The Spiritual Discipline of "Fasting"

In my Bible Study, we are learning about the prophet Daniel. He lived a life of integrity. He was one who believed in the power of prayer and deeply loved God's Word. After Daniel received a revelation from God concerning the nation of Israel, he seeks to understand the vision through fasting and prayer. The disciplines of fasting and prayer are still pertinent today for present day followers of Jesus Christ.

The following notes were prepared for those wanting to learn about fasting. I pray that God speaks to your heart as you seek Him.

The definition of "fasting" is to "abstain from food". When people fasted, they often "mourned" as well. (This meant they would tear their hair out, tear their clothes, and beat their breasts. This was a very public display! * Strong's Concordance definition for "fasting" in the Old Testament: (Hebrew language) Reference #6684 and 6685 : "to cover over the mouth; to fast"

• The practice of "fasting" in the Old Testament is also worded as "afflicting one's soul" or "humbling one's soul" or "denying yourself". ( See Leviticus 16:29). { KJ, NASB, NIV translations} The Hebrew people viewed fasting as something their soul participated in, as well as their physical body. It was an act of self-denial from eating, and denying themselves from their own wants.



• The Day of Atonement was the one day God ordained for the Israelites to abstain from eating. The priest would enter into the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and make atonement for the people once every year. Today, Jewish people continue to observe this day of fasting.



• Over time, the Israelite people made traditions of abstaining from food 4 other months of the year while they were under captivity in Babylon. (They fasted on the 4th, 5th, 7th, and 10th month). These times of fasting were intended to remember the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, as well as famine. But the Lord rebuked them, saying that during the 70 years of observing these fasts, their hearts were hard, like flint. The people and the priests fasted with selfish and insincere hearts. (See Zechariah 7:3-10).



• Other Old Testament fasting occurred to express national humiliation and repentance. (1 Samuel 7:6).



• The LORD spoke through the prophet, Joel, saying to the people, "Even now, return to Me with all of your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend ( cut out; tear) your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God... Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast... (Joel 2:12)



• Some people abstained from eating or drinking when they grieved or were anxious. These were "private fasts". (Daniel 6:18; Psalm 35:13).



• Others fasted during times of war, danger, persecution, or when they were seeking guidance from God.



• Old Testament fasting lasted for different lengths of time. A fast was usually observed from sunrise to sunset, sometimes for a shorter time. Others lasted from 3 days (Esther 4:16) to 7 days to 3 weeks (Daniel 10:1-2). Moses fasted for 40 days (Exodus 34:28).



• The length of the fast did not determine the genuineness of the fast.



• In Isaiah 58, the LORD rebuked these people because they had missed the point of a living, vital relationship with God. The LORD expects genuine compassion for the poor, the helpless, and the oppressed. Our faith lacks sincerity if it does not reach out to others. Fasting can be beneficial spiritually and physically, but at its best, fasting helps only the person doing it. True fasting is more than what we do not eat; it is pleasing God by applying His Word to our lives and to others. (NIV study Bible). Fasting is designed to change us, not God.




• New Testament Fasting



• Fasting should be accompanied by confession of sins. God gives us insight to all of our sins when we are fasting and praying.



• Sometimes there is mourning when God reveals hidden sin in your heart. When we feel we have offended God, we grieve.



• When we fast, we can fast on the behalf of others. When people in the church have trouble, we should humble ourselves on their behalf and fast and pray that God will help them. King David fasted on behalf of others, as in Psalm 35:13.



• When we fast, we can pray for revival. (Nehemiah 1)



• We can pray for guidance when we fast.



• We can fast and pray for deliverance from our enemies. (Esther 4)



• Why should we fast? It teaches us self-discipline. It helps us realize how much we depend on God. When we fast, we are telling God that we are earnest in our prayers. Fasting signals earnestness and urgency. Fasting enables us to perform true self-examination.



• Fasting always centers on spiritual purposes. It is not a hunger strike designed to force God's hand and get our own way. (Acts 23:12-14). It also is not a hypocritical religious exercise. By Jesus' day fasting had become an overly important part of the Jewish life. It had become a "look-how spiritual-I-am" exercise. Biblical fasting is deliberately abstaining from food for a spiritual reason: communication and relationship with the Father.



• The Greek word for "fasting" in the New Testament is "nesteia", which means "abstinence from food". (Strong's # 3521, 3523).



• Fasting always occurs with prayer in the Bible.



• God said, "When you seek me with all of your heart, I will be found by you". (Jeremiah 29:13,14). When a man or woman is willing to set aside the legitimate appetites of the body to concentrate on the work of praying, they are demonstrating they mean business, that they are seeking God with all of their heart.



• Fasting is an expression of wholeheartedness. God tells the people to return to Him with all of their hearts, with fasting... (Joel 2:12).



• How do we know when to pray and fast and when to just pray? This is a principle in God's Word: We always find fasting connected with a very troubled spirit. The reason is a "consuming one", not a spur of the moment decision.



• Why fast? To demonstrate that you are seeking God with all of your heart. It is a physical way of saying," Food and the things of this life are not as important to me now as _______. It shows humility.



• Fasting is assumed by the New Testament. When Jesus spoke of fasting, He did not say if you fast, but when you fast. (Matthew 6:16-18) Jesus said, "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 sees what is done in secret will reward you.



• When Jesus was with His disciples, here on earth, fasting was inappropriate. In Matthew 9:14-15, Jesus was asked why His disciples did not fast. Jesus explained the time would come when He (the Bridegroom) would be taken away from them. Then, when Jesus would no longer be with them physically, it would be appropriate for them to fast.



• Until the Rapture, our Lord knows there will be times when fasting is an appropriate response.



• Jesus fasted from food while He was being tempted in the desert by Satan.



• Matthew 17:21 - Some Bibles include this verse, others do not. That's the beauty of "interpretation". If you believe that this verse is indeed the words of Jesus, then God will honor your faith. Verse 17, right above this, speaks of the disciples having "unbelief". My bible, the NASB, includes the verse that says, "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." He was speaking of a boy who was controlled by a demon.



• Fasting will always cause us to examine our own hearts to make sure everything is right with God. ,u>When we are truly grieving over our sins, it is a good time to fast.



• Fasting helps us to find God's will. We focus our attention on Him when we fast, making it easier to hear Him.



• Fasting was a regular part of the ordination of church leaders and missionaries. (Acts 13:3) (Acts 14:23). It appears that fasting in these cases is a way of seriously seeking God's blessing, anointing, and power upon the leaders of the church.



• The final occasion for fasting is for special revelation from God. Exceptional insights from God were sometimes given during times of fasting. If we have sought God in vain for the fulfillment of some promise, it could possibly be that He is waiting for us to Humble ourselves by fasting and seeking Him.



• Begin a fast with a positive faith that God will reward those who fast with right motives. Jesus gave this promise in Matthew 6:18.



• It is recommended to begin a fast slowly. If you feel God calling you to fast, start with abstaining from a few meals. Then if you feel you need to fast longer, you can skip all food. When the time comes to "break" the fast, or stop it, resume eating gradually. Start with broth, and then add other foods to your diet.



• During your fast, pray, spend time in Scripture reading, singing, or devotional reading. Remember to seek the LORD, not just the experience of fasting.

New Testament references to fasting

Matthew 4:2
Matthew 6:16
Matthew 9:15
Acts 13:3
Acts 14:23
1 Cor. 7:5
2 Cor. 11:27-28

         Praying for you,
         Alison