The world is increasingly fascinated by the occult. America is no exception. Trends show that millions of Americans are increasingly seeking a spiritual connection — but they are turning to the occult and other Satanic sources instead of the Bible and the God of the Bible.

Robert J. Morgan tells the story of an American pastor by the name of Elisha A. Hoffman, who lived in the 1800s. One day, he met a woman who was severely depressed. She confessed to him that her condition was beyond cure. Wringing her hands in fear, she asked, “What shall I do? Oh, what shall I do to be free?” Hoffman replied, “You cannot do better than to take all your sorrows to Jesus.

The early Church Father Eusebius wrote a story about the Apostle John. The story goes that when the Apostle John was an elderly man, he took an affection and interest in a young man from Ephesus and discipled him. After some time, this young man became entangled with a band of criminals, and was corrupted by them, finally becoming their leader.

The Oxford Dictionary defines authority as “the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.” We have the power, right, and position to enforce obedience through the power of Jesus. 

Fasting quiets the noise of the world so we can hear and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit — even when it's costly. Jesus says in Matthew 6:16, “When you fast…” not IF you fast. Fasting is a spiritual discipline all Christians must appropriate into their rhythms of life. Yet, fasting is a topic that is often overlooked in Western Church culture. It is looked at as extreme or radical and not as important as other disciplines, such as tithing or praying.

Galatians 5 tells us the fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of walking with Him. Fasting aligns us with the Spirit by denying the desires of the flesh and tuning into the voice of the Spirit. 

In Rick Joyner’s book, “The Final Quest,” he shows the intimacy that is available to us today through a vision and conversation with Jesus: “‘If you really desire to be even closer to Me than Paul was, you can. Some will want this, and they will want it badly enough to give themselves fully to it, laying aside anything that hinders their intimacy with Me. They will have what they seek.’”

AW Tozer once said, “Today we see God and stop searching, whereas the early saints sought God, found Him, and continued to seek more of Him.” You know God, but do you hunger for more of God? Fasting reminds us that spiritual hunger is more satisfying than physcial fullness.

When walking out the Christian life, Derek Prince says, “No other power can enable us to live the kind of life that God requires of us as Christians. It cannot be done in our own will or in our own strength. It can only be done in dependence on the Holy Spirit.

Fasting reveals our weakness. However, fasting also reveals the strength of the Spirit within. By denying your flesh and focusing that hunger toward God, you are strengthening your relationship with the Holy Spirit. When the flesh is crucified, the Spirit speaks louder.

 The Bible is full of testimonies of God’s protection on people and nations as a result of their humbling themselves through fasting. There is Ezra, Esther, Nehemiah, Jehosaphat, Paul, and many others—all used by God as conduits of divine protection because they trusted Him and fasted.

Nothing puts a sharp edge on prayer like fasting. In The Fasting Edge, Jentezen Franklin explains, “It happens to all of us. We keep going and going and before we realize it, we just don’t seem to be as effective at anything as we used to be…Has your passion for the Lord waned?…Have you grown weary of the same old routine at work?…More to the point, have you simply grown dull?

What an incredible promise— God will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will. Sounds too good to be true but it is true if you meet the condition— total commitment and trust of “your plans” to Him. This means full surrender. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for the Cross, thank you for the power of the Blood of Jesus. Thank you Jesus for paying the price for me to walk in total forgiveness, thus freedom.

 Fear and anxiety have reached epidemic proportions—the statistics are staggering and getting worse each year. There are no natural solutions for spiritual problems.

 Take a look at an excerpt  from Arthur Wallis’s book God’s Chosen Fast, “Fasting is important—more important, perhaps than many of us have supposed. For all that, it is not a major biblical doctrine, a foundation stone of the faith, or a panacea for every spiritual ill.

Whether you are a seasoned faster or have never fasted before, God will meet you wherever you are in your obedience. He is looking at the motive of your heart.

God promised in Joel 2:28 that, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions” This promise was fulfilled at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon Jesus’ disciples.

Many Christians that have a biblical understanding of the existence of Satan the enemy and his demons, feel powerless against the attacks of evil. But why should we feel paralyzed and helpless when Christ promised us victory over Satan?

Most people erroneously think of fasting as an Old Testament concept, but the reality is, fasting is mentioned almost thirty times in the New Testament. Fasting with prayer was a habitual practice in the early church (for example in Acts 14:23).