Fasting Feedback
Below is a list of Scriptures we felt God speak to us through during our recent time of fasting. Each verse has an accompanying comment from the person who shared it. Please take time to meditate on these verses and use them as guidance and inspiration as you pray for our church and your place in it.
Bible Passages
Romans 12:1,2
present your bodies as living sacrifices. This is your spiritual act of worship and is holy and pleasing to the Lord.
Psalm 63:1-11 (twice)
Written by David when in the desert after fleeing form Absalom. The word earnestly brings with it the idea of complete devotion. Like an athletes commitment to train for the Olympics. The question we should answer is “how earnestly are we seeking God?
Because your love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
May our love for you be stronger than the fears around us.
2 Chronicles 5:11
The priests had purified themselves, the musicians were playing. The temple of God was filled with his presence. Cloud fill us and overflow in us as we meet together to praise him.
Psalm 27:1-14 (twice)
The lord is my light and salvation so why should I be afraid
Satans ploy is that he wants to cause division within the family. He feels threatened and vulnerable when we seek God. So we are encouraged to put on the armour of God.
This is how I fight my battles.
For the spirit of heaviness put on the garment of praise.
Hebrews 10:19-24
The call to persevere by faith.
The curtain was torn in two - a clear picture of our access to God.
Jesus body was broken for us. He is making a way, he is faithful,
Vs 24 spur one another on towards love and good deeds - not giving up meeting together.
Be faithful in the little things. God will stay true to his promises
Psalm 145:1-21 (twice)
Is a passage of praise to God. – reminding us who he is.
There is no point in asking God to speak, only to ignore him.
Lamentations 3:22,23
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness."
Mark 5:1-20
This was a gentile place (because they were pig farmers). The people begged Jesus to leave their region – he was rejected. The man who had been set free wanted to go with Jesus, but Jesus sent him back alone and told him to share the good news.
- It is a little bit like Jesus leaving the ninety nine to rescue the one, then leaving the one to do the work. In a Gentile context. What does that say to us as we consider those outside our church to have a “gentile” culture?
Matthew 10:1-42
The word to us is to proclaim the glory of the kingdom AS WE GO.
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. We need to talk it, pray it and show it by the way in which we live.
As we consider the difference between Come and Go – the word to us is to Go and tell/show Gods Kingdom to those who don’t know it. – wherever we are.
The Kingdom is of course great news and people need to hear it, but not everyone will want to. Don’t let that stop us.
Jeremiah 1:7
Go wherever I send you, and prophecy over the dead bones.
God is going to put breath into you and make you live again. He will give you flesh and you will know that he is the Lord. God is doing that for us, he is giving us his life. We can then go out with his life in us and do similar.
John 21:15-25
Jesus asked Peter 3 times; do you love me – feed my lambs, care for my sheep, feed my sheep.
The same question is being asked of us. If we love him are we willing to feed and care for his sheep.
God asked 3 times because he is serious about it, are we?
Isaiah 58:1-14 (twice)
Just as Psalm 63 talks about dryness. Isaiah 58 speaks about our responsibility to set the oppressed free, share our food with the hungry,… remove oppression… and the consequences of us doing these things is that we will be known as rebuilders of walls and restorers of streets with dwellings.
God is providing the life giving water for the dryness. We are to share it.
1 Peter 2:12 (twice)
It doesn’t matter if you are rejected, just live right. We need to stay away from world desires.
Everything is in Gods power and Spirit. His power can transform our lives. All we do is to be done in service to him. Whether it is openly church work or not. As we do it to his glory, it will be used for his purposes.
God has gifted each of us with skills and passions with the hope that we will gift them back to him. So that he is able to multiply them for his work. Heart motivation and willingness is more important than what we actually do.
Psalm 84:5,6
A journey (pilgrimage) with no challenge has no meaning and with no purpose has no soul. For us as a church we have faced many challenges and with purpose. The journey itself is as important as the destination. As they passed through the valley of Baka (which means "tears" it will become a place of springs - living water.
Daniel 10:2,3
Keep going, Don't give up. God is working even when we can't see it.