Pursuit – Week 1 – The Fast Lane

January 3, 2021 / Pastor Brandon Shanks

Announcements:

Small Groups Kick Off – January 31
Co-leader trainings Each Saturday 10am after prayer
www.cityhills.com/groups

Today we kick off 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting
Online at cityhills.com/21days
Prayer Services Monday-Friday 6:00am  & Saturday 9:00am
In person & online

 

(Matthew 9:14-15) Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

 

Mark 9:29 ESV And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.”

3 Types of Fasts
1. Absolute: no food or water

2. Normal: abstaining from food but  drinking lots of water. (Example: Eat at certain times during the day)

3. Partial: can be done in a variety of ways (Examples: Daniel Fast, Liquid Fast)

Fasting is not:

 

The Benefits of Fasting:

#1 Fasting our soul

Ezra 8:21 ESV
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.

 

#2 Fasting helps us secure  in situations

Nehemiah 1:4 ESV
As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

 

 

#3 Fasting helps us

Acts 13:2 ESV While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

 

 

#4 Fasting gives us power to

Daniel 10:2-3 ESV
In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.

Daniel 10:12-13
12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days,

 

#5 Fasting is an invitation to a greater awareness of

(Matthew 9:14-15) Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

Isaiah 58:8-9 ESV
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’

 

“What is the Holy Spirit saying to me through this message?”

LOVE GOD
LOVE PEOPLE
CHANGE YOUR WORLD

 

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