Fasting for us as believers!

Fasting is an important part our Christian spiritual practice. It is a way to draw closer to God, to humble oneself, and to ask for His guidance and help. Scripture speaks of the power of fasting, and the Bible provides examples of fasting as a way to seek God’s will. Fasting is also a way to humble oneself before God and seek His will. In the Old Testament, fasting is mentioned many times as a way to seek God’s guidance and favor. In the New Testament, Jesus encourages his followers to fast and offers examples of fasting. The Bible gives instructions and examples of how to fast. Jesus encourages his followers to fast in secret, rather than drawing attention to themselves. He also instructs them to fast for a specific purpose—to seek God’s will. He tells them that when they fast, they should deny themselves something that is important to them. In the Bible, fasting is often accompanied by prayer and meditation. Fasting can be a powerful way to draw closer to God and to seek His will. It is a way to deny oneself and to put God first. It can help one to focus on spiritual matters and to seek God’s will and guidance.

When fasting, it is important to remember that God is in control and that He can provide all that we need.

Scripture:

• Isaiah 58:6-7 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
• Matthew 6:16-18 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 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.”
• Matthew 17:21 “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
• Psalm 35:13 “But I, when they were sick— I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting. I prayed with head bowed on my bosom.”
• Luke 5:33-35 They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”
• Psalm 109:24 “My knees are weak through fasting; my body is thin and gaunt.”
• Psalm 69:10 When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach.
• Acts 14:23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
• Matthew 4:4 Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God..

Conclusion

Fasting is an important part of our spiritual practice. It is a way to draw closer to God, to humble oneself, and to ask for His guidance and help. The Bible provides examples of fasting as a way to seek God’s will and offers instructions and examples on how to fast. When fasting, it is important to remember that God is in control and that He can provide all that we need.