Text: Galatians 5:16-23
Memory text:
“For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
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Have you ever wondered why some people get so hungry and their bodies begin to shake by 10am once they begin fasting, even though, these same people, on a normal day could do without eating till 12pm, yet not hungry? In some cases, these strange happenings occur few days before the fast and they may just develop crazy hunger such that they eat many times in the day, eat late in the night and still wake up in the night very hungry. In some cases, such people just get sick once it’s about a day to the fasting day or on the first day of the fast.
The key reason why these happen is that your flesh doesn’t want that fast. It knows that fasting destroys its power. The works of the flesh are paralyzed when you fast. For example, you can’t be fasting and still be engaged in careless jokes. In fact, those seeming jokes won’t even be funny to you. Laughter becomes very difficult at such times because you don’t have energy for it. This is more effective when you are not just on hunger strike but you are joining prayer with fasting. This gives you strength to do what is pleasing to God. For example, in fasting, unlike when you are on hunger strike, you won’t lose your temper when provoked because you have strength to control your emotions. Likewise, you won’t yield to lust and the likes.
The flesh is always opposed to the spirit and vice versa. “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. The Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” ‭‭(Gal‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬). Did you see that? The Holy Spirit and our flesh are in conflict with one another. The Holy Spirit that dwells inside us wants to live for God, but there is a challenge. We have lived and trained our lives to obey our natural “flesh,” which is against God and even hostile to God (Romans 8:7). Contrarily, the flesh wants to live for and please itself. It wants to subdue, dominate, and even kill the spiritual life. The Spirit wants to live for and please God. There’s a war going on inside us. Fasting is a tool of the Spirit to fight against the flesh and to bring the body under subjection (1 Cor 9:27). David also humbled himself through fasting (Psa 35:13).
Friends, don’t be ignorant of the devices of the flesh to stop you from breaking forth spiritually. Be wise!

Prayer points
1. Father, I receive grace for fasting, and I resist every opposition against it in Jesus’ name.
2. Father, I receive strength to discipline my body and bring it under control, in Jesus’ name.

Today’s declarations
1. I am not ignorant of the devices of the flesh to stop me from fasting and to bring me under its control.
2. Through prayer and fasting, I break every power of the flesh that wants to stop me from fulfilling God’s purpose for my life.

Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng