Biblical fasting simply means abstaining from food for the purpose of seeking the face of God to intervene in your life. Fasting requires discipline, determination, purpose and strength. In order to properly fast, you must discipline yourself by abstaining from food and be determined to seek the face of God. The purpose why you fast should be presented to the throne of God by fervent prayers. Fasting is different from starving. Starving is when you abstain from food but not for spiritual purpose. You need strength to do fasting. You can only receive strength from God. Fasting is one of the four main duties of a true Christian: evangelism, give, fast and pray. Matthew 6: 1-18, Mark 16:15.
God always bless those who give to Him the first place in their lives. When you give God the first, He will give you the rest. When you give God your first through fasting, prayer and giving at the beginning of the year, He will release His blessings upon your life throughout the year.
There are different types of fasting. You can choose which one is best for you.
Why should I fast?
There are several reasons why you should fast:
- You desire a deeper, more intimate and powerful relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
- You need God’s divine intervention in any area of your life.
- You have a strong desire to know God’s will for your life.
- You need the wonder-working hand of God to touch and transform your life.
- You are in need of a miracle or healing.
- You need a fresh touch, a new encounter or a revival in your life.
- You have a dream, an aspiration or a goal and you want God to bring it to pass for you.
- You need deliverance from any bondage or attacks determined to stop the fulfillment of your destiny.
- You have a family member, friend or loved one that needs salvation.
- You are prepared to receive greater sensitivity to the desires of God.
If you have any or some of the above, then you need to fast.
BIBLICAL FASTING FOCUS
Biblical fasting, as earlier stated, means abstaining from food for spiritual purpose(s). Your reason may be one of the above or something else. As long as it is spiritual, and you need to fast, then you must do it well. Your focus should be on prayer. Be determined to achieve results in your fasting. I always tell people “seek God until you see Him in action“. Some passages that are worthwhile reading are: Isaiah 58:6-12, Romans 12: 1, Matthew 6: 16-18; 17:21, 1 Timothy 2:1-2,
We encourage you to seek the Lord in prayer. Let your decisions about your biblical fasting come from Him. Ask the Him to show you areas of your life to target during your time of fasting and prayer. We believe that, as we pray and seek God and give Him our first and best at the beginning of the year, He will bless our entire year (Matthew 6:33).