How To Fast 5: Preparing For The Evil Day by Pastor Dolapo Lawal: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Fasting Prepares You for the Day of Visitation

Luke 21:34-35 — Jesus warned that hearts could be weighed down with "surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life," so that the day of His return would come as a snare, unexpectedly. 1 Peter 4:7 — "the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer." Sober doesn't mean sad — it means serious, clear-minded, and focused.

Matthew 23:37 — "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee... how often would I have gathered thy children together... and ye would not!" What Jerusalem missed wasn't God's presence — it was the moment of God's visitation. The problem was never that God failed to show up; it's that people, absorbed in eating, drinking, and daily distraction, weren't spiritually alert enough to recognize Him when He came.

A Specific Example: Fasting Sharpens Discernment

A spiritually mature woman once told her pastor that God had instructed her to stop eating rice — not because rice itself mattered to God, but because she'd noticed that every time she ate it, she became too full and drowsy to pray, and prayer was exactly what God needed from her in that season. Fasting isn't a punishment; it's a tool that keeps you alert enough to actually notice what God is doing around you.

Simeon: A Life Prepared for One Moment

Luke 2:25-30 — Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before seeing the Lord's Christ. When Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the temple, Simeon — led by the Spirit at exactly that moment — recognized instantly what he'd been waiting for: "mine eyes have seen thy salvation." Simeon didn't stumble into that recognition; a lifetime of listening for God had prepared him to recognize the answer the instant it arrived. A prayer life built over years is what lets you recognize an answer that someone less prepared would simply walk past.

Spiritual Strength Is Built Gradually, Like Physical Strength

No one walks into a gym for the first time and lifts a heavy weight — strength is built in increments, over repeated sessions, until what was once impossible becomes normal. The same is true spiritually: fasting and consistent prayer build a capacity that isn't there by default, so that when a genuinely difficult season arrives — "the evil day" — you're not caught starting from zero.

Written Confession as a Discipline of Faith

A woman praying for a specific breakthrough in her marriage was encouraged to write out her confession of faith over the situation and declare it daily rather than continuing to pray the same request over and over without settling into thanksgiving. She wrote it out and declared it daily for nearly two months before seeing the situation shift. There's a difference between repeatedly asking and settling into confident, sustained declaration once you've prayed — the second posture is what fasting and spiritual discipline are meant to build in you.