Fasting and Prayer
“When you fast…” “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting” -Jesus
When Jesus spoke of fasting He spoke of the certainty of ‘when you fast’. Throughout the Bible we see examples and exhortation concerning fasting and prayer. Jesus modeled it, instructed His disciples in it, and the New Testament letters speak of the early church practicing it. With that in mind we are asking you to join us for prayer and fasting the week.
Fasting and prayer belong together for you cannot benefit spiritually when you fast physically unless you are in prayer. Fasting is done by many different people for many different reasons; athletes fast to purge their bodies so they can perform better, physicians advise fasting for some ailments or conditions. Cults and other groups fast to awaken or get the attention of their gods. But the fast that God calls us to (Isaiah 58) is the fast that puts Him first and seeks His will.
Biblical fasting is done for many reasons such as to:
1. Obey God (Isaiah 58:6)
2. Deny the flesh and discern His will (Daniel 9:3)
3. Strengthen the spiritual man (Matthew 4:2)
4. Honor God; without seeking attention from men. (Matthew 6:16)
5. Open our eyes and heart to what God desires to do and is doing. (Acts 13:2,3)
Fasting is not a way to redirect the hand of God, rather it is a discipline that helps us to see the heart of God. Fasting helps to awaken us so we can hear what God is saying. Also, in a very intriguing way, fasting invokes the power of God in a given situation or need. (Mark 9:29)
A fast may be done in various ways; Daniel was led by the Spirit to abstain from the Babylonian delicacies (Daniel 1:8), Jesus fasted from food, and the early church regularly fasted and prayed for God’s strength and direction. How you fast or what you fast from is between you and God (read Isaiah 58).