Fasting is part of the Christian faith life. In a fast, one chooses for a set time to do without something that is hard to do without, in order to focus on spiritual growth. It refers to the denial of the needs of the flesh in order to enhance our spirit and get closer to God. Fasting should also increase the power of prayer manifold. By us putting even our most basic urges and needs into a lower priority than the task at hand, we can put our whole selves into it.
Our busy modern lifestyle takes us away from all things spiritual and religious, so we turn to God in fasting to focus and gain perspective again and certain closeness with God. It is mentioned in the Book of Acts that believers fasted before they made any important decisions (Acts 13:4; 14:23). The Bible shows fasting as preparation for major deeds. (1 Sam 14:24; Judges 20:26 Acts 13:2-3). Fasting and prayer are generally mentioned together in the Bible and most holy men have been mentioned as fasting at one time or the other.
Jesus went out to the mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. Luke 6:12. How many of us retreat to a mountain to pray for a whole night just because we have important decisions to make the next morning? How many of us fast, as Jesus fasted, as an adjunct to prayer? Jesus never ran a homeless shelter, or start study groups on end-time events, but He evangelised everywhere He came and sometimes prayed all night long, and once He even fasted for forty days.
WHY DO WE FAST?
"Isn't this the fast that I want : to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?" Isa 58:6
Do you fast and pray? If you don’t, your spiritual life is unbalanced. If you do not already know of the power and importance of fasting, here are some very important facts:
- Fasting was an expected discipline in both the Old and New Testament eras. For example, Moses fasted at least two recorded forty-day periods. Jesus fasted 40 days and reminded His followers to fast, "when you fast," not if you fast.
- Fasting and prayer can restore the loss of the "first love" for your Lord and result in a more intimate relationship with Christ.
- Fasting is a biblical way to truly humble yourself in the sight of God (Psalm 35:13; Ezra 8:21). King David said, "I humble myself through fasting."
- Fasting enables the Holy Spirit to reveal your true spiritual condition, resulting in brokenness, repentance, and a transformed life.
- The Holy Spirit will quicken the Word of God in your heart and His truth will become more meaningful to you!
- Fasting can transform your prayer life into a richer and more personal experience.
- Fasting can result in a dynamic personal revival in your own life-and make you a channel of revival to others.
Fasting and prayer are the only disciplines that fulfil the requirements of II Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Fasting is the most powerful spiritual discipline of all the Christian disciplines. Through fasting and prayer, the Holy Spirit can transform your life. Fasting and prayer can bring about revival - a change in the direction of our nation and the fulfilment of the Great Commission. Fasting is one of the most neglected spiritual admonitions. In fact, it has been ignored for so long that it is difficult to find information on the "how-to's" of this life-changing experience. One of the most powerful discoveries of small prayer groups, is the use of fasting with intensive prayer over urgent matters. If you fast, you will find yourself being humbled as I did. You will discover more time to pray and seek God's face. And as He leads you to recognize and repent of unconfessed sin, you will experience special blessings from God.
EXAMPLES OF FASTING? TYPES OF FASTING:
Fasting to ask God to change course: Ezra 8:21-23
Fasting for a life threatening problem: Esther 4:15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
Fasting for mercy: "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, thinking, 'Who knows, maybe the LORD will be gracious to me so the child may live.' But now that he has died, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again?" 2 Samuel 12:22-23 The time for fasting was over; the time for renewed living was at hand. By setting himself right with God, David was once again blessed by God, as the Lord took that twisted relationship and made from it David's eventual heir, Solomon.
Moses and Elijah engaged in what must be considered a supernatural absolute fast of forty days (Deuteronomy 9:9; I Kings 19:8).
HOW DO WE FAST?
The Bible Recounts Primarily Two Types of Fasts: A partial fast is described in the book of Daniel. Although the water fast seemed to be the custom of the prophet, there was a three-week period in which he only abstained from "delicacies," meat, and wine (Daniel 10:3). An Absolute fast: These are total fasts - no food (solid or liquid) and no water. Paul went on an absolute fast for three days following his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:9).
Usually, the fast is to do without food. Food is one of the great blessings of God in our lives, a true pleasure and a true necessity. Our hunger can force our hand, and occupy our thoughts. When we have anything in our lives that we don't or can't say no to, then it is lording over us. But God is in control. If something else takes up God's place in our lives, it is an idol. Fasting helps to bring it back into enough control for us to surrender it to God so it can be returned to its rightful place in life. Food is the foremost example of such a thing.
You can fast from some foods, and not others. You can fast from watching television, hobbies you crave, places you are unhealthily drawn to, music, books, news, and movies.
Jesus went up to the mountain and prayed all night. When was the last time you prayed for ten minutes? Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights to prepare for His ministry. When was the last time you skipped lunch to spend the time with God? Have a nice, long chat with God first thing in the morning and in the late evening. If you have a habit of taking a daily walk, you could resolve to talk to God during that entire walk, to talk things out.
Start slowly. Fast for one meal a day, or one day a week, or one week a month. Build up your spiritual muscles.
The disciples often did not fast at the usual times specified by the Jewish faith. (This was so very different from the Pharisees and the followers of John the Baptist, who would fast regularly.) This was not done to make a point about fasting, but a point about Jesus, since Jesus' coming was God's response to the pleas of all those who had been fasting in repentance and for God to rescue them. Jesus spoke little of fasting, and when he did, it was about the right spirit to fast in. He spoke of the role of fasting and prayer in healing and in casting out evil spirits.
Traditionally, people have fasted by eliminating luxury items from their diets, such as meats. You could have a fast that consists of eating whatever you want, but drinking only water. Orthodox Christians has various levels of fasting, like Abstaining from meat, Abstaining from meat, eggs, milk, butter, and cheese, Abstaining from all foods and beverages except bread, water, juices, honey, and nuts.
Every time you get an appetite for those items, you will be reminded of your fast and that will remind you of the reason for your fast, and you can pray instead of eating. This can have immense spiritual benefit. You are simply using your belly as a spiritual snooze-alarm.
The ancient church fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays, so it has been historically customary for Christians to fast on Wednesdays and/or Fridays. In fact. John Wesley, the Anglican priest who founded Methodism, refused to ordain anyone who did not fast on those two days. He felt that anyone who could not rule his own belly could not be expected to rule the church of God.
HOW TO NOT FAST:
As far as the concept of religious fasting is concerned, it should be done only as means of coming closer to God , rather than serving a dual purpose as a diet or detoxification. It's not a divine weight-loss plan. Treated that way, it could be a disguise for an eating disorder. Fasting is not for self-punishment. Self-punishment is a form of self-destruction and self-hatred. You do not have to punish yourself of try to deserve God's love (you'd just be wasting your time), because the Bible says: Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.
Sufferings caused by fasts are not an excuse for being grouchy, stingy, or rude. Fasting can make your mind get weak and unable to focus, which can make for angry or delusional reactions. When it does, stop fasting, because you're starting to harm yourself and you're bearing a bad witness to God's love.
Jesus speaks of the hypocrites who fast so that other people are impressed. Fasts are not for getting others to notice. The relationship between you and God is the point of a fast. It has been mentioned in the Bible (Matthew 6:16-18) that, "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you".
Another thing to keep in mind is that fasting is not just a means of starving the flesh, but of feeding the soul, and thus should be supplemented by prayer and deeds of kindness. Remember, the most important consideration in fasting is your motive.
Why are you fasting? To seek something personally from God's hand or to seek His face in worship, praise and thanksgiving.
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