What is Fasting? Fasting is the discipline of abstinence from food. It can also consist of eating very little or abstinence from certain foods. Why do Christians Fast?1 • Fasting is an act of humility before God, undertaken in part to seek His divine intervention in the events of our physical world. • It is the example of Christ, the prophets, and the apostles. • It provides more time to pray, seek God’s face, and repent because we are more focused on the Lord and less concerned with daily routines such as preparing meals and eating. • It brings revelation by the Holy Spirit of our true spiritual condition, leading to brokenness, repentance, and change, and allows the Holy Spirit to work in a most unusual, powerful way. • It helps us concentrate on the Word of God to make it more meaningful, vital, and practical in our lives. • It transforms prayer into a richer, more personal experience. • It can help us regain a strong sense of spiritual determination and restore the loss of our first love for our Lord. • Fasting is private in nature, in that Christians do not use it to been seen, but to follow the example of Christ (Matt 6:16-18). Biblical References Biblical references to types of fasting • Without food, but water is allowed: Matthew 4:1-2, Luke 4:2 • No food and no water for three days: Esther 4:16, Ezra 10:6, and Acts 9:9 • Some food items are eliminated for the period of the fast: Daniel 1:15,10:2-3 Illustrations • Exod 24:18, 34:28; Deut 9:9 & 18; 10:10 – Moses twice spends forty days on Mount Sinai without eating or drinking, and in mourning over Israel’s sin. • 2 Chr 20:3 – Jehoshaphat proclaims a fast throughout Judah to seek YHWH for fear of the armies of Ammon and Moab. • Ezra 8:21-23 – Ezra calls a fast to seek God’s protection for those leaving Babylon for Israel. • Joel 2:12-15 – YHWH call the people to return to Him with fasting, rending their hearts, not garments; Joel calls for a fast. • Matt 4:2; Luke 4:2 – Jesus fasts forty days in the wilderness, being tempted by the devil. • Matt 17:21; Mark 9:29 – Jesus says that this kind of demon goes out only by means of prayer and fasting. • Acts 14:23 – Paul and Barnabas appoint elders in the churches, having prayed with fasting. • 2 Cor 6:5; 2 Cor 11:27 – Paul lists “fastings” as among the hardships he suffered as a mark of his apostleship.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Oct 2013 06:07:34 +0000
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