Elmer L. Towns - Fasting for a Miracle: How Gods Power Can Overcome the Impossible

PRAISE FOR

It is my privilege to endorse this book because in 1985, as the story in this book relates, I was miraculously healed as a result of the prayers of Dr. Jerry Falwell, Elmer Towns and 5,000 Liberty University students. Your reading of Fasting for a Miracle will give you faith to pray for others whom you think can be healed.

Vernon Brewer

Founder and President, World Help

From the day of Dr. Elmer Townss salvation until today, he has lived his life through the miraculous dimension that most people can only dream about. God answers his prayers! When you read Fasting for a Miracle, you will learn how to fast and pray in a manner that moves the heart of God for the miraculous to be unleashed in your life.

Dr. James O. Davis

Founder, Cutting Edge International

Co-founder, Billion Soul Network

I believe God answers prayers supernaturally, because I was fasting and praying when God led me to my future wife. I know that fasting works, and I want you to read the stories in this book and to fast for a miracle.

Daniel Henderson

President, Strategic Renewal

I praise God for this book that tells the miraculous story that I am alive. Because of the prayers of my father and Dr. Jerry Falwell, I lived through one of the worst accidents imaginable. Today, I lead the prayer ministry at Liberty University. Read my story and the other great stories in this book.

Charles Hughes

Prayer Pastor, Liberty University

2012 Elmer L. Towns

Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com

Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Bethany House Publishers edition published 2014

ISBN 978-1-4412-6725-2

Previously published by Regal Books

Ebook edition originally created 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Other versions used are:

ELTScripture taken from the Elmer Towns Version (authors paraphrase).

KJVKing James Version. Authorized King James Version.

NLTScripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996 by Tyndale House Foundation.

TLBScripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible, copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189. All rights reserved.

Note: The fasts suggested in this book are not for everyone. Consult your physician before beginning. Expectant mothers, diabetics, and others with a history of medical problems can enter the spirit of fasting while remaining on essential diets. While fasting is healthful to many, the nature of God would not command a physical exercise that would harm people physically or emotionally.

by Jack Hayford

When Elmer Towns writes, earnest Christians read! We do so, among other reasons, because of his sensitivity to the timesa hallmark of his ministry. Elmer is solidly anchored in Gods Word, yielded to His will, and attuned to His Spirit. For decades Elmer has proven to be a steadfast servant of Jesus Christ and His Church.

My friendship with Elmer Towns goes back 20 years. It began with an interview I was humbled to have him request of me while he was writing his book, Americas Ten Most Innovative Churches. That was when I discovered that whenever he spent a weekend in the Greater Los Angeles area, he attended The Church On The Way, where I was then the senior pastor. As our friendship grew over the years, I came to know more about this man who is far more than an effective writerindeed, today, many see him as I do: a strong and stabilizing influence and a statesman in the Body of Christ.

What many people do not know is that Elmer Towns co-founded Liberty Universityand partnered with Dr. Jerry Falwell in leading the rise of that great institution. As a man with a pastoral heart, Elmer teaches the Pastors Bible Class at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. At the same time, his love for the whole Church has won him a multitude of friends across the spectrum of Christs Body, including all who welcome the Holy Spirits ministry as well as a sound Word-centered evangelistic ministry. He passionately espouses the desire that the whole flock of Jesus Church unite our hearts, moving forward as one.

Here, Dr. Towns has written a book on Fasting for a Miraclea work he brings us as the capstone of his writing ministry on spirituality. More than 15 years ago, he wrote the book, Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough, and sent me one of the first copies. After reading it, I placed an order for 2,500 copies and called our people to read it together over a period of eight weeks. It was a trying time in our nations life, and as I joined a preaching series to the content of Elmers book, I witnessed a dynamic knitting together of our hearts as a congregation.

The wisdom and truth of this key to spiritual health and ongoing release of Gods grace among His people helped cultivate a lifestyle for The Church On The Way. For decades, I led the congregation to fast from Sunday evening through Wednesday noon preceding Thanksgiving each year. During these days, we focused on intercession for Gods blessing on our nation, as well as fasting for local and personal breakthrough as we approached our national day of thanking God for His goodness and grace upon us as a people.

Elmers book on Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough continues to be a perennial bestsellerused by many churches and individuals in every circle of Christian life. Which brings us to the present companion volume: a book to help individuals fast personally and devotionally unto dynamic outcomes. This book will not only prepare you to fast with a clear spiritual focus on the truth of Gods Word about fasting, but also equip you in the practical stepsthe techniques of how to go about Fasting for a Miracle.

My thanks go to my brother, Elmer Towns, for this book. I pray that Father God will use it in the life of innumerable individual believers. Now, as you take it in hand, I urge you to readand then, to reach out to God; in doing so, you will discover that as you fast, seeking Him, God Himself will extend His strong armreaching out to you!

Sincerely, your brother-in-grace,

Jack W. Hayford

Founding Pastor, The Church On The Way

Chancellor, The Kings University, Los Angeles, California

As I wrote this book of true stories about fasting for the greatesteven the impossibleneeds in our lives, I fasted for God to do a miracle in the life of you, the reader. I yearn for you to experience God as you read these pages. After youve read every story in this book, I want you to hunger for Godmore than you hunger for bread. I want you to hunger in your soul as you hunger physically during a fast.