Serving God by Fasting & Praying

Posted April 5, 2007

I spoke about prayer and fasting on Wednesday night for the recording of a television broadcast and it was also live on the Internet. This morning when I awoke, I was saying to God, "I can of my own self do nothing. I don't even know what to pray, but I know that you have a prayer that can achieve your purposes. I know that you said to Israel that you would bring them back and put them in their land, but you would require them to ask you." (Ezekiel 36:37) In a short period of time, God answered me with Psalm 35.

Psalm 35:1-28 says, "Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. v.1

Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help. v.2

Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. v.3

Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt. v.4

Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them. v.5

Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them. v.6

For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul. v.7

Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall. v.8

And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation. v.9

All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him? v.10

False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not. v.11

They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. v.12

But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom. v.13

I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother. v.14

But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not: v.15

With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth. v.16

Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions. v.17

I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people. v.18

Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause. v.19

For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land. v.20

Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it. v.21

This thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me. v.22

Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord. v.23

Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me. v.24

Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up. v.25

Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me. v.26

Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. v.27

And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long." v.28

Anna Served God with Prayer & Fasting

Luke 2:36-37 says, "And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; v.36

And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day." v.37

Have you ever considered that you are serving God when you are fasting and praying? Anna fasted and prayed serving God day and night.

Purposes of Our Fasting

In Isaiah 58:6-12 it says, "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? v.6

Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? v.7

Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. v.8

Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke (the law), the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; v.9

And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: v.10

And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. v.11

And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." v.12

Beginning, April 22, 2005, I went on a daily fast and ate only the evening meal. I did this every day for twenty-three months. During that period of time, I by the Spirit of God established Water of Life Churches in Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Plantersville, Texas. This all happened when I was under attack by the wicked, who were writing and saying that I was an evil man and I was of the devil. I overcame the Schlosser trial. I paid my house off and bought a new Cadillac. I set a lot of people free during that time. I was loosing bands of wickedness, undoing heavy burdens, letting the oppressed go free, and breaking yokes of bondage. Basil Clark came back on staff and Vickie Willmarth, Dwyane Jackson, and David Kaspareit joined our staff. We reestablished the mission here at Water of Life, giving food and clothing away each Tuesday. We went live on the Internet (eleven hours weekly). I brought forth fruit that is now ministering on television and the Internet, and we are going to Israel in June and planning a trip to Africa, perhaps in August.

This is what God did while people forsook me and rose up against me. It all came to pass, because I was fasting and praying, doing what God told me to do. (Obedience is better than sacrifice.) During this time, I received no thanks from God. I just obeyed and served him. It says in Luke 17:10, "So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do." I have been released to have lunch on Sunday afternoon at a cafeteria in Plano with those who would like to join me, but I continue to fast daily Monday through Saturday. I encourage you to join me.

God bless you,

Doyle Davidson