As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them (Acts 13:2).
It’s our priestly responsibility as Christians to minister to the Lord, and it’s important that you understand how to do it, and the benefits that accrue from it. The first thing to do in ministering to the Lord is to focus your attention on Him in worship. Secondly, learn to speak words of praise to Him from your spirit; words that extol His majesty. Such praise should have content.
For example, simply saying, “Lord, I praise you,” isn’t enough. You’ve got to tell Him what you’re praising Him for. Tell Him how wonderful, loving and kind He is; you ought to give substance to your praises of Him. So in ministering to the Lord you focus your attention on Him and praise Him from your spirit with words of worship and thanksgiving. The Lord responds to you when you minister to Him like this.
When the apostles ministered to Him and fasted as we read in our opening scripture, He responded by giving them direction regarding an important issue. In the same way, God gives you guidance and enlightens your spirit as to what you need to do in specific circumstances as you minister to Him. He ministers strength to you and prepares you for the task ahead.
Your fellowship with the Holy Spirit becomes effective as you learn to minister to Him from your spirit; He participates in everything you do and dispenses His blessings into your life. You also experience His transportation as He moves you from one level of glory to another.
Luke tells a beautiful story in Acts 10 of an event in the house of Cornelius, a Roman centurion. Even though he was a devout man, he wasn’t saved. An angel of the Lord appeared to him and instructed him to send for Peter, who’d tell him words through which he and his household would be saved (Acts 11:13-14). While Peter was in Cornelius’ house, preaching the Gospel, something extraordinary happened: “…the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word” (Acts 10:44).
Notice the word, “fell”; it’s translated from the Greek “epipiptō,” and it means to fall like rain; an outpouring. It also means to fall on someone in an embrace. As Peter spoke those gracious words of salvation, the Holy Ghost embraced everyone in Cornelius’ household, and they were all recreated and filled with the Spirit. Hallelujah!
This is what happens when we minister through the Spirit; our hearers are enraptured in the Father’s love! They bask in the Spirit’s embrace and get convicted in their hearts for salvation, because our words aren’t mere words. Our testimony of Christ and witness of His salvation is like Peter’s; out of our bellies flow gushers of living water (John 7:38). As such, your words cease to be persuasive words of man’s wisdom, but words delivered in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
Many who thronged Jesus experienced the embrace of the Spirit. Luke 5:17 tells us, “…as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.” There was something in the air as Jesus spoke; His words were loaded with divine energy. Glory to God!
God’s power to save, help, deliver and bless is in the Gospel, which you must convey and communicate by the power of God’s Spirit. That’s why you must always be filled with the Spirit, like Paul admonished in Ephesians 5:18-20.
Being filled with the Spirit, His divine glory and presence are transmitted through you in the words that you speak. There and then, faith and a deep conviction is stirred in the hearts of your hearers, leaving salvation, deliverance, and untold blessings in its wake! Hallelujah!
When you minister to the Lord you discipline your flesh in submission to the Word. This makes your spirit more receptive to God’s Spirit, breaking down the resistance of your human senses, thus aiding your spirit to pray more correctly.
Fasting also positions you rightly for God’s Word to come to you. God may have been speaking to you, but you may not have picked His signals. But when you fast and pray, your spirit is conditioned to receive the guidance and direction. He’s giving you about your job, finances, family, academics, the future, something that’s dear to you or that you’re interested in.
Learn to apply the principle in Acts 13; don’t stop at fasting and praying, also learn to minister to the Lord. In the church at Antioch, there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon Lucius, and Manaen, including Paul. The Bible says, “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said…” Acts 13:2 Notice that they didn’t have to cry, “Lord, speak to us; we want to hear your voice; speak!” No. They just ministered to Him and He spoke. It’s that simple.
This is God’s will and purpose: He desires to talk to you personally and to have you understand Him clearly. He wants to do that for you more than you want it. The truth is, He’s been doing it. But when your spirit is clouded with other matters, you can’t hear Him clearly. That’s the reason for fasting.
We don’t fast so God can hear our prayers or so we can convince Him to do something for us. Fasting helps to position you where His Word can come to you, lift you, energize you, and position you to be in sync with His perfect will.