Fasting Principles

Fasting Principles

Fasting is a common practise the world over. It is performed by many different cultures and religions across religions and faiths. Some tribes believe and perform the ritual of fasting to access power from the occult and spiritual mediums.

There is the right and wrong way to Fast. Let us examine the wrong ways that people fast. • Cry aloud, spare not. Lift up your voice like a trumpet and declare to My people their transgression and to the house of Jacob their sins! • 2 Yet they seek, inquire for, and require Me daily and delight [externally] to know My ways, as [if they were in reality] a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God [in visible ways].

3 Why have we fasted, they say, and You do not see it? Why have we afflicted ourselves, and You take no knowledge [of it]? Behold [O Israel], on the day of your fast [when you should be grieving for your sins], you find profit in your business, and [instead of stopping all work, as the law implies you and your workmen should do] you extort from your hired servants a full amount of labor.

4 The facts are that] you fast only for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness. Fasting as you do today will not cause your voice to be heard on high. • 5 Is such a fast as yours what I have chosen, a day for a man to humble himself with sorrow in his soul? [Is true fasting merely mechanical?] Is it only to bow down his head like a bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him [to indicate a condition of heart that he does not have]? Will you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord?

Let us look again at these passages: Cry aloud, spare not. Lift up your voice like a trumpet and declare to My people their transgression and to the house of Jacob their sins! 2 Yet they seek, inquire for, and require Me daily and delight [externally] to know My ways, as [if they were in reality] a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God [in visible ways].

The Lord is saying that: • The Nation of Israel had sinned • That they appeared to do the right thing • That their external works looked good • It is not enough to come to church • It is not enough to act out Christian rites • It is not enough to practice religious routines

The people ask God why their prayers were not being answered...God replies: 3 Why have we fasted, they say, and You do not see it? Why have we afflicted ourselves, and You take no knowledge [of it]? Behold [O Israel], on the day of your fast [when you should be grieving for your sins], you find profit in your business, and [instead of stopping all work, as the law implies you and your workmen should do] you extort from your hired servants a full amount of labor.

The facts are that] you fast only for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness. Fasting as you do today will not cause your voice to be heard on high. • 5 Is such a fast as yours what I have chosen, a day for a man to humble himself with sorrow in his soul? [Is true fasting merely mechanical?] Is it only to bow down his head like a bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him [to indicate a condition of heart that he does not have]? Will you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord?

The heart of the matter is the matter of the HEART

People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.” for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b

A Fast can sometimes be looked at as a sacrifice offering unto God. Remember Cain and Abel brought offerings to God but He accepted one and rejected the other. Our hearts have to be in the right place so that our fast can be acceptable. Sometimes our Fast helps us to get our hearts into the right place.

I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom. Psalm 35:13 Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. 1Peter 5:6

Say this prayer: “Lord show me all the contradictions of my life that you want dealt with. Help me to see areas of my life where I need to change” Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me...Ps 51:10

This is not sin consciousness but true biblical repentance: If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, seek my face and turn from their wicked (twisted) ways... Paul said: When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11

It is time for many of us to grow up and stop acting like spiritual babes after being born again for years! Too many Christians are Carnal: And I, family, could not speak unto you as spiritual believers, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:1

Symptoms and signs of ‘Childish’ (carnal) believers: For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses]. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men? 1 Corinthians 3:3

Behaviour and Symptoms of Carnal believers: • Over eating • Over reacting, shouting at others, screaming down others • Mood swings, silent treatment of others • Not talking with someone even though you live together or have their number, FB, Twitter, email. • Hitting or breaking things in fits of rage, slamming doors, phones or speeding off.

Visiting porn sites, watching inappropriate movies or material • Addictions to drugs, substances, food or anything which takes over your time or life. • Excessive playing of video games, entertainment, sport, exercise. • Over obsession with your appearance, looks, hair, clothing etc

Over obsession with natural urges like food, sex or sleep • Lying , cheating or stealing at any level – white lies, exaggerations, deceptions, hiding information from your partner, family and loved ones. • Jealousy, envy and obsession with someone else including your children, friend etc

Lusting after a boy or girl or someone’s wife or husband. • Any form of adultery, emotional adultery, flirting, inappropriate interaction. • Skimpy dressing to show off your body and entice others inappropriately. • Thinking evil of others, murderous thoughts, hatred, • Racial discrimination, or prejudice. Not liking someone because they are not cool, in your class of fashion, football club the colour of their skin, their accent or race or tribe or social status.

It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition;

all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. Galatians 5:19-21

Let us now look at how to Fast properly: Then Jesus, full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led in [by] the [Holy] Spirit 2 For (during) forty days in the wilderness (desert), where He was tempted ([a]tried, tested exceedingly) by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they were completed, He was hungry. Luke 4:1-2 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him Mark 1:12-13

And also: And whenever you are fasting, do not look gloomy and[a]sour and[b]dreary like the hypocrites, for they put on a dismal countenance, that their fasting may be apparent to and seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward [c]in full already. 17 But when you fast, perfume your head and wash your face, 18 So that your fasting may not be noticed by men but by your Father, Who sees in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open. Matthew 6:16-18 AMP

The Message Version: When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won’t make you a saint. If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well. Matthew 6:16-18

Note the following points: • Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to Fast • Make sure your fast is not ‘religious’ • He was alone in His Fast • There is a place for corporate fasting • There is a place for private fasting • There was a lot of spiritual contention during the Fast • There was also spiritual support from Heaven • Fasting is a very SPIRITUAL affair • Fasting increases your spiritual power. Even though your natural self becomes smaller, your spiritual self becomes bigger.

Note the following points: • Fasting is between you and God • You are guaranteed a reward • There is an earthly reward and a Heavenly one • Fasting is a WHEN not an IF • You will likely be tempted to let people know how you’ve fasted • Take measures to hide your sacrifice to God in the area of Fasting so that your Father can respond.

Fasting Principles