1. What is fasting?
It is the voluntary abstaining from eating food for a determined period of time, in order to seek the face of God and to have intimate communion with Him.
The word "CONVERTS" means to return to the starting point; return to seek the face of God. To return to God, we need to do it with all our heart, with fasting and with weeping. Today's society is perverted. Children are more rebellious and lack of integrity abounds everywhere.
There is a crisis of moral values and sin is very close to us. None of this can change if we do not have a life of fasting and prayer.
"WHEN" this tells us that we can do it when we want; we do not have to wait for God to guide us or for someone to tell us. Fasting and prayer was a way of life for the early church, and it should be for the church today.
The most important thing is that fasting be practiced as a "lifestyle". that is, we must fast every week, every month, twice a week, whether it be a partial, absolute or total fast. Do not wait for God's guidance to fast, because Jesus already said: "When you fast," and this implies that you decide when you should fast.
2. What are the three types of biblical fasting?
A. Total:
This is the one that is carried out without the ingestion of solid, liquid or without water. For example, Esther and the Jewish people "did not eat or drink"
B. Absolute:
it is done without eating solid foods, but water is ingested. For example, in Matthew 4.1-11, he says: "And after he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry." At no time, it is mentioned that he did not eat or drink; neither does he say that he was thirsty.
C. Partial:
it is the fast that is made by eliminating certain types of foods and drinks from the diet that we usually eat. As for example, the case of Daniel 10: 3
Also, it can be said that partial fasting is when we suppress one or two meals of the day, such as breakfast and lunch, or when we only eat fruits or vegetables.
3. What is the purpose of the fast?
A. Honor God:
We honor God when we decide to take time to be with Him and to seek His face. It is a moment only for Him, through which we recognize and give God the place he deserves.
B. To humble ourselves and repent before Him:
Seldom do we realize that we are proud. We also do not realize when we are humble. Arrogance and humility are two mysteries. No one is saying I am proud or saying that he is humble.
It is something that one is; It is a condition of the heart, in the only moment that we realize that we have been proud, it is when we are fasting and in prayer, since it allows us to see our condition.
During the fast, God shows us our pride. He can humiliate us in public or in private.
If you do it in public, the humiliation is longer because we are resisting it.
But if he does it in private, the humiliation is shorter because it is initiated by us and not by Him.
The word of God exhorts us to prove ourselves if we are in the faith.
How do we try? Humiliating ourselves in the presence of God, in fasting and prayer.
C. To face crisis:
Whenever a crisis arises in our lives, and when we are going through deserts, temptations, marital problems, and obstacles that the enemy has raised, it is time to fast and pray.
When there is a great army surrounding me and you have to face, then it is time to fast.
Each time they are facing a crisis, they declare war on the enemy with fasting and prayer.
D. To hear and seek God's direction:
Sometimes, we find ourselves in difficult situations, and we do not know how to act; we do not know whether to hit the rock, throw the rod, take authority or wait on God.
Therefore, to hear God, it is necessary to make a lifestyle a fast.
E. To order people in the ministry:
Every time a man or woman is separated for the ministry, we must fast.
The something that God takes very seriously and is of great importance.
F. To develop spiritual sensitivity:
when we are fasting, our sensitivity and our spiritual perception are sharpened. Normally, what we did not understand about the Word, we can understand better after the fast.When it is difficult for us to hear the voice of God and fast, we hear it better, imagine what the power of God is like when a believer fasts and prays.
G. To unleash wicked bindings:
To unite in the Hebrew language means to open a door that was closed, to free someone, to untie a prisoner, to untie the knot of a rope.
The way to open a door that is closed, whether business, work, ministry, marriage, health, among others, is through fasting.
4. What are the steps to fast?
A. Proclaim fasting before God with your mouth:
When you do, tell God what kind of fast you are going to do: Absolute, Partial or total. Also, tell him, how long his fasting will last and proclaim with his mouth the moment when he will start the fast.
B. Define the purpose of your fast:
What is the reason you are proclaiming the fast? It can be one or more purposes for which you wish to fast. Before beginning, be specific and define the purpose before God for example: "Lord, I proclaim fasting for the salvation of my children."
C. Ask for the assistance of the Holy Spirit:
He is our comforter and comforter. Ask him for spiritual, physical and emotional strength so that while he is fasting he does not weaken. This point is important because some people are tempted to cut the fast, but if you asked the help of the Holy Spirit beforehand, He will help you.
D. Receive the reward in advance:
Give thanks to the Lord, in advance for the reward or purpose for which you are fasting and praying. This is not a business with God, but as a result of his search He will reward you. God rewards those who diligently seek Him.
To conclude, we can say that fasting and prayer go together. When we are believers we do it with the correct intention and according to the correct biblical form, the results are powerful.
remember that fasting does not change God, those who change in the time of fasting are us. Fasting is only a means to enjoy the presence of God. Also, remember that fasting must be a lifestyle; It is not doing it from time to time, because the results will not be the same. No matter what kind of fasting we do, as long as we do it continuously, the results will be wonderful.
Fasting.and.Prayer
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