Fresh Manna 1 July
MEDITATION SCRIPTURE: “And when he had fasted 40 forty days and forty night, he was afterward an hungered” (Matt.4:2)
READ: MATT.4.4-11
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
As believers, there are so many ways in which we express our devotion and worship to the Lord, fasting is one of them. As an act of worship, fasting uplifts the soul and prepares the heart for a deeper experience with the Lord. Immediately after His baptism and public introduction by the Father, one would have thought that Jesus will move out immediately and begin to preach and cast out demons. He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness: the scripture defined the purpose of the journey into the wilderness as “to be tempted by the devil”. While in the wilderness waiting for the power of darkness to show up, Jesus embarked on forty days fasting,’ fasting is a faith move, showing our vulnerability and our total dependence on the grace of God.
Fasting provides a conducive atmosphere for proper self-evaluation and the cleansing of the soul. This is important because Jesus himself said that you cannot pour new wine into an old wine skin. Else the wine skin will tear and the wine wasted (Matt.9:17). By fasting, we separate ourselves unto God, find time to meditate on His Word, this releases the divine energy that renews the mind, quieting the soul and prepares the heart to become the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we fast, we exchange what we need to survive for what we need to live. Fasting weakens the body and empowers the spirit to stand against the wiles of the devil.
TURNING POINT: When we fast, we exchange what we need to survive for what we need to live.
PRAYER POINT: Dear Lord, draw me closer to You as I discipline myself to fast.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOB. 10,11,12; ACTS 8:1-25.
Thank you for studying today’s Fresh Manna (The Christian Pentecostal Mission International Daily Devotional) – Benefits of Biblical Fast (I) – written by REV. DR. O. EZEKIEL & REV. DR. M. EZEKIEL
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Fresh Manna 1 July 2021
