Highs of Preaching & the Discipline of Fasting

With so many highs within the week, it is difficult to maintain a balance between body and spirit. Today after preaching twice, we consecrated the rest of the day for prayer and fasting. My energy level was at its lowest at 12 noon, 20 minutes after the 2nd service concluded and the fasting began. I did not know I managed to get through another 4 hours without food but it was good to pummel the body and bring it under subjection. I preached from Matt 4,1-11 where Jesus fasted 40 days and forty nights. Surely fasting for half a day is possible but the flesh is weak though the spirit is willing. Over the course of the afternoon, I felt surges of energy when I needed it to lead prayers especially when the church Treasurer asked me to pray for the ongoing church building project.
As one elder could not continue his sharing due to his flu I took his part and spent the final hour leading prayers until the end. We prayed for the families of the victims of the three air crashes. We prayed for the secondary school students. In the first service, I asked a series of questions but no one got it right. I was devastated in the Spirit to see the lack of knowledge and I intend to make it right for the youths not being equipped properly in God's Word. I already announced I was going to have a meet up with them after the mid Semester break and I was glad two girls came up to me after service and requested I write a letter to their warden so that they could leave the Hostel on Saturday afternoon. I am going spend time praying for these 100 students or so over the next couple of weeks. I thank the Lord who gave me strength this morning as I had less than 3 hours' sleep after a meeting with my church leaders on the budget last night which lasted until past 12.30am. Though the outward body may waste away, the inner man is renewed day by day and tomorrow I am off to the College to accompany the Principal to meet ATA (Asia Theological Association) for possible accreditation of our College but there is much work to be done in achieving that. May the Lord grant our HQ leaders and the College faculty wisdom and insight how to best go about to upgrade the theological teaching at the College.