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Fasting is a Lifestyle of Christians
Fasting is abstaining from solid food or nutrients usually accompanied by prayer.
Fasting is taught and practiced not only during the Old Testament times but even during the New Testament.
The teaching of JESUS on fasting – Matt. 6:16-18
The Lord expects every believer to fast, because HE says” “When you fast.” (v. 16 & 17)
The practice of JESUS in fasting – Luke 4:1-2, 14
All the miracles of JESUS were done after HIS prayer and fasting. So, “JESUS returned in the power of the Spirit” (v.14) after HIS prayer and fasting. Prayer and fasting ushered in the power in the life of JESUS.
Ministry of the LORD – Acts 13:1-3
The early church (at Antioch) fasted and prayed. These prayers and fasting were described as ministering to the LORD (see v.2).
Missionaries were born out of the collective prayer and fasting of the Antioch Church Leaders.
Another round of prayer and fasting in verse 3 was made in order to receive directions for the missionaries and empower them for the work.
Appointing Leaders – Acts 14:21-23
Notice that in verse 21 and 22, the Christians were simply called disciples. But after prayer and fasting, elders were appointed “in every church”. The local church began after prayer and fasting.
Deliverance Ministry – Matt. 17:21
Fasting gives or enhances the power in prayer.
GOD’s Chosen Fast – Isaiah 58:6, 8,9
GOD has a chose fast in order to:
Loose the bonds of wickedness;
Undo the heavy burdens;
Let the oppressed go free;
Break every yoke;
See healing “spring forth speedily” (v. 8);
Hear God’s answer – “You shall call and the LORD will answer” – v. 9 and
Be fully aware of GOD’s presence – “you shall cry and HE will say: “Here I am” – v-9.
Fasting can be declared by the leaders in a congregation.
Esther 4:-16; Ezra 8:21-23; Jonah 3-6-8,10
Fasting is the Best Way to Discipline the Body – 1 Cor. 9:27
The body is a good servant, but it is a terrible master. Fasting disciplines the body, so that the Holy Spirit is free to work in us.
Kinds of Fasting
Fasting may be classified into:
Ordinary Fasting – abstaining from solid food or nutrients, but may drink water and/or fruit juices.
Total Fasting – complete abstinence from all food and liquid. And example of this is done by Moses in Deut. 9:18. This kind of fasting may be done upon the clear and expressed command of the LORD\.
Partial Fasting – the one fasting does not eat “pleasant food.” Example of this is found in Daniel 10:3.
Practical Things to Remember in Fasting.
Drink plenty of clean water about 8 to 12 glasses daily.
Be careful in breaking a long fast. Eat slowly and only a small amount of food. Do not over-eat.
Ripe fresh fruit and fruit juices are good for breaking a fast.
Avoid physically strenuous work during the fast. Doing so will cause dizziness.
FASTING IS A LIFE STYLE OF CHRISTIANS:
What is fasting? It is abstaining from any solid foods or nutrients usually accompanied by prayer.
Some Christian leaders believe that fasting is no longer applicable today because we are now under grace. They believe that fasting was valid only during the Old Testament times. Is this true?
No. This is wrong because fasting is taught and practiced even during the New Testament time.
The Lord Jesus Himself taught about fasting, we read in Matthew 6:16-18:
“Moreover when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ‘But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
So the Lord is expecting every Christian to fast, because He says “When you fast” (v. 16 & 17). What the Lord does not like are those who are fasting in order “that they may appear to men to be fasting.” Jesus calls these men hypocrites. So the Lord is asking us to fast in secret so that “your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (v.18).”
The Lord did not only teach fasting, but He Himself fasted. In Luke 4:1 & 2 we read:
“Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.”
After fasting and praying, “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit” (v. 14). Notice that in verse 1 of Luke 4, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. But after prayer and fasting, Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit in v. 14. All the miracles of Jesus were done after His prayer and fasting. This means that prayer and fasting usher in the power in the life of Jesus. Fasting gives power to our prayers.
MINISTRY TO THE LORD
The church at Antioch also fasted in Acts 13:1-3:
“Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.”
Notice in verse 2 that the prayer and fasting were described as ministering to the Lord. Before we minister to people, we have to minister to the Lord. Ministry to the Lord comes before ministry to men. Why? Because the Lord gives us direction and the power we need to minister to men effectively. How do we minister to the Lord? By prayer and fasting. What was the result of their prayer and fasting? The Holy Spirit spoke and separated Barnabas and Paul for missionary work. In other words, missionaries in the Antioch church were born out of the collective prayer and fasting of the leaders.
The leaders had another round of prayer and fasting in verse 3. Why? In order to receive direction for the missionaries and to empower them for the work.
APPOINTING LEADERS
Another example of prayer and fasting is in Acts 14:21-23:
“And when they had preached the Gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystria, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls if the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’ So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”
Notice that in verses 21 & 22, the Christian were simply called disciples. But in verse 23, they were called the church after elders were appointed. How were the elders appointed? Through prayer and fasting.
DELIVERANCE MINISTRY:
In Matthew 17:21, the Lord says:
“However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
The Lord was explaining why the disciples could not cast out the demon just by prayer (see Matthew 17:14-19). Jesus said that in order to cast out this kind of demon, their prayer had to be accompanied by fasting. This means that fasting gives us power to prayer.
One day a sister reported that her brother became very violent, boxing people and uttering blasphemies. So, they had to restrain their brother by tying his hands and feet. We went to see the brother (blood brother of the sister who is a believer) and found him to be demon possessed. We started to cast out the evil spirit, but after two hours of doing so we were not making any progress. So we asked the Lord what we should do and the Lord said we should fast for three days. I asked my companions (two brothers) to join me in prayer and fasting for three days. I also asked the family of the victim to join us in our fasting. After the three-day fasting, we returned to the victim and we immediately cast out the evil spirit in a short time. Fasting gives power to prayer.
GOD’S CHOSEN FAST:
Now that we have seen that fasting was taught and practiced even in the New Testament, then we can conclude that fasting is for today. So we can go now to the Old Testament and read Isaiah 58:6 & 8 & 9.
“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry and He will say, ‘Here I am’…”
God has a chosen fast. Why does God chose a fast for His people? The reasons are enumerated in verse 6, namely:
to loose the bonds of wickedness;
to undo the heavy burdens;
to let the oppressed go free; and
to break every yoke.
Some examples of bonds of wickedness are people who are bound by bad habits, anger, homosexuality or masturbation. A brother came to me for counseling. He had a problem with drinking. He was a compulsive drinker. After we prayed, I was led to tell him to fast for three days. He did, and he was delivered. The body has appetites and desires that may leas us to sin. Everytime a Christian is fasting, he is telling to his body “you are servant not master.” The body is a good servant but a terrible master. Fasting disciplines the body, so that the Holy Spirit is free to work in us. That is why in 1 Corinthians 9:27 Paul said:
DISCIPLINE THE BODY
“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” 1 Corinthians 9:27.
Fasting is the best way to discipline the body. The bonds of wickedness are likewise loosened thru fasting.
Some examples of people under heavy burdens are those who suffer depression, or are under the spirit of poverty. A sister, for no apparent reason, had bouts of depression every two months. She felt depressed for about a week. I told her to fast and pray during these times of depression and she was delivered. Praise the Lord!
HEALING
Another effect of fasting is mentioned in verse 8: “Your healing shall spring forth speedily.” Let me give some examples. Several brothers were healed of ulcer after fasting from one to three days.
A sister was scheduled for operation because of stones in her gall bladder, which caused extreme pain. But the Lord spoke to a group, and they and the sister concerned jointly fasted and prayed for four days. On the last day, the stones were ejected while the sister was urinating.
STRONG PRESENCE
Verse 9 gives us two more effects of fasting: God’s answer (you shall call and the Lord will answer) and God’s Presence (you shall cry and He will say Here I am).
The Bible gives us several examples of prayer and fasting that bring about victory and deliverance: 2 Chronicles 20:1-10; Esther 4:16-17, 8:1-17; Ezra 8:21-23; and Jonah 3:5-20.
DECLARED BY LEADERS
Fasting can be declared by the leaders in a congregation as shown in the examples above the Esther, Ezra and Jonah.
KINDS OF FASTING
Fasting may be classified into the following:
Ordinary Fasting – abstaining from solid food or nutrients, but may drink water and/or fruit juices.
Total Fasting – complete abstinence from all food and liquid. And example of this is done by Moses in Deut. 9:18. This kind of fasting may be done upon the clear and expressed command of the LORD\.
Partial Fasting – the one fasting does not eat “pleasant food.” Example of this is found in Daniel 10:3.
Here are some practical things to remember in fasting. Drink plenty of clean water from 8-12 glasses daily. Be very careful in breaking a long fast by eating only a very small amount at first. Total fasting, or complete abstinence from all food and liquid, may be done only upon clear and express command of the Lord. Breaking the fast with ripe fresh fruits and fruit juices is advisable. Before going for a long fast (more than a week) ask for confirmation from the Lord. Total fasting or complete abstinence from all food and liquid, may be done only upon clear and expressed command of the Lord.
FASTING: GUIDE QUESTIONS
What is fasting?
Does God want us to fast? Why?
Can fasting be declared by leaders in the local church?
ANSWERS:
It is abstaining from any solid food or nutrients usually done in times of prayer.
God wants us to fast for the following purposes:
to loose the bonds of wickedness.
to undo heavy burdens
to set the oppressed free
to break every yoke
to bring healing
to give more power to prayer
to discipline the body.
3. YES