In Acts 27, the apostle Paul was a prisoner on a ship with
276 passengers onboard. Launching the voyage in the winter, the ship headed
into a violent sea storm, called Euroclydon. The ship tossed like a leaf in the
wind and was in danger of splitting into pieces. No stars or light from the
moon was seen for many days, and because of the dangerous rocks and quicksand,
it appeared that Paul and the passengers would drown in the murky waters.
Paul had been on an extended fast and was praying for God’s intervention. God released a heavenly
messenger to bring Paul this encouraging Word:
“But after long abstinence from
food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, ‘Men, you should have
listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and
loss. And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among
you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of God to
whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be
brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with
you.”’” Acts 27:21-24
In the midst of a life-threatening storm, God sent assurance
through an angelic messenger that the ship would be destroyed, but not one of
the 276 passengers—many of whom were prisoners—would die in the
process.
After Christ was baptized by John in the Jordan River, He
was then directed by the Holy Spirit to spend days in solitude, fasting and
praying (Matt. 4). After 40 days, the tempter (Satan) came and began to harass
Christ, demanding He prove He was the Son of God. The temptation involved three
aspects: Lust of the flesh—
turn the stones into bread to eat; Lust
of the eyes—throw yourself from the
high point of the temple so angels can rescue You; Pride of Life—bow and worship Satan, and he will give you
the world’s kingdoms.
Following the fast and the testing from Satan, Christ was
physically weak, and the heavenly Father sent angels to personally minister to
Him (see Matt. 4:11).
Toward the conclusion of Christ’s ministry, when He was in
agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, we read that, “Then an angel appeared to Him
from heaven, strengthening Him” (Luke 22:43). Thus, during the two most
stressful moments in Christ’s life—His 40-day fast and prior to His
crucifixion—angels were commissioned to personally minister to Him and
strengthen Him. This would have included not only physical strength but
emotional and spiritual strength as well.
During my earlier ministry, I lived what I call a “fasting
life.” Instead of eating throughout the week and selecting a specific day to
fast, I would often go days on end without eating, or eat only one time a day
just to maintain strength. When fasting, my spiritual senses were sharper and keener, and I was able to discern
both good and evil more clearly. I could also sense when there was a strategy
of the enemy or some form of danger that lay ahead.
Early one morning, I departed from Northport, Ala., and was
traveling by car on a four-hour drive to Mississippi. I recall being very
tired, and several times I found my eyes becoming heavy. Without realizing it,
I dozed off. Suddenly I was struck in the back of my shoulders by what felt
like a man’s hand. The sudden slap did
not hurt but it jerked me forward, awaking me. Unknowingly, I had already
veered off the road and was driving head-on toward the corner of an interstate
bridge. I had a split second to jerk the car away from the bridge and barely
miss colliding head-on with the concrete support. I began to cry because there
was no one else in the car, and I knew the Lord had sent a heavenly messenger
on my behalf to protect me.
Fasting is like a magnet that attracts your soul and spirit
closer to the heavenly realm. Isaiah wrote about the power of fasting and
revealed that a fast would: “Loose the bonds of wickedness, undo the heavy
burdens, let the oppressed go free, and … break every yoke” (Isa. 58:6). In
verse 8 Isaiah predicted: “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” (KJV, emphasis
added). Notice that God will be thy “rereward.” Believers often read this as
“thy reward,” but it is not reward
but the word rereward.
When the word rereward is
used in other passages it alludes to someone being in the rear guard of the
army. When we fast and earnestly seek God, He has us covered from the backside.
He can prevent the adversary from a “sneak attack” that would catch you off
guard!
Adapted from Angels on Assignment, by Perry Stone, copyright 2009, published by
Charisma House. For believers, there are many Scriptures promising God can and
will protect us. This book reveals in detail one of these promises, the Mizpah
Covenant, and is filled with faith-building stories that show you how angels
are involved in our lives on a personal and practical level. To order your
copy, click on this link.
PRAYER POWER FOR THE WEEK OF 1/30/2012
As you face the many challenges of 2012, be encouraged that
God will provide miraculous answers when you fast and pray. Thank Him for the
breakthroughs He’s planned and you will experience this year. Continue to pray
that believers would unite in prayer and purpose for our nation. Pray for the
persecuted church around the world and for the protection of Israel. Pray for
our military and their families. Ask God to direct you concerning the upcoming
elections, and remember those suffering through loss of jobs, homes, and loved
ones. Phil. 4:6,7; Isa. 58:6-12
To enrich your prayer
life and learn how to strategically pray with power by using appropriate
scriptures, we recommend the following sources by Apostle John Eckhardt: Prayers that Rout Demons, Prayers that Bring Healing, Prayers that Release Heaven on Earth and Prayers that Break
Curses. To order any or all of these click here.
Bill Wiese 
Paul McGuire 
