Fasting Is An Express Of Humility
15. Psalm 35:13-14 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered, I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.
16. 1 Kings 21:25-27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.
Fasting To Accompany Repentance
When you fast, you show that you have nothing to offer but your own weakness. You humble yourself before God and make known to Him your need for forgiveness and redemption. Fasting thus becomes a way to express sorrow for sin, a means of humbling ourselves as we acknowledge our utter inadequacy before God, who alone is worthy of our adoration and worship.
Joel 2:12
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.
Jonah 3:5-9
The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When Jonahs warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.
Aids Healthy Metabolism & Anti
From my research, I have found that the best way to aid your metabolism through fasting, is to do intermittent fasting. When we fast for many days on end, our metabolism will slow down. However, when we are intermittent fasting, the metabolism is actually aided.
I have also found that human metabolism and anti-aging agents are actually linked.
The latest study to explore the impact of fasting on the human body concludes that it increases metabolic activity more than previously realized and may even impart anti-aging benefits was written in the article, Fasting Boosts Metabolism and Fights Aging. In this article, we can see that fasting is beneficial to our metabolism by the quote
As the human body is starved of food, there are a number of distinct metabolic changes that occur. Normally, when carbohydrates are readily available, the body will use them as fuel. But once they are gone, it looks elsewhere for energy. In a process called gluconeogenesis, the body derives glucose from noncarbohydrate sources, such as amino acids. Scientists can find evidence of gluconeogenesis by assessing the levels of certain metabolites in the blood, including carnitines, and butyrate. As expected, after fasting, levels of these metabolites had increased in the participants blood.
From this, we can gather that fasting is beneficial for the health of our metabolism, and our overall aging process.
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Prayer Before A Fast Begins
Lord, as I begin this time of fasting, fill me with your strength. Help me to use this as a time of growth, renewal, and healing. Calm my anxiety about what I might be giving up or times of discomfort that I might face.
Provide me with assurance that You will strengthen me during the difficult times and meet me for sweet moments of spiritual growth and surrender.
Help me focus not on what is being taken away, but what Im gaining as I use this as a spiritual discipline. With you leading, Holy Spirit, I am ready.
I dedicate this fast to You, Lord, and to Your glory.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
How To Fast As A Christian
Matthew 6:17-18 tells us what we need to do before we fast. "But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
1. First set a time and date to seek the face of God
2. Ensure you abstain from eating that morning of your fasting
3. Go to a quite place or in your room away from any distraction
4. Switch off your mobile phone or put in silence and store it away from you
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5. Start by worshiping and praising God in your dialect
6. Go on your knees before God and first repent of your sins
7. When praying, abstain from shouting so no one else knows that you are fasting and praying
8. When praying avoid vain repetitions just like the heathens do Matthew 6:7
9. Fasting is not the place for you to be asking God for wealth or riches etc. but rather pray to God for wisdom, open encounter, pray for God to show you your future, pray for divine direction, pray for God to kill any sinful habit in your life like sexual immorality, evil thoughts in your heart, and so on
10. When fasting, humble yourself before God Almighty
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Encouraging Bible Verses About Healing For Comfort And Strength
“The Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.”
“Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you.”
“So do not fear, for I am with you do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
“The is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: ‘I have heard your prayer and seen your tears I will heal you.'”
But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Peace I leave with you my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
“And the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.”
Lord, be gracious to us we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.
What Should You Not Do While Fasting
While it is important to focus on God while fasting, there are a few things that people should avoid doing. First, people should not fast to impress others or show off.
Additionally, people should not use fasting as a way to punish themselves or as a way to control their eating habits. Finally, people should not fast in a way that is unsafe or unhealthy.
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The Real Purpose Of Fasting
In verses 5 to 8, we see the purpose of the fast, and what it will achieve if done correctly
to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Emphasis here is on us as individuals, undoing their heavy burdens, and the wickedness that they have held onto.
After we have fasted to improve ourselves. Only then are we supposed to follow up with acts of kindness such as feeding the poor and clothing the hungry.
All this is what leads to a reward with the Most High i.e. Eternal life!
Preventative Spiritual Health Care
Even our Savior, who had the fullness of the Holy Spirit, fasted 40 days and 40 nights in preparation for His titanic battle with the devil. Since Jesus Christ fasted to boost His spiritual health, can we do any less?
We cannot survive Satans fiery darts and reach spiritual healing without fasting! In one instance when Christ’s disciples could not cast out a demon, He told them that this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting . Proper fasting often results in significant spiritual breakthroughs. While we rely on the spiritual tools of prayer, Bible study and meditation on a daily basis, we occasionally need the power tool of fasting for deep-rooted weakness.
We need God’s help desperately. We need to make sure that nothing has cut us off from God and that our prayers are being heard and answered. Once we repent of these mistakes and are reconciled with God and our fellow man, then we’re ready to do God’s will without the shackles that bind us and the burdens that cripple us.
Gods promise is that if we call upon Him through fasting, Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard .
Have other treatments for spiritual healing failed? Why not try fasting and humbling seek healing from your Great Physician!
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Types Of Fasting People Use Today
People today use many of the same fasts people used in the Bible.
- Complete fasts are still used today. Most people undertaking this type of fast choose to do so for 1 to 3 days. Due to the extreme nature of a full fast, one should consult the advice of a medical professional before undertaking this type of fast, especially if you plan to fast for an extended period of time.
- Partial fasts are quite common today. It is a very flexible way to fast, as there are many ways to do a partial fast. Someone might forgo their morning coffee or their afternoon soda. A person could decide to consume only fruits and vegetables or to eliminate processed foods, fast foods, or sugar. The possibilities are endless, really.
- A popular type of partial fast used today is the Daniel Fast. Used by many seeking spiritual revelation and breakthrough, it focuses on limiting the types of food consumed. While on the Daniel fast, people consume only fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, unleavened grains, and water. It typically lasts 21 days but can be for any length of time. Churches commonly use the Daniel Fast corporately, praying and fasting together for answered prayer or spiritual revelation.
- Fasting often centers around food, but it doesnt have to. Today many people fast other things instead. Some non-food things people might forgo during a fast are social media, electronics, hobbies, or any other worldly thing or activity that takes up time that could be used for seeking God.
Why Do Christians Fast What Does Biblical Fasting Accomplish
Biblical fasting is not a hunger strike between you and God. It can be easy to think of fasting as a way to add an extra oomph to your prayers. But biblical fasting isnt so much about how God responds to your prayers: its more about how you bring your prayers to Him.
God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble . Fasting is a means of humbling ourselves before God. In the Old Testament, fasting was often accompanied by other signs of humility and brokenness, such as weeping, mourning, and lamenting, as well as wearing sackcloth and sitting in ashes.
Bill Bright, Crus co-founder, made it his practice to fast and pray. He believed it played a vital role in what God did through him and through Cru as a ministry. He listed several benefits he gained from fasting:
- Fasting is a biblical way to truly humble yourself in the sight of God. King David said, I humbled myself with fasting .
- Fasting enables the Holy Spirit to reveal your true spiritual condition, resulting in brokenness, repentance and a transformed life.
- Your confidence and faith in God will be strengthened. You will feel mentally, spiritually and physically refreshed.
Its important to understand that fasting is not a way to get a better response to prayer. Rather, true fasting is a means of fostering a better approach to prayer.
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What Does The New Testament Say About Fasting
New Testament fasting is an integral part of our faith. When we fast, we open ourselves up to God’s work in our lives. As a result, we become more sensitive to His voice and expect Him to do amazing things in and through us.
It’s a way for us to consecrate ourselves to the Lord, prepare for ministry, and hear His voice for clarity and direction. New Testament fasting scriptures also remind us of the heart of Christian fasting. It’s not for show, and it’s not about perfect performance. When we fast, we humble ourselves before God, open our hearts to Him, and receive His grace and mercy.
Fasting is a powerful way to connect with God. These New Testament fasting scriptures offer encouragement and insight into this spiritual discipline.
These are just a few of the New Testament fasting scriptures. As you can see, New Testament fasting is about much more than just denying ourselves food. It’s about giving ourselves entirely to God and serving Him with our whole hearts. As we fast and pray together, we can come to understand this even better!
Is Scripture For Prayer And Fasting Necessary
Scriptures on prayer and fasting is necessary because whenever you fast, you are positioned in the realm where God can give you the direction to dissolve the mysteries of your life.
Fasting makes your light to break forth . Fasting has the capacity to open your eyes in the spirit to see the mysteries around your life.
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What Is The Proper Way To Fast According To The Bible
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. This verse does not mention Jesus being thirsty.
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Our Healing Is Paid In Full
We are blessed to have a healing God. One who cares for us and loves us enough to bring that healing to us
It is a part of His nature. And through Yeshua, full healing has been bought and paid forphysically and spiritually!
We are able to stand on this truth! On this beautiful act of love. We are able to read, pray, and receive the healing found in Gods Word, which is full of healing Scriptures to pray and declare.
Let us confidently give the Lord praise and thanksgiving even before we witness the manifestation of our healing because we have a God in whom we can trust! We can be assured that all He paid for will be released in Yeshuas Name!
Let us, therefore, walk with boldness in every blessing and promise and healing that Yeshua paid for!
Curt Landry was born and raised in Los Angeles, C.A. in a secular home
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How Fasting Is Carried Out According To The Bible
When I attended the church fasting was definitely one of the most challenging things for a christian to do.
The different fasts I encountered in church were the dry fast. Which meant eating no food at all until the end of the fast.
The water fast which meant you were only allowed to drink water during the fast.
You may or may not be able to relate to these fasts? If not, it just further proves that in church there is no universal way to fast.
The length of the fast was often from 6 oclock in the morning until 6 pm or 12 am in the evening.
It was never for the whole day, which you will find out is contrary to scriptures.
In order to understand the length of a fast in the bible we have to read scripture, where a fast takes place.
We find this when we look at an appointed day called
Day of Atonement, this gives us the blueprint of what the Most High considers a one day fast.
Leviticus 23:27-32
We can see from the above scriptures that the day of atonement last one biblical day.
It begins on the 9th day in the evening and finishes the following day on the 10th day in the evening.
So with that we know have a definitive answer about how long a one day fast actually last.
The terminology used here for not eating is to inflict your soul.
You now have a biblical, definitive fasting time.
What Does Fasting Do To Demons And Evil Spirits
Now for the spooky stuff! Personally Im not spooked out, but the public norms program us to discount spiritual entities.
When we read the scriptures more closely we see bible verses about prayer and fasting having power over demons. We also see sickness that can be caused by demonic entities.
Matthew 17:14-21
14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
Here a man that has a son who is mentally ill . He is heeled by the Messiah, who tells the disciples why they were unable to heel him.
He tells them that that kind of devil goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
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