Posted on September 26, 2016 by Steven Richichi

Supernatural Direction

Acts 12:25 (ESV) And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark. Barnabas and Saul returned to Antioch which had become a spiritual center for ministry to the Gentiles, even as Jerusalem was a center of ministry to the Jews.  Saul and Barnabas returned from the mission of bringing relief to Jerusalem only to be sent out again by the Holy Ghost. Acts 11:27-30 (ESV)  Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.  The church was originally established in Jerusalem.  Antioch was a center of Christian faith for the Gentiles.

Acts 13:1-4  Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 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.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.  4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.  After they returned to Antioch, as they ministered to the Lord and fasted the Holy Ghost gave them directions.  They were sent out, not went out.

Jesus said his disciples would fast after he left, and that the fasting would prepare them for new illumination. Matthew 9:14-17 (ESV)  Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 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. 16 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. 17 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.”

Proverbs 4:23 (ESV)  Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.  Fasting is affliction of the soul to allow the spirit man to predominate and be sensitive to spiritual things. A decision to be spiritually minded, single minded on God.  Removes the load of operating the body.

  1. Tunes you in to the spirit where the will of God is found, instead of the natural realm.  The cure for unbelief. Matthew 17:14-20 (ESV) And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”  Prayer and fasting was mentioned as the cure in Mark 9:29 Casting out demons was not something new for the disciples.  How do you lose your faith?  You start looking at things other than God.
  1. Isaiah 58:6-11 (ESV) Is not this the fast that I choose:  to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?  7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?  8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.  9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,  10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.  11 And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.  Fasting is not just abstaining from food, although that is one kind of fasting. 
  1. v. 6  Loose bands of wickedness – sin and bad habits.  Break free from oppression.  Break every yoke – things that bind you. Spiritual release. Isa. 10:27 Anointing breaks yoke.
  1. V.  7  Share your bread and home.  Fast selfishness.
  1. v. 8  THEN Light – specific direction.  Health – speedily. The spirit heals the body.
  1. v.9  Speedy answers to prayer.

Hebrews 12:1 No one has to tell you what your sin is.  You know it.  You make a decision to sin or not. 

2 Chronicles 20:1-4  Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast when threatened by his enemies.

  1. 2 Chronicles 20:13-17 The Spirit came upon Jahaziel and the Holy Ghost spoke.
  1. God turned a certain defeat into an overwhelming victory!  2 Chronicles 20:24-25 (ESV)  When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much.

How do you begin a fast?  Daniel 9:1-3 (ESV) In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.  3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

  1. Make a DECISION to do it. The length and what you fast is up to you. Daniel fasted “pleasant bread.”  Daniel 10:2-3
  1. Decide what you’re fasting for, your “reward.” Don’t act weird thinking you’re being “spiritual.”  Matthew 6:16-18 (ESV) And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
  1. Be in the Word and prayer; SEEK the Lord.  Jeremiah 29:13-14 (ESV) You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord,

1 Peter 2:2-3 (NKJV) As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.