What Fasting is
Simply put, fasting is refraining from something for a spiritual purpose– most traditionally food.
Fasting is worship
Fasting is a spiritual discipline
Fasting is a statement to God
What Fasting is not
A way to manipulate God
A way to appear righteous to others
A weight loss scheme
What Fasting does
Fasting unclutters your spirit with the things of this world, and raises your sensitivity to the things of God.
It re-focuses you, opens your spirit, and can have awesome results in 9 different areas:
Strength to stand against sin (Matt. 17:20,21)
Help in time of problems or threatening situations (Ezra 8:21-23)
Revival in the church and evangelism for the unsaved (1Sam. 7:1-8)
Emotional healing and overcoming destructive habits (1 Kings 19:2-18)
To provide for the needy (1 Kings 17:12)
Health and physical healing (Daniel 1:12-20)
An influential testimony (Matt. 3:4, Luke 1:15)
Protection and deliverance from evil (Esther 4:16)
Insight and decision making (Acts 9:9-19)
Fasting brings breakthrough.
We have all heard this scripture – heard it preached, taught, talked about…we believe this is for the church in the last days…
Joel 2:28
28 "And it will come about after this
That I will pour out My
Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
But what brought on the spiritual breakthrough?
What is the “after this?” After what?
Look a few verses back:
Joel 2:12-13
12 "Yet even now," declares the LORD,
"Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping, and mourning;
13 And rend your heart and not your garments.
"Now return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness,
And relenting of evil.
Joel 2:15-16
15 Blow a trumpet in Zion,
Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,
16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation,
The spiritual breakthrough came as a result of the people humbling themselves and seeking the Lord.
Fasting brings victory.
2 Chron 20:1-4
20:1 Now it came about after this that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, came to make war against Jehoshaphat….And Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD; and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to seek help from the LORD; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD
2 Chron 20:14-19
14 Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, …and he said, "Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's. 16'Tomorrow go down against them. …17'You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you. " 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. 19 And the Levites… stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
End result – Lord wiped out the enemy army before they even got there.
Fasting brings spiritual stamina.
Lou Engle from the Call states that he believes that fasting helps us outlast the enemy – that he attacks in seasons only for a period of time – when we extend our fasts, it gives us the power to outlast the enemy.
Types of Fasting
There are many different kinds of fasts – here are the basic 3:
Absolute – Extreme, and should only be done for short periods of time. You take in nothing – no food, no water. Should be called to do it, should be done with supervision.
Normal – No food for any number of days. Drink water and fluids – plenty of it.
Partial – involves giving up a particular food or drink for a time. Most common – the Daniel fast – no meat, no sweets, no strong drink (no caffine)
Suggestions for Fasting
Start small – Don’t start with more than you can handle
Make it mean something, or don’t do it – why are you fasting?
Plan your commitment to the fast – how long, from what, what time devoted to God
Prepare spiritually – pray about it, get in the right frame of mind and spirit
Prepare physically – don’t rush into it, cut back your diet before hand
Expect awesome results – Let God do what He wants to do in you.
Need a good fasting resource? Check out Jentzen Franklin's new book, Fasting.
Showing posts with label fasting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fasting. Show all posts
Friday, October 3, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Four Reasons to Make Fasting Part of Your Lifestyle
Fasting should be a spiritual discipline that is part of our lifestyle, our typical way of life.
Our Lifestyles matter! They are how we are, how we live, how we react day in and day out. They are the “typical” us!
The way to living a victorious Christian life is by integrating as much Jesus as possible into your lifestyle. The more Jesus there is in your typical way of life, the less room there is for sin and other junk!
we need to strive to make praise a part of our lifestyle
we need to make the Word and memorization of it part of our lifestyle
we need to make prayer part of our lifestyle
we need to make serving others around us part of our lifestyle
we need to make fasting part of our lifestyle.
Transformed lifestyles = transformed lives.
Why? Because our lifestyles are habit based – by building good, Godly habits in our lives, we are enabled to better live out the principals in the Word.
4 ways Fasting can affect our lifestyle.
Fasting is a form of worship – it is one more building block to living a lifestyle of worship
Fasting is a spiritual discipline – it is one more building block to living a lifestyle of spiritual soundness
Fasting is a practice of self denial – it is one more building block to living a lifestyle where you continually crucify your flesh and take up your cross and follow Jesus.
Fasting is a statement to God – it is one more building block to living a lifestyle that is dependant on God, and not dependant on yourself.
4 Reasons Why you should make Fasting part of your lifestyle.
1. It will help you stand against sin
Matt 17:20-21
20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
A demon possessed man was brought to Jesus and the disciples. The disciples tried to cast the demon out – but couldn't. The passage was His reply to them.
He said 1) have faith
2) some only goes out through prayer and fasting
In our lives, it is easy to spot the big problems. For the most part our big mess ups are easy to spot and fix. However, the little problems that have become habits and ingrained in our lifestyles are not so easy to get rid of.
When you weed the flower bed – the big weeds are easy to up root. The little ones you don’t notice are the most troublesome. You have to dig for them, their roots go deep – you have to work a little harder to make sure they don’t come back.
Fasting to help our stand against sin is an act of faith saying “God I can’t do it – But I know you can – I am relying on you, so help me.”
When you fast to stand against sin – God will show you the unnoticed stuff – the stuff that has become habit. The stuff that has become part of your life style.
With out disrupting your normal way of doing things, you won’t get that sin out – you’ll end up right back at it. Fasting is denying yourself, letting God disrupt your normal routine, and allowing Him to show you what needs to be changed and helping you do it.
Living a lifestyle of allowing God to disrupt our regular lifestyle is one of the best things we can do. It keeps us from getting in a rut.
2. It will bring revival
1 Sam 7:3-8
3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines."4 So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only. 5 And Samuel said,"Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you."6 So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the LORD. And they fasted that day, and said there,"We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.8 So the children of Israel said to Samuel,"Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines."
Revival starts with you and it starts with me.
It starts with the individual. And it always starts with repentance.
2 Chron 7:14-15
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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Where is the idea of fasting in this verse? It’s in humbling yourself. Along with that comes prayer and repentance.
When individuals are stirred to seek revival, then the Church as a whole begins to stir…then look out – God is on the move.
When fasting is part of your lifestyle – it keeps you on your knees, keeps you in check, keeps you seeking God, keeps you humble, keeps you repentant before the Lord, and allows you to live in a state of personal revival.
3. It brings an influential testimony
John the Baptist was a man of influence. People came from all over to hear him speak because the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. Listen to how fasting was a part of his lifestyle:
Luke 1:15-17
15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
Matt 3:4-6
4 Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
Most of us are not called to never drink anything but water, wear animal skins, or eat locusts and wild honey… But we are called to be people of influence – shining the light of the gospel in the culture we live in.
A lifestyle of fasting keeps you open to God, hungry for Him, and submitted to Him. It helps you hear and recognize the voice of God.
When you recognize the voice of God speaking to your heart – you begin to know the right times to speak the right words to the right people. God stirs you to be His mouth piece to people in your life.
The more you are full of the Spirit of God, the more you can be used for His glory.
Fasting as part of your lifestyle is just another way to keep your life in check, focused on the right things and sensitive to God’s voice.
4. It helps with insight and decision making
Acts 9:3-9
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" 5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." 7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
In this passage, Saul (or Paul as we mostly recognize him) encountered Jesus…and ended up asking Lord what do you want me to do?
There will always be times in your life when you need direction and leading from the Lord. There will always be time when you don’t know how to react or what to do – but you know that God has the answer.
It is those time that fasting should really come into play!
It is away to remove distraction to better hear the voice of God
It is a way to make a statement to God that – yeah, I mean business, I really need your leading on this one!
It is a way to take time to pray, think, and wait on the Lord so you don’t make a quick, foolish decision.
Good thing to remember in life – when you are faced with major decisions – always pray – always involve God. Try to avoid quick, hasty decisions. Seek God first. He knows what is best and wants what is best for you. Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you!
Our Lifestyles matter! They are how we are, how we live, how we react day in and day out. They are the “typical” us!
The way to living a victorious Christian life is by integrating as much Jesus as possible into your lifestyle. The more Jesus there is in your typical way of life, the less room there is for sin and other junk!
we need to strive to make praise a part of our lifestyle
we need to make the Word and memorization of it part of our lifestyle
we need to make prayer part of our lifestyle
we need to make serving others around us part of our lifestyle
we need to make fasting part of our lifestyle.
Transformed lifestyles = transformed lives.
Why? Because our lifestyles are habit based – by building good, Godly habits in our lives, we are enabled to better live out the principals in the Word.
4 ways Fasting can affect our lifestyle.
Fasting is a form of worship – it is one more building block to living a lifestyle of worship
Fasting is a spiritual discipline – it is one more building block to living a lifestyle of spiritual soundness
Fasting is a practice of self denial – it is one more building block to living a lifestyle where you continually crucify your flesh and take up your cross and follow Jesus.
Fasting is a statement to God – it is one more building block to living a lifestyle that is dependant on God, and not dependant on yourself.
4 Reasons Why you should make Fasting part of your lifestyle.
1. It will help you stand against sin
Matt 17:20-21
20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
A demon possessed man was brought to Jesus and the disciples. The disciples tried to cast the demon out – but couldn't. The passage was His reply to them.
He said 1) have faith
2) some only goes out through prayer and fasting
In our lives, it is easy to spot the big problems. For the most part our big mess ups are easy to spot and fix. However, the little problems that have become habits and ingrained in our lifestyles are not so easy to get rid of.
When you weed the flower bed – the big weeds are easy to up root. The little ones you don’t notice are the most troublesome. You have to dig for them, their roots go deep – you have to work a little harder to make sure they don’t come back.
Fasting to help our stand against sin is an act of faith saying “God I can’t do it – But I know you can – I am relying on you, so help me.”
When you fast to stand against sin – God will show you the unnoticed stuff – the stuff that has become habit. The stuff that has become part of your life style.
With out disrupting your normal way of doing things, you won’t get that sin out – you’ll end up right back at it. Fasting is denying yourself, letting God disrupt your normal routine, and allowing Him to show you what needs to be changed and helping you do it.
Living a lifestyle of allowing God to disrupt our regular lifestyle is one of the best things we can do. It keeps us from getting in a rut.
2. It will bring revival
1 Sam 7:3-8
3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines."4 So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only. 5 And Samuel said,"Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you."6 So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the LORD. And they fasted that day, and said there,"We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.8 So the children of Israel said to Samuel,"Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines."
Revival starts with you and it starts with me.
It starts with the individual. And it always starts with repentance.
2 Chron 7:14-15
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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Where is the idea of fasting in this verse? It’s in humbling yourself. Along with that comes prayer and repentance.
When individuals are stirred to seek revival, then the Church as a whole begins to stir…then look out – God is on the move.
When fasting is part of your lifestyle – it keeps you on your knees, keeps you in check, keeps you seeking God, keeps you humble, keeps you repentant before the Lord, and allows you to live in a state of personal revival.
3. It brings an influential testimony
John the Baptist was a man of influence. People came from all over to hear him speak because the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. Listen to how fasting was a part of his lifestyle:
Luke 1:15-17
15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
Matt 3:4-6
4 Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
Most of us are not called to never drink anything but water, wear animal skins, or eat locusts and wild honey… But we are called to be people of influence – shining the light of the gospel in the culture we live in.
A lifestyle of fasting keeps you open to God, hungry for Him, and submitted to Him. It helps you hear and recognize the voice of God.
When you recognize the voice of God speaking to your heart – you begin to know the right times to speak the right words to the right people. God stirs you to be His mouth piece to people in your life.
The more you are full of the Spirit of God, the more you can be used for His glory.
Fasting as part of your lifestyle is just another way to keep your life in check, focused on the right things and sensitive to God’s voice.
4. It helps with insight and decision making
Acts 9:3-9
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" 5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." 7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
In this passage, Saul (or Paul as we mostly recognize him) encountered Jesus…and ended up asking Lord what do you want me to do?
There will always be times in your life when you need direction and leading from the Lord. There will always be time when you don’t know how to react or what to do – but you know that God has the answer.
It is those time that fasting should really come into play!
It is away to remove distraction to better hear the voice of God
It is a way to make a statement to God that – yeah, I mean business, I really need your leading on this one!
It is a way to take time to pray, think, and wait on the Lord so you don’t make a quick, foolish decision.
Good thing to remember in life – when you are faced with major decisions – always pray – always involve God. Try to avoid quick, hasty decisions. Seek God first. He knows what is best and wants what is best for you. Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)