FASTING

Matthew 6:16–18 NASB95

16 “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.

17 “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face

18 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 9:14–17 NASB95

14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

15 And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

16 “But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

17 “Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Fasting is one of the most powerful and effective forces we can employ against the enemy. Fasting solidifies the Christian’s life into one of productivity and fruitfulness.

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JESUS’ ANSWER TO JOHN’S DISCIPLES CONCERNING FASTING

The disciples of John the Baptist questioned Jesus concerning fasting (Matthew 9:14- 17). They questioned why they fasted, yet Jesus’ disciples did not. Jesus answered them with three truths that we need to understand.

1. The children of the bride chamber do not fast while the bridegroom is with them.

2. A new piece of cloth is not sewn onto an old garment.

3. New wine is not put into old wineskins.

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OVERVIEW OF FASTING THROUGH THE AGES

Old Testament until John—Fasting was a common practice throughout the Old Testament. For this reason, John’s disciples could not understand why Jesus’ disciples did not fast.

During Jesus’ Time—Jesus, the Bridegroom, was present with His disciples; therefore, it was not necessary for them to fast at that time. This was only for a short time.

Church Age—The Bridegroom is gone, so we are commanded to fast in the New Testament.

Millennium—The Bridegroom will be with us, so we will not fast during this time.

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WHAT IS FASTING?

Scripturally, fasting is not (1) a dieting process, (2) missing a meal or two because we are too rushed to eat, (3) being without food because we are too poor to buy it, (4) a hunger strike to get someone to do something, or (5) an act to obtain physical health.

Although fasting is healthy, we fast for other reasons; health is a side benefit.

In short, fasting is doing without food in order to obtain spiritual discipline, strength, answers, and direction for ourselves and for others. It must be done unto God (Zechariah 7:5; Matthew 6:18).

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TYPES OF FASTS

• The    Fast—In this fast we abstain from food, but drink water. (See Matthew 4:1-2; Luke 4:2.)

• The    Fast—During this fast we abstain from both food and water. (See Ezra 10:6; Acts 9:9.) For health and safety, we should not go without water for more than three days.

• The    Fast—In a partial fast, we restrict some aspect of our diet rather than totally abstaining from food. (See Daniel 1:15; 10:2-3.)

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OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FAST

• By   —The Holy Ghost prompts us to fast because of some special need, perhaps unknown to us at the time. We feel a burden, need, or desire to fast. This is the easiest way to fast because we have such strong feelings to do so. However, we should not rely on this method completely. If we do so, our seasons of inspiration can become too far apart.

• By   —Dedication to God’s cause demands that we fast simply because it is beneficial. The believer cannot carry out spiritual disciplines by inspiration alone. Self-control is essential for the Christian, and it is vital when we fast. We should discipline ourselves to fast, and we should also fast when our leader calls on us to do so. We should not wait on others, but we should make our own commitments and keep them.

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EXAMPLES OF FASTING

1. Moses fasted forty days on Mount Sinai (Deuteronomy 9:9).

2. David humbled his soul through fasting (II Samuel 12:16; Psalm 35:13; 69:10; 109:24).

3. Elijah fasted forty days (I Kings 19:8).

4. Ezra: Others fasted with him for protection and guidance back to Israel from Persia (Ezra 8:21-23). He fasted without bread and water because of the sins of Israel (Ezra 10:6).

5. Nehemiah wept, mourned, and fasted because the wall of Jerusalem was bro-ken down (Nehemiah 1:4).6.

6. Israel: On many occasions the Israelites fasted nationally (Nehemiah 9:1-3).7.

7. Nineveh: The king, citizens, and even animals fasted with no food or water as they repented (Jonah 3:1-10).8.

8. Daniel: While he confessed the sins of his people to God during a fast, God gave him the vision of the seventy weeks (Daniel 9:24-27). During a twenty-one-day fast, the prince of Persia hindered the angel from coming with the answer (Daniel 10:1-21). This event helps us understand better the struggles we have in prayer and fasting.

9. Anna served God with fastings and prayers day and night (Luke 2:36-37).

10. Jesus fasted forty days (Matthew 4:1-11). Then He overcame Satan by the power of the Word.

11. Cornelius fasted four days; afterwards, Peter came and Cornelius and his household received the Holy Ghost (Acts 10:30-48).

12. The church at Antioch fasted and prayed when sending forth Paul and Barnabas as missionaries (Acts 13:1-4).

13. Paul fasted three days at his conversion (Acts 9:9). As a Christian, he fasted often (II Corinthians 11:27).

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WHAT WE SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT DO WHILE FASTING

WHAT WE SHOULD NOT DO WHILE FASTING

1. “Find pleasure and exact all your labors.”

2. “Fast for strife and debate.”

3. “Smite with the fist of wickedness.”

4. Be “of a sad countenance.”

5. “Disfigure [our] faces.”

6. “Appear unto men to fast.”

WHAT WE SHOULD DO WHILE FASTING

1. “Loose the bands of wickedness.”

2. “Undo the heavy burdens.”

3. “Let the oppressed go free.”

4. “Break every yoke.”

5. “Deal thy bread to the hungry, and . . . poor.”

6. “When thou see the naked, that thou cover him.”

7. “Hide not thyself from thine own flesh.”

8. “Anoint thine head, and wash thy face.”

9. “ Appear not unto men to fast.”

10. “Fast . . . unto thy Father which is in secret.”

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RESULTS AND REWARDS OF FASTING

When we participate in God’s chosen fast, we can expect results and rewards. Isaiah 58:8-12 reveals sixteen promises and blessings that can be ours if we meet the five conditions.

Isaiah 58:8–12 NASB95

8 “Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

9 “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,

10 And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday.

11 “And the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

12 “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

Promises

1. “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning.”

2. “Thine health shall spring forth speedily.”

3. “Thy righteousness shall go before thee.”

4. “The glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward [rear guard].”

5. “Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer.”

6. “Thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.”

7. “Then shall thy light arise in obscurity.”

8. “Thy darkness shall be as the noon day.”

9. “The LORD shall guide thee continually.”

10. “The LORD shall . . . satisfy thy soul in drought.”

11. “The LORD shall . . . make fat thy bones.”

12. “Thou shalt be like a watered garden.”

13. “Thou shalt be like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.”

14. “They that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places.”

15. “Thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations.”

16. “Thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.”

Conditions

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DISCIPLINE OF FASTING

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BREAKING A FAST

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