Fasting
Why should I fast?
Why do Christians fast?
What's so important about fasting?
These are some of the questions we ask ourselves. But fasting is one of the most important things that we need to do to get closer to God.
You might be asked why do I need to fast to receive my miracle and blessing?
Well, you need to fast, this is the second to last step to receiving your miracles and blessings.
"Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men too 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: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 6:16-18 KJV"
When you fast don't do it because you want to make the people around you happy. Do it because you want to get closer to God and to change your life around.
It's hard to fast because once you start to fast the enemy will and tempt you with things that you want to get out of your life.
"Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Isn't this the fast that I have chosen? to lose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Isaiah 58:3-7 KJV"
When you fast, fast to lose all the bands of wickedness in your life and your burdens That are in your life. Whatever is your wickedness and burdens are fast and ask God to release them.
"When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.
Psalms 69:10 KJV"
"My knees are weak through fasting, and my flesh faileth of fatness.
Psalms 109:24 KJV"
When fasting your fast for someone that is lost or going to pass away, for health, or answered prayer.
Whatever that it might be, fast on it.
There are many fast out there.
When you fast, what do you do?
Do you have fast food?
Do you like fast movies or anything else?
Some people eat fast food and other fast beverages.
Yes, you should eat fast food, but fasting isn't about losing weight, but like I said before it's about getting close to God. You should fast anything that takes your focus from God.
"And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.
Mark 8:3 KJV"
When I fast I do something, like knit and pray, or draw and pray and sometimes I write and pray.
When you fast you should pray well you should pray every day not just when you are dating.
You can fast three days, a week, 21 days, a month or even 40 days. However long you fast your need to pray.
"And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
Mark 9:29 KJV"
As you start fasting, it is important to understand that you have entered into a spiritual battle. Part of the spiritual battle is fought as the body adjusts to the rigors of fasting. For most people, there is more than just a little detoxing happening in our bodies. But the battle is more than physiological; as we fast, a spiritual battle is being waged. Things are happening in the spiritual realm that we neither perceive nor understand outside of God revealing them to us.
Fasting is more than just missing a meal. Powerful seasons of fasting are experienced when we propose to spend additional time in God's presence during the fast. As well, every hunger pang, every feeling of fatigue, and every caffeine headache will be a reminder to call on God at that moment and to cry out for those things you are seeking Him to do in your life. David Mathis writes, "[Fasting] is a desperate measure, for desperate times, among those who know themselves desperate for God."
But don't just focus on the battle or the pain – Scripture promises there is the fullness of joy in God's presence and there are pleasures at His right hand. Delight yourself in pursuing Him, and you'll know the joy of seeing Him work in your life.
What are you praying for? Take time to write these needs down. Look at them daily as you pray. Whenever hunger grips your stomach or the cravings for coffee come, read your list and be reminded that your fasting is for a purpose. Through your fast, God will answer.
"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Psalms 37:4 KJV"
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalms 27:1 KJV"
In Mark Chapter 9, a father brought his son to Jesus' disciples. The boy was demonized and an epileptic, and even though God had healed people through the disciples before, nothing happened when they prayed for the boy to be healed. When the disciples brought the boy to Jesus, the boy was healed. Later the disciples asked Jesus this question, "Why couldn't we do it?" Jesus answered in verse 29, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting."
There are some things that God will do in our lives but only in response to our spending additional time in His presence combined with fasting. Fasting breaks strongholds, liberates people and moves us into a realm of realizing God's power in our lives. The more time you're spending with God, the more you're going to see the hand of God on your life in an extraordinary way.
Maybe there's an obstacle that you have been facing for a long time. Perhaps you have prayed and prayed, and you don't understand why you are not making any headway in the situation. You might be thinking, "Will God ever give me victory?" Jesus' response to the disciples is His response to you – some things only come by prayer AND fasting.
"And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioned them. And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. And he asked the scribes, What question do you have with them? And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tore him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, How long has it been since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. And when he came into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
Mark 9:14-29 KJV"
The story of Nehemiah is a vibrant example of the favor that comes with denying ourselves to draw near to God. Nehemiah worked for a powerful pagan king - one that did not worship the God of Israel. When Nehemiah heard how the city walls in his hometown of Jerusalem had been burned and left in ruins; he knew that he had to do something about it. The problem was that the king Nehemiah had issued a decree that Jerusalem not be rebuilt. How would the king ever be convinced to not only change his mind but pay for the wall of Jerusalem to be restored? Nehemiah's solution was to fast and pray.
He asked God for a favor in his situation and denied his stomach to show that his desire and need for God's help was greater than his desire and need for food.
Nehemiah's fast paved the way for God to give him favor with a pagan ruler that changed the course of history. You may be facing a situation that is testing your courage and your strength – believe God is going to use this fast to bring His favor into your life.
"And they said unto me, The remnant that is left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
Nehemiah 1:3-4 KJV"
"O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.
Nehemiah 1:11 KJV"
"Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which pertain to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
Nehemiah 2:7-8 KJV"
Have you felt distant from God? Maybe as you read this you feel as if you are in a spiritual desert. You are calling out to God, but it seems as if your cry is falling on deaf ears. You might even be thinking, "Why isn't God responding?"
The better question is, "What is blocking the voice of God in my life that I am not hearing what He is saying?"
The constant distractions that surround our lives can so easily block our ability to hear God's voice. Everything from the TV to smartphones, to social media, can distract our attention and keep us from clearly hearing from the Lord. Seasons of fasting help to quiet our hearts so we can hear from God.
There is a unique spiritual sensitivity that comes through prayer and fasting. If you are struggling to discern God's voice, one of the best things you can do is fast!
Scripture is clear: God is speaking.
"Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
Isaiah 58:8-9 KJV"
"Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.
1 Chronicles 16:10-11 KJV"
"When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
Psalms 27:8 KJV"
"And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant, heareth.
1 Samuel 3:10 KJV"
All of us will have battles in our lives. The question is, how will we respond in the face of these battles? In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat was confronted with a "vast army" who had the power to devastate his kingdom. He knew that he and the people needed to fast.
In response to the people fasting, the Lord encouraged Jehoshaphat by saying, "Do not be afraid or discouraged by this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's" (2 Chronicles 20:15). Whatever you are facing, we serve a God who wants to fight our battles! When you depend on your Heavenly Father, He is faithful to go before you.
Verse 21 tells us that "Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out to the head of the army saying, 'Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures.
Now to end this step and to move on to the next let take some time to pray. Ask God to give you the strength to Fast the days you want to fast.
