Prayer and Fasting

There are two ways of fasting: A Personal Fast (private fast) and a Joint-Corporate Fast.


When believers and a church joins together for a common purpose, we call it a corporate fast. 

Fasting is a spiritual dynamics that brings supernatural manifestation.

God rewards Fasting. God wants us to fast so that we are disciplined and are not controlled by our soul and flesh.

In the book of 2 Chronicles 7:14-16, we are taught to humble ourselves before God. Fasting is one of the way that we humble ourselves to the Lord. Fasting doesn't work alone. Fasting has "twins" that aids it for better results and supernatural breakthroughs. We cannot just fast (not eating)...that would be a dieting! Spiritual Fasting is accompanied with something. We fast and PRAY. We fast and WORSHIP. We fast and PRAISE. We fast and REPENT. We fast and GIVE. We fast with THANKSGIVING. These are "power twins" to fasting. TOGETHER they produce results!

When we fast, we are seeking God's face for direction and instruction - it is a way of waiting upon the Lord.

Fasting brings discipline and deliverance.

 In 2 Chronicles 20: 3-5, King Jehoshaphat received a threatening message. Strong armies gathered together to battle against him. These armies had a reputation of destroying and wiping off any opponents. Jehoshaphat gathered the people together and proclaimed a time of fasting and seeking God.

Fasting takes your eyes off yourself and your circumstances 

and helps you to focus on God and His Word.

 (Read: 2 Chronicles 20:12)

As the sought the Lord, He gave them specific instruction and direction. Suddenly they knew what to do. They were no longer dependent on their strength and ability but they looked and leaned upon God. Our educational, physical, mental, financial strengths has limitation! But God is all-powerful!
Jehoshaphat and his people heard the voice and instruction of God because of prayer and fasting. They then moved into fasting and praise and the Lord caused a confusion in the enemy's camp and they enjoyed a great victory!

In 2 Chronicles 20:30, we see that Jehoshaphat and his people enjoyed peace and rest. This is because of prayer and fasting. How long will we be threatened with the same oppositions and words? It is time to enjoy peace and rest in security knowing we have overcome an enemy. Prayer and fasting brings complete deliverance from the enemy that constantly pursued us. It can break generational curses and bring freedom from spirits of familiarity.

Fasting and Prayer enables us to be dependent on the spirit and not the soul and flesh.

Fasting is associated with afflicting the soul (Isaiah 58: 5-14). The soul is the mind, emotions and will. Through fasting we can break addictions and bad habits. Whatever is controlling our mind and emotions...whatever is controlling us can be broken through the power of fasting and prayer.

Emotional eyes are blinded with tears

Fearful eyes are blinded with terror

Spiritual eyes are open with fasting and prayer

Natural fasting cleanses the body - Spiritual fasting (fasting according to God's Word and principles) cleanses the soul. Prayer and fasting helps us to make quality spiritual decision. It helps us to see life the way God sees.

In Acts 13, in the church at Antioch, they gathered together in worship and fasting. The Holy Spirit spoke and gave them divine appointment and instruction. Fasting and worship brings corporate growth in leadership. It provides spiritual guidance and assistance.

Personal fasting builds personal spiritual strength and Godly character

Corporate fasting builds corporate spiritual strength and unity 

Fasting produce revival!

Make a commitment to fast for 7days.
Ask God to lead you (Matt. 6: 9-15).
Know the purpose, plan and length of your fast - write it down.
Make a promise to God and keep your fast for the intended time.

At Christian Family Church International, MAURITIUS, we have declared a seven days fast for

·         ·         Divine direction

·         ·         Open heaven

·         ·         Divine favor

·         ·         Spiritual and Financial Breakthroughs

·         ·         Peace and security of God 

As a church, we stand in unity, pray and confess:

·         We repent of our ways and seek God's face.

·         We declare that we depend on God's grace and leadership.

·         We declare that the Holy Spirit is our guide and leads us into our God-given destiny.

·         We declare that our church in united.

·         We declare that we have divine direction.

·         We declare we have the wisdom of God.

·         We declare that the Christian Family Church Int. Mauritius will have land and building in the vicinity of Port Louis.

·         We declare that all our churches will grow and be successful in Jesus' name.

·         We declare that we are a people that are strong in the power of His might.

·         We declare that we are victorious.

·         We declare that we have all finances to do the work of the ministry.

·         We declare that we have the victory in Jesus' name.

·         We declare that no harm will come to our dwelling in Jesus' name.

I will be tweeting about fasting for seven days between Monday 11th to Sunday 17th. Follow and be blessed.

21Days of Prayer and Fasting - Day 1...

As Daniel fasted and pray, he received:

• Heavenly vision with Godly revelation and instructions - Dan. 10:7
• He was given spiritual understanding - Dan. 10:11-12
• He received spiritual strength - Dan. 10:19
• He was shown truth - Dan. 11:2

Daniel received a revelation of the operation of the spiritual realm. Things were shown to him. The future were revealed to him.
We are children of the New Testament and we have received the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit pours the love of God into our hearts (Rom. 5:5) and also reveal us the future (Jn. 16: 13-14).
We have the blood of Jesus - Rev. 12:11

And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
(Heb 11:39-40)

• Pray for revelation, instructions and spiritual understanding.
• Pray for truth to be revealed.
• Repent and pray for spiritual strength.
• Pray for a fresh outpouring...

Special Prayer & Fasting for instruction and direction...

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 

2 Chronicles 7:14

 
We are ready to embark on 21 days of prayer and fasting from the 1st to the 21st May 2011.
Fasting helps to develop a deeper relationship with God and enhance spiritual growth.
Through fasting and prayer, the Holy Spirit can transform your life. As we join together, He can transform our lives, families and cities. We desire to be humble people so that we can discern the voice of God and listen to His instruction.
Fasting also develops spiritual strength. Fasting is the most powerful spiritual discipline of all the Christian disciplines.
God has sent us in Port Louis as I sense an apostolic anointing being launched in the ministry. I believe it is time to establish more churches in different areas of Mauritius, Rodrigues and in the Mascarene Islands.
To successfully do this, we need instructions from above, directions and spiritual strength and boldness.
As we pray together, I believe we will grow spiritually and numerically. Corporate prayer and fasting manifest a corporate anointing to destroy yokes and remove burdens.

Which type of fast:

A 21 days of partial fast is described in the book of Daniel. There was a three-week period in which he only abstained from "delicacies," meat, and wine (Daniel 10:3). So, we will abstain from meat, sweets, ice cream and delicacies as well as fizzy drinks.
I strongly advice you to drink plenty of liquids.

Spiritual Preparation:


In preparation for this special time with God, I strongly urge you to examine your heart, and detect any unconfessed sin. Scripture records that God always requires His people to repent of their sins before He will hear their prayers. King David said:
Come and hear, all of you who reverence the Lord, and I will tell you what he did for me: For I cried to him for help, with praises ready on my tongue. He would not have listened if I had not confessed my sins. But he listened! He heard my prayer! He paid attention to it!
Blessed be God who didn't turn away when I was praying, and didn't refuse me his kindness and love. (Psalm 66:16-20)
In your prayers, confess not only obvious sins, but less obvious ones as well. The sins of omission as well as the sins of commission experiences.

Our foundational scripture:

"Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly [is] great, but the labourers [are] few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest."
Luke 10:2

7th day of praying and fasting...Outpouring, manifestation, anointing

Fasting amplifies consecration and dedication to God.
Our fasting and prayer for the next three days is aim at an increase of God's presence,outpouring, manifestation and anointing in our lives.
Praying in line with Isaiah 11:2, we want to see a manifestation of the seven facets of the anointing:

1. The Spirit of the Lord - the presence of God
2. The anointing of wisdom
3. The anointing of spiritual understanding
4. The anointing of counsel (insights)
5. The anointing of might (power)
6. The anointing of knowledge (revelation)
7. The anointing of the fear of the Lord (honour and respect to God)

Remember:

The anointing is a yoke destroying, burden removing power of God. (Isaiah 10:27)

Pray that God will use you and the flow of the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:6-11) will be evident in our lives.
The Holy Spirit can manifest any one of these 9 gifts through any believer anytime that He will want to do so. We want to be ready!
The gifts are all supernatural, miraculous manifestations direct from the Holy Spirit Himself.
The gifts are in three parts;

Gifts of revelation

1. The Word of Knowledge
2. The Word of Wisdom
3. The Discerning of Spirits

Gifts of utterance

1. The Gift of Prophecy
2. Different Kinds of Tongues
3. The Interpretation of Tongues

Gifts of power

1. The Gift of Faith
2. The Gifts of Healings
3. The Working of Miracles

Also, declare Colossians 1:9
"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;"
and...
Ephesians 1:17-19
"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints.
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power."

Be bless,

Ps James Arekion

Prayer and Fasting 4th - 6th day - Praying for those in authority.

4th day of our 21 days of prayer and fasting

Remember, fasting is a choice for God and against the flesh!

Praying for our those in authority...

1 Tim. 2:1-3

We are told to pray for our leaders and our obedience to this scripture determines the types of life we live - ones filled with peace or ones filled with drama and troubles.

Presidents and Prime Ministers are those in authority but also includes Ministers of the Gospel, Teachers and Parents. They all need breakthrough prayers.

Wisdom is the principal thing (Prov 4:7).
Through wisdom is an house builded... (Prov. 24:3-6).
A house can refer to the Government house, the home and the church representing the house of God.
We need to pray that our leaders have the Wisdom of God to direct and do things in line with the Word of God. Our fasting and prayers releases faith filled words and causes the will of God to be done on the earth.

Bow your heart and not just your head - 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Pray and believe that God will turn the heart of our leaders and cause them to be righteous.
To intercede is to 'entreat favor for or petition God on behalf of another'.
Fasting and intercession produces spiritual power that supercedes any evil influence that a person or place may be bound with.This is a mighty weapon to pull down every stronghold assailing our country including demonically influenced rulings and laws.
Never forget that he kingdom of darkness is inferior to the kingdom of light!

So, fast and pray with us for the wisdom of God, direction from above and protection of our leaders.
Pray in line with these scriptures;
(2 Tim.2:15 - Col.1: 9-14 - Titus 2:6-8 - 1 Tim. 4:14 - 2 Tim. 4:17 - 1 Tim.2:1-3 - 2 Chron. 7:14)

21 days of Prayer and Fasting...

We have decreed a 21 day of Prayer and Fasting as from 22nd February to 14th March...

What does prayer and fasting do for you:

• Prayer and Fasting are spiritual actions - makes you spiritual instead of carnal. It helps to crucify the flesh and walk in the spirit.
• Prayer changes you and your situations - in the bible, people called by God to bring great changes had a prayer and fasting life...Moses (Exo.34:28), Elijah (1 Kings19:8), Daniel (Dan. 9:3), Esther (Esther 4:15-16), Anna(Lk 2:37) Jesus (Lk 4:1-2), the early church (Acts 13:1-3, Acts 14:23), Paul (Acts 9:9, 2 Cor. 11:27).
• Fasting is a form of worship...(Jn 4:24, Acts 13:2)
• Fasting produces humility and remember James 4:6-10, God gives grace to the humble.
• Fasting restores spiritual order as God ordained (1 Thess.5:23);

1. Spirit
2. Soul
3. Body

We have divided the 21 days of Prayer and Fasting into 7 titles and expectations...
Today the 22nd is the 1st day and until the 24th, we are praying and fasting for Consecration and Sanctification.
Always pray in line with the word...

Pray...Matt. 6:33 - 2 Chron. 7:14 - Jas 4:7 and Rom. 12:1

Pray and humble yourself before the Lord...Repent and seek the Lord. Listen for God's leading and directions. Pray to develop the character of God (Gal.5:22)

We will be praying and fasting for 3 days.

We recommend:

• Do not eat anything pleasant - such as chocolates, meat and fizzy drinks
• Do not eat food sacrificed to idols
• Drink lots of water
• Replace your eating time with prayer
• Avoid distractions such as TV...Take this time to pray and study
• Start your day with meditation in the Word and Worship
• Eat fruits and vegetables
• Listen to Praise and Worship

Recommended times of prayer 6am, 8.30am, noon, 8pm - Ps 55:17, Dan. 6:10-13

BOLDLY DECLARE THAT...
YOU ARE BLESSED IN THE NAME OF JESUS.
CHANGES ARE OPERATING IN YOU, THROUGH YOU AND FOR YOU.
YOU ARE STRONG!
YOU CAN HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD.