Fast the First with Riverwood A HISTORY OF BIBLICAL FASTING BIBLICAL FASTING? WHAT IT IS NOT WHAT IT IS Almost every significant event mentioned in the bible was preceded by a fast. Some examples would be Moses receiving the 10 Commandments, Daniel during his captivity with Nebuchadnezzar, Esther on behalf of the Jews, Paul on numerous occasions, Anna in worship at the temple, and last but not least, Jesus before he started his ministry. It is not a Christian diet It is not an opportunity to show others how spiritual you are It is not a way to obtain merit from God only the blood of Christ does that! In a nutshell, fasting is refraining from food for spiritual purposes. WHAT KINDS OF FASTS ARE THERE? The kind of fast you choose and the length of the fast is not nearly as important as your reason for fasting. Ask God what He would have you do and start slowly... don t jump into a long term fast without building up to it. The Bible presents a number of fasts: Partial Fast Abstaining from certain foods. Daniel is a good example of this fast. Normal Fast Abstaining from all food, but allowing water/juice/broth. Absolute Fast Abstaining from food and drink. There isn t a formula for determining which fast to do or for how long to do it. But don t overcomplicate things. Some may think an absolute fast from sunrise to sunset is tremendously difficult while another might think it s no big deal. What you do and how you do it is between you and the Holy Spirit. A good rule of thumb is if it doesn t mean anything to you, it won t mean anything to God. WHY SHOULD I PRAY & FAST? I have heard people say they were going to fast from TV, music, or the internet. While that s a great way to refocus on Christ, this is not the biblical definition of fasting which is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose. Every assignment, every call of God, every direction from Him starts somewhere. God has specific assignments for your life but how do you discover them? Romans 12:1 says to Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Fasting keeps you sensitive to His Spirit! In Matthew 6, Jesus is talking to us about how we are to practice our righteousness through praying, giving, and fasting. Specifically in verse 16 he says, 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. These three verses say so much! Fasting is an expected discipline in the believer s life. It is one way we practice our righteousness and as a result, it is a rewarded discipline. Fasting can result in a personal revival in your own life. Fasting and prayer result in a more intimate relationship with Christ. All of this notwhithstanding, when is the last time angels were released to speak to you like the archangel Michael did with Daniel after he spent time praying and fasting?
IS FASTING SAFE? DO I NEED TO PREPARE FOR THIS? As a general rule, fasting is safe! Even so, and particularly with an absolute fast, ask your doctor for a physical exam if you have concerns. You may have a physical problem that would make fasting unwise or dangerous. Also, if you are under any type of medication, make sure you talk to your doctor before changing your schedule. You may find helpful to begin eating smaller meals before your day of fasting. Some suggest weaning yourself off caffeine and sugar products to ease your initial hunger or discomfort. The point of fasting is spending time with Jesus. If you re running a bunch of errands in the lead up to a holiday or birthday or another special event you likely won t have time to sit and pray with God in peace and quiet. Fasting isn t about just being hungry it s to take time you would normally spend eating and use that time to focus on God. Going without food is a reminder that cuts straight to one our most basic needs. You don t fast on accident it s definitely on purpose! When your fast ends, it s important to reintroduce food slowly. You may feel like eating a huge pancake breakfast but it really is a bad idea. Start simply, perhaps with a broth based soup, and take your time. Some additional thoughts on Fasting and Prayer: I believe the power of fasting as it relates to prayer is the spiritual atomic bomb that our Lord has given us to destroy the strongholds of evil and usher in a great revival and spiritual harvest around the world. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ Prayer is reaching out after the unseen; fasting is letting go of all that is seen and temporal. Fasting helps express, deepen, confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God Andrew Murray, South African writer, teacher, and Christian pastor Fasting confirms our utter dependence upon God by finding in Him a source of sustenance beyond food. Dallas Willard, professor and author on Christian spiritual formation The purpose of fasting is to loosen to some degree the ties which bind us to the world of material things and our surroundings as a whole, in order that we may concentrate all our spiritual powers upon the unseen and eternal things. Ole Hallesby, one of Norway s leading Christian teachers and devotional writers
Biblical Instances of Fasting Scripture Exodus 34:28 Deuteronomy 9:9 Judges 20:26 Background Moses two experiences on Mount Sinai re the 10 commandments and in mourning over Israel s sin. (40 day fast) Israel fasts after loss to Benjamin 1 Samuel 1:7-8 Hannah fasts and prays for son 1 Samuel 7:6 Israel fasts for repentance; they are delivered from the Philistines 1 Samuel 14:24-26 Saul places the army under oath not to eat until evening on the day of the battle with the Philistines 1 Samuel 20:34 Jonathan refuses to eat because of his father s treatment of David 1 Samuel 31:13 1 Chronicles 10:12 Men of Jabesh fast after recovering bodies of Saul and Jonathan from the Phililstines (7 day fast) 2 Samuel 1:12 David s men fast until evening when they hear the news of the death of Saul and Jonathan 2 Samuel 3:35 David refuses to eat food until evening when he hears the news of the death of Abner 2 Samuel 12:16-23 David fasts during the illness of his son (7 day fast) 1 Kings 13:1-22 God instructs this person to not eat or drink while on a mission to prophesy against Jeroboam s idolatry 1 Kings 19:8 Elijah fasts after food provided for him by an angel (40 day fast) 1 Kings 21:27-29 Ahab fasts and puts on sackcloth in repentance after Elijah rebukes him. God recognized Ahab s humility! 2 Chronicles 20:3 Jehoshaphat proclaims a fast throughout Judah Ezra 8:21-23 Ezra 10:6 Nehemiah 1:4 Nehemiah 9:1 Esther 4:3 Esther 4:16 Esther 9:31 Psalm 25:13 Psalm 43:3 Ezra calls a fast to seek God s protection Ezra fasts in mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles Nehemiah fasts over news of the state of Jerusalem (multiple days) People of Israel assemble and fast to confess their sin after Ezra reads from the Law Jews fast when they hear the king s decree for their destruction Esther, her maidens, and the Jews of Susa fast (3 day fast) Purim is established with instructions for fasting David fasts and prays when his enemies were sick Psalmist (son s of Korah) say that tears are his food
Psalm 69:10 Psalm 109:24 Isaiah 58:3-6 Jeremiah 14:12 Jeremiah 36:6-9 Ezekiel 24:18 Daniel 9:3 Daniel 10:2-3 Joel 1:14 Joel 2:12-15 Jonah 3:5 Zechariah 7:5 Zechariah 8:19 Matthew 4:2 Luke 4:2 Matthew 6:16-18 Matthew 9:14-15 Mark 2:18-20 Luke 5:33-35 Matthew 17:21 Mark 9:29 Luke 2:37 Luke 18:12 Acts 9:9 Acts 10:30 Acts 13:2-3 Acts 14:23 Acts 23:12 David s fasting and prayer was an object of scorn by his enemies David s knees are weak from fasting Israel s fast is not heard by God because their motivation was wrong Israel s fast is not heard by God because of their hypocrisy People of Judah assemble and fast in Jerusalem Ezekiel fasts in mourning for the death of his wife Daniel fasts after reading Jeremiah s prophecy of the seventy weeks Daniel fasts from tasty food, meat, wine and ointment (3 week fast) Joel calls for a nation-wide fast because of a famine destroying the land GOD calls the people to return to him with fasting, rending their hearts, not their garments All of Ninevah fasts seeking God s forgiveness Israel s priests are rebuked by God for fasting with the wrong motivation God transforms their fasts held in the 4 th, 5 th, 7 th, and 10 th months Jesus fasts in the wilderness (40 day fast) Jesus teaches that fasting should be done and should be done privately, not for vain glory like the hypocrites Jesus tells John s disciples that his own disciples do not fast because the bridegroom (Christ) is present but when He is taken away they will. Jesus says that some things are only accomplished through prayer and fasting Anna worships in the temple with fasting and prayer The Pharisee in Jesus s parable demonstrates self-righteousness by boasting about his fasting and giving (note Matthew 6:16) Saul fasted from food after the Damascus Road experience (3 days) Cornelius was fasting and praying when an Angel of the Lord gave him instruction Teachers in Antioch fasted before and after the Holy Spirit set apart Saul and Barnabus Paul and Barnabus pray and fast before they appoint elders Paul s voyage to Rome takes place after his fast
Acts 27:33 Paul encourages the ship s crew to eat since they had fasted (14 day fast) 1 Corinthians 7:5 Paul tells married couples not to deprive one another (physical intimacy) except for brief times devoted to prayer and fasting 2 Corinthians 6:5; 11:27 Paul lists fasting (plural) among the hardships he suffered