By Rev. Michael Mwangi
Senior Pastor, Fedha Church KAG
Isaiah 58: 4-14
What is Fasting?
Wikipedia
Fasting is the willing abstinence or reduction from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast or dry fasting is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period. Other fasts may be partially restrictive, limiting only particular foods or substances, or be intermittent.
BIblically:
Matt 6: 6
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
it is not optional but it is expected of you just like prayers (v5)
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
Fasting goes together with prayers
It is essentially giving up food (or something else) for a period of time in order to focus your thoughts on God. While fasting, many people read the Bible, pray, or worship. We become more spiritual-conscious.
Fasting is simply denying ourselves the precious that God may have the most of us
Why pray and fast
We fast and pray so as to stir up our zeal and renew our dedication and commitment to God.
Psalms 35:13
Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth
and humbled myself with fasting.
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
King David wrote that he “humbled himself with fasting” Fasting is a means of getting our minds back on the reality that we are not self-sufficient. Fasting is a way of humbling ourselves and helps us realize just how weak we are and how much we need to depend on Him
Mark 17:21[But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.]
Fasting empowers us to overcoming spiritual warfare or evil powers (breakthrough)
Key decisions on fasting
- Deciding what to abstain from is one of the choices you must make when preparing to fast.
- The other thing is about the type of fast you will undertake. Will you be fasting privately or with a group?
- Fasting is private and personal
15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Fasting
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
Proper fasting focuses on God and others as we draw attention from ourselves
Effective fasting
Isaiah 58:6-7. fasting goes together with showing love just and kindness. Righteousness or holy living is the basis of effective prayer and fasting
James 5:16
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Types of fasting
1.Regular Fast
Traditionally, a regular fast means refraining from eating all food. Most people still drink water or juice during a regular fast. When Jesus fasted in the desert, the Bible says, "After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry."
2.Partial Fast
This type of fast generally refers to omitting a specific meal from your diet or refraining from certain types of foods.
Daniel 10:2-3 says, "At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over."
In Daniel 1:12, they restricted their diet to vegetables and water: "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink."
This partial fast can be inform of missing meals times in a day and having one meal in a day. 6 to 6 for a given duration.
3.Full Fast
These fasts are complete - no food and no drink.
Acts 9:9 describes when Paul went on a full fast for three days following his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus: "For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything."
Esther also called for this type of fast in
Esther 4:15-16: "Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 'Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. It is recommended that this type of fast be done with extreme caution and not for extended periods of time.
4.Supplementary fasting
Choosing to give up something that you need or value for an extended period of time. One non-food extended fast would be to get up an hour earlier each day for a month in order to pray, worship, or read Scripture or a Christian book. Such a move can change our lives.
Some give up entertainment such as TV or movies to concentrate on prayer. Others fast from sleep or another activity for a specified period of time.
5.Sexual Fast
1 Corinthians 7:3-6 says,
"Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer
Rev Mike’s Parting Shot
Fasting without prayer has no spiritual significance. It is simply a hunger strike.
Fasting is not easy. It is a battle against the fresh and needs grace, commitment, strength and faith.
Pray against opposition and enticements (temptations)
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