Open Heaven For Teens Wednesday 2 March 2022 Daily Devotional was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
TOPIC: Fruitful Fast
MEMORISE: Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. 2 Chronicles 15:7
READ: Isaiah 58:6-12
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the 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?
Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 9:1-50 , Numbers 26-27
MESSAGE
A period of fasting is a time of consecration – a time to take ones attention off everything around and focus on God. As a young convert, there were times that I got so busy while fasting, that I would break the fast in the evening after saying a very brief prayer because I had little or no time to pray and study the word. This made me feel guilty a lot but as I grew older, I discovered that aside from having enough time to pray and study the word, there are certain things that God expects from His children when they embark on a fast and if those things are not fulfilled, one would fast and pray in vain. Isaiah 58:6-7 says:
“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the 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?”
Don’t get me wrong; you must have time for prayer and meditating on Gods word while fasting but most importantly, you must fulfil criteria such as being just and giving to the poor, as stated in the above passage.
PRAYER POINT: Father, please let me never fast in vain.
HYMN: I Need Thee Every Hour
I need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.
CHORUS
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Ev’ry hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Saviour,
I come to Thee.
I need Thee every hour,
Stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh.
I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.
I need Thee every hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfil.
I need Thee every hour,
Most Holy one;
Oh, make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son!
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