Fasting and The Soul

“Why have we fasted, but You have not seen?  We have denied ourselves, but You haven’t noticed!  (Isaiah 58:3)(CSB).

They fasted and expected God to pay attention to their fasting. They denied themselves and expected God to take notice. They had an understanding and an expectation about fasting that every new creation believer needs to grasp. 

“We have fasted”. “We have afflicted our soul”. Fasting afflicts the soul. Fasting is not about food. The aim of fasting is not to lose pounds, detox or to sponsor a hunger strike before God. Fasting is for the soul.

The soul is the seat of intentions, passions and emotions. The soul hosts the human mind, will and emotions. What we think, what we desire and what we feel have their space and place in the soul. 

Most Christians are “carnal”.  In the way the Apostle Paul describes and defines being carnal it comes out to being self-centered and soul-controlled (see I Corinthians 3, Romans 8). When we are self-centered we are allowing our fallen flesh to dominate our decisions. When we are soul-controlled we are allowing our minds, wills and emotions to be dominated by any influence other than the Word of God and Holy Spirit.   

Our souls need to be afflicted. The word “afflicted” means to be lowered, abased, brought under, made subordinate to another’s power. Fasting has a spiritual goal. It is designed to lower, abase, bring under, and make subordinate our minds, wills and emotions to the Spirit of God and the Word of God.

The Greek word picture associated with the word “fast” is the picture of someone withdrawing their hand. When one did not take or receive food it was a fast. When one would abstain from eating and consuming they were withdrawing from the table and from their own appetite. 

Fasting is withdrawing your hand. This is what humility looks like. See I Peter 5:6-7. Fasting is confessing that you need to take your hands off of someone or something. Your “hands on approach” for everyone and everything may be your presumption. Do you always have the best thought, best desire or the best feel for a person or situation?

Fasting, just like prayer, is the admission and acknowledgment that you need God to help you. Fasting is more about denying your ego, than about missing a few meals. Fasting is surrendering, yielding and giving up your own ideas, desires and feelings so that you can fully obtain, observe and obey the will of God for your life.

The House Prayer Party Protocol

“Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer:”… (Isaiah 56:7). The LORD wants your house to become His house. The LORD’s House is JOYFUL! It is joyful because it is prayerful. If you are ready to receive or restore joy into your house, home and family The House Prayer Party is where you can begin. Join US!

• Saturdays, 6:00pm – 6:33pm – Set The Atmosphere
• 6:33pm – Scripture Reading (Matthew 18:18-20)
• Opening Prayer  – Psalm 111

The Prayer Leader will pray in accord with Psalm 111.

• Welcome by Prayer Party Moderator

Prayer Moderators maintain a joyful and spiritual flow. 

• Prayer Exhortation – This is a reminder of a promise in Holy Scripture.

• What’s Your Name?- Prayer Partners

This is the Roll Call. Using “icebreakers” to  initiate Roll Call. 

• What’s Your Promise? – Prayer Partners

Every participant is asked to come on with a Scripture promise that has encouraged them and can encourage others.

• What’s Your Praise?- Prayer Partners

This is an opportunity for any participant to share their testimony of an answered prayer.

• What’s Your Prayer? –  Prayer Partners

This is the opportunity for any participant to state the thing that they are believing for or need God to help them achieve.

• Intercessory Prayer

The Intercessor will lead the Prayer Party. (15 minutes)

1. Prayer for The Ministries.
2. Prayer for The Members.
3. Prayer for The Morning Glory.

• Final Call – Prayer Moderator

The Prayer Moderator closes with announcements for the upcoming week(s).

Bishop Sean Teal, Visionary

http://www.PrayerEverywhere.org

The House Church Network

The 20:20 Vision with Bishop Sean Teal

House of Prayer Everywhere International

“I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house” (Acts 20:20).

This is our “tipping point”! In the earliest days of launching The House of Prayer Everywhere Church (Oakland, CA) I introduced this term to our leaders. We even read Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell together as a group. The idea of a tipping point is the phenomenon of critical mass. It is when some fact, reality or perception changes in such a profound way that nothing will ever again be the same. It is the point of no return.

The decades of decline in church attention and worship attendance has been brought to a tipping point by the pandemic. The social detachments and distances it has created has pushed people further away from traditional or conventional church life. The social media culture has become the platform and portal of choice. This generation of church goers would rather stay in than to show up. We have become home-bound and home-based with home businesses. This is our time to engage the New Testament model for expanding and empowering house churches.

We will begin to study the New Testament examples and principles that formed and founded house churches in the Book of Acts and throughout the Pauline Epistles. I urge every believer and member of a local church to join The House at Precepts Bible Study Wednesdays @ 6:33pm FB Live. Bishop Sean Teal will teach and train all attendees for the launching of the 20:20 Vision.

Five Easy Reasons For House Churches

1. Helps foster personal and spiritual relationships (Acts 2:46). 
2. Offers opportunities for prayer and pastoral care (Acts 12:12). 
3. Unites members with the vision of The Church (Acts 5:42). 
4. Serves as a FRANgelism opportunity (Acts 16:31-34).
5. Encourages the ministry of spiritual gifts (Acts 21:8-10).

Matthew 18:20 – For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Acts 2:42 – And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Acts 2:46 – And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

Acts 5:42 – And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

Romans 16:5 – Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

1 Corinthians 16:19 – The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Colossians 4:15 – Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.

Philemon 1:2 – And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in thy house:

###

The Vision of The House

“The ability to stick with what God showed you even when you cannot see how or when is the vision of champions”.

It is the vision of embracing and demonstrating the love of Jesus and the power of prayer.

It is the vision of all ethnicities, ages and backgrounds loving, praying, connecting and serving for the glory of God.

It is the vision of leading a world prayer center equipped to host global gatherings for training, networking and empowering people to pray.

It is the vision of being the home and hub for Prayer Everywhere International.

It is the vision of evangelizing families and communities and bringing them into a congregation that enjoys, encourages and empowers one another.

It is the vision of relevant and radical ministries that offer and mentor biblical education, personal intercession and social missions.

It is the vision of owning and operating dozens of properties around the world that can host worship services, provide resources and launch outreaches.

It is the vision of sponsoring a world-wide media ministry that promotes Prayer Everywhere International and proclaims the gospel of the kingdom.

It is the vision of launching and leading a modern apostolic movement that builds and blesses home-based prayer ministries. 

It is the vision of growing believers into spiritual maturity and sending them out into the world to be spiritual leaders that impact the culture.

###

The Apostolic Assignment

The Verse: “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of The Word” (Acts 6:4).

The Vision: To gather nightly for instruction and impartation.

The Mission: To accentuate and assign the apostolic anointing.

The Strategy: To prepare and structure the apostolic partners.

• To teach as the Holy Spirit orders and ordains.
• To gather leading members and new partners.
• To recast, revision and remodel The House and The Movement.

The Apostolic Assignment

January 1st – The Apostolic Christ

Hebrews 3:1

January 2nd – The Apostolic Priesthood

Hebrews 3:1

January 3rd – The Apostolic Blueprint 

Hebrews 3:2-5 

January 4th – The Apostolic Construction

Hebrews 3:6

January 5th – The Apostolic Mission

Romans 15:13-19

January 6th – The Apostolic Ambition

Romans 15:20

January 7th – The Apostolic Household

I Corinthians 16:15 

January 8th – The Apostolic Assignment 

Luke 6:12-16

January 9th – The Apostolic Addition

Luke 10:1

January 10th – The Apostolic Partnerships

Luke 10:1

January 11th – The Apostolic Preparations

Luke 10:1

January 12th – The Apostolic Prayer

Luke 10:2

January 13th – The Apostolic Pursuit

Luke 10:3

January 14th – The Apostolic Plan

Luke 10:3-4

January 15th – The Apostolic Priority 

Luke 10:4

January 16th – The Apostolic Peace 

Luke 10:5-6

January 17th – The Apostolic Perseverance

Luke 10:7

January 18th – The Apostolic Possession

Luke 10:9 

January 19th – The Apostolic Prescription

Luke 10:9

January 20th – The Apostolic Proclamation

Luke 10:9

January 21st – The Apostolic Progress

Luke 10:10-12

I salute the man and I carry the mantle.

Bishop Sean Teal, Visionary
PARTNER LETTER

http://www.PrayerEverywhere.org

Dr. T. L. Lowery is the dignified and departed apostolic patriarch of Prayer Everywhere International. He is one of the most renowned Christian pioneers and leaders in the 20th and 21st centuries. Few men or women of God knew God, the Word and the work of the Holy Spirit like Dr. Lowery. He was par exelis as a spiritual general, an apostolic patriarch, a mega church planter, a denomination leader, an international evangelist, a global intercessor and a godly statesman throughout The Body of Christ.

Dr. T.L. Lowery departed this life on February 21st, 2016. His mantle was passed and a new generation of apostolic ministry emerged. He is my apostolic mentor and spiritual father. Dr. Lowery literally wrote the book on Apostles and Prophets: Reclaiming the Biblical Gifts. See Amazon.com / T.L. Lowery Books.

I knew who Dr. Lowery was when I was a boy preacher in Richmond, California. He was one of the most famed healing evangelists in the days of Oral Roberts, T.L. Osborn and Kathryn Kuhlman. He held tent meetings throughout the fifties. He would have 10,000 in attendance nightly for weeks at a time. Miracles and the supernatural marked his ministry.

I knew him as that White preacher that had thousands of Black members in Washington, DC. Nearly forty different nations and over seventy dialects. Africans, Caribbeans and African Americans loved his love and his leadership. He traveled to over 120 nations in his lifetime. 

He was building elderly and low income housing complexes, running a child care center, inner city outreach centers, schools from grade k through 12, an accredited Bible college, a five thousand seat sanctuary, media outlets, acres of ministry property, including a cemetery for members and their families.

He was a ministry novelty. He was a ministry personality. He was a ministry celebrity. He blew into rooms with an endearing greeting and an enthusiasm for whatever was happening or was about to happen. 

He always came into every effort or enterprise with the attitude that made you feel like we were going to have a great time watching God do something big. His genius and generosity was always on display.

He constantly spoke of spiritual impartation. He was one in the likeness of Elijah! In his seventies he began casting vision for the launch of The T.L. Lowery Global Ministry Foundation Center. He built it and we used it.

He was the best! I loved and served Dr. T. L. Lowery. I was loved and served by Dr. Lowery. I was his son. It will always be one of my highest honors. I am still in awe that God gave me such grace to know such greatness. I salute the man and I carry the mantle! 

Sean Teal, Th.D.