The Power of Fasting and Prayer (Pt.2) (323) - November 8 2025

For this week we are continuing with part 2 of the Power of Fasting and Prayer. This is for those who need breakthrough the biblical way.

This program covers the following Scriptures from the Amplified Classic version (AMPC): 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Proverbs 4:20, Daniel 10:3, Isaiah 58:3-12, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 6:16-18, Jonah 3:5-6, Jonah 3:8, Matthew 4:1-11, Acts 14:23, Nehemiah 1:3-4, Matthew 17:21, Joel 2:12-13, Ezra 8:23, Acts 13:2, Psalm 69:10, Psalm 69:13, Exodus 34:28, Psalm 63:6–7.

Chapters

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Transcript

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(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) This is touch of God ministry. My name is Catrice and I'll be bringing the message for you guys today. We are doing part two of the power of prayer and fasting. Please keep in mind that all the scriptures that we'll be reading are from the amplified classic and of course the prayer and fasting. Keep note if you are listening to this message, you do want to be saved and to be already in Christ. John 15, remain in me and I in you because apart from God, you can do nothing. So keep those in mind going forward. Also a note that we want prayer and fasting to work for you, but if you have one foot in the world and one foot over on God's side, that's not enough. The 10 commandments said that you shall have no other God before me. That means you want to only be worshiping and to be serving Jesus Christ according to the Bible, not according to what anybody else says, not according to what popular people are saying, but you must study and show yourself approved and know the word of God for yourself so that you can grow. And that's what we want for everyone. The last time we had stopped, we were talking about the benefits of praying and fasting. I went over some of the benefits and the last scriptures that we were going over was when Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights and the results that Jesus got. And for some of you who took the time to read that scripture, you're also going to be strengthened by how Jesus was strengthened and tempted in praying and fasting. So Jesus went through a lot. He's leading the way. He's the way he's the truth. He's the life, right? So we're following Jesus. We're serving Jesus and Jesus fasted. So this is something that it's in the Bible and it's biblical and we all want to benefit from it, especially if our lives are not the way we think it should be. We want to follow the precepts of the Bible and give God a chance knowing that he's set things in motion for us. If only we are obedient, amen. How many of us want to be obedient? I want to be obedient because I most definitely want to reap the benefits that have been set forth for us. Now we're talking about benefit of fasting and praying. It helps you to seek God's guidance. So by fasting, you can set aside distractions and focus more fully on seeking God's will and direction for your life. How many of us want to seek God's will and direction for our lives? In the Bible, we see that people often fasted and prayed together in times of crisis or when seeking God's guidance. For example, when the early church leaders were making important decisions, they fasted and prayed unto the Holy Spirit provided the direction they needed. In Acts 14 verse 23, and again, this is the amplified classic verse 23 says, and when they had appointed and ordained elders for them in each church with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe, being full of joyful trust that he is the Christ, the Messiah. So the church prayed and fast. Another benefit of praying and fasting, fasting helps you to show solidarity with others. So that's unity. By fasting, you can show support and concern for others and pray for their needs. In the biblical times, people sometimes fasted to show their unification with others who were suffering or in need. For example, Nehemiah 1 verses 3 to 4. So what you're about to hear is a report that was brought to Nehemiah. And they said to me, the remnant there in the province who escaped exile are in great trouble and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and it's fortified gates are destroyed by fire. When I heard this, I sat down and wept and mourned for days and fasted and prayed constantly before the God of heaven. So Nehemiah mourned and wept and he fasted before the Lord. So this is what Nehemiah did to bring unity onto the people. He needed breakthrough. And so he immediately responded by this way. So some more benefits, you get spiritual clarity. Fasting can help you focus on God and hear his voice more clearly. It can also help you gain clarity for important decisions. How many of us need to hear God's voice crystal clear? Unless you're already hearing his voice, then that's okay. But especially during these times, you need to know who to talk to. Should you go left? Should you go right? Should you buy this kind of food? Should you buy this kind of water? What place should you go to, to learn about the word? Should you talk to that pastor? Just decisions, decisions that need to be made. You need to be hearing God's voice. So we want to have, to be able to pray for solidarity, for unity, wherever it is that we're serving. Unity in your family, unity with your friends, unity with your coworkers, unity at your church, just unity in the brotherhood. We want to have that and praying and fasting can bring that. It will break off chains. Another benefit is to be strengthened. And fasting can help you gain the strength to do hard things and accept what you're going through. It's not saying that, Lord, this is how it's supposed to go. It's saying that, God, this is a challenge for me as I'm going through this, but I know that God, you are seeing me through. You're directing my footsteps. You're directing my path, that it's allowing you to cling, trust, and rely upon the Lord while you're going through trials and tribulations on this earth. Praying and fasting can bring gratitude. Fasting can help you appreciate food and others' blessings in your life. So when I get done a fast, oh boy, I appreciate food. I appreciate flavors. I appreciate tastes. I can see blessings because you know what? People don't have to do things for you and some places they don't have food. So we need to look around in appreciation. And I believe that it humbles the flesh, that we're fasting. It could be a difficult thing, but what if your whole life was fasting? You just didn't know where your next meal will come from. So we have to be able to fast to strengthen ourselves so that we can resist the devil and he will flee. But also God will just fill our stomach spiritually like God did with one of the prophets. He literally just filled his stomach until he got him to a point where he could have bread and honey. God is just so awesome. Fasting and praying gives you power and physical strengthening. So fasting can help you control your physical passions and master your hunger, anger, lust, pride. Fasting is going to break all of those, all of those emotions, those thoughts that the enemy tries to place in your head or behaviors. Fasting can begin to break those things off of you. You have to determine how long you have to fast to break things off. And it depends on what you have to do. So one time I was drinking so much coffee, I had more coffee than I was literally eating. I needed to break this and I didn't want to go to some place where they were doing something else that would not make me healthy to break an addiction to caffeine. I chose to fast unto the Lord and God gave me power. When I was done this fast, I wasn't even thinking about coffee. I was able to overthrow it. And to this day, I am like not addicted to coffee anymore. And I'm so grateful because that was something for me that I needed to break. So you think about what you need to break in your life. What addictions? Maybe it's gossip. Maybe it's watching social media. Maybe you are binge watching shows on your phone or on your computer. You know that it's not right, but you don't know how to break it. So right here, we're learning that you can have the power. God can build this power of resistance up in you so that you can resist the devil and he will flee. So if the enemy is telling you there's no way out, how are you going to break this? Know that we have wisdom and knowledge. What a difference. Because if you don't have the wisdom and knowledge of what you're supposed to know in the kingdom of God, the Bible says my people perish because of lack of wisdom and knowledge. So we don't want to be lacking wisdom and knowledge. And before you learn this, let's say this is the first time that you're hearing this. You might have thought, oh my gosh, I have an addiction and there's no way out. But now you can hear because you now have the knowledge that you don't have to go this way. And there was one time I would go and get the vehicle that I was driving fixed and I would go to the place where they're supposed to fix it. And I just always felt like they were overcharging, overcharging for stuff. And then I'd pay all of this money and I'd go back home. I'd still have the same problem. They never fixed anything, but they overcharged all this money for things. But when I began to learn about the car parts and what they do and signs of when it's not working, then when I went back to the dealership and they went to say something, I knew that they weren't forthright. I knew that they were lying. And I had wisdom and knowledge now to not go through being overcharged in a place by corrupt dealerships. So this is something we want to have this wisdom and knowledge so that we are not under bondage. We're not being lied to and taken advantage of. Amen. So the power of prayer and fasting can give you more time in your schedule. It can break the bonds of things that are just distractions, waste of time, holding you up. Fasting can give you more time to pray by freeing up time you'd normally spend eating or watching TV or on your social media, on your phone, or just talking to your friends about maybe gossip or something. It's going to break that sin off of your life. You're not going to desire to do it anymore, right? And you're going to want to locate all of these things so that you can break that sin off of your life because that could be what's holding you back. But no more. Now you're getting wisdom and knowledge and you will be set free in the name of Jesus. So prayer and fasting demonstrates desire. Fasting can show that you're serious about your request. So fasting can show to God that you are serious about breaking free from your sin by following God's precepts. You're being obedient and you're having faith that God will do what he has promised, but you are doing what you're supposed to do according to the word so that you can be set free. God's given us tools, but if we're not using them, we can't be set free because we can't just sit and stare at a wall and say, Oh God, why won't you make me free? We get into that word and we find out what is it I'm supposed to be doing to be set free? What is it I'm supposed to be doing? Let's say if it's finances, how do I handle my finances so that it may be well with me? But if we are ignorant of the devices of the enemy and ignorant of what God is saying, then we're just staring at a wall saying, Oh God, why won't you help me? But let us walk in wisdom and knowledge so that we can overcome. And so we can use that faith to move those mountains biblically the way God is wanting us to move those mountains. Fasting and praying releases God's power. Fasting can be used to release God's supernatural power, especially when there's opposition to God's will. So how many of us need supernatural power? We need supernatural breakthrough. You women who are raising your children alone and you're still having difficulty, maybe with your ex, you can be praying and fasting for supernatural breakthrough so that you can take care of your child or whatever it is. Or maybe you're working at a job and you need supernatural breakthrough because you're doing work, but let's say somebody is maybe taking your work and you're not getting credit for your work. So it looks like you're not working. God can change the atmosphere at your job. When you seek him, the Bible says, seek and ye shall find knock and the door will open ask and it will be given to you. Wow. It sounds so easy, but it's only easy when you have the wisdom and knowledge because you've been reading the Bible and you're gaining understanding that you have authority and that God's given you this. And so now this is yet another tool in your, in your toolbox. So prayer and fasting can be used for casting out demons. Matthew 17 verse 19 to 21. Then the disciples came to Jesus asked privately, why could we not drive it out? So they're referring to a demon that they wanted to drive out of a person. Verse 20, he said to them, so this is Jesus speaking. He said to them, because of the littleness of your faith, that is your lack of firmly relying trust for truly. I say to you, if you have faith that is living like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to yonder place, and it will move and nothing will be impossible to you. Verse 21, but this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. Well, come on now, somebody, how many of us know that there's unclean spirits in our homes, in our lives, at our work in different places, and they need to come out in the name of Jesus. Them unclean spirits need to go in the name of Jesus. So if you knew that you had authority over those unclean spirits, you get into God's word. You study God's word. You begin to pray. You begin to fast. You begin to push out that darkness in the name of Jesus, right? You're following the Holy spirit. God's telling you what to say, what to do to push this darkness out of your home, out of your life in the name of Jesus. I just get passionate about this. I know there's so many people who need to be free, and this is spiritual medicine, helping us to grow, helping us all to move forward. So fasting and prayer separates you unto God. So fasting, that means we're being sanctified so that you spend time with God. Joel 2 verses 12 to 13, verse 12. Therefore also no says the Lord turn and keep on coming to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping and with mourning until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored. Come on. Is that not good? God is literally telling you to keep on coming towards him because he wants to cleanse all of these things out of your life. And he wants you to be fasting. If in that situation, think about the situation and everything that you're going through. He wants you to seek him with all your heart. So if you get in that prayer room and you're like, you ain't doing nothing and you're sitting there and you're just like, okay, well, Lord, let's see it. Come on, break this stuff off of my life. No, God wants you to be talking to him. He wants you to be repenting while you're praying to him. God, I know that I did this. God, I know I have this addiction. God, I want to be clean. I don't want to do this anymore. I'm even disgusted with myself. God, I need you to break this off. God, I need freedom from this. God, I don't want to be stagnant anymore. God, I want to move forward. God, I just thank you for anything, for wisdom, for shining your light on me, for just giving me direction. God, God, just show me what direction. And I'm going to run in that direction. God, show me what to do, God. And I'm going to be obedient because I'm tired of living like this. You need to press in. You need to really reveal your heart to the Lord. And if you're not transparent with the Lord and you're keeping things back, if you go into your prayer closet and you're just like, well, I was told to come in here, Lord, and to pray in the fast, but I don't really know why I didn't, I didn't do anything. I'm just so holy. Well, we need to search ourselves, right? And even if you don't know what you have done, you need to say, Holy Spirit, I need you to reveal what this is. I need you to show me anything that I need to repent for. God, I need you to show me anything that I need to have forgiveness for. God is saying, keep on coming to me until all the hindrances are removed and broken and the fellowship between you and him is restored. So if you're lacking that in your life, come on, pray and fast, break this stuff off of your life. It's just like that. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Get excited because wisdom and knowledge is power to overthrow the kingdom of darkness. So come on, people, let's get into it, right? Break this stuff off of our lives. Verse 13, rend your heart and not your garments and return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding and loving kindness. And he revokes his sentence of evil when his conditions are met. So God wants to revoke whatever is over you, but you have to come to him and it has to be a heart posture. You have to be willing and humbled in your heart and allow God to tell you where you're wrong. And when he tells you, clean that stuff out of your life, pray it out, fast it out. So in Ezra 8, verse 23, it says, so we fasted and besought our God for this. And he heard our entreaty. Acts 13, verse two, while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy spirit said, separate noun for me, Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. If you need direction, prayer and fasting can help you with direction in your lives. God can tell you where to go, when to go there, who you're going to meet. And in this case, he's separating out Barnabas and Saul to do the work that he's called them to do. In Psalm 69, 10, when I wept and humbled myself with fasting, I was jeered and humiliated. So this is a person who it seems like they're in a place where there's other people who maybe found out that they're fasting and these people jeered and humiliated them, which in our modern day, they're being mocked. So in that same Psalm, Psalm 69, verse 13, the individual says, but as for me, my prayer is to you, Oh Lord, at an acceptable and opportune time. Oh God, in the multitude of your mercy and the abundance of your loving kindness, hear me and in the truth and faithfulness of your salvation, answer me. Verse 14, rescue me out of the mire and let me not sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me and from out of the deep waters. So when we're praying and we're fasting, it can break chains and you can be delivered from these things. And to be able to move on in your life in Christ, we want to do it the right way. So I hope that you're gleaning from this. I hope that you're just learning from this. I want to tell you that in the Bible, there's prayer watches. So in Psalm 63 verses six to seven, this is David talking to God. When I remember you God upon my bed and meditate on you in the night watches for you have been my help and in the shadow of your wings will I rejoice. So David is alluding to that. There's night watches. Allow God to take charge of your life. When you're doing this prayer and fasting, you're praying over different things over your life, over your emotions, over assignments that God wants you to do for your family, for the environment direction, for your finances, for just different decisions. And you can add whatever you're, you're wanting to do. So we just learned that there's prayer watches and I'm just going to try to go over the watches really, really quick. So there's eight prayer watches, three hours in each watch. There's four at night and there's four for the day. 6pm to 9pm is the evening watch. 9pm to 12 is the transition time night watch. 12am to 3am the midnight watch where there's spiritual warfare. So if you need breakthrough in spiritual warfare, time for spiritual intercession, many demonic activities take place during this time. It's crucial for believers to watch and pray. Mark 14 verse 37 mentions this. Even if you're starting off and you're not used to praying, at least pray for 20 minutes in that watch from 3am to 6am is the early morning watch. The last watch of the night for divine visitations and renewal. The time to experience the miraculous and the supernatural 6am to 9am. This is called the early morning watch a time for declarations and blessings. 6am to 12pm the watch of the day. That's what that's called. The time for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the time for divine favor. From 12pm to 3pm is the midday watch. The watch of dominion time to pray for God's guidance and wisdom. Oh my goodness, this is so good. From 3pm to 6pm time for intervention and breakthrough. The important ones are the ones from 6pm to 9pm, 3am to 6pm. And just remember God is saying we're supposed to pray without ceasing. The first three, I believe I didn't tell you what they were for. So 6pm to 9pm is the beginning of the day in God's timing. The time for reflection and thanksgiving. The 9pm to 12pm is the transition time night watch. The time of fervent intercession and spiritual warfare. But the 12am to 3am is also for spiritual warfare, especially during this time because there's demonic activity. So I hope that you learn from this. And right now, I just want to pray a little bit. God, I just thank you so much. This word is going forward and that many are being set free right now. And they will apply this word in the name of Jesus. Thank you so much. And you guys be blessed.