INTRODUCTION
Background to the Teaching
- The practice of fasting is as old as humanity
- the school of the natural philosopher, Asclepiades, for curative purposes.
- The Roman historian, Plutarch, said, “Instead of using medicine, fast a day.”
- Traces of ancient fasting are to be found in ancient Chinese and Hindu writings,
- The Native American Indians also practiced it.
- Virtually all religions fast 2 EXTRME ENDS
- Fasting is a CORNERSTONE of the Christian religion, yet VERY FEW TEACHINGS IN SPITE OF FASTING there is seldom, if ever, a complete sermon on the subject.
- SUMMARY It was used for religious purposes, as well as a method of restoring health.
- in the olden days they recognized the value of a fast, but today people look on fasting as a certain way to the grave.
- Moreover, it is an important, basic truth of the Bible; yet we so often overlook its value.
- We may be doing it wrong- 2 extremes love it or hate. Knowledge or absence. My people perish
- Fasting Horror stories
– Matthew 6:17-18. “But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men 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.” When=necessity Reward=Reward
David, Moses, Prophets, Pharisees fasted, Jesus fasted, Early church fasted. So U should fast
DEFINITION OF FASTING
Derek Prince
Biblical Fasting is a voluntary act of abstaining from food for spiritual purposes.
Webster’s, and also the Bible Dictionary, define fasting as, “abstinence from food. Especially as a religious observance.” (FAST: “To abstain from food.”).
- Fasting is not dieting,
- Fasting is not starvation Fasting and Starvation are also two entirely different things
- Fasting/Abstinence -Prayer = hunger strike
- Fasting + Prayer=Atomic power intercontinental ballistic missile
- abstaining from food for spiritual purposes.
(Although there are biblical accounts of people fasting from food and water, we will consider abstaining from food only.)
Jesus Himself also drank water during His 40-day fast. It is not said in Matthew 4:2-11 that He was thirsty, but that He was hungry., which means, the longing for solid food came through powerfully.
Also, when Jesus miraculously fed the 4000 people (MARK 8:3), bread and fish were offered, not water, although the people had been fasting for 3 days. To suffer thirst is much harder than to suffer hunger. Not one of the scriptures above mentions the need to drink. This shows that water was available.
Paul knew the difference between ‘thirsting” and “fasting.” He distinguishes them in II Cor. 11:27, “in hunger and thirst, IN FASTINGS OFTEN.” If “hunger and thirst” were the same thing as “fasting,”
Moses- In Exodus 34:28-29, we read, “And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water.”
One should not associate abstinence from water, with the subject of fasting; thus
Fasting will be understood better if we recognize these facts contradistinction between food and water. “Food: nutriment; nourishment in solid form.” Food and water-drinking are two different things. To do without water results in thirsting,
Conclusion
Pharisees fasted, Jesus fasted, Early church fasted Old Test prohets fasted.Why not u
Fasting is one of the disciplines God has established to achieve spiritual breakthroughs in our life and the lives of others about whom we care deeply.
In the weeks to come, we will learn how different biblical fasts can produce significant spiritual results in our life.
I hope you are convinced of the power of fasting, and that it is for you.