Sat, 28 Feb 2026 11:34:11 -0800WeeblySat, 09 Oct 2010 10:46:02 GMThttp://www.globallifechurchusvi.org/orals-blog/-hosting-the-holy-spirit-through-prayer-and-fastingHosting The Holy Spirit Through Prayer and Fasting
                             Introduction
Fasting is an integral part of hosting the Holy Spirit in continual worship and prayer. Fasting changes hearts: families, churches, islands, cities and nations.
Purpose of Fasting

1. To Chasten the Soul
a. “When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.” Ps. 69::10 (chastenedto
discipline)

2. To Humble the Soul a. “I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.” Ps.35:13b.

3. To Seek the Lord
a. 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. ( 2Chron.20:3,4)

4. To Prepare for Spiritual Warfare
a. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting Matt. 17:21
What to Pray for During these Times of Prayer and
Fasting:

1. Pray with fervent strong desire for the release of God’s presence in our corporate body.

2. Pray that we return to our first love

3. Seek God for personal breakthrough and corporate revival

4. Let us fast and pray to regain the fire and passion for God

5. Pray for personal cleansing

6. Pray for a deeper relationship with God
What to Pray for During these Times of Prayer and Fasting

7. Fast and pray for one another

8. *Fast and pray for souls to be saved. Question. Do you believe in Hell? God is depending on you during this season to cry out for your lost loved
ones. You are the mediator between that person and Hell. Pray! Pray! Pray!There Is A Reward For Those Who Fast

1. Matt. 6: 1618
NIV 16″When you fast, do not look somber as the
hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I
tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when youfast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you..
2. Heb. 11:6 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.
There is a reward from God to those who fast.
_____________________________________________________________
B. Return To the Lord
One way to return to the Lord is by prayer and fasting
Joel 2:12 “Even now,” declares the LORD,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning”
Fasting is a God given means for returning to our first love, it is a prescription for seeking Him with all our hearts.We return to God with all our harts with prayer, fasting, weeping and
mourning. *Isa.58 reveals God’s heart and promises concerning corporate fasting.
Isa.58:8, NIV “your healing will quickly appear”

1. Corporate health can quickly be released to a church in a season
of true humility and repentance expressed in fasting.
The Lord Instituted public fasts for the well being of His people.
a. Zech.8:19 NIV This is what the LORD Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and
peace.”

b. Fasting in our local church could be high days indeed of feasting on
the presence of the Lord.

Reasons Why We Fast

1. Fasting masters the old man, subjugating the flesh (I Cor. 9:27,) and
is *mortification of the flesh and members (Col. 3:5.)

a. 1Cor.9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it
into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway
b. Col.3:5 AMP, So kill (deaden, [a] deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity,
sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God).

2. Fasting pleases the Spirit. The flesh and the Spirit are at enmity with each other. Reasons Why We Fast

3. *Fasting is the most sure spiritual method to bring a revival. A revival begins in our heart first, and then one comes about in the community. Souls
become saved

4. Fasting becomes prayer to the praying Christian.
When unable to pray (like David,) it enables one to be so anointed that his prayer reaches through to God. Ps. 35:13: “I humbled my soul with fasting
and my prayer returned unto. my bosom.”

5. Fasting intensifies the power of prayer many times so that even short prayers bring results.

Types of Fasts

Elmer Towns outlines various types of biblical fasts and their purposes in his
book, Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough.

1. Ezra fast, a corporate fast for protection (Ezra 8:22).

2. The Elijah fast is an individual fast to cry out for God’s help in time of trouble and discouragement. 1Kings 19:18

3. The Disciples’ fast is for spiritual power to exercise authority over the demonic (Matthew 17:21)

4. The Saint Paul fast is an individual fast for increased light—for an opening of the eyes of the heart (Acts 9: 17–19).

5. Esther fast God’s covenant people agreed together to fast for deliverance from danger and evil in the Esther fast (Esther 4:16)

6. The Samuel Fast To bring evangelism and revival . “ so they gathered together at Mizpah , drew water, and poured it out before the Lord. And they
fasted that day” 1Sam. 7: 6.

My prayer is during this time of prayer, fasting and consecration God will give us the
grace to host the Holy Spirit; in our lives and in our churches.


 Pastor Oral Hazell, Global Life
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