Part 5 (1/2)

Their kids have been taught all their lives to be hyper- they've never been taught to be still a day in their lives. Some people think, Well, it's just normal for a child to be that way. Well, it's just normal for a child to be that way. That's That's not not normal. When our children were young, we always made them take a nap or have a rest time, where they sat for at least an hour. If they didn't go to sleep, they read a book, studied the Bible, or prayed; we trained them to be still, and they loved it. The Bible says, normal. When our children were young, we always made them take a nap or have a rest time, where they sat for at least an hour. If they didn't go to sleep, they read a book, studied the Bible, or prayed; we trained them to be still, and they loved it. The Bible says, ”Be still, and know that I [am] G.o.d. . . ” ( ”Be still, and know that I [am] G.o.d. . . ” (Ps. 46:10). There is a whole generation of people today who've not learned to be still-they literally go berserk if they don't have all their time occupied with something such as television, radio or the movies.

We're missing one of the greatest blessings in life if we don't take time to be still and know that He is G.o.d. missing one of the greatest blessings in life if we don't take time to be still and know that He is G.o.d.

Throw a Fit and Get It

Did you ever see a little kid throw a fit? The parents say, ”Now you be quiet.” The kid starts screaming, ”I want that!” Do you know what most parents do? Get ”that” and give it to him, to shut him up; so the child thinks to himself, Boy, that'll work. If I ever want anything, I'll throw a fit and I '11 get it. Boy, that'll work. If I ever want anything, I'll throw a fit and I '11 get it. Then the parents wonder why the kid throws fits all the time. It's because they reward him every time he does it. Then the parents wonder why the kid throws fits all the time. It's because they reward him every time he does it.

Our bodies are the same way. How can we expect them to reject what they feel and operate in faith when they have never been taught to reject anything? Our bodies have been indulged. If it wants something, feed it! If you do that, I guarantee that your body will dictate to you rather than you dictating to it, because you reward it every time it l.u.s.ts after something. It's just like a spoiled child.

Instead, you should say, ”Body, you give me any more trouble and we're going on a 10-day fast.” It screams, ”Oh, no, I couldn't live through a 10-day fast.” You answer, ”It just went to 11 days.” It screams, ”Eleven days! I can't stand it.” You answer, ”I'll go to 12 if you don't shut up.” Pretty soon, your body will get the message and shut up.

The Trouble with Fasting

Fasting can help you get discipline in your life, but let me warn you about a misconception concerning fasting.

You've probably heard a lot of people give great testimonies about fasting. They say, ”Oh, I saw 10 angels, and three visions, and G.o.d visited me, and all kinds of great things happened.” So somebody says, ”I'm going to fast. I want to see three angels and 10 visions and all those other things.” He goes on a fast, and it's miserable! His head hurts, his stomach growls, he complains, is irritable and says, ”Boy, this isn't the 700 Club. I thought it was going to be great. I thought I was going to have these great supernatural visitations. What's wrong?” He backs off the fast. probably heard a lot of people give great testimonies about fasting. They say, ”Oh, I saw 10 angels, and three visions, and G.o.d visited me, and all kinds of great things happened.” So somebody says, ”I'm going to fast. I want to see three angels and 10 visions and all those other things.” He goes on a fast, and it's miserable! His head hurts, his stomach growls, he complains, is irritable and says, ”Boy, this isn't the 700 Club. I thought it was going to be great. I thought I was going to have these great supernatural visitations. What's wrong?” He backs off the fast.

Fasts that are supernaturally sustained are an unusual occurrence. Very seldom are you going to have angelic visitations. The average good good fast is a fight. Why? Because your taste-that is, your l.u.s.t for food-is one of your strongest drives. The Old Testament says that Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage! He lost all his reason and went completely berserk because of food. fast is a fight. Why? Because your taste-that is, your l.u.s.t for food-is one of your strongest drives. The Old Testament says that Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage! He lost all his reason and went completely berserk because of food.

Up Comes Carnality!

Food is not bad nor is the desire for it-the Bible says so; but if it totally dominates you, it's wrong, and a fast will bring your carnality to the surface in a hurry. You can read and meditate on the Word, go to church, and pray for months or even years to get your body under control, but a fast will bring it to a life or death crisis in one or two days' time. When it gets to the point that you're going berserk, you may say, ”This is terrible. I'm not getting blessed.” But you are! Every bit of carnality that has been ruling you-probably without your even realizing it-has risen to the surface. Everything that is not submitted to G.o.d is raising its ugly head. Your emotions go wild: you get depressed, you get discouraged, you get irritable. You scream, ”Boy, this isn't what I need!” but it's exactly what you need; you've brought every bit of trash in your life to the surface. You need to stay with it!

If you will continue continue that discipline after the fast, you can say, ”Body, you will not rule me anymore. When I tell you to raise your hands, you're going to raise your hands. When I tell you to dance in front of people, you're going to dance in front of people, and not worry about what they think. When I tell you to stay up late and study the Word, you're going to say up late and study the Word, and not fall asleep. From now on, I'll dominate that discipline after the fast, you can say, ”Body, you will not rule me anymore. When I tell you to raise your hands, you're going to raise your hands. When I tell you to dance in front of people, you're going to dance in front of people, and not worry about what they think. When I tell you to stay up late and study the Word, you're going to say up late and study the Word, and not fall asleep. From now on, I'll dominate you you instead of you dominating me.” instead of you dominating me.”

Not by Bread Alone

The Word is also a tremendous help on a fast. When Jesus was tempted, He told the devil, ”Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of G.o.d” ”Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of G.o.d” (Mt. 4:4). Proverbs 4:22 says, (Mt. 4:4). Proverbs 4:22 says, ”For they [G.o.d's words] are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. ” ”For they [G.o.d's words] are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. ” The The Word can actually give physical strength to you. On a prolonged fast, you can literally begin to draw nourishment from the Word. Stay in the Word on a fast. Word can actually give physical strength to you. On a prolonged fast, you can literally begin to draw nourishment from the Word. Stay in the Word on a fast.

However, if you're watching all the food advertis.e.m.e.nts on television-Burger King, McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken-you won't last long. You'll have to unplug from all that and put your attention on G.o.d, and do you know what that will accomplish? It will harden you towards the things of the world. Your senses will begin going inward, to be exercised to discern both good and evil (Heb. 5:14).

Through prayer and fasting, you can reach the point that your senses don't have to lead you into doubt and unbelief. You'll be able to look at someone with an amputated arm or leg and not be immediately flooded with doubt and unbelief. You'll see through the eye of your faith, and that person will be healed! You can get to the point that your senses become a positive, productive thing rather than a negative, counterproductive thing.

But it's not going to happen accidentally-it's going to take it's not going to happen accidentally-it's going to take much much prayer and fasting. prayer and fasting.

What About Prayer?

So far, I have largely described fasting, because it's so powerful and so few of us do it! But now let's look at prayer.

Prayer does the same thing fasting does: it causes your natural man to rebel. It doesn't satisfy the senses; it forces them to get under control. Praying in tongues does so especially. When 1 first prayed in tongues, my mind rebelled at it. It said, ”This is foolish; this is silly. What's the point?” I prayed in tongues an hour a day for two years, prayed in tongues an hour a day for two years, and fought that thought with everything I had. Finally I broke through. Now I can pray in tongues and I don't have those battles. I've exercised my senses. and fought that thought with everything I had. Finally I broke through. Now I can pray in tongues and I don't have those battles. I've exercised my senses.

Many times you say, ”I'm going to spend time praying in tongues.” You decide to pray for an hour, then five minutes later you're thinking about something else. Then you start looking at the clock. Finally, you give up. Why does that happen? The Bible says in Matthew 6:21, ”For where your treasure is, there will your heart he also. ” ”For where your treasure is, there will your heart he also. ” Your treasure has been in the world and your heart will naturally gravitate to where your treasure is. Your treasure has been in the world and your heart will naturally gravitate to where your treasure is.

You can focus your attention on G.o.d so much that regardless of what you're doing, your mind always gravitates back to Him. I often wake up at night after preaching a service and think of people being healed, delivered and set free. I can't get away from it-I sleep it, I dream it, I talk it. That's what my mind is stayed on. That's where my heart is, so it's natural that I gravitate back to it again and again.

You Have it All

When you were born again, you received the same measure of faith Jesus had (Rom. 12:3, Gal. 2:20). You have all you can ever use or need. It's a simple matter of getting rid of the unbelief that hinders it.

That's not going to happen accidentally. It's going to happen by a deliberate attack on the things in our lives that Satan uses as inroads. It's going to happen by much prayer and fasting. not going to happen accidentally. It's going to happen by a deliberate attack on the things in our lives that Satan uses as inroads. It's going to happen by much prayer and fasting.

8.

Concluding Thoughts.

This teaching about hardness of heart has done a lot for me. I hope it has for you. Let me conclude with some final thoughts.

First, remember it is not your holiness that makes any of this work. I've heard all my life, ”Live holy, live holy, live holy!” With this goes the idea that G.o.d won't bless you if you don't live holy, but that is false. If G.o.d waited until we were holy to bless us, none of us would ever get blessed. If you say, ”Brother, I live holy,” I'll ask you, ”Who are you comparing yourself to? It must be some other human being. You can't be comparing yourself to G.o.d's standard, because you don't match up to that. G.o.d doesn't use you because of your holiness. G.o.d has never had anybody qualified working for Him yet- never.

It's not your holiness that moves G.o.d, but your holiness, your separation, and your commitment does determine how sensitive you are to G.o.d and how susceptible you are to Satan's doubt and unbelief. Sure, you can learn how to overcome doubt and unbelief, but it's a greater thing not to be tempted with them in the first place! not your holiness that moves G.o.d, but your holiness, your separation, and your commitment does determine how sensitive you are to G.o.d and how susceptible you are to Satan's doubt and unbelief. Sure, you can learn how to overcome doubt and unbelief, but it's a greater thing not to be tempted with them in the first place!

Single-Mindedness is the Key