RUSSELL SANDERS

1-23-2024

THE POWER FROM FASTING AND PRAYER

PART 4

THE BENEFITS – LESSON 2

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The second benefit I previously listed is the purification of body, soul, and spirit; that is our complete being. This purification is important because we, our whole person, are the temple of the Holy Spirit, with the indwelling life of Jesus Christ.

The body gets purified through fasting and prayer. The normal diet causes impurities in our physical bodies. As we fast, eating nothing and drinking only water, the water flushes the impurities from our bodies. We achieve a purified body with a fast of at least four days or longer. Our “temple” is cleaned.

The soul gets purified through fasting also. As we fast and pray, our desires and our daily thoughts or reasonings come into alignment with God’s word. Our undesirable strongholds are broken. God’s words and plans become foremost in our minds.

The spirit, our own human spirit, aligns closely with the Holy Spirit. This alignment close to the Holy Spirit opens the way to the next five benefits we shall study. Understand that these five benefits may be experienced by any Spirit-filled believer without the need for fasting, depending on the depth of your own personal experience in Jesus. However, if you have come short on these five manifestations (benefits) then fasting is the best way to attain those benefits.

What are those five benefits? Review yesterday’s lesson. (click here) They are numbered 3-7. We will continue our study on those five benefits tomorrow.



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HELEN SANDERS

1-23-2024

WHAT GOD REQUIRES OF MAN

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In Micah 6:8 it says, “He hath shewed (showed) thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

The LORD (Yhovah) has some requirements for us, and as we yield to them. Since God is asking this of us, it should be our daily goal to achieve these things. 

Knowing that God has shown these to us dismisses the idea that one can say they never had an opportunity to know God. This scripture plainly says he has shown these things to each of us. 

The first of the three things is to do justly. Justly comes from justice which means a verdict, whether it is favorable or unfavorable. It is a formal decree, a divine law for individuals or as a collective body. It would include the act, the place, what is brought to trial and the crime. God’s word is the final authority for justice. It is not man’s opinion that counts. If God proclaims what is truth, then let His justice prevail, and let it prevail through us.

The second requirement is to love mercy. God showed us His mercy when he allowed Jesus to die for our sin. Jesus paid the price for sin with his shed blood, so we do not have to. We should be merciful to others. We should give them the same grace that God gives us. Since we reap what we sow, then if we show mercy then we shall receive mercy. Matthew 5:7 says, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.” Notice we receive mercy only when we give mercy first. There is way too much condemnation coming from the body of Christ, rather than the hand of mercy. 

The third requirement is to walk humbly with God. This means we do not value ourselves more than others. We see ourselves as servants for the Lord rather than wanting to be elevated to a position of control. You also notice it says walking humbly with God. If we walk with God continuously, we will hear the voice of the Spirit, convicting us of any pride that may come from the success of the world. God’s idea of success is faithfulness. It is not about us; it is about God.

Doing these three things should be at the top of our daily goals. Yes, we often fail, but we strive to do these things not for our own benefit, but to please God. He calls them requirements, so we should desire to do them without any hesitation.