Sermon. Fasting Practice
Scripture References: Isaiah 58:3–8; 1 Thessalonians 5:12–24
Beloved ones who are devoted to this
day of fasting! May you all receive the full
blessings of true fasting! Amen.
Prayer: Our Father who is on the earth! Our
Father who is in heaven!
O Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! We give You many thanks for being
present in our gathering at this moment. We even thank You, Father, for
allowing Satan to be aware of this gathering. Whatever meetings we conduct,
even Satan must see them. Therefore, it is good that You permit him to observe.
This meeting, which is aimed at overthrowing his efforts and his kingdom,
should be seen by him and his forces. In the same way, Your angels and the
citizens of heaven must also come to witness meetings where Your believers
are building Your kingdom. Bring them with You, Lord. Also, bring the
spirits of those on earth who have been granted spiritual gifts—let them see
what is happening here, because this work must also be seen by them. Tonight,
when it is declared that a meeting is happening here, let those who hear about
it bring with them those whom You desire to be present. But do not allow
those You do not desire to attend. If they happen to arrive, gently lead them
away.Now, O Lord, whatever You intend to speak to us, please speak it
clearly. Open the ears of our hearts so that we may receive and cherish Your
words. As it is written, “He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to
the churches.” Bless every child, every adult, every Christian and
non-Christian gathered here by name, one by one. This prayer we offer
through our Lord who is coming soon—hear us, O Lord. Amen.
1.
To the believers who have come to listen to strong and serious messages—listen
carefully.
My first message is about fasting.
You may have already heard these things in other gatherings, from the Bible, or
in Sannidhi (devotional) meetings. Some of you may not have heard them. The
teachings that the Lord Jesus gave about fasting in those Sannidhi meetings may
have been explained even better by others than I can.
The first message
is on fasting,
the second
on tithing,
the third
on Gospel
proclamation,
the fourth
on the establishment
of prayer gatherings, and
the fifth
on the Second
Coming of the Lord.
All five of these messages are deeply necessary for believers.
Fasting:
What is fasting?
Fasting prayer is not merely refraining from food but involves laboring
intensely in prayer, to the point of sweating and deep spiritual effort. It
means setting aside all regular work and avoiding any distractions that
prevent you from being fully present in the fasting prayer gathering. One must
stay fully occupied, resisting idleness, and refrain from whispering or
chatting during the meeting. Instead, one must remain deeply committed and
focused on the Lord with reverence. Even the tendency to ask others what they
received in the meeting should be avoided. When demonic spirits appear, they
must be cast out boldly, with spiritual authority. For example, just as
a viper in the wilderness, which has never seen a human, strikes the
ground with its head when it does—so also, when demonic spirits see such
intense gatherings, they tremble and flee. This is the kind of powerful
spiritual warfare that defines a true fasting prayer day. On such a day, one
should refrain from food, water, or even leaving the premises unless absolutely
necessary. Fasting also includes acts of charity: offering a portion of
your food—or even all of it—to the poor, the sick, the elderly, and the
unemployed. This practice is clearly outlined by the prophets in the Bible.
Even Jesus Himself ministered to the poor, the sick, the aged, and the
jobless—providing for their needs. When God brings such people before us, and
we assist them, that moment becomes a true fasting moment. Moreover, if
individuals from food donation organizations come and ask for help—saying,
“Sir, you are Christians, could you help us in any way?”—responding to them
counts as ministering to the poor in God's sight. Additionally, if you've just
eaten, cleaned the dishes, and are about to rest when suddenly a relative,
friend, or neighbor arrives unexpectedly—be it during the day or night
(like the friend in the Bible who came at midnight asking for bread)—if you do
not grumble but serve them as though serving the Lord, that is true
hospitality, and also counts as fasting. At that moment, your guest becomes
one of the poor. There are seven kinds of poor described here. Even if
someone in debt comes and pleads, asking for help with the promise to repay
later—offering help to the extent you're able, that too is true fasting.
Sometimes, even the oppressors or wrongdoers may come and ask for help.
Their coming indicates that the time of the Lord's return is near, and
so even such people must be helped. That’s why such spiritual gatherings are
needed—to receive strength and divine grace for these actions. When
someone comes for help, and you have no money or resources left, you can still
say: “Brother, I don’t have anything at the moment, but I will pray that God
provides it for you. My Lord will surely hear my prayer.” As it is written in John
14:14, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it,” so do not be
discouraged. Encourage the person, pray for them, and send them off with faith.
Even if they were skeptical at first, they will leave comforted. This is not
limited to this Tuesday alone—such gatherings must be held every
Tuesday regularly, to live out this kind of spiritual lifestyle. 9)
This is very terrifying—more terrifying than anything else. You may not
believe it, but these are the final type of poor—and they are the most
important. It is the Lord Jesus Himself who comes in the form of the poor,
appearing even in the likeness of a leper, to show people that
sicknesses have come as a result of human sin and their personal disobedience.
When the Lord comes in such a form, if you fail to recognize Him and miss that
divine moment, you become spiritually unfortunate and utterly poor. If you look
closely and discern deeply, a light will be seen in the eyes of that beggar
(if the sick person is actually the Lord, this light may not be visible to
everyone—but only to you). Then, if you recognize Him and say, “Lord, I
worship You!” He may take your alms but then disappear mysteriously,
revealing that He was the Lord. Another kind of poor person are those who act
violently—who forcibly snatch food from your plate. But if you are in
prayer, the Lord will not let such aggressors harm you (listen to this word
carefully—stay in prayer). When such poor come to you, take a moment, go
inside and pray—ask the Lord whether you should give or not. If that person
is truly poor, he will remain until you return. But if that person is
the Lord Himself, He will leave while you are praying. Some may ask for
a piece of cloth, some may ask for curd rice, and some may sit silently in
front of your house. Be careful. Be very discerning in these matters.
10)
When you are traveling,
you may come across someone—be it the Lord Himself, or an angel, or a
heavenly saint—who will sit quietly beside you, gently looking around with
great humility. If you are a true believer, recognize that this is the form
of the Lord Jesus. I am telling you what is written in Matthew chapter
25. Be watchful. The Lord's return is near, and these kinds of encounters will
soon increase—some are already happening today. Since they are happening
and will continue to happen, be careful and vigilant. In this way, these are ten
types of poor people. When you try to offer them something, some may refuse
to accept, saying, “No, it’s okay.” Do not be discouraged. These moments
are divine tests of love, humility, and spiritual discernment.
While
traveling from Poona to Daund Station, in one of the train compartments were
military personnel. Among them was a man who looked like an Anglo-Indian.
As the soldiers did not offer him a seat, he stood silently in a corner of the
compartment. Then, turning to those in the compartment, he asked, “Do you
know for whom this world is being revealed?” and immediately disappeared
from sight. In this manner, the Lord visits us many times—to test us, to
teach us through experience, and to awaken our spiritual understanding. This
meeting was arranged so that such experiences would become part of your
spiritual life. May the Lord Jesus Christ Himself teach you through these
divine experiences, grant you His timely visitations, give you the wisdom
and discernment to recognize Him, enlighten your understanding, and establish
you firmly in His glory. Amen.
This
message was preached by Father Devadasu Ayyagaru on September 16,
1958, during a fasting day gathering
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