Winfield Bevins

Prayer series: Click | View Series "Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it." John Wesley We live in a culture of fast food, instant gratification, and self-centeredness. One of the best ways to get our eyes off of ourselves and back onto the Lord is through fasting. However, fasting has practically been disregarded and forgotten in the comforts of the modern church. Fasting didn't end in biblical times; there have actually been proclaimed fasts in America. Fasting is nothing new in American history. The pilgrims held three formal periods of fasting before leaving for the New World. During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress proclaimed July 20, 1775 as a national day of fasting and prayer in preparation for the war on independence.

What Is Fasting?

What does it really mean to fast? According to the Oxford Dictionary, fasting means to "abstain from food, especially to eat sparingly or not at all, or abstain from certain foods in observance of a religious duty or a token of grief." Fasting and religious purposes cannot be separated because they are intricately intertwined. The Bible gives us numerous references to individual and corporate fasts. There were even days that were designated each year for fasting and prayer. Fasting is a gift that God has given to the church in order to help us persevere in prayer. Fasting draws us closer to God and gives power to our prayers, so we will discuss the reasons to fast, different types of fasting, and how to fast.

Reasons for Fasting

People have been fasting since the ancient days of the Bible. The Bible records numerous accounts where people, cities, and nations have turned to God by fasting and praying: Hannah grieved over infertility and "wept and would not eat" (1 Samuel 1:7); and Anna, an elderly widow and prophetess, worshiped at the temple with "fasting and prayer night and day" (Luke 2:37). Most people fast for religious and spiritual reasons, while others choose to fast for health reasons. There are several specific reasons that the Bible tells us to fast.

1. To be Christ like (Matthew 4:1-17; Luke 4:1-13).
2. To obtain spiritual purity (Isaiah 58:5-7).
3. To repent from sins (See Jonah 3:8; Nehemiah 1:4, 9:1-3; 1 Samuel 14:24).
4. To influence God (2 Samuel 12:16-23).
5. To morn for the dead (1 Samuel 31:13; 2 Samuel 1:12).
6. To request God's help in times of crisis and calamity (Ezra 8:21-23; Nehemiah 1:4-11).
7. To strengthen prayer (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:17-29; Acts 10:30; 1 Corinthians 7:5).

To be continued.