Oh, the art of worship, prayer, and fasting! Does it have significance? You betcha! What does fasting do? It fine-tunes our ears to hear the Lord better. Here’s an example:
In the church in Antioch, “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. So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13: 2-3)
Paul’s first missionary journey did not result from a planning session but from the Spirit’s initiative as the leaders worshiped. I love this! God communicates while and when we focus on Him.
The Holy Spirit was the one who said, Go! “The two of them, (Saul and Barnabas) sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.” (Acts 13: 4) John went with them as their helper.
They traveled throughout the whole island until they came to Paphos. This place was the headquarters of the Roman rule. There was a false prophet, a Jewish sorcerer, named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul. He sent for Saul and Barnabas because he wanted to hear the word of God. There was another man named Elymas, another sorcerer who opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.
The Holy Spirit speaks through Saul (Paul) and looks straight at Elymas and said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery.” (Acts 13: 9-10)
- Sorcerers and occult people are attracted to the anointing. They are among us and come to wreak havoc.
Saul then says to Elymas, through the Holy Spirit, “Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun.” (Acts 13: 10-11)
Well, it happened as Saul said it would, Elymus was seeking someone to lead him by the hand as he left. Saul and his companions sailed to Perga, leaving John to return to Jerusalem. When they arrive in Perga they enter a synagogue on the Sabbath. The Synagogue rulers sent word to them saying, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.” (Acts 13: 15)
Bringing a message of encouragement, Paul stands up and addresses the people, telling them of their forefathers and their deliverance out of Egypt. Then he speaks of David, the son of Jesse, who was obedient to the Lord. “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior, Jesus, as he promised.” (Acts 13: 23)
He then speaks of John who was completing his work, who said, “The one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” (Acts 13: 25)
- As a believer, we walk in the footsteps of Jesus. We are his hands and his feet. (Taken from Acts 13: 1-25, Paraphrased)
Job Remembers: Job is remembering when things weren’t so rough. He says, “Oh for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house.” (Job 29: 4)
He was recalling, “I was like one who comforts mourners…” (Job 29: 25) Now he was a mourner.
- Reflection is good, but don’t get stuck there. God has something ahead that we may not see yet. Job didn’t realize that restoration was coming. (Taken from Job 29, Paraphrased)
No days of mourning for Joshua. “The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The country was brought under their control, but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.” (Joshua 18: 1-2)
- The place of worship was established, yes! God always meant for a place of worship to be established in our lives.
The one tribe that did not get an allotment was, “The Levites did not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance.” (Joshua 18: 7)
The Israelites finalized giving the land allotments among the Tribes. And so they finished dividing the land.
God has a set place, a set time, and an established time for things. Making an established time of worship, prayer and fasting honors the Lord in His purposes and aligns with His will.
- If we want to know the will of the Lord for our life, start with worship.
UNBROKEN LOVE SERIES
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