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"Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it." John Wesley

What Jesus Said About Fasting

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught a lesson about how and how not to fast:

"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" (Matthew 6:16-18).

We see that it is important to not brag or boast to others about fasting. The Jews of Jesus' day used fasting and giving to make everyone think that they were more spiritual than others. But Jesus tells us that fasting should be done in secret, so that it can't be used as a way of bringing glory to ourselves. Fasting should make us humble instead of proud. In the end, it is not our works but our hearts that matter to God. God promises to reward openly those who fast and pray in secret.

6 Practical Steps for Fasting

There are several useful steps that you should follow before you begin fasting.

1. Decide which fast is best for you. Due to health reasons, not everyone can do a total fast. Also, sometimes work schedules and other duties may prevent an individual from a certain type of fast. You may want to begin with a partial fast and work your way to a total fast. Ultimately, you should pray and ask God what his will would be for your fast.
2. Decide how long you want to fast. People in the Bible often chose to fast for a certain time period. To prepare their hearts for the seasons, the early church would fast for a number of days before Christmas or Easter. John Wesley chose Friday as a day of the week to fast. This was a day that he set aside for fasting and prayer to the Lord.
3. Consult a physician before you go on an extended fast. If you have any physical problems, then you will certainly want to follow this advice. Fasting can be healthy to the body when it is done right, but it can also be dangerous if you don't exercise wisdom.
4. Make sure that you have time to pray. Although some people fast for health reasons, it will not do you any spiritual good if don't allow yourself time to pray. Be sure to get the most out of your fast and spend plenty of time in prayer. Consider setting aside a few days for a retreat to do so. When was the last time you can remember spending an entire day with the Lord?
5. Slowly introduce soft food when your fast is over. If you have been on an extended fast from solid foods, it is a good idea to slowly reintroduce your system to solid food again. For instance, you may want to eat soup or salad for your first meal. Bananas or other soft fruit are also a great way to break a long fast.
6. Just do it! Many people never fast because they are afraid to or because they have never done it before. Don't let fear or inexperience stop you from experiencing one of God's greatest blessings. Possibly all the great heroes of the faith spent hours fasting and praying to the Lord.

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"Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it." John Wesley

Types of Fasting

In the same way that God appointed times and seasons to fast, he also designated several types of fasts. Because of certain medical problems and physical needs, there are different types of fasting. Not everyone can go on an extended 5-7 day fast; similarly, not everyone can totally abstain from food and water.

A person should exercise wisdom and consult their physician if they have any medical concerns before they fast, otherwise it could actually be harmful to your health. However, there are at least three types of individual fasts: absolute fast, solid food fast, and partial fast.

1. Absolute Fast. An absolute fast is conducted by abstaining from all food and water for a certain period of time. This is also known as "total fast." There are several biblical examples for the total fast. Moses and Elijah both abstained from food and water for forty days and forty nights. (Deuteronomy 9:9, 10:10, 18:25-29; 1 Kings 19:8). Although the Bible says they fasted for forty days, many people usually only totally abstain from food and water for three days.
2. Solid Food Fast. A solid food fast is where an individual may drink juice and water, but chooses not to eat solid food. Certain scholars and theologians think that Jesus may have drank water while in the wilderness since the Bible doesn't say that he was thirsty after his forty day fast (see Matthew 4:2). Drinking water while fasting for several days can actually be therapeutic for your body. In any case, you should not fast for more than a week unless you consult a doctor.
3. Partial Fast. A partial fast is where you choose to abstain from certain foods and drinks instead of complete abstinence. The Bible tells us that Daniel abstained from bread, water, and wine for 21 days (Daniel 10:3). Others may choose to fast from television, computer, newspaper, and hobbies. This will help you free up some time to spend in prayer and reflection.

To be continued.

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"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.

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If you would endeavor, like men of courage, to stand in the battle, surely we would feel the favorable assistance of God from heaven. For who He giveth us occasion to fight, to the end we may get the victory, is ready succor those that fight manfully, and do trust in His grace.
— Thomas à Kempis

Pray Always

Paul tells us to pray "at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints" (Eph. 6:18). We must develop a lifestyle of prayer. Even when we aren't praying out loud, we can still be in a state of union and intimacy with the Lord.

Be Watchful

Paul goes on to say that we need to be watchful. This means that we must be aware of what is going on around us spiritually. God calls us to be watchmen and watchwomen who will guard against the devil. In the Bible, a watchman would stay awake at night to make sure that the enemy didn't attack while everyone was sleeping. It is our responsibility to be watchful in prayer.

Have Perseverance

Our prayers should be made with all perseverance. God doesn't like weak, powerless prayers; rather he desires for us to persevere in prayer. James tells us, "The prayer of a righteous person has great power" (James 5:16). We need to be fervent and energetic in our prayer life. Don't give up until your prayer is answered!

Pray in the Spirit

The only way that our prayers will ever have power is if they are in the Spirit. The Spirit intercedes for us and reveals the will of God to us (Rom. 8:26). The Holy Spirit gives fire to the incense of our prayer. Jude says that we should build ourselves in the most holy faith by praying in the Spirit (Jude 1:20). The Spirit will build us up, guide us in truth, and give us the strength to pray as we should.

To be continued.

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"If you would endeavor, like men of courage, to stand in the battle, surely we would feel the favorable assistance of God from heaven. For who He giveth us occasion to fight, to the end we may get the victory, is ready succor those that fight manfully, and do trust in His grace."—Thomas à Kempis

One of the most important aspects of prayer is spiritual warfare. The Bible tells us that we are in the midst of a spiritual battle, and our adversary, the devil, is like a roaring lion seeking to destroy our lives. Paul says, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).

Satan and his forces of darkness are trying to destroy your life and it is imperative that we learn to pray against these forces of darkness in order to gain victory in our lives. There are several things that the Bible tells us about spiritual warfare.

The Lowdown on Spiritual Warfare

• We are in a real spiritual battle (2 Corinthians. 10:4; 1 Timothy 1:18)
• We are to resist the devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9)
• We are to take authority over powers of darkness (Matthew 16:19)
• We are to cast out demons (Mark 16:17)
• We are to use spiritual weapons to overcome darkness (2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:10-20)

The Bible tells us about great individuals who were victorious in spiritual warfare, all of which are lessons for us today. In Exodus 17, Israel fought against the Amalekites in Rephidim. Moses went up on the mountain to intercede for the people who were fighting the battle below. Whenever his hands were lifted up, Israel would prevail, but when his hands grew tired and dropped, the Amalekites would prevail. It is the same way in our lives: whenever we lift our hands in prayer we will prevail, but when we stop praying, we lose. Don't grow weary in prayer, but allow the Lord to help you pray for victory in every area of your life.

In 2 Chronicles 20, Moab and Amon came to battle against Judah, and King Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast in the land. 2 Chronicles 20:4 says, "And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD." The first thing to do when you are in spiritual warfare is to ask help from the Lord. The Lord reminded them, "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's" (2 Chronicles 20:15). God wants to fight our battles for us. All we have to do is go to him in prayer and ask for his help.

To be continued.

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"If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer: Intercession is a way of loving others."—Richard J. Foster

5 Areas for Intercessory Prayer

There are five major areas of intercession that we should pray for in our daily prayer life. Each one represents a circle of influence and authority that God gives us to pray for. When praying we should start with the first area and then work our way down to the last.

1. Our Families & Friends. In Acts 16:31 the word for household refers to our circle of influence. Begin to pray for your friends and families that God would move in their lives. Intercession is about our responsibility to pray for others and that begins with those closest to us.
2. Our Church. The next area that we should pray for is the church. Practically every one of Paul's letters opens with a personal prayer for the church. In Romans 1:9 Paul reminds the church, "God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you." We should pray daily for our churches, church workers, pastors and leaders. These people have a great burden to bear.



3. The City. The prophet Jeremiah tells us that we should, "Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare" (Jeremiah 29:7). In other words, we will be blessed by praying for the blessing of our community or city. Don't give up on your city, but pray that Jesus would be glorified in your city.
4. Our Nation. Nehemiah was a man who had a great burden to bring revival and restoration to Israel. He prayed, "Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants" (Nehemiah 1:6). God heard his prayers and brought restoration to the land, and he promises to hear our prayers for your nation.
5. Our World. Lastly, we should pray for the people and governments of the world. Although you may never leave your country, you can still have an influence in the lives of others across the world by praying for them. Remember, it is God's desire to save the elect. Ask the Lord to speak to you about a certain country that you should pray for. God promises to listen when we pray.

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"If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer: Intercession is a way of loving others."—Richard J. Foster

Paul's Teaching on Intercessory Prayer

The apostle Paul is a great example of an intercessor. He was a man who lived and died by prayer. Even when living in a Roman prison and facing his certain death, he never ceased to pray for others. From the time of his Damascus experience and conversion, he was an intercessory prayer warrior. His letters were bathed with prayer for others. He prayed for his fellow Christian brothers and sisters, for kings and individuals in authority, and he even prayed for those who were trying to kill him.

His letters also contain some of the best biblical teaching on prayer. We should be "Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18). Philippians 4:6 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

One of the best passages in Paul's letters about intercessory prayer says:

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:1-4).

5 Essentials of Intercessory Prayer

There are several important things that we can learn from this passage about intercessory prayer.

1. Supplications. Supplications are specific requests to God for specific things. This means that when we pray we should be direct and specific. I suggest keeping a prayer list so that you will always know what to pray for and always remember when God answers your prayers.
2. Prayers. Prayers are general requests, offered to God at any time for anything and anyone. Sometimes we have to pray in generalities if we don't know specifics. Whether or not we know what to pray for, we can have the assurance that God already knows! I think the reason he wants us to pray specifically when we can is so we never forget that he is the answer.
3. Intercessions. Intercessions are coming to God with boldness and speaking with him about others. The heart of the biblical meaning of the word intercession is boldness. Don't forget that God is asking us to come to him with boldness! We can have the assurance that if he asks us to come boldly, he desires to answer our prayers.
4. Giving of thanks. Thanksgiving puts wings on our prayers and brings us into the presence of God. He loves to hear our thanksgiving. It opens his ears. We thank him in everything because we know that he's going to work out our situation for good!
5. Prayer for all people. Paul doesn't tell us just to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters, but to pray for all men and all those who are in authority. It makes a difference when we pray for both Christians and non-Christians.

To be continued.

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"If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer: Intercession is a way of loving others."—Richard J. Foster

Standing Between Two Extremes

What is intercessory prayer? According to Webster, intercede means simply, "to go or pass between; to act between parties with a view to reconcile those who differ or contend; to interpose; to mediate or make intercession; mediation."

Intercession basically means to stand between two extremes. It means to earnestly plead with a person on behalf of another. Intercessory prayer happens when we stand in the gap between God and others. We live in a world that is full of spiritual warfare, and God wants us to pray for the salvation and redemption of others. It is not his desire that any should perish but that all would receive eternal life (1 Timothy 2:4). God wants and desires us to pray for others.

Jesus the Ultimate Intercessor

There are numerous examples of individuals in the Bible who accepted the challenge to intercede on behalf of others, but the greatest example of intercession can be seen in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us, "Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).

Jesus still sits at the right hand of God and continually makes intercession on our behalf. Jesus' intercession isn't just a prayer that he prayed, but the life that he lived. Everything he said and did was for us! The essential meaning of the cross is Christ's mediation for all who would be saved. The Bible tells us, "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). True intercession begins by following Jesus' example of self-giving, and then flows into fervent prayer for the lives of others.

To be continued.

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In Hebrew thought, to meditate upon the Scriptures is to quietly repeat them, giving oneself entirely to God, and abandoning outside distractions. The two main things that we are told to meditate on are God's word and God's goodness. Paul tells us, "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8).

We see the difference between the active and contemplative Christian life illustrated in the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and heard his word, while Martha was distracted with much serving. Jesus said that Mary had chosen the best thing because she sat at his feet and was not distracted. Meditative prayer is exactly this, sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing his word. This is a wonderful example of the art of meditative prayer. We must allow time to let the Lord speak to us through meditating on him and his word in prayer.

Steps for Meditative Prayer

1. Designate a quiet place. In a world full of distractions, we need a quiet place where we can allow God to speak to us. The most effective place to pray is where you are least likely to be disturbed.
2. Give yourself 20-30 minutes. Many people only spend a few minutes each day in prayer. Very few people actually spend time in meditative prayer. It takes time to drown out the cares of the world, sit, prayerfully meditate on God's word, and then allow him to speak to us.
3. Choose Scripture to prayerfully meditate on. Prayerfully select a passage of Scripture that means something to you. Let it either focus on the goodness of God, the promises of God, or the worship of God.
4. Allow God to speak to you. This is the hardest part. Many people never hear the Lord speak to them simply because they don't allow him to. We need to sit and listen for the voice of the Lord. Samuel was open to hearing from the Lord (1 Samuel 3). He said, "Speak, for your servant hears."

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"We have some idea, perhaps, what prayer is, but what is meditation? Well may we ask, for meditation is a lost art today, and Christian people suffer grievously from their ignorance of the practice. Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God."—J.I. Packer

Let God Speak to You

In personal prayer we speak to God, but in meditative prayer we allow God to speak to us through his word and his Spirit. Never before has there been such a need to rediscover the quiet art of meditative prayer.

If we are not careful, the many distractions of this world will drown out the quiet voice of God within our hearts and make us numb to our spiritual needs. We need to find a quiet place to be with God and hear his word. In stillness and solitude God speaks to our hearts and fills us with the refreshing presence of his Spirit.

Emptying vs. Filling the Mind

What do we mean by meditative prayer? Is there such thing as Christian meditation? Isn't meditation non-Christian? According to Richard Foster, "Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind. Christian meditation is an attempt to fill the mind" (Celebration of Discipline). Rather than emptying the mind we fill it with God's word. We must not neglect a vital part of our Judeo-Christian heritage simply because other traditions use a form of meditation. Christian meditation has its roots in the Hebrew tradition of the Bible.

There are numerous Biblical references to prayerful meditation:

• "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night" (Joshua 1:8).
• "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2).
• "I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways" (Psalm 119:15).
• "I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes" (Psalm 119:48).
• "O how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97).
• "My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise" (Psalm 119:148).
• "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands" (Psalm 143:5).

To be continued.

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