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Lesson 35 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course 9




holy spirit to completely overshadow one’s own And so the purpose of fasting is to
puny human strength. HUMBLE YOURSELF before YEHOVAH
Fasting is a HUMBLING experience. It God by going without food and water for a
cuts us down and lets us know how small and period of time, during which you draw closer to
weak and insufficient unto ourselves we really YEHOVAH by spending a great DEAL of time
are. You learn REAL humility! IN PRAYER TO YEHOVAH GOD and the
You learn that you are merely a very STUDY OF HIS Word. You fast to CHANGE
physical human being. You learn that if you your attitude and DRAW CLOSE to YEHO-
don’t get that supply of physical food -- you’ll VAH. It’s the ATTITUDE YEHOVAH is inter-
eventually die of starvation! You learn the same ested in -- He wants to see a HUMBLE and
is true with your spiritual life -- that you’ll REPENTANT MIND! (Isaiah 66:2.)
shrivel up and die SPIRITUALLY without a Fasting makes you realize what Job did
constant supply of the SPIRITUAL “food” of -- that you are nothing but a heap of ashes! A
YEHOVAH’s Word and the ENERGIZING mere chemical existence in the form of human
POWER of His holy spirit! flesh -- that’s what your life is. That’s what
Without fasting, you may MENTALLY YEHOVAH God wants us to realize.
admit that you are not much. But you don’t really Then, when we recognize how feeble we
comprehend it -- you DON’T FEEL IT! YOU really are, and how great YEHOVAH God really
don’t SEE how really weak and insignificant is, we can turn and trust in ALMIGHTY GOD
you ARE, until you begin to go without food and for the SPIRITUAL power to overcome and
drink for a period of time. THEN the lesson is grow in His character!
driven home -- right to the pit of your stomach!
Not only do you learn how weak and Ahab and Manasseh Humbled Themselves
worthless YOU are, when you fast -- but you are
made AWARE of the greatness of YEHOVAH Because men have fasted and really
God. sought YEHOVAH God with all their hearts,
Being human, and as long as you feel MIRACULOUS CHANGES in their lives, in the
strong and sufficient of yourself, you will by courses of nations, and the world’s history have
nature trust in yourself. YEHOVAH God is not taken place. YEHOVAH God HEARD! YEHO-
so IMPORTANT to you. VAH ANSWERED!
But when you fast, YEHOVAH becomes Some of the most outstanding leaders
VERY important! You begin to feel in your known to mankind fasted -- and records of these
innermost being how much you NEED AND fasts and the results have been preserved for you
DEPEND UPON YEHOVAH GOD. Fasting in your Bible. Not as mere historical facts, but as
brings you to grips with REALITY. You see -- LIVING EXAMPLES! These men of character
and FEEL -- yourself as you REALLY ARE. went through experiences as EXAMPLES for
You are brought face to face with your Christians today (I Corinthians 10:11).
dependence IN EVERYTHING upon your The Bible shows that YEHOVAH also
Heavenly Father! heard and granted favor even to the EXTREME-
You begin to see how greatly you must LY WICKED when they humbled themselves
rely upon YEHOVAH God, and receive of His before YEHOVAH God with FASTING and
spiritual strength. You realize you have no sought Him in earnest, heartrending PRAYER!
strength of your own, but that YEHOVAH is the 1. What does the Bible say of Ahab, King
source of ALL POWER, all might -- the source of Israel? I Kings 21:25. Did Elijah the prophet
of the MIRACLE-WORKING POWER OF HIS warn him of the punishment YEHOVAH God
HOLY SPIRIT! was going to bring upon his house? Read verses




Why Christians Should Fast
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