THE POWER OF FASTING.pdf

THE POWER OF FASTING

Matt. 17:15-21

I want to teach you something today that can be the greatest thing you learn.

1. What is Fasting ? To abstain from the use of food or drink for a period of time for spiritual purposes.

2. Three Kinds of Fasting in the Bible:

a) Simple Fast -Luke 4:2-Jesus fasted 40 days & nights.

-It says He ate no food

-Does not say He did not drink

b) Selective fasting -Where a person chooses not to eat certain foods or abstain from meals.

-Dan. 10:2-Daniel ate no meat, wine, or pleasant bread

Note: If you have health problems or you are pregnant, this may be the only type of fasting you can do.

c) Supernatural Fasting -A complete fast-no eating or drinking

-Esther 4:15,16-3 days nothing

-You can go without food, but not water for more than 2 or 3 days

-Deut. 9:9-Moses abstained 40 days & nights

-God had to give Moses supernatural protection to do this.

I. The Occasions for Fasting

1. When Conditions Demand It. (Matt. 15:32)

-The people did not have a choice, they were following Jesus.

-They would have had to go away & find food.

Their hunger for Christ was more than their hunger for food!

2. When Contrition Dictates It. (Ps. 102:3,4)

-David was so overwhelmed with sorrow, he did not even want to eat-He just forgot about eating.

-This type of brokenness may have caused this in you.

Note: All your focus is on wanting comfort from the Holy Spirit.

3. Where Choice Directs It. (Matt. 4:2)

-Jesus chose to fast here.

-This is the type we are talking about today.

II. The Objectives to Fasting (Many people think it has no place in N.T. Christianity)

Some say it is Unscriptural.

-But almost 100 times (OT & NT) the Bible speaks of it.

- In OT. Moses, David, Elijah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Hannah, etc..

- In NT. Jesus, Paul, the Early Church, Anna, etc..

Some say it is Unspiritual

-They think of some fanatic, crazy, abusive person.

-They talk of the Pharisees fasting for showee purposes.

-But Jesus rebuked their praying, giving, & obedience

3. Some say it is Unhealthy.

-There are some folks like diabetics who can’t have a complete fast.

-But if you are healthy, fasting is a cleansing, healthy process.

-When I have fasted , & testimony of others have noted, the spiritual depth experienced during a food fast.

-There is some weight loss , but there is high energy & the mind is sharp .

J. Harold Smith has a book “Fast Your Way to Health”

III. The Object of Fasting (Why Do People Fast?) 5 things

1. Fasting Rebukes Pride (Ps. 35:13; 69:10)

-Fasting states your total dependence on God.

-This fasting is the sincere desire to know God & His will.

2. Fasting Reinforces Prayer (Jer. 29:12-14a)

-We find God when we seek Him with all our heart.

-Joel 2:12-13-Seek God with all your heart, fasting, weeping, mourning.

-Here prayer is linked up with fasting as a reinforcement of seeking God.

Note: If I really want to seek God with all my heart, I should pray, fast & weep.

-Fasting gives power , depth & dimension to your prayers.

3. Fasting Redirects God’s Program (Jonah 3:5-10)

- Jonah had finally preached to Nihevah.

-Here we see the people repent & proclaim a fast of people & cattle.

-God heard them & saw their humble spirits & turned away His wrath.

Note: Today people ask is there hope for America?

-YES! If the righteous, faithful people of God will:

a) Fall on their faces America Has Hope (2Chron. 7:14)

b) Fast & pray

c) Humble themselves & repent

(When we humble ourselves & fast, we declare seeking God is more important than our needs)

4. Fasting Releases from Prison (Isa. 58:6)

-This verse is about letting people go from entangling sins.

“loose the bands of wickedness” –Some sins become a stronghold in your life.

“undo the heavy burdens”-Some burdens just nag on and on, then comes discouragement & depression .

(Bible Prayer & Fasting breaks discouragement.)

(Jesus said, Come unto me, all you who are burdened & heavy laden.)

“break every yoke”-You are either yoked up with the world or Jesus.

-The worlds yoke is hard & heavy

-Matt. 11:29-30-Jesus’ yoke is easy & light

Note: -Some of us have lost loved ones & friends who need to be saved.

-But it seems some invisible force is holding them from getting saved.

-You may be able to help set them free by prayer & fasting

5. Fasting Reveals God’s Plan (Daniel 9:3-5)

-(v.20-23)-God revealed His will, His plan & His work to Daniel.

-(Acts 14:23)-An ordination or commissioning service.

-These men were sent out to be a great blessing for the kingdom of God

IV. Some Observation about Fasting

If you fast, it must be practiced in private. (Matt. 6:16-18)

-Jesus said, “when you fast”, He assumed they would be fasting.

-Don’t fast to be seen of men, to look spiritual

If you fast, it must be Prompted by Purity . (Matt. 6:16) “To be seen of men.”

-You can have the wrong motive in fasting.

-Your motive must be pure –(for the benefit of God) For God’s Glory.

-If motive not pure, it will not be blessed of God.

-The Pharisees were doing this fasting with impurity.

If you fast, it must be Preserved from Pride.

-If you are not careful, you get presumptuous.

-If you boast because you fast & God blesses you, the blessings can stop.

-Don’t think you have God bound or forced into blessing you.

4. If you fast, it must be Preached as a Privilege .

-In the N.T., fasting in never commanded.

-Only on the Day of Atonement in the O.T., was fasting commanded.

-Don’t hold fasting over peoples head as a must.

John Wesley said: “Some people have so exalted religious fasting, that it has gone beyond all scripture and

reason; others have utterly disregarded it.”

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