FATIGUE
I. ETIOLOGÍA DE LA FATIGA INDUCIDA POR EL CÁNCER
When you fast, you minister to and benefit every portion of your tripartite nature—you strengthen your spirit; you bring your soul into subjection; you weaken the hold your body has on your entire being. The body and its five senses try to dictate to the spirit and soul body. Most of the time it does a pretty good job and we listen to our physical body.
When our body says, "I'm tired, and I don't want to read the Bible. I'm too tired to pray," the undisciplined believer usually allows the body to do about what it wants to do. And when the body says, "I'm hungry. Feed me," we usually do as the body demands. All of this points to the fact that in most believers their bodies' needs transcend the needs of their spirits and souls. But the apostle Paul declared that he determinedly brought his body into subjection (see 1 Cor. 9:27), and urged all believers to follow his example (see 1 Cor. 11:1).
Fasting is one way to bring the body into subjection. Thus, when I strengthen my spirit (in the Word), my spirit begins to talk to my mind, emotions, and will (which make up the soul);
and the mind tells the body, "Body, you are not in control. You are the slave of your spirit!"
So, basically, fasting enables the believer to gain control of his entire being and to bring himself into a strong, positive, ever-deepening relationship with God. Fasting—gaining control over your body—proves to God that you love Him and that you can put Him first in all things.
That's why, when you are fasting, you are able to focus your entire being upon praying. You deny the body the ability to usurp your attention from the Word of God and the purpose of
Secrets of Answered Prayer
your praying. So, with all bodily powers brought into line with God and His Word, "the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16).
A fasting believer is an effectively praying believer. A fasting church is a strong, growing church. Let's involve ourselves in the exciting business of praying with fasting. It's a dynamic key to spiritual power through answered prayer.
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What Happened When the Early Church Prayed?
The apostle Peter preached a powerful sermon on the day the church was born. Referring to the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit, he said, "'But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel'" (Acts 2:16). All of this had been foretold centuries before, Peter told them.
He talked to them of Jesus, whom
'God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear....Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you [the Jewish leaders] crucified, both Lord and Christ' (Acts 2:32-33, 36).
Those were powerfully anointed words, and when Peter's listeners heard them,
they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.' And with many other words he
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testified and exhorted them, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse generation.' Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them (Acts 2:37-41).
Three thousand souls! What a tremendous ingathering for the Kingdom in that one day on that grand birthday of the church! But that wasn't all. "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42).
"And in prayers." That became the watchword of the first-century church—prayer. What was the result of all this?
Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:43- 47).
Jesus had taught His disciples well. He had given them His model prayer. Then He had trained them to go out to teach, to preach, to cast out demons. He had taught them how to pray.
And they remembered. After He had taught them for forty days after His resurrection, He told them the Holy Spirit would come upon them in just a few days.
"Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight"
(Acts 1:9). For the next ten days the disciples prayed with one accord. "These all continued... in prayer" (Acts 1:14). No wonder there was such a harvest of souls during those first few days after the church was born.