SLIDE:  Prayer & Fasting

 

SLIDE:  Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 6:5-18

 

Jonathan… please try to keep these to 3 slides…

 

Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

 

Matthew 6:9-13 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

 

Matthew 6:16-18 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others 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.

 

hypocrite Greek word hypokrites, which means “stage actor, pretender,  (a PLASTER SAINT) dictionary.com

 

When you pray:   When you fast

 

“FLESH”  says… show me off!  In secret!

 

 

SLIDE: Humility = Prayer + Fasting 

Psalm 35:13 I put on sackcloth and humbled myself

(my soul) with fasting.

 

Daniel 9:3 So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.

 

SOUL:  Mind will emotion  (humbled my SOUL)

Body, Soul, Spirit

Soul = mind, will, emotion

 

SoulCare:  Mondays ______  and Wednesdays ______

 

Fasting + Sackcloth and Ashes

Course animal hair & dirty

Outward appearance matching inward state.

Mourning and repentance.

 

 

PRAYER & FASTING

 

What does prayer say?

 

When do people pray?

 

In a crisis!  Foxhole religion!

 

Y?  We realize we cannot do it all! Smart enough. Strong enough.  Human limitations.

 

Prayer = is a spiritual admission of this!

 

What does fasting say?

 

Fasting –  Soul & Body   (NO!)  FOOD.

 

God’s  appointed way to humble ourselves.

 

dependence, frailty and humanness  (you aint ALL THAT)

 

SERIOUS STUFF!!

 

SLIDE:  Jesus on humility      

Luke 14:11 “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

 

Satan reached for equality with God and fell.

 

Jesus humbled himself

 

SLIDE: Jesus’ Humility  Philippians 2:8-9 

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

 

 

SLIDE: Humble Yourself   

1 Peter 5:5-6 All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

 

“God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.”(Proverbs 3:34)

 

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

 

Abstaining from food for a spiritual purpose

 

Why fast?

 

1. God’s way for me to humble myself before HIM

(fasting shows me my weaknesses) PRIDE

 

2. The intentionally reset my priorities (spiritual FIRST)

 

3. To see change in an area that is “stuck”

 

When you do what you have always done you get what you have always gotten.

 

Direction?  An area of sin.  A specific situation

 

4. So that I am prepared for what God has for me.

 

 

Fasting –AND- Prayer    (cutting weight wrestling)

 

SLIDE:  21 Days (app image)

 

Weekly Email:  Fill out Name on Tear OFF

 

SLIDE:  Prayer Card IMAGE

 

 

– NOT followers of Jesus-  Jesus fasted and prayed