How Long Did Jesus Live Without Food And Water
The 40 days that Jesus spent without food are described in all three accounts.A long period of fasting has been observed by Christians as well as many other religious minorities.The practice of fasting, which arose within the Church about 300 years after Jesus died, was only discovered in the Bible when Christians began observing it before Easter.
Third Prepare Yourself Physically
Do not rush into fasting for 40 days. If you plan to go without food for several days, you will find it helpful to begin by eating smaller meals before you abstain altogether. This sends your mind a signal that you have entered the time of the fast, and it helps to shrink your stomach and appetite.
Some health professionals suggest eating only raw foods for two days before starting a fast. All this makes the drastic change in your eating routine a little easier.
The Biblical 40 Day Fast
by Vladimir SavchukJan 10, 2022Fasting
The concept of fasting for 40 days comes from the example we see in the Bible. Three important men in the Bible were led to do an extended fast Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.
Surprisingly enough, it was also these two men, Moses and Elijah, who then appear together with Jesus in a pivotal moment in Scripture when Jesus shows the disciples evidence of His divinity .
There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Matthew 17:2-3 NIV
Could it be that there exists a correlation between witnessing the glory of God and doing an extended fast?
I believe that as you are led by the Spirit of God in your daily life, His desire is for you to uncover the purpose, the ministry, and the calling for which you were created. If Jesus used this method before He began doing all God called Him to do, who are we not to?
Your fast does not have to be the length of 40 days in order for God to use you or for you to discover your calling however, I do believe that setting a time apart to be with God, to seek His face, and to trade your physical hunger for your spiritual hunger, will produce uncanny results in your life.
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What Happens In This Story
In both accounts, Jesus fasts, which means he voluntarily reduced or eliminate his intake of food. Lukes account tells us he ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry .
The devil tempts Jesus during this time, attempting to take advantage of Jesuss weakened state. He tells Jesus to turn a stone into bread, to throw himself off the cliff , and to worship him in exchange for the splendor of all the kingdoms of the world.
Jesus counters each of the temptations with the Word of God.
To the challenge to turn the stone to bread, Jesus counters the devil with the truth that man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God .
To the challenge to throw himself off the cliff, Jesus counters with, Do not put the Lord your God to the test .
And to the challenge to bow down and worship the devil, Jesus counters, Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only .
Then the devil left Jesus passed the test and did not succumb to temptation.
When And How Long Did Jesus Fast
In the Gospel of Matthew, just after Jesus has been baptized by John in the Jordan river, were told that heaven opens, the Spirit of God descends upon him, and the voice of God can be heard declaring, This is my Son, whom I love with him I am well pleased .
Then, Jesus immediately heads into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil .
The Gospel of Luke tells us Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit and was tempted for forty days.
He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry, Luke 4:2 describes.
The baptism and temptation are immediately followed by the beginning of Jesuss travels, as he traveled Judea teaching and preaching Gods word to any who would listen. Many say the temptation prepared him for his ministry.
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Expect A Spiritual Battle
When Jesus fasted for 40 days, we see that He faced opposition from the devil. Most people that do an extended fast will tell you the same thing.
Prepare your mind and your soul prior to your fast for whatever emotions may come. You may experience feelings of discouragement, cravings, or a strong desire to give up.
Set your mind up to finish the fast, prior to beginning it.
This is oftentimes peoples biggest downfall in accomplishing a 40 day fast their lack of mental strength. If God leads you to do this fast, your body will be able to handle it, but the difficulty will be conquering the battle in the mind.
Remember that when the devil attacked Jesus during His fast, it was in His mind and emotions. This is where you must withstand and resolve in your mind, prior to starting, that no matter what may come youre going all the way.
Allow Christ to strengthen you to not only start but to finish your fast. He is the author and finisher of our faith. Christ is faithful to strengthen you.
To Resist Satans Temptations:
After 40 days of fasting, Jesus was tempted by Satan. It is possible that he was testing Jesus, knowing that he was weak from hunger . But Jesus resisted Satans temptations by quoting Scripture. He showed us that the Word of God is our greatest weapon against temptation.
When we fast, we are weakening our flesh and putting ourselves in a position to be more reliant on God. We are saying, God, I need you. I cant do this on my own. This humility makes us more receptive to Gods leading and less susceptible to Satans temptations.
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Art Literature Film And Music
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The temptation of Christ has been a frequent subject in the art and literature of Christian cultures. A scene usually interpreted as the third temptation of Jesus is depicted in the Book of Kells. The third and last part of the Old English poem Christ and Satan concerns The Temptation of Christ, and can be seen as a precursor to John Milton’s Paradise Lost. The Temptation of Christ is indeed the subject of Milton’s sequel to Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained. J. M. W. Turner did an engraving of “The Temptation on the Mountain” for an 1835 edition of The Poetical Works of John Milton. Satan and Jesus stand in silhouette on a cliff overlooking a broad landscape that transitions into the sea. The “…image depicts the temptation of Christ by Satan, specifically the moment where Satan offers Christ the kingdoms of the world. This vision of the temptation as extending to the open sea is eerily similar to the possibilities of conquest as commonly depicted in British and American art during the Romantic era.”
Quarantine is a novel by Jim Crace with seven characters in the desert, fasting and praying, and includes Jesus as a peripheral cast member.
An illuminated scene in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, a 15th-century book of hours, depicts Jesus standing atop a Gothic castle based upon the Duke’s own castle at Mehun-sur-Yevre. Daniella Zsupan-Jerome sees this as a challenge to “…the Duke and meant to recall him to humility and conversion…”
Parallel #: Elijahs 40
1 Kings 19:8 reports that the prophet Elijah also fasted for 40 days at the same place Moses did: And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai in fact, some translations render the location with that name .
Another parallel between Elijah and Jesus 40-days periods is that angels ministered to both of them. Angels gave Elijah food prior to his fast and they ministered to Jesus after his. Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him .
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I Decided To Try Fasting For 40 Days
With absolutely no support from anyone. And in fact, a lot of people thought I had lost my mindI decided to try fasting.
I began with one day. Then two days. Then three days.
Well, you get the idea! Eventually, I was able to fast for 10 days. I developed the habit of fasting every Monday. Eventually I was able to achieve my dream of fasting for 40 days. It was the most amazing spiritual experience of my life.
I finally understood the song:
Turn your eyes upon JesusLook full in His wonderful face.And the things of earth will grow strangely dim.In the light of His glory and grace.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
That is EXACTLY what happened for me during my 40 day fast. The things of this world grew strangely dim. I felt like I was floating through life. Food didn’t matter. Stupid stuff that shouldn’t matter didn’t matter. I felt totally disconnected from temptations like gossip, complaining, arguing my usual downfalls.
I felt so close to God. And I never felt hungry! Honestly, I wanted my fast to last forever.
What Did Jesus Say About Fasting
The Bible tells us that when you fast, do not put on a gloomy countenance, like the hypocrites who make their faces pale, so that people may see that they are fasting. Verily I say unto you, they have taken their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head and wash thy face, that thou mayest show thyself fasting, not unto men, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee.
Jesus says about fasting that there is a right way to fast but also a wrong way. In Matthew 6 He teaches the crowds that, like almsgiving and show prayers, fasting can be a form of religious hypocrisy. He condemns the intention to fast in the sight of the world.
True fasting is kept in silence, without showing oneself out. Jesus speaks of fasting in Matthew, 17:21: Here is fasting pleasing to me: it loosens the chains of wickedness, it loosens the bonds of bondage, it releases the oppressed and breaks every yoke. Share your bread with the hungry, and bring into your house the homeless wretch if you see a naked man, cover him, and do not turn your back on your neighbor.
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How Many Times Did Jesus Appear After His Resurrection
Matthew has two post- Resurrection appearances, the first to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary at the tomb, and the second, based on Mark 16:7, to all the disciples on a mountain in Galilee, where Jesus claims authority over heaven and Earth and commissions the disciples to preach the gospel to the whole world.
How Do I Know When I Am Supposed To Fast
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. There are times, however, when the Holy Spirit will prompt you to fast.
God impressed me for several months that He wanted me to do a 40 day fast . But I was not sure I could fast 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:
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.
Isaiah 40:31
God was faithful to his promise. My fast was the greatest 40 days of my life spiritually.
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Why Jesus Fasted For 40 Days
The 40-day fast is a reminder for us to also fast for our own purposes.
We can fast to focus on God and gain strength during difficult times.
Fasting can be an act of love that connects us all closer to God, no matter what our circumstances are.
Whether we are fasting from food or other distractions, fasting can be a way to connect with God and prepare ourselves spiritually for the challenges of life.
Jesuss 40-day fast also teaches us that we need to repent. Repentance means to change our mind and heart.
When we sin, it is important that we go through repentance so that we can start fresh with God.
In his example, Jesus showed us how fasting and prayer can be powerful tools for gaining forgiveness from our Heavenly Father.
Jesus fasted for 40 days, it was a spiritual practice that he did during his 40 days of temptation.
It was to prepare himself to face his own temptations and battles.
He knew that he had to go through a lot of hardships in order to get the people of Israel to repent from their sins.
During this period, Jesus prayed and fasted for 40 days, thus giving him the strength to face all the difficulties that he had to face.
Fasting is an excellent way to focus and connect with God.
During times of temptation or struggle, fasting can be a means of gaining strength and overcoming any obstacle.
When we fast, it allows us to disconnect from our physical needs in order to reconnect with our spiritual needs.
Isaiah fasted for six days and did not eat or drink .
Parallel #: Israels 40 Years In The Desert
Israel spent 430 years wandering in the desert: At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt .
This time period is restated in Acts 7:36 : This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.
The lesson Matthew wants his readers to learn doesnt concern an exact parallel of time, as in 40 years versus 40 days.
The takeaway that Matthew wants his readers to have is that while Israel failed in their wilderness experience, Jesus will not fail in his. Jesus is a new, better Israel, according to Matthew.
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How Did Jesus Overcome Temptation
Jesus overcame temptation by the power of the Holy Spirit. He stood up to the wiles of the devil. By rejecting the last trial, Jesus firmly chose the mission of the suffering Messiah, removing the temptation to become the victorious Messiah that Israel was waiting for. So He did overcome temptation by following 3 simple steps:
1. By fasting
Jesus first temptation was with stones and bread . Jesus overcame it by fasting, the 40-day fast. For as he drew near, the tempter said to him: If you are the Son of God, say that these stones may become bread. And He answered and said: It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
2. He conquered temptation with prayer
Jesus second temptation was broken by the prayer that opened Heaven. When the devil took Him into the holy city, he put Him on the temple wing and said to Him: If Thou is the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, His angels shall command for Thee, and shall lift Thee on their hands, lest Thy foot dash against a stone. Jesus answered him, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And so he succeeded in competing and defeating the temptation.
Second Expect To Visit The Facilities Often
Drinking lots of fluids will cause this. You may want the cleansing benefits of enemas before, during, or after your fast. During my 40 day fast, I drank psyllium, which can be purchased in most drug and health food stores. Mixed in water, psyllium powder becomes like jello. It provided the fiber I needed to help cleanse my system.
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How Does Fasting Benefit Me
The apostle James says:
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4: 8,10
Fasting prepares us for the deepest and richest spiritual communion possible. It clears our minds to understand what God is saying to us. It also conditions our bodies to carry out his will.
When we persevere through the initial mental and physical discomforts, we will experience a calming of the soul and cooling of the appetites.
As a result, we will sense the presence of the Lord more than ever before.
Fasting with a pure heart and motives brings personal revival and adds power to our prayers. Many who write about the values of fasting point to increased effectiveness in intercessory prayer, deliverance from bondage, and guidance in decisions.
The Precautions Of Fasting For 40 Days
We have discussed the POWER of fasting, the PROBLEMS of fasting, and the PREPARATIONS of fasting. We will close with the PRECAUTIONS of fasting.
Your time for fasting and prayer has come. You are abstaining from all solid foods and have begun to seek the Lord. If you are one who measures spiritual success by your emotions or by how much you visibly achieve, this can be a period when you may feel somewhat confused.
Just relax in the Lord and invite the Holy Spirit to help you. As you seek the Lord in faith, you can be assured that He will enable you to complete the fast He has called you to begin. Here are some helpful suggestions to consider while fasting:
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