Anti-stronghold Bible verses

Home > Anti-stronghold Bible verses

These are excellent verses to meditate on for the pulling down of strongholds! Print them out
and go over them every day for a week and see if it doesn't make a big impact on your
spiritual growth and freedom! Meditate on God's Word as King David did! These verses are
truth, and will help you tear down strongholds (wh ich are based on lies and deception).

Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think
on these things."

Forgiveness of sins

1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness."

Titus 2:14, "Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from EVERY lawless deed, and to purify
for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." (NASB)

Psalms 103:12, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our
transgressions from us."

Ephesians 1:7, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace;" (The word 'riches' in the Greek here means abundance
and fullness!!)

Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Ch rist Jesus..."

Micah 7:19, "...he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt
cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."

Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as
wool."

Joel 2:12-13, "Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart,
and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart , and not your
garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger,
and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil."

Psalms 103:2-4, "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth
all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;"

Deliverance
Isaiah 61:1-3, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me
to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To
proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to com fort
all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they
might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, th at he might be glorified."

Isaiah 52:2, "Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself
from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion."

Matthew 8:16-17, "When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were
possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were
sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took
our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."

Isaiah 42:7, "To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them
that sit in darkness out of the prison house."

Isaiah 49:9, "That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness,
Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places."

Mark 1:39, "And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils."

Acts 10:38, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who
went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with
him."

Act 8:7, "For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed
with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed."

Acts 5:16, "There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem,
bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed
every one."

Luke 13:11, 16, "And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen
years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.... And ought not this
woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be
loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?"

Mark 16:17, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out
devils; they shall speak with new tongues;"

Matthew 10:7-8, "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the
sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye ha ve received, freely give."

Luke 10:17-19, "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are
subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall
from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tr ead on serpents and scorpions, and over all
the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

Luke 7:21, "And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil
spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight ."
Luke 8:2, "And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary
called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,"

Acts 19:12, "So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and
the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them."

God's love and mercy for us

John 10:11, 15:13, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the
sheep... Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

John 10:10, "...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly."

Psalm 145:9, "The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works."

Lamentations 3:22-23, "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not co nsumed, because his
compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

Psalms 145:8, "The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great
mercy."

2 Corinthians 5:18-19, "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus
Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ,
reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath
committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

1 Corinthians 2:9, "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

Romans 2:4, "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and
longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"

Psalms 103:8-13, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us
after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above
the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the
west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his
children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." (Remember, I believe the word 'fear' here
simply means to respect - not the same kind of fear as being scared or afraid of Him)

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

1 John 3:1, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should
be called the sons of God..."

1 John 4:16, "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love;
and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."

Romans 5:8, "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we
were still sinners." (NLT)
1 John 4:9, "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his
only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him."

Romans 8:38-39, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor
any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord."

2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackn ess; but
is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance."

1 Timothy 2:3-4, "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will
have all men to be saved, and to come unto the kn owledge of the truth." (God wants
everybody possible to goto heaven!!)

Eph 2:4-7, "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even
when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus."

Luke 11:13, "If ye then, being evil, know ho w to give good gifts unto your children: how
much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

Luke 15:10, "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over
one sinner that repenteth."

Luke 15:20, "And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his
father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." (This is
the parable of the son who took half his dad's money and ran away, then returne d home and
his father saw his son and was moved with compassion. So is it with our heavenly Father,
when we turn to Him and repent, He is moved with compassion and welcomes us with open
arms.)

Jeremiah 31:3, "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with
an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."

Isaiah 30:18, "Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on
high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Ho w blessed are all those
who long for Him." (NASB)

Psalm 33:5, "He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the lovingkindness of
the LORD."

Psalm 107:8-9, "Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful
works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul
with goodness."

Psalms 117:2, "For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD
endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD."

Psalms 31:19, "Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear
thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!"
Salvation

John 20:31, "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."

John 3:36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life..."

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 3:14-15, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of
man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

John 3:18, "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of
God."

Acts 16:30-31, "And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they
said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

Isaiah 28:16, "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a
stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not
make haste."

John 6:47, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."

Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

John 6:37, "...Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

John 6:40, "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and
believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."

John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him
that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from
death unto life."

God's provision for us

Matthew 6:32, "(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father
knoweth that ye have need of all these things."

Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you."

Deuteronomy 8:18, "But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee
power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as
it is this day."

Psalms 84:11, "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no
good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."
Deuteronomy 28:5, 11-12, "Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store... And the LORD shall
make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in
the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee. The
LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his
season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and
thou shalt not borrow."

1 John 5:14-15, "And this is the confidence that we ha ve in him, that, if we ask any thing
according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we
know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."

John 16:24, "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye sh all receive, that
your joy may be full."

James 4:2, "...yet ye have not, because ye ask not."

Matthew 6:8, "Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye
have need of, before ye ask him."

Romans 8:32, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he
not with him also freely give us all things?"

James 1:17, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from
the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts
of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

1 Timothy 6:17, "...God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."

Psalms 37:4-5, "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine
heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."

Genesis 45:18, "And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will
give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land."

Ezra 9:12, "Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their
daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be
strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for
ever."

Isaiah 1:19, "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:"

Genesis 45:20, "Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours."

Deuteronomy 8:7, "For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of
water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;"

Deuteronomy 30:9, "And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine
hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for
good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:"

Luke 12:28, "If then God so clothe the grass, which is today in the field , and tomorrow is
cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?"
How God sees us

Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee..."

Psalm 139:14, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marv ellous are
thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

Psalm 139:17, "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of
them!"

Isaiah 62:5, "For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the
bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee."

Psalms 35:27, "Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let
them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his
servant."

Isaiah 49:15-16, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have
compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold,
I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."

Zephaniah 3:17, "The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will
rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."

Isaiah 43:25, "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressi ons for mine own sake, and
will not remember thy sins."

Who we are in Christ

Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus..."

Titus 2:14, "Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for
Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." (NASB)

Psalms 103:12, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our
transgressions from us."

2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creatu re: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Romans 3:22, "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and
upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:"

Romans 4:5, "But to him that worketh not , but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness."

Galatians 3:6, "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for
righteousness."

Galatians 4:5-6, "To redeem them that were under the law, that we mig ht receive the
adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into
your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
Romans 8:15, "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

1 John 3:1, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should
be called the sons of God..."

1 Corinthians 6:11, "...ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name
of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

Ephesians 5:8, "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as
children of light:"

Once saved always saved?

Home > A closer look at once saved always saved

Is once saved always saved true?

Or is it only giving false security?

This subject is one that I believe the devil has done much damage. If a person is saved and
tormented by guilt and shame, then the devil will accuse them of not being saved. This is
used by the enemy to bring much fear, torment and condemnation into a person's life. There
is no need to fear losing your salvation, if you know how much that God loves you, how
merciful of a God we serve, and how we are not saved by works but by grace. Are we living a
worldly lifestyle? Are we holding unforgiveness in our hearts? Now that's another story.

I strongly encourage you to consider the whole gospel of salvation, as it is VERY much filled
with hope and the love of God, and not to simply look at this teaching and feel condemned.
It is my hope that this teaching motivates you to get serious about your relationship with
God and forgive those whom have wronged you. That is what Jesus is asking of us! To love
Him with our whole heart, and to love one another as He has forgiven us. Is that asking too
much, after all that He has done for us? Not at all.

Those who need to hold tightly to the once-saved theory, are those who's minds are bound in
dead religion. They do not grasp the concept of God's love, grace, and mercy towards us, and
therefore need to feel secure, because they do not feel worthy as they are attempting to be
saved by works. They feel that one mistake, and God is angry with them. This is not true,
but to somebody who has religious strongholds and spirits (demons), this is too big of a
reality to overlook. If this is you, then I encourage you to read my teachings on Exposing
Dead Religion and The Jesus of the Bible. If you cling tightly to the once-saved theory, then
you have some serious bondages to religion and should resolved those through spiritual
warfare and deliverance and establish your intimate relationship with God.

It is my heart's desire with this teaching to do two things: (a) break up the nonsense of
once-saved theology which is costing the body of Christ numerous number of souls every
year, and (b) provide comfort and truth to those who are tormented constantly over fear of
losing their salvation. If you think that you're going to lose your salvation every time you slip
up, then you are not living in grace but legalism, and do not understand your relationship
with God, and as a result, you will constantly fear loss of your salvation and fall into
condemnation.
Why is it so important to preach against once -saved? Because millions of souls are in he ll
because the church has not done it's job educating the body. While we are out evangelizing
the sinners, there are people in our own congregations that are on their way to hell. Why?
One good reason is unforgiveness. The Bible is crystal clear that if we don't forgive those
who wrong us, then we are not going to receive forgiveness for our own sins, and as a result,
we abide in spiritual death.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But
if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses.

Matthew 6:14-15

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He
that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a
murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

1 John 3:14-15

What does love have to do with forgiving others? Everything! We are commanded to love and
forgive others as Christ has forgiven us. The Bible tells us that love covers (forgives ) sin that
others have done against us.

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity [love] shall
cover the multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8

Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

Proverbs 10:12

If I am right, and I have every reason to believe that I am, then there are millions of
Christians who are on their way to hell right now because there are unresolved issues of
unforgiveness in their hearts towards at least one person who has wronged them.

John Bevere wrote an anointed book entitled The Bait of Satan. This book contains the most
anointed, scriptural, and motivating message on unforgiveness that I have ever heard. It is
not written in a condemnation manner at all, but rather conviction to get us serious ab out
our forgiving others. It is a must-read for any believer in Christ!

The OSAS arguments considered

There are several passages in the Bible which are used in an attempt to prove that we cannot
lose our salvation. I want to take a closer look at some of the most common theories in this
teaching.

"Nobody can pluck us from the Father's hand" (John 10:28 -29)

If you back up one more verse, you'll find some missing information about this passage; in
verse 27, we find that true sheep will follow Christ:

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them
eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my
hand.
 John 10:27-28

In regards to somebody plucking us out of the Father's hand, this is refer ring to men who
would attempt to remove us from the Father's hand. It would be dangerous if men were able
to remove us from the hand of God, wouldn't it? No man can take eternal life away from us,
regardless how hard they try. Just as no man can force us t o sin, but we, by our own choice,
can fall into sin. We are told to abide (remain) in Jesus, and when we do, we will produce
much fruit. If we do not abide in Jesus, and therefore fail to bear fruit, then we can be
removed from the vine (Jesus) and thrown into the fire to be burned. Apparently, this is
referring to people who were a branch in Jesus, and were removed because they did not
abide in Jesus' words.

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that
beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit... If a man abide not in
me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast
them into the fire, and they are burned.

John 15:2,6

"Nothing can separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:38-39)

Again, this is speaking of outside influences and not about what we ourselves can do. While
nobody else can separate us from God's love, we can depart from the love relationship that
God desires with us. Consider this passage:

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my

Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

John 15:10

Apparently it is possible to not keep His commands, and fail to abide (remain) in His love.

Now don't get me wrong, God's love for us i s GREAT and His mercy is DEEP. But to say that
we can become Satanists and completely turn our backs on God and die in that state, then
expect God's love... we are only fooling ourselves.

"We cannot die if we have eternal life" (John 11:26)

According to this passage, if we fail to love one another, we have no eternal life abiding in
us:

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He
that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a
murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

1 John 3:14-15

"The gifts of God are without repentance" (Romans 11:29)

God isn't going to offer you something then turn around and change His mind. That is what it
is saying here. The offer to abide in Christ is available to the world, but that doesn't mean
that once we are in Christ, we will always abide in Him. However, if we are given and we do
not make use of it, it can be taken from us:
 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that
hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him .

Luke 19:26

If a man abide [remain] not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and
men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

John 15:6

"We are born of incorruptible seed" (1 Peter 1:23)

The incorruptible seed is Christ Jesus, or the Word (see John 1:1 & Luke 8:11), and yes, He
is incorruptible. But the key is that we must remain or abide in Him, lest we be cast forth or
removed from the vine:

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away : and every branch that
beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit... If a man abide not in
me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather the m, and cast
them into the fire, and they are burned... If ye abide in me, and my words abide in
you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you... If ye keep my
commandments, ye shall abide in my love ; even as I have kept my Father's
commandments, and abide in his love.

John 15:2, 6, 7, 10

Also look at this passage in the end of the Bible, where it tells us clearly that God can "take
away his part in the book of life."

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy , God
shall take away his part out of the book of life , and out of the holy city, and from the
things which are written in this book.

Revelation 22:19

Apparently, the person was in the book of life, in order for God to remove him.

"We are sealed with the Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Being sealed with the Holy Spirit means that we are marked as God's property, and it's God's
promise that He has great plans for us. We are like a peach tree which God has purchased
and planted in His garden. We are marked as God's own property (sealed with the Holy
Spirit), and planted in His garden (adopted into his family)... but we are also expected to
bear fruit, lest we be removed.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman [gardener]. Every branch in me
that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he
purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

John 15:1-2

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 25:30
The Bible is very clear that a person can be in the Lamb's book of life, and then blotted out,
so apparently, even though a person may be in the book of life at one point, it does not
mean they will always have that eternal life... yes, it can be taken from them!

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot
out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father,
and before his angels.

Revelation 3:5

According to the above verse, it is clear t hat a person can be in the book of life, and be
blotted out. You have to first be in the book of life before you can be blotted out.

Suppose you gave your young teenager a brand new car, even though they couldn't yet
drive, as a promise that if they stay i n school and follow the path that is right for them, that
when they are old enough to drive, you will make sure that they are taken care of. But
there's a condition, and that son must do his part. Christ has done His part, but it's up to us
to do ours. Jesus made it clear that we are to abide (remain) in Him, and if we remain in His
love, we will not be cut off and thrown into the fire:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman [gardener]. Every branch in me
that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he
purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit... If a man abide not in me, he is cast
forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire,
and they are burned.

John 15:1-2,6

We are told to abide in Jesus' love (see John 15:4), and we do that by keeping His
commands (see John 15:10). I believe that abiding in his love seals us by the Holy Spirit...
that is where nothing can pluck you out of the Father's hand... you are in Christ and u nder
His protection!

"It is not the will of God to lose any of his children" (John 6:39)

It's also the will of God for all to be saved, but apparently that isn't going to happen. Not
everything that takes place on earth is the will of God. Just because He desires us to draw
near to Him doesn't mean we follow through with it.

"But we are saved apart from works, lest any man shall boast!" (Ephesians 2:9)

This is true! We are not saved by works, but by faith. The Bible is clear about this:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk
in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10

But right after that passage, it tells us that we were created unto good works. Our initial
salvation does not require works (we cannot earn our way to heaven), but after we are
saved, our faith (if it is genuine) ought to begin to yield fruit of right eousness and goodness
in our lives. The Bible goes on to tell us that if our faith does not yield these things, then it is
dead:
 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? ... Ye see then how
that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

James 2:20

Let me make it very clear that we are not earning the forgiveness of our sins by any means .
That price we cannot pay no matter how many good works we do. We are not earning the
forgiveness of our sins, but rather living unto the Lord as a result of our genuine faith in
Him. If our faith is genuine, it will prove itself. If our faith does not prove itself with fruits of
righteousness, then it is dead.

Now don't get me wrong, nobody is going to accept Jesus and live a flawless life from that
moment on; it is definitely a growing process. But it is also completely unacceptable for a
person to still live a worldly lifestyle after years of being a Christian. The Bible speaks of
being transformed into the image of His Son, which is a pr ocess. Fruit does not necessarily
grow overnight, but it is expected of us.

If you put a peach tree in your garden in the spring, do you expect it to bear fruit right
away? Not really. But as the months go on, that tree needs to begin growing fruit, so tha t
when harvest time comes around, it is a profitable tree and an asset to your garden. If
harvest time comes around and it still has no fruit, then what do you do with it? You remove
it, and use that space for a different tree, which will hopefully bear fr uit. The same is true in
the kingdom of God:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman [gardener]. Every branch in me
that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he
purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

John 15:1-2

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 25:30

12 Vital Keys to Getting Healed

Because Jesus healed them ALL

This is your Biblical road-map to receiving your healing just as the early church did!

Supernatural healing seems to be one of those subjects that puzzles the church today.
Numerous people pray for healing with no results, yet in the early church divine healings
were commonplace. Nobody who went to Jesus was turned d own. It was clearly God's will to
heal the people back then, so why do we see such miserable success rates today? There are
a few reasons, and in this teaching I will explore them.

I think it was last weekend when my pastor focused on healing, and he asked everybody who
needed a healing to stand up. About a dozen people stood up. The Holy Spirit came down and
moved upon the congregation as pastor Bruce prayed. Afterward, Pastor Bruce asked
everybody who received a physical healing to raise their hand... abo ut 8-10 people raised
their hands! This is the kind of stuff that happens at my church!!!! This is the early
church experience!!!! I don't think a week goes by without several miracles happening in
my church... yet many churches can go 6 months and no see a single supernatural miracle!
What is the difference? What was different about the early church? It was the teachings. The
people believed the new covenant that God had with them! Religious teachings hinder,
block, and corrupt the faith of the hearers!

Key #1 - You need to know it is God's will to heal you

One of the hindrances to our ability to receive from God has to do with the way we see Him.
If we don't know or trust somebody, our ability to have faith in them is greatly diminished.
God's Word tells us that we must be in faith when we approach Him:

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him ."
(Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

Jesus freely healed ALL who came to Him, and He instructed His disciples to do the same.
Freely didn't mean they were charging for ministry, but rather the frequency by which they
performed these miracles. God wants us to FREELY heal the sick, meaning, He wants us
doing it often and to many people!

"And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick,
cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely
give." (Matthew 10:7-8 KJV)

How can we freely go forth and heal the sick, if we aren't sure if it's God's will to heal them?
When Jesus gave the command, there were no exceptions that went along with it. This lines
up with the example we are given in scripture where Jesus healed ALL who came to Him! How
often did Jesus heal people? Let's take a look...

"And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people
that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed
with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he
healed them." (Matthew 4:24)

"...and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all ;" (Matthew 12:15)

What was Jesus doing? He was demonstrating a very important part of the covenant
that He made with us through shedding His blood.

"When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with
devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it
might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our
infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:16-17 KJV)

Jesus went about demonstrating the GOOD will of the Father toward mankind and the
covenant of healing that we have today because of Jesus' work on the cross!

When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray in Matthew 6, He instructed them to pray that
the will of the Father be done here on earth, as it is in heaven. If you want to see God's
will here on earth, you need to look at what is allowed or not allowed up in
heaven! Do you see sickness, poverty, or bondage up in heaven? Not at all. Unfortunately,
God's will does not always prevail here on earth, because we live in a fallen world, and many
times His will is hindered. If God's will always prevailed here on earth, then God would have
to be behind every form of evil, sin, rape, murder, etc. Those things are clearly not God's will
here on earth, are they? Absolutely not!

"Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or
if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give
 good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven
give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:9 -11 KJV)

Jesus compared the heart of a good earthly father to our heavenly father. N ow what good
earthly father would turn away their son or daughter from being healed if they had the ability
to free them from all forms of sickness and disease? Any parent today that would either put
sickness on their child, or refuse to get them adequate medical attention, can be convicted of
a serious crime, and either wind up in jail or the mental hospital! While we would never do
these terrible things to our children, we somehow believe that God would do them to us. Are
we more loving and good hearted that our heavenly Father?

How we see God and knowing His nature is an important key to trusting him; you will have a
hard time trusting somebody whom you have never known, or question their heart toward
you.

Sickness is a result of a curse (Deuteronomy 28:5 9-61), and came into the world as a result
of sin. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and of sin (1 John 3:8). If sickness is the
fruit of sin, for God to be glorified by sickness, would mean God endorses the source of
sickness, which would mean God also endorses sin. God does not endorse sin nor does He
endorse the fruit of sin!

"...the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." (1
John 3:8 KJV)

The fact is, if you don't know it is God's will for you to be healed, t hen what you have isn't
called faith, it's called hope. Faith is knowing that it is God's will to heal you. Hope is hoping
that it's His will to heal you.

And finally, I want to ask you a good logical question: If it is God's will for you to be sick,
then why are you fighting God's will in your life by going to the doctor or taking
medications?

Key #2 - You must understand the covenant

I have a really important question I want to ask you: Is healing part of the atonement
and new covenant we have through Christ?

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah
53:5 KJV)

Now some of you might say, "But that was just for our spiritual healing. That couldn't be for
our physical healing!" Turn to Matthew 8 and read the story in verses 16 and 17:

"When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with
devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were s ick: That it
might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our
infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:16-17 KJV)

Were those "spiritual healings" or were those full blown physical healings that took place? I
would say that irrefutably proves that our physical healing was indeed part of the atoning
work of Christ on the Cross. Don't you?

If healing is part of our covenant with God through Christ's atoning work, what is this
business about "in God's timing" or "if it's God's will to heal me"? If He has made a
covenant with us, and Jesus has paid the price for our healing in the atonement,
then for God to withhold on that provision, His integrity would be worth squat.

Many people are not healed because they lack b asic knowledge of the covenant we have with
God. Just as we are told in Hosea chapter 4, Christians today are destroyed for lack of
knowledge:

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected
knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou
hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." (Hosea 4:6 KJV)

We need to be diligent in seeking to understand the scriptures and not be ignorant of the
things which God has for us. You can stake your life on God's integrity, but we doubt His
integrity when we still ask if it's God's will to heal us, as it's clear that healing is one of the
benefits of the New Covenant.

The thing we have to keep in mind is that the promises of the New Coven ant are received by
faith. Just as Jesus died for the sins of the world, does not mean that the world will be
saved.

Key #3 - Realize that you are worthy to receive

One of the major blockages to receiving the things of God, whether it be a healing, a
breakthrough in our finances, or a deliverance from some type of bondage in our lives, is the
self-worth stumbling block. Have you ever seen the prophet who is incredibly gifted and can
give the most wonderful life-changing words to everybody around them, but finds it nearly
impossible to receive a good word from God for themself? Or the person who is incredibly
gifted with faith and healing gifts, and can get everybody around them healed, but struggles
themself to receive a healing? This is because they don't f eel worthy to receive. They see
everybody else as worthy and favored by God, but struggle to see themself as
worthy. Dealing with self-worth issues is a major key to healing for many Christians
today.

This feeling of unworthiness is a sign of unbelief in a nother benefit of the covenant that
Jesus so lovingly purchased for us... that is, the total and complete forgiveness of our sins.
Jesus paid-in-full the price we were supposed to pay, and for God to make us pay for our
sins after Jesus already paid for them, would discredit or ignore the price that Jesus
paid... as if it were not sufficient!! Who is behind false guilt and condemnation? Satan!
What is he really trying to do? Get us to not really believe in the wonderful work that Jesus
did for us, by paying the steep and terrible price for ALL of our sins! Satan does not want you
and I to realize that our sins have been totally paid for.

You are justified by the Blood of Jesus (Romans 3:24). To be justified in the root Greek
word, literally means to be made just as if you have never sinned! The righteousness of God
is upon you (Romans 3:22) and your sins have all be washed away, so far as the east is from
the west (Psalms 103:12).

"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnesse d by
the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus
Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a
propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission
of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time
his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in
Jesus." (Romans 3:21-26 KJV)
You are made righteous, justified, and totally forgiven of all your sins, and are in a covenant
with God which includes your healing, and yet you still believe you are unworthy to
receive? That's unbelief in the work that Christ has done for you. You were not made
worthy by your own works or attempts to live a sinless life, but Christ made you worthy to
receive all the promises of God when He shed His blood for you and I on Calvary!

How we see ourselves will greatly affect our faith and ability to receive the things that God
has for us. Many times we have to believe this first provision of the covenant (the
forgiveness of our sins) before we are ready to believe the other promises such as healing.

I like how Joseph Prince said he used to preach the 7 things which would prevent a person
from being healed, until the Holy Spirit spoke to him about this and told him to begin
preaching that the people are worthy to receive because of what Jesus did for them. What
happened? Healings broke out everywhere in his church!!! This goes along with faith coming
through hearing the gospel message of Christ. If you look at the context of this next verse,
you'll find that it wasn't just the Word of God, but the message of what Jesus did for us
which builds faith:

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17
KJV)

INTRODUCTORY ILLUSTRATIONS OF COMMUNION WITH GOD

From the Life of John G. Paton
John G. Paton was a missionary to the New Hebrides, today called Vanuatu, in
the South Seas. He was born in Scotland in 1824. I gave my Pastors’
Conference message about him (February, 2000) because of the courage he
showed throughout his 82 years of life. He experienced a joy in God in the
most dangerous and discouraging circumstances.

Question: Where did the joy of John G. Paton most deeply repose?

Answer: The answer it seems is that it rested most deeply in the experience of
personal communion with Jesus Christ mediated through the promises of God
in his written Word, the Bible. Most central to his communion with God seems
to have been the promise of Jesus in Matthew 28:20, “Lo, I am with you
always.”
This promise had been given precisely in the context of the Great Commission:
“Go and make disciples of all nations . . . and Lo, I am with you always, even to
the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). More than any other promise, this one
mediated the presence of Jesus to John Paton in all his dangers. After the
measles epidemic that killed thousands on the islands, and for which the
missionaries were blamed, he wrote:
During the crisis, I felt generally calm, and firm of soul, standing erect and with my
whole weight on the promise, “Lo! I am with you alway.” Precious promise! How
often I adore Jesus for it, and rejoice in it! Blessed be his name. (Autobiograpy, p.
154)
Without that abiding consciousness of the presence and power of my dear Lord and
Savior, nothing else in all the world could have preserved me from losing my reason
and perishing miserably. In his words, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of
the world,” [He] became to me so real that it would not have startled me to behold
Him, as Stephen did gazing down upon the scene. I felt His supporting power. . . . It is
the sober truth, and it comes back to me sweetly after 20 years, that I had my nearest
and dearest glimpses of the face and smiles of my blessed Lord in those dread
moments when musket, club, or spear was being leveled at my life. Oh the bliss of
living and enduring, as seeing “Him who is invisible”! (Autobiography, p. 117)
One of the most powerful paragraphs in this Autobiography describes his
experience hiding in a tree at the mercy of an unreliable chief, as hundreds of
angry natives hunt him for his life. What he experienced there was the deepest
source of Paton’s joy and courage.
Being entirely at the mercy of such doubtful and vacillating friends, I, though
perplexed, felt it best to obey. I climbed into the tree and was left there alone in the
bush. The hours I spent there live all before me as if it were but of yesterday. I heard
the frequent discharging of muskets, and the yells of the Savages. Yet I sat there
among the branches, as safe in the arms of Jesus. Never, in all my sorrows, did my
Lord draw nearer to me, and speak more soothingly in my soul, than when the
moonlight flickered among these chestnut leaves, and the night air played on my
throbbing brow, as I told all my heart to Jesus. Alone, yet not alone! If it be to glorify
my God, I will not grudge to spend many nights alone in such a tree, to feel again my
Savior’s spiritual presence, to enjoy His consoling fellowship. If thus thrown back
upon your own soul, alone, all alone, in the midnight, in the bush, in the very embrace
of death itself, have you a Friend that will not fail you then? (Autobiography p. 200)
John Newton’s Conversion and Learning to Commune with God
John Newton, who wrote the hymn “Amazing Grace,” was awakened from the
spiritual blindness and folly of his utter destitution and “wretchedness” on
March 21, 1748, on board the ship Greyhound during a violent storm at sea. He
describes how he was only partially converted, though, because he did not yet
know what communion with God was.
But, though I cannot doubt that this change, so far as it prevailed, was wrought by the
Spirit and power of God, yet still I was greatly deficient in many respects. I was in
some degree affected with a sense of my enormous sins, but I was little aware of the
innate evils of my heart. I had no apprehension of the spirituality and extent of the law
of God; or of the hidden life of a Christian, as it consists in communion with God by
Jesus Christ: a continual dependence on him for hourly supplies of wisdom, strength,
and comfort, was a mystery of which I had as yet no knowledge. I acknowledged the
Lord’s mercy in pardoning what was past, but depended chiefly upon my own
resolution to do better for the time to come. . . . I cannot consider myself to have been
a believer (in the full sense of the word) till a considerable time afterwards. ( Works, I,
32–33)
Newton’s Devotional Life
Sometime between 1752 and 1756, on a morning in April he wrote,

Prayed over a part of eighth Romans in a way of paraphrase with some readiness. I
greatly fail in the duty of meditation and am forced to use some artifice with myself to
do it at all; thus sometimes I turn them into a prayer form, sometimes I suppose
myself in imaginary conversation, sometimes that I am called upon to speak to a
point. Without something of this sort I am not able to engage myself to attend with
any fixedness of thought, and with it, alas! how seldom, I would remember to pray for
grace and direction in this matter that my delight may be in the Law of God to
meditate therein day and night. (Marylynn Rouse, ed. The Life of John Newton, by
Richard Cecil, [Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 2000] p. 91)

2. A TRINITARIAN INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNION WITH GOD: THE

FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
John Owen’s Trinitarian Structure of Communion with God
John Owen has written what may be the most thorough treatment of
Communion with God as an experience the saints enjoy distinctly with each of
the three persons of the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The title of his
book, published in 1657, signals his aim:

Of
Communion
with
God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Each Person Distinctly,
In love, grace, and Consolation;
Or,
The Saints’ Fellowship with the Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost Unfolded.

Owen’s Definition of Communion with God

Our communion, then, with God consist of in his communication of himself unto
us, with our returnal unto him of that which he requireth and accepteth, flowing
from that union which in Christ Jesus we have with him. (p. 18)
What Are the “Returns” We Make to God in Communion with Him?
The way and means, then, on the part of the saints, whereby in Christ they enjoy
communion with God, are all the spiritual and Holy actings and outgoings of their
souls in those graces, and by those ways, wherein both
the moral and instituted worship of God doth consist. Faith, love, trust, joy, etc., are
the natural or moral worship of God, whereby those in whom they are have
communion with him. Now, these are either immediately acted on God, and not tied
to any ways or means outwardly manifesting themselves; or else they are farther
drawn forth, in solemn prayer and praises, according unto that way which he hath
appointed. (p. 11)
Why Commune with Each Person of the Trinity?
There being such a distinct communication of grace from the several persons of the
Deity, the saints must needs have distinct communion with them.

It remaineth only to intimate, in a word, wherein this distinction lies, and what is the
ground thereof. Now, this is, that the father doth it by way of original authority; the
Son by way of communicating from a purchased treasury; the Holy Spirit by the
way of immediate efficacy. (p. 16)
Biblical Passages on the Presence of God the Father and Son and Holy Spirit
The Promise that the Father Will Be with Us
Hebrews 13:5-6
Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content
with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU,
NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” so that we confidently say, “THE Lord IS
MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”

2 Corinthians 6:16
Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of
the living God; just as God said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK
AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY
PEOPLE.”

Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your
God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with
My righteous right hand.
The Promise That the Son Will Be with Us
Matthew 28:20
...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age.

Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the
door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Matthew 18:20
For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their
midst.

The Promise That the Holy Spirit Will Be with Us

John 14:16-17
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with
you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because
it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with
you and will be in you.

Biblical Passages on Our Fellowship (Communion) with the Three Persons of

the Trinity: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Fellowship with the Father
1 John 1:3-7
What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may
have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with
His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made
complete. This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you,
that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have
fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice
the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from
all sin.

Fellowship with the Son

1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Fellowship with the Holy Spirit

2 Corinthians 13:14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of
the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

Philippians 2:1-2
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of
love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love,
united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

3. FOUNDATIONS OF MEDITATION: COMMUNION WITH GOD THROUGH

THE WORD OF GOD
Before Communion with God there Must Be Spiritual Life: Biblical Passages
Which Show the Source of Life in the Word of God
1 Peter 1:23
For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but
imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

James 1:18
In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we
would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.

John 6:68
Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of
eternal life.”

John 6:63
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have
spoken to you are spirit and are life.

This Life-Giving Word Wakens and Sustains Faith, Which Is the Crucial
Faculty for Meeting God in His Word
Romans 10:17
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

John 20:31
These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Psalm 1:2-3
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and
night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields
its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he
prospers.

Jeremiah 17:7-8
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord And whose trust is the Lord. 8 For
he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will
not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.

Proverbs 22:17-19
Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my
knowledge; For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, That they may
be ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the Lord, I have taught you
today, even you.

Psalm 78:5-7
For He established a testimony in Jacob And appointed a law in Israel, Which
He commanded our fathers That they should teach them to their children,
That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born,
That they may arise and tell them to their children, That they should put their
confidence in God And not forget the works of God, But keep His
commandments.

Faith in Turn Is the Means of Living in Communion with God

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives
in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Galatians 3:5
So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among
you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

Romans 5:5 (enlarging the thought of Galatians 3:5)

Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within
our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

This Communion with God by Faith Is Through His Word.

Romans 5:6-8 (continuing the thought of Romans 5:5)
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man
someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 1:1-3
What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with
our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the
Word of Life – and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and
proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested
to us – what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too
may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and
with His Son Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:9-13
If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the
testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. The one
who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does
not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the
testimony that God has given concerning His Son. And the testimony is this,
that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the
Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God,
so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Peter’s Testimony to the Way the Word Sustains Communion with God
1 Peter 1:3-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His
great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is
imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to
be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a
little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the
proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even
though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at
the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love
Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly
rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of
your faith the salvation of your souls.

David’s Testimony to the Way the Word Sustains Communion with God
Psalm 19:7-8, 10-11
The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is
sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the
heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. . . They
are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than
honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is
warned; In keeping them there is great reward.

A Testimony from John Owen on How Fellowship with the Holy Spirit Is
Experienced Through the Promises of Christ
The life and soul of all our comforts lie treasured up in the promises of Christ. They
are the breasts of all our consolation. Who knows not how powerless they are in the
bare letter, even when improved to the uttermost by our considerations of them, and
meditation on them? As also how unexpectedly they sometimes break upon the soul
with a conquering, endearing life and vigor? Here faith deals peculiarly with the Holy
Ghost. It considers the promises themselves; looks up to him, waits for him, considers
his appearances in the word depended on, — owns him in his work and efficacy. No
sooner doth the soul begin to feel the life of a promise warming his heart, relieving,
cherishing, supporting, delivering from fear, entanglements, or troubles, but it may, it
ought, to know that the Holy Ghost is there; which will add to his joy, and lead him
into fellowship with him. (John Owen, Communion with God, Works, Vol. 2, p.239)
John Owen’s Call to Give Ourselves to Contemplating the Revelations of Christ
as Our Mediator with God
What poor, low, perishing things do we spend our contemplations! Were we to have
no advantage by this astonishing dispensation, yet its excellency, glory, beauty,
depths, deserve the flower of our inquiries, the vigor of our spirits, the substance of
our time; but when, withal, our life, our peace, our joy, our inheritance, our eternity,
our all, lies herein, shall not the thoughts of it always dwell in our hearts, always
refresh and delight our souls? (John Owen, Works, Vol. 2, Communion with God, p.
69)
Thinking Hard about the Word (Meditation) Does Not Replace the
Illuminating Work of Grace
2 Timothy 2:7
Think over what I say (no,ei o] le,gw), for the Lord will grant you
understanding (dw,sei ga,r soi o` ku,rioj su,nesin) in everything.

Proverbs 2:1-6
My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within
you, Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding;
For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek
her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern
the fear of the Lord, And discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord
giveswisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
In Our Communion with God We Depend on the Spirit to Enable and Shape
our Responses to the Father Through the Son in Prayer
Ephesians 6:18
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in
view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.
Jude 1:20
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in
the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:26
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to
pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too
deep for words.

4. THE PURSUIT OF COMMUNION WITH GOD THROUGH PRAYER

Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 98
Question: What is prayer?

Answer: Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable
to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful
acknowledgment of his mercies.

Our Desires for God Himself Expressed

Psalm 73:23-26
Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right
hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to
glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on
earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and
my portion forever.

Psalm 63:1-2
(A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.) O God, You are
my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for
You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have seen You in
the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.

Psalm 90:14
O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy
and be glad all our days.

Psalm 27:4-6
One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in
the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in
His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me
up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will
sing praises to the Lord.

Calling on God for His Fellowship and Help Continually

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is
God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 62:8
Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a
refuge for us.

Communion with God in Prayer, Not Using God in Prayer

James 4:1-5
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your
pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you
commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.
You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because
you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You
adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility
toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes
himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no
purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us?”

Communion with God by Echoing His Word in Prayer

Acts 4:23-31
When they had been released, they went to their own companions and
reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when
they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O
Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA,
AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of
our father David Your servant, said, ‘WHY DID THE GENTILES RAGE, AND
THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE THINGS? THE KINGS OF THE EARTH
TOOK THEIR STAND, AND THE RULERS WERE GATHERED TOGETHER
AGAINST THE Lord AND AGAINST HIS CHRIST.’

“For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant
Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the
Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your
purpose predestined to occur.

“And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants
may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal,
and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant
Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered
together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to
speak the word of God with boldness.

Communion with God by Seeking from Him the Help to Hear Him Speak
Psalm 119:36
Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain.

Psalm 119:18
Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.

Psalm 86:11
Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear
Your name.

Psalm 119:169
Let my cry come before You, O Lord; Give me understanding according to
Your word.
Communion with God in Confession of Sin
Psalm 32:1-6
How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How
blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose
spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted
away Through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was
heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of
summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said,
“I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my
sin. Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may
be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.

Communion with God in Thanks and Praise

Psalm 118:28
You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You aremy God, I extol You.

Psalm 30:11-12
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my
sackcloth and girded me with gladness, That my soul may sing praise to You
and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

Psalm 86:11-13
Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear
Your name. I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And
will glorify Your name forever. For Your lovingkindness toward me is great,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God,
which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus.

Communion with God at Certain Times and Places

Daniel 6:10
Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house
(now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he
continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks
before his God, as he had been doing previously.

Psalm 119:164
Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous ordinances.

5. BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR FASTING

A Personal Testimony: Carl Lundquist, “Evangelical Order of the Burning
Heart,” September, 1989
My own serious consideration of fasting as a spiritual discipline began as a result of
visit Dr. Joon Gon Kim in Seoul, Korea. “Is it true,” I asked him, “that you spent 40
days in fasting prior to the evangelism crusade in 1980?” “Yes,” he responded, “it is
true.” Dr. Kim was chairman of the crusade expected to bring a million people to
Yoido Plaza. But six months before the meeting the police informed him they were
revoking their permission for the crusade. Korea at that time was in political turmoil
and Seoul was under martial law. The officers decided they could not take the risk of
having so many people together in one place. So Dr. Kim and some associates went to
a prayer mountain and there spent 40 days before God in prayer and fasting for the
crusade. Then they returned and made their way to the police station. “Oh,” said the
officer when he saw Dr. Kim, “we have changed our mind and you can have your
meeting!”

As I went back to the hotel I reflected that I had never fasted like that. Perhaps I had
never desired a work of God with the same intensity... His body is marked by many
40 day fasts during his long spiritual leadership of God’s work in Asia. Also,
however, I haven’t seen the miracles of Dr. Kim has.
Dr. Lundquist said that in the later years of his ministry he found a modified
fast very helpful in his life and work. He said,

Instead of taking an hour for lunch I use the time to go to a prayer room, usually the
Flame Room in nearby Bethel Theological Seminary. There I spend my lunch break in
fellowship with God and in prayer. And I have learned a very personal dimension to
what Jesus declared, “I have had meat to eat ye know not of.”
Foundational Texts for the Practice of Fasting
Matthew 6:16-18
“Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they
neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are
fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. “But you, when you
fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be
noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees
what is done in secret will reward you.”

Matthew 9:14-17 rsv

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees
fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding
guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come,
when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. And no
one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away
from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old
wineskins; if it is, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are
destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are
preserved.”

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, ([New York: Harper and Row,

Publishers, 1978], p. 46) on Matthew 9:15:
That is perhaps the most important statement in the New Testament on whether
Christians should fast today.
But What About the Tension Between Verses 15 and 17?
The great central, decisive act of salvation for us today is past, not future. And
on the basis of that past work of the Bridegroom, nothing can ever be the same
again. The blood is shed. The Lamb is slain. The punishment of or sins is
executed. Death is defeated. The Spirit is sent. The wine is new. And the old
fasting mindset is simply not adequate.

What’s new about the fasting is that it rests on all this finished work of the
Bridegroom. The yearning that we feel for revival or awakening or deliverance
from corruption or the mere presence of the Bridegroom is not merely longing
and aching. The first fruits of what we long for have already come. The down
payment of what we yearn for is already paid. The fullness that we are longing
for and fasting for has appeared in history and we have beheld his glory. It is
not merely future. We have tasted the manifestation of Christ’s glory, and our
fasting is not because we are hungry for something we have not tasted, but
because the new wine of Christ’s presence is so real and so satisfying.

The Newness of Our Fasting Is This

Its intensity comes not because we have never tasted the wine of Christ’s
presence, but because we have tasted it so wonderfully by his Spirit and
cannot now be satisfied until the consummation of joy arrives.

What Do We Long for and Experience in This New Fasting?

Matthew 6:16-18 rsv (God-focus, not man-focus)
And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure
their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have
received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your
face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in
secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Act 13:1-3 rsv (worship and prayer)

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas,
Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the
court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord
and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the
work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid
their hands on them and sent them off.

NOTE: This fasting was 1) after Christ’s departure, and 2) in a group.

The Essence of Fasting: Hunger for God

Revelation 21:6
Then He [God] said to me [John], “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of
the water of life without cost.”

Revelation 22:17
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.”
And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of
life without cost.

Isaiah 55:1-3
“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money
come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost.
“Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what
does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight
yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may
live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the
faithful mercies shown to David.

John 6:26-29
Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not
because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do
not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to
eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God,
has set His seal.” Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we
may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the
work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

Psalm 63:1-3
O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my
flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I
have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because
Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You.

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 34:8
O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge
in Him!

John 6:35
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not
hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

Concluding Summary
Bread magnifies Christ in two ways: by being eaten with gratitude for his goodness,
and by being forfeited out of hunger for God himself. When we eat, we taste the
emblem of our heavenly food – the Bread of Life. And when we fast we say, “I love
the Reality above the emblem.” In the heart of the saint both eating and fasting are
worship. Both magnify Christ. Both send the heart – grateful and yearning – to the
Giver. Each has its appointed place and each has its danger. The danger of eating is
that we fall in love with the gift; the danger of fasting is that we belittle the gift and
glory in our will-power. (A Hunger for God, p. 21)
Joy in God is the strength to walk with Jesus from the wilderness to the cross and into
eternal life. But maintaining that joy against its most subtle and innocent rivals is a
lifelong struggle. And in that struggle fasting, the humble, hungry handmaid of faith is
an emissary of grace. She comes to every fast with the same words: “Though the fig
tree should not blossom . . . and the fields produce no food, yet I will exult in the
Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:17
Fasting is peculiarly suited to glorify God. It is fundamentally an offering of
emptiness to God in hope. It is a sacrifice of need and hunger. It says, by its very
nature, “Father, I am empty, but you are full. I am hungry, but you are the Bread of
Heaven. I am thirsty, but you are the Fountain of Life. I am weak, but you are strong.
I am poor, but you are rich. I am foolish, but you are wise. I am broken, but you are
whole. I am dying, but your steadfast love is better than life.” When God sees this
confession of need and this expression of trust, he acts, because the glory of his all-
sufficient grace is at stake. The final answer is that God rewards fasting because
fasting expresses the cry of the heart that nothing on the earth can satisfy our souls
besides God. God must reward this cry because God is most glorified in us when we
are most satisfied in him. (A Hunger for God, pp. 180-181)
A Final Testimony
In more recent times the evangelical church in South Korea has taught the rest of the
world a lesson in prayer and fasting. The first Protestant church was planted in Korea
in 1884. One hundred years later there were 30,000 churches. That’s an average of
300 new churches a year for 100 years. Today evangelicals comprise about 30% of
the population. God has used many means to do this great work. One of them is a
recovery not just of dynamic prayer, but of fasting-prayer. In the OMS (Overseas
Missionary Society) churches alone more than 20,000 people have completed a forty-
day fast – usually at one of their “prayer houses” in the mountains. (Wesley
Duewel, Mighty Prevailing Prayer, [Grand Rapids: Francis Asbury Press, 1990], p.
192).

APPENDIX ONE: TEN REASONS TO MEDITATE ON AND PRAY OVER

BIBLICAL TRUTH
1. Biblical Truth Saves
Take heed to yourself and to your doctrine; hold to that, for by so doing you
will save both yourself and your hearers (1 Timothy 4:16 rsv).
2. Biblical Truth Frees from Satan
And you will know the truth and the truth will make you free (John 8:32).
3. Biblical Truth Imparts Grace and Peace
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and Savior,
Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:2).
4. Biblical Truth Sanctifies
Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth (John 17:17).
5. Biblical Truth Serves Love
“It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge
and all discernment” (Philippians 1:9 rsv).
6. Biblical Truth Protects from Error
Attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God . . . so
that we may no longer be . . . carried to and fro by every wind of doctrine
(Ephesians 4:13-14 rsv).
7. Biblical Truth Is the Hope of Heaven
Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully
understood (1 Corinthians 13:12).
8. Biblical Truth Will be Resisted by Some
The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having
itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own
likings (2 Timothy 4:3 rsv).
9. Biblical Truth, Rightly Handled, Is Approved by God.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has
no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15
rsv).

10. Biblical Truth: Continue to Grow in It!

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter
3:18).

APPENDIX TWO: NINE WAYS TO PRAY FOR YOUR SOUL; PRAYING IN

SYNC WITH THE WAY GOD WORKS
1. For the Desire of my Heart to Be toward God and His Word
Psalm 119:36
Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to dishonest gain.

2. For the Eyes of my Heart to Be Opened

Psalm 119:18
Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.

3. For my Heart to Be Enlightened with these “Wonders”

Ephesians 1:18
[I pray] that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.

4. For my Heart to Be United, not Divided, for God

Psalm 86:11
O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.
5. For my Heart to Be Satisfied with God and not with the World
Psalm 90:14 rsv
O satisfy us in the morning with Your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and
be glad all our days.

6. For Strength in this Joy, and Endurance During the Dark Seasons
Ephesians 3:16
[I pray that God] would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be
strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.

7. For Visible Good Deeds and Works of Love to Others

Colossians 1:10
[I pray that you] will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord...bearing fruit in
every good work.

8. For God to Be Glorified

Matthew 6:9
Hallowed be thy name.

9. In Jesus’ Name
Romans 8:32 rsv
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also
give us all things with him?

APPENDIX THREE: SIX AIMS FOR FASTING

1. For Jesus to Come Back
Matthew 9:14-15
Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the
Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “The
attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with
them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away
from them, and then they will fast.”

2. For Help in a New Venture in Ministry

Matthew 4:1-2
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the
devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became
hungry.

Acts 13:3
Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they
sent them away.

3. To Avert Some Danger or Threat

Ezra 8:21
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble
ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little
ones, and all our possessions.

2 Samuel 12:16
David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David fasted and went and
lay all night on the ground.

4. To Express Sorrow and Loss

2 Samuel 1:12
They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son
Jonathan and for the people of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they
had fallen by the sword

1 Chronicles 10:12
All the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his
sons and brought them to Jabesh, and they buried their bones under the oak
in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

5. To Express Repentance and Grief for Sin

Joel 2:12-13
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “Return to Me with all your heart, And with
fasting, weeping and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments.”
Now return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow
to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil.

6. Not for the Praise of Men

Matthew 6:16-18
Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they
neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are
fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you
fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be
noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees
what is done in secret will reward you.