PRAYER & FASTING (23)

(Message by Tanny Keng)

0. Introduction

a) Prayer & Fasting for Deliverance (Matthew 17:14-21)

i) ¹⁴ And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”

¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ²¹ However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:14-21 NKJV)

b) Why do you pray and fast?

i) The answer is obvious. Perhaps, there may be other reason(s) that you want to see, a breakthrough in your life or the lives of those you dearly loved. Perhaps, there are other bigger reasons to this like your communities, nation and the world. 

c) How may you approach it?

i) There are 40 topics selected specially for the Prayer & Fasting Guide. You may choose and select the topics best suited for your 1-day, or 7-day, or 14-day, or 21-day, or 28-day (or 30 days) , or 40 days of Prayer & Fasting season. To ensure uniformity, each topic has been outlined as follows:

#1) Specific Scripture.

#2) Suggestions for Prayer.

#3) Questions for Reflection (thinking about yourself / your family / your church).

#4) Special Prayer for Family Members.

A. Topic 23: The Break-Up of the Family

1. Specific Scripture: Genesis 2:23-24; Psalms 133:1; Deuteronomy 6:4-9

a) ²³ And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” ²⁴ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:23-24 NKJV) 
b) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is, For brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalms 133:1 NKJV)

c)  “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! ⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. ⁶ “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NKJV)

2. Suggestions for Prayer:

a) That people will recognize and honor the institution of the family which God has established.

b) For single-parent homes.

c) For families dealing with divorce.

d) Against the rising acceptance of alternative lifestyles and family systems.

3. Questions for Reflection (thinking about your family):

a) Are there areas of your family's life where God is calling your family to repentance?

b) Are there areas of your family's life where you see God at work and need to celebrate?

c) What do you hear the Spirit of God is saying to your family?

4. Special Prayer for Family Members:

a) Pray for repentance (mention their names) that they may come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

b) Pray for mercy (mention their names) that they may return to God with repentance and forgive those who hurt them.

The End ...