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Prayer & Fasting Series || The Mystery of Prayer - Part 3 || GVC London

• P. Labi Mebude

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Have you ever wondered how consistent prayer and fasting can transform your life? Join us in this enlightening episode as we unpack the mystery and immense power of these spiritual practices. Hear the compelling testimony of Bishop Stephen, who saw divine intervention shape his professional journey, proving that regular communication with God can lead to extraordinary outcomes. Learn how to nurture a deeper relationship with God, akin to maintaining a close friendship through frequent, heartfelt prayer.

Drawing inspiration from the biblical story of Esther, we explore the intertwined nature of confidence, faith, and prayer. Understand how spiritual disciplines, like fasting and prayer, can embolden you to face life's greatest challenges with unwavering courage. Discover practical insights on making daily prayer a transformative habit and how invoking divine support can reverse negative circumstances, ultimately leading to personal growth and strengthened faith.

To conclude, we reflect on the practical aspects of prayer and creating a dedicated space for spiritual practice, away from distractions. Learn the power of using scripture in your prayers to manifest God's promises and transform sorrow into joy. We leave you with a powerful declaration of faith and blessings, encouraging you to share this divine favor and protection with your neighbors. Embrace a week filled with God's grace, love, and unwavering fellowship.

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Speaker 1:

I've been doing a series on the mystery of prayer and fasting Because you know the way prayer and fasting works. Nobody can understand. You cannot phantom it, you cannot explain it, you cannot even put your head around it. You know, when you want to explain the mystery of when God does a miracle for you, when God surprises you, I look at, look at the way you Bishop Stephen was sharing his testimonies at work. I will in it to defend two cases. What, after million pounds, they were doing really? And you know when, when, when he spoke to his manager on Friday, he cannot say, manager, it's God, god, god help me. But to us he can say that because he knows that man, I don't even have the capacity, I'm not at this level. And some of these senior managers, they are very intimidating the way they talk. They talk with so much they will intimidate you, even if you know what you are saying. If you are not bold enough, you just be saying rubbish. You, even if you know what you are saying, if you are not bold enough, you just say rubbish Because they will be asking questions with some sort of intimidating voice that you just do what you are saying you know. So that's what prayer does, the way prayer works. Nobody can really explain it and that is why it is called prayer. So we will be looking at the mission of prayer and fasting for the past three Sundays or so and we've said a few things two key scriptures we looked at Luke, chapter 11 and verse 2, and then Matthew, chapter 6 and verse 16. It says, moreover, where you fast or where you pray. So prayer and fasting is not a requirement, it's not an option. It's something you and I, we must do as children of God, because when you pray, not only are you in communication with God, you are in communion with God, because the more I talk to Stephen, not only are we communicating, we are developing intimate relationship. I'm getting to know him, he's getting to know me, because you know the goal of talk. That is why some colleagues, some of the friends, they say, oh, we haven't hanged out for a while, let's hang out Because you want to build that community, that friendship, that relationship. Amen. And so there's so many things we've said okay, but in fact I was going to give 12 mysteries, but I've turned it to 14 because there's a lot more. I could have given 20 mysteries. Okay, because it's to 14, because there's a lot more. I could have given 20 mysteries. Okay, because it's important. We know that prayer and fasting works. Prayer and fasting works and it is important that we tap into prayer and fasting.

Speaker 1:

I was saying last week, sunday, I want to pray. Please make sure you do everything in your power and with the help of this Spirit, to have a consistent prayer life. Can I tell you something? Whatever prayer I cannot do, god cannot do. You know you are praying to God, not to me. If you are praying to me now, pastor Victoria, I am limited in my capacity. Are you with me? I am limited in what I can do. Do.

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There are some things that your friends will ask you to do for them. You desire to do it. You really want to do what. You have the capacity. Does that make sense? So that makes, if you are now asking help from me, it means that your help is limited because I'm limited. Does that make sense? But when you are praying to god, because it is the almighty, this is everything. He created, everything here on that. So what god is able to do is unlimited. So so I want to encourage you do everything in your power to be consistent in prayer, because it will help you.

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You know, there is this saying that accountants will say make sure you save, especially if you work, if you have a job, make sure you put some money aside. If you are able to put 50 pounds, even at least 20 pounds, 20 pounds seems insignificant but you put it down for one for one year, for two years, five years. Have you had those, those pennies where you have? You have them, big jars just keep dropping, dropping, dropping, dropping there. You know, I, a friend of mine, did go one time. The jar was so big by the time we went to county it was close to 500 pounds In fact. We couldn't carry it. The jar was so big we couldn't carry it, and it wasn't this size, it wasn't like a big one. We couldn't carry it. Two of us couldn't carry it. We had to tear it open. We had to destroy it and then carry it bit by bit, and you'll be amazed, of course, if you live for a couple of years, you'll be amazed how much that made during Christmas for him.

Speaker 1:

So, ladies and gentlemen, a little here, a little there, you are investing in your prayer. You see, the more you pray, you are making investment in your future. Are you with me? The senior pastor will say that when you pray, when there is a problem, then you have a problem. Don't wait A student who will go to the library because they have exams. It's already too late. If you have an habit, you have a system where you have a structure to revise. Don't be like me that last minute or so, amen. So I'm going to because of time, I'm going to just go to the last five or so.

Speaker 1:

So we're looking at the mystery of prayer and fasting. Number ten prayer and fasting inspires confidence. You know. We're looking at the mystery of prayer and fasting Number 10. Prayer and fasting inspires confidence, you know. You see, one of the things I tell people is, if you are coming to me to pray with you, you must believe. You must believe. If I finish praying with you and you begin to doubt, you have undone your prayer, your confidence below. You know, when I was a student, when I, whenever I'm going to an example, I go with confidence because I've prayed, I've revised, in fact, some of my exams I will, I'm not even fully prepared. What's the point? I pray, let me go, because when you go to an exam, or you lack confidence Because when you go to an exam, you lack confidence for you to get yourself together. It takes time. So prayer and fasting inspires confidence.

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And what is confidence? Confidence is a belief in oneself, the conviction that one has the ability to meet life's challenges and to succeed, the willingness to act accordingly. There are things you want to succeed, the willingness to act accordingly, there are things you want to do. Just say people have agreed with me, faith agreed with me, pastor Pedro agreed with me. You have an interview. A woman will just say let me pray for you. You know, after that prayer you just feel like, you just feel different. Does that make sense? You cannot explain it Because your confidence is in God.

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You know, after, before, esther went to see the king. She fasted and she said if I die, I die. If I perish, I perish. I will go and see the king, because in those days, in Esther time, if you go to the king's palace without repetition, you will be headed. So Esther, chapter 4 and verse 16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present and fast for me. Neither eat nor drink, night or day. I also, I also, and the minute Okay. So so he fasted. He told everyone let us fast and pray, we will not eat, we will not drink. So if you lack confidence, pray. He told everyone let us fast and pray, we will not eat, we will not drink. So if you lack confidence, pray. I don't know how the confidence will come, but the confidence will come. You're going to say Holy Spirit, help me, I'm weak, I lack confidence in this, I don't know what to do. But give me inspiration.

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You see, often times we don't pray the right kind of praise, and I think I've told us these a week. Or if I want to give you one of the cheat code of prayer, can I tell you one of the cheat code of prayer is to pray with one of us. Okay, one of the cheat code of present God your all, since this and this and this, and that. You see, the word of God is bought by what? If I give you my word, is a bond that I'm doing to fill up? Remember my daughters? I stopped promising them sons. Oh, my days, if I promised them what? Something like this. They will not forget that. He was a promise as a countdown. So I remember I was saying it does not get off my back or the knowledge of this. If I don't do the law stop? And if I tell them to remind me something, if I don't do, they will not stop. And if I tell them to remind me something that is not constant, they will not remind me. But if I promise them something they will not forget, because my word is my bond. So I have to make sure that I keep to my word.

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Of the enemy's verdict you just think that the enemies has planned to do. Scripture says in john 10 and verse 10 satan has come to kill, to steal and to destroy. And he says but I have come that you may have life, not just life, but life in abundance, life in excess. Ladies and gentlemen, remember that scripture in Luke, chapter 22, verse 32. This is Jesus speaking. He said Simon, simon, satan has asked to swift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you. But I have prayed for you, simon, that when your faith will not fail, I pray for you and I, every fact it of the enemy over your life, I counsel in the name of Jesus, I join my faith and I reverse every curse of the enemy in the name of Jesus.

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This is Jesus telling cycle what the fact it of devil, because the devil, our enemy, is a devil is not your people, your father's house. They are just a tool to be used. It's not your boss, but they are just a tool. The real enemy is the devil. To reverse me, to change the direction, to change an order, to change a person or a result, I pray every position of the enemy over your life. I reverse it in the name of Jesus. Every order of the enemy over your life. I reverse it in the name of Jesus. Every order of the enemy over your life. I reverse it in the name of Jesus, every direction, because the plan of the devil over your life is an evil plan. The devil does not have the capacity to do good. The same way, god does not have capacity to do bad. If the enemy to do one good for you, it will take. If you do one good for you, that good is not only short time but it will take 10 bad things from you that will not be your portion in jesus name.

Speaker 1:

The next one prayer and fasting causes cancellation of decision of death. Death cancellation can't be seen. You know there's a prophet in scripture that he got a prophecy that he was going to die and he prayed. The same person who came to deliver. That prophecy came back and said God has heard you. God has heard you. So I want to encourage you. You know I won't talk about death. It will be spiritual death, not a physical death, because really, when you are dead spiritually, then you are useless physically. That will not be your portion. In Jesus' name, the enemy has come to kill, to steal and to destroy. Destroy the enemy want to kill our, our destiny, our purpose, our assignment, our vision, our plan, our agenda.

Speaker 1:

So I want to encourage you for reference, esther 3, verse 13, esther 8 and verse 8 I want to encourage you, do everything with your power to make sure you pray every day. You may not be able to pray for one hour, even if it is for 10 minutes, especially if you are able to scatter the prayer around the day, that would be brilliant. But it is also important to find time to spend quality time to pray. You see, maybe once a week I want to pray for one hour. I want to pray. See, maybe once a week I want to pray for one hour. I want to pray for two hours. It's so important because, you see, for you and I, all of us here, is that you are still studying or you are graduating.

Speaker 1:

What I want to say is relevant. You know there are some days when you go to library for one or two hours, just quickly. But when you really want to go to live or you want to revise, you know that the message our India, my boots, or this one, our 30 minutes you do see that they are. They are not. Stop up, they are those. They are not the thing when you want to push. When I was student, but I want to go to library who have a quiet place, I go to. It's hidden. Nobody can find me If I don't come out. Who knows I'm there Because I realized that a lot of because I was there for six hours I don't do anything because I was talking from what the rest of the time I was on Facebook also. I find my space. I went. It was time to bless what am I coming? I said, no, it's a waste of my mother not coming. So what? So when I realized that there are people who they went to go to? That's why make you stronger.

Speaker 1:

Prayer will not only help you spiritually but physically, because this life is war. There are many challenges in this life. You see that you are alive and you love God. The devil is not happy. You don't need to Already. You are an offender of the devil, you get it. You have offended the devil, unknowingly why. Because you have followed God, so automatically you are in. The enemy is fighting your life and I pray you will win. In the name of Jesus, not by level. I love this.

Speaker 1:

Prayer and fasting enforces the scripture and makes our experience spiritual. You know there are many scriptures in the Bible that you just need to quote. I can do all things To. Christ has sent me. I'm going to prayer. When you begin to enforce scripture, it becomes your reality.

Speaker 1:

How many scriptures can you quote out of your head? You have pain. What theater do you know? You see, the word of God is the mind of God in prayer. You see, when you begin to quote the word of God, god does not have choice but to answer because His word is God. Scriptures like Ecclesiastes, chapter 10, verse 8, he that diggett a pit shall fall into it. Ha, anybody after my life. You know. You see, warfares are real and there are times and seasons when we don't need to declare the word of God. You know things are not going well. What does the Bible say? God can turn things around. Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world. You know, see, the Lord says apple iron shackles iron. You know, you quote the word of God, it will become your.

Speaker 1:

I know some student. They have so many scriptures. When you enter their room it's like a scripture room. There is scripture everywhere. It's deliberate. When I was a student I asked a friend, pastor Alfredo. This lady had scriptures written on her ceiling. So when she breaks up like this, open her eyes. The first thing in the word of God the devil. Don't you check her phone, her laptop screen, everything, scripture everywhere. God, punish the devil. You will remember them by force and you begin to declare. You know, sometimes, sometimes you declare the word of god, you pray and you pray the spirit and that's all the matter. That's what's the matter. We need to enforce prayer, we need to enforce the word of god.

Speaker 1:

If you call to your reality, you know, and nobody will say, that when you are doing your coursework, when you are submitting your assignment, and you only have two reference, three reference, your work does not carry weight, your letter is not happy, the thing that you are least because you can imagine as a lecturer and test to have some in your work, and maybe five or six of them. They give 20 reference, 15 references, and you only give two references. You think I'll be happy. I'll be like what? What? What lazy job is this? In fact, they told you, I don't remember. They told us in unity, after first year no wikipedia. So after first year you cannot reference because because Wikipedia is, I can edit Wikipedia. So it's not that anybody can edit it, because it's just open there.

Speaker 1:

So you can imagine that you are facing a challenge now and these days, even just Google it, go on Google and you are able to quote five scriptures by then telling you are facing there's no way God will. God will not wait, god will come to you that weekend Because His word is His word. I want to encourage you learn to pray with scripture. It will help you. It will help you because when you begin to enforce scriptures, it becomes your reality, it becomes who you are and it makes you stronger. And the mystery of that is you will finish doing the prayer now and you don't know how God will do it, but you have faith in him, you trust him, you hand it over to him.

Speaker 1:

People say don't put your head in one basket, don't put all your head in one basket. A man of God say put all your head in one basket and hand over the basket to God and see what god will do, because don't just have one plan and give that plan to god. Then you have a plan b, plan c, plan d, plan e. That means you don't trust god's planet or you don't know god's plan. And finally, ladies and gentlemen, prayer and fasting turns weeping and sorrow into joy and celebration. You know, by the time you begin to get the result of your prayer, you are celebrating, you are rejoicing, you are jubilating because God has summoned that. Let me give you a sing. The Lord has done it, finally, finally, finally, the Lord has done it, finally. You know, by yourself, you will be singing that song in your mind and you will be put under. Is this person okay? They don't understand. They don't understand.

Speaker 1:

So it is important that we know the purpose, the essence, the power of prayer and fasting. Don't joke with it. You see, it's not until you kneel down that you are praying. You can pray anyhow, anywhere, anytime.

Speaker 1:

I learned something as a student Because I try to pray every, everything before I leave the house and most of the time, some, most of the time I will. I will remember when I'm on the board and I'll say when I get to I will pray. But I might get to forget our skin. So I realized that when you have not prayed and you remember to relax, this will remind you to pray. Do that prayer there and then don't say I'll do it later. No, because only thing is reminding you that you have not committed your day to my. Don't say what I get back home, just pray, just pray, just pray quietly. You might be in a place where you cannot pray like, just pray quietly, just, just, just, just just decree and declare Thus, thus, thus, thus, thus decree and declare.

Speaker 1:

You know it's interesting, in Esther, chapter 4 and verse 3, hear this, esther, chapter 4 and verse 3. And as news of the king's decree reached all province, there was a great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, wept and many lay in ashes. Now, in chapter 8, verse 7, it says the Jews were filled with joy and gladness and were honored everywhere. And the word of God will say joy and gladness and we are all not everywhere. And the weather to see the Jews rejoice and they are great celebration because God give them victory. And that is what prayer and fasting and I pray for you, every prayer as love, pray to God. We. May you celebrate, may you rejoice in the name of Jesus, because whatever prayer cannot do, god cannot do, because your prayer is unto God and not unto man.

Speaker 1:

So when you are praying to God, whether you are five, be sincere, focus and trust God. God is able to do it. There is nothing, nothing he cannot do, but the price. Can your faith carry it? Even sometimes we prepare our faith was not carried. We still pray. God will favor you. I don't pay to the market and your money is not enough. You got a price on the door. I do it a lot as they give me this card because I can't increase now. My force will give me this time. I said I'll give you this time now. Why you don't give me this time? I just I met somebody last time. It's my birthday. Are you not going to give us? Okay, and they give me, because if you don't ask to receive, let's rise up on our feet.

Speaker 1:

I wanted to pray, I wanted to speak to us. Always pray, help me, prayer. You see, ladies and gentlemen, if the devil can distract you from prayer, he has succeeded. I mean, if the devil can distract you from prayer, because prayer connects you, prayer connect invisible to the invisible and when you are disconnected from your source, the devil you see. The senior pastor will give an example.

Speaker 1:

In Africa, in the world, we do patting. We don't use gas, we put wood together and we put it. You know, pat it all off and you can imagine when you take one log of wood, when you take a burning wood log, you take it out, you put it to one side. It would burn for a while, but eventually the fire would go off because it is being isolated, it is removed, it is not among them, but when they are together and there is fire, by the time you blow it, the rest will catch fire. I want to just pray, so this will help me. This you I took, I don't know when I I was going to share something with us. Now what are the keys? Probably foreign, that will still help me to develop.

Speaker 1:

My prayer. That was a student, was for this of the week and for different people's free week is a people who love to pray and I was one that contacted them, and so when it's time to pray. They always remind me because I always forget, but they helped me to pray. So every day I was praying, with dispersing some of them one was on the phone, one I would go to the house, two of them would come to my house and pray and then probably we said that's a lot of good enough stamina and strength. Now we can go.

Speaker 1:

I want to produce to help me because you must be. See, your prayer life, your responsibility, anything my prayer life is my response, mostly already helped me to be disciplined in the same place of prayer every, to be disciplined. When you are disciplined, consistent and when you are consistent, you will produce everything. For you to, for you to be fruitful, you must be consistent. For your prayer to be consistent, you will be disciplined. So the key is discipline, because when you are disciplined, you become consistent. For the time you go to the gym, you really cannot discipline. You're not consistent and if you're not going to that summer body, you will be. You don't usually need to have me, me and somebody. I'm giving up on time. Come with your bodies. Okay, it's okay. Body is body, just pray. Only spirit help me. Only spirit help me Because it is paramount that you are disciplined. It is paramount that you are consistent, because your prayer life is your key to God.

Speaker 1:

Your prayer life is an escape. Prayer life is. You see, when you are praying, that you are eating spiritual food. You, you, it is. It's a necessity. When you add prayer to it, you just take it to another level. Every father, we thank you, we worship you, we give you all the praise we give you. A lord, help us. Can you hold somebody's hand? I just pray for that person. Also, when I just pray for them, hold someone, just pray for them. That's what it's really talking about for them. I'm passing that one or two of us who are who you would desire to have a consistent prayer life.

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But you are struggling. It's a struggle, it's a strong, can I tell you, some days it's hard for me to pray. It's not because I I love, I don't love, or any prayer. It's something I must do, it's a requirement. I don't have a choice and that's what has helped me. There are some days, all my days it's just so difficult, but I trust god and I do my best. Lord, I join my faith with anyone here who is struggling with your prayer life. From today, you struggle no more.

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In the name of jesus, when you are weak, only to strengthen you. In the name of Jesus, for today your prayer life runs to a new level. In the name of Jesus, to shake the dead. Simple, to separate, to share the day. Let press okay, okay over. I will thank you. We worship you, lord, we give you all a priest. We give you the glory. In Jesus name, we pray. Every father will thank you. We give you all the praise to give you the glory.

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Lord, may we not just be hearers of your word. May we do us in the name of jesus, lord, as we have unwrapped the mystery of prayer and fasting. Help us hold on, because without your help we cannot do it. We give our mortal body to be able to pray, to be able to speak to you regularly. In the name of Jesus, lord, we thank you because you have really helped us through the month of June. We thank you, lord, because you have been our shield. Lord, we pray, o Lord, god, that as we step into a new month tomorrow, you will go ahead of us and straighten every crooked way. In the name of Jesus, Lord, you will not leave us, nor forsake us. In the name of Jesus, lord, you will not leave us but forsake us. In the name of Jesus, may our prayer life Get to a higher level. In the name of Jesus, father, we thank you. We give you all the praise, we give you all the glory. In Jesus name, we pray. In Jesus name, we pray, commissioned Christian Fellowship. In the' name we have prayed, commissioned Christian Fellowship.

Speaker 1:

In the grace of our Lord, jesus Christ, the love of God and the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore. Amen. Surely God's goodness and His message shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen. Talk to your neighbor and say surely, surely God's goodness and his message shall follow you all the days of your life and you shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen. Now to yourself declare, surely, surely God's goodness and his mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen. Have a wonderful week. God bless you and God bless me.