Why Do We Fast
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God has told us to humble ourselves and He would lift us up. It is impossible to humble ourselves with fasting and God not be drawn to us.
The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
Fasting is about the fact that His presence is more important to us than anything, or even anybody else on this planet.
There are so many good reasons to fast…getting closer to God and all that His presence brings, and a plethora of health benefits. All that being said there are some definite reason or motives we should not fast for.
The Wrong Reasons for Fasting
The Wrong Reasons for Fasting
We do not fast to obtain merit with God. Only the blood of Jesus gives us merit with God. Only the blood of Jesus saves us from our sins!
We do not fast solely to lose weight. While it is fine to lose weight, and you may lose some weight, it is not the purpose. That would simply be a diet. We as believers are fasting for spiritual purposes.
We do not fast to be noticed by others. There are times when we as a body will have seasons of fasting and we’re all aware of it, and accountable to each other in that. There are also times when you are simply fasting on your own. You may fast as a family. The bottom line is that no matter how you are fasting it is not about being noticed. We gain nothing by acting super spiritual because we are fasting. We are to decrease so that He can increase.
He must increase, but I must decrease.
Those are just a few bad motives for fasting. Remember the Lord always knows your motives. Here are a few good motives for fasting.
Major Changes That Fasting Will Bring To Your Life
Major Changes That Fasting Will Bring To Your Life
Fasting brings a Spirit of Release. Some mountains will not move, some bondage's will not be broken until we get serious and start fasting. Mark 9:29
So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
“Cry aloud, spare not;
Lift up your voice like a trumpet;
Tell My people their transgression,
And the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet they seek Me daily,
And delight to know My ways,
As a nation that did righteousness,
And did not forsake the ordinance of their God.
They ask of Me the ordinances of justice;
They take delight in approaching God.
‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen?
Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’
“In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure,
And exploit all your laborers.
Indeed you fast for strife and debate,
And to strike with the fist of wickedness.
You will not fast as you do this day,
To make your voice heard on high.
Is it a fast that I have chosen,
A day for a man to afflict his soul?
Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush,
And to spread out sackcloth and ashes?
Would you call this a fast,
And an acceptable day to the Lord?
“Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
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.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Those from among you
Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
“If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,
From doing your pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the Lord honorable,
And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,
Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words,
Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Fasting can help those that are suffering from addiction, or sexual immorality - those that can not control their flesh. When we fast things begin to break off our spirit man and we become stronger healthier spiritually.
Fasting brings a Spirit of Restoration. God says that He will restore our years, and things the devil has stolen. I believe that He can restore your health, you marriage, and your family. Fasting for God will draw His presence closer to you and there is nothing He touches that does not change. James 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Fasting brings a Spirit of Reward. God is a rewarder of those that seek Him, so do do not limit Him. Let your request be made known to Him. He said that we could approach His throne and obtain help in our time of need Heb. 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
When we fast we are not twisting God’s arm into helping us, we are positioning ourselves for His presence. It is not a magic wand or formula. It is not a ceremony or ritual. It is a sacrifice in the physical that brings a spiritual result. Fasting is sacrifice, surrender, obedience, and it is a refocusing of our priorities.
I believe that our best days are still in front of us. God is going to do great thing in us this year! I believe that we will need to be spiritually positioned to see and receive those great things He is getting ready to do. I do not want miss out on them because I am not ready.
Consider this…when Jesus was born there were many that filled the temple and had no idea who Jesus was, except for two.
And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation
Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
Simeon knew because he was full of the Spirit. Anna knew because she had been praying and fasting. They both saw in the Spirit what nobody could see with the physical eye.
I pray that this season of prayer and fasting has helped to establish some new habits like the Word of God, Prayer, and Self Discipline.