All about fasting...or at least what I learned from a piece of paper.
Encountering the Heart of God: A Guide to Fasting
What is Fasting?
Biblical fasting is abstaining from food for a spiritual purpose.
Where is fasting in the Bible?
In the Old Testament, God's people observed fasts...
*Nehemiah 9: 1-3
1-3 Then on the twenty-fourth day of this month, the People of Israel gathered for a fast, wearing burlap and faces smudged with dirt as signs of repentance. The Israelites broke off all relations with foreigners, stood up, and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their parents. While they stood there in their places, they read from the Book of The Revelation of God, their God, for a quarter of the day. For another quarter of the day they confessed and worshiped their God.
*Esther 4:15-16
15-16 Esther sent back her answer to Mordecai: "Go and get all the Jews living in Susa together. Fast for me. Don't eat or drink for three days, either day or night. I and my maids will fast with you. If you will do this, I'll go to the king, even though it's forbidden. If I die, I die."
*Daniel 9:3
I turned to the Master God, asking for an answer—praying earnestly, fasting from meals, wearing rough penitential burlap, and kneeling in the ashes.
*Joel 2:12
12 But there's also this, it's not too late—
God's personal Message!—
"Come back to me and really mean it!
Come fasting and weeping, sorry for your sins!"
In the New Testament Christ and the church practiced fasting...
*Matthew 4:2
Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger
*Matthew 6:16
When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it.
*Acts 10:30
Cornelius said, "Four days ago at about this time, midafternoon, I was home praying. Suddenly there was a man right in front of me, flooding the room with light.
*Acts 14:23
Paul and Barnabas handpicked leaders in each church. After praying— their prayers intensified by fasting—they presented these new leaders to the Master to whom they had entrusted their lives.
*Bible verses are from The Message version.
Types of Fasts
A. Fast of Types
A fast of types means that you avoid eating a particular type of food, such as meat, dairy, leavened bread, alcohol, and sweet breads. This type of fast was utilized by Daniel in the book of Daniel chapter 1. This type of fast is modeled after the popular "Daniel Fast." We recomment you eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and leaven-free bread during this type of fast. Fruit/Vegetable juices, plant based drinks, and distilled water conform perfectly with the guidelines of this fast.
For this type of fast, we recommend you select a particular food group(s) and observe periods of abstinence from that food(s).
B. Fast a Meal
This fast is exactly what it sounds like. Skip one meal per day of your choosing. Some folks call this a partial fast. Use your time of fasting to pray and meditate on the Lord. Be sure to remain hydrated. Drinking fluids can help some with the hunger pangs during the fast. Juices may be indicated for some individuals depending on health status.
C. Fast a Day
If you are just beginning to fast, this may not be the best choice; however, for those who have fasted in the past and are comfortable going the day without food, this may be the fast for you. We do not recommend skipping any fluids with this fast. This is strictly a fast of solid foods only. For this fast be sure you drink at least a gallon of fluid throughout the day, unless otherwise medically indicated. Drink a combination of distilled water, fruit/vegetable juice, and broth. Broth makes a great replacement for lunch and dinner.
There are obviously many types of fasts, and these are just a few. Seek out the scriptures on fasting to see what God reveals.
We encourage you to enter your time of fasting with prayer and supplication. Let the Lord dictate to you the duration and commitment of your fast. The only wrong way to fast is as a Pharisee (see Matthew 6). For those with potential medical limitations, please consult a physician before committing to a fast. Healthy individuals may also want to seek medical clearance prior to fasting.
The sole purpose of these 40 days of prayer and fasting is to bring us closer to the heart of God. We want to encounter the heart of God and see and love people the way our heavenly Father does. We want to see revival in the church and a Great Spiritual Awakening in our communities. We want to see multiplication!
This Fasting 101 was brought to you by Living Truth Church. To find out more information about our church, including our location, please visit: http://www.livingtruthchurch.com/
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