Davids Fast For The Healing Of His Sick Child
In 2 Samuel 12:14-16, David pleaded with God for the healing of his sick child through fasting. Although God chose to not spare the childs life, but the purpose of Davids fast remained because ultimately, it served its purpose in bringing David closer to God after being separated by sin. After receiving the news about his childs death, David worshiped because his intention behind the fast was not to get what he wanted, but to be reconciled with God.
Basic Types Of Christian Fasts
Now let’s talk about the types of fasts Christians most commonly refer to and practice.
We have to remember that our eating habits and the plethora of available food options are very different than biblical times. You can’t ask if Daniel included peanut butter on his eating plan because there weren’t any peanuts!
Christians have adapted fasting methods to fit their modern context while still adhering to the spirit of fasting.
The Bible doesn’t spell out a prescription for exactly how we must pray: how long, how often, what to say, how to say it. And the same is true for fasting.
Rather than giving a legal command and requirement of exactly how to fast, the Bible shows us a wide variety of examples of the practice of fasting.
With this in mind…pray, read what the Bible has to say about fasting, and consider how you can be disciplined in your practice of fasting while still reflecting God’s heart. Maintain your focus on the purpose and prize of fasting, which is: your relationship with the Lord.
What Does The Bible Say About Prayer And Fasting
Jesus practiced fasting when he was tempted by Satan, . During those 40 days of loneliness, He ate nothing . In fact, the earlier mention of fasting in the Old Testament were the instructions God gave Moses after leading his people to freedom in Exodus 13:3, Then Moses said to the people, Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the land where you were made to stay and work. For the Lord brought you out of this place by a powerful hand. No bread made with yeast will be eaten. The book of Acts also records believers fasting before they made important decisions . It allows us to take our eyes off the things of this world, we can more successfully turn our attention to Christ.
One of the many reasons why God called his people to fast had to do with the culture and times. Today, we can have a full meal in three minutes thanks to freezer foods and microwaves. Back then, hours upon hours went into food preparation. Fasting was a way to take the focus off ourselves and put it back on God. Jesus also gave us clear instructions on how to fast because it was meant to be a spiritual breakthrough, not pride.
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The Blessings Of Fasting
I highly recommend determining a purpose for your fast. Be intentional about this, and do it beforehand. That way, your activity during your fast can be in alignment with the purpose. In other words, the more intention you have before the fast, the more fruitful your fast will be.
Without intention, one can fall into the temptation of sitting around feeling bad for oneself. One might think, If I am fasting, I am supposed to feel bad. But no feeling bad is not the purpose of fasting thats just a side effect that happens as your body gets used to it. The main purpose of fasting involves the question: What I am desiring to be filled with?
In my experience, fasting has led to some wonderful surprises. I am often surprised that, when fasting, I am filled with energy. Or at the very least, filled with enough energy to maintain my usual activities. In addition, I have been surprised by a feeling of serenity while fasting. I invite you to try fasting for yourself, and find surprises of your own.
This article was based on Matthew Kozlowskis interview with Jacques Hadler in 2016.
What You Need To Know About Fasting From Food And Drink
a progression should be observed in your fasting, especially if this discipline is new to you and you are unfamiliar with its physical effects. Dont start out with a weeklong water fast! Begin by skipping one meal each day for two to three days and setting aside the money it would have cost to give to the poor. Spend the time praying that you would have used for eating.”
“If youve never fasted before, be aware that in the early stages you may get dizzy and have headaches. This is part of the bodys cleansing process and will pass with time. Be sure that you break the fast gradually with fresh fruit and vegetables. Do not overeat after the fast. Chili and pizza may sound good after several days of not eating, but please, exercise a little restraint and say no! What Christians Need to Know about Fasting by Sam Storms
When starting your fast, consider possible dietary restrictions. Pastor Brian Croft writes, Be mindful of any health issues that could make a fast unwise. For example, if you are a diabetic or have any other physical condition that requires a strict diet, be especially mindful not to put yourself in a compromised position as a result of a fast.”
For more Practical Guidelines for Fasting, click here.
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What The Bible Says About Fasting
Fasting is mentioned over fifty times throughout the Bible! Throughout this post, Ill share some of the Bible verses about fasting, but, for deeper study, you can download and print this PDF on Bible verses about fasting.
You may wish to use the verses about fasting for your own study, use for Bible journaling references or to write the scripture in your prayer journal as you go through your own fast.
The first time fasting is mentioned in the Bible is in Exodus 34:
Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenantthe Ten Commandments. Exodus 34:28
The last time fasting is referred to in the Bible is in 2 Corinthians 11:27
I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food I have been cold and naked. 2 Corinthians 11:27
Clearly, fasting is an important biblical concept.
You can expect to feel more spiritually connected with God from a fast. It is crucial that during these times of fasting, we purify our souls by connecting one-on-one in prayer and meditation so as not to miss out on His blessings because they might be whats needed at this point in time!
Spiritual fasting is about giving your whole self over to God. Prayer and praise are essential, but they must be accompanied by a shift in focus from ourselves- towards Him at all times!
Moses Fast Before Receiving The Commandments
Moses went up on the mountain and fasted food and water for 40 days and 40 nights before receiving the commandments of God written on stone tablets. After the 40 days and 40 nights, the Lord told Moses that the people whom he brought out of Egypt have become corrupt, turned away from what He commanded them, and made an idol for themselves. They transgressed the commandments the Lord had just given them, so Moses angrily breaks the tables of stone. He then ascends to the mountain once again and fasts for another 40 days and 40 nights before receiving the commandments once more.
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Fasting To Gain Victory
In the book of Judges, it records that forty thousand men died in battle within two days. In response to this, the Israelites cried out to God for help. Judges 20:26 says All the People of Israel, the whole army, were back at Bethel, weeping, sitting there in the presence of God. That day they fasted until evening. They sacrificed Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings before God. They asked God if they should continue in battle or if they should call it quits, and He responded to them and said Attack. Tomorrow Ill give you victory.
Fasting Is An Appropriate Means Of Seeking To Conquer Sin And Temptation
Similar to the last point, Isaiah 58:6 says, Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Certainly, we should fast as a means of conquering sin and temptation in our own lives. Christ was fasting when he conquered Satans temptations in the wilderness . We should consider this when constantly plagued by a reoccurring depression, a stronghold of lust, or an addiction. Fasting is also a great way to confront cultural and societal evils like abortion, trafficking, government corruption, and discord in the church and family. God desires for fasting that loosens the chains of injustice, unties the cords of a yoke, and sets the oppressed free. Lord help us to fast in such a way.
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Different Types Of Fasting In The Bible
JaimeBible StudyJanuary 20, 2021
There are many types of fasting in the Bible, various reasons for fasting, and different lengths of fasts. All are important and good to refer to when we are fasting to draw closer to God. Fasting without prayer is pointless it is a given that the time you would be spending eating or enjoying other things would be spent instead in prayer and consecration. Those two together will move heaven and earth! This is what makes Biblical fasting different than other types of fasting.
What Is The Daniel Fast
Daniel abstained from meat, bread, wine, and oils for his skin for 21 days .
These would have been things that satisfied Daniel, good food, and relief from dried skin. He abstained after being captured and brought to Babylon. It was likely the royal food was not kosher according to Daniels customs. When Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and other young Israelite men were taken into Nebuchadnezzars service, they were to be given food and wine from the kings table while undergoing a three-year training program. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way .
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Plan What Youll Do Instead Of Eating
Fasting isnt merely an act of self-deprivation, but a spiritual discipline for seeking more of Gods fullness. Which means we should have a plan for what positive pursuit to undertake in the time it normally takes to eat. We spend a good portion of our day with food in front of us. One significant part of fasting is the time it creates for prayer and meditation on Gods word or some act of love for others.
Before diving headlong into a fast, craft a simple plan. Connect it to your purpose for the fast. Each fast should have a specific spiritual purpose. Identify what that is and design a focus to replace the time you would have spent eating. Without a purpose and plan, its not Christian fasting its just going hungry.
Nineveh Fasts In An Act Of Repentance
When Jonah preached to the city of Nineveh, the whole city came together and fasted in an act of repentance. The king of Nineveh issued a public proclamation throughout Nineveh of a fast of no water and no food so that they would be brought to repentance from their evil lives and violent ways. They were to cry mightily to God so that God would change His mind about them and forgive them. After their fast, God saw what they had done and that they had turned from their evil ways, forgave them, and didnt do to them what He said He was going to do.
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When Initially Beginning To Fast Start Out Small
Dont try a forty day fast for your first time. Try skipping a meal or two. After skipping a meal or two, try fasting for a day or more. Typically, during the first day of fasting, one experiences headaches as the body gets rid of toxins. However, after the first day or so, one begins to experience a fasting high where they feel like they can keep going. As one feels more comfortable with the discipline of fasting or compelled to seek the Lord in a greater way, then he or she can gradually increase the time given to fasting.
How Long Should I Fast
“How long you fast is entirely up to you and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The Bible gives examples of fasts that lasted:
-Fasts of unspecified lengths .” –What Christians Need to Know about Fasting by Sam Storms
Occasional Short FastsWhether denying yourself food or some other pleasure, an occasional fast that lasts six, twelve, or twenty-four hours is the most manageable… You are not necessarily making a commitment to do this type of fast again, as it is a one-time fast for a specific purpose.
Intermittent FastsThis is normally a regular act of abstinence, for example one day a week. You may abstain from food, or make some other sacrifice. This type of fast is a way of integrating the spiritual discipline of fasting into your life on an ongoing basis.
Longer FastsLonger fasts likewise can take the form of abstinence from food or some other sacrifice. Some good options for a non-food fast would be abstaining from watching TV from Monday to Friday, reading a biography of a great man or woman of God each week, or dedicating every evening for a week to praying with friends…A longer water-only fast might last from one to three days. If you are fasting from something other than food, your longer fast might last a week. Some use Lent as a time for a longer fast.
To read more about these kinds of fasts in the original article by Dr. Peter Holmes, click here.
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Biblical Purposes For Fasting
Throughout the Bible we most often find Gods people turn to fasting as the natural, inevitable response to a grievous sacred moment in life, such as death, sin and tragedy. But other times a fast is not a spontaneous reaction and we have time to prepare to respond both physically and spiritually.
Fasting is not an end unto itself, but a means of focusing our minds and bodies for a spiritual reason. Whenever you fast, do so for a reason that is mentioned or modeled in the Bible. Here are ten primary purposes for fasting mentioned in Scripture:¹
Athaliah In The Bible
Athaliahs name means: God is exalted
Athaliah was the granddaughter of the notorious Omri, widely known for his evil reign as king in ancient Israel. She took after her parents Ahab and likely Jezebel too continuing their legacy by spreading Baal worship once she became Queen over Judah. Its also said that upon taking power, she murdered every living relative to ensure her rule remained unchallenged!
Unfortunately for her, but fortunately for everyone else, her attempt to destroy the royal line of Judah failed.
She was the only woman to rule over Judah, at least for a time.
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Lessons We Can Learn From Jehosheba
What could have been a simple moral choice for one brave woman became something much bigger her obedience was helping to fulfill the prophecies of Jesus coming! She chose courage and wisdom when she may very well have inherited generational folly, ensuring that Gods kingdom work progressed. Indeed an amazing act with eternal consequences beyond what anyone would ever imagine.
Our everyday decisions have a ripple effect. Who wouldve thought that the small steps of courage taken by Jeshosheba to keep Joash hidden away could change so much? Even though it took six long years, her determination and commitment were firm, and her faithfulness was rewarded.
Our family background doesnt have to dictate our future! As heirs of Christ, we can choose how our lives will honor God each day and serve others by surrendering old ways. Imagine the impact that could come from generations who follow your example taking a stand for faith even in an otherwise wicked world!
Instead of going into depth, as I usually do on the lessons learned from Jehosheba, grab your Bible and a concordance , read about Jehosheba in the Bible, and write down cross verses that support the lessons learned.
Jehosheba was a fearless hero! She took an unbelievable risk to safeguard the future of her people and ensure their freedom something we can all admire. Ask yourself, how is God calling on me to bravely step into action today? What part do I play in building up our world for generations yet to come?
Implementing Fasting In Your Life
If youre considering fasting for the first time, consider giving up your phone for a day. When you feel an urge to pick up your phone and fill yourself with the instant gratification of the little blue screen in front of you, choose to pray instead. Find joy in the Giver.
If youve fasted before but failed, be encouraged: fasting is not a performance. We are broken people and God is looking for dependence, not perfection. When we consider what the Bible says about fasting, we realize the entire motivation behind fasting is that we do not have the answers and we need to depend on God.
As you fast, I pray and hope that it leads you not to self-reliance, pride, and bitterness, but to dependence, humility, and joy.
Cole Shiflet is the Editor at Radical. He is the Founder of Accelerate and Multiply Groups. He is a member of Redeemer Community Church and an M.Div. student at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama.
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