Thursday, January 26, 2006

all night prayer service Friday January 27, 2006, at 10:00 PM EST

40 days Presence Driven Life phase

Dear 40 days Presence Driven Life phase

 

The 40 days Presence Driven Life project is growing. Participants have included members from Florida, New York City, New Jersey, Texas On Friday January 27, 2006 10:00 PM EST, I will be in an all night prayer service with Sarah Cranford. I believe that some of the issues that (you) we are praying about will be realized only by prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:20-21 But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.

 

The focus of the 40 days Presence Driven Life of the all-night prayer and fasting will be the manifest movement of God in our lives, our churches life, and our families lives. We will petition God to bring it close. The focus of the 40 days Presence Driven Life is to manifest a movement of God in our midst. Therefore, we have de emphasized reading text or giving test. We believe that His presence manifest amongst us-His presence is the balm that will make us whole

 

I am requesting that the New York Area participants join me at the Friday January 27, 2006, at 10:00 PM EST all night prayer service with Sarah Cranford. I realize that the 40 days Presence Driven Life members are in different time zones. So, I am asking everyone to consider dedicating Friday January 27, 2006 to prayer and fasting in conjunction with us

 

I am also encouraging members who can not attend the entire night participate with us part of the evening.

PMB/Phil

 

Click here: Fasting

 

http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/CBNTeachingSheets/Fasting.asp

 

Different Kinds of Fasts

There are various kinds of fasts:

  • the absolute fast, which is without water or food and needs to be approached with careful consideration as you are led by the Holy Spirit;
  • the normal fast, which is without food for a limited time -- one day up to seven, and sometimes even forty days, but with water or liquids;
  • the partial fast, which is a limited diet like going without tea, coffee, delectable fare, non-vegetarian, breakfast, or any of the meals during the day for a period of time; and
  • going without sleep for a night, spending it in prayer.

Fasting needs to be accompanied by prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit. If we make an outward show of fasting, expecting sympathy from people around us, then Jesus says that our motives are not right and it is, in fact, hypocritical and motivated by self-interest. We can go about our daily routine without making a show of fasting and have moments of prayer if our schedule is busy. The idea is not to make an issue about personal fasting, whether with lack of food or lack of sleep, but to go about your daily business with a normal attitude. We are called to fast in secret with a desire to hunger for God and His presence in our lives. Such a selfless attitude enables our prayers to be heard and answered as well. God sees the sincerity of our heart and He is pleased when our motive is simply to do our best to love Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Abstinence from food and/or drink as an element of private or public religious devotion. Fasting is nowhere commanded in the Torah and, in fact, is never attested earlier than the time of the judges of (cf. Judges 20:26). The fact that Jesus and the disciples sanctioned it by their own example (Matt 4:2; Acts 13:2-3), however, is sufficient justification for its practice in biblical times and, in fact, in modern times as well. The Hebrew verb sum [Wx] is the only one used to describe fasting as a religious exercise. It (and its cognate noun som [/x]) conveys the explicit meaning "to abstain from food" and thus occurs regularly as a technical religious term. The Greek verb nesteuo [nhsteuvw] and its companion noun nesteia [nhsteiva] occur consistently in the Septuagint as translations of Hebrew sum [Wx] and som [/x] and as the usual terms for fasting in the New Testament.

 

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