and he came off
that and he still did not receive the
answer from heaven that he was looking
for now by this time people were
telling him you've got to stop fasting
you're going to kill yourself and while
there is a natural element to these
things and we need to we need to listen
to people that love us sometimes you can
get so hooked by by God that your
there's a part of you that Oh God God
will cover you and you just like I'm
gonna go for it and so that that's what
happened to brother Falwell and as you
can see he you know he made it through
it that's what happened with Tommy Hicks
oh he did it another forty they fast
three of them you know pretty pretty
close stacked together and after the the
third forty day fast the Lord began to
give him instructions and he had a great
breakthrough one night when he was
staying in the home of Dimas Shakir Ian
and the night that an angel of the Lord
came to visit Tommy Hicks actually Tommy
Hicks was staying in the house of D mr.
carrion Dimas Shikari and as many of you
know was the man that God used to raise
up the global organization known as the
Full Gospel businessmen's fellowship
international and I used to be a chapter
president and I was familiar well
familiar with Dimas his son Richard who
took over the leadership when Dimas
passed on but that same night Tommy
Hicks had the vision there in Dimas
house Dimas karien he was taken up into
the spirit realm and he was shown an
endtime vision that God had for
Christian businessmen and so he was
launched into his calling while he laid
there on that a Persian rug in his house
and by the way I've been on that rug
before I had a friend of mine that said
he wrapped himself up in the rug rug and
he still hasn't had a vision well it's
not it's not about the rug
the rug is kept his historical artifact
out there at the headquarters and my
friend got the rug and wrapped himself
up thinking he would have a vision well
it didn't happen I've also been on the
rug but I wasn't trying to have a vision
I just wanted to see wow this is the rug
this is where it happened yep pretty
cool okay that's great but but
nevertheless
two very powerful ministries launched
and it was that night that Tommy Hicks
was instructed to go to Argentina and
there's going to be a man named Peron
that you're supposed to pray for and
there's going to be revival there's
gonna be miracles and all this stuff so
he gets on a plane and it was Dimas
Shikari and who paid for his ticket to
get there because Dimas was a very
wealthy man I thank God we need
businessmen and businesswomen in the
church who are prospering and their
calling and in their anointing so they
can finance the assignments of God that
that God has to get done in the earth
through his servants and so he gets his
ticket Tommy Hicks does and he's flying
on the plane from America to Argentina
and he's wondering who Peron is so he
asks he asked the flight attendant is
there somebody in Argentina who has the
last name Peron was she said well of
course it's our president and so well he
gets to Argentina makes his way to the
presidential palace greeted outside by
the armed guards and one of the guards
says you know like what is it that you
want what are you doing here he was very
rough very you know very kind of
aggressive he said well I want to meet
with the president and you know I want
to be able to pray for him and and so
forth but long story short the guard had
he was in severe pain even as he was
standing there and and Tommy Hicks asked
if he could pray for the guard the guard
said well sure yeah and Tommy its prey
for me and the guy was instantly healed
and he said he told Tommy Hicks he said
you come back in a few days and I'll get
you to the president well he came back
in the few days and that guard who had
been healed got him to the president and
president Peron at that time was
suffering from a severe case of eczema
it was so bad that he had gotten to a
point where he refused to go out refused
to have his picture taken and only would
make rare public appearances and so you
know president Peron was like he was
like puzzled he told Tommy Hicks are you
telling me that God still does miracles
today you know like like it the Bible
and Tommy Hicks said yes well so the
president says well would you pray for
me and so Tommy Hicks prayed for him
laid hands on him and
in front of everybody in front of the
staff everybody the eczema instantly
disappeared and he was left president
flora was left with skin like a baby
just fresh clean beautiful skin and you
know the president was just like what do
you want and Tommy Hicks like I want a
meeting place I want I want to be able
to hold meetings without any any
agitation any problems and the president
said you've got it and that launched the
Argentine revival hallelujah
I don't believe any of these things
would have happened if there was not
some flesh offered on the altar praise
God of sacrifice talking about fasting
with prayer but prayer is powerful but I
think even prayer can only get us to a
certain place and you need to do some
fasting if you really want to go over
into the glory realm get over into the
miracle realm that's when those two
really unite with like a nitroglycerin
type explosive chemical reaction when
you put them together and the power is
amplified many many times over
hallelujah Lord Jesus we think you
praise God sometimes when you're fasting
you know you get a few days into your
fast those of you that have done longer
fast you know that sometimes if you get
out and these longer fast you can have
days where your soul is just like just
flat you you don't feel much joy because
maybe you're halfway through a long fast
and you you've committed to go a certain
amount of days and you look on the
calendar you're like while I'm only
halfway there
oh this feels like forever and also when
you're on a long fast time slows down
real real slow especially if you're on a
water fast it's like it's like a day
feels like you know like for weeks or
something like that so you know your
soul can just be like oh you know what
can you do during times like that I
would encourage you to just let me sit
down in a quiet place and listen to some
very anointed praise and worship music
and just even if you're physically weak
just begin to sing along and I'll tell
you what that lifts your spirit
it'll so lift your spirit
so refresh you and then you'll be
encouraged to keep on going I would also
encourage you to take communion every
day it just worship the Lord during
communion hallelujah
just let the Lord bring that cleansing
bring that washing thank you Lord Jesus
hallelujah praise God praise the Lord
glory to God I believe God's given us
tools these disciplines they get over
into the glory realm it's not legalism
it can be turned into legalism but we're
not going to do that we're going to stay
in the grace of God and we're gonna
we're gonna go through a fast I think
there can be an enjoyment and the fast
but at the same time the purpose of a
fast also is the cleansing of the soul
so there can be as it describes fasting
from the senses your soul is like a bull
rush that's bowed down some of you may
not know what a bull rush is we called
them cat tails when I was growing up
there by the bank of the creek they grow
by water and sometimes they can bend
over or like bail down these plants
beautiful plants and sometimes that's
the way your soul can feel maybe in the
heat you just feel like you belong fast
your soul is bowing down that was just
good time the praise and worship the
Lord and let the Lord do the cleansing
the food's not going anywhere it'll all
be there when your fastest complete and
you can begin to eat again slowly and
build that back up praise God but my
friends I just wanted to give you a
little refresher because fasting with
prayer will release great refreshing
into your life and I believe it can
bring refreshing into your spiritual
body I believe I believe it can bring
refreshing into your marriage into your
family into your relationships into your
finances they also know you have the
wisdom of God you have the joy of God
and you can make better decisions
financially also you have a heart that's
not like all miserly and all withholding
you have a cheerful heart and God just
does a great work a great work in your
life
praise the Lord glory to the Lord so I
feel an anointing to release a grace for
fasting so that you can just merge into
it and just flow into it and I believe
the Holy Spirit will really carry you
along just like out in the ocean you
can't really see it but
there are what's called the Gulf Stream
and it flows it flows out of the Gulf of
Mexico goes around Florida all the way
around Florida goes all the way from
Florida all the way up along the eastern
seaboard all the way up to the North
Atlantic and it's really just like a
river that's in the middle of the ocean
you can't really see it but if you get
in it it will carry you don't really
have to struggle you don't have to
really paddle unless you want to go
faster but I think I'll just carry you
all the way all the way and I believe
that's what the grace will do now but
still not the same as eating
cheeseburgers and pizza but there is a
Grace and there is a drawing near to the
Lord and there could be a great peace
and contentment right in the midst of
your fast even a happiness praise God
as God is doing a work Heavenly Father I
pray for your people
I release grace into their lives right
now for fasting that this would not be
something that's just rare in their life
but this would be something that is a
discipline that is integrated into their
life on a regular basis now we thank you
Father God for those that also would
feel a longing to maybe do a little bit
of a longer fast maybe something over 10
days father just thank you for that
extra grace and the deep soul cleansing
father we thank you receive now in Jesus
name Amen praise God Pastor Steven why
are there longer fast well because a
three-day fast
cannot accomplish what a 10-day fast can
do and there are some things that God
would like to do but they cannot be
accomplished on a 10-day fast maybe it
would take 21 days okay so it's just how
the Holy Spirit would lead
thank you Lord Jesus but the Holy Spirit
we really need to lead on him and trust
him he'll guide us right with great
precision every single time so he'll
he'll help you with your fast praise God
thank you Lord Jesus thank you Lord
Jesus
let's take communion today praise the
Lord God is good
blessed be the name of the Lord please
grab some grape juice and some
unleavened bread and so father were you
sanctify and bless the juice in the
bread we
so crate it it's now holy and set apart
we think you father this is now the
flesh and the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ hallelujah father thank you for
the body of Jesus we receive it now we
thank you Father for Jesus our great
miracle wonder-working God we receive
his flesh in Jesus name Amen
let's protect together
Heavenly Father thank you for the blood
of Jesus we receive it and it's mighty
great cleansing power thank you Father
for the blood of Jesus cleansing our
souls in Jesus name we pray amen let's
receive the blood of Christ praise God
praise the Lord well my friends if
you're in the New York area I'm gonna be
in New York City on June the 30th I'm
going to be ministering in Queens so if
you're in that area and you want to get
into a very powerful service this is a
this is a powerful apostolic church and
this is gonna be a powerful meeting it's
one meeting Sunday morning they'll be
there that's the only service I'll be
speaking in I'd love to see you there
and you can go to my ministry website
click on events just to go to Steven
Brooks Tut org click on events and there
will be the address the meeting time and
so forth I'd like to see you there in
person and if you are there in person
you're one of my ministry partners one
of my online church members please after
the service come up to me and say hello
I would love to greet you and see you in
person but for now it's been great
speaking to you looking forward to
talking to you again next time
pray and ask God about what type of fast
would be good for you to step into at
this time okay god bless you see you
next time