"When the Bridegroom is taken from them, in those days they shall fast."

♥♪POWER FOR SERVICE♥♪

Jason Woodrow writes:

I just watched a tape of David talking about fasting. He said that when they fast, it is complete. They don't fast halfway.

David said that they do it like Jesus said to and wash their faces and dress normally and don't appear to be fasting. They keep a normal schedule and do the work they normally do.
Fasting is like weightlifting. You don't start out trying to lift 400 pounds or you will drop it on yourself and die. You start out small and do it lots of times and slowly build ability to do more. Maybe in a couple of years you will be able to move the 400 pounds, if you are diligent and consistent with the training. So start with a half-day fast, move up to a whole day and do that length for a while, then add days together. After a while your body will be able to handle longer and longer times without eating. He really despises the things we do to get around the fast, like juicing veggies or meat and calling it a liquid. You will only get out of a fast what you are willing to put into it. God is not fooled by our compromise. He wants people who say they are hungry for Him to act like it.
We fast because everyone in the Bible who did miracles fasted, including Jesus and the disciples. It is a difficult thing and will bring up to the surface the dross hidden inside us. The flesh will learn to submit and we will encounter things in God we didn't know were possible, as we are obedient to fast and to bring God's witness to other humans around us.

Primary reasons for fasting

• We are told "Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up". This is a purposeful voluntary humbling. In the Old Testament, people fasted and clothed themselves in sackcloth and ashes. This was all a way to strip themselves of pride and self-centeredness.
• Self-denial "Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me." What is being denied is the flesh, which is at war with the spirit. It is seeking a spiritual blessing while denying the things that give pleasure to the flesh. It is our self-centeredness that is the primary obstacle to serving and knowing God.
• Mourning (for sin, for nation, for death, etc.)
• Desire for something. There is always a hope underlying the self-humbling. A desire for God to forgive, to help, to bless, to change our hearts.
• Gives you extra time to seek God and focus on Him. Be hungry for God's actual presence.

Kinds of fasting

• Total fast (no food, no water)
• Food fast (no food)
• Partial fast (fasting a certain meal or only eating certain kinds of food, such as vegetables or juices)
• Supernatural fast (God helps person to fast in ways not physically possible)
• Imposed fast (a non-voluntary fast that is then dedicated to God. This has been used by prisoners of conscience, such as Corrie & Elisabeth ten Boom in the Ravensbruck concentration camp. There were times they did not receive any food, so instead of complaining to God, they proclaimed it a fast and sought God.)
• Corporate fast (A body of people fasting in agreement. There is power in such agreement.)
• God's Chosen Fast (Isaiah, chapter 58. Fasting does no good if you aren't following God in the rest of your life.)

Warnings

• Not to be done for the eyes of others, as this is purely pride and is detestable to God. Jesus said that those who do this "have received their reward in full".
• Fasting should be generally be secret unless a corporate or family fast. Sometimes it can be shared to help people see the importance of this discipline. Watch the motives.
• Breaking the fast must be done properly or the body can suffer, even to the point of death. When a total fast or food fast has gone on for more than a week, the body shuts down certain digestive functions. When it is time to break the fast, the digestive tract must be restarted slowly with dilute juices for a day or two, progressing to soft foods, and finally to more substantial foods. This slow introduction provides the body with something easy to handle while the digestive juices are released again. If solid food is eaten after a prolonged fast, the body will probably experience cramping pains, diarrhea, possible damage to the intestines, and potential death (after a very long fast). I have eaten fairly substantially after a 7-day food fast without too much trouble, mostly diarrhea. Just avoid stuff like hot spices, butter, salsa, chili, nuts, and other hard to digest stuff. Think "baby food" to help you keep things simple.
• A doctor told me that the general guidelines for the body's need for water and food are 4 days without water, 40 days without food. Beyond these limits, death becomes a real potential. This is based on the "average" person, so a more frail person would have shorter limits. God can extend these periods supernaturally, but it is wise to keep an eye on how the body is doing. My joints are the first thing to give out, with sharp pains.
• Don't jump into a prolonged fast without doing shorter fasts to get the body trained. Remember, this is a discipline, not "jumping off the temple" (Matthew 4:6-7).
• Our righteousness was imparted to us by the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Fasting is not a way to become righteous. It is an expression of our attitude toward God.
• Fasting without prayer is simply starvation. Seek God! Continue to obey Him and witness to others. God may bring into your path those who have problems that couldn't otherwise be dealt with. (Matthew 17:21, Mark 9:29)