My Experience with Fasting

This past week has been on fasting. We have explored what it is, how to fast, the effects of fasting, the power of fasting, and what you get out of fasting. I wouldn't tell anyone to fast unless I have done it myself. What I can tell you is, fasting is an experience. It really served as that reset button I needed to reconnect with God on a higher level. I felt cleansed. I felt renewed. I felt all around good. My reasons for fasting is personal, but I am believing God that everything comes to pass.
Honestly, I wasn't too excited about fasting. I wasn't even considering fasting. It wasn't until my boyfriend started his fast of no meats or snacks for 40 days that I actually became interested in what fasting actually was. It tried his best to explain it to me, however in the end, I had to experience it for my self. From 6am to 6pm I didn't eat anything for 7 days. Whenever I got weary or SUPER hungry I prayed and talk to the Lord. I read the bible. Fasting forced me to take my yearning for food and turn it into a yearning for God.
I say to you to experience fasting for your self. Food is not the only way to fast. You can fast tv, you can fast cell phones, you can fast video games, etc. I just say when you do fast, take it seriously. You must truly seek God. You must truly understand what you are doing and trying to accomplish.
Read Matt 6. That got me through my week of fasting. Until next time...

How Does Fasting Help

HOW DOES FASTING HELP?

By Bill Bright

Fasting is also a primary means of restoration. By humbling our souls, fasting releases the Holy Spirit to do His special work of revival in us. This changes our relationship with God forever, taking us into a deeper life in Christ and giving us a greater awareness of God's reality and presence in our lives.

Fasting reduces the power of self so that the Holy Spirit can do a more intense work within us. It also helps in other ways:

• IT BRINGS A YIELDEDNESS, EVEN A HOLY BROKENNESS, RESULTING IN INNER CALM AND SELF-CONTROL.
• IT RENEWS SPIRITUAL VISION AND FAITH.
• IT INSPIRES DETERMINATION TO FOLLOW GOD'S REVEALED PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE.

The discipline of fasting made a powerful impact in the life of Andrew Murray, who wrote, "Fasting helps to express, to deepen, and to confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice everything, [even] ourselves to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God."

FASTING BRINGS POWER

The early church recognized fasting as a means to obtaining spiritual power. In his book God's Chosen Fast, Arthur Wallis writes, "Fasting is calculated to bring a note of urgency and [persistence] into our praying, and to give force to our pleas in the court of heaven."

But over the years, Wallis continues, "as spirituality waned and worldliness flourished in the churches, the power and gifts of the Spirit were withdrawn."

This same spiritual erosion can and does occur in the life of the believer today. But God's Word declares fasting and prayer as a powerful means for causing the fire of God to fall again in a person's life.

This fire produces the fruit of the Spirit--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22)--but especially the fruit of righteousness and spiritual power over lusts of the flesh and the lies of the enemy of our souls.

In is book Fasting, author and teacher Derek Prince describes fasting as "a tremendous lesson in establishing who is the master and who is the servant. Remember, your body is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master." And, according to Galatians 5:17, the flesh, or carnal nature, always strives to be in control.

As fasting and prayer bring surrender of body, soul, and spirit to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, they also generate a heightened sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit; they create a fresh, clean joy and a restored determination to serve God. In short, they bring personal revival. Our spiritual power does not lie in money, genius, plans, or dedicated work. Rather, power for spiritual conquest comes from the Holy Spirit as people seek God's face in consecrated diligent prayer with fasting.

FASTING IN GOD'S WORD

As revealed by just a cursory look at any concordance, fasting is mentioned frequently in God's Holy Word. Often it is associated with weeping and other acts of humility before God. In Joel 2:12-13 the Lord commanded:

Return to me with all your heart, With fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God.

In the Old Testament, fasting was the way individuals and the people humbled themselves (Ps. 35:13; 69:10; Isa. 58:5). God's people have always fasted to humble themselves, to receive cleansing of their sins by effective repentance, for spiritual renewal, and for special helps. Ezra called a fast to seek God's protection for the Jews returning from Babylon to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:21).

Concerning Ezra, Edith Schaeffer writes in The Life of Prayer:

This serious fasting and prayer, bowing humbly before God with repentance and concern for His mercy, took place in the context of practical need--for protection and guidance, for help in choices and for the supply of material things.

In the New Testament, Luke records the account of a prophetess named Anna who in her eighties "never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying" (Luke 2:37).

Jesus set the example by fasting forty days after His baptism. For Jesus it was a matter of when believers would fast, not if they would do it. He spoke in these terms: "When you give to the needy...when you pray...when you fast" (Matthew 6:2,5,16).

Prophets and teachers fasted at Antioch (Acts 13:1-2), and Paul--who wrote much of the New Testament--said he was "in fastings often" (2 Cor. 11:27 NKJV).

For believers, then, the question is not "Should I fast?" but " When will I fast?"

WHEN TO FAST

Some teach that you should fast only when led or prompted by the Holy Spirit to do so. But being led by the Spirit and hearing the Spirit involve a highly subjective, personal area of the Christian life. Believers do not always hear accurately, especially if God is asking them to do something they do not want to do.

The flesh will surely try to override inner promptings to abstain from food. God may be calling you to fast, but the flesh may be saying, "That's just your imagination. How is fasting going to get you out of this situation?"

Once you learn the purpose and benefits of fasting, you are free to proclaim a fast whenever you sense the desire to draw close to God in a dynamic way or feel the need to seek special help from Him.

Those who consistently practice fasting know instinctively when to do so. They recognize certain spiritual conditions and life circumstances as the signal to "bear down" spiritually. I try to live according to Philippeans 2:13: "It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

In his book Fasting: A Biblical Historical Study, by R.D. Chatham tells of a pastor's wife who kept a diary of her fasts. She recorded how she and her husband were changing pastorates and felt overwhelmed by their new responsibilities and realized they needed God's help. Together they fasted for ten days. She said that if she had not fasted--and as a result received special strength from the Lord--she would have "gone under."

Of course, the still, small voice of the Spirit, always consistent with the Word of God, will tell us what to do if we will only listen. There are times when the Holy Spirit will prompt you to fast. On another page in her diary, the pastor's wife reported, "Monday: I awoke feeling the need to go on a fast." Such prompting of the Holy Spirit can come anytime, anyplace.

It is particularly important to receive a leading of the Lord before beginning an extended spiritual fast. If you undertake a long fast simply on your own, you may run into difficulties. But if the Lord leads you into a protracted fast, He will give you the strength to carry it out.

In 1994 God impressed me over a period of several months that He wanted me to fast for forty days. But I was not sure I could fast for that long. Even so, I began my fast with the prayer, "Lord, I will fast as long as You will enable me. I am looking to You to help me. I am claiming Your promise recorded in Isaiah 40:31, "Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (NKJV). God was faithful to His promise. That fast was the greatest forty days of my life spiritually up until that time.

I have since fasted with great blessing for forty days in 1995 and again in 1996. In 1997, as I write, I am beginning my fourth forty-day fast. My wife, Vonette, is joining me in this adventure to seek God's face.

Beginning A Fast

If you are fasting for the first time, you might begin by missing a meal or two. Over time, you can build up to a full day or more. Begin by refraining from solid food, but drink liquids. Water is the best, since soft drinks 'poison' the digestive system and inhibit the purifying process, and coffee and tea stimulate the nervous system. Before beginning the fast it is best to eat lightly and cut back on caffeinated drinks. However, during the first few days of the fast, it is common to experience headaches as the body withdraws from and removes caffeine.

During your fast set aside specific and significant time to worship and seek God. Plan where you'll he, so your time can he unhurried and conducive to enjoying the Lord. Many people begin this time by repenting of any sins the Holy Spirit brings to mind and asking for God's forgiveness. This is essential to ensure that sin is not hindering your communication with God.

Then plan time to make your requests known to God and to seek His will. Take breaks to study Scripture passages you have chosen. Don't rush your fellowship with God. Take time to listen. Keep a notebook and pen nearby to record the ideas, insights, directions and instructions He impresses on your mind. When you turn down the "noise of western civilization" by fasting, you can more easily hear God.

Prayer and Fasting

When you think of fasting, what image comes to mind? A self-righteous Pharisee? An ascetic monk? For many of us, these are cultural stereotypes of a person who abstains from food and prays. Often we are confused about the purpose of fasting. Fortunately, Scripture provides many examples both in the Old and New Testaments of how fasting can make a difference in our lives and ministries.

God considers fasting important, and His Word contains 92 passages mentioning it Many of our heroes of the faith, including Moses, Elijah, Esther, Nehemiah, Daniel and Paul, fasted at crucial points.

Jesus both taught and modeled fasting. After being anointed by the Holy Spirit, He was led into the wilderness to fast and pray for 40 days (Matthew 4:2). During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave specific instructions on how to fast (Matthew 6:16-18). Jesus knew the followers He addressed would fast. But what is the purpose of fasting in the life of the believer today? Here are some answers.

Showing Humility and Repentance

One reason we fast is to demonstrate humility before the sovereign Creator of the universe. God responds when we diligently and wholeheartedly seek Him (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Sometimes this involves confession and repentance from sin. This was the case of the Ninevites when Jonah reluctantly told them God was going to bring judgment upon them (Jonah 3:5,10), 50 they called a fast and repented of their sin. Fasting demonstrates humility by acknowledging our dependence on God. In Psalm 35, David laments his enemies' harsh treatment of him in contrast to how he cared for them when they were ill. He humbled his soul by fasting and praying for their recovery

(Psalm 35:13).

Seeking God's Face More Fully

A second reason we fast is to respond to God's love toward us. It is as if we are saying to God, "Because You are righteous and holy, and loved me enough to send Jesus to die for my sins, I want to get to know You more intimately."

Jeremiah 29:13 says we will find God when we seek Him with all our hearts. We may want to take extra time to seek and praise God by missing a meal or abstaining from food for a day or more.

When we deliberately set aside time for fasting, we are showing we want to seek God.

Asking for Something You Desire

Sometimes we fast to demonstrate our sincerity to God concerning something we truly desire. Ezra proclaimed a fast to ask God to protect His people as they journeyed to Jerusalem from exile. God responded by leading them safely to Jerusalem, delivering them from their enemies and ambushes along the way (Ezra 8:21 31).

Although fasting may show our sincerity, it does not guarantee we will receive what we desire. Maybe our request is not within God's will, or we may be asking with the wrong motives. David fasted for seven days when God struck with illness the child Bathsheba conceived by David. David repented of his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. He humbled himself, fasted and prayed, but the child still died (2 Samuel 12:15-18).

Through fasting we can determine the sincerity and correctness of our requests.

Fasting to Know God's Will

Seeking God's will or direction is different from petitioning Him for something we desire. When the Israelites were in conflict with the tribe of Benjamin, they sought God's will through fasting. The entire army fasted until evening, and "the men of Israel asked the Lord, 'Shall we go out again and fight against our brother Benjamin, or shall we stop?"' (Judges 20:26-28).

Acts 13:1-3 implies that church leaders were seeking God's direction for their ministry through prayer and fasting. The Holy Spirit responded by saying, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." In both instances, people fasted and prayed to determine God's will.

Developing Discipline

An important benefit of fasting is that it promotes self-control by disciplining our bodies. When we say no to our natural appetite for food, we develop the willpower and discipline to say no to other fleshy desires (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Other reasons people in the Bible fasted include deliverance (Second Chronicles 20:3), mourning the loss of a loved one (1 Samuel 31:13), healing the sick (Psalm 35:13), spiritual strength (Matthew 4:2), and the appointment of elders in the church (Acts 14:23).

Losing weight is NOT the emphasis when fasting for spiritual reasons.

Men of God Continue to Fast

Fasting is not limited to believers the Bible mentions. Most of the church's reformers-including Martin Luther, John Calvin and John Knox-fasted. Knox fasted and prayed so much that Queen Mary said she feared his prayers more than all the armies of Scotland.

John Wesley, the renown English preacher, missionary and founder of Methodism, fasted twice weekly from sun up until late afternoon. Charles Finney, a revivalist of the 1800s, fasted regularly week and would often go three days without eating when he felt any diminution of spiritual power at his meetings.

Dr. Bill Bright, founder and president of Campus Crusade for Christ, makes it his practice to fast and pray. He believes it plays a vital role in what God does through him and the ministry of Campus Crusade.

Dr. Bright encourages believers to fast, but he also warns of two common pitfalls:

First, we can become legalistic about fasting. It is essential to remember God loves us and is not displeased with us when we do not fast.

Second, we can take pride in our fasting. We can avoid this problem by focusing on God's character and all He has done for us. Most of us do not need to worry about having the wrong attitude or motive while fasting. A more likely problem is we may not fast at all.

Fasting is a commitment to seeking the Lord. It is not reserved for the self-righteous, but it is a privilege from which each of us can benefit.

In How to Fast

Most people go without food during a diet or when they're too busy to eat, but this isn't biblical fasting. what does fasting mean?

Our sincerity and attitude play important roles in biblical fasting. Before beginning ask yourself, "Am I confident that my desire to fast is God-given? what are the spiritual objectives in this fast? Personal sanctification and consecration? Intercession? Special burdens? Is there any hidden desire to impress others?" when you've honestly answered these questions you're ready to begin.

Now that you've decided to fast and are properly motivated, you still may not know how to begin the fast, or how long it should last.

The Normal Fast

The normal fast involves abstaining from all forms of food but not from water, and commonly lasts 24 hours, from sunrise to sunrise.

According to The Foods and Nutrition Encyclopedia, "For healthy individuals, no harm results from short-term fasting." The average healthy person can go without food between 21 and 40 or more days before the body begins to eliminate vital tissue (starvation). You should consult your physician before beginning any fast lasting longer than three days. If you are under the care of a physician for any kind of disease, if you struggle with anorexia nervosa or bulimia, or if you are pregnant, do not begin a fast before you have the approval and supervision of your physician.

If you want to learn more about the physical effects of fasting (and especially if you're considering a fast longer than one to three days) read books dealing with the medical aspects. Fasting: The Ultimate Diet by Allan Con, M.D. (contains an extensive bibliography); Therapeutic Fasting by Amold DeVries, and books by Dr. Herbert Sheldon (a leading authority on fasting) are a few suggestions.