Why do we fast?
1) In
obedience to God’s Word
(Joel
2:12-15; see also 2 Corinthians 6:4-6 & Matthew 9:15)
2) We
fast to humble ourselves before God and obtain His grace and power.
James
4:10, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
3) We
fast to overcome temptations in areas that keep us from moving in God’s power.
(See
Luke 4 regarding Jesus’ overcoming temptations of the devil through fasting and
prayer)
4) We
fast to be purified from sin (and to help others become purified as well)
Certain
sins seem to keep popping up in our lives.
Jesus wants us to defeat these entangling sins in our own lives. (see
Daniel 9:3-5)
5) We
fast to become weak before God so that God’s power can be strong through us.
Fasting
is a choice FOR GOD and AGAINST THE FLESH.
(See 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; Psalm 109:24-28)
6) We
fast to obtain God’s support in order to accomplish His will.
Anytime
you are trying to accomplish God’s will and before you make any kind of major
decision in that regard, you need to fast and seek the counsel of God
(See
Acts 13:3-4; 14:23)
7) We
fast in times of crisis.
(See
the book of Esther; 4:15-16; also 2 Chronicles 20
8) We
fast when seeking God’s direction
(See
Ezra 8:21-23)
9) We
fast for understanding and divine revelation
(See
Jeremiah 36:6)
What are the Benefits of
Fasting?
1)
You
are humbling yourself
James
4:6, “…God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
2)
You
will see life’s priorities more clearly
3)
You
will see balance return to areas of your life where there is imbalance.
4)
Your
selfish ambition and pride will begin to leave.
5)
You
will be more sensitive to God’s spirit and the gifts of the spirit can flow
through you more easily.
6) Your
hidden areas of weakness or susceptibility will rise to the surface so that God
can deal with them. (This is what I like to call soul scum).
7)
It
establishes in you self-control and makes you more selfless.
Anytime
you’re approaching the ministry of any kind of healing or deliverance, you need
to fast. It postures you in humility
(acknowledging your need for God’s help).
When
we sin and continue in a pattern of sin, we open doors to the enemy to set up a
kingdom in our mind (part of our soul) beginning with a foothold and then
continuing in strength to become a stronghold.
This is called demonic oppression.
The
three levels of sin are:
1)
To
yield to temptation (a thought brought on be your own desires) to sin, to be
quickly convicted, to repent and stop sinning.
2)
To
yield to temptation, to sin and enjoy it for a season all the while being
convicted and soon after repenting and asking for prayer and accountability
while you resist your own flesh until you’re under control again.
3)
To
yield to temptation, to enjoy it and to ignore convictions so long that before
you know it, you’re no longer in control.
This
is how a sin turns into a foothold and then into a stronghold.
What
we want to do through fasting is for our areas of weakness and also our areas
of need (that we may be unaware of) to rise to the surface so that we can
submit to God, resist the enemy, and have him leave that stronghold and then
leave us alone.
Many
forms of demonic oppression will yield to the anointing of the word of command
spoken by Spirit-filled believers. That
is why encounter speakers and guides fast and pray before an encounter.
Many
forms of demonic oppression will not respond without your participation in
engaging the enemy along with the person ministering to you which would happen
easier through humbling yourself through fasting.
This
resistance to spiritual authority is commonly seen in cases of chronic
drunkenness, alcoholism, drug addiction, homosexuality, witchcraft and occult
involvement as well as with suicide attempts, depression, and rebellion.
Spirits
influencing a person’s soul due to these sin patterns do not willingly let go
without a humility in both the minister and the person receiving ministry.
The Pathway to Repentance
leads to Triumph
The
first step to deliverance is repentance.
You will not get free without it.
Sin opens the door to the enemy every time, either through doing
something you shouldn’t or not doing something you should.
Some
of us fight depression, others constantly battle evil tempers and fits of
rage. We all need to echo the prayer of
King Jehoshaphat in the Old Testament by saying, “Before this enemy I have no
might. I humble myself; now give me the
victory.” This releases the Lord to
cleanse us on the inside, thus driving out any spiritual force of wickedness
that holds us captive to do his will.
How Long do I fast?
Start
with one day each week. Then progress to
3 days. You can fast 7 days, 14 days, 21
days, 40 days. All of these are in the
Bible. Mostly, fast regularly in
moderation and fast at length as the Lord leads or as you have the needs
outlined in the beginning of this study.
What Should I do when I fast?
Fasting
combined with prayer is the best route to take. If you absolutely cannot do
this because of your schedule, make sure you find time to pray each day and
more than usual when you can get to it.
But the best way is to take the actual time you would spend eating a
meal and go somewhere and get on your knees.
Feel the hunger and give it to the Lord as an offering. You are drawing the strength you would
normally get from food from Him during this time. You are creating hunger for Him. This is only done through fasting and it is
your job, not His. Fasting without
prayer is nothing more than a hunger strike.
It accomplishes little more than detoxing your body.
Will Fasting Cure Anything?
Fasting
is not a cure-all. It will bring you
into victory in the Spirit realm, but it does not mean you can fast and still
go on sinning! Remember, you must
repent of your sins before you can be released from the power of your
sins. Fasting is not a cure, it is a
weapon. You were born in a war and you
were born for war. Pick up your weapons
and fight!
Never Fast to Impress Others
If
you want to obey God and incorporate regular fasting into your life, do it as
secretly as possible.
Matthew
6:1, “Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen
by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”
How will I feel During a
Fast?
Particularly
if you are not eating at all, you may get a headache, you may have chills, you
may feel slightly nauseated; among other side effects. This is because there are accumulated poisons
stored up in your body that are being purged when you rest your intestines and
stomach. Secular health authorities say
that a one day a week fast is great for your health for this very reason. However, after about the 3rd day
of a fast, the hunger usually passes and you begin to feel better and can go on
for a while longer.
What if I Break My Fast in a
Moment of Weakness?
Remember
that God has a sense of humor. If you
try a 3 day fast and you only make it 1 ½ days because you had to ride with
someone to McDonald’s, give yourself and break and rejoice that you made it
that far and know that God is pleased with your desire to get closer to
Him. Then try to do better next
time—just make sure there is a next time.
Remember, it’s all about your pursuing a relationship with Him. You can have as much as you want.
What are the Different Types
of Fasts?
1) Complete
Fast
This
is the most severe fast—going without food or water. You can only do this fast 3 days. Physiologically, the body cannot be without
water for more than 3 days and survive.
The Scriptures say that Jesus did not eat when He fasted for 40 days in
the wilderness, but notice that it does not say that he didn’t drink.
2) Normal
Fast
Abstinence
from all food, but normal intake of water.
In fact, drinking more water than normal is good during a fast, because
those toxins need a ride out of your body.
3) Daniel
fast or partial fast
Daniel
and his buddies ate no pleasant food – meat, wine, sweets, etc. They lived on veggies, grains, &
water. God honors this type of fast as
much as any. You can also fast certain
meals.
4) Fasting
other than food
You
can fast media (to keep a clear head), fasting your time in service to others;
you can fast words, fellowship, and marital relations (but only for a season
the Bible says so that you do not succumb to temptation).
5) The
Fasted Lifestyle
Youth
and adults all over the world In these last days are adopting a fasted
lifestyle where they give up meats and sweets or television and
movies—something to sacrifice or things that distract and have committed
themselves to a Levitical call to prayer.
Some are called to do it. Some
choose to do it. Either way, it is a bold
and powerful move toward increased Kingdom power.
In Conclusion…
If
you are fasting food, avoid acidic juices that can overwhelm your system. Never break a fast with a large meal as this
can shock your system and cause sickness and even death if severe enough. Also try not to overload your system with
sugar. Diluting juices with water helps
in both cases.
Respect
your body. Remember, you are trusting in
the Lord for your strength, but this is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Listen to your body when it is complaining of
more than just hunger. You can tell your
hunger to shut up, but heed warnings of low blood sugar, diabetes, or anemia,
etc.
Remember,
fasting is not about moving God as much as it is about moving us into a place
of purity and vulnerability to be a vessel that God can flow through whether He
is cleaning us out or moving through us after we’re clean to help someone else.
We’re
the vessel, He is the treasure.
