Fasting and Prayer Easter 2023

The purpose of these three days

1 Corinthians 11:26–29 (NKJV)

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

this three days a time to examine our life in the presence of God, if by any means we have done something or there is something in us that is displeasing in his sigh.

The Spirit by which we approach God.

James 4:8–10 (NKJV)

8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

We have to come before God in humility as sinners not righeous men so that our hands may be cleased and our hearts purified.

Luke 18:9–14 NKJV

9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The pharisee tought within himslef that he was rigtheous.

Why? he was comparing himslef with other people. When he was suppose to compare himslef with the Holiness standard of God.

He did not see his wretchedness, he was blind to his own sins, therefore instead of being justified he was condemend.

We have come to the house of God to pray, with what kind of spirit have we come, have we come with the pharisee spirit of with the spirit of the tax collector.

It is very dangerous to aproach God while being blind to one’s own fault.

May God to day open our eyes to what we don’t see

Luke 13:1–5 NKJV

1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

Let us not look at others and their sins, let us look at our own life.

The devil sometime will like us to look at other peoples sins so that we don’t see our own filtiness and come to repentance.

The Standard of God’s holiness

Isaiah 6:1–5 NKJV

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.”

Isaiah prior to these he had prophesied 9 Woes against all kinds of people because of their sins.

But when he eyes were open to God’s holiness, he suddenly saw himself enlight of God’s holiness and saw the unlceaness of his lips. Lips that have prophesied became unclean.

Therefore he pronounce a woe over his life.

May God humble us today and open our eyes to what we Don’t see.

Let us put ourselves in the mirror, let us focus on our lives.

Psalms 143:2 “2 Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous.”

If we think in any way shape or form that we are rigtheous we are deceiving ourselves.

Jer 2:34-35 “Also on your skirts is found The blood of the lives of the poor innocents. I have not found it by secret search, But plainly on all these things. Yet you say, ‘Because I am innocent, Surely His anger shall turn from me.’ Behold, I will plead My case against you, Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’”

1 John 1:7–10 NKJV

7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Psalm 139:23–24 NKJV

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.