What If You Fail At Fasting
Bill Bright put it this way: It takes time to build your spiritual fasting muscles. If you fail to make it through your first fast, do not be discouraged. You may have tried to fast too long the first time, or you may need to strengthen your understanding and resolve. Keep trying until you do succeed. God will honor you for your faithfulness.
Will You Learn How To Fast And Pray Today
Do you feel that deep need for breakthrough and spiritual food?
Do you need God to answer or act quickly in your life?
Join me on this journey to draw nearer to our Savior. Learning how to fast and pray is more simple than most Christians realize. There is power in this lost spiritual discipline.
To harness that power, you need only decide to begin.
- Choose what you will give up while in your fast.
- Pick a day to begin.
- Select a topic or verse to meditate in prayer over.
- Dont get discouraged if the first fast isnt perfect.
- Keep practicing until you find the right rhythm and God moves.
In Him
Prayer For Breaking A Fast
God, the time of my fast is coming to an end.
Thank you for giving me the strength to carry this out. I have grown in strength and in my relationship with You. I know I could never have done this by my own power.
As this time of restraint finishes, lead me in my next steps. Help me move slowly and gently back into a regular pattern of behavior. Help me not to go crazy with pent-up desire but instead, move with grace and intention.
I trust Your guidance, Lord.
In Jesus name I ask this, Amen.
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How Do You Begin Fasting
There are so many fasting and prayer scriptures but 5 main examples that you can use as a fasting and prayer guide are below.
Please be advised: It is wise to discuss the practical side of your plans to fast and pray with your doctor. If you have a medical condition you will want to choose A Non-Food Fast
- A 40 day Complete fast :
- Examples are Jesus and Moses who took things to the extreme. No Food or Water for 40 Days. .
To begin fasting, simply choose a fast and begin.
Elijah Fasted While Escaping Jezebel 1 Kings 1: 4
Wicked Queen Jezebel threatened to kill the prophet Elijah after he won the great victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Elijah fled to Beer-sheba where he left his servant. Then he traveled alone another day into the wilderness.
Elijah found a juniper tree and rested. He prayed to God to allow him to die. He did not really want to die. If he did he could have stayed where he was and let the queen take care of him. Elijah was very discouraged and lay down for a nap. An angel came and fed him . Elijah took the food and then went back to sleep.
After being fed by the angel a second time, Elijah prepared for a great journey. The Bible says that Elijah traveled for 40 days in the strength of that food until he arrived at Mount Horeb . This is the same mountain where Moses received the 10 Commandments. It was called Mount Sinai during Moses time.
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Fasting Prayer For Wisdom And Guidance
Father Lord,Thank you for giving me sustenance through this fasting periodThank you for helping me fight my cravings to stay faithful through this fastI pray today for your wisdom and guidanceI pray that you show me the path you want me to takeNot what I think is the best
I trust your judgment for my life, Father LordMy judgment leads to destruction and mayhemI pray that you shine a light unto my feet so that I dont stumble in this journey of lifeHelp me listen and follow your wordLet my heart be quiet and listen to your word when you are speaking to meLet me be able to discern between your word and that of the world
Grant me Solomons wisdom to choose wisely in this lifeGive me the wisdom to bring up my children in your lightLead me not into temptation LordAnd set my foot on soft ground each timeLet not my enemies laugh at meBut grant me victory so that others will look at me and give glory to youAmen
Examples Of Fasting In The Bible
Moses in the Book of Exodus
So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. ~ Exodus 34:28
Daniel in the Book of Daniel
I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. ~ Daniel 10:3 ESV
David in the Book of 2 Samuel
And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. ~ 2 Samuel 1:12 ESV
John the Baptist in the Book of Matthew
Now John wore a garment of camels hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.Matthew 3:4 ESV
Jesus Christ in the Book of Luke
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread. And Jesus answered him, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone. ~ Luke 4:1-4 ESV
The Early Church in the Book of Acts
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A Fasting Prayer For Resisting Temptation:
All of us face temptation in life. Even Jesus was tempted in the wilderness and is our example of how to face it.
Matthew 4:1,2 describes, Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.
Like Satan tempted Eve in the garden with food , he first tempted Jesus with food, too. The tempter came to Him and said, If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. Jesus answered, It is written Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God .
Although Eve could eat from every tree in the garden except one in order to obey God, , she gave into temptation and ate from it .
Unlike Eve who had plenty to eat, Jesus was without food in the wilderness. Yet, through fasting and obeying Gods word, He resisted temptation and defeated the scheme of the evil one.
Practical Tips For Fasting
- Dont enter into a Christian fast casually. If the fast doesnt mean anything to you, it wont mean much to God. Fasting has to be for a specific purpose, combined with prayer and bible reading.
- Limit your television viewing while fasting. TV shows are loaded with restaurant and food related commercials. Dont put the temptation to eat in front of your eyes. Those food ads can be torture on an empty stomach!
- Dont pig-out in the days before you begin a longer fast. Your mind will tell you to eat more because you wont be having any food for a while, but in reality that will make the first few days of a fast even harder. You should eat less, and begin tapering off your food intake prior to a fast.
- Try to drink at least one gallon of purified water the first day of a fast . Purified or distilled water flushes the toxins and poisons out of your system. Water also makes you feel full. Youll quickly realize that water is the fasters best friend!
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The Principles Of Biblical Fasting
There are two main overriding principles related to prayer and fasting in the Bible.
First, biblical fasting is going without food. The noun translated “fast” or “a fasting” is tsom in the Hebrew and nesteia in the Greek language. It means the voluntary abstinence from food. The literal Hebrew translation would be “not to eat.” The literal Greek means “no food.”
I know people who say they go without television or movies, and they call these “fasting” times. I’m not opposed to that definition of fasting-fasting does imply that we are giving up one thing in order to replace it with something else, and in the Bible sense, specifically to replace it with prayer. But in the main, I believe fasting has to do with our abstaining from food. Second, biblical fasting is linked with serious seasons of prayer. The more seriously we approach prayer and fasting, the more serious the results we will experience.
I sometimes hear people say, “I’m giving up chocolate” and they regard this as a type of fasting. I think this is a rather frivolous approach. The first and foremost purpose of a biblical or spiritual fast is to get a breakthrough on a particular matter that one lifts up to the Lord in prayer. A spiritual fast involves our hearts and the way in which we relate to and trust God. It relates to discerning and receiving strength to follow through on what God might reveal to us about circumstances in our lives or a direction we are to take.
Concerning The Sovereignty Of God: Goddoes Whateverhepurposes So Why Shouldipray
For many years this was the single greatest stumbling block in my prayer life. God brought me under conviction through Jesus command to disciples in Matthew 9. It remains mysterious to me why the sovereign Lord of the harvest should ask to be petitioned to send out laborers to bring in His own harvest, but I had to humble myself and begin to pray.
Then He said to His disciples, The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
When the sovereign Lord brings in the Firstborn Son and declares His decree in Psalm 2:7-8, note carefully what precondition is placed on the Sons inheritance. Jesus had only to ask, but He did have to ask nonetheless. You do not have, because you do not ask . Who knows what blessings we are missing simply because we do not ask?
Gods sovereignty as He also personally interacts with me over my prayers is a deep mystery. On the other hand, why would I expect with my limited capacity to be able to understand everything about His way of dealing with me? I serve the God who does whatever He purposes, but who also values and responds to my prayers. This mystery is great.
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Christian Quotes About Fasting
Fasting helps express, deepens, confirms the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves, to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God. Andrew Murray
By fasting, the body learns to obey the soul by praying the soul learns to command the body. William Secker
Fasting restrains our physical pleasure, but it enhances our spiritual pleasure. Our greatest pleasure comes by feasting on the person of Jesus.
Fasting reduces the influence of our self-will and invites the Holy Spirit to do more intense work in us.
Christian fasting, at its root, is the hunger of a homesickness for God.
Prayer is reaching out after the unseen fasting is letting go of all that is seen and temporal. Fasting helps express, deepen, confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God. Andrew Murray
Fasting is abstaining from anything that hinders prayer. Andrew Bonar
Fasting in the biblical sense is choosing not to partake of food because your spiritual hunger is so deep, you determination in intercession so intense, or your spiritual warfare so demanding that you have temporarily set aside even fleshly needs to give yourself to prayer and meditation. Wesley Duewel
What The Bible Says About Spiritual Fasting
- General Biblical Studies, Interdenominational Christian Training Center
In the Old Testament, God commanded Israel to observe several designated times of fasting. For New Testament believers, fasting was neither commanded nor forbidden in the Bible. While early Christians were not required to fast, many practiced prayer and fasting regularly.
Jesus himself affirmed in Luke 5:35 that after his death, fasting would be appropriate for his followers: “The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days” .
Fasting clearly has a place and a purpose for God’s people today.
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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.
How Do You Fast And Pray Biblically
While Biblical fasting refers to food. There are a number of ways to fast. Remember, the point is to connect with God on a deeper level. A Fast is about humbling our hearts before God. Fasting and praying are about giving up the thing you seek for satisfaction in order to draw near to God allowing God to satisfy you. The length of time and what youre fasting from depends on what you sense God pressing you to do. How long you fast is entirely up to you and the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
Youll want to put yourself on a schedule. Set aside ample time to be alone with the Lord. Listen for His leading. The more time you spend with Him, the more meaningful your fast will be.
Morning:
Begin your day with praise and worship. Read and meditate on Gods Word. Invite the Holy Spirit to work in you and ask to be mindful of his presence. Pray for Gods vision and empowerment to do his will.
Noon:
Return to prayer and Gods Word. If possible, take a short prayer walk. Journal what you sense God speaking to you.
Evening:
Get alone with God and seek Him. Spend time in intercessory prayer for your community and our nations leaders, for the worlds unreached millions, for your family or other needs.
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Prayer To Align With Gods Heart
Lord, I want to get Your Word so deep into my heart that it becomes MY word! I want to see things the way You see them, hear things the way You hear them, and feel things the way You feel them. I want to get so aligned with You that our hearts beat in syncopation together. I thank You that once Your Word gets that deeply rooted in my heart, my spoken words will release rivers of power and authority against the works of the devil that he has designed for my destruction! I thank You that just as Your words created the universe, my spoken words of faith create a change in my atmosphere! I pray this in Jesus name!
Why Do People Fast And Pray
“Fasting and prayer? Didn’t those go out of style decades ago?” The woman who said this to me was a godly woman, a woman who had been in the church all her life, and a woman intent on obeying the Lord. She knew her Bible. She was very serious in her questions.
Yet for some reason, she had concluded — at least subconsciously — that fasting and prayer were no longer intended for believers in today’s world.
The truth is, fasting and prayer are for today! In fact, now more than ever!
The combination of fasting and praying is not a fad or a novelty approach to spiritual discipline. Fasting and praying are not part of a human-engineered method or plan. They are not the means to manipulate a situation or to create a circumstance. Fasting and praying are Bible-based disciplines that are appropriate for all believers of all ages throughout all centuries in all parts of the world.
Through the years, I have learned that many people in the church have never been taught about fasting and prayer, and many have therefore never fasted and prayed. As a result, they don’t know why fasting and praying are important, what the Bible teaches about fasting, or how to fast. To many, fasting sounds like drudgery — or a form of religious works. To others, fasting sounds extremely difficult. People tend to stand in awe at reports of those who have fasted for several weeks. When I hear about such fasts, I no doubt think what they think: If I fasted that long, I’d die! I couldn’t possibly do that!
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