THE PURPOSE OF 40 DAYS OF FASTING

THE PURPOSE OF 40 DAYS OF FASTING 

What is the purpose of a 40-day fast? When can we undertake a 40-day fast, and in what situations is it appropriate? There are only three men recorded in the Bible who fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Why is the number 40 used instead of other numbers for such a fast? 

Chapter Markers
- 0:00 Why Forty Days 
- 2:03 - Forty: Symbolism And Scripture
- 6:56 - Moses On Sinai: Presence And Covenant
- 11:45 - Feeding The Spirit While Fasting
- 15:22 - Ten Commandments And Consecration
- 21:34 - Leadership, Anger, And Guarding Your Heart
- 26:42 - Expectation: Hearing God Before, During, After
- 30:12 - Elijah’s Flight And Divine Provision
- 35:12 - Solitude, Wilderness, And Separation

Chapters

• 0:00 Why Forty Days Matters
• 2:03 Counting Forty: Symbolism And Scripture
• 6:56 Moses On Sinai: Presence And Covenant
• 11:45 Feeding The Spirit While Fasting
• 15:22 Ten Commandments And Consecration
• 21:34 Leadership, Anger, And Guarding Your Heart
• 26:42 Expectation: Hearing God Before, During, After
• 30:12 Elijah’s Flight And Divine Provision
• 35:12 Solitude, Wilderness, And Separation

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

The purpose of 40 days of fasting. When can we practice a 40-day fast? And in what situations? Um there are three individuals in the Bible that are recorded who fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. And these um three individuals are Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. Why is a number 40 used instead of other numbers for such a fast? I was just curious to know why 40 days. It could have been 30 days because there I think there are about 30 days in a month. So if it's a one-month brand fasting, then it shouldn't be called 40 days. It should be called monthly fasting. I was just curious to know why 40 days. I did my research on the number 40 appears in the entire Bible, the New King James translation, referencing that. The word 40 appears 158 times in the New King James Bible, about 134 occurrences in the Old Testament, and 24 references in the New Testament. Number 40 generally symbolizes uh a period of testing, trial, probation, and also generation. At times it speaks of the generation of the human race. 40 signifies generation. And also the number 40 could also serve as a marker for the beginning of something or entering into a new phase or position. So I believe that's why the the number 40 is used instead of any other number. We're gonna look at these three men in the Bible who fasted for 40 days and 40 nights and look at the context in which they they fasted and um and how we can obtain some insights as we go about our own 40 days and 40 nights of fasting. The first person is Moses. So Moses was on Mount Sinai on two separate occasions when he conducted this 40 days of night. And um in these two instances, that's when um Moses received God's law, the Ten Commandments, and the covenant was made. And the first instance was in Exodus 24, verse 18, and the second instance is Exodus 34. So we're gonna look at these following verses to examine Moses 40 days and night of fasting. If you have your Bible, you can go with me to Exodus 24, 16 to 18. I'll read from 16. So the context in this is Israel affirms the covenant. Now the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days, and on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud, that is Jehovah God Yahweh. Verse 17. The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain, and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. What I've learned is that Moses wasn't doing the 40 days and 40 nights somewhere else or outside of the presence of God. Because most times when we are fasting, this also applies to me as well. We are all guilty of this. When we are fasting, we tend not to spend that time or make time to be more in the presence of God. Because the reason for fasting is you dedicating yourself to God, whereas your your spiritual man is inclined, connecting with divinity. So that's something that we can learn as we go about our 40 days of fasting. Let it be a time or a period in which you and I we spend more time with God. Because Moses, the Bible states that when the cloud represents the presence of God, Moses went into the midst of the cloud and he went up to the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. So Moses was in the presence of God while he was fasting. So, child of God, I encourage you and I, as we are fasting, to make time to be in the presence of God, it could either be through prayer or in the word of fellowship as we are doing. It pretty much sustains your spiritual man. Because if you're fasting and you're not feeding your spiritual man, you'll become weak. Because what's going to sustain you to keep going is not your physical strength. Because when you're fasting, you need nutrients, you need um energy for your body to sustain. Whereas when you're fasting, you cannot really rely on your physical body to sustain you because you have no food. So that is why the Bible says a man does not live by bread alone, but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. So while you're fasting, you are feeding your spiritual man that will stay alive through the word of God. Just as when Jesus fasted for 40 days, he was very hungry. Satan wanted to use Jesus so that Jesus can rely on the physical food, telling Jesus to turn the stone into a bread that way Jesus can sustain his physical life with physical food. He responded to the devil that he will not do it, that he's not going to put the love to test, right? So, what I've learned when it comes to fasting, make sure you sustain your spiritual man with the word of God. And the word of God is life, and the word of God will produce life in you. The word of God will sustain you while you're fasting, and be in the presence of the Lord as well. So let's jump to um 34, 7 to 28. It says, Then the Lord said to Moses, Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words, I have made a covenant with you and with Israel. So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water, and he wrote on the tablet the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. So another highlight when it comes to fasting, it's it's you pretty much seeking an experience, an encounter with God, and your spiritual man has to be active, your spiritual man has to be awakened, your spiritual man has to be alive because if you're seeking a divine experience and encounter with God, you cannot rely on your flesh. Your flesh cannot communicate with God, your flesh cannot connect with God. That is why if you really want to experience God in a different dimension, you need to set it set a set a time or a day or several days, just you and God being in his presence. Because God is actually going to come down and talk to you or reveal himself to you like he did with Moses, because this was a a wonderful experience. This was a significant thing that God was about to do for the children of Israel for them to receive the Ten Commandments. But for them to receive the Ten Commandments, Moses had to sacrifice to receive something that would change a nation to receive something that will that you and I as Christians we can rely on the Ten Commandments. So Moses fasted for 40 days and 40 nights to receive the Ten Commandments, and it was during that time that God made a covenant with the children of Israel through Moses. So fasting allows you to make covenants with God. Fasting allows you to clearly hear the voice of God. Fasting allows you to clearly see the manifestations of God in your life. If you're sensitive, you're not distracted by anything, your your focus is totally on God. That's what fasting can do. It's just you, your spiritual man, connecting to God, your spiritual man communicating with God, and God will definitely respond to you. And that's exactly what He did for Moses. Because Moses didn't eat anything, Moses didn't eat, he didn't drink water. Another thing about fasting is that when you fast, you consecrate yourself. Not just without food. You make sure that when you're fasting, you abstain from certain things, certain lifestyle. You know, you don't entertain yourself because I realize that most of us as believers, when we are fasting to kill time, like me, I'll I'll speak the truth about myself. Um, when I'm fasting, when I'm bored, I tend to watch a movie. And then sometimes when I'm watching a movie, it's like I'm killing time. I'm like, oh, I just want the day just to finish so I can just eat. But while I'm while I'm fasting, what I should be doing, I should be praying. What I should be doing, I should be reading the word of God. And the reason why I'm not able to, I easily give up is because I'm not sustaining my spiritual man. So that's something that I want to throw across. That it's very important while you're fasting to be in his presence, actively be in his presence. You know, you can while you're working, I know some of us will work. While you're working, listen to gospel music or gospel instrumentals, or listen to the word of God because you don't want this um time to go to waste. You want to make sure that you're not just gonna um abstain from food, um, buffet your body at the end of the day, you don't receive anything from God. Let it be intentional, let it be an intentional fasting. And then if we go to Deuteronomy chapter 9, verse 8 to 29, this is a very interesting account. So Moses pretty much is going to explain to them how he was able to get um the um the um commandments, and it says I read from verse 8 also in Arab, you provoked the Lord to wrath, so that the Lord was angry enough with you to have destroyed you. When I went up to the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, so he's explaining to them the tablets of the covenant which the Lord made with you. Then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights, and I night I neither ate ate bread nor drank water. Then the Lord delivered to me tablets of stone written with the finger of God. For for Moses to have such an experience, such an encounter, this man had to fast for 40 days with no food, with no water. So he's just trying to reinstate to the children of Israel the work that he put in, the sacrifice that he made, you know, just to have such a divine encounter, and all the words which the Lord has spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly, and it came to pass at the end of the 40 days and 40 nights that the Lord gave me the two tablets of the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant. At times, child of God, before you start your fast, or during your fast, and after your fast, I want you to expect something from God. Before you start your fast, before you start your fast, what I mean by you have to expect something from God is because God will give you an instruction. Because sometimes we just wake up, well, I want to fast. Do you know that the fasting of Jesus, the fasting of um Moses, the fasting of uh Elijah, they were divinely led, like they were spirit-led, like Jesus was led in the wilderness. So God initiates this type of fasting. I know at times, sometimes you can initiate a fasting, but it's best for God to initiate a fasting to get the best results. Because if God is the one initiating that fasting, I'm pretty sure God wants to do something. There's nothing wrong about you initiating a fasting, but let that fasting be in line with what you want God to accomplish, in line with the will of God, you know. So that's something I've noticed as well while I was doing my studies that um the fasting of Elijah, Moses, and Jesus, they were divinely planned, they were divinely led, and that is why they were able to produce such a tremendous result. So, and also expect to hear from God during the fasting process. During the fasting process. And at the end, expect to hear from God because most times we tend to expect to hear from God at the end of our fasting, but you can hear from God during your fasting. So that's where you have to be spiritually sensitive. That is why you have to be in his presence to take notes. Okay, God, what are you saying concerning this church? What are you saying concerning my family? What are you saying concerning my life? Be a lot. So he said, after after after I fasted for 40 days, that's when I obtained the um tablet of the covenant. Then the Lord said to me, Arise, go down quickly from here. For your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly, they have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves of mother's image. The sad thing is that the leader was sacrificing, you know, fasting for his people. But guess what the people were doing? They corrupted themselves with another God. While Moses was trying to make a covenant with God, his people were trying to make a covenant with idols. While Moses was trying to make a covenant with God, his people were making covenant with idols. I'm pretty sure that's why God got so upset. Furthermore, the Lord spoke to me saying, I have seen this people, and indeed they are stiff-necked people. Ha, child of God, for God to conclude on you. Sometimes when I read this Bible, when God concludes on on people, I say, Ah God, ha, that's why how you and I will live our life really, really matters to God. Our attitude, our actions, our attributes, all of them matter to God. He said, Let me alone that I may destroy them and blot out your name from under heaven, and I'll make of you a nation mightier and greater than they. Man, this was a test for Moses too. Wow, this was a test for Moses too. This could have angered Moses, you know, because we know that Moses is an angry man. This could have angered Moses, and the reason why Moses was not even angry was because Moses' spirit was intact. If Moses' spirit was not intact, Moses too would have gotten mad. And the Bible says the anger of man will never produce the righteousness of God. When God gets angry, he will produce righteousness, but don't even try it. You as a man, don't try it. But I'm happy that Moses was spiritually sensitive, he was spiritually alert. That is why I couldn't allow this thing that is hearing from God to bother him, to distract him from the agenda, the mission is on. So I turned and I came down from it's it's actually explained to the people what happened that day. So I turned and I came down from the mountain because Moses didn't even know what was going on. God, the omnipotent, omnipresence, revealed to Moses that Moses, while you are fasting, while you're sacrificing, see what your people are doing. I want you to go down. I'm happy that God allowed Moses to complete his 40 days and fasting. God allowed Moses to complete his 40 days and fasting. And so I turned and I came down from the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire, and the two tablets of covenant were in my two hands, and I looked, and behold, you are sinned against the Lord your God, and admit for yourself, Model Calf, you are turned aside quickly from the way which the Lord had commanded you. Then I took the tablets and I threw them out of my hands and I broke them before your eyes. Ah, like I was saying, Moses, Moses exercised restraint, but when he saw something, he broke the first commandment. He broke the commandment that God gave him. He broke just as a Moses anger, man. Moses, ah God. See, sometimes as leaders, we shouldn't allow people's actions or reactions or decisions to affect ours. Because God is gonna hold us accountable. That is why while you're fasting, guide your heart from offenses. While you're fasting, guide your mind. Because the enemy is gonna bring distractions. The enemy is gonna bring distractions to take you off your fasting. But again, Moses is just a human being, just like us. He got angry when he when he physically saw what God was telling him, go down. I wish Moses would have learned to restrain himself. That you know what, I just finished fasting. Well, I think I think he finished fasting. And then what can we learn from this? At times when you and I we finish fasting, we have to be very, very careful not to go back to our old ways. Oh boy, just because you fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, don't think that you're clean, that there's no there's no unrighteousness in you, that all that there's no um your shortcomings are no longer there, that the flesh will not take its toll. No, it's a lie. You still have to maintain your spiritual sensitivity, you still have to maintain your spiritual maturity after you are finished fasting. At times when we finish fasting, that's when we want to eat a lot, we want to indulge in so many things that we were not doing before. That's a trap of the enemy. Be careful when you finish fasting, guard your heart, guard your mind. Because I believe when Moses finished fasting, he pretty much laid down his guard, and then he broke the tablet because he saw what the people were doing was wrong, and he was the first person to break the commandment of God because of the sins of his people. Then I took the two tablets, threw them out of my hands, and broke them before your eyes, and I fell down before the Lord as at the first 40 days and 40 nights. I now again he went back again and fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. He did it the first time, and that's what happened. So he went back again with the same process 40 days and 40 nights. Child of God, oh God, ah. Wow, wow, wow. Sometimes we have to go back again so that we can get it. We can get it. He says, I neither ate bread nor drink water because of all your sin which you committed in doing wickedly. So, like I was saying, Moses had a reason for fasting. Childhood, don't just initiate spiritual activities just for the sake of spiritual activities because they're they're ritual, they're routine. Let it be intentional, let it be spirit-led. Let it be you are led in the word of God. Let it be because you really want something from God that is urgent, that is in line with his will and purpose for your life. So Moses actually conducted this 40 days and 40 night fasting because of the sin of his people. As a leader, the sins of the people, it's your responsibility to ensure that they are atoned for. You intercede on your behalf. Sometimes you have to fast, and the people will not be fasting. Sometimes God is saying that our Musumba should fast, nobody else should fast. Sometimes God will say that Musumba, you and the minister should fast, not the members. Sometimes God will instruct that the entire church to fast. It could be that way as well, okay? And then all your sin which you committed in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord to provoke him, to provoke him to anger. For I was afraid of the anger of the anger and hard displeasure with which the Lord was angry with you to destroy you. But the Lord listened to me at that time also. You see, Moses was able to restrain to restrain God, but he could not restrain himself. So another leadership lesson that we learn is that as a leader, it's good to point out people's errors, but learn to point out your own errors. Learn to deal with yourself. Yes, you have the right to tell people, hey, you're doing wrong, you're doing right, but learn also to talk to yourself. Because if you're not careful, you keep your eyes off yourself, but you yourself, you need help. So Moses was able to intercede on behalf of the people because God was angry. And I wish Moses could have at least restrained himself because he himself he had angry problems, he had angry problems, but the Lord listened to me at that time also, and the Lord was very angry with Aaron. Oh my god, Aaron, another leader as well. But you know what Moses did? Moses, oh my god, oh god, the Lord was very angry with Aaron and would have destroyed him. So I prayed for Aaron also at that same time. What a loving man! Moses was a loving man. Then I took your sin, the calf which you had made. Wow! And burnt it with fire and crushed it on the ground with with ground it with very small until it was fine as dust, and I threw the dust into the brook, descending from the mountain. And then let me let me jump just for the sake of time. Thou I prostrated myself before the Lord 40 days again, again, 40 days and 40 nights. That is 25. I kept prostrating, oh my god, myself, because he keep he kept humbling himself, he kept bowing down to God, pleading for mercy, pleading for mercy, because the Lord has said he will destroy you.

unknown: 23:24

Wow, wow, okay.

SPEAKER_00: 23:28

So to go about 40 days and 40 nights fasting is because you're seeking God's intervention, because you're seeking for repentance, for forgiveness, seeking for God's forgiveness because of a enious severe matter that can affect you on a personal level, that can affect the church, then that can affect your family. Therefore, I pray to the Lord and said, Oh Lord God, do not destroy your people and your inheritance whom you have made. Remember, remember your servant Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do not look on the stubbornness of these people or their wickedness or their sin, least the land from which you brought us should say, because the Lord was not able to bring them to the land. So Moses was, oh my god, it was just reminding God, God, you know what, please don't do it because of us. Do because of the covenant that you made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And do because for your own reputation. Because we know what people will say, you brought us out of the land of Egypt just to destroy us. That means that you're not able to take care of your own. You're not able to take care of your own. At times, leaders have to hide the shame of their people. Leaders have to hide the shame of their people. Leaders should not be going outside speaking about their people to the public. Even though, yes, your house is a mess. Learn to keep your mouth shut, learn to cover the shame of your people. Because people out there will laugh at you. You might think, yes, you're doing the right thing, but guess what? They include you as well. They include you in it too. So Moses was saying that God don't do this. It's for your own glory, for your own shame. Man, he was he was a he was a oh my god, the audacity that this man had. But, anyways, let's go to Elijah now. So, this this was in the context of Elijah 40 days without food or water in at Mount or up to again mountains. I don't know why mountains, but let's see. So, this is when he fled from Jezebel. When he fled from Jezebel, so that's the context in which he fasted. First King 19:1 to 10 he says, And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying, Oh, let the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as a life of one about this time. And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. If you notice the fasting of Moses, the fasting of Elijah, and the fasting of Jesus, there's some um demonic entities in their experience as well. Demonic entities in their experience. Because for Moses, the children of Israel um made a false idol, false god. Elijah now, now you have Jezebel, who is pretty much a spirit as well. And then now for Jesus, now you encounter Satan. So the 40 days of prayer and fasting, you're not only gonna have divine experience, expect to have demonic experience too. Let me say it again. You're not only gonna have divine experience, expect to have demonic experience in the form of temptations. Okay, so Elijah did something very miraculous, very wonderful, and he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, same as Jesus and came and sat down under a broom. Why, why? I think the reason for mountains and wilderness is because when you're fasting and and when you're fasting, seeking God, separate yourself, separate yourself, and the reason you don't want no distraction at all. Because when you're fasting, you're distracted by people who are not fasting, they're doing certain things. Let's say if I'm fasting now, my wife is eating. Oh even though I'm strong, but believe in me, you will not be strong enough because your your belly is growing for food. So isolate yourself. If you have to go to the wilderness like Jesus, do that. If you have to go to the mountain, like like Moses, do that, right? So that's one thing I've learned as well. And he prayed that he might die, and he said, It's not enough now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my father. When you're in desperation, also conduct this type of prayer. Then, as he lay and slept on the broom, suddenly an angel touched him and he said, Arise and eat. Then he looked, and thereby his head was a cake baked on coals, and he was hungry too. So he ate and drank and lay down. And the angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you. So he arose and ate and drank. It went through in the strength of forty, forty food, forty days and forty nights, as far as Ereb, the mountain of God. Wow. And there he went into the cave and spent the night in that place. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him again before his fasting, during his fasting, after his fasting, a divine experience. Experience, divine encounter with the angels of the Lord. He heard from God. So expect child of God to hear from God before your fasting, during your fasting, after your fasting. Now let's conclude with Jesus. The context is the temptation of Jesus. But I'll read our I'll look at um Mark because after the temptation, the Bible says he went straight to ministry. While Jesus was fasting for 40 days, he was tempted by the devil at the beginning of his ministry. It states in Mark, um immediately the spirit drove him into the wilderness, and he was there in the wilderness 40 days, tempted by Satan and was with the wild beast, and the angels ministered to him. So, like I said previously, that make sure that your fasting is spirit-led. You're instructed by God to do it. At times you can initiate it if you want, as long as it is in line with the word of God. That's that's that's your own prerequisite. But when it comes to things of God, like the church or church matters or anything that will pertain to people or your family, is I would always recommend get an instruction from God. God, how do I proceed about this fasting? What is the purpose of this fasting? Ask God, God, why do you want us as a church to fast? I know it's a tradition that we have to fast before the beginning of the year, but we don't just want to have this as a tradition. We need to ask yourself, God, what is the intention? What is your agenda? What is the end result of this fasting? I know, yes, it could be we want to be fortified so that when we start ministry, we're spiritually strong. We want to go beyond fortification, we want to know God. What are your mandates? Give us a revelation, like he did for Moses. He gave Moses um the Ten Commandments, he gave Moses, he made a covenant with Moses. So we should also learn from this that God, while we finish this fasting, before or during or after, give us an experience, give us a revelation, give us a specific Rhema word for the church or for my family or for my own individual life. Okay, verse 14. Now, after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel. You know, before Jesus entered ministry, he was tempted by the devil. Read Matthew 4:1 to 1 to 4, just to get some clear context. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, afterward, he was hungry. So now look at it. While he was fasting, he was not hungry. Because what sustained Jesus is the word of God. So child of God, this is oh God, oh God. The reason why at times you and I we cannot fast, and then at times we're complaining, oh, my flesh wants food is because we have not completely yielded our spirit to be sustained by the word of God. That is why when you're fasting, make sure you're not distracted, you're not distracted. Go to a solitude place, make sure that you invest that that time, not watching Netflix or doing funny, funny things, be in the presence of God by praying, by reading his word, by fellowship, because that's how it's going to sustain your inner man, your spirit man will keep your body alive. But if you're not engaged in any spiritual activities, child of God, don't deceive yourself. Your flesh is weak, your flesh will take all on you. The Bible states that Jesus became hungry after he has fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. While he was doing that, I don't think he was hungry because he was being sustained by the word of God. Now, when the tempter came to him, he said, even that's when the devil came, the devil would have come while he was fasting. For some of us, the devil can come while we are fasting, when we're supposed to be strong while we are fasting. And the reason why he will come while we're fasting is because we have let down our guard, we're in the flesh when we're supposed to be in the spirit. When you're fasting, make sure that you do it in the spirit, don't do it in the flesh. If you do it in the flesh, you you will give up, you will eat before time. I have done that so many times, you know. So it was after he the 40 days that the tempter came and said, Oh, now Satan realized that oh, you were not hungry before. I'm pretty sure Satan was observing Jesus during those 40 days. No, I can't come now. No, this this this man is spiritually strong. No, this I don't I don't sense any anger yet for in Jesus. Now let me wait. But then after, again, like I said before, after you fasted, be very, very, very careful. Moses made a mistake, he allowed the flesh to take a toll on him, he became angry. Child of God, Jesus Christ is so wise. After he has fasted, he was intact, he was spiritually intact, he was spiritually sensitive because he knew that Satan would have hit him. He says, Okay, now if you are the son of God, huh? I see that you're hungry. He looks at him, he observes his mood, you know, he can't because Jesus is a man is a man, he's a man, just like you are. When you're hungry, people can tell that you're hungry. Your facial expression will deceive you. You know, he said, Okay, command the stones to turn into bread. Now, look at the answer of Jesus Christ, the emphasis that I've been saying. And he answered and said, It is written, man should not live by bread alone, but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, which is pretty much what Jesus had experienced. He was able to live during the 40 days and nights because of the word of God sustaining him. He said, The words that I speak to the spirit and your life. This Bible that we have, it's life, it can give you life, can give you life, can give you life. Okay, so the conclusion to this is that when can we practice a 40-day fast and in what situation? Again, let it be divinely directed, divinely inspired for a particular reason, when venturing into something new, like like ministry, or something with a with a great deal of responsibility assigned to you when um for repentance purposes, um, in a severe problem like Elijah, fear for your life, like the depression, life and death situation, you know. For Moses, it was about receiving the commandments, for Elijah, it was just divine intervention for God to protect him for deliverance. For for Jesus, it just marked the beginning of his heartly ministry. Note that even before, during, and after the 40 days of fasting, experience, expect a divine encounter and elevation. Okay, make sure that you're still spiritually strong after you have concluded your fasting. So you don't give any space to the flesh, you don't give any space to the devil. God bless you. Thank you.