People Who Fasted In The Bible
- Moses Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights he ate no bread and drank no water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
- David David therefore besought God for the child and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
- Ezra So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.
- Nehemiah And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
- Esther and the Jews Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
- King Darius Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
- Jesus And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Prophetess Anna And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
- Cornelius And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
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What Did Jesus Say About How We Should Fast
Jesus said we should fast privately, especially when we are praying . We do not want to use fasting as an opportunity to show off or to be seen fasting by others. We should not even let the people closest to us know that we are fasting unless they are also fasting with us. When Jesus fasted in the desert, He was alone except for His Father. This is similar to how Elijah fasted in 1 Kings 19:9-13 when he fled from Queen Jezebel.
There are biblical examples where a few people fasted together, but these were usually during a crisis. An example of this is when Peter and John took it upon themselves too fast after they had been imprisoned . In this instance, the community interceded for them because everyone knew they were fasting.
Why Is Fasting Important For Christians
Christians of all denominations traditionally fast during Lent. The 40 days of Lent remind us of the 40 days Christ was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Since Jesus fasted the duration of the forty days of His temptation, many Christians fast on a certain day of the week or from some food or activity during the forty days of Lent to honor Christs life.
Jesus did not command fasting, but it was a normal occurrence in His earthly time, and it would have made sense to His followers to take up this practice as a spiritual discipline. In the Gospel story of Jesus at the Cana wedding, He presents an alternative view of fasting: Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, Why do we and the Pharisee fast, but your disciples do not fast? And Jesus to them, Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast . Its more good news from the Gospel. In this passage, Jesus replaces the somber practice of fasting with merrymaking while life is good.
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Bible Verses To Read When Fasting For A Job
Psalm 37:4Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalms 90:17 And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us And establish thou the work of our hands upon us Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
Matthew 7:7 Keep on asking and it will be given you keep on seeking and you will find keep on knocking and will be opened to you.
Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men
Exodus 5:18 Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.
Proverbs 24:27 Prepare your work outside and get it ready for yourself in the field and afterward build your house and establish a home.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Psalm 27:14Wait for the Lord be strong, and let your heart take courage wait for the Lord!
Verses To Read When Fasting For A Relationship
Psalms 68:6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
Isaiah 34:16 Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.
1 Corinthians 7:9But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
Psalm 27:14Wait for the Lord be strong, and let your heart take courage wait for the Lord!
Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone I will make him an help meet for him.
Proverbs 18:22He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.
Genesis 2:24Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
2 Corinthians 6:14Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
2 Peter 3:9The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Hebrews 13:4Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
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New Wine Into New Wineskins
Then Johns disciples came and asked him, How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?Jesus answered, How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them then they will fast.No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.
Matthew 9:14-17
The entire purpose of the disciples and the Pharisees fasting was to show a longing for the day God would show up and show favor to Israel again.
But Jesus was right there with them! There was no need for fasting at that moment.
But immediately afterward, Jesus said, the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them then they will fast.
He wasnt putting an end to all fasting.
He specifically said the time to fast would be coming again!
But now, our fasting isnt filled with mourning as it was for the Pharisees. Instead, its filled with longing because we know Jesus came and will come again!
Prayer To Align With God’s 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!
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S For Biblical Fasting
1. Set your heart before the Lord, coming to decide what to omit from your life and for what period of time.2. Be sensitive to the way of the Spirit for what you should give up, and for how long.3. Make preparations for the fast. If a food fast, set a game plan to be prepared and well hydrated for your fast.4. Dedicate time for prayer and quiet time during the fast to not just omit an action or food, but to get the fullness of being before and with God.5. Journal what you feel the Lord doing or saying to you during this time.6. List Bible verses to guard yourself from the Enemys attacks to pray over yourself during this time.7. Follow the fast faithfully in heart position most of all.8. End the fast when the Lord has given you peace for it to end.9. Be mindful to watch for the hand of the Lord in due time for answers, action, or a new perspective.
What Does Fasting Do For Prayer
Biblical fasting means saying no to yourself and saying yes to God. Biblical fasting means to deny the flesh in order to find a more powerful connection with the Holy Spirit.
And in the same way that a regular fast is supposed to boost your metabolism, fasting is a way to super-charge the power of your prayer life!
Why are Fasting and Prayer So Important
Prayer is a way to let go and give everything over to God.
I dont know about you, but when I look at the world around me I feel scared. Life is hard and getting harder every year. The lost world keeps getting crazier and more sure they are right.
The Christians around me are more intolerant. Very rarely do I see a glimpse of the power or abundant life Jesus said His disciples would have.
That scares me. Does it scare you?
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Jesus, when talking to the disciples talks about the life of a believer being powerful and abundant. How do you get to that place of living a powerful, abundant life? I dont see much evidence of it around me and I desperately want it, dont you?
After many years in the faith, I realized there are parts of the scripture that we the Church ignore. Fasting is a spiritual discipline that the original believers would have practiced and seen great value in.
Jesus said we will fast when we need Him and a fast will be necessary.
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Fasting And Prayer For Protection
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath areagainst all those who forsake Him.
How To Fast According To Scripture
When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ~ Matthew 6:16-18
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, Why do we and the Pharisee fast, but your disciples do not fast? And Jesus said to them, Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved. ~ Matthew 9:14-17
Meg Bucher gives a summary for fasting saying, “Fasting is a form of worship, an acknowledgment that we need God more than food. Fasting is not the same as a diet nor is losing weight the goal of a fast. Gratitude for the food God provides gives worship to God! In all we do, the aim is to keep God on the throne of our hearts, the center of our lives, and the top of our minds.”
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Somethings Come By Praying And Fasting
Jesus said, When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
Fasting is an important spiritual discipline that Christians have practiced even before Jesus came to earth. Jesus gave us words of wisdom concerning fasting so we would do it the right way. He wants us to have the right attitude when fasting, and not use it to show others how righteous we are.
In Matthew 6:5-6, Jesus told us that we should not make fasting a public display or make ourselves appear different from others by altering our appearance. Rather, others should not know that we are fasting, only God needs to know. Somethings Come by Praying and Fasting
In this article, we will look at some simple lessons on prayer and fasting to help us better understand how we should do it.
Prayer For Healthy Holy Fasting
Father, your Word is full of wisdom and knowledge. I pray that we, as children of God, trust you Lord and humble ourselves before you… seeking you God like never before. I pray for everyone fasting and beginning to fast.
I pray that they are led by you, Father, and not the world. I pray the distractions and temptations will not overcome them during this time. Thank you, Father, for loving us enough to send your Son to die for us. We will be forever grateful. In Jesus name, Amen
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How Do I Prepare For Fasting And Praying
Its important to prepare for fasting and prayer so that you will do it successfully. Prepare your heart by focusing on prayer, and removing distractions from your life. You can take a retreat to a quiet place, or if not possible, keep away from the TV and other distractions. Eat lighter meals as you approach your fasting time to prepare your body. Notify those around you that you will be taking some time to pray and fast so they can give you the space you need.
Have a journal ready to write the things God will reveal to you. Spend time in the Word of God so that you prepare your heart for the fasting period. Decide on the number of days to fast as the Holy Spirit leads you.
To prepare to fast and pray, you should:
spend time in prayer and fasting before you begin your fast
make a list of who you will be praying for and the biblical reasons to fast and pray
set aside uninterrupted time each day during your fasting period to meet with God solitude is very important as distractions will draw your attention away from the main task of fasting and praying
pray for forgiveness, cleansing, and righteousness the biblical reasons to fast included repentance .
stop eating after dinner on day one, break your fast at lunch or breakfast on day two, return to normal meals during the afternoon of day three.
Fasting Scriptures For Spiritual Growth
Bible verses to study when youre fasting for spiritual growth :
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Acts 13:3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
1 Corinthians 7:5 Defraud you not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch you, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
2 Corinthians 6:5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings
2 Corinthians 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Philippians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becomes the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel
Daniel 9:3 And I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
Joel 2:12 Therefore also now, said the LORD, turn you even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
Joel 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
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