I wanted to give you a little encouragement on this first day of our corporate fast. If today was a little difficult for you, rest assured, you are not alone. If you didn’t feel like you were successful today, God’s mercies are new every morning. Tomorrow is a new day and you will do better. Your spirit man will grow stronger day by day.
One of the many benefits of fasting is getting our flesh under control. Most likely when you are fasting you will have to tell your flesh, “No, You are not going to eat that” or “No, you are not going to do that”.
I once read of a preacher, a man of God, that entered a fast. After he had fasted for a full day with much resistance from his soul he had a talk with his flesh. He said, “Flesh, you gave me quite a bit of trouble today and I don’t like that one bit. Just because of that you’re going to fast again tomorrow.”
We have to keep our body(flesh) under subjection to our spirit.
Remember, we are a three-part being. We are a spirit, we have a soul, and we live in a body.
Paul writes to the Corinthians**, “**I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
(1 Corinthians 9:27)
If we aren’t careful we will allow our flesh and our soul (mind, will, and emotions) to rule our lives. We should be ruled by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. . . . .
12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature,[f] you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children[g] of God.
One last thought to meditate on:
Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.Matthew 4:4
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