Fasting
“But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting but only to your father, who is unseen; and your father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:17-18
The Bible assumes that fasting – abstaining from food, in this context – is one of the normal practices of Christian life. The language is “WHEN” you fast, not “IF” you fast. Jesus and his disciples fasted regularly.
Why fast?
God’s people throughout time (Old Testament- in the time of Daniel they did it for clarity of God’s vision, in Joel 2:12 God asked the people to do it to repent and ask for forgiveness, Esther’s people fasted for safety and protection, and in the New Testament – Jesus did it and taught on it, the Christians in Antioch in Acts 14 fasted to appoint elders, Paul fasted… It must be important.
Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
*Do we hunger or thirst for anything anymore? No, we don’t have to. We have everything at our fingertips.
Dave Clayton said it like this:
“Fasting is a way to remind us how to hunger and thirst. To put things in order, to prioritize God’s will, His righteousness above our own wants and needs.”
Read about fasting in Matthew chapter 4:1-11.
Jesus was just baptized. He was just about to start his public ministry… what was the first thing he did? Fasted.
Satan tempted him with 3 types of temptation…Fasting prepared him for each…
1.Physical – food – Jesus had through fasting said that God was more important than physical needs. We need to remember that fleshly sins (food, sex, lust, greed) are all spiritual issues.
2.Pride – My way not, God’s. Satan says, “If you are the Son of God” basically – prove it. Could Jesus have done this? YES. It would have been a very public display of His authority – a miracle to prove that He is the Son of God…but was that part of God’s plan or will? Jesus had just spent 40 days putting God’s will above his own… He was ready for this temptation!
3.Worship – Satan was asking: who do you worship? Jesus knew who He worshipped. He had just spent 40 days with God alone!
THEN JESUS WENT OUT TO SET THE WORLD ON FIRE!! DO WE WANT THAT? DO WE REALLY WANT THE WORLD TO BE SAVED, TO BE DIFFERENT? THEN WE HAVE TO DO WHAT GOD CALLS US TO DO.
So how do we do it practically?
After the year we had, I want revival. Revival in my own heart, revival in my home, revival in the Church, revival in my neighborhood, my city, our nation!!
If you look at history, you’d be hard pressed to find a revival that didn’t start with God’s people humbling themselves with prayer and fasting.
Read Ezekiel 47:1-9
I am convinced that when the Church begins to feast more fully with Jesus through prayer and fasting, the trickle from the temple will become a river that will redeem our hearts, our homes, our neighborhoods and our nation!!
Why fast?
God’s people throughout time (Old Testament- in the time of Daniel they did it for clarity of God’s vision, in Joel 2:12 God asked the people to do it to repent and ask for forgiveness, Esther’s people fasted for safety and protection, and in the New Testament – Jesus did it and taught on it, the Christians in Antioch in Acts 14 fasted to appoint elders, Paul fasted… It must be important.
Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
*Do we hunger or thirst for anything anymore? No, we don’t have to. We have everything at our fingertips.
Dave Clayton said it like this:
“Fasting is a way to remind us how to hunger and thirst. To put things in order, to prioritize God’s will, His righteousness above our own wants and needs.”
Read about fasting in Matthew chapter 4:1-11.
Jesus was just baptized. He was just about to start his public ministry… what was the first thing he did? Fasted.
Satan tempted him with 3 types of temptation…Fasting prepared him for each…
1.Physical – food – Jesus had through fasting said that God was more important than physical needs. We need to remember that fleshly sins (food, sex, lust, greed) are all spiritual issues.
2.Pride – My way not, God’s. Satan says, “If you are the Son of God” basically – prove it. Could Jesus have done this? YES. It would have been a very public display of His authority – a miracle to prove that He is the Son of God…but was that part of God’s plan or will? Jesus had just spent 40 days putting God’s will above his own… He was ready for this temptation!
3.Worship – Satan was asking: who do you worship? Jesus knew who He worshipped. He had just spent 40 days with God alone!
THEN JESUS WENT OUT TO SET THE WORLD ON FIRE!! DO WE WANT THAT? DO WE REALLY WANT THE WORLD TO BE SAVED, TO BE DIFFERENT? THEN WE HAVE TO DO WHAT GOD CALLS US TO DO.
So how do we do it practically?
After the year we had, I want revival. Revival in my own heart, revival in my home, revival in the Church, revival in my neighborhood, my city, our nation!!
If you look at history, you’d be hard pressed to find a revival that didn’t start with God’s people humbling themselves with prayer and fasting.
Read Ezekiel 47:1-9
I am convinced that when the Church begins to feast more fully with Jesus through prayer and fasting, the trickle from the temple will become a river that will redeem our hearts, our homes, our neighborhoods and our nation!!