SECRETS OF FASTING:
Matt 6:16-18
a. When you fast do not look like you are fasting
b. Don’t tell anyone you are fasting
c. When you are fasting, look better then when you are not fasting
d. Fast in secret to seek the Lord.
Application: Please do not fast so much it harms your body. God sees your heart.- Fasting can be a joy
- Fasting is a privilege- “spend time with God”
THINGS TO KNOW:
As you begin your fast, you may hear from concerned loved ones and friends who urge you to protect your health. And they are right. You should protect your health. But I assure you, if done properly, fasting will not only prove to be a spiritual blessing, but physical blessing as well.
By all means, consult your doctor before you begin your fast. But, be aware that many doctors have not been trained in this area and so their understanding is limited. Even so, it would be wise to ask your doctor for a physical exam to make sure you are in good health. You may have a physical problem that would make fasting unwise or dangerous. Also, if you are under any type of medication, make sure you talk to your doctor before changing your regime. Prudence and caution are in order.
In spite of the absolute safety and benefits of fasting, there are certain persons who should NEVER fast without professional supervision. For example: - Persons who are physically too thin or emaciated
- Persons who are prone to anorexia, bulimia, or other behavioral disorders
- Those who suffer weakness or anemia
- Persons who have tumors, bleeding ulcers, cancer, blood diseases, or who have heart disease
- Those who suffer chronic problems with kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, or other important organs
- Individuals who take insulin for diabetes, or suffer any other blood sugar problem such as hyperglycemia
- Women who are pregnant or nursing
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 fulfill 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." 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.Through your fast, and that of many other believers, God will heal our land.
Why fast!
1. To subdue the flesh
2. to control the soul
HOW TO FAST!:
You are free to fast however, the Spirit leads you. Here are some options:
$ TOTAL FAST: Abstain from solid food and beverages for 24 hours. Take only water. E.g. Moses ( Deut 9:9,18); Esther ( Esther 4:16); Ezra ( Ezra 10:6) ; Paul ( Acts 9:9)
$ PARTIAL FAST: Abstain from sold foods for an extended part of the day. Take only water. You may fast from sunrise to sundown or from breakfast to afternoon tea.
$ 1-MEAL FAST: Sacrifice one full meal a day. For e.g.: Lunch Fast or Dinner Fast.
$ BEVERAGE FAST: Abstain from sold food for 24 hours. Take only water and liquid foods such as milk, Milo or other health beverages.
$ DANIEL FAST: Abstain from meat and favorite delicacies. Take only small portion of fresh vegetables, fruits, and juices. You may practice this as a 40 days routine. Or as Daniel 1:12 suggests, make this a 10-day fast.
(Dan 1:12 "Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.)
$ Esther Fast. Abstain from sold foods for 245 hours over a 3-day period. See Esther 4:16
Esth 4:16 "Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish."
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS:
ø Begin with short fasts- perhaps only a meal or two- and graduate to longer ones. Try partial fasts at first. Daniel 10:2, 3 gives an example of such fasting.
“In those days, I, Daniel was mourning for three whole weeks. I ate no pleasant or desirable food, nor did any meat or wine come into my mouth………………” (Amplified)
ø There are some people who shouldn’t fast at all because of physical problems such as diabetes. If you have uncertain health, you would be wise not to fast without consulting the Doctor.
ø Don’t go without liquids for more than three days. This seems to be the biblical limit. Long abstinence may harm your body. Moses abstained from water for two periods of forty days each, but he was supernaturally sustained by God while he was in His immediate presence.
ø Use wisdom in breaking your fast. Eat very lightly at first. If you have been on along fast, you probably should begin taking on liquids at first, and take several days to get back to normal eating patterns. This is a good time to break habits of overeating.
ø Fasting is a real victory over the flesh. From the Garden of Eden until now our stomachs have been the source of temptation. Gluttony (overeating) is a sin. Your stomach is used to being the boss and it will give you some back- talk. You may also get a headache or some faint spells at first, but if you are in good health, these will soon pass.
ø People who are accustomed to eating a lot of sugar often have the most difficult time in fasting. But stick with it and when you break your fast, cut down on your normal sugar consumption. It isn’t good for you and it will make future fasting difficult.
ø The extremely long fasts achieved by Moses, Elijah and Jesus should be undertaken only by special revelation from the Lord
ø All fasting should be led of the Spirit. If we set aside a certain day of the week for regular fasting, for instance, we must be careful not to let it become ritualized or bind us into legalism. Feel free to change the time if the need arises.
ø If you are fasting to receive guidance from the Lord, it’s wise not to act on any decisions until you have broken the fast; especially if it is a long one. You will be able to evaluate more clearly then what the Lord has shown shown you.
ø When you fast pray for the hungry. You will begin to experience how they feel and you will be able to intercede more effectively for them. Perhaps you will consider giving the money you would have spent for food to Christian relief organizations who will use it to feed those who are starving
HOW TO ENJOY FASTING!
O Set aside time each day to see God in prayer and fasting. It may be half an hour or one hour or more.
O Adopt an attitude of prayer as you go about each day’s duties at home, at work or at school. Apply what you learnt in tangible actions.
O Scale down your normal activities. Avoid rigorous exercises.
O Be alert! Besides fasting from food, fast from things that distract television, internet, computer games, or things that destroy such as coarse jesting or careless words.
O Fasts have a tendency to be oriented toward things like giving up foodor television. But there are many other creative ways we can welcomeJesus' healing touch.
Here are suggestions you may want to consider.
1. Fast from anger and hatred. Give your family an extra dose of love each day.
2. Fast from judging others. Before making any judgments, recall how Jesus overlooks our faults.
3. Fast from discouragement. Hold on to Jesus' promise that He has a perfect plan for your life.
4. Fast from complaining. When you find yourself about to complain, close your eyes and recall some of the little moments of joy Jesus has given you.
5. Fast from resentment or bitterness! Work on forgiving those who may have hurt you.
6. Fast from spending too much money. Try to reduce your spending by ten percent and give those savings to the poor.
O Break your fast gradually and wisely. For health reasons, you should consume small portions as you break fast, avoiding chilly or acidic foods as much as possible.
HOW TO INVOLVE OTHERS:
Fasting together as a group is easier than doing it alone. Have fun!
ÿ FAMILY
ÿ OFFICE /SCHOOL: Inspire colleagues to fast with you. Utilize tea breaks or lunch breaks at the office/school/college to pray together. Rally others in your office/school/college to pray together.
ÿ AREA BIBLE FELLOWSHIP: As a group, commit yourselves to a specific type of fast. Cry for Christ’s visitation in your cell. Ask God to use your ABF to be His mouthpiece and outstretched hands here in Shillong and the nations.
ÿ FRIENDS: In the era of mobile phones, telephone, prayer is really a beep away. Keep a daily prayer appointment with a friend by phone. Send SMS reminders. At the agreed time. Call. Pray!
ÿ NEIGHBORS: organize the Christian homemakers of your neighborhood into prayer and fasting triplets. Aim to meet once a week for at least an hour of prayer.CHURCH: every week on Friday @ 5.00 pm. Join with fellow believers in prayers
THE KIND OF FASTING GOD DELIGHTS IN!
Fasting is a spiritual exercise that every believer should observe. On the other hand, one has to be clear about what true fasting is. True fasting is God has ordained to beset apart of that, which is to be accepted by God.
Is 58:5 "Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one's head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD? And to be set apart for Him. It is true that fasting inevitably include prayer and meditating on God’s word.
Is 58:4 "Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like {you do} today to make your voice heard on high. But fasting is more than these.
This chapter deals with what false fasting is (vs. 1-5); what true fasting is (6-7) and the blessing true fasting produce (8-14)
- False fasting (1-5): One cannot fast with ulterior motive.
Before we fast all sin and rebellion should be renounced (Is 58:1 "Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression And to the house of Jacob their sins.)
God’s word must be obeyed
There should be true humility (Is 58:3,5- 'Why have we fasted and You do not see? {Why} have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?' Behold, on the day of your fast you find {your} desire, And drive hard all your workers. "Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one's head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD?)
All wicked deeds must be renounced (Is 58:4 "Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like {you do} today to make your voice heard on high.)
One should fast with a true heart
- True Fasting (6-7): True fasting will always be coupled with compassion toward those who are underprivileged. Christianity is a practical religion. It is motivated by the love and compassion of Jesus Christ.
û Blessing of true fasting (8-14) Isaiah lists in this passage a number of blessings that comes from true fasting. The important blessing is that the glory of the Lord would be your guard (Is 58:8 "Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.)
Do you go through the passage and list out the blessings appropriate for your life?
‘Fast unto death’ is the cry of the world; ‘fast unto God ‘should be the driving force of every Christian.
True fasting and persistence in sin do not go together
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I Kings 18:30-39
Fireworks @ Carmel
< Fire is a symbol of the presence of God
< Fire is also an indication of God’s acceptance of a sacrifice.
< Fire will be used also with regard to God’s judgment on believers at Christ’s second coming- II Thess 1:8,9
< Fire is connected with God’s judgment of the believers work- I Cor 3:13-15
1st ,repair the broken altars- what is your altar! Is it your quiet time? Bible reading? Worship? Tithing? Relationship? Family Devotions? All of the above.
1 Kin 18:30 ¶ Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been torn down.
2nd, remember who you are: Israel shall be your name. In forgetting God, Israel forgot her own identity as a holy people, exclusively God’s.
1 Kin 18:31 Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Israel shall be your name."
3rd, prepare the sacrifice. The fire does not fall on empty altars. There must be a sacrifice
1 Kin 18:32 So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed.
1 Kin 18:33 Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid {it} on the wood.
1 Kin 18:34 And he said, "Fill four pitchers with water and pour {it} on the burnt offering and on the wood." And he said, "Do it a second time," and they did it a second time. And he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it a third time.
1 Kin 18:35 The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.
Rom 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, {which is} your spiritual service of worship.
4th, call on the name of the LORD. Elijah’s simple, fervent prayer contrasts starkly with the bloody self –mutilating acts of Baal’s prophets. The prophetic passion is for the glory of God and for the heart of Israel .
1 Kin 18:36 At the time of the offering of the {evening} sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word.
1 Kin 18:37 "Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and {that} You have turned their heart back again."
5th, let God do the impossible Let the fire fall
1 Kin 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
Finally, let the people decide. The people, not Elijah make the declaration, the Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God. Elijah’s name, Yahweh is my God, sums up his message and ministry, turning hearts back to God. That’s our ministry to NCF and the Nations. Prepare your sacrifice.
1 Kin 18:39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God."
û Pray for ourselves: Perhaps some of us have been around a lost longer, and we are growing weary of all this talk about power evangelism and the supernatural! If you are feeling that way, humble and honestly confess your struggle before God.
û Pray for the church: Ask God to re-ignite fire and re-fire our imagination. Ask Him to restore biblical optimism, an attitude that says with God ALL things are possible- including revivals that don’t match our prescription or description. Pray for a return to child- like -wonder- that fresh excitement to embrace His ways, however He chooses to move and manifest Himself today.
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FASTING!FASTING! FASTING!
Fasting is a most tangible and practical way of surrendering to God and allowing the Holy Spirit more control in our lives. By giving up food - the very sustenance of life – during a fast, control over one’s own existence is surrendered and offered to the Lord. Through fasting, we give up our appetites for food and other things we hold too close or take for granted. As we take a break from the things that hold us, we become appropriately disengaged from the world. Freed by the Holy Spirit from bondage to materialism, lusts, gluttony, and greed, we experience more self- control and take deeper joy in our experience of God.
ü Fasting can bring new insight and breathe new life into our relationship with God. As is true of all the spiritual disciplines, fasting hoists the sails of the soul in expectation of experiencing the gracious presence and empowering of God’s Spirit. But, as we shall see, fasting also provides a particular opening to the Spirit’s power and a unique dimension to our spiritual lives that aids our growth into Christlikeness
ü Fasting is usually understood as the voluntary and intentional denial of a normal and even necessary function, such as eating food. People fast for many purposes – to lose weight, to tame the desires of the flesh, as a work of penance, or to make a political statement- But the primary Christian motivation for fasting is to open oneself to God.
If we are serious about growing in God, if we long for more of the Spirit’s enabling power, if we want to taste more of the joy that comes in glorifying God, we should thoughtfully and earnestly enter the discipline of fasting. Arthur Wallis makes the challenge clear.
A new generation …is arising. There is concern in the hearts of many for the recovery of apostolic power. But how can we recover apostolic power while neglecting apostolic practice? How can we expect the power to flow if we do not prepare the channels? Fasting is a God-appointed means for the flowing of His grace and power that we can afford to neglect no longer.
The Work of the Spirit in Fasting
For Jesus, fasting seemed to be a corollary of other activities to which he gave high priority, including spiritual struggle, prayer, and evangelism. He was led into times of fasting by the Spirit. On one occasion Jesus was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days of fasting to be tested in preparation for public ministry (Mark 1:12).
To his disciples, Jesus said “when you fast” (Matt 6:16) --- not if you fast; but when you fast. He seemed to take for granted that his disciples would fast according to the Spirit’s leading on a given occasion. The Holy Spirit will call and direct us into times of fasting if we ask him to and if we become sensitive to his prompting. He will do so by revealing to us our needs- our need for more prayer, clearer guidance, or protection.
Jesus went without food and drink during sojourns in the wilderness, prior to temptation, when he rose early to pray in solitary locations (Mark 1:35), and as a result of ministering to those in need. He declared that he had food to eat of which his disciples were ignorant, referring to the “food” or strength he was given to fulfill his Father’s purposes (John 4:31-34). Life-giving power flowed to Jesus from his surrender into intimacy with the Father.
God –centered fasting always has as its motive to create an opening for God’s revelation and mercy. It is not to coerce God or change his mind. Our doing something does not condition God’s response. His heart’s desire is to extend mercy to his children according to his perfect will. All of our fasting, therefore, should be a “scriptural means whereby we are melted into a more complete realization of the purposes of the Lord in our life, Church, community, and nation.”
Fasting should always have a purpose, but we must be careful not to elevate our purpose over His.
The purpose of fasting· Fasting Strengthens Prayer
· Fasting Enables Us to Better Hear the Voice of God.
· Fasting Aids Us in Self-denial and Self-discipline
· Fasting Helps Us Face Persecution
· Fasting Is a Way of Humbling Ourselves Before God.
· Fasting Strengthens Us Against Temptation.
· Fasting Helps Us Minister to the Needs of Others.
· Fasting Helps Us Express Love and Worship to God.
PASSING THE FASTING TIME
Temptation of Jesus after 40 days of fasting. Plan for Him to be tested. Led by the spirit. Planned by God – same spirit sustains the test.
Matt 4:6
The greatest attack in your life is just before/ closer to win. Just before the fasting is completed, the temptation will come. Equipped with power of spirit- rebuke the quicking spirit.
PRAYER & FASTING
Joel 1:14 Consecrate a fast, Proclaim a solemn assembly; Gather the elders {And} all the inhabitants of the land To the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD.
Prayer and Fasting are the secret weapons of the believer. There are three people in the Bible who fasted for 40 days; Moses, Elijah and Jesus. They represent the Law, the prophets and the Savior.
Matt 4:2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.
1. A NATION CONCIEVED BY PRAYER & FASTING.
Deut 9:18 "I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you had committed in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger.
2. A NATION SAVED
Jon 3:5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.
Jon 3:6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered {himself} with sackcloth and sat on the ashes.
Jon 3:7 He issued a proclamation and it said, "In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water.
Jon 3:8 "But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands.
Jon 3:9 "Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish."
Jon 3:10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do {it.}
3. A MAJOR BUILDING PROJECT DIRECTED
Neh 1:4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
Neh 1:5 I said, "I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,
Neh 1:6 let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father's house have sinned.
Neh 1:7 "We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.
Neh 1:8 "Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples;
Neh 1:9 but {if} you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.'
Neh 1:10 "They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.
Neh 1:11 "O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man." Now I was the cupbearer to the king.
4. DANIEL PIERCED THE UNKNOWN
Dan 9:3 So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek {Him by} prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.
Dan 9:4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and loving-kindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,
Dan 9:21 while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in {my} extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering.
Dan 9:22 He gave {me} instruction and talked with me and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding.
Dan 9:23 "At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell {you,} for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.
Dan 10:10 Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.
Dan 10:11 He said to me, "O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling.
Dan 10:12 Then he said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding {this} and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words.
Dan 10:13 "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.
Dan 10:14 "Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet {future.}"
Fasting and prayer together are often the only source of victory.
Jesus said in Matt 17:21 ["But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."]
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