Fasting can accentuate your hammer swinging, especially when you know that God is leading you to do it by saying, "Fast, my son/daughter," even precisely when you had been contemplating some food to eat. You may fast also when you are in full agreement in your heart to fast along with someone or a group according to a set schedule and purpose — under God's direction, still. The accent that fasting brings to prayer has the potential to shape your situation and/or your relationship with God profoundly, and also even to shape your prayer. And that shaping of your prayer will be to lead you to pray in the will of God for right things, with no underlying fears. For a prayer that is less than perfectly formulated can mask a real need that you are afraid to admit and so don’t think to bring to God (Philippians 4:6). But being a dynamic and personal exchange, prayer also has room for a correction of its expression through its own process (the direction to take will be given). You must not be shy when you pray or unduly modest and get tempted to go and find your own "satisfactory" solutions, apart from God's direction, to issues that you face. Because He is the Father “who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). He can confirm our every step. May we be willing also to ask Him to!
The implication of not praying for the right things is among others to be seeing God as smaller and less able than He is, through a twisted lens feeding you imaginations that you must cast down (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). And the effect is that it diminishes God's glory to be revealed in your life as you bear fruit and He makes your joy full (John 15:7-8; John 16:24).
Lastly, as you fast and shut off interferences from your flesh, you can get the clarity you need to fight your battles in the right order. Nothing is random with God; and things are done gradually. So, if an order applies to the many complex things you may be facing in your life, you need to get clarity on that so you can march towards the victories that you seek, and not be stuck on step B and agonizing about it when you have neglected step A instructions. Be watching and be praying always and you shall walk under precise direction.
Matthew 7:7-11 (World English Bible)
7 "Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. 8 For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or who is there among you, who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
John 16:22-24
22 Therefore you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. 23 "And in that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.
Luke 11:5-13 (World English Bible)
5 He said to them, "Which of you, if you go to a friend at midnight, and tell him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,' 7 and he from within will answer and say, 'Don't bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give it to you'? 8 I tell you, although he will not rise and give it to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as many as he needs. 9 "I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened. 11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he won't give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, he won't give him a scorpion, will he? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"
Luke 18:1-8
1 He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up, 2 saying, "There was a judge in a certain city who did not fear God, and did not respect man. 3 A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' 4 He would not for a while, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God, nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her justice, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.'" 6 The Lord said, "Listen to what the unrighteous judge says. 7 Won't God avenge his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find [the] faith on the earth?"
May Jesus bless you!
Praying Is Like Hammering is a chapter of the book The Day I Shouted "HalleluYah!" by Giscard Nazon.
See also:
How To Pray
Standing In Position To Receive By Faith
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
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