Word of the Week - Fasting
“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.” Acts 14:23
Fasting is a powerful discipline of our faith that many believers overlook. Most professing Christians believe in the practice of praying on a regular basis and have the discipline of prayer integrated into their lives in some form, but rarely do I find believers that value and practice Fasting on a regular basis. The word of God is full of many scriptures that reveal the power of Fasting especially if combined with focused prayer. Jesus told His disciples that there were certain spirits that were only cast out by “Prayer and Fasting”. “However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting;” Mathew 17:21. Even Jesus, God in the flesh, went out into the desert to fast and pray for 40 days and 40 nights Luke 4:2-4. There is no doubt that as disciples of Christ we are called to fast and pray if we desire to realize all that God has for us:
What is Fasting, Fasting is essentially giving up food or other things that you desire, need or enjoy for a designated period of time in order to focus your thoughts, attention and prayers on God. Fasting is most powerful if combined with prayer, worship and scripture. In Fasting we are simply working to intensify our spiritual connection with God by seeking connection to the spirit of God by feeding the things of the spirit and depriving the things of the soul and flesh. As I shared in my “word of the week” on January 12, 2020, see below, we are Triune beings comprised of body, soul and spirit and these 3 dimension of our being are in constant competition with one another. By Fasting we are willfully and intentionally making our spirit the highest priority and thus our flesh and soul man tends to decrease and our spirit man comes more alive, which gives us heightened connection to God that results in increases spiritual awareness and power. “Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded” James 4:8 Fasting is simply a way to intentionally live out James 4:8 and draw closer to God.
What does it look like, Since Fasting is a personal and spiritual practice, there is no right or wrong way to Fast but there are some best practices that are helpful. Most Fast involve giving up some or all food for a period of time. Of course, our body must have food and water or it will die so Fasting needs to be well advised to ensure we are not doing something that is dangerous to our health. That being said, we can go many days without food if we are drinking water or juices. There are many different food related fast that include short term total fast whereby you give up eating for 24 hours or for 2-3 days; or more extended selective food fast where you may give up meats, sweets and breads and only do fruits and vegetables for 21 days. This is referred to as the Daniel Fast. You can also Fast certain meals each day for a period of time. You can reference the following link for more detail on various types of fast https://21days.churchofthehighlands.com/fasting. You can also starve your soul by fasting certain hobbies or activities that you enjoy. Minimizing media and social media intake is also a great way to quiet our emotions of the soul and feed become more attuned to the voice of God. The key is that you are giving up things that feed the body and soul and focusing your heart, mind and body on God and the things of the spirit.
Benefits of fasting, The goal and most exciting benefit in Fasting is getting closer to God and that should be enough, but God is so good and loving that He gives us many more benefits. Since our spirit is heightened and in deeper connection with God, we often can experience major breakthroughs and miracles in our lives through prayer and Fasting such as physical or mental healing and deliverance from strongholds or addictions that have plagued us or loved ones. We can also experience revelation and gain clarity for our lives, especially if we are in seasons of trying to find direction or make big life decisions. During times of fasting it is not uncommon to have revelation on new ideas and new vision that can profound and life changing. Physically our bodies benefit from Fasting and typically become more healthy by ridding ourselves of toxins and other things that are purged out of our bodies through the process. Most people lose weight and simply become more healthy and just feel better. The act of Fasting by depriving our soul and flesh helps to cleanse and purify our hearts, minds and bodies. God ways are so amazing because He truly knows what is best for us and there are always practical benefits to doing things the way God intended.
The bottom line is that Fasting is a powerful discipline and tool for us as believers and when combined with prayer can really be the difference maker in our lives and walk with the Lord, especially when it comes to breaking through strongholds as noted in Matthew 17:21. I have been practicing this discipline for the past 22 years since I came to faith and it has had a tremendous impact on my life. Our church does an annual 21 days of prayer and fasting in January each year, which we are starting today. We come together each morning at 6am for one hour to worship, get a short word from scripture and pray both individually and collectively as a church body. We typically have thousands of people praying together each morning. It is powerful!!! I encourage you to visit in person at one of our 24 campuses or check it out online at https://21days.churchofthehighlands.com/. Fasting is the act of humbling ourselves before God and declaring that we are dependent upon God as our provider and sustainer. “Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life”. Proverbs 22:4
“So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He answered our prayer.” Ezra 8:23
-Duane