The Chayah Consecration

The Chayah Consecration

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:20-21 (KJV)

The word "consecration" literally means "setting apart. The Chayah Consecration encourages one to consecrate time to spend with God denying the flesh of all pleasure including food, entertainment, sex, conversation and any other fleshly pleasures that one may indulge in on a normal basis. Water is allowed.

During The Chayah Consecration one should stay alone without television, computer, phone, and any other form of communication or food.

Time during The Chayah Consecration is spent in worship, prayer and studying the scriptures. Study scriptures that pertain to what it is you need to change or want to take place. For instance, if you need healing for you or someone else, study and meditate on scriptures on healing.

One of the most beneficial aspects of The Chayah Consecration is fasting. Fasting is the most powerful spiritual discipline of all the Christian disciplines. Paul fasted for three days during his spiritual transformation (Acts Chapter 9). And, we all know about the fast of Jesus which lasted 40 days and 40 nights.

Your fast should be done in a manner of humility and secrecy:

Matthew 6:16-18 "Moreover when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret ..."

Luke 18:9-14 "And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray. . . The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are . . .I fast twice in the week,I give tithes . . . And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to this house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Here are various examples of fasting in the scriptures:

Samuel 1:6-8, 17-18, etc. "And her adversary . . . provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? ... Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him . . ."

Nehemiah 1:4 ". . . when I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven."

Nehemiah 9: 1-3 ". . . the children of Israel were assembled with fasting . . . and stood and confessed their sins . . . and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the Lord their God."

Daniel 9:3, 20 "And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplication, with fasting . . . and while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication . . ."

Joel 2:12 ". . . turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning."

Jonah 3:8, etc. "For word came unto the king ... and he caused it to be proclaimed and published ... saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God ... Who can tell if God will ... turn away from his fierce anger ... And God saw ..."

Luke 2:37 "And she was a widow of about 44 years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day."

Acts 9:9, 11 "And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink."

Acts 10:30 "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing."

Acts 13:2 "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said . . ."

Acts 14:23 "And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord . . ."

I Corinthians 7:5 ". . . that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer . . ."

The consecration and fast should last until you obtained from God what you desired (see the examples of Hannah, I Samuel 1:6-8, 17-18; and Paul, Acts 9:9,17-19) or until the Lord makes it evident that what you have requested simply will not be obtained (as in the case of David, II Samuel 12:15-23).

Many occasions for fasting are recorded in scripture.

The ordination of elders and commissioning of apostles to ministry.

Acts 13:3 "And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away."

Acts 14:23 "And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord..."

Intercession for the people of God.

Exodus 24:18
Deuteronomy 9:8-9, 12-20, 23-27
Ezra 10:6
Daniel 9:3-4
Joel 2:12-14, 17-18
Jonah 3:5-10

Humbling and chastening of oneself.

I Kings 21:27-29 "... Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me?"
Psalms 35:13 "... I humbled myself with fasting ...
" Psalms 69:10 "I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting ..."

Seeking the Lord and His way.

Judges 20:26-28, etc. "Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted that day until evening, and ... inquired of the Lord ... (whether to) go out to battle ... And the Lord said, Go up ..."

II Chronicles 20:3 "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah."

Ezra 8:21-23 "Then I proclaimed a fast ... that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. For I was ashamed to ask the king ... to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our god is upon all them for good that seek him ... So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us."

Repentance and confession of sin.

I Samuel 7:6
I Kings 21:27-29
Ezra 10:6 "... he ate no bread, nor drank water: for he mourned because of the transgression ..."
Nehemiah 1:4-7, etc. "...when I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed..."
Nehemiah 9:1-3 "... the children of Israel were assembled with fasting ... and stood and confessed their sins ... one fourth part of the day ... they confessed ..."
Jeremiah 36:6-10
Daniel 9:3-5, 20 "... confessing my sin and the sin of my people ..."
Jonah 3:5-10

Receiving healing.

I Samuel 1:5-11, 18-20
II Samuel 12:15-16, 22-23
Isaiah 58:8
Acts 9:9, 17-19

Petitioning God to withhold His hand in judgment.

Deuteronomy 9:18, 25 "And I fell down before the Lord ... I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins ... because the Lord had said he would destroy you."
Isaiah 58:9

Preparation to receive word from God.

Deuteronomy 9:18, 25
Isaiah 58:9

Spiritual deliverance.

Isaiah 58:6 "Is not this the fast that I have chose? To loose the bands ... to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?"

Mark 9:29 (Matthew 17:21) "And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting."

Seeking assistance in time of fear.

II Chronicles 20:3 "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast ..."

Mourning another's death

(II Samuel 1:12; 3:35); out of concern for another's safety (Daniel 6:18); or when faced with threats on one's own life (Esther 4:3; 9:1-3).

Seeking protection.

Ezra 8:21-23

Lacking material provision; in need.

II Corinthians 11:27 "... in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often ..."

Not only will does fasting strengthen your spiritual body it also speeds up the detoxification and purification of the physical body resulting in weight loss and improved health.

Things to do before you start The Chayah Consecration

Find a place to retreat where you will not be disturbed. Local monasteries offer retreat spaces. Chayah Decatur (Decatur, GA) offers individual weekend and overnight retreats.
Discreetly let your family and close friends that you will be away on a consecration. (Someone has to know where you are.)
Examine your heart for any unconfessed sins and incorrect motives. Here are a few scriptural examples of how you can hinder the move of God in your life:
a. Unconfessed sin - Matthew 5:23-24, Isaiah 59:1-4
b. Lack of Faith - James 1:5-7
c. Seeking God for the wrong reasons - James 4:1-3
d. Mistreatment of others - 1 Peter 3:7
e. Ignoring the needs of others - Proverbs 21:13
Study the do's and dont's of fasting so you can know what to expect from your mind, body and soul. Click here for an excellent resource on fasting.
Gather your thoughts on why you are going into consecration. Let your motive be plain and more importantly in line with the will/word of God.
Go into your consecration with an attitude of expectancy and watch God move!

What you will need for your consecration

Distilled water
A bible
Study material (if desired)
Music (if desired)
Bring your cell phone but turn it on only if you need to make a call. If you need to make a call, keep talking to a bare minimum.

NOTE: Before attempting The Chayah Consecration, please consult your physician if you have health problems such as diabetes, kidney disorders, or other serious conditions.

Do not fast if you are seriously ill.
Don't use a minor illness as an excuse, but consider your own health and the possible risks associated with fasting.
If you are taking medications, ask your physician before fasting and continue to take them as instructed by your physician