Results of Prayer & Fasting
The Heart can be: Proud (Daniel 5:20), Stubborn (Romans 2:5), Dull (Matthew 13:15),
Insensitive (Isaiah 6:10), Unrepentant (Revelation 16:9), Hardened (Exodus 8:15)
Matthew 13 - Seed and the Sower
- Path/No Root
- Rocky-Shallow/ No Root
- Crowded-thorny/ Root but little fruit
- Fertile/Root and abundant fruit
Thorns that suffocate and limit the life of the Believer
1. Worries/Who you are, is suffocated by what the World says-
Luke 12:25 (NIV) Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
2. Wealth/What you think you want, suffocates who you are
1 Timothy 6:9-10 (NIV) People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
3. Wishes/Who you are, is suffocated by what you think you want
Matthew 6:24 (NIV) "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
How do I know who my Master is…practically? What do you love? What are you devoted to?
James 1:21-25 (NIV)
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you (able to save your Soul). Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.
Three Major Results of Prayer and Fasting
1. Focus
Matthew 6:33-34 (NIV)
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
2. Fight
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
3. Freedom
Isaiah 58:6 (NIV)
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Isaiah 58:8-9 (NIV)
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
