Tuesday, December 8, 2009

FASTING FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD

Posted by George Soepboer Sr.

Fasting for the people of God.

In the Old Testament time people fasted to show God that they were sorry for the sins by God. Through their fasting they looked for mercy by God and to be forgiven of their sins by God.
( 1 King 21:27-29 )( Nehemiah 1:4-7 )
( Nehemiah 9:1-3 )( Daniel 9:3 )
( Joel 2:12-17 )( Jonah 3:3-10 ).

When people fast without truly showing sorrow for their sins by God then their fasting is hated by God.
( Isaiah chapter 58and 59 )( Zechariah 7:1-14 ).

The only fasting that is accepted by God must come from a open heart to God and a humble mind that truly seeks the will of God, all other fasting is rejected by God.
( Psalms 35:11-14 )( Ester 4:3 )( Daniel 9:3-6 ).

Christians have received a new life within from God by the indwelling of the Spirit of God therefore they must not live in the old ways of God but they must live in their new life with God, because Christians are renewed within by God, for Christians have received the Spirit within of God therefore they must live by the Spirit of God.
( Matthew 9:16-17 )( Mark 2:21-22 )( Luke 5:36-39 ).

Christians may fast but our fasting may only be known by God without showing other people that we are fasting for God.
( Matthew 6:16-18 )

By our fasting we also may not show how religious we are to God for all of that is the work of evil it is hated by God, only a open heart and a humble mind is accepted by God.
( Luke 18:9-14 ).

We never have anything to boast about by God for it is only by the grace of God that we may come to God.
( Ephesians 2:8-9 ).

Christians may fast, but Christians do not have to fast to show their grieve to God for the wrong they did to God. But when we fast then we must seek the grace of God, for it is only by the grace of God through Jesus Christ the Son of God that we can be forgiven of our sins by God and that we are accepted by God. There is no other way to be forgiven of our sins by God and to be accepted by God.
( John 1:12 )( John 3:16-18 )( John 14:6 )
( 1 John 2:22-23 )( 1 John 5:11-12 ).

If we seek forgiveness by God with or without fasting we must show true sorrow for the sins we did to God, and we must have a willingness to change our way of life and change our heart to God only then will we be accepted by God. Not through our fasting or anything else we do for God will make us right with God, but God looks at the hearts of people when they seek to draw near to God.
( James 4:8-10 ).

Our fasting must be accompanied by praying to God to show our dependence of God, for we cannot do things on our own, but we need God.
( Mark 9:28-29 ).

Our fasting and praying may not make us proud before God, but our fasting and praying must show that we come humbly before God to receive grace from God. Without the grace of God no one will ever be accepted by God. Therefore we must not seek our strength in our fasting and praying to God, but through our fasting and praying we must humble ourselves before God and seek our strength by God by placing our faith in God.
( Matthew 17:19-21 ).

When we pray to God then we must pray with a humble mind and heart and with thanksgiving to God to receive grace from God.
( Philippians 4:6 ).

For it is only through a humble mind and heart full of love for God that we will receive the grace we need from God, not by our fasting and praying we do to God.
( Matthew 7:7-8 )( John 15:7 )( John 16:23-24 ).

If we do not truly humble ourselves before God and our heart is not full of love for God then we will not receive anything from God when we ask things from God.
( James 4:1-10 ).

Therefore, when we pray to God then we must always seek the will of God, for only when we are humble before God are we welcome by God.
( 1 John 5:14 ).

Jesus the Son of God also lived on this world that way with God, Jesus did not seek His own will when He prayed to God but Jesus prayed for the will of God.
( Matthew 26:36-44 ).

If we do not know how to pray then we must ask for wisdom from God how to pray to God, if we humbly ask God for wisdom to pray to God then we will receive that wisdom from God.
( James 1:5 ).

If we fast or pray without seeking the will of God then our heart is not right with God, for then we only seek to exploit God without living for God. When we truly live for God then we always seeks the will of God.
( Acts 13:1-3 )( Acts 14:23 ).

We also may never place any hope for salvation by God through our fasting and the praying we do to God. Our fasting and praying must only show our humility before God, but our fasting and praying will never make us acceptable by God, for it is only by the grace of God that we are accepted by God, and that we are forgiven of our sins by God.
( Ephesians 2:8-9 ).

Our fasting and praying will also never bring us into heaven by God. Only through Jesus the Son of God can we receive salvation by God and are we accepted in heaven by God, not by our fasting and praying we do to God.
( Revelation 7:9-15 ).

We must pray for that grace of salvation from God through Jesus the Son of God if we wish to receive that grace from God, but it is never by our works of fasting and praying we do to God that we are forgiven of our sins by God and that we receive salvation from God, but it is a gift from God through Jesus Christ the Son of God to everyone who humbly begs for that grace by God.
( Ephesians 2:4-9 ).

Jesus Christ the Son of God paid for that grace for us by God when He died on the cross to remove the sins that stand between us and God.
( Hebrews 9:24-26 ).

We may fast to show to God that we are truly sorry for our sins that we have done to God, and we may fast to seek the will and way of God. But if we fast to demonstrate our religious life to people and to God then our fasting is hated by God.
( Matthew 6:16 )( Luke 18:9-14)

But if we humbly and truly fast and pray to show our sorrow to God for the sins we have done to God and show by our fasting that we are willing to obey God, then our fasting and our prayers will be accepted by God.
( 2 Chronicles 7:14 ).

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