Fasting 101

Fasting 101 my experience so far.

My experience with fasting has been life changing. I wasn’t able to do a complete fast because my job is very physical and i am out in the heat right now a lot delivering the mail.

I as doing a sun up sun down fast with just water and vegetable juice at first which means i skipped one meal a day i did that for a little over 2 months most of the time Mon- Fri sometimes on Saturday and I did not fast on Sunday.

Some days it was so easy and i felt so close to the lord.

And some days like a ton of bricks in my belly that were dragging me down and funny enough those were the days i committed to pray for others on some very serious things. i know one of those times i texted some ladies to pray because it was about Addicts, those in the jail and sexual perversions.

What is Biblical Fasting Not?

a. Fasting is not going without food for a long period of time, that is dieting maybe even starving.

Some fad diets want you to abstain from certain foods. Low carb diets, no sugar diets, Adkins diets, vegetarian diets and yes there are even diets now that have a aspect of fasting involved. I have seen them scrolling on face book.

Bishop says he won’t do anything with the word DIEt in it.

b. Fasting is not for fanatics or religious ministers or monks in a cave somewhere or for special occasions.

Fasting is for everyone it is a tool to stir up the Holy Spirit and draw you closer to God it helps you focus on God more in a day than you would normally.

c. Fasting is not for other religions or weird belief systems.

Most of the time the things of God are co-opted by the world. What i mean by that is the enemy takes the things of God and makes them secular or takes them into false belief systems to confuse believers.

d. Fasting is not a fast if it’s not food I reaize that people can fast other things but a Bibilcal Fast is specificaly food.

What Fasting Is.

Fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose. Fasting has always been a normal spiritual discipline of the church.

Your spirit will become uncluttered by the things of this world and become more sensitive to the things of God.

Fasting along with prayer moves things.

Some people say it moves God some people say it moves you, but either way you look at it Gods will is ultimate and he will honor your times of fasting in various ways.

Matthew 5:6 NKJV

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

We should all have a hunger for God. In fact i noticed that this process of fasting and praying for myself and others increased my hunger not just in the sense that i was eating food but increased my desire to be closer to God everyday.

The Bible never Says IF you fast

Matthew 6:16 NKJV

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

Acts 14:23 NKJV

So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

1. A 1-day fast (sunrise to sunset). Judges 20:26, to seek direction from the Lord.

2. A 3-day fast with food or drink. Esther 4:16, for wisdom, discernment, protection, and guidance. In Acts 9:9 Saul was converted but for 3 days he went without food and water. So far I’ve found that these 3-day fasts are the last complete fasts mentioned. The rest of the fasts either do not specify or say food only was fasted.

3. A 7-day fast. 1 Samuel 31:13. For wisdom, grief, and guidance.

4. A 10-day fast of vegetables and water only. Daniel 1:12, Daniel was fasting for favor, strength, wisdom, and discernment.

5. A 14-day fast. Acts 27:33-34. Paul and the men on the ship fasted food for protection and wisdom.

6. A 21-day fast. Daniel 10:3, for times of distress and mourning. No meat, wine, rich or pleasant food, and no oils. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, and water instead. In modern times, this is a popular fast (and diet).

7. A 40-day fast. There are only three 40-day fasts in the Bible. Each person was divinely appointed and touched by God for this type of fast. My husband and I need to do more study on this but we noticed that when Jesus went to the mountain to pray (Luke 9:28) he met with Moses and Elijah. Again, we aren’t sure of the significance of this and need to do more study on it but it is noteworthy

Always seek a medical professional if you have health problems before you ever attempt to fast.