Matthew 6:17,18 - KJV "17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head,
and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret:
and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."
Fasting. Fasting has been one of the most misunderstood and misused practices
in the Bible. The basic premise of fasting is giving up a normal daily activity,
as a sacrifice, to spend that time in prayer and seeking the Lord. It is not supposed
to be a physical endurance contest to see how long you can go without eating,
but again, an act of sacrifice. It can be as little as one meal, one day, three
days, there is no magic formula. Let me warn you, fasting can be very dangerous
to your health! Anytime you fast over 24 hours, you need to be very careful and
I would suggest contact your doctor to make sure you do it correctly.
The reason you fast is to sacrifice the nourishment to your body, and spend that
time nourishing your soul. It is a way to focus solely on the Lord and to seek
Him.
Often fasting is done at times when there are major needs, and you need to really
zero in spiritually on the Lord, seeking Him for answers. I routinely fast one
day a month, but during major events or times of great need, will fast for 72
hours and try to spend much of that time just in prayer. Living my normal life,
but using the time I would normally be eating to just seek the face of God.
Fasting does not make you more spiritual than someone who does not fast. it is
not a way to prove how spiritual you are. Again, it is a simple act of sacrifice
to spend that time in prayer with the Lord. It allows you to hear God more clearer.
It is a time to really get serious about praying over a certain situation or circumstance.
It is a sacrifice on your part to get closer to God.
That is a good thing. I would suggest that if you never fasted before, take one
meal a week,, skip it, and in the 20-40 minutes you would normally be eating,
go to a quiet place and just pray. Talk to God about those things in your life
He needs to clean up. Talk to God about problems that only He can fix. One powerful
way to use fasting is to fast and spend that time in prayer for someone else.
Sacrifice that meal and spend the time praying for the needs of someone else.
Powerful!I love you, care about you, and will always be here for you in your time
of need. Never hesitate to contact me if I can help you.
Fasting can be a powerful way for you to get even closer to God. Pray, and God
will guide you and direct you in this effort. He loves YOU and desires an intimate
and close relationship with YOU. Make an effort to fast, even one meal in the
next week, and spend that time in prayer for the needs you have in your life,
and for others.
In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller