02/18/2019
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There is no such thing as a fast without prayer. A fast without prayer
is just going hungry and you’re accomplishing nothing at all. While fasting is
not necessary for salvation it is essential on your Christian walk of faith and
highly recommended. In fact, Jesus expects us to fast.
Fasting will help you have a more intimate relationship with Christ. It
will help you to overcome sin, bad habits, and help open your eyes to things
that are displeasing to God in your life. Fasting and prayer is a time to
separate yourself from your regular patterns and from things of the world and
come closer to the Lord.
“Even now,” says the Lord, “Turn and come to Me with
all your heart [in genuine repentance], With fasting and weeping and mourning
[until every barrier is removed and the broken fellowship is restored]; Rip
your heart to pieces [in sorrow and contrition] and not your garments.” Now
return [in repentance] to the Lord
your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in
lovingkindness [faithful to His covenant with His people]; and He relents [His
sentence of] evil [when His people genuinely repent].
So I directed my
attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting,
sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord
my God and confessed and said, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps
His covenant and extends lovingkindness toward those who love Him and keep His
commandments, we have sinned and committed wrong, and have
behaved wickedly and have rebelled, turning away from Your commandments and
ordinances.
“And whenever you are
fasting, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they put on a sad and
dismal face [like
actors, discoloring their faces with ashes or dirt] so that their fasting may be seen by men. I assure
you and most solemnly say to you, they [already] have their reward in full. But when you fast,
put oil on your head [as you normally would to groom your hair] and wash your face so that your fasting will
not be noticed by people, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father
who sees [what is
done] in secret will reward
you.
“[Rather] is
this not the fast which I choose, To undo the bonds of wickedness, To tear to
pieces the ropes of the yoke, To let the oppressed go free And break apart
every [enslaving] yoke? “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And
bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, that you cover
him, And not to hide yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood?
But I say, walk
habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance],
and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature
[which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts].
In
conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered
through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might.
Then
they said to Him, “The disciples of John [the Baptist] often practice fasting
and offer prayers [of special petition], and so do the disciples of the
Pharisees; but Yours eat and drink.” Jesus said to them, “Can you make the
wedding guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But days [for mourning] will come when the bridegroom
is [forcefully] taken away from them. They
will fast in those days.” He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece of
cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old one; otherwise he will both tear
the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new
wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new [fermenting] wine will [expand and] burst the skins and it will be
spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh
wineskins. And no one, after drinking old wine, wishes for new; for he says,
‘The old is fine.’”
There are so many benefits and reasons for fasting and so
many ways to do it. Find out the best way for you. Find out the reason for your
fasting and how long you plan on doing it for.
I challenge you today to fast. Don’t fast to try to brag and appear spiritual.
Make sure your motives are right and do it for the glory of God. Humble
yourself before the Lord and commit to Him.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God
[set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor
in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your
anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him,
for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very
carefully]. 1 Peter 5:6-7
God’s
intervention
1. 2
Samuel 12:16 David pleaded with God
for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground.
Repentance
2. 1
Samuel 7:6 When they had assembled
at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they
fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” Now Samuel
was serving as leader of Israel at Mizpah.
3. Daniel
9:3-5 So I turned to the Lord God
and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and
ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and
awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep
his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and
have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.”
4. Joel
2:12-13 “Even now,” declares
the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping
and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to
the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to
anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
5. Jonah
3:5-9 The Ninevites believed
God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least,
put on sackcloth. When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he
rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth
and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By
the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds
or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and
animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them
give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and
with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
Guidance
6. Acts
14:23 Paul and Barnabas also
appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the
elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
7. Acts
13:2-4 While they were worshiping
the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and
prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of
them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed
from there to Cyprus.
Worshiping
8. Luke
2:37 Then she lived as a widow to
the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and
night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer.
Strengthen prayers
9. Matthew
17:20-21 And He said to them,
“Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have
faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from
here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to
you. “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
10. Ezra
8:23 So we fasted and earnestly
prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer.
Mourning
11. 2
Samuel 1:12 They mourned and wept
and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the LORD’s army and
the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day.
12. Nehemiah
1:4 When I heard these things,
I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the
God of heaven.
13. Psalm
69:10 When I wept and humbled my
soul with fasting, it became my reproach.
Humility
15. Psalm
35:13-14 Yet when they were
ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my
prayers returned to me unanswered, I went about mourning as though
for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping
for my mother.
16. 1
Kings 21:25-27 (There was never
anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on
by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like
the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.) When Ahab heard these
words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth
and went around meekly.
Don’t fast to be seen and brag
17. 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 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.
18. Luke
18:9-12 To some who were
confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus
told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and
the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I
thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or
even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I
get.’
Reminders
19. Luke
18:1 Then Jesus told his
disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
20. Philippians
4:6-7 Do not be anxious about
anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
21. Ecclesiastes
3:1 For everything there is a
season, and a time for every matter under heaven.
22. 1
Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice
always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s
will for you in Christ Jesus.
Followers of Christ fast as a spiritual discipline. We don’t fast to manipulate God and appear more
righteous than others. You are not required to fast, but it is very
beneficial as you journey through this life and highly recommended. Prayer and fasting has helped me renew my relationship with my Heavenly
Father and has helped m let go of things of the world that I was still clinging
on to that were man-made traditions that had nothing to do with God because
mankind had tried to turn Pagan ways and holidays into Godly ones which GOD
DESPISES.
Fasting separates
us from the
distractions of this world and it brings us into a closer
union with God. It allows us to hear God better and fully rely upon Him.
1. Jesus
expects us to fast
Matthew
6:16-18 “And when you fast, do
not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their
fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their
reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your
fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your
Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
2. Humble
yourself before God
Psalm
35:13 Yet when they were ill, I put
on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me
unanswered.
Ezra
8:21 And there by the Ahava Canal, I
gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We
prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and
our goods as we traveled.
2
Chronicles 7:14 if my people
who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn
from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin
and heal their land.
James
4:10 Humble yourselves before the
Lord, and he will exalt you.
3. Distress
and grief
Judges
20:26 Then all the people of Israel,
the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the
Lord and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace
offerings before the Lord.
2
Samuel 3:35 Then they all came and
urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath,
saying, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I taste bread or
anything else before the sun sets!”
1
Samuel 31:13 Then they took their
bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven
days.
4. Repentance
1
Samuel 7:6 When they had assembled
at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they
fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel
was serving as leader of Israel at Mizpah.
Joel 2:12-13 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to
me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend
your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is
gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
Nehemiah 9:1-2 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of
Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their
heads. And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood
and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
5. Spiritual
strength. Overcoming temptation and dedicating yourself to God
Matthew 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to
be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was
hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell
these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not
live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Then
the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of
the temple.“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it
is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you
up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Jesus
answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the
kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said,
“if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan!
For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ Then the
devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”
6.
Discipline
1 Corinthians 9:27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control,
lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of
the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not
your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
7. Strengthen
prayers
Matthew 17:21 “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and
fasting.”
Ezra 8:23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he
answered our prayer.
8. Express
love and worship to God
Luke 2:37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not
depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.
9. Guidance
and help making important decisions
Acts 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the
Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I
have called them.”
Acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church
and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put
their trust.
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives
generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
10. Drawing closer to God and separating yourself from the world
James 4:8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your
hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of
God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to
God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able
to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Most people can go without food for
a day, but I know there are some who have medical problems and can’t. Fasting
is not always without food for the whole day. You can fast by skipping a meal
such as breakfast or you can do a "Daniel Fast" {Daniel 1:2,Daniel 10:2-3}. You can fast by
abstaining from things you like to do that will allow you to draw closer to
God. Allow the Holy Spirit to
guide you and always remember that FASTING without PRAYER is NOT FASTING AT
ALL.
It is my prayer that you find this
devotional enlightening and encouraging as you continue your journey with God.
In Christ Jesus service forever,
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