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Name of Assembly: United Apostolic Church

Type of service: Bible Study

Date: January 17th, 2023

Topic: “The Effectual Fervent Prayer”

Scripture Text: James 5:16-18

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit” – James 5:16-18.

“1 Kings 17:1And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word....” – 1 Kings 18:41-45 41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, 43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. 44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not. 45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.”

LAST’S WEEK REVIEW

  1. In our lesson last week, we examined:
    1. What should be the main objective for all Christians,
    2. What is prayer and fasting? and
    3. Examples of fasting and prayer in the Old Testament
  2. Here is what we learned last week:
    1. The Christian’s primary responsibility is to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts” and to “live soberly, righteously, and godly” while “looking for that blessed hope.”
    2. One of the Christian’s greatest weapons is prayer and fasting.
      1. Prayer is communication with God.
      2. Fasting is voluntary and total abstinence from food for a set time for the purpose of devoting oneself to seeking God.
    3. Only one fast was specifically commanded in the O.T. (on the Day of Atonement)
    4. But people often fasted when they wanted God to hear their prayers:
      1. In times of war or at the threat of it
      2. When loved ones were sick
      3. When seeking God's forgiveness
      4. When faced with impending danger
      5. When seeking God's will
    5. The purpose of such fasting:
      1. To humble themselves by "afflicting their souls"
      2. Believing that such humiliation would be pleasing in God's sight (and it often was)

OCCASIONS OF FASTING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

We shall now examine “Fasting in The New Testament”, as taught and exemplified by:

  1. Jesus
  2. His church
  3. The Apostle Paul
  4. Others

Fasting in the Life of Christ:

A. Jesus Fasted Forty Days in the Wilderness.

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered” – St. Matthew 4:1-2.

“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered” - St. Luke 4:1-2.

  1. He was led into the wilderness "to be tempted" (Mt)

  2. He was "tempted for forty days by the devil" (Lk)

  3. "in those days He ate nothing" (Lk)

    (Throughout this forty-day period of temptation, Jesus felt it appropriate to fast).

B. Jesus Taught on Fasting in His Sermon on the Mount.

“16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly” – St. Matthew 6:16-18.

    1. Jesus said "when", not "if"; assuming his disciples WOULD fast

    2. When done properly a person would be rewarded by the Father...

      1. Suggesting that fasting was like prayer and giving alms

      2. I.e., an act of righteousness done to please the Father- Fasting appears to have a place in the righteousness expected of those who would be citizens of the kingdom of heaven

C. When Questioned by John’s Disciples.

“14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? 15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. 16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. 17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved” – St. Matthew 9:14-17.

“18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? 19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days” - St. Mark 2:18-20.

“33 And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink? 34 And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. 36 And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. 37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. 38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. 39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better” – St. Luke 5:33-39.

  1. Jesus described a time when his disciples would fast

  2. But it is inappropriate to fast when the occasion does not call for it

Fasting would have a place in the disciples' lives, but only on appropriate occasions (not as a ceremonial rite).

D. The Combined Power of Prayer and Fasting.

“ 14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” - St. Matthew 17:14-21.

  1. There are times when faith alone is not enough

  2. At these times prayer joined with fasting is necessary

    Fasting joined with prayer may accomplish things that normal faith may not

Fasting in the Lord’s Church:

  • The Church at Antioch.

“Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away” – Acts 13:1-3.

  1. They were fasting as a group while ministering to the Lord.

  2. They fasted and prayed in preparation for sending out Barnabas and Saul.

Fasting, when accompanied by prayer, can be done as a group when involved in serving the Lord.

  • The Churches in Galatia.

“21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, 22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed” – Acts 14:21-23.

  1. Again, this is an example of fasting and prayer as a group, this time, in conjunction with the serious task of appointing elders.
  2. Notice that this was done "in every church"

  • Not just in one or two churches

  • Not just in what might be consider "Jewish" churches where fasting might be considered "just a Jewish custom"

  • Again, fasting can be a group activity in the work of a local church.

Fasting in the Ministry of the Apostle Paul:

A. Fasting was a mark of his Ministry:

1. We have already noticed where he fasted with several churches 2. But notice also:

“4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 6 By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things” – 2 Corinthians 6:4-10.

“23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches” – 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 (In verse 27 fasting is mentioned separately from normal hunger and thirst)

In both of these passages, Paul mentioned fasting as a mark of his ministry and of his good standing as a minister of Christ!
 

B. He taught that Fasting was important in the lives of others:

“23 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. 4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. 5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency” – 1 Corinthians 7:5.

  • The only time husbands and wives may deprive one another is when by consent they devote themselves to fasting and prayer for a specific period.

Though not actually Christians at the time, we also have other examples of those who fasted and were blessed by God:

Anna:

“36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem” – St. Luke 2:36-38.

Saul:

“ 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus” – Acts 9:9-19.

Cornelius:

“ 30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God” – Acts 10:30-31.

As a summary, then, here is what we have seen in this study:

  1. That our Lord fasted in time of temptation

  2. That He taught His disciples about fasting on several occasions

  3. That He foretold of a time in which His disciples would fast

  4. That there are times when the combination of fasting and prayer might be more efficacious than prayer alone

  5. That the early church fasted in their service to the Lord

  6. That Paul regarded fasting as a mark of his ministry

  7. That prayer and fasting often go hand in hand, utilized whenever there was a strong desire for God's blessing and guidance

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