Fasting God’S Way

By Reverend Clayton Driggs

Many Christians are unaware of what God expects from them when they fast. Many do not know the work that transpires when they fast and leave it up to chance, being uncertain that God will respond to them. Even more, many do not know what to expect from God after they fast, and so they overlook His blessed responses.

In Fasting Gods Way, author and reverend Clayton Driggs shows us how God has given clear instructions about how we should fast-and why we should. The Bible reveals how God made fasting one of the most important things we should do, and Reverend Driggs explains that this is why a proper understanding of fasting should be restored in church congregations everywhere. Since fasting is a demonstration of love for God and others, we all should learn how to avoid illegitimate fasting and prepare our lives for fruitful, restorative fasts. By understanding the dos and donts of fasting-as well as the whys and hows-you will discover the keys to powerful and effective fasting.

God has expectations of us when we fast, and if we meet these expectations, then we can look forward to results every time we fast. We must first truly understand how to fast Gods way, and know what to expect, then fasting can be a springboard to the many great exploits God desires to accomplish through us. So let Fasting Gods Way become a springboard for knowledge about fasting, and the start of a healthy fasting lifestyle.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 4, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973610038

Reverend Clayton Driggs

Reverend Clayton Driggs was introduced to the Lord Jesus Christ when he was seven years old, and since then Clayton has been faithfully serving the Lord. From church musician and choir leader to Sunday school teacher, he served in these roles faithfully while attending the Calvary New Testament Church of God in Trinidad and Tobago. Moving to the United States in 2000, Clayton served as a praise and worship minister before being called into the pastoral ministry in 2008, pastoring at the Hope Center Church of God in Clinton, Louisiana. While on a forty-day fast during his tenure at Hope Center, Reverend Driggs received his revelation and inspiration for Fasting Gods Way.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 Reverend Clayton Driggs.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture marked (KJV) is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB),

Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,

1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-1002-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-1004-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-1003-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017918059

WestBow Press rev. date: 01/02/2018

My Vision

To see the keys of the kingdom of heaven in the hand of every believer, promoting unity and teamwork in Christ Jesus until the kingdom of heaven is clearly manifested on earth so the world know that God sent Jesus Christ from heaven to earth

This book is dedicated to the Holy Spirit. He has been my closest companion in life and was the true author of the revelations that are in this book. In spite of who I have been or what I did, He has never withheld God’s goodness from me.

I am extremely grateful for the transformation God the Holy Spirit has made within me.

I must also express gratitude to my wife, Roumona McDavid-Driggs, for her great patience with me. She’s been my greatest supporter in this venture. She nurtured the seed of this book by her encouraging words. The time spent writing this book was a great sacrifice on her part, but she never complained about it; instead, she supported me all the way.

I love you, sweetie pea.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross!

—Philippians 2:4–8

CONTENTS

Foreword by Dr. William E. (Bill) Isaacs

Foreword by Bishop Don Douglas

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1    Fasting: a Demonstration of Love

Chapter 2    Avoid Illegitimate Fasting

Chapter 3    Fasting Reveals God’s Mercies

Chapter 4    Fasting for Instructions to Build

Chapter 5    Preparing Your Land for Fruitfulness

Chapter 6    Fasting for Restoration

FOREWORD

About the time this book was being published, a deranged young man walked into a small country church and began randomly shooting the worshipers. When he finished his rampage, more than two dozen innocent souls were killed. It is an evil day and the world has become a very dangerous place to exist. It is no coincidence that we are on earth in a time such as this, for God has chosen for us to live in these times. You see, I believe our witness of hope and love will make a difference for those we know and meet. In fact, God has promised power to overcome all the powers of the enemy. Yet, we must accept that evil will not be overcome with human strategies or by the feeble attempts of believers who fail to realize this battle as a spiritual one. Our battles are not with flesh and blood but against principalities and spirits loosed upon the earth for a season to tempt, deceive and destroy. But don’t be afraid, we are not defenseless against the evil of this world. We have been given power.

My friend, Reverend Clayton Driggs has written a powerful tool on the subject of fasting. It is for believers who wish to live in the victory God has provided. In it you will find the guidance of a man who walks with God and who has been empowered to invest in each of us with the power of his words. As an act of obedience, he has penned this tremendous work on this very relevant topic. I trust him and I trust his desire to invest what God has invested in him to every person who picks up this book.

Fasting is not easy. Jesus once fasted for forty days in the desert and during that physically weakened time the devil sought to tempt Jesus to forgo His divine purpose in exchange for human satisfaction. The devil is still doing that to believers today through subtle and suggestive means. But the devil can be overcome by the Word of God and seasons of prayer and fasting. There is a call of God to fast and one should be sensitive to the timing of God for seasons of prolonged fasting.

It has always been my conviction that in fasting, my spiritual sensitivities are heightened and God speaks. You too will find God in your fasting. Though God is not hiding, I think He lingers on the periphery to understand your hunger for Him, for relationship with Him, for your decision to forsake all, risk all in pursuit of His presence and His power in your life. As you read this book, it is my prayer that you will find the Savior in powerful and life-changing ways. He is ready to be found by you and it may be that He will reveal Himself to you as you encounter Clayton’s heart in the writing. There is power in the words of this book. I’m glad Clayton wrote them and I’m glad you hold a copy of my friend’s outstanding work.

These words seem appropriate from the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah, who wrote: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13, NKJV)

Dr. William E. (Bill) Isaacs

Executive Director

Center for Pastoral Excellence

Lagrange, Ohio

2017

FOREWORD

Many believers have long since recognised the importance of prayer and fasting in the life of a Christian. What many struggle with however is understand the place of fasting and how do we go about effectively engaging in it.

Do we not all know of individuals and churches who at least once a year (often at the beginning of the New Year) engages in times of fasting and prayer. For many, these times of fasting have become nothing more than a tradition or the fulfilling of a routine. Fasting and prayer is indeed much more than an annual exercise. The scripture is clear on the topic and spoke to the issue much more than you may have recognised. God has not left us in the dark on this important subject of prayer and fasting.

It is said that a man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with knowledge. On reading this book it very apparent that Reverend Driggs wrote this book out of the bowels of experience. His knowledge and perspectives on the issue is refreshing and provides an abundance of insights to stir and challenge the learned and mature believer as well as the young believer just embarking on this journey of faith.

One will find his views on legitimate and illegitimate fasting to be quite sound and particularly insightful

As a person who has engaged in many individual and collective times of fasting and prayer, this book provided me with not just valuable insights but some practical tools that Pastors, leaders, and individuals, would also find helpful in making their times of prayer and fast much more meaningful.

It is my prayer and sincere hope that persons reading this book would come to experience the joy and fulfilment that comes to one who engages in a time of prayer and fast.

I congratulate Reverend Driggs on the writing of a great book indeed a powerful resource to the Body of Christ.

Bishop Don Douglas

Education Director

New Testament Church of God

Trinidad & Tobago

PREFACE

I still can vividly remember when the Lord started to teach me about fasting in the way that truly pleases Him. It was in the year 2012, when the church that I pastored was about to begin the Daniel’s fast. We’d done this fast every year since I’d become the pastor, but that year something different happened. A few days before the fast began, I received the church mail, and with it was a book on fasting. The book was called Fasting That Moves God’s Hands by T. L. Lowery. Initially, I thought of leaving the book with all the other books that we kept at the church. But then I thought, If I don’t read, I won’t learn. I heard the Spirit speak within me: My people enter into captivity for a lack of knowledge. He was prompting me to read and learn, so I took the book home and read a portion of it every morning during my devotions. During that time, my eyes were opened to the power of fasting. All the examples of God’s hand at work when people fasted caught my heart. I wanted to be one of them. That year’s fast was intentional and full of clarity. I thank God that He chose to teach me by way of that book. From that year on, I was better motivated to fast because I had a much better understanding of fasting and its wonderful outcomes.

The following year—but later in the year—I came across a book called Fasting by Jentezen Franklin. I was extremely motivated and enlightened by the testimonies in that book. The Lord used Fasting to introduce me to my first forty-day fast. Immediately after reading those books, I found and listened to YouTube videos of Christian teachers who taught about fasting. I thank God greatly for T. L. Lowery and Jentezen Franklin, for their books were the sparks that ignited a fire within me and fanned the flame to cause me to have a fasting life.

With regard to this book, I must give all the credit to the Holy Spirit. The Lord downloaded the contents of this book into my spirit and mind. It all started as sermons on the topic of fasting during my forty-day fast, and the Lord kept opening my understanding of the scriptures about fasting. For six Sundays I preached on fasting, and each sermon was turned into a chapter in this book. I pray that the Lord will do for you what He did for me—ignite a fire in you that results in having a fasting life. As the apostle Paul prayed, I pray that your eyes of understanding would be enlightened and that you would come into the knowledge of truth that transforms you. (Ephesians 1: 18). I desire that you will not just hear what I am saying but will see it. As Bishop David Oyedepo of Living World Church Worldwide said in one of his messages, "What you see