Believers' Prayer Meeting with The Saint | R 16 W 1 D 3.

Welcome to The Upper Room. So glad you made it.

We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel. We are on verses 2 and 3 of Chapter 10, The Daniel Fast. It reads,

"In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled."

We continue with our meditations and discussion on "A Fasted Life" as compared with "Intermittent Fasting," as we dissect Isaiah 58. We move to verse 6. It reads,

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen:

To loose the bonds of wickedness,

To undo the heavy burdens,

To let the oppressed go free,

And that you break every yoke?"

To let the oppressed go free:

I guess the first place to start is to ask, "who are the oppressed?" What does it mean to be oppressed? I guess one who have either been oppressed before or is being oppressed needs no definitions, but for the sake of clarity, let us dig into it.

According to Wikipedia, "Oppression is malicious or unjust treatment or exercise of power, often under the guise of governmental authority or cultural opprobrium. It is related to regimentation, class society and punishment. Oppression may be overt or covert, depending on how it is practiced."

A prayer known as the "Prayer of the Oppressed," reads thus, "O God, I place before You my weakness, my helplessness and the little esteem that people have of me. O Most Merciful God, You are Lord of the Oppressed and You are my Lord. Into whose hands will You entrust me?"

Words used for oppression in various translations include, “exploit” (CEB), “take advantage” (ERV), or “mistreat” (CEV). It is to govern or administer people in an unfair and cruel way and prevent them from having opportunities and freedom.

The first scripture that comes to mind for me is John 10:10. Jesus describes the oppressor the devil. He comes to steal our freedom and opportunities. When he gains a foothold in stealing from us, he progresses to killing us wiith and from the vantage point of oppression.

The ultimate aim of the oppress is to destroy us, and he does not stop until we are useless to ourselves and others. So, in effect, he steals from us, kills us spiritually, psychologically, emotionally and physically. The culmination of all these being a destruction of who we are and represent.

Jesus did not end there. He tells us, that which the first Adam lost, the second and last Adam came to restore and exceed. He tells us, in the same John 10:10, "he came to give us life (free of oppression) and not just free of oppression, but liberties and freedoms beyond our widest dreams.

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." (Acts 10:38) That is what we receive when we fast. We come to a place of oneness with the Godhead to effect a release from the oppression of the enemy.

Oppression can come in various forms - spiritual (possesion), psychological (mental deprecation) and physical (sickness and or disease). Fasting is poises to address everyone of these. Jesus emphasizes this persepctive in Matthew 17:21 (Mark 9:29), as he taught the disciples the effect of fasting to prayers.

Sometimes mere asking does nto effect that which we desire. So we take it up a notch to seeking (supplicating). That is what we see Daniel doing here in our text. we see David doing same as He sought for the life of his son (borne out of adultery).  

Mere praying could be termed as casual. Adding fasting to it ups the game. It increases the focus, intensity and ernestness of the request. The effectual fervent (heartfelt, ernest) prayer of a righteous man availeth much. [James 5:16]

The Saint.

Believers' Prayer Meeting withThe Saint | R 16 W 1 D 2.

Welcome to The Upper Room. So glad to have you here, as always.

Happy Twenty-Eighth Day of the Lenten Season.

We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel. We are on verses 2 and 3 of Chapter 10, The Daniel Fast. It reads,

"In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled."

We continue with our meditations and discussion on "A Fasted Life" as compared with "Intermittent Fasting," as we dissect Isaiah 58. We move to verse 6. It reads,

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen:

To loose the bonds of wickedness,

To undo the heavy burdens,

To let the oppressed go free,

And that you break every yoke?"

To undo the heavy burdens:

It sure never fails to amaze me how some (supposed) heavy-duty prayer warriors still manage to keep their tight friendship with fear, anxiety, depression, and the like. The intent of prayer and fasting is "to undo the heavy burdens." If your heavy burden is not being undone, you are not praying and or fasting.

Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) If you do not have rest, you are not coming. If you are coming, you will have rest. And I see a whole lot of people thinking they are coming but are merely wailing in the outer court.

Child of God, rest is not found in the outer court. Rest is found in the Holy of Holies. That is where the mercy seat is. That is where we meet God. "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

He is the one asking us to come. We are not forcing ourselves on Him. He goes as far as to let us know we can come BOLDLY, not pitifully, not religiously, but BOLDLY, as one with rights - sonship rights. For we have access rights.

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2)

We have access. We are authorized. And we can come into the Holy of Holies just as we are. It is our home, our place of rest. We are not visitors. We are sons and daughters. We are seated there. We have a seat at the table. We are recognized. We are owned. We can enter into God. We can enter into rest. 

So, when we fast, we shed off every weight and drag that holds us back from coming and entering. We shed off that which is disturbing and disquieting our souls. We lay them down at the Master's feet, knowing He can, and will do something about it. 

"He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:29-31)

The Saint.

Believers' Prayer Meeting with The Saint | R 16 W 1 D 1

Welcome to another day in The Upper Room. So glad you made it.

Happy Twenty-Seventh Day of the Lenten Season.

We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel. We are on verses 2 and 3 of Chapter 10, The Daniel Fast. It reads,

"In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled."

We continue with our meditations and discussion on "A Fasted Life" as compared with "Intermittent Fasting," as we dissect Isaiah 58. We move to verse 6. It reads,

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen:

To loose the bonds of wickedness,

To undo the heavy burdens,

To let the oppressed go free,

And that you break every yoke?"

To loose the bonds of wickedness:

Is this what you achieve when you fast? Do you lose the bonds of wickedness? In your life and that of others. Paul tells us, "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:27)

Is this what fasting works for you? Do you bring areas of your life under subjection (captive) to Christ? Or, it is a mere outward religious observation for you? Does your fasting bring you closer to Jesus, to the old rugged cross, to Calvary, and to the throne room?

Does it bring you to the heart of God in reconciliation? [2 Corinthians 5:18-19] Are you seeking His kingdom, His will, and His righteousness? Or, you are only after His hands for your own selfish end? Are you partnering with God, or you are after your own agenda?

Is your fasting bringing you to the heart of God? Or, you are all about your own agenda and ambitious end? Does Jesus know you? Or, you are one of the rascals with no clue what His Will is? [John 6:38; Matthew 7:21-23]

Does your fasting bring you to the feet of Jesus? Are you making His enemies His footstool? [Hebrews 10:13-14; Psalm 110:1] Are you losing the bonds of wickedness? Is your fast pleasing to the Father, or you are simply dieting?

The Saint.

Book Club with The Saint | Business is Personal | Chapter Nine A.

Welcome to our Book Club. So glad to have you.

We continue with our Fifth Featured Book, "Business is Personal," by Bethenny Frankel. We are unto Chapter Nine: "Run the Marathon," today. We will be discussing life's issues and how to overcome them. This will be in two takes. We take the first today.

So, get a seat, tighten your belt, and let us take flight.

The Saint.

Book Club with The Saint | Business is Personal | Chapter Eight B.

Welcome to our Book Club. So glad to have you.

We continue with our Fifth Featured Book, "Business is Personal," by Bethenny Frankel. We will be closing out Chapter Eight: "Keep Your Circle Tight." It promises to be another educative time together. So get a seat, tighten your seatbelt, and let us take flight.

The Saint.

Believers' Prayer Meeting with The Saint | R 15 W 6 D 5.

Welcome to The Upper Room. So glad you came.

We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel. We are on verses 2 and 3 of Chapter 10, The Daniel Fast. It reads,

"In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled."

We continue with our meditations and discussion on "A Fasted Life" as compared with "Intermittent Fasting," as we dissect Isaiah 58. Still on verse 5. It reads,

"Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?"

It is in this wise we enter into the world of Acts 13:1-3. It reads,

"Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away."

"They ministered to the Lord and fasted." They did not fast because they had a special need. They fasted as an act of worship, a spiritual exercise, and discipline. It was a set time to minister to the Lord, worship, pray, share the word, listen to words of prophecy, encourage one another, etc. They added fasting to it.

We too can do the same. My old church does the first three days of every month fasting. My present church, in Nigeria, does it every Wednesday fasting. Individuals have their own set times to fast. I used to do a once-a-week fast. Some do it twice a week. 

There truly is no law around it. Just as there are truly no laws around physical exercise. Everyone, primarily, needs to know it is essential. Then find the combination that suits their lifestyle. I have found that it is best to stick to my exercise routine, frequency, and timing. That is what keeps me consistent.

The same thing applies to me when it comes to spiritual exercises and discipline. Take for instance when I came to faith the general talk was on morning quiet times. Unfortunately, I am not a morning person. I am an owl. Early mornings are drudgery for me.

Though it works for others, it was not the best time for me, but I did not know better. So, what was called quiet time was a struggle with sleep for me. I was trying to fit into another person's armor. Thank God for knowledge and understanding. 

Yes, fasting is an essential and critical spiritual exercise and discipline. It not be done like any other person's. You can find one that fits your lifestyle. It is not about the form, but all about meeting the intent, power, and purpose.

Hoping this helps.

The Saint.

Believers' Prayer Meeting with The Saint | R 15 W 6 D 4.

Welcome to The Upper Room. So glad you made it.

Happy Sixteenth Day of the Lenten Season.

We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel. We are on verses 2 and 3 of Chapter 10, The Daniel Fast. It reads,

"In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled."

We continue with our meditations and discussion on "A Fasted Life" as compared with "Intermittent Fasting," as we dissect Isaiah 58. Still on verse 5. It reads,

"Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?"

We established the truth, "Fasting is a Spiritual Discipline and Exercise." It is a part of godliness. And, as the Apostle Paul emphasized "...is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come." (1 Timothy 4:8b)

Note the words, "profitable for all things." What does "all things" mean to you? Anything other than ALL THINGS? Sure not for me. And, so good Paul draws an analogy with physical exercise. Physical exercise is profitable in all things just as well.

The doctors advise at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. That is about 30 minutes per day 5 days a week. What does that buy you? A rejuvenation of your entire body system, and mental and spiritual clarity.

So, what do spiritual exercise and discipline buy you? ALL THINGS - PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL. That is one of the chief reasons we fast. That is why God instituted it in the law. The people did not have to wait till they had a need. It was supposed to be a part of their lifestyle.

That is why the Pharisees could say they fast twice a week. And, unlike what I have heard severally, it does not have to be accompanied by prayers. Fasting is a discipline all on its own, with or without prayers. Yes, you would expect a spiritual person to pray. So, that is truly a no-brainer. 

Hoping this helps.

Let's pray.

The Saint.