PRAYER AND FASTING

Matthee 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13

Fast - The practice of abstaining from food, either completely or partially, for a specified period.

1.  History

It is an ancient practice found in most religions throughout the world. Traditionally, fasting has been a widely used form of asceticism, and a penitential practice observed for the purpose of purifying the person or atoning for sins. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used fasting to combat disease 2400 years ago. Ancient Ayurvedic healers of the Hindu religion presecribed fasting weekly for a healthy digestive system.

Secular historians speculate that fasting evolved from people living without food during troubled times. Eventually they learned to do without food because they were troubled.

The fact that fasting is found in many languages would indicate that this practice predated the Tower of Babel. The people of Babel were descendants of Noah and the practice may have been handed down through Noah's offspring. Some scholars have suggested the possibility that fasting might be traced all the way back to the seventh day of Creation and a Sabbath rest may have been designated for the digestive system.

Most religions designate certain days or seasons as times of fasting for their adherents such as: Lent, Yom Kippur, and Ramadan. Certain events in the lives of individuals have also been considered appropriate times of fasting as we will see later.

2.  The Purpose of Fasting

When fasting is done for spiritual purposes, it is always to be accompanied by prayer. This is what distinguishes fasting from abstinence. Here are some purposes for fasting:

A. To humble the soul: "There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourlseves before our God..." (Esra 8:21)

B. To seek the Lord's direction: "Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah." (2 Chron. 20:3)

C. To prepare for spiritual warfare: "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." (Mt. 17:21)

3.  Just as there are appropriate times for prayer and fasting, there are times in scripture when prayer and fasting has been abused.

A. Some separated the formal practice of fasting from internal devotion to God and repentance from sin that it was supposed to represent: "Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?" (Isa. 58:5)

B. Fasting was sometimes practiced to cover other sinful motives and/or practices: "Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death." (1 Kings 21:9-10)

C. Some fasted for economic rather than spiritual or ministry reasons: "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter..." (Isa 58:7)

D.  Some Pharisees fasted for appearances rather than true worship: "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." (Mt. 6:16)

E. Fasting, probably for ascetic reasons, was demanded by some false teachers in the early church: "Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth." (1 Tim. 4:2-3)

4.  Practices that accompany fasting. Fasting by itself serves to cleanse the body of impurities and may help the person lose weight, but has no spiritual value unless it is accompanied by something else:

A.  Abstinence from sexual relations: "Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer and fasting..." (1 Cor. 7:5)

B. Humiliation: "Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered... " (Ps. 35:13)

C.  Lamenting: "And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Xerxes - words of goodwill and assurance - to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordcai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation." (Esther 9:30-31)

D. Mourning: "When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed befor the God of heaven." (Neh 1:4)

E.  Personal Demeanor: "But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face..." (Mt. 6:17)

F.  Prayer: "So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes." (Dan. 9:3)

G.  Scripture: "So you go tot he house of the LORD on a day of fasting and read to the people from the scroll the words of the LORD that you wrote as I dictated." (Jer. 36:6)

H.  Weeping: "Even now' declares the LORD, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." (Joel 2:12)

I.  Worship: "On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads... and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD their God." (Neh 9:1,3)

5.  Duration of biblical fasts:

A. Part of a day: "Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him." (Dan. 6:18)

B.  One Day: "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire." (Lev. 23:27)

C.  Three Days: "He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights." (1 Sam. 30:12)

D.  Seven Days: "When all the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard of everything the Philistines had done to Saul, all their valiant men went and took the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. Then they buried their bones under the great tree of Jabesh, and they fasted seven days." (1 Chron. 10:11-12)

E.  Fourteen Days: "Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. 'For the last fourteen days,' he said, 'you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food - you haven't eaten anything." (Acts 27:33)

F.  Twenty-one Days: "At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips..." (Dan. 10:2-3)

G.  Forty Days: "Then once again I fell prostrate before the LORD for forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water, because of all the sin you had committed..." (Deut. 9:18)

And, of course we are all familiar with perhaps the most famous fast. It occurs in Matthew 4:1-2 as Jesus endures His temptation prior to beginning His formal years of ministry. "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry." I've heard many sermons that stressed the point that Satan came to Jesus in a moment of weakness. It was a moment of physical weakness, but it was a time of intense spiritual power! Jesus had just spent forty days and forty nights in prayer, meditation, fasting, and perhaps scripture reading. Satan couldn't have picked a worse time for this encounter!

6.  Kinds of fasts

A.  The normal fast is going without food for a specified period of time. The duration for a normal fast can range from part of a day to forty days.

B.  The absolute fast is going without food or water. This should be done for only a short period of time since going without water for 40 days would kill you.

C.  The rotational fast involves avoiding certain foods periodically. For example, food families such as grains are eaten only every fourth day. Three days of fasting without grains of any kind may be followed by one day in which grains are eaten. The various food groups are rotated so that a different food group is available each day.

D.  The partial fast includes omitting one meal a day or omitting certain foods for an extended period of time.

1)  Feast of Firstfruits (No Cereals or grains) "You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God." (Lev. 23:14)

2)  Nazirite Vow (no grapes or grape products) "he must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or from other fermented drink. He must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. As long as he is a Nazirite, he must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins."

3)  Daniel's fast (vegetarian) "Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.' So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days." (Dan. 1:12-14)

7. What don't more Christians fast? The major problems that prevent us from fasting are the same as with many other spiritual disciplines.

A.  It is a matter of comfort. We don't like the discomfort we experience in being hungry. However, the hunger pangs usually dissipate after 24-48 hours. And the few pounds we may drop after a prolonged fast might result in increased energy and stamina.

B.  It is a time problem. We think we are too busy to start any new discipline, however, fasting could actually result in providing us with at least three extra hours a day. Consider all the time we spend in food preparation, eating, and slow motion drosiness that occurs after a heavy meal.

C.  It is a spiritual problem. Like scripture reading, prayer, and meditation, Satan convinces us our time would be better spent in some other preoccupation.

D.  It is a health problem. We know that the nutrients found in food are necessary for good health, so our logic suggests that if eating is healthy, not eating must be unhealthy. That's faulty logic. It's true that it would be unhealthy for some people to fast. Young children, old people, and people on certain medicatins should not fast. And everyone else should get medical advice from their doctor before beginning a prolonged fast.

Dr. Isaac Jennings practiced medicine in the early to mid 1800's. While other doctors were prescribing blood letting, heat, and water deprivation, Dr. Jennings was recommending water, fasting, and various colored pills. He developed such a reputation for reversing chronic illnesses that Yale University conferred an honorary degree upon him. His popularity waned when he revealed his "pills" were really just stained bread fragments. Ws it the "placebo effect" or the fasting that cured?

8.  What happens to our body when we fast?

Dr. George Thampy, a biochemist at the University of Indiana, conducted research on 60 healthy subjects who participated in a three week fast. These are the results: (1) significant lowering of cholestrol (2) lowering of blood pressure (3) relief from arthritis (4) loss of body mass and weight (as much as forty pounds).

As I stated before, when we first begin to fast, we develop hunger pangs. They may be accompanied by headache or other minor symptoms. Often these side effects are caused by withdrawal from food addictions. These usually subside in 24-48 hours. During this time the body cleanses itself of toxins as well as dead and diseased cells. After 40-50 days the feeling of hunger will return. This is real hunger. At this boing the body will begin to destroy healthy cells and deteriorate. Food is necessary at this point. Irish protestors who were very healthy after 50 days died within two weeks of the onset of this real hunger.

9.  How to begin a fast.

Beginning three days before your fast commences, eat only natural foods that have not had their nutrients processed out. Drink pure water or fruit juices.

On the first day of a fast, drink only water or juice with no sweeteners. This helps counter hypoglycemic symptoms many peole experience during their first fast. Symptoms may include: headache, weakness, irritability, bad breath, frequent urination, and sleeplessness.

Important, if you feel sick, eat. Then try to fast again in a few days. You don't get macho points for making yourself suffer.

10.  Physical Aspects of Fasting:

A.  Remember that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It pleases God when you take proper care of your body, seeking to make it a clean and healthy temple for His Spirit. Health is one of the specific benefits promised when it is properly practiced.

B.  If you are on regular medication, of if you suffer from a disease such as diabetes or tuberculosis, get medical advice before entering any fast.

C.  In the early period of a fast you may experience unpleasant physical symptoms such as dizziness, headache, nausea, etc. Usually these are indications that your fasting is overdue and that you need the purifying physical action of fasting. Do not allow physical discomfort to deter you. When hunger sensations come, try drinking a glass of water.

D.  Guard against constipation by eating fresh fruit; dried figs, prunes, or apricots; oatmeal or drinking fruit juices before and after the fast.

E.  If you feel called to fast from fluids as well as solid food, do not abstain from fluids for more than 72 hours. That was the limit set by Esther and her maids in Esther 4:16. To go more than 72 hours without fluids can have serious medical consequences. While it's true that Deuteronomy 9:9-18 teaches us that Moses spent 40 days without eating or drinking, unless you are on the same supernatural plane as Moses, I don't advise you to follow his example in this case.

F.  Break you fast gradually. Begin with meals that are light and easy to digest. During any fast that exceeds two days, your stomick will shrink. The longer you have fasted, the more care should be exercised in the breaking of the fast. Eating too much, too fast, or the wrong foods; will not only cause discomfort, but can negate the positive physical benefits of your fast.

11.  Some examples of individuals who fasted:

A.  Cornelius in Acts 10:30-31, "And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, Cornelius, your prayer is heard, and your alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God."

B.  Daniel in Daniel 9:3, "So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes."

C.  David in Psalms 35:13, "Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting."

12.  Spiritual guidelines for individuals who are fasting:

A.  Enter into fasting with positive faith. God requires faith of this kind in all who seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 states, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." If you determine to seek God diligently by fasting, you have a scriptural right to expect that God will reward you. Matthew 6:18 states, "...your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

B. Romans 10:17 says, "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." So your fasting should be based pon the conviction that God's Word enjoins this as a part of normal Christian discipline.

C.  Don't wait for some emergency to drive you to fasting. It is better to begin fasting when you are spiritually "up" rather than when you are feeling down or depressed. The law of progress in God's kingdom is: from "strength to strength" (Ps 84:7); from "faith to faith" (Romans 1:17); and from "glory to glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

D.  During your fast, devote plenty of time to Bible reading. When possible, read a portion of scripture before each period of prayer. The Psalms are particularly helpful. Read them out loud, identifying yourself with the prayers, the praises, and the confessions contained within them.

E.  Your fast should have a purpose, therefore, it is often helpful to set certain specific objectives and make a written list of them. If you keep these lists, you can review them from time to time and be encouraged as you recall how God has met the objectives you've set in the past.

F.  Check your motives as you prepare to fast. Take time to read Isaiah 58:1-12. Note the motives and attitudes that are unpleasing to God. Then study motives and objectives that are pleasing to God. How do your motives line up with these?

G.  Avoid religious ostentation and boastfulness. Apart from special periods of prayer and other special spiritual activity, your life and conduct while fasting should be as normal and unpretentious as possible. Fasting does not earn you any brownie points from God. It is part of your duty as a committed Christian.

13.  Collective fasting

Many Christians think collective fasting is inappropriate because of Jesus' directive in Matthew 6:16 where He says, "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." In this verse, Jesus warns against unnecessary ostentation, but He doesn't request that fasting be done in secret. Obviously people cannot come together for collective fasting unless it is arranged by some form of public announcement which obviously rules out secrecy. Perpetuation of the idea we must only fast secretly deprives God's people of one of the most powerful weapons in their whole armory: united corporate fasting.

There are many examples of God's people joining together in a corporate fast to accomplish a specific purpose.

A.  Israel at Mizpah is an example of fasting for confession in 1 Samuel 7:6, "On that day they fasted and there they confessed, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah."

B. Saul, in 1 Samuel 14:24 shows how corporate fasting can be part of the fulfillment of a vow. "Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, "Cursed be any man who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!" So none of the troops tasted food."

C.  2 Samuel 1:12 provides an example of fasting applied to mourning. "They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword."

D. In 2 Chronicles 20:3-4, Jehoshaphat uses a collective fast to ask for God's assistance. "Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD..."

E.  A fast is used to seek God's direction in Esra 8:21, "There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions."

F.  In Acts 13:2-3 we see corporate fasting employed in the ordination of people for ministry. "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off."

14.  Guidelines for collective fasting:

All the guidelines that apply for individuals fasting apply as well for corporate fasting, but there are also a few additional points that should be observed.

A.  In Matthew 18:19, Jesus states: "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Here Jesus emphasizes the special power that is released when believers agree together in prayer. To this end, all those participating in a collective fast should do everything within their power to achieve and maintain agreement with one another.

B.  People participating in a collective fast should make a commitment to pray specifically for each other throughout the duration of the fast.

C.  A meeting place should be established where those participating in the fast can come together at times they mutually agree upon for encouragment and common prayer.

15.  Maintaining a fasting journal.

During your fast, take time to make journal entries recording the experiences and insights you have gleaned. Take time to document what you did on your first day and what God taught you. Use your journal to record any commitments made as a result of the lessons you have learned. You may want to consider the ten questions Claude King lists in his book, Experiencing God:

1. What has God revealed to you aobut Himself?
2. What has God revealed to you about His purposes?
3. What has God revealed to you about His ways?
4. What has God done in your life or through your life that has caused you to experience His presence?
5. What scripture has God used to speak to you about Himself, His purposes, or His ways?
6. What particular person or concern has God given you a burden to pray for? What has He guided you to pray for in this situation?
7. What has God done through circumstances that has given you a sense of His timing or direction concerning any aspect of His will?
8. What word of guidance or truth do you sense God has spoken to you through another believer?
9. What adjustment is God leading you to make in your life?
10. What acts of obedience have you accomplished this week? What further steps of obedience do you know God is wanting you to take?

Take time to read your journal entries from earlier fasts. Do you see a pattern or trend in what God has been teaching you? Is there something specific you need to do in obedience to what you have been learning? Your answer to these and other questions will help you to recognize God at work in your life.

 

 

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