The main events in the spread of the Gospel in the early church were, First: the sending out of apostles. Second: establishing of new converts through the appointment of elders. It is significant that the early church did neither of these without first fasting and seeking God’s supernatural direction and help. It would be safe to say that the growth and expansion of the early church practiced corporate fasting.
Last week Pastor Steve read from 2 Corinthians 6. I would like to follow from 2 Corinthians 6: 4-6 to carry on with the testimony of Paul concerning the characteristics of himself and his fellow-workers as true servants of God. “ 4) in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5) in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness [ watching], in hunger [fasting], 6) in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love…”
Among these were ‘watching’, (staying awake when you could be asleep) and ‘ fasting’, ( abstaining from food when you could be eating). Watching and fasting are in very good company. They are put side by side with purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit and genuine love. In other words, they are presented as part of the total equipment of a true servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I believe that God still views them that way today. God’s provision and God’s standards are still the same as they were for Paul and the early church.
In the next 21 days of this Daniel fast, I will be seeking God for His supernatural Wisdom for insight into His purposes and direction for CCV along with you my brothers and sisters. May God give all of us the ‘ revelation and knowledge of His Will in Christ Jesus’, for ourselves and each other and the part we play in the building up of the body in love.