FASTING

Lesson 4

Fasting Dos, Don’ts, And Miscellany

WHAT A FAST IS NOT

1. Diet

A fast isn’t a time to diet, nor should your heart be to lose weight. Fasting, by biblical definition, is a time to afflict your soul, not trim your waistline. Though you may lose some weight, your heart should be set on seeking God and hearing from Him. If you are tempted to use fasting as a diet, either don’t fast until you can get your heart right or fast the foods you like and eat things you don’t like (e.g., vegetables, fish, oatmeal, etc.)

2. Business As Usual

A fast is not a time when your life is business as usual. Your lifestyle should change somewhat during a fast. You should be spending more time in prayer, more time in the Bible, perhaps even more time at church seeking God (Isaiah 58:1-4 NCV).

3. A Bragging Right

Fasting has the promise of public reward from God, but only if it is done with the right motives (Matthew 6:18). Going without food will not make you spiritual. The starving, pagan third world proves this fact every day, but going without food in order to seek God Almighty will make you spiritually mature. Don’t seek to wow man with your ability to withhold food from yourself. It is okay to let people around you know that you are fasting so that they can accommodate you, but do it with the right heart.

OTHER THINGS FASTING CAN ACCOMPLISH

Fasting can help keep your flesh submitted. Your flesh has cravings and desires that must be kept in check. Fasting helps to deny the flesh of the things it likes and wants. There is a power struggle between your flesh and your spirit. Fasting helps your spirit man win.

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. – 1 Corinthians 9:27

Fasting is often needed to cast devils out.

And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. – Mark 9:28-29

Jesus said this particular devil they were dealing with could come out by no other means but by prayer and fasting. Jesus had just come from praying and fasting on the mount of transfiguration.

Fasting is a way to amplify the voice of your prayers.

. . . Ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. – Isaiah 58:4b
Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. – Jeremiah 14:11-12

These two passages are in the negative because those fasting were sinful, but these verses indicate how God would normally hear prayers through fasting: as “a cry” and “as a voice heard on high.”

PROCLAIMING A FAST

You can choose to fast anytime you want in order to help your spiritual condition. The Bible also sets the precedent for spiritual leadership to proclaim a fast for the people under them in order to help that local entity’s (church, nation, kingdom, family) spiritual condition.

Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast for the entire kingdom in time of battle (2 Chronicles 20:1-15).
Esther requested that the Jews in Shushan fast for her for three days as she prepared to approach her husband the king (Esther 4:15-17).
Ezra proclaimed a fast at the River Ahava for all the men of the contingency returning to Jerusalem. They sought God for protection and guidance (Ezra 8:21).
King Jehoiakim proclaimed a one-day fast for Israel in the days of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:9).
The King of Nineveh proclaimed a fast for the entire kingdom, animals included (Jonah 3:5).
Joel called for a fast as the day of the LORD was at hand (Joel 1:14-15).
Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly (day of restraint) (Joel 2:15).

HOW LONG SHOULD I FAST?

The Bible offers examples for different lengths of fasts; however, the Bible does not offer a set prescription to the length of our fasting. We must let either our heart or the LORD determine the length of our fast.

The Day of Atonement fast was for only one day (Leviticus 16:29).
*Moses fasted for 40 days while on Mt. Horeb (Exodus 24:18). Moses was with God Himself for those 40 days.
*Elijah fasted for 40 days (1 Kings 19:8). An angel prepared Elijah’s last meal before his 40 day fast.
David fasted for one day at the death of Saul (2 Samuel 1:1-12), but he fasted and prayed 7 days for the life of his first son by Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:14-23).
Daniel fasted pleasant bread for three weeks, and he fasted the King’s food indefinitely (Daniel 1:8, 10:3).
Ezra fasted for 12 days before he left Babylon for Jerusalem (Ezra 7:9, 8:21-23, 31).
*Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2; Luke 4:2). This was the Son of God preparing for His ministry launch.
Jesus’ disciples and followers fasted for three days while they traveled with Him (Matthew 15:32).
Paul fasted for three days after his Damascus Road conversion (Acts 9:8-9).

No scripture, or set of scriptures, give us a special formula for fasting time lengths based on problems or afflictions. Allow God to direct you or fast until you get what you are searching for.

*Note: Please remember, medically your body can only safely go without food for approximately forty days and without water for about four days. These longer Bible fasts involved some very supernatural elements that are generally not afforded to you or me. Use wisdom when fasting and seeking the LORD.

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FASTING

Lesson 4

Fasting Dos, Don’ts, And Miscellany

WHAT A FAST IS NOT

1. Diet

2. Business As Usual

A fast is not a time when your life is business as usual. Your lifestyle should change somewhat during a fast. You should be spending more time in prayer, more time in the Bible, perhaps even more time at church seeking God (Isaiah 58:1-4 NCV).

3. A Bragging Right

OTHER THINGS FASTING CAN ACCOMPLISH

Fasting can help keep your flesh submitted. Your flesh has cravings and desires that must be kept in check. Fasting helps to deny the flesh of the things it likes and wants. There is a power struggle between your flesh and your spirit. Fasting helps your spirit man win.

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. – 1 Corinthians 9:27

Fasting is often needed to cast devils out.

And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. – Mark 9:28-29

Jesus said this particular devil they were dealing with could come out by no other means but by prayer and fasting. Jesus had just come from praying and fasting on the mount of transfiguration.

Fasting is a way to amplify the voice of your prayers.

. . . Ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. – Isaiah 58:4b

Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. – Jeremiah 14:11-12

These two passages are in the negative because those fasting were sinful, but these verses indicate how God would normally hear prayers through fasting: as “a cry” and “as a voice heard on high.”

PROCLAIMING A FAST

You can choose to fast anytime you want in order to help your spiritual condition. The Bible also sets the precedent for spiritual leadership to proclaim a fast for the people under them in order to help that local entity’s (church, nation, kingdom, family) spiritual condition.

Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast for the entire kingdom in time of battle (2 Chronicles 20:1-15).

Esther requested that the Jews in Shushan fast for her for three days as she prepared to approach her husband the king (Esther 4:15-17).

Ezra proclaimed a fast at the River Ahava for all the men of the contingency returning to Jerusalem. They sought God for protection and guidance (Ezra 8:21).

King Jehoiakim proclaimed a one-day fast for Israel in the days of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:9).

The King of Nineveh proclaimed a fast for the entire kingdom, animals included (Jonah 3:5).

Joel called for a fast as the day of the LORD was at hand (Joel 1:14-15).

Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly (day of restraint) (Joel 2:15).

HOW LONG SHOULD I FAST?

The Bible offers examples for different lengths of fasts; however, the Bible does not offer a set prescription to the length of our fasting. We must let either our heart or the LORD determine the length of our fast.

The Day of Atonement fast was for only one day (Leviticus 16:29).

*Moses fasted for 40 days while on Mt. Horeb (Exodus 24:18). Moses was with God Himself for those 40 days.

*Elijah fasted for 40 days (1 Kings 19:8). An angel prepared Elijah’s last meal before his 40 day fast.

David fasted for one day at the death of Saul (2 Samuel 1:1-12), but he fasted and prayed 7 days for the life of his first son by Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:14-23).

Daniel fasted pleasant bread for three weeks, and he fasted the King’s food indefinitely (Daniel 1:8, 10:3).

Ezra fasted for 12 days before he left Babylon for Jerusalem (Ezra 7:9, 8:21-23, 31).

*Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2; Luke 4:2). This was the Son of God preparing for His ministry launch.

Jesus’ disciples and followers fasted for three days while they traveled with Him (Matthew 15:32).

Paul fasted for three days after his Damascus Road conversion (Acts 9:8-9).

No scripture, or set of scriptures, give us a special formula for fasting time lengths based on problems or afflictions. Allow God to direct you or fast until you get what you are searching for.

Listen Along: