How To Be Delivered Through Prayer And Fasting

Prayer and fasting are essential in a believer’s life.

In my previous posts, I started this series by discussing how to surrender to God and how to endure the wilderness season. In this episode, I will be talking about going through the regeneration process with prayers and fasting.

What Is The Regeneration Process?

Titus 3:5 says ‘He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but because of His own compassion and mercy, by the cleansing of the new birth (spiritual transformation, regeneration) and renewing by the Holy Spirit -‘

This verse means God did not save us because of our righteousness or any ‘good’ work we have done. Still, God saved us because He had compassion and mercy on us. He did this by cleansing us spiritually, which is a spiritual transformation, regeneration, and renewal by the work of the Holy Spirit. In short, the regeneration process is an internal work of the Holy Spirit.

What Happens During The Regeneration Process?

In the last post, we discussed the wilderness season and what happens while you are in your wilderness season. As you walk through that season, a lot of work is going on in you. Most of the work is internal work, and some of the work that takes place includes the renewing of the mind, pulling down of stronghold, overcoming mental and emotional trauma, and ‘putting’ on the character and mind of Christ.

In addition, character-building, warfare, deliverance, and healing are happening. Also, the Holy Spirit teaches you how to love, be patient, have self-control, and forgive people who have hurt or betrayed you.

All this work is very much internal, but it will also begin to reflect your outside and how you carry yourself and relate to others. These changes may be very evident to the people around you what God is doing in your life.

How Prayer And Fasting Help Your Regeneration Process

ALL I KNEW when I was going through my regeneration process was praying and fasting. I would fast every weekend for months un-end, and prayer was my ‘food.’ I was never without prayer. I prayed continually as 1 Thessalonians 5:17 said.

During this time, God was speaking to me heavily through my dreams, and they were not pretty dreams at all – my dreams were showing me what I was battling against in the spirit.

In Ephesians 6:12 NIV, Paul said, ‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’

This fight was warfare! In Biblical times the Israelites fought against the Canaanites, Jebusites, Amalekites, Hittites, Perizzites, Amorites, and Jebusites. But, in our times, we are fighting against the spirit of fear, limitation, demonic altars, confusion, and stagnation – plus many other unclean spirits who want to steal, kill, and destroy.

God teaches us warfare so we will have battle experience – Judges 3:2 CEV says, ‘And the Lord had another reason for letting these enemies stay. The Israelites needed to learn how to fight in war, just as their ancestors had done. Each new generation would have to learn by fighting.’

Likewise, God also teaches us how to fight spiritual battles.

How do we fight spiritual battles? It is not through swords, guns, or arrows; we fight these battles through consistent prayer and fasting.

Some Of The People Who Won Battles Through Prayers And Fasting

King Jehoshaphat – He was a king who won the battle against Moab and Ammon through prayer and fasting. 2 Chronicles 20

King David – He wrote most of the psalms that we use for warfare prayers today. David was a man after God’s heart and a man who did nothing without first consulting God. He wrote most of his psalms when he was running from Saul (he was in his wilderness season). David won all his battles because he was a man of prayer. Some of the prayers I recommend for warfare include Psalm 35, Psalm 59, Psalm 27, Psalm 109, Psalm 64, and Psalm 55.

Queen Esther – God put Esther in a position to help the Jews from becoming annihilated by Haman. She called for a three-day prayer and fasting, and that act turned things around for her and her people. It is through that act today that the Jews celebrate the festival Purim.

Daniel – Daniel was a person who understood dreams and vision, and this was a gift God had given to him Daniel 1:17. He worked for Nebuchadenazzer, and he interpreted his dreams for him.

Daniel and the Jews were in exile at this point in Babylon, but Daniel had realized that their time in Babylon was done (after 70 years), and he fasted and prayed for God to deliver them. Daniel 9:3-4 NIV ‘So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,’

Moses – Moses fasted for forty days and nights when he had gone to Mount Sinai to receive the new tablets of laws. Exodus 34:28

Jesus – Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights in the wilderness before He started His ministry.

Other people in the Bible also prayed and fasted before God, and God moved powerfully in their lives or for whomever or whatever they were praying about during that time.

Also, during your regeneration process, the Holy Spirit will help you cast down strongholds; these thought patterns have influenced your lifestyle. Most often, these thoughts are defeating and lies from the enemy. For example, your dominant thoughts may be thoughts of fear, anxiety, not feeling good enough, not feeling strong enough or adequate for a specific work God may have for you. Don’t worry. Some people in the Bible also had low self-esteem, for example, Moses, Gideon, and Jeremiah.

But, the Holy Spirit will help you overcome those negative thought patterns and help you to renew your mindset. Romans 12:2 says, ‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.’

Also, the Holy Spirit will help you overcome your mental and emotional trauma, which often starts from childhood because most parents also come from a traumatic home. It gets passed down, so most of us are brought up in a home where our parents are emotionally detached, affecting our upbringing and outlook on life.

The Holy Spirit will heal you from

Anxiety

Depression

Fear

Worry

Insecurity

Hopelessness

Anger

Bitterness

Low self-esteem

Lack of self-control

Validation issues

God loves you and wants you to be whole. He wants to heal you and deliver you from all that plagues you. If you need help, our counseling and therapy sessions are available, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at Lnjlifecoaching@gmail.com