01/17/2025
Why Fast and Pray in January?
Message 2 - January 12, 2025
Fasting and prayer time is consecrated time with God. It’s time we abstain from food, etc. to dedicate ourselves to prayer and time with God. It is quality time with God where we acknowledge His preeminence over everything and in every area of our lives, yielding all of us to Him and drawing nourishment from Him. Fasting does not change God, it changes us and keeps our flesh under subjection.
Why do we encourage Fasting and Praying in January?
1. January is the first month of the year and the first of everything really belongs to God. He takes preeminence over everything in our lives. We pursue other ‘Things’ with passion, but really the Lord has asked us to seek Him first. The Lord says in Matthew 6:31-33, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
2. Fasting in January is also motivated by the same principle of praying first thing in the morning to commit your day into God’s hand. Just as you establish your entire day by placing your day in God’s hands when you pray first thing in the morning, you establish your YEAR by placing your year in God’s hands when you fast and pray in the first month of the year. I have a habit of waiting on the Lord on the last day and first day of the year. During this time I stay in His presence to reflect on the ending year and receive from Him for the New Year. I also thank Him for the old year and commit the New Year into His hands. This is just a personal conviction because He is LORD over everything and everyday belongs to Him. He made everything and everyday for His Glory. Let’s make sure He is First daily. He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Author and Finisher of our Faith. He is EVERYTHING to me!
3. If you want a good day, give your first hours (morning to God). For a good week, start Sunday and Monday morning with Prayer (This is also part of the principle of Sunday morning service, but keep it personal by also adding your own quality time with your Father in Heaven). For a great year, saturate your first month (January) with prayer. This does not mean that you pray more in January and then stop and go back to “life as usual” in February. Starting with prayer keeps you in prayer and in the Spirit. It empowers and prepares you for the rest of the day, week and year of dwelling in the Presence of God. Develop a life of prayer! Jesus made a habit of going to a lonely place early in the morning to pray. Jesus lived a life of prayer and commands us to do so.
4. Prayer helps to keep you in the Will of God. Keep your year in the Will of God. Remember that prayer is not a one way conversation where you give God a long list of what you want. In prayer you submit yourself to God and to the will of God. Prayer is a two way conversation with God. Personally, I encourage that we let Him speak to us more during that conversation because He is Wisdom and He knows everything. Let Him instruct and lead us into all truth. He is The Light of the world and whoever walks in The Light will never stumble nor fall. The man that follows God will always get to His destination.
5. Prayer helps to keep us from temptation and sin. Adding a fast to praying in January helps us keep our flesh under, especially after seasons of feasting and merriment in November (Thanksgiving) and December (Christmas). It is a disciplined way to start a new year to help us keep the right focus. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:27 NLT, “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” Also, in Matthew 26:41 Jesus warned, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41- “Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!" [NLT]). He also taught a life of prayer in Luke 18:1, “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; ….” Also 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing.”
These are just a few but important reasons we fast in January. I will stop here to keep this short enough and readable for everyone. Stay tuned for more messages as we continue in prayer.
***I pray that His presence will saturate your life, that He will meet you at your every point of need as you wait on Him in the Mighty Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is Faithful and True!
Remain richly blessed always!
Doris I. Oboli
Jewels of His Glory Ministries
Facepage: Jewels of His Glory Ministries/BEST Fellowship
"For in Him we live and move and have our being"
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