Fasting
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What is fasting?
to abstain from food
Fasting Chapter 1: Fasting for Your Breakthrough
Stated simply, biblical fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose.
Almost all the time I bring up fasting and the meaning someone with bring up Is 58:6
6 “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke?
If you read Isaiah 58 you will notice:
Be Comforted 3. Accusation against the Sinners (Isa. 56:9–59:21)
The people went to the temple, obeyed God’s laws, fasted, and appeared eager to seek the Lord; but their worship was only an outward show. Their hearts were far from God (1:10–15; 29:13; Matt. 15:8–9). When we worship because it is the popular thing to do, not because it is the right thing to do, then our worship becomes hypocritical
So in Is 58:6
The point the Lord was making that going without food is not more important than living right and treating others as you would want to be treated.
Jesus said it this way:
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
Tithing, fasting, and prayer are Biblical obligations as a Christian: Jesus said in Matt 6
When you Fast, When you Pray, When you Give not if but when
but weightier matters of New Testament such as walking in love or the fruit of the Spirit are more important.
These practices take sacrifice and are commendable but it’s:
more important to treat our spouse right than to fast, pray, and give.
It’s more important to treat others as we would want to be treated.
Its more important to show mercy,
ts more important to walk uprightly. Its more important to be faithful to God and others.
NUMBER 1) Pick the type of fast.
There are 3 different types of fast found in Scripture.
3 Types of Biblical fast:
Absolute fast
Normal fast
Partial fast
Absolute is no water or food
Normal is no food. you can use liquids like broth, juices, and water
Partial = giving up giving up particular foods and drink for an extended period of time.
The most commonly used example of a partial fast is found in the Book of Daniel. In the beginning of his captivity in Babylon, Daniel and his three companions refused to eat the choice meats and sweets from the king’s table, asking instead to have only vegetables and water. They did this for ten days to prove that they would be just as healthy as the king’s men.
Then we have Daniel’s 21 day fast that took down a principality.
Patrik Baboumian who is labeled the strongest man in the world is vegan. giving up animal protein made his metabolism more efficient and his performance also improved. He made two big world records after becoming vegan.
Tom Brady is the most prominent athlete to embrace veganism, crediting his mostly plant-based diet for allowing him to play at an MVP level into his 40s.
Arnold Schwarzenegger “Now I eat more oatmeal, and greens, and vegetables, and healthy foods,”
NUMBER 2) Pick the duration of the fast.
The duration of fasts can vary. There are significant numbers we find in the Bible, which include
three days,
seven days,
twenty-one days,
and forty days.
But there are also references to half-day fasts and
twenty-four-hour fasts
There is no formula but which type or length of fast should be one that is right for you. Start with sunrise to sunset. Don’t bite off more than you can handle.
Do something that is going to hard on your flesh. If it doesn't mean something to you it won’t mean anything to God.
Fasting itself is a continual prayer before God. There may be days when heaven opens and your heart is prompted to deep times of prayer. Other days your energy is sapped, your hangry, and you just can’t seem to focus on prayer at all. The first day or two you might have a headache. Don’t give up.
Headaches are because your body is detoxing.
Fasting cleans your body. As you begin a fast, you will notice a sort of coating on your tongue for a few days. It is a sign the fast is helping your body eliminate toxins. Tests have proven that the average American consumes and assimilates four pounds of chemical preservatives, coloring, stabilizers, flavorings, and other additives each year. These build up in our bodies and cause illness and disease. Periodic fasts are necessary to flush out the poisons.
Remember to drink plenty of water!!
Fasting gives your body time to heal itself. It relieves nervousness and tension and gives your digestive system a rest. Fasting lowers your blood pressure and can lower your cholesterol.
Fasting Practical Tips
Dr. Oda H. F. Birchinger, who supervised more than seventy thousand fasts, stated, “Fasting is a royal road to healing, for anyone who agrees to take it, for recovery and regeneration of the body, mind, and spirit.” He went on to say, “Fasting can heal and help rheumatism in the joints and muscles, diseases of the heart, circulation, blood vessels, stress-related exhaustion, skin diseases—including pimples and complexion problems, irregular menstrual cycles and hot flashes, disease of respiratory organs, allergies such as hay fever and other eye diseases.”
At age seventy-seven, Dr. Tanner fasted fifty-three days, and among other things that happened, his once thin, gray hair was replaced by new black hair! It was the same color that it was when he was a young man.Dr. Tanner lived to be ninety-three years old.
NUMBER 3) Write it down (the vision)
The Vision is the why
Goals are the how
Tasks are whats next to accomplice each goal
Write down:
How long
What type
Goals its going to take to accomplish it like what
recipes
what juicer or blender?
Writing it down helps you make up your mind and follow through with it. Specially when you are tempted to quit.
Hill Sprints
Humility!
14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Do it yourself shows. Humbling yourself is a do it yourself job. It’s better to humble ourselves than for God to humble us. Jesus said to fall on the rock or the rock will fall on you.
Fasting is humbling yourself. David prayed, “But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting” (Ps. 35:13,
10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
Nothing wrong with be exalted as long as the Lord is doing it.