Prayer and Fasting‏

Hello Friends!

Prayer and fasting is described in the Bible as voluntarily going without food in order to focus on prayer and fellowship with God. Prayer and fasting often go hand in hand, but this is not always the case. You can pray without fasting, and fast without prayer. It is when these two activities are combined and dedicated to God's glory that they reach their full effectiveness. With that said, I’d like to share the following expanded thoughts concerning these excellent Biblical practices…

Prayer and Fasting

Having a dedicated time of prayer and fasting is not a way of manipulating God into doing what you desire. Rather, it is simply committing yourself to focus and rely on God for the strength, provision, wisdom and discernment you need in life. 

What the Bible Says:

The Old Testament law specifically required prayer and fasting for only one occasion, which was the Day of Atonement. This custom became known as "the day of fasting" (Jeremiah 36:6) or "the Fast" (Acts 27:9). Moses fasted during the 40 days and 40 nights he was on Mount Sinai receiving the law from God (Exodus 34:28). King Jehoshaphat called for a fast in all Israel when they were about to be attacked by the Moabites and Ammonites (2 Chronicles 20:3). In response to Jonah's preaching, the men of Nineveh fasted and put on sackcloth (Jonah 3:5). Prayer and fasting was often done in times of distress or trouble. David fasted when he learned that Saul and Jonathan had been killed (2 Samuel 1:12). Nehemiah had a time of prayer and fasting upon learning that Jerusalem was still in ruins (Nehemiah 1:4). Darius, the king of Persia, fasted all night after he was forced to put Daniel in the den of lions (Daniel 6:18).

Prayer and fasting also occurs in the New Testament. Anna "worshiped night and day, fasting and praying" at the Temple (Luke 2:37). John the Baptist taught his disciples to fast (Mark 2:18). Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before His temptation by Satan (Matthew 4:2). The church of Antioch fasted (Acts 13:2) and sent Paul and Barnabas off on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:3). Paul and Barnabas spent time in prayer and fasting for the appointment of elders in the churches (Acts 14:23). Paul also encourages us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Required or Recommended?

The Word of God does not specifically command Christian believers to spend time in prayer and fasting. At the same time, prayer and fasting is definitely something in which we should be engaged. Far too often, though, the focus of prayer and fasting is on abstaining from food. Instead, the purpose of Christian fasting should be to take our eyes off the things of this world and focus our thoughts on God. Caution should be exercised, as fasting for extended periods can be damaging to the body. Fasting is not a method of punishing our bodies and it is not be used as a "dieting method" either. We are not to spend time in prayer and fasting in order to lose weight, but rather to gain a deeper fellowship with God.

By taking our eyes off the things of this world through prayer and biblical fasting, we can focus better on Christ. As we read in Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus declares:

"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

What Does it Accomplish?

Investing time in prayer and fasting is not always automatically effective in accomplishing the desires of those who fast. Fasting or no fasting, God only promises to answer our prayers when we ask according to His will. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us:

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him."

In the prophet Isaiah's time, the people grumbled that they had fasted, yet God did not answer in the way they wanted (Isaiah 58:3-4). Isaiah responded by proclaiming that the external show of fasting and prayer, without the proper heart attitude, was futile (Isaiah 58:5-9).

Closing Thoughts:

How can we know if we are praying and fasting according to God's will? Are we praying and fasting for things that honor and glorify God? Does the Bible clearly reveal that it is God's will for our lives? If we are asking for something that is not honoring to God or not God's will for our lives, God will not give us what we ask for, whether we fast or not. How can we know God's will? God promises to give us wisdom when we ask. James 1:5 promises us:

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings on your studies and involvement in understanding and sharing the Truth!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

 

Encouraging Concepts

Truth for Today

"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"

Lighthouse Publications <>< 
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

The Paraphrased “Message” & Eugene Peterson

Hello Friends!

In today’s ecumenical, post-modern, religious environment, it becomes quite clear that the true Christian must be discerning when living life from a Biblical worldview and in the reading and studying of God’s Word. Truth must be the goal – John 17:17. The following short overview is intended to encourage Bible believing Christians to be mindful of error and false teaching, especially with the ever increasing versions of the Holy Bible available today. We must be diligent to discern true translations from half-baked paraphrases; one in particular is The Message written by Eugene Peterson…

The Paraphrased “Message” & Eugene Peterson

Among the many passages of concern found throughout the Message Bible (TMB) “translation,” I would like to draw our attention to just a few. In Matthew, Chapter 6, Mr. Peterson actually changes the way Jesus taught the disciples to pray. To Mr. Peterson, prayer becomes an energy or force (Star Wars) - which is found throughout New age thought - and the prayer doctrine is also that of the Gnostic and new age contemplative prayer beliefs, in which he promotes extensively throughout his other writings. 

In TMB, Mr. Peterson wrote of his “understanding” of God's Word by changing the very words recorded as spoken by Jesus as He began to teach the disciples a model of how they were to pray. Here are just a few specific examples of how TMB compares to the King James Bible:

	KJV	TMB
Matt 6:9	After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.	...Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are.  ***same phrase in Luke 11:2, and omits Hallowed be thy name***
Matt 6:10	Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.	Set the world right; Do what's best-- as above, so below.
Luke 11:2 (parallel passage)	Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth..	...When you pray, say, Father, Reveal who you are. Set the world right.

Hallowed be thy name means Holy (Sanctified) is Your Name. As you can see in the comparisons above, the reference to God's holiness is removed from the verses. Thy kingdom come is merely 'set the world right,' removing the prophetic implications. The phrase “Reveal who you are” is a new age/Gnostic concept. It has already been revealed in the Scriptures who God is, along with His names and attributes. The need to reveal is part of the Gnostic desire to experience the perceived god's presence through contemplative prayer and its various activities, to which Mr. Peterson subscribes and endorses and is found promoted in various ways in The Message. The changing of the specific words that Christ used according to the Greek manuscripts is heretical and clearly forbidden in Scripture.

Also noted in Matthew 6:10 is the telling phrase “as above, so below” used in place of “thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven”. “As above, so below” is a eastern contemporary phrase used by the New Age, occult, satanists, hermetic magick, wiccans, shamans, and other similar belief systems/worldviews. In fact, it is confirmed on gnosis.org that many esoteric groups use the phrase, “as it is above, so it is below.” In kundalini yoga, as above is the greater force. It can become useable if it matches the so below - the persons “force” which can be controlled. The belief is that by synchronizing the two and with the right frequency, the person gains. But if the two forces are out of synchronization, the person suffers loss. Neither the concept nor the phrase is found anywhere in the Scriptures.

On a personal note:

My own mother-in-law is a self-professing shaman (witch doctor) and readily recognizes these terminologies as originating from pagan, New Age concepts. The destructive outcome this ideology has had on our family has been quite destructive and is why I am committed to expose it at every opportunity. 

Again, the Lord’s Truth must be the goal – found only in Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord!


Blessings on your studies and involvement in understanding and sharing the Truth!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

 

Encouraging Concepts

Truth for Today

"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"

Lighthouse Publications <>< 
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

The "Sneeze"‏

Hello Friends!

The following true story was recently sent to me by an EC subscriber and personal friend and thought I'd pass it along to all of you. It is inspiring and encouraging to know there are still some folks willing to take a stand for what is right in the eyes of the Lord, even in the face of great opposition.  

In the end, the Lord will have the last word...

The "Sneeze"

They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-two students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With their rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt.

Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears.

This class would NOT pray during the commencements, not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it. The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.

The speeches were nice, but they were routine until the final speech received a standing ovation. A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened...

All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED!

The student on stage simply looked at the audience and exclaimed:

        “GOD BLESS YOU!”

And he walked off the stage... The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval.

Isn't this a wonderful story? This is a true story; it happened at the University of Maryland.

On behalf of Encouraging Concepts – God Bless all of YOU, too!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings on your studies and involvement in understanding and sharing the Truth!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

 

Encouraging Concepts

Truth for Today

"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"

Lighthouse Publications <>< 
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

God Does Not Judge on a Curve

Hello Friends!

Most people today believe they are in good standings with their Creator. I recently viewed a Christian-produced video that featured a team of evangelicals interviewing individuals at random, inquiring if they were ready to enter Heaven when they die. They affirmed their belief by concluding that they were somehow safe because they knew there were many other people who were much worse sinners. What does the Bible have to say about this?

 

God Does Not Judge on a Curve

The Biblical requirement for the salvation of our soul is strictly based on how we react to the free gift presented to us by Jesus Christ at Calvary. It has been estimated that nearly 100 billion people have lived on this planet at some point in world history. If all members of this great mass of humanity trusted in Jesus as their Savior, they would make it into Heaven. If only a dozen of them chose to follow Christ, they would be part of the blessed few.

Masses of humanity today hold to the erroneous idea that salvation is determined by fitting into some sort of a "nice person" category. Far too many people seem to think that only the most evil percentage of humanity will be the ones who don't make the grade.

However, the basis of our salvation is trusting in Jesus Christ alone as our personal Lord and Savior, repenting of (turning away from) our sins, which allows the Holy Spirit to empower us to live a life that honors and glorifies Him. One may indeed be a person of high moral standards, integrity and good works, but if you make self-effort and works your foundation for salvation, sadly, you will not qualify for the Kingdom of God.

Even a world full of hypocrites cannot save your eternal soul. It's often easy to point to hypocrites for excuses, but there is nothing they can do to better your “odds” of a heavenly home. Their fate has already been determined. The vast occurrence of hypocrisy today demonstrates just how difficult it is to resist sin.

Folks often spend far too much time assessing the sins of other people. The fact that people are unable to live perfect lives is hardly breaking news. Instead of measuring our lives by what hypocrites do, we need to model our lives after the One who set the highest standard and the only perfect example…

"Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" - John 14:6

Are you ready to meet the Lord Jesus Christ at any moment? Are you "Rapture Ready" and waiting for His return? Is He truly your personal Savior from the penalty of sin? Have you put your trust in Him alone for eternal salvation? Is His soon appearing your "blessed hope" (see Titus. 2:13)?

    "Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand... Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!" - James 5:8 & 9

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings on your studies and involvement in understanding and sharing the Truth!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

 

Encouraging Concepts

Truth for Today

"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"

Lighthouse Publications <>< 
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)