Prayer - New Way of Living

"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."

Ephesians 5:16-18

[This is the 9th message in this series]

Praying is the language of the Spirit. Fasting facilitates the communication process.

When we pray, we worship the God of Creation.

When we fast, we are saying praying is important to us and we are prioritizing God. It is like trading in our old cellphone and using 500G wireless technology.

True Self

When we pray and fast, and when we do so in private and not tell others, we are showing who we are in the inside.

It honors God and shows our true intentions. We do not seek a reward from our peers and other people. Because if we do, it shows that what we are doing is not real prayer and fasting, but are for self-interest, showboating and seeking attention.

Personal

When we pray and fast, it is between us and the Lord. Jesus when He was residing in human flesh, would leave everyone and retreat to quiet places, far away so no one can see. He did not pray and fast to and for show and tell.

Obstacles

Now our battle is not just against our own flesh and selfish interests, it is also against external forces.

Because there is an adversary. Just like what happened with Jesus, there is an enemy who will try to stop us from praying and fasting, anything and anyone will be used to prevent us from communicating with God. Jesus showed us how to overcome all these hindrances. It can be done. Yes, it is written (Matthew 4:4).

Holy Spirit

As followers of Christ, we can do the same.

We follow in His footsteps. We walk where He walked. And we are not alone, we walk with Him, with His Spirit. And through Christ, we can do all things.