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CHAPTER
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FASTS

fAIT~ BOOKS SY W,V GRAHl

18 BOOKS
WANTS

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Brother H. C. Hezzie said, "1 can fast pretty well as Icng as I have plenty of good, thick buttermilk to drink." He looked like it too; for he had it fixed so he could watch his weight. You know, he had his stomach out far enough. His appetite was scon out of his control. He ate five times as much as he should have eaten. This led to something else; his appetite for other things was not controlled. One night his wife found him in a beer-joint with another woman, drinking beer. I:e backalid and went to the devil. For years he has not gone to church. How can a man who was full of 1 h2 Holy Spirit get into such a condition'! Like Esau, he gave wav to natural desires. This brother was under the impression that he could drink milk while fasting. The fast that the Bible speaks of is not that kind of fast. The church leaders may c ha ng= the meaning of fasting. They may make a declarut inn that a day's fast is from sun up until sun down. They mav say that .'IOU may drink milk, juice and Coca-Colas while on a fast. But the Biblical fasts are total abstinence from food. True Biblical fasting comes from the Greek word "neste:a,' and means abstinence from f'ood. I have searched in vain and have never found that any amount of nourishment can be taken with a fast. Fasting is not, like some folk think.

Doing Penance
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Marlin Luther when the Lorn live by fa ith." Some people for many years. they will gain

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sleep on wood, rocks, or the ground Some remain unmarried, thinking that God's favor and grace. Some will do

without something they like really well for a few weeks each year, as whiskey, beer, road houses, cigars, wild women, or filthy jokes. But they need a revolution instead of a resolution. Recently while we were in the Philippine Islands there were people who crucified themselves and whipped themselves in order to gain favor with the Lord. There <Ire people who think if they will ride in a T. Model Ford car, read by kerosene lamps, or live in an old shack for a house, when they have plenty, that they are pleasing the Lord, that they will be more holy. That is why some people do without food at certain times. They think they will be more holy by doing so. But that iR not the purpose of fasting, which the Bible speaks about. I even prayed that the Lord would make me like Job when he was full of boils. That was just after I was saved. Some people do better without food for Their Health's Sake. Sinners may do that. People who have also religion may do that. Patients in the hospital may do without food, but that is not fasting as people fasted in the Bible. If you really go on a Scriptural fast your health will be improved just as your Spiritual life is improved by fasting; but if you are not right with God when you do without food, then doing without food alone is not a true fast. Someone taught that people should fast ten days in order To Receive The Holy Ghost. If you believe that, then according to your faith be it unto you. That is a false fast because it is not according to the Bible. We have seen hundreds and thousands of rank sinners receive salvation and the Baptism of the Holy Ghost the same night. Repent and be baptized and you shall receive the Holy Ghost (Acts 2 :38-39).
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'I he people in Samaria received the Holy Ghost immediately after conversion. (Acts 8). The people at the Household of Cornelius received the Holy Ghost- immediately after becoming Christians. (Acts 10). The people at Ephesus received the Holy Ghost as soon as they were baptized. (Acts 19 :1-6). You cannot prove that the disciples fasted ten days in the upper room. They may have. Since the Bible does not say they did, then you must not say so. The upper room is where J esus carried the disciples to eat. Of course, the Bible says they were "continually praising and blessing God," but that does not prove that they did not eat for ten days. The Word of God tells us to "pray without ceasing ," "rejoice evermore," "rejoice always, "in everything give thanks." but that does not prove that we should never eat. I am not saying that fasting will not help you to receive the Holy Ghost. As long as you believe it is not Scriptural to receive the Holy Ghost without fasting ten days, then you do not believe you will receive the Holy Ghost today. You cannot believe two opposite things at once. A lady told us that she was on A Nineteen Day Fast. She went from one person to another saying, "This is the nineteenth day of my fast." She did not seem to get anywhere with the Lord. She did not receive her healing. Later we found out. that she felt free to drink all the juice she wanted, at anytime she wanted it. She could drink one kind of juice for awhile and then drink another kind the next day. She could "fast" for months like that. No one in the Bible days fasted like that. A good friend of mine, who was a preacher fasted for forty days. That is, he said he was fasting. I wondered how he could work all the time. Later I found out. He ate and drank most anything he wanted; yet
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he called it fasting. He would get along better to not do without any food at all, than to put people under false imnressions. Twenty-one Dav Fast. It has been said bv some good, sincere people that Daniel fasted twenty-one clays. But the Bible does not say so. It is recorded that "no pleasant bread" entered into his mouth. Let's get things straight : Daniel may have fasted twentv-cne clays. He may have fasted forty days, thirty davs, or twenty days. He could have fasted many times that the Bible does not sav anything about it. It is possible. But if we CHn take the phrase that "no pleasant bread" entered into his mouth and count that fasting, then we can prove that he fasted twenty-one days. We can say that thousands of people who are burdened down in prayer, not anjov ing their food, have fasted for six months, We can sa~' that millions of people in the hospitals, some of whom are not Christians at all, .HP f'ast.ing' for months at a time, One 1 ime, the Bible declares, that Daniel only ate pulse. which is vegetables, refusing to eat the king's meat; No pleasant bread entered into his mouth then, that we know of. At least "no pleasant meat" entered into his mouth. Rut he ate all the pulse he wanted, In fact he became fatter than any of the rest of them. Some folk would :,;a,\' he fasted. Yet he became fatter If that i" true then you CHn fill your stomach full of beans each day and still go Oil a forty clay fast. If that is true ESC-HI was fasting when he traded his birthright for a mess of pottage (beans), Some suggest that Daniel went on a "partial fast." If that is true then some people have been on a "partial fast" for a year at a time, For they are temperate in their eating for ~'ears at H. time. They eat to live; ann don't live to eat, That is well and good; but should they say that they fa:,;ted forty da,Ys, when the~' filled themsel\'es full of buttermilk, beans, lea, coffee, and milkshakes, leaving ofr the "pleasant bread," or the desserts that they liked so well '! Denying ,yourself of some enjoyment is not
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necessarilv fasting, vVe are to deny ourselves of some things everv dav in the year, even after we receive H great anointing for service. There is no such thing as a partial sin. There is no such thing as partial holiness. There is llO such thing as partial rig hteousness. There is no such thing as a partial Christian, There is no such thing as a partial lie. There is no such thing as a part ial truth. A \'(~s:,;el is not. part iallv clean, It is clean or dirty, A line is either straight 01' crooked. You are either a Christian or a sinner. Y()U Hrp in or out: for Christ Of' against Him. You do not heal' two kinds of fruit at one lime, good and evil. No one is a pnrtial adulterer, murderer, 01' thief. Daniel either fa:,;led or he did nol fast. We cannot sa.\ that he pcsitivelv fasted twenty one days, Since we cannot list him as a r~ible character who fasted t wentv-onc day:,;, then we cannot put him on t he list. lie will he left off the list. \\'e will be Forced 10 sa~' that we cannot lind any Hible record of a nvone who fasted twenty-one days. We will be forced to sav that it is not Ilibhcal for a nvone to abstain from what t hev likr-, and just be temperate, and yet sa.\ that they are fasl ing, Temperance is good: but temperance is not I::ihlical fasting-. Dieting Is Not Fasting. I am not sav ing that nne should not diet; IluL if dieting is fasting then a teaming thousan.ls \)1' ungodly women and men are fasting, Thev are as mean as the devil. If doing without food is fasting, then the hospitals are full of people who <Ire forced to do withoul Iood. II' thai is true millions of people in India and China, who li\'c 011 a fev>' grains of rice each da~' are fasting. In both nations we found there vvere hardly any who ha\'e e\'er learned about Jesus Christ. Some sa.\' ue('ause the Biule :,;a,\'s thal when Daniel was burdened clown, pra~'ing, when there was no more strength in him. that meant that he went on a long fast. ,JesLis was uurcJened do\\'n. His strf'ngth left him.
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(Luke 22 :43). Although he had just eaten a meal with his disciples. (Luke 22 :15). The power of God saps your natural strength. Why should we say that Daniel fasted twenty-one days? He may have fasted longer than that, but the Bible does not say so. Many sincere people cannot help being taught wrong. They have not been told the difference. They do not realize when you go into a covenant with God to fast, that any amount of food, even drinking milk, or chewing gum and swallowing the juice, may break that fast. We were in one part of the country where they had been through a fasting school. The pastor had been taught that if he felt sick while he was fasting that he could take a little nourishment to settle his stomach. So he felt free to slip into the kitchen between meals and take on a nice size piece of pie. He had also been taught that he did not need to be led by the Spirit. He proved it in the night services. My six year old boy could have conducted the service better.

CHAPTER

II

Forced Fast
I ran away from home when I was about fourteen years old. I hitch-hiked my way for several hundred miles. I slept in freight trains; gathered peas from a near-by farm after nights and cooked them on top of a rusty, wood stove in an old bucket. The only thing I had to eat with the peas sometimes was more peas. I ate pea sausage for breakfast, and took some with me for my lunch. Sometimes when I would hide the lunch in top of a tree, the ants would beat me to it. For several meals at a time I did not have anything to eat. I fasted; but it was net a Spiritual fast; for I was not saved. That was what we shall call a forced fast. I did without food, but it was not God that put me on the fast. I was with the most wicked crowd of boys, who slept on concrete floors, in the city hall, on the trains and under the trains. Some of them were bums who cursed, lied, cheated and stole. If doing without food is fasting then the eight million people who were without jobs during the depression all fasted. We really should have had a great revival. It looks like about one tenth of the people should have had power to cast out devils, But most of them were full of the devil themselves. Satan does not cast out Satan. Many of these people had so much of the devil in them that they would steal all they could get their hands on and then curse President Hoover, blaming him for their condition. I Did Without A Meal The other night when I was holding a meeting in the Philadelphia Evangelistic Center it so happened that cur services held so late that all the restaurants were closed. I was hungry. I did not have but one meal that day. I wanted to eat. The other ministers who had been taking me down to the main part of town to eat were off on other duties just then. I had no way to go. So I went to bed without eating.
7

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That was a forced fast. We were talking to a man and woman who were verv gOOfI ministers. They were newly married. Foolishly t hev plunged into debt. Soon they were completely out of food or money; still thev refused to tell anyone about their circumstances. Some of' the neighbors discovered that they did withcut food for about a week. God did not put that fast on them. They may have prayed more since they did not have anything to eat. I rather think they worried more than they prayed. A t least it was a forced fast and not a Scriptural, divinely directed fast. During the war Eddie Rickenbacker and some men were caught out 011 the ocean in a raft, where they floated on the water for many days. I don't know how many of them died from exposure and starvation. Eddie's wife was at home praying for him. It looks like a miracle that his life was saved as a bird flew by, furnishing him food to keep him alive until he was rescued. Again we see that a fast was forced against the will of the one who did without food. That is not the kind of fast God puts on us. God does not make us fast against our will. People may do without food because of their health, because they are forced into it. The doctors may put them 011 a fast to save their lives. Yet they may be as mean as the devil. Others may do without food because of religious rituals. Theil' church leaders, or their folks, may force them to abstain from food certain days, or certain seasons. Yet that is forced by man and will do little good; sometimes more harm than good. NIan_\, people are so full of fear, worry, and grief that they can't relax long enough to eat. Their relati ves may die. Thev may be grieved and worried so they can't eat. One man became so mad that he would not eat. Another became drunk on whiskey. A lady became mentally oppressed and refused to eat. All these are forced fasts, and are not to be considered a true fast with
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which God would be pleased. God would instruct those dear people to come to Him for help. Elijah was sent to a widow woman and her son, who were on starvation. They were so nearly starved to death, it seems, that they had one cake between them and death. They started to eat that cake and die. Did Elijah tell them to go on a long fast? No he did not. God had sent Elijah to save their lives. He told them to eat! As they obeyed God's man God supplied the food. The meal barrel never was empty. If they had been fasting it was a forced fast because of the famine. They had had no rain for about eighteen months. The Lord said that we would eat in plenty and be satisfied. (Joel 2 :26). He satisfies our mouth with good things. (Ps. 103 :5). Those people they dug out of the mines recently, who had been trapped in there for weeks, were near death. Some of them were already dead. That was forced fasting. I was recently in the Philippine Islands, near the prison camps where many people did without food. Then there was the road where our boys were on the death march. A boy who weighed one hundred and sixty pounds soon weighed only sixty-five pounds. Hundreds of them fell beside the road and died. That was not pleasing to the Lord for those boys to be forced to fast. It did no good, but plenty of harm. Elisha Broke A Forced Fast. The famine was so severe in Samaria that the king wore sackcloth on his loins. The Syrians had them clesed in. The people went to the man of God for help. He did not tell them to fast for deliverance. They were starving to death. Elisha told them there would be plenty of food the next day. The fear of God so came on the Syrians that they ran aid fled. God fought the battle. Four lepers who were starving to death said, "Why sit we here until we die 7" (2 Kings 7 :3). These lepers arose and went into the camp of the Sv rians, finding that they had tied, leaving plenty of food.
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Had the lepers stayed there and fasted a forced fast God's people would have been destroyed, starved to death, and missed the mind of the Lord. "Give Ye Them To Eat" The people were in a desert place. Jesus had compassion on them and said, "Give ye them to eat." He did not tell them that they should keep going without food. So he multiplied the five loaves and two fishes and fed the five thousand men and their families. (Luke 9:13). Jesus raised up a girl who had died and commanded them to give her something to eat. We pray for a sick lady and command that the people give her something to eat. We don't say, "Go home and fast forty days so God will heal you." We don't say, "Depart in peace be ye warmed and filled." We give them those things which are needful for the body. (James 2 :16). The devil tempts some nervous people, telling them that they are not doing God's service unless thev go on a long fast. I have seen them so confused that they thought it was a sin to eat or sleep. I mention these things to show that confusion may force them to fast, but God wants them to relax in Him. It is God's good pleasure to give you sleep. (Ps, 127:2). He furnishes us food sufficient for us. (Prov. 30:8). If He feeds the sparrows he will also feed us. We are of more value than many sparrows. He will supply all our needs. He loves lIS more than a mother loves her sucking child. A mother wants her child to eat. God wants His children to eat. If your child wants bread you will not give him a stone. How much more will our Father give good gifts to us. (Luke 11 :11). The fast that the king did while Daniel was in the lion's den cernes from the word "tevawth" which means to twist, or the word "tavah," which means to spin. I understand that the king was so worried and so afraid that he began to twist and to spin. He must have done without food because his conscience was bothering him; because he was anxious that Daniel survive the lion's den; and because he was fasting unto God.
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THE FOURTEEN DAY FAST While the sailors were on a shipwreck on their way to Rome they did not eat for fourteen days, but was this a God calico fast? God's fast was already past, which was the Day of A tonement, about the middle of September. Evidently, these men, who were heathens .did not observe God's fast day. So they ran into much trouble. (Acts 27 :9). The centurion was an unbeliever and did not believe the warning that the man of God gave them (11). The sailors did not eat while they were on watch, and they were on watch continuously clay and night for two weeks. They were "continually in suspense" is the way the Amplified New Testament puts it. They were constantly working, striving to save their life. No one had time to cook. It took all hands and the cook to prevent drowning. They were determined to face death fighting for their lives. No one could eat in such a fright. They were under orders to work since they were facing death the next moment. They were heathen and did not know the leading of God's Spirit. Paul told them it was against their health to do without food that long. He told them to eat to protect their health. It is against your health to fast fourteen days in vour own strength. You should have God to lead you in order to go 011 a long fast. We have no record that Paul instructed them to fast. Like many people today they ignored God's fast and planned one of their own, which did no good. They ungirded the ship. They were afraid of the quicksands and rocks. They were driven by waves and exceedingly tossed by a great tempest. They unloaded the ship, evidently by hand with no heavy machinery. They threw all freight overboard. They threw out the furniture, the tackle, and the ship equipment. They tried to brace the ship with cables, fearing that they would drift into the banks. They tried with great difficulty, with the tempest against them, to get a boat off the ship and pull it
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to an island. Then they finally let it be thrown overboard, as they cut the ropes. They lowered the sails and ropes. They lost all hope of being saved. Paul rebuked them for doing without food; he asked them to cheer up. They cast out the anchors. They were almost scared to death. Many of them started to jump off the ship and escape. They cut all the ropes. Orders were given to kill many of them. In all this suspense they did not have time to eat. "Asitos" is the Greek word used in speaking of the kind of fasting in Acts 27 :33. It means "without taking food." That word is taken from other words, which means "working all around," "busy." Thus we see that they were so busy that they did not have time to eat. It is not doing without food from a religious standpoint, as the word used in Acts 27 :9. Since we cannot definitely say that God told them to fast we can hardly put it on the list to be divinely directed.

CHAPTER

III

Foolish Fasts A minister said to a sick woman, "Go home and fast several da vs and the Lord will heal you." She went heme truly confused. She tried to fast, but she was nervous and weak. She was so full of fear and doubts that she could not fast as long as the minister told her to fast. All people cannot receive this saying. Some are too nervous. Doing without a few meals may help certain people to pray more and finally receive their healing. I am not saying that a fast will not help some folk have faith for healing for certain diseases; but it is foolish to make a blanket rule for all. We can't have the same method for everyone. I failed to find anywhere in the Bible the account where anyone was commanded to fast in order to receive healing. You cannot pay for your healing. Jesus has already paid for it. It is finished. We accept a finished work. We do not depend on what we do. but what He did. If you are nervous, tired, sick and exhausted, then it is good for you to be prayed for; then go home, eat some good, hot soup and some milk. Go to bed and cover up your head. Wake up the next morning completely well! Many sick people have not had any appetite for months. They can't hold anything on their stomach. When Jesus touches them He also gives them an appetite. The hunger is a sign that God has touched them. He wants them to eat and regain their strength. A False Idea You ask certain people to believe for their healing. They frown and show they are full of doubt. They say, "My preacher prayed for me and I did not get healing; so he said this is the kind that only comes out by prayer and fasting. As long as you think you must go on a long fast to
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receive your healing you do not believe you will be healed tcdav. According to your faith be it unto you. You cannot believe two opposite things at one time. You cannot believe that God will heal ycu tonight at the same time you believe that He is going to wait until you go on a long fast. What kind comes out only by prayer and f'ast inc ? It was a deaf and dumb spirit. Are vou deaf and dumb'! Are vou devil possessed? Does the devil throw you into the water and fire. Do you chew your tongue. foam at the mouth, and wallow on the ground like a mad perso n ? ( Ma rk 9:14-29). Remember that little boy received deliverance. He did net fast. Hi!' dad was not asked to fast ten days. He was healed because a man was there who had fasten and overcome the devil. He received power to deliver other people. (Luke 4 :18). In our meetings a man is usuallv there who has already fasted and received power to deliver the dcv il possessed people. The devil possessed person is not asked to go fast two weeks in order to be healed. If anvone was supposed to fast for that kind of power it was Peter, or some of the disciples. It was nol the bey who was bound. Fasting is usualiy to give power to loose the captives, and not for the devil possessed to cast the devil out of themselves, Remember the disciples a lreadv had power to heal all manner of sickness and disease. (Luke 9:1). It seems that [hey could deliver evervone except one case out of it thousn nd : a nd that was devil possession. Forty Jews Fasted More t han f'urtv Jews deterrn ined t ha t t hev wou lrl eat nothing until [hey had killed Paul. They did not kill him. He escaped their hands. Some of them rnav have starved themselves to death. Some prohablv tried to imitate ;\Toses and Elijah and not eat for forty days. This proves that all fasts are not inspired. Manv are out of GO(rS will. No doubt thev thought t hev were doing God's service. They were HS sincere as Paul ,,"<IS when he was consenting to the death of Stephen. No doubt they thought they were supposed to kill
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Paul. They thought that he had some kind of strange power of witchcraft and was of the devil. The old law commanded for them to kill the witches and wizzards. (Exodus 22 :18). They were bound by tradition. They took this attitude: "You don't need to be led by the Spirit of God when to go on a long fast. Just decide that you want something; then fast until you receive it." That proves that it is not always wise to be anointed by your own spirit to go on a long fast. God knows the time and purpose, and the length of a divinely inspired fast. The Holy Spirit will lead you when to fast if He is dwelling in you. (John 14:13). His sheep k no w His voice. God has a specific purpose in each individual's life. There are many people who Fast Out of God's Will. To do so is to do foolishly. God condemns such fasts. It is self righteous and sac-religious. Our righteousness is as tilt hv rags. God despises and detests such self'will worahip. That is to be compared with the fast of the Buddhists, Mohammedans, Greeks, and Romans. True fasting is a form of worship. They that worship God must worship Him in Spirit and Truth. Someone said, "We must fast forty days if the Mohammedans do. They put us to shame." They gain nothing by their fast. It is vain glory. Jesus said, for us to be not as the hypocrites which appear unto men to fast. (Matt. 6:16). We are not supposed to imitate the people who deny the virgin birth. Be not like unto them. Cain thought that he would also bring a sacrifice unto God. But he had the wrong Spirit, which denoted self righteousness. You are to be directed by the Spirit to go on a long fast. You say, "Well, what if I don't have the Baptism of the Holy Ghost'?" Then the next step is to receive the Holy Ghost. Then you will be led what to do and when to do it. A Seven Day Fast King Saul committed suicide and died after God departed from Him.
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The Philistines found him and cut off his head. They took his armor. They fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan. The Jabesh-gileadites burnt his body and buried his bones. Then they fasted seven days. They were out. of God's will; yet they fasted. (I Sam. 31:13) . These men stole Saul's body. (2 Sam. 21 :12). This was contrary to God's way. David had to recover his bones later and bury them in the right place before God would give the victory and end the famine. (2 Sam. 21 :14). The Jabesh-g ileadites, rebelled against God's leader, David, and selected their king. They fasted for Saul after he rebelled against God and died, which did no good. It was a foolish fast. The\' were finallv defeated and proven to be out of God's ;ill. . These people thought thev could fast and build their own kingdom, although the." were out of God's will. The fast was not divinely directed. There are many fasts which God is not in, because the people are rebelling against God, trying to put over their own plans, to establish a name for themselves. Many Hypocrites Fast

It does no good, but harm. Thev seek honor from men. (Matt. 6: 16-18). . They only gratify their human ambition. They may as well eat, drink, and be merry, for they are condemned before God. The Pharisees boasted about their fasts. (Luke 18:12-14). A genuine, God called fast is a sacred thing. A true man of God is careful not to mention his fast, unless he feels led to do so. The religious leaders fasted for strife for mystical benefits, competitive advantages over others, public opinion. personal powers, health purposes, and many more selfish reasons. They bring God's plan down to the carnal and natural. Manv people advise the laboring man to go on a long fast. They sav, "It does not matter whether or not vou are led of the Spirit. Go on a long Fast even while you are working. You can fast forty days and
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do all your work at the same time," Then they wonder why God does not hear them, "Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seeth not?" But God answers, "Behold in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact ALL YOUR LABOURS," (Isa. 58:3), Some fast because they feel sorry for themselves, The children of Israel fasted, but not unto the Lord. (Zech. 7:5). They did this regularly for seventy years. Many do the same today. It does harm instead of good. God condemns it. Some people think of God as a convenience. They don't repent or live right, but they think when they need help all they need to do is to sacrifice a few meals and receive help. God said unto Jeremiah, "Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast I will not hear their cry! and when they offer burnt offerings and an oblation, I will not accept them." (Jer. 14 :11-12). I knew a leader and a teacher in a large Bible institute one time who gave to hundreds of ministers A Definition to Fasting. He told those ministers that the way a man must f'ast is when he was so busy with his work that he did not take time to eat. He said that when a preacher became so busy visiting his members or reading the Bible, or books, or so taken up with his work that he did not take time to eat, that was the true way to fast. In spite of the fact that those preachers said, "Amen," I believed that fasting was more than that. In fact it is very, very foolish for anyone, even a preacher, to get tied up with his work so that he will not take time to eat at meal time. To get in too big a hurry and omit food is not good for a man's system. He may have stomach trouble or ulcers. If you are too busy to eat or rest you are too busy. God did not intend for you to be that busy. The Lord may understand and look over you sometimes for not taking time to rest. relax or eat. But to say the least this is not the genuine fast. Don't neglect your body. Eat all your body needs, 17

unless God directs you to fast. Postponing your meals is not Biblical fasting. If you are anointed to pray and miss your meals, that is different than just getting busy working and not eating. You can backslide doing church work, becoming so busy that you never take time to pray, or get alone with God in your secret closet. One of My Friends had been taught that you do not need to wait for the leading of the Lord to go on a long fast. He was a very good minister and a fine Christian man. He wanted a revival above everything else. One day he decided that he would go on a long fast and not eat until the Lord gave him exactly what Brother Branham had. He did not eat anything for two months. He did not receive what Brothel' Branham had. He is in glory now. In a way I admire him for having a wonderful zeal for the Lord. I don't blame him as much as J blame some sincere people that taught him wrong. He had confidence in them. I don't suppose Brother Branham went on a forty day fast seeking his ministry. God seemed to have chosen him For a certain purpose. The Lord gave Ananais the word of knowledge. He may have fasted. He may not have fasted. Anyway we see in Acts nine that the Lord gave him the name and address of people. Through the Spirit he was made to know the name of the town, the name of a certain man, the name of the man who owned the house, and the name of the street. Suppose Stephen had said, "I will not eat any more until the Lord shows me the name and address of people." He could have fasted fifty days without that results. God bestowed the gifts of signs and wonders on Stephen. Wonderful things took place in his ministry, but he may have never had a ministry like Ananias. We must be willing to accept the ministry the Lord wants us to have. God performed signs and wonders through Evangelist Philip. When he preached Jesus people were delivered from sin and devils. A fter they were saved
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Peter and .lohn were sent with another ministry. They laid hands 011 Philip's converts, who were filled with the Holv Ghost. ['ctcr discerned that one of the men which Philip baptized was still full of Lhe devil and that his heart was not right. Philip did not seem to have t hat certain gift of discerning of spirits which Peter demonstrated. (Acts 8). God led Philip to another field to be used in a special ministrv ill the conversion of a high official, who probably took t.his message back to his own country and caused a whole nation to he influenced. Suppose Philip had said, "I refuse to leave Samaria; I refuse to eat unt.il 1 receive a ministry just like Peter has." lIe would not have been in God's will. lie would have been put on t.he :-;h('11". would have been confused He and lost God's leading, Mavbe he would have applied for a church to pastor. I write this for the hcnefit of my friends who have taught that you may go on a long fast, without the leading of the Lord and get anything you take a notion .VOLI want. The Lord is either leading you on a long fast or He is not leading you to go on a long fast. If you arc led by the Spirit you will either be led to fast or do something else. I f you an' led by your own Spirit vou are not in God's will. The accuser of the brethren is at work. He will tell you that vou are not doing what you should do if you are not on a forty day fast. I f you believe that and don't go on the long fast you will admit that you are sinning, for he that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin. Satan will get you to confess that you are sinning. Then he will tell you that you cau't get the answer to your prayer because you are sinning. He will SRY, "You might as well do any sin as to sin a little." [f God wants YOLI to go all a protracted fast He will lead you to do so. He can run His own business. If the Lord wants you to go on a long fast He has His own time, place, and purpose.
lU

I would like to tell you about A Very Good Man where I have just been in a revival. He was under the impression that he could fast several weeks and receive what Peter had. Satan told him that he was sinning if he did not go on a long fast like Jesus did. He became all confused and nervous. His system was very weak. His faith was very low. So he proceeded to fast a long time and hold down his strenuous job also. Satan fought him. Since he was fasting in his own strength he did not have the faith to resist. So his mind became confused until he went around thinking that he was someone else. That fast may have done more harm than good, because he did it under the anointing of his own spirit. because Satan told him that he must fast many days and work at the same time. One man said that Peter was fasting while he was on top of the house. because the Bible says that he became very hungry and would have eaten. If he had eaten it would have satisfied his hunger. But that was in a vision. The animals were only seen in a vision. When he awoke out of the vision he may not have been hungry. He may have fasted that day. I suppose he did. But if the Bible does not say that he did, then we cannot say so either. A doctrine should not be built on supposition. One lady taught that you must not stop working on your job when you go on a thirty day fast. but keep right on working. When you fast you should get alone with God and get your mind on Spiritual things. You may fast two or three days and work at the same time. Some folk have strength and faith to go longer than others while they are working. If God has called you into a full time ministry of healing the sick and casting out devils he usually gives you time to give yourselves to fasting and prayer and let others serve tables. (Acts 6). But if He wants you to continue to plow corn and dig ditches then He may not tell you to fast for weeks at a time.
20

Fasting is Sacred. You will be indifferent as to whether or not people know about it. Of course, there are two kinds of fasting, public and private, as we will see in the next chapter. But far too many people are like the man in the Philippines. He held meetings from place to place. But he put up large advertisements like this: "COME HEAR A MAN WHO HAS' FASTED SIX WEEKS." It seems that the poor man had no signs following. He cast out no devils. The sick were not healed that we know of. If he fasted for publicity and self glory; that explains why he had no results. A bootlegger or a whoremonger can do without food forty days. at different intervals. The Lord is against such fasts. "Behold ye fast for strife and debate. and to smite with the fist of wickedness." (Is. 58 :4). A lady in the church called me lo help her. She was in a very bad condition. She was nervous and tense. She thought that it was a sin to sleep or eat. I explained to her that the Lord wanted us to sleep and eat. A person like that should be encouraged to eat, and should not be encouraged to go on a long fast. Seven Day Fast. In the face of the fact that the man of God told David that his child. which was born out of wedlock, would surely die, David went on a fast and tried to pray for the child to get well. For seven days the child was sick. For seven days David refused to eat anything. Evidently David was not directed by the Lord to fast seven days. He was fasting for something which was against God's will. Even if you go on a forty day fast, for semething which is plainly against the revealed will of the Lord, for something which you are bringing upon yourself by sin, you are wasting your time. You are acting foolish. It will do no good unless you are in the divine will of the Lord to do your fasting. It will end in confusion. David was zrieved, vexed, and worried. David did without sleep as well as food.
21

lIe did not accomplish his purpose. Since the Bible does not sav that David was directed of the Lord to fast, we cannot say that he was in God's will by f'ast ing , Thcrefru-c we can't put him on our list a:-; being directed of the Lord to fast seven days. God had already told him the baby must die. (II Sam. 12: 14). There are many other times that David fasted in his life. Maybe some were more than seven day". But we have no record in the Bible t.hat God directed him to fast as much as seven davs at one time. Why do you call Ilim Lord, Lord, and do not the things lIe says 7 Fasting and praying will not take the place of forsaking your sins. Unless .YOU are divinely directed to fast. t hen fasting is foolish. It will accornplish very little. You sa.,', "How will I know when God wants me to f'ast ?" He.savs, "lVI~' sheep know my voice." If you are l Ii sheep you know how to be led by the Spirit; if you do not know the leading of the Spirit you are doing a foolish and unwise thing by going on a long fast; you may seek the Lord for something that He wants to give to another. You would be wasting your precious time. You say, "Well, maybe God told David to fast." Well, maybe He did. I only say that. we cannot sav He did when the Hible does not say so. . The wicked queen, Jezcbel, called a fast and planned Nahnth's death. (J Kings 21 :9). A good man was killed which proved the fast contrary to Gild's will. This proves that all faxts do not have the right motive. All fast" are not a God d irected fast. She thought that there was 110 need to be led by the Spirit. It was because she was not in connection with the Spirit of God.

CHAPTER Faithful

IV Fast.

I have one good friend that ea ts like a horse all the time, about rive times as much as he really needs. Then, to atone for that, he goes on a seven day fast. But temperance all along between the fasts j" just as important as the fast. Paul compared himself to an athlete who is temperate in all things, keeping his bodv under subjection to keep it fit. I know a good minister who told me that he was going cut West and work hard, night and day, and make a lot of money. Then he said that he was coming home and pray hard and grow spiritual. It does not work that way. This i" a continual warfare. Some folk are the same way when it comes to fasting. They let their appetite go unrestrained for months. Then they try to make up for it by fasting. If you have the Spirit you have temperance; for temperance is the fruit of the Spirit. A good tree brings forth good fruit, The flesh lustcth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. lIe that is in the flesh cannot please God. If you follow after the flesh you shall die. As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Son" of God, One appetite going uncontrolled may lead to other appetites getting loose. Adam and Eve disobeyed the Lord's command and took the forbidden fruit, which led to disaster for the whole human race. Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pott.aze. He continued to let this appetite get out of control and soon became a fornicator. (Heb. 12:16). Uncontrolled appetites lead to hig-h blood pressure and heart trouble, which can be the beginning of many other physical troubles. Some folk eat themselves to death. They dig their grave with their teeth. 23

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Many times after you eat too much of what you like a false appetite begins. Many Americans eat five times as much as they need. The children of Israel gave way to their appetite in the wilderness. God granted their request by giving them meat; but they received leanness in their souls. (Ps, 106:14-15). They wasted forty years. Just before the flood the people were more concerned with eating and drinking than they were with Spiritual things. People are doing the same way today. (Matt.
24 :37-38). If you are prayed up and are being led by the Spirit

in other things you will feel the Spirit check you when yeu have enough to eat. Then you will know how to refuse the second helping, the third helping, the extra piece of pie, the fourth meal in a day, or the midnight snack. It is not the number of meals that hurts so much; it is how much you eat during that one meal. He Must Guide You Continually If you are not led by the Spirit in the little things you will not be led by the Spirit in the larger things. (Luke 16: 10). If you don't know God's leadings, how wculd you know how to be led by the Spirit in fasting and praying to receive a ministry? Even if you received a ministry you would not know how to be led, where to be led, and when you should say, "Arise and walk." Can you imagine Jesus letting His appetite get out of control and eating twice as much as He needed, until He would groan with the stomach ache? Yet He set UR an example that we should follow His steps. Instead of going on a fast it is good sometimes to only eat a sandwich or a bowl of soup, in order to keep down your appetite so you can pray more. In this way you are keeping your body under subjection. (I Cor. 9:27). You must control your appetite or it will control you. If your body is the tabernacle of God and the temple of the Holy Ghost then it must be under control of the Spirit. Your body must be a living sacrifice. In this way you will fight to the finish everything that sticks up its head that is contrary to God's will in your life. In
24

this way you will be in connection with the Spirit, so you will have love, pity, mercy, and compassion for sick and suffering humanity. In this way you are denying yourself, taking up your cross and following the Master. You may receive power to deliver people from habits. But how can you deliver others from habits if you are not delivered? '1 hrough the guidance of the Spirit you may be temperate, so you will be drawn from the natural desires into the Spiritual. You may decrease, so Christ can increase in your life. After I Was Saved I believed very much in the Scripture that said the Holy Ghost wculd lead us into ALL truth and guide us continually. I tried to be guided in every little thing. I was surprised at myself how little rood it would take to do me. But I found if 1 would be led by the Spirit when to stop eating, then the Spirit of prayer would rest upon me and the Holy Ghost would pray through me, sometimes six hours without stopping. I would really see results after I went to church. Fasting Part of a Day Many hundreds of times I would omit my breakfast in order to pray. After I began to preach I had a habit of staying in the bed until I prayed through, regardless if it was eight o'clock or twelve o'clock. My wife would understand and cooperate with me. I appreciate that. She knew that was important. For twenty-five years I have had a habit of never eating my evening meal, if I went to church. I have gone for eight weeks at a time doing without my breakfast and my evening meal. We would see people filled with the Holy Ghost every night for seventy-five nights in succession; and most every day. The reason I did that, there was a burden of prayer on me; I did not feel led to eat. Others may not feel led that way. Even when we were not going to church I would lie flat on my face in the bedroom and pray until about four o'clock. I had a habit of never leaving the room until I prayed the burden off and received the assurance that God had answered my prayer. Sometimes I would pray an hour; sometimes four or five hours.
25

My wife understood. She would not wait the evening meal on me. If I wanted something to eat I would eat later. I did not call that fasting when I omitted my breakfast for fifteen years, or when I went to church without my evening meal; but I believe it was, since I have thought about. it. T believe it was fasting "Oft" as Paul and David did. (II Cor. 11 :26). I would not advise others to do that if they are not led of the Lord to do so. God may have other purposes in your life. Joshua and the elders lay on their face from morning until evening without eating. (Josh. 7 :6). The eleven tribes did the same. (Judges 20:26). The Israelites fasted part of a day. (l Sam. 7 :6). David and his men fasted until evening. (II Sam. 1 :12). Doing without food is counted a fast in the Bible. Of course temperance in eating is not fasting. God put his approval on a fast which Saul called. It was a part of a day. (1 Sam. 14 :24). God counted it a sin because Jonathan die! not observe it. One Day Fast It was often that I fasted a day at a time. I would see great results, when 1 went to the services. 1 would see my best friends saved. Some of the roughest bootleggers in the country were saved. I believe it was because I fasted a day, and prayed. I would dance in the Spirit and feel as light as a feather. You may not do that but I did. I went tochurch one hundred and forty nights out of one hundred and fifty and danced in the Spirit every night. I tcld one man that I would not eat anything for my evening meal, and pray for him every night until he was delivered from tobacco. We went ten nights, but he was delivered and received the Holy Ghost. 1 told another man the same thing and we wenl eighty-four nights without an evening meal. He abo received the Holy Ghost. There was a certain day in the Bible times which was called the fasting day. "Therefore go thou, and read in the roll upon the fasting day." (Jer. 36 :6).
26

This was on the day of atonement and was observed for many hundreds of years by God's people. (Lev. 16 :29) (Lev. 23 :27). God's people had a certain day to fast. The fast was alreadv past when Paul and the men were shipwrecked. (Acts 27 :9). Fasts Proclaimed When Jehoshaphat was outnumbered many times ami it looked as he was going to lose the battle he proclaimed a fast. The Lord heard his prayer and gave him the victory that day. The battle was won supernaturally. (II ChI'. 20 :23). Samuel gathered all Israel and fasted a day. They had a great revival and won the victory over the enemy. "And they gathered together to Mizpeh . . . and fasted ON TIIAT DAY ... " (I Sam. 7:6). When A hab heard that judgment hac! been past on him he fasted and prayed. God prolonged the judgment until later. (l Kings 21 :27). "The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the ti fth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness. ... " (Zech. 8 :19). We see that the Lord put His approval on one clay fasts. He recommends fasting often. The Pharisees fasted twice each week. Jesus did not condemn them for it. He only condemned their motive. He said, "This ve ought to have done." (Matt. 23 :23). The Pharisees fasted "oft." (Matt. 9: 14). That was the usual way they did for many centuries. Jesus said that people would continue to do so after He left. (Matt. 9:14; Luke 2:18; Luke 5:35). Anna served God with fastings and was made to know that Jesus was the Christ. The Bible does not say that she fasted more than the usual time. Cornelius fasted the fourth day before he sent men to bring Peter to preach to them. Peter came down and preached to them. They all received the Holy Ghost while Peter was talking. That one day fast brought great results. This does not prove that people are required to fast to receive the Holy Ghost, although fasting helps one have faith to receive sometimes. We have no record
27

that the rest of the household of Cornelius fasted, yet they also received the Holy Ghost. You need to receive the Holy Ghost. Then you will be led by the Spirit whether or not to go on a long fast. One should have consent from his companion to go on a fast. This says for "a time". That is to fast and pray. "A time of prayer and fasting" does not mean necessarily a long fast. It can mean long or short. (I Cor. 7 :5). Daniel Fasted Often

He read Jeremiah's writings and received a burden of intercession. He prayed three times a day and was put into the den of lions. He overcame the lion's den as the results of prayer and fasting. As a result he understood prophecy, God's plan for the ages. Why? He confessed, prayed and fasted. He made supplications, fasted, and wore sackcloth and ashes. (Dan. 9 :3). We can't say that he fasted any longer than he wore sack cloth and ashes. Daniel was a very busy man with the affairs of the nation. He may have fasted more than one day at a time. He may have fasted often. Since the Bible does not say, we had better not say that he fasted a long time. Daniel won the victory over the Prince of Persia, which was undoubtedly an evil spirit that directed the human ruler of that nation. Casting out devils and fighting demons takes a man's strength. Daniel had no strength left in him. Anyone who has fought with demons under a heavy anointing of the Spirit knows that it takes his strength. After the disciples went on a mission of casting out devils Jesus told them that they must come aside and rest awhile. (Mark 6:31). Jesus' strength left Him in the Garden cf Gethsemane as He prayed, although he had just eaten with His disciples. Daniel's strength leaving him while he was making a prayer of intercession does not prove that he fasted three weeks anymore than it proves that the disciples and Jesus fasted three weeks. When Paul was weak then he was strong. David was weak by fasting often,
28

but that does not prove that he fasted for weeks at a time. (Ps. 35:3; 60:10; 109:24). Ezra Won By Fasting King Cyrus of Babylon made a proclamation which permitted the Jews to go back to their own country. It was a very dangerous trip, because of the thieves that robbed and killed. Ezra used his God given plan of fasting and praying. As far as we know it was the usual time of a one day fast that he called. It does not always take a long time for the Lord to hear our prayer, especially when we are praying in His will. God answered Ezra's prayer. They had a safe journey although they had a sum of wealth with them. "So we fasted and sought our God for this and he was intreated of us." Nehemiah mourned certain days before he returned. (Neh. 1:4; 9:1). But we do not know whether it was one day or more. In speaking of the last days, in which we are Jiving Joel advised the ministers and people of God to turn to God in fasting and in prayer. (Joel 1 :14; 2 :12-14). He recommends calling a public fast. He knew the worth of a national day of fasting and prayer. That is what is needed today. Fasting in the New Testament. The early church was praying for the revealed wiII of God. Some time before this God had spoken and said that he had called Paul into a special work. After a while they called a day of fasting and prayer. (They may have fasted more than one day, but we don't know.) "As they ministered unto the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." (Acts 13 :2). As they went, their opposition was struck blind; many churches were built; demons were cast out; special miracles were wrought with handkerchiefs; the book of Acts and fourteen books of the New Testament were written; They even fasted and laid hands on elders to ordain them, in new churches most everywhere they went. (Acts 14 :23). Yet Paul fasted "often." (2 Cor. 6:5; 11 :27).
29

Let Us Suppose that Farmer Brown had decided that he wanted them to lay hands on him and send him as an apostle to t~e Gentiles. Suppose they had fasted, prayed and laid hands on him, without the leading of the Spirit. (You see God's will had already been made known that Paul was to go; God was leading that way.) Suppose Farmer Brown had gone on this journey to imitate Paul: No man would have been healed who had never walked. The opposition would not have been struck blind. He would not have built those churches or written fourteen books of the Bible. Handkerchiefs from his body may have been no good. He might have come back disgusted, puzzled; and discouraged! Maybe he would have gone back to his farm to find his wagon, mules, cattle, house, and land gone! Someone else would have had his Sunday School class. He would have been a big question mark to himself and to his neighbors. I onlv mention this to show that we should have the mind of the Lord and be led by the Spirit, and fast for God's revealed will to be done. God did not send James on this journey. He kept him at home to oversee the church. He could have fasted forty days and had a hundred preachers to lay hands on him; still he would not have received Paul's ministry. Every man has his proper gift of God. The Lord divides the gifts to us as HE WILL, not as we will. I learned the value of A One Day Fast just after I was saved. We were in a revival, but did not see any results. We felt like we should call a day of fasting and prayer. We all met at the church. It seemed like the heaven over us was brass for a long time. Sometime after noon, the Lord told us to go and get some offended parties, and He would give us victory that day. We sent for the parties who had been treated wrong. After they were reconciled to each other 30

a mighty wave of glory covered the church. A mighty revival followed! The town was shaken the next three weeks! Fasting and prayer does the work, when other things fail. Sinners May Fast II is alright for sinners to fast if they are under conviction and really mean to turn to the Lord; if they are repenting. When they are sincere it will do some good. Jonah went down to Ninevah and told the people that the Lord said the city would be destroyed. The king proclaimed a fast. They all fasted from the king La the cattle. About 2,000,000 souls were spared. It may have been one meal. It may have been a day of fasting. It does not take long for God to hear a sinner who is really sincere. (Jonah 3 :5-9). Three Days Fasts I remember about the first time I ever fasted three days. It was just after I was saved, at nineteen years of age. It was in the last part of August I believe. My brother, .i ust cider, and I were picking cotton. The sun was hot. We carried our heavy sacks of cotton about half of a mile on our shoulders each time we would get a sack full. I would work real fast all day, about twelve hours. I would beat Virgil every time. I felt good. I was not the least bit hungry. He was not saved, so he was amazed at my strength. He asked me one question after another. I did not know how to answer them all, but I knew I felt the power of the Lord strengthening me to work. The anointing of the Spirit was upon me. Virgil was seized with a heavy conviction. He went to church and was saved. Several more times I felt like I should fast three days, which always brought results. I always worked hard all the time. It seemed that I had more to do when I tried to fast than I did before I fasted. One time I was pastoring a church when I went on a three day fast. We saw many people saved as a result. Esther Called a Fast Haman became jealous of Mordecai and influenced the king to issue a decree that all the Jews would be 31

killed. Queen Esther, who was Jewish herself, called a three day fast as death was very near for the whole nation. The King issued another decree that on a certain day the Jews could defend themselves and save their lives, The wicked Haman was hanged on the same gallows that he l1ad prepared for Mordecai. The three day fast saved a whole nation of Jews when the King's decree could not be changed. If a three day fast can save a whole nation then why would it take a forty day fast to save your son'! As long as you think you must fast forty days in order for your son to be saved then you will have no faith for his salvation unless you do without eating forty days. Don't let Satan worry you with such false ideas. A three day fast will usually cause your loved ones to turn to God. The following is what Brother Asher Told Me "Years ago my mother, Mrs. Stella Asher, was attending an old fashioned holiness meeting. She became very heavily burdened for my father, George Asher to be saved. My father was a drinking, smoking, tobacco chewing, cursing and gambling man. So my mother was impressed to fast and pray for his soul's sake. So she told God she would not eat nor drink until He saved her husband. She only had to fast three days and nights. The third night my father wouldn't come in under the brush arbor. So when the minister gave the invitation for the sinners my father came in, went down and knelt at the old fashioned altar at 9 :00 p.m. and at 2 :00 a.m. he got up. He never said anything but he was white as a sheet. "The next morning Mother was cooking breakfast. She sent my father to the barn to get some eggs for breakfast. Mother cooked the bread, made the coffee, fried the bacon ann Dad kept staying at the barn. So Mether said, "Son, I believe I'll go down to the barn and see what has happened to your Father." As Mother and I got near the barn, here came my dad from behind the crib with pea vines wrapped all around his body. He had his hands up toward heaven praising God. We had something better than fried eggs for breakfast.
32

Dad went to the COrn crib and reached into the corn up to his shoulder and brought out pint after pint of whiskey, broke it over the wagon wheel. He went to the house and threw his poker chips into the fire. He threw away his Prince Albert, chewing tobacco and snuff. God had heard Mother's prayer and had honored her fasting. He awarded her by breaking the bands of the wicked." A Pharisee Fasted This time it was the right motive and it did some good. Saul was blinded by a dazzling light from heaven. He saw Jesus. He fell to the earth and saw a vision. He had a conversation with the Lord. He trembled under God's power, and was instructed to go into Damascus. He was there three days waiting on inatructions from the Lord. He was so busy praying, so in earnest, that he had no time to eat. I don't believe he had any appetite. He was in darkness and could not see. God spoke to Ananias, telling him Paul's name, address, and the name of the owner of the house; also the name of the man who needed prayer. He went and prayed for' Saul, who received his sight. the Holy Ghost, and a ministry. If vcu are one of those people who have a strong healthy body, a rebellious spirit as Saul had, and have never received the Holy Ghost, you might fast two or three days, which will mellow your spirit., if you come in the right attitude before God. If a man like Paul who was stubborn as the devil can receive the Holy Ghost by fasting three days, you may do so by fasting only one meal. At least it would not take you more than three days. One man asked me if he should fast even if God did not tell him to do so. I said, "No, but you might need to postpone a few meals to be filled with the Spirit, in order to know the leading of the Lorn. If you are FULL

of the Holy Ghost you will know whether wants you to fast forty days.

or not God CHAPTER V

Books
Ord.r

by Rev. W. V. Grant
GRANT'S FAitH CLINIC

Freedom Fasts .Iesus said that if the people went more than three days without food that they would faint by the way. IIe did not tell them that they should fast manv days and keep going. He had compassion on them. This shows that one should not go on a fast over three days without the Lord tells him to do so. Sometimes God leads otherwise. "Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days. am! have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way." (Matt. 15 :32). I stood it quiet well on a three days fast, even while working; then when T fasted four days I became very weak, and was sick at my stomach the third day. It made me so sick that I began to vomit and went to bed . This is the place to say that some people can natLI ral 1.\' fast a certain length of time. But other people can stand much longer fasts. That is why I don't want to take the responsibility of advising them how Tong to fast. There is no set rule. You don't know the other person's physical condition, the amount of faith he has, 01' the condition of his mind or nerves. That is why we should let the Lord tell him when to go on a very long fast. Seven Days Fast I knew just how much I could stand. I knew my physical makeup and condition and knew that in the natural I could not stand over a three day fast without getting sick. Then T met several people who fasted seven days at a time. Truthf'ullv I thought that it was foolish. They told me that I did not need to feel any lead of the Spirit, but advised me to immediately plunge into a seven day fast. I knew that in the natural it would be

SOc each or all twelve books for $5.00

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'"-~~~~

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impossible, or maybe injurious to me, knowing the condition of my system. Those people that I knew did not feel anything especially leading them to go on the week's fast. It did not seem to hurt them or help them. And they did not especially feel anything leading them after they came off the fast. Some of them had no ministry. Some of them preached to fifty people, or had fifty in Sunday School before and after the week's fast. So it seemed that the fasts were in the natural, and not very miraculous. Then one night to my surprise the Lord appeared to me and told me to go on a seven day fast, which I was willing to do. I took it that the Lord was ready right then. So I did not eat another bite for seven days. As before the third day I became sick. I vomited and went to bed. My wife waited on me as a nurse would in the hospital. I am not telling you other people's experience. I am telling you mine. I won't say that it was easy, for it was not. I was pastoring ; so I sent word for another fellow to take care of the church and preach over the week end. People told me that I would see visions when I went en a long fast. During the fast all the visions I saw was beefsteak, gravy, potatoes, and such like. After the fast was over the Lord appeared to me. I heard the angels singing a song I had never heard. I wrote it down. It was beautiful! It was like heaven. Then an angel just above my head spoke these words, "In my name shall ye cast out devils, ye shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover." I definitely knew when the fast was over. I had made no preparation for juice to drink. When I stood on my feet I was so weak. My stomach was so empty! My wife found some pineapple juice and gave it to me. When I drank it I went to the floor with cramps! But in a few hours I could eat chicken soup, and later on a meal. As I began to eat I felt something like an electric current run out at the ends of my fingers and down
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to the bottom of my feet. The fire of God was all through my body! This has been about eleven years ago; I have not told my audience; I considered it so sacred! God sent us a revival and began to answer prayer! The number of the church people increased. In a few weeks, when my time was expired, the Lord spoke to me and told me to leave the church and go out into the evangelistic field! I hope you understand that I mean to be honoring the Lord when I say that after this deaf ears and blind eyes were healed as easily as a headache before. We began to see hundreds of people receive the Holy Ghost Baptism. Several times after this the Lord led me to go on a seven clay fast. Each time I became hungry. Each time I became sick. Each time, after the fast, I felt the supernatural fire of God in the temple of the Holy Ghost. It seems too sacred to mention. Eleven Day Fast The Lord appeared to me three nights before my meeting was over. He told me to fast eleven days. I stood it quiet well until the last night of the meeting. I became sick in the middle of my sermon. I let the pastor preach until I went on the outside and vomited. He carried on the same subject. I came back in and took up the same subject and finished it. We saw scores of people come forward and many delivered. Then I went home, to my mother and dad's house up in the country to finish the fast. My wife waited on me. On the even days, like six, eight or ten I felt like I could fast a month. I was not hungry. On the uneven days, as nine and eleven I had to battle. I felt like going and whipping a school teacher that treated me wrong twenty-five years before. I felt like whipping a man that left his wife and children. I was tempted to whip a preacher that lied on me. I did not know those things were left in there. They were fought down and overcome by the Spirit of God, before I left that room! My dad had never worried about anything that I knew of. But the ninth day he came in and tried to get
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me to drink some grape juice. He said that he had heard that people could not do without food over nine days. 1'1.\' brother came to the door with some peanutbutter and crackers. The scent went up my nose and tempted me. My brothel' brought food and begged me to eat. I knew definitely when the fast was over. Mamma brought some milk and chicken soup. Soon I was eating meals again. I surely appreciated them. It seemed that I had a new stomach. I could not stand to eat much at a time. I had no visions. But the Lord told me one thing after the fast. That was this, "Be led by the Spirit." After then when I went into a prayer room and prayed for the ones people told me to, I saw nothing done. But when I went into a prayer room and prayed for the ones the Lord told me to I would see scores receive the Holy Ghost. Now 1 see how Peter and John could say, "Rise and walk" to the lame 'man; and see him healed. Thev waited until the Lord told them to say it. Then it was not they, but the Lord doing the work. It was the Holv Ghost speaking through them. If they had tried it the day before it would not have worked, for it would have been them talking. They did not say these word" to the next man they met. Another time Peter said, "Jesus Christ maketh thee whole." Fourteen Day Fast The Lord spoke to me to gO' on another fast, telling me the number of clays. This time I did not go home or let my folks know about it. I rented some rooms. M~' wife was faithful to stay by me. The fourth clay 1 was sick. I went to bed. On the ninth, eleventh, thirteenth and all uneven days I was hungry and went through temptations. On the even days I felt heaven on earth, like I could go on for months. I did not need a doctor to help me break the fast. The Lord was so gracious to me. One woman used five days getting ready for her fast and ten days breaking her fast and counted them in on her days of fasting. I did not eat a bite or take any nourishment of any kind during the fast God told me to go on. In a vision I stepped on an elevator and was caught
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up into heaven. This was after I finished fasting. Up there God gave me certain things which are too sacred to mention. God showed me the difference in "reminding the devil" and "commanding the devil." Then 1 began to see greater miracles. In some towns we see much results, in others we don't see so much. Other fasts after then I don't feel free to mention now. The Purpose In Fasting. The fast the Lord is pleased with is a f'ast "To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burden, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke." (Isa. 58:6). If you feel like the Lord has called you into a special ministry of casting out devils then remember this: There are many more things which are just as necessary as fasting. Fasting within itself will not be sufficient. First. do the other things and when you are ready for the fast the Lord will show you and leacl you. Some people start pastoring a church without being called. Some people go on a fast for a certain ministry without being called. I firmly believe that if I had not prayed at a certain time each day for years before hand, and prayed until I prayed through; that if I had not been faithful in laying aside certain other things, and denying myself of certain pleasures which I liked, which were not harmful within themselves-if I had plunged into a long fast without these other things-that I would have seen little or no results; and would have been sadly disappointed. But when I was called to fast, it was just as real as being called to preach. I was conscious of the fast, that it was the Lord's doing and not my own. I am well a ware of -the fact that the Lord docs not run everyone through The Same Cookie Cutter Some folk have a ministry of casting out devils who tell me that they only fast a day or two at a time, or fast "often" as Paul did. Other people fast for weeks and the Lord will never give them the gifts of healing.
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because He wants to give them the gifts of prophecy or some other gift. The ear cannot be the eye. The eye cannot be the ear. It takes a longer fast for one man to be brought to the place where he is yielded to the Lord enough to receive certain gifts in his life than it does for other men. We can't say to each other, "I have no need of you." Every member of the body is necessary. I was talking to an undertaker in Grants Pass, Oregon, about a week ago. He was telling me how they drew all the blood out of a dead man's body, and then put the embalming fluid in there. That was a picture of how the Lord did me. It took a certain amount of clays for me to fast to become so yielded to the Lord; it seemed that all my strength left my body, and the Lord's strength came into its place! Then I felt the virtue and divine nature, and the fire of the Holy Ghost dwelling in my body, which gave me power to meet devils and to cast them out. But 1 still have to be led by the Lord when and how to do it. It is not myself that doeth the works but the Father that dwelleth in me. You say, "I don't know the leading of the Lord. Can I just plunge into a long fast at any time and receive a ministry of deliverance?" Even i[ you did you would then need someone to go along with you everywhere you went and show you how to LIse that ministry, what to do and say. It just does not work that way. God will not trust you with a ministry if you do not know the leading of the Spirit.

Forty Day Fast

Jesus said the works that He did we could do also, hut these works were siglls and wonders, such as healing the sick and cast ing out de,ils. (John 12: 14). Thai did not ncccss.uilv mean that no one could cast out devils until he fasted f'ortv davs. Gild doe:-: not tell anyone to go without food forty da.':-: in ()I"(il'r I() prav for the sick. The apostles hac! the . .;ign:-: following t hem. even while Jesus was with them, bt'causc Jesus had conuuered the devil for them. We han' no record that thev fasted forty davs. \\"e do not r('ad thai Stephen. Ananias, or Philip went on a f'ortv dav f'ast , \\"e have no record thai Paul ever f:lsled more than t hrvr davs, a l t houg h he ma, have. We dori't read that Peter went (In a IUllg fast: but he mav have done !:'O. ...... .'(IU one t hal sa.'s that anvono <hould fast rorl~' rl' da:--:-: without t he leading of the Spirit? Then gil int o the mountains and nlPd the dev il in v our own strength. Co .i monu t h a 1'111." of dpll10ns trnm hell. Sta~' f'ortv da.'s and n ig h tx. You will retllrn-if .'IILI return at a ll-i--ut terlv disl"(luragvd. stu rved. and disappointC'd. Eve-n .ll'SUS dared not go into such a f'a- t until the Spirit If'd Him to do ;;0. Moses Did 1\01_Eat :'Iksl':-: w.u tud until he was callt'(j into the mountain by I he 1,(11"<1. (1':;\()dllS :;., :28). He was Illlt working during that fast. Ill' was a dispens,,1 inll,d figure: TIc "'as giYen the b,\- Oil lables (If stone. Ill' :-:aw till' Lord. (J~x. :~:;:Z:Z). He talkpd t(1 God faCt' to fmc. (Ex. :1:1: 1). 1 No unt' else '\"as allowed to talk face to face to the Lord as :\loses. (Num. 12 :6-8). Ilis face :-:hcne "'ith Ihe transfiguring power of God. lie :-:a\\ the glory of God ullyeiled. IIis face sh()ne until people could not look on him' lie \\'ollld ha "c peris hed hild he not been superna turall:-' protected. Lct liS suppose that Aaron and Miriam had said . ." think I will go upon that mountain, even if the
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Lord does not call me up there." In the first place they would have dropped dead. (Ex. 19 :12). They would have received no ten commandments; no shining face. God could not reward them; they would be trying to gain a name for themselves; They could not take Moses' place or intrude into his ministry. Feast or Fast Did Elijah fast forty days? Most people say that he did. But the Bible says that he was fed a special kind of food which furnished him strength for forty days. If you could find that special kind of food you could eat once each forty days. It seems that it would be a feast instead of a fast. (1 Kings 19 :8). Elijah received a supernatural life of some kind and is yet living. The angel told him twice, "Arise and eat." He did not try to go forty days in his own power, without food, before the angel offered him the special food and told him that he was to go the long journey. But some folk tread where angels dare not tread. Suppose you go out into the woods and go on your own strength and you are leading. Go without an angel feeding you; don't eat anything at all. Don't wait on the leadings of the Lord. You will anoint no king nor prophet. You will not divide Jordan. You will not ride on a fiery chariot. You will return disappointed and discouraged, with nothing!

Summary
1. As far as I know I have mentioned every place that the Bible speaks of fasting. 2. There are only three places that the Lord seemed to be in a three day fast. 3. Nine-tenths of the time divinely-directed fasts were about one day. 4. I have searched in vain and have never found in the Bible that the Lord has ever led anyone to go on fasts over three days, with the exception of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. These were all out of the ordinary. 5. We have no record where the apostles ever went on long fast. God gave them the ministry to heal the sick and cast out devils. 6. I have talked personally to several evangelists whom God has called into a supernatural ministry. None of them went on forty day fasts without any food. 7. Since God has given other people ministeries of deliverance without a long fast you can take courage and believe for a ministry without fasting forty days. 8. All people do not have the same ministry. Some people could fast forty days; yet God would give them a different ministry than what they are expecting. 9. Although we have no record that the apostles went on long fasts in order to receive their ministeries, I believe that some did. I'm sure that the Bible is silent on some long fasts, lest some people would try to imitate some apostle without God's leading. 10. If we will keep up with everything else that is necessary, and be led by the Lord in the little things, the Lord will at the right time, lead us to go on a long fast, if He wants us to have certain gifts of the Spirit. The Holv Ghost comes to lead liS into all truth and is seeking out certain individuals, who have their spiritual ears tuned to theLord, and their lives consecrated unto Him, who will be used to fast and pray and to have a big part in this present last day Revival. 43