God's Chosen Fast
Prior to 1985 I am sure I had heard of fasting (and not scriptural fasting!), but never had done any and for sure had never read in Isaiah 58 about the fast God had chosen. It is really an amazing thing, but being involved in the charismatic movement in the mid 70's through mid 80's, not once do I remember being taught about fasting, and that we even should fast, and what fasting would accomplish in a person's life that did fast. Maybe my heart was so hard I could not hear, but I sure do not remember it if anything was ever said. But what is interesting is, after coming to Water of Life Church in August 1985, I heard out of an apostle and prophet's mouth that fasting was an essential part of obedience in a Christian's walk with the Lord. Everything that has been taught to me by the Spirit of God out of Doyle Davidson's heart has produced life in me (John 6:63). And the things that were spoken to me by these other preachers were spoken in the flesh and they produced death in me. I am sure some of the things that were spoken went in one ear and out the other, by the grace of God. But they still taught me lies and I ate them. Which told me the preachers I was around knew little, if anything, about God. The further I go in my walk with the Lord, though, the more I see they did not even know God - which is real frightening. But I have to take responsibility before God myself, because I did have a bible and if I had been able to read 'fifth grade!' words I could have seen for myself that 'fasting' was in there. I was blinded by the god of this world because of my unbelief, but thank God for His mercy and grace in bringing me the truth through an apostle and prophet's ministry.
In Isaiah 58:6-7 it says, "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
'To loose bands of wickedness' - that is probably the reason those preachers never taught this - they did not think a born-again Christian could have any wickedness in them, and yet they were wicked not believing this and teaching this to God's people. And 'heavy burdens' - I guess they thought you were supposed to carry them, although Jesus said in Matthew 11:30 that His yoke was easy and His burden light. But to get to that place, you have to 'learn of Him'. So I was definitely ignorant on the things of God, and had never been instructed in the ways of righteousness until I came to Water of Life Church.
Fasting was not an easy thing to do at first because my soul did not want to fast - it would have much rather eaten the refrigerator! I was used to eating three meals a day and snacking in between meals. People were amazed at how much I could eat and never gain a pound, but I could. So going without food for any reason was not something I was used to doing. But as I overcame my soul, it got much easier to do. In Galatians 5 it talks about the flesh (soul) and the spirit warring against one another - they are contrary one to another - and that is what makes walking in obedience to God so hard when He first starts leading you. The soul never has, and never does want to obey God. And that is why you have to purify your soul by obeying the truth (the gospel) to ever overcome it. But after you overcome your soul by faith, it does get easier and easier. It says in Romans we are to put to death the deeds of the flesh (the things in our soul that war against the Spirit) through the Spirit. And fasting is a part of obedience to the will of God for your life, and it will set things in your soul free when you fast and pray in faith - believing the gospel. Jesus said in the Psalms that He humbled His soul with fasting, and if you and I are going to walk even as He walked, we will have to fast. Also read in Habakkuk 2:4 where it says His soul (Jesus') which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by faith. He had a soul like you and me, and He humbled his soul with fasting, but He lived by faith - and that is how we are to live.
God has led me different lengths of times to fast on different occasions, and they are all scriptural. I have gone on numerous one day fasts, three day fasts and then the longest fast without any food was seven days (I always drink liquids, though). And for a long period of time, I have eaten one meal a day (dinner), except for when we would go on crusades. But every person has to listen to the voice of God and obey what He would have you to do. And fasting has always been to humble me and to deal with the wickedness in my soul and also to get answers to prayers. There have been many times when I could not break through certain things in prayer alone and I would tell the Lord, "Well, one way I know how to overcome whatever this is I am trying to break through is to humble my soul and fast." And you know what, I would always overcome and get the victory for whatever it was I was needing to break through when I would do this. Why? Because my soul was in the way, and fasting humbled my soul. This is an amazing thing, but I am here to tell you that it works every single time. And when I fast, I am also praying in faith and reading the Psalms and New Testament out loud - mixing faith with the death, burial and resurrection power of the Lord Jesus.
If you read on in Isaiah 58:8-10, you will see that as you do this some more things will take place in your life - and that is the purpose of doing it. And your light shall break forth as the morning, and your health shall spring forth speedily. And when you call on the Lord, He shall answer - and that is just what I shared with you - my prayers would be answered. It also says your light shall rise in obscurity and your darkness as the noonday. The Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy your soul in drought and you will be like a watered garden! Fasting will produce results every time when you fast in faith - not just going through the motions and doing without food. I have had the Lord tell me before when I would be fasting that I was doing just that - going through the motions of it, and not believing while I was fasting. And that would get my attention, and I would change my heart and get in faith and start believing so that my fast would produce.
A little over a year ago (December 1997), the Lord spoke to me out of Exodus chapters 3 and 6 and told me that just as He had said He was going to bring the children of Israel out of the hand of the Egyptians and from under their burdens and into a land flowing with milk and honey, so was He going to bring me out from under the burdens of the Jezebel, and rid me of the bondage's and oppression this spirit had put me under, and bring me into the same land - one that flows with milk and honey. And this spirit over the years has put some heavy burdens and much oppression on me, but as I have been diligent in my praying and fasting and reading the Word of God out loud, I have overcome some tremendous bondage's in my life. When God spoke this to me, it was like a light immediately came on in my heart about why God had been leading me to fast as much as He had, and I was reminded of what it says in Isaiah 58 - that the fast He has chosen will 'undo' heavy burdens and let the 'oppressed' go free - the burdens and oppression of the Jezebel. In Luke 2:37 there was a woman named Anna who served God with fastings and prayers night and day, and I will say my life has been no different than this woman's in that regard - I have served God with fastings and prayers night and day - and that is especially true of the prayers and not far off from the fastings. The way God will lead you will always be found written in the Word of God, and I do thank Him for that.
Prior to coming to Water of Life Church, my life was really pretty simple and I had few cares or worries or burdens. Not to say that spirits did not have me bound back then, because they for sure did - even from my mother's womb. There were a couple of things in my life that were not what I wanted them to be, but basically everything was pretty kosher - not much pressure, nor oppression - everything was really pretty steady. I was born-again, water baptized, and did not speak in other tongues, although I had wanted to for years - and was being led by the devil! If you are not being led by the Spirit of God, then the devil is the one leading you, and I have enough honesty to tell you this. And you can speak in tongues and be led by the devil, no question about it. When you are walking in the ways of the world - with the devil - he will pretty much leave you alone. It is when you start walking against him - all 'hell' will hit. I was a very 'nice', decent, self-righteous person--being led by the devil, walking in rebellion and doing my own thing and not in Jesus name, either! You can do your own thing in Jesus' name and it is also rebellion. When the Lord showed me by the Spirit of God out of Doyle's mouth in Matthew 7 where you could do all these wonderful works in His name, but it be in rebellion against God's will, I would have never believed that prior to 1985. Just like I never thought you could speak things in Jesus' name, and it not be Jesus that said it. I was ignorant about that and thought if someone who was considered a Christian said 'God said', it had to be God that spoke it. So the Lord definitely opened my eyes concerning that.
But anyway, shortly after coming to Water of Life Church, I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in other tongues, and this is really when Jesus started becoming Lord of my life and leading me by His Spirit. (This did make the devil mad, along with people.) One night a group of us were in the fellowship hall praying. No one laid hands on me or prayed for me to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit - I just started speaking in other tongues. When I did, my praying was very fast and emotional, which was fear manifesting in me - because faith is sober and steady and unemotional. But over the months and years ahead, my praying in other tongues became more and more purified, where I could pray soberly in faith, believing. But after I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, God started separating me from everyone around me and leading me by His Spirit, and causing me to hear His voice and to obey Him. My rebellious days of doing my own thing were basically coming to an end - which is not to say that the rebellion in my heart was out because it wasn't. This was the beginning of God dealing with the rebellion in my heart which had been there all my life. But right after this experience is when the devil (and wicked people) did get mad at me, and the pressure and oppression of this Jezebel was on the rise against me - pressures like I had never experienced before in my entire life. And the reason was, because I was now walking against the powers of darkness instead of with them. As I stated earlier, you can be born again, speaking in other tongues, doing your own thing, and the devil will leave you alone. When you start obeying the Spirit of God is when the devil hates you and will come after you in ways you never thought. Even people that once thought you were so nice and kind, will all of a sudden think you are the meanest person and wonder where all your love went. Not knowing, that now you are walking in love - because love obeys the Father - and that is nice!
In August or September of 1987 (or close to this time), one Sunday night there was a prophecy given by the Spirit of God out of Doyle's mouth. As he was speaking this prophecy, I knew it was for me - if for no one else in that sanctuary. But the Spirit of God said, "...there are those that think you are distant and aloof, but it is I that have separated you that I might fulfill my purposes in your life." This was absolutely true of my life at that time, because as I stated earlier, right after I had received the baptism in the Holy Spirit (1985) God separated me unto Him and started separating me from everyone around me - family and friends. And people had thought for sure that I was one distant and aloof person. Notice, God separated me - I did not separate myself. And I am glad that He was the One who did it. But it told me that He did it so His purposes for my life could be fulfilled, otherwise they might not be. Spirits in some people would have tried to keep me bound and other's would have wanted to bind me and control me, and in turn would have kept me from ever having God's will being performed in my life. I do appreciate the Lord for that prophecy to me. Over the past thirteen and a half years, God has spoken many things to me, and one thing I know and am confident of is that He is faithful to perform every single thing He has spoken to me that has not yet been performed in my life!
In closing, I would encourage you this day to believe this gospel that raised Jesus from the dead. And whatever the Lords leads you to do, obey Him, no matter if men like it or not. In Acts 5:29 it says we ought to obey God rather than men! And remember - obedience does produce blessings, and those blessings will turn us from our iniquities so that we might receive the things He has promised us by the Spirit through faith!! Praise God.
