Why Incorporate Fasting into your life?
Why Incorporate Fasting into your daily life?
Fasting has been a major emphasis in the lives of many of the great spiritual leaders throughout history. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist denomination, fasted every Wednesday and Friday and required all of his clergies to do the same. Effective ministers of God from the apostle Paul to Martin Luther to John Calvin made it a continual part of their walks with God.
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Fasting is a valuable spiritual tool.
There are basically two categories of fasting.
The first category is a proclaimed fast (Joel 1:14). A proclaimed fast is for the purpose of bringing believers to a place where they can hear from God. Often proclaimed fasts are called when believers are looking to unite and go in one direction — toward God, together.
The second type of fasting is a personal fast (Matthew 6). It also yields very gratifying rewards. Read Matthew 6:16 – 18. You can either receive your reward from the admiration of men or you can receive your reward from God. The key is fasting in secret so that God can reward you openly.
The Bible Recounts Primarily Two Types of Fasts:
A partial fast is described in the book of Daniel. Although the water fast seemed to be the custom of the prophet, there was a three week period in which he only abstained from “delicacies,” meat, and wine (Daniel 10:3). The two primary types mentioned in the Bible are the “absolute” and “supernatural absolute” fasts. These are total fasts – no food (solid or liquid) and no water. Paul went on an absolute fast for three days following his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:9). Moses and Elijah engaged in what must be considered a supernatural absolute fast of forty days (Deuteronomy 9:9; I Kings 19:8).
Why are you fasting?
Here at the network, we are doing it to get closer to Him, hear his voice or receive our breakthroughs. Consider your motives. There are times for all of us when the day – to – day business of life and the constant demands on our bodies seem to get in the way.
Somehow our pipeline gets clogged with carnal things, and the rushing stream of God’s power is reduced to a trickle in our lives. That is a good starting point, just seek the Lord in prayer and fasting for a Spiritual Breakthrough…so, start slowly. Fast for one meal a day, or one day a week, or one week a month. Build up your spiritual muscles.
I personally recommend and practice water and juice fasting, especially if you are going to fast for an extended period of time. This type of fast will provide you with more energy than absolute or water – only fasts and still lead you into the humbling experience of denying your desire for solid food that you can chew.
it comes to making your final decision about what type of fast is right for you, the best advice I can give you is to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. He will guide your heart and mind as to what is best for you. Remember, the most important consideration in fasting is that you dedicate it t God and ask Him to help you through it
Solemn Fast
Joel 2:15 (New Living Translation)
Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting.
Secret Fasting
Matthew 6:16 – 18
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Fasting for God's Intervention
Second Samuel 12:15 – 17
“And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick. David, therefore, sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.”
Solemn Meeting
Joel 2:15 (New Living Translation)
“Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting.”
Fasting to overcome addictions
Isaiah 56:3 – 7
“Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, on the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the Lord? “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him and not to hide from your own flesh?”