Hungry For GOD

Hungry for God by Don Vess

Matt. :6 NASB- Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

At the beginning of each year, we declare a corporate time of fasting for 21 days. The benefits have been powerful, especially for me, as I have most often gone on a missions trip at the end of each fast, though I have chosen not to do so this year but rather to go later in the year.
I have found that fasting prepares me spiritually for the year as I am able to hear God more clearly and receive His anointing in greater measure as I fast.

FYI- Fasting is NOT, merely going without food for a period of time. That is what we call dieting or starving, but that is not fasting.

The simplest definition of fasting: Refraining from food for a spiritual purpose.

It is when we are “hungrier” for spiritual things that we are willing to forego food and literally “empty ourselves out” so we can hear from God more clearly. Fasting brings us into a more intimate and powerful relationship with the Lord.

When you eliminate food from you diet for a number of days, your spirit becomes uncluttered by the things of this world and amazingly sensitive to the things of God.

Ps. 42:1 NKJV- As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.  

This Scripture verse points to a time when David most likely was fasting and seeking God for answer to a situation.

Fasting releases the power of the Spirit in certain situations. In the Old Testament:

The people of Israel were facing annihilation. An evil man, Haman who was a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites, who were bitter enemies of Israel, had devised a wicked scheme to rid the earth of all of Israel. The Amalekites were like Hamas and were determined to see Israel eliminated from the face of the earth. Esther was raised by her older cousin, Mordecai, who advised her and watched over her as she was elevated to queen after Queen Vashti was exiled for refusing to come and display her beauty for the king and his court while they were all in a drunken state. Esther was her replacement as she had found favor with the king because of her extraordinary beauty. But, now, after Mordecai learned of the wicked plot that was proposed by Haman, pleaded with Esther to go to the king and intercede for her people.

Esther 4:1-17 NASB-  When Mordecai learned of everything that had been done ]he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. 2 And he came as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and mourning rites; and many had sackcloth and ashes spread out as a bed. 4 Then Esther’s attendants and her eunuchs came and informed her, and the queen was seized by great fear. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai so that he would remove his sackcloth from him, but he did not accept them. 5 Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king’s eunuchs, whom [b]the king had appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this mourning was and why it was happening.

6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square, in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the elimination of the Jews. 8 He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict which had been issued in Susa for their annihilation, so that he might show Esther and inform her, and to order her to go in to the king to implore his favor and plead with him for her people. 9 So Hathach came back and reported Mordecai’s words to Esther.

10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai: 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king in the inner courtyard, who is not summoned, he has only one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.” 12 And they reported Esther’s words to Mordecai. 13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the other Jews.14 For if you keep silent at this time, liberation and rescue will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

Esther Plans to Intercede: 15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants also will fast in the same way. And then I will go in to the king, which is not in accordance with the law; and if I perish, I perish.” 17 So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.
As you follow the story you will see how God worked supernaturally in the situation.

1. God Dealt with Haman’s Pride

God dealt with Haman’s pride: Esther approached the king as Mordecai had requested and the king extended his golden scepter to her to show her that she found favor in his sight.

She requested that the king and Haman attend a banquet that she would prepare the next day. Haman left the banquet in high spirits thinking that he was in favor with the king and Queen Esther. On his way home he spotted Mordecai at the King’s gate, but Mordecai didn’t bow to him or show fear in his presence or even stand before him. This infuriated Haman. He went home, called all his friends and family together and boasted to them that Queen Esther had invited only he and the King to a banquet. But he was still seething over the fact that Mordecai had not bowed before him at the gate. Then Haman’s wife and friends suggested that he make a set of gallows fifty feet high and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it. Haman liked the idea and had the gallows made. But God was at work!

2. The Lord Inflicted the King with Insomnia

The Lord inflicted the King with insomnia and since he couldn’t sleep, he had the book of records that chronicled all the significant events that had happened during the king’s reign. As he read, he found that Mordecai had saved his life when two of the king’s eunuchs had plotted to kill him by reporting their plans to the king. The king wanted to know what had been done to honor Mordecai for what he had done. Nothing had been done.
Just as the king was asking the question and had just received the answer, Haman just happened to walk into his presence in order to speak to him about the gallows had just constructed to hang Mordecai on. When the King found out it was Haman who had just walked in, he summoned him and asked, “What is to be done for the man the king wishes to honor?” Haman said, “Let them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown has been placed and let the robe and the horse be handed over to one of the most noble princes and let them array the man whom the king desires to honor and lead him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.” Then the king said to Haman, “Take quickly the robes and the horse as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate; and do not fall short in anything of all that you have said.”

3. Haman was Absolutely & Totally Humiliated
Haman was absolutely and totally humiliated. But that is not all! He ended up attending the banquet that Esther had prepared for him, and the king and Esther revealed the scheme that Haman had cooked up to annihilate her people and also revealed that she, herself was a Jew. Consequently, Haman was hanged on the very gallows he had constructed for Mordecai. The king also reversed the plan against the Jews and instead honored them and gave Mordecai second place in the kingdom with full authority to avenge his people against their enemies.

Prayer and fasting brought about huge victory for God’s people when Esther petitioned the people to fast for her that God give her courage to go before the king. God brought about a major victory.

In 2 Chron 20:1-4 NASV-  Now it came about after this, that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the [a]Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from [b]Aram; and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi).” 3 Jehoshaphat was afraid and [c]turned his attention to seek the Lord; and he proclaimed a period of fasting throughout Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to seek help from the Lord; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord.”

King Jehoshaphat received the news that a huge army made up of three different kingdoms to attack Judah. Verse 3-4 And Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord; and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to seek help from the Lord; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord.

The Lord responded with a prophetic word: 2 Chron. 20:14-20 Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; 15 and he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. 16 Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel.17 You need not fight in this battle; take your position, stand and watch the salvation of the Lord in your behalf, Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.” 18 Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and from the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

The Lord gave Judah a resounding victory without losing a single soul. I believe the Lord wants to give us the same kind of victory. We are faced with what seems to be a nearly impossible situation in our country. There is wickedness and corruption in every sector of society, including the church. There is only one answer to the problems facing our country! There is only one solution! It is not a political solution, it cannot be resolved militarily or diplomatically.

It can only be addressed as follows: 2 Chron 7:13-14 NKJV God says, “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, 14 And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Prayer and Fasting are the keys to victory! This is true on an individual level. But even more power is released when it is done on a corporate level. Matt. 18:18-20 TPT- Receive this truth: Whatever you forbid on earth will be considered to be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be considered to be released in heaven. 19 Again, I give you an eternal truth: If two of you agree to ask God for something in a symphony (that’s corporate) of prayer, my Heavenly Father will do it for you. 20 For wherever two or three come together in honor of my name, I am right there with them!”

Fasting and Prayer increase the level of faith and looses the power of the Holy Spirit to act on behalf of the believer!

Mark 9:17-29 NLT- One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.[a] So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” 19 Jesus said to them,[b] “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” 23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit.

“Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” 26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?” 29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.

We all have to conclude that there are times when we have to contend in prayer and fasting to experience breakthrough. In my own life, I stand as an example of the power of prayer and fasting that was done corporately and individually. I was often the subject of many prayer meetings that were held in my home by mother prayer-warrior mother. The hound of heaven was also “loosed upon me” by the prayers of my brother and a close friend who had become a believer and wanted me to be one also. So, they prayed and fasted for three days together until on August 15, 1975. About 4 a.m.  I fell on my knees in surrender to God and my life was saved! I have never been the same since!

God is WANTING to do some mighty things for and through us! How bad do we want God to do those things? It happens when we get HUNGRY ENOUGH for the power of God that we are willing to sacrifice time to pray and are willing to yield to the power of the Holy Spirit in leu food and fleshly desires.

 I am issuing a challenge to everyone today! We can think of a thousand excuses for not wanting to fast and pray. The devil will supply you with plenty. But, if we are desirous for a move of God in every hour of our lives, then we will accept the challenge.

Some of us are on medications and need to take food with the prescriptions that have been issued to help us heal or stay alive. You can do the Daniel fast, which is vegetables and fruits only with water, which is a much healthier option anyway. But while you are doing this PRAY!
Some do a complete fast with water only! I do a what I call a hybrid fast. Nothing until sunset, then vegetables and fruits only.

Others can only fast one or two meals! Do what you can do. You will see God move on your behalf as your hunger level for God increases and your fleshly desires diminish.