Fasting

What Is Fasting?

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.

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.

Here is a five-step checklist for fasting that will help you put yourself in a position to receive from God.

  1. Decide the purpose of the fast. No matter what you are seeking from the Lord, decide before you begin what you wish to obtain through your effort. Find God’s promises that cover your situation, and believe you receive before the fast begins. Faith brings the results you desire, and faith is born out of the Word of God, not out of fasting.
  1. Proclaim the fast before the Lord.
  1. Believe you receive the reward (Matthew 6:18)—before the fast. The reward will probably be related to the first step. The purpose of the fast will have a great deal to do with the rewards involved. If you are fasting for revelation knowledge, the reward would be receiving the knowledge you desire.
  1. Minister to the Lord. One of the best things you can do to learn how to minister to the Lord is to read the Psalms. You minister to Him by speaking of His mighty works. When you begin to praise and minister to Him, He will get involved with you! You need to fellowship with Him, and He needs to hear your praise and thanksgiving.
  1. Always minister to others after the fast. You need to use the spiritual power within you to meet the needs of people. If you fast according to the Word of God, you will be spiritually built up.

Fasting simply brings the spirit man which is in union with the Holy Spirit into ascendance over the flesh. It also limits the influence of the physical appetites so that you can more effectively hear from and respond to the Spirit. It is important for you to understand that it’s not the fasting itself that brings the deliverance. Jesus has already obtained deliverance through the complete work of redemption. Fasting is not a method of twisting God’s arm to get Him to respond when you pray. Fasting does not change God, it changes you!

 

 

Written with permission from Kenneth Copeland Ministries©

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UNDERSTANDING FASTING

 

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).

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