“Both the Old Testament and New Testament teach the value of fasting, which is abstaining from food or drink in order to focus on prayer and seeking God's will. Through many examples of people in the Bible who fasted, we can know that God grants supernatural revelation and wisdom through this practice. Scripture tells us that fasting will help us grow a more intimate relationship with Christ and will open our eyes to what He wants to teach us.”
“Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 16:16-18)
Although most fasts focus on not eating food, there are many types of fasts you can do that honor the Lord. You can fast from watching TV, shopping for clothes, drinking coffee, eating specific foods, fasting for a certain period of time, etc. Regardless of the type of fast you do, there are important aspects it must contain:
It should be spirit led. In other words, you suddenly recognizing you didn’t eat breakfast is not fasting. You just missed a meal.
It should be intentional. Again, forgetting to eat isn’t fasting. A spiritual fast has a purpose and intention. Whether it’s cleansing of sin, seeking God’s wisdom, love, or peace. Whatever your intention, a fast should focus on that.
It should be timed. Spiritual fasts begin and end at specific times. And you break the fast when it ends even if you want to go longer. Inherently, spiritual fasts are about self-discipline. End the fast at the time it’s supposed to end.
I’ve done many types of fasts and each one has brought me closer and closer in my relationship with God. I’ve also learned things about myself that I don’t know I would have learned without a fast. Ultimately, a fast is a form of worship and honoring God. We put aside something we cherish for a period of time and focus on God’s love and strength to carry us through the fast. If the fast is done correctly, you will always gain and learn something from it.
Some of the benefits of fasting are:
Clearing the mind.
Cleansing the body.
Deeper focus and reliance on God.
Spiritual wisdom and insight.
You can research many resources and books on fasting. If you’ve never fasted before, I recommend you start with skipping one meal during the day; typically it’s lunch. You eat breakfast, skip lunch, and eat dinner. During lunch, instead of eating you can read scripture, pray, journal, and/or think on the Lord. While not eating, ask God to reveal to you what He wants you to learn from the fast and remain open to receiving His lesson. The lesson may come in the form of personal revelation or another person sharing something with you.
When you’re ready to advance your fasting you can fast from something that’s part of your daily routine, like drinking coffee or tea, or watching TV, or texting throughout the day. The point is to learn to rely on God for everything in your life. When you start letting go (fasting) of things you believe are important you start to recognize what’s truly important.
Here are more scriptures on spiritual fasting:
“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.” (Acts 13:2)
“I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until three weeks were over.” (Daniel 10:3)
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” (Joel 2:12)
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