Archive for July, 2008

Jul 25 2008

Bible Study Guide Week 20 - The Power of Prayer and Fasting

Published by Rose under Weekly Reflections

Purpose of This Lesson

This lesson will guide the participants to know the power of combining fasting with prayer. Many spiritual battles are overcome by . Fasting in the life of a Christian can be compared to the oil in a vehicle; the vehicle needs fuel to move, but it also needs oil to make the engine run smoothly.

Lesson Objective:

This lesson will guide the participants to:

  1. Understand the power of fasting during prayer
  2. Understand why, when and how we should fast
  3. Understand the rules of pre- fasting and breaking a fast

Introduction

In this on-going series on spiritual warfare, we have been carefully examining the six pieces of the armor and each of their functions in spiritual warfare according to Eph 6:11-17Eph 6:11-17
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. 13 Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil [one]. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  

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. In Ephesians 6:18Ephesians 6:18
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
18 with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,   Paul gives a final admonition concerning to the Ephesians saying “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication . . .”

As we already dealt with praying in the Spirit in previous lessons, today we begin a new series on as we look into this final admonition by the Apostle Paul. How can we as watch (pray) with all perseverance and supplication?
Begin Today’s Lesson by reading: Jonah 3:1-10Jonah 3:1-10
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
3 1 And the word of Jehovah came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of Jehovah. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city, of three days' journey. 4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6 And the tidings reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he made proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water; 8 but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and beast, and let them cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? 10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil which he said he would do unto them; and he did it not.  

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, Mark 14:32-41Mark 14:32-41
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
32 And they come unto a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith unto his disciples, Sit ye here, while I pray. 33 And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly amazed, and sore troubled. 34 And he saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death: abide ye here, and watch. 35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him. 36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; remove this cup from me: howbeit not what I will, but what thou wilt. 37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest thou not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 39 And again he went away, and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again he came, and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they knew not what to answer him. 41 And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough; the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.   and Matt 6:16-18Matt 6:16-18
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; 18 that thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.  

The Agony of Fasting

Fasting is one of the hardest things for a to do yet those who have experienced fasting know it is a very powerful weapon in the hands of the righteous. David understood very well the struggles of fasting when he wrote and said “My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness. (Psa 109:24Psa 109:24
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
24 My knees are weak through fasting; And my flesh faileth of fatness.  

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).
Although fasting is one of the most powerful tools in it is the most neglected spiritual practice. Fasting requires one to be spiritually mature and disciplined and it also requires one to prepare spiritually and physically no matter how short or long it may be. Firstly, we should examine our hearts, and detect any un-confessed sin. The teaches that we should repent our sins before God will hear our prayers. In our prayers of confession we should confess the sins of omission as well as the sins of commission that we may have done.

Although fasting is mainly a spiritual exercise, it begins with the physical and it is important to “wean” our bodies slowly for two or three days before the actual fast. Weaning means cutting down on some foods to ease the hunger or discomfort that may be experienced during the early stages of fasting. Such foods include sugar and caffeine products. However, fasting is not simply going without food, but a time to take our eyes off the physical, and concentrate on the spiritual.

When you look at the life of Daniel, you will notice that he was not a person who indulged in rich foods. Daniel was a man who could therefore fast for 21 days. True spiritual fasting is a time of personal revival and centering your total being on God. Mealtimes can be transformed into special occasions to read the word of God and pray for yourself, your family, your church, and the saints and your nation plus any other needs that one may be having.

Next week we will continue by looking into motives of fasting and how can fast effectively and persevere in .

Questions For Discussion - Week 20

  1. In your own words please explain Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 6:18Ephesians 6:18
    English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
    18 with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,       and whether it can apply to you as a Christian today? . . . . . .. . . . . .
  2. When you read Jonah 3:1-10Jonah 3:1-10
    English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
    3 1 And the word of Jehovah came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of Jehovah. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city, of three days' journey. 4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6 And the tidings reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he made proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water; 8 but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and beast, and let them cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? 10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil which he said he would do unto them; and he did it not.       who do you think should be involved in fasting? Please explain
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  3. Jesus speaking about fasting in Matt 6:16Matt 6:16
    English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
    16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.       said “Moreover WHEN you fast” he did not say “IF” you fast, therefore would you say Jesus gave us an option for fasting? Please explain
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  4. What is the main lesson that Jesus taught us about fasting in Matthew 6:16-18Matthew 6:16-18
    English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
    16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; 18 that thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.       ?
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  5. Do you think people should know that you are fasting? Why? Please explain
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  6. Please explain how you believe fasting helps in spiritual warfare according to Eph 6:18Eph 6:18
    English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
    18 with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,      . Please give examples from your own experience or from people in the Bible.

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  7. What would you say is the main reason why we should fast? Please explain

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  8. How should we approach a fast in regards to our sinful nature as we seek God? Please explain
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Luke 22:44Luke 22:44
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became as it were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground.  

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; Sweat Drops of Blood

“. . . and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to ground…”

Our Lord and Savior Jesus persevered with sweat drops of blood in the garden of Gethsemane for our sake, may this help us to persevere as we fast and pray also for others.

Amen

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Jul 15 2008

Bible Study Week 19 - Spiritual Warfare - Helmet of Salvation and Sword of the Spirit

Published by Rose under Weekly Reflections

Purpose of This Lesson

In this lesson we will learn how the functions in and also how to use the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, to protect us from spiritual wickedness.

Lesson Objective:

This lesson will guide the participants to:

  1. Know the purpose of the in
  2. Know how to use the which is the
  3. Discover how these two weapons can be used during

Introduction

Paul writing about spiritual warfare to the Ephesians’ church advised them “to take the helmet of salvation” (Eph 6:17Eph 6:17
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  

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) because he knew fully well that there is no other protection against the enemy other than being in . Salvation therefore accords to us the much-needed protection against the enemy in the form of a helmet, whilst the word of God acts as a sharp two-edged sword.

Begin Today’s Lesson by reading: 1 Sam 17:32-581 Sam 17:32-58
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant was keeping his father's sheep; and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 And David said, Jehovah that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and Jehovah shall be with thee. 38 And Saul clad David with his apparel, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail. 39 And David girded his sword upon his apparel, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. 40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his wallet; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. 41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and withal of a fair countenance. 43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the field. 45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will Jehovah deliver thee into my hand; and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day unto the birds of the heavens, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that Jehovah saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is Jehovah's, and he will give you into our hand. 48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou comest to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. 53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent. 55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell. 56 And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is. 57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite.  

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and Matt 4: 1-11Matt 4: 1-11
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
4 1 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 afterward hungered. 3 And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him into the holy city; and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and saith unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and, On their hands they shall bear thee up, lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, Again it is written, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 and he said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him; and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.  

Overcoming Spiritual Giants

The battle between David and Goliath is considered a type of between good and evil; Goliath was six cubits tall and his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron. Many theologians say that six is the number of the anti-Christ. (See also the size of the image of Gold that king Nebuchadnezzar made in Dan 3:1Dan 3:1
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
3 1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.  

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and compare with 1 Sam 17:41 Sam 17:4
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.  ). Unlike Goliath, David chose not to put his trust in Saul’s armor as Saul was just a man like him, but he chose to put his faith in God because God had delivered him before from other situations. However, Goliath who was a representative of evil and he chose to put his faith in his size and his armor.

David’s salvation had been demonstrated by God’s great deliverances when he had fought with the lion and the bear; and similarly, our great deliverance has also been demonstrated through the work that accomplished at the cross on our behalf. David could easily have succumbed to Goliath’s threats but he chose to ignore them and instead invoked the name of God against Goliath. David’s great might was seen in his humility of using stones carefully chosen from the brook; the stones in this case signify the Rock who is God, David’s deliverer as he describes God in 2 Sam 22:22 Sam 22:2
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
2 and he said, Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine;  

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.

How many times have we faced a spiritual giant and succumbed to its size and enormity and listened to its lies and threats instead of looking unto God the rock of our salvation as David did? Let us always invoke the name of our God and fight the enemy with loaded words from the instead of empty words; and may we always remember that it is not our physical size that matters, but the fact that the continues to protect us, and that we have a living sword that is sharper than that of our enemies. Lastly, when faced with problems, let us remember that is our Rock, (2 Colossians 10:4Colossians 10:4
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja!

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), a rock that is able to exterminate all giants on our behalf.

Questions For Discussion - Week 19

  1. Very briefly please describe what you think Paul meant by “” in regard to warfare in Eph 6:17Eph 6:17
    English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
    17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:      ? Please explain
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  2. How can you describe David’s action of rejecting Saul’s amour in 1 Sam 17:391 Sam 17:39
    English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
    39 And David girded his sword upon his apparel, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.      ? Please explain
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  3. In the battle between David and Goliath, what do you think was David’s protection against Goliath? Please explain
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  4. Compare the dialogue between David and Goliath in 1 Sam 17:41 Sam 17:4
    English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
    4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.      4-47     and that of Jesus in Matt 4:3-10Matt 4:3-10
    English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
    3 And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him into the holy city; and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and saith unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and, On their hands they shall bear thee up, lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, Again it is written, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 and he said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.       and draw a parallel Between the two conversations. Please discuss
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  5. Would you interpret the words spoken by David against Goliath and those spoken by Jesus against Satan as the “Sword of the Spirit”? Please explain
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  6. Why do you think a should always carry the as a weapon? Please explain
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  7. Do you think today are using the [tag-tec]sword of the Spirit[tag-tec] effectively? If no please explain
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  8. Please give examples of how the Christian today can sharpen their swords? Please explain
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Reflection: 1 Sam 17:41 Sam 17:4
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.  

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7- The Sword of Words

“And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’s and he will give you into our hands”. Our weapons are not physical but spiritual and they are able to deliver us against any spiritual giants even today.
Amen

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