In this message we explore the rich Biblical teaching on fasting, and the rich spiritual dividends it pays those who embrace it.
The Spiritual Discipline Of Fasting
Matthew 6:16-18
This morning we are going to study the thing you love to do more than anything in the world – fasting! Let’s be honest – fasting is probably the most dreaded and ignored of all of the spiritual disciplines, at least here in the good old U. S. of A. We neglect and ignore fasting because we think it will bring us horrible suffering and pain. How many Christians do you know that regularly practice fasting? How often have you yourself fasted in the past year? How many sermons have you ever heard on fasting? In most Christian circles in America, you will rarely if ever hear of fasting. I remember talking to David Carroll, one of the staff members at Gospel For Asia. He told me that the native missionaries in India have the same solution to every emergency. If they are being persecuted by the Hindus or Muslims, they fast and pray. If they want to see souls saved, they fast and pray. If they need more workers, they fast and pray. And God typically responds by answering their prayers in remarkable ways. However, here in America things are quite different. If we have a need, we seek to figure out a way that we can meet that need apart from fasting and prayer. In our affluent, technically advanced society we haven’t learned the secret that these brothers in their poor and impoverished countries have learned!
Arthur Wallis, author of God’s Chosen Fast, writes, “In giving us the privilege of fasting as well as praying, God has added a powerful weapon to our spiritual armory. In her folly and ignorance the Church has largely looked upon it as obsolete. She has thrown it down in some dark corner to rust, and there it has lain forgotten for centuries. An hour of impending crisis for the Church and the world demands its recovery.”
Think of fasting as one of the powerful weapons God has given us in order to do battle against the enemy, and advance His kingdom in the world, not as a form of self-inflicted masochistic torture!
It’s really amazing that fasting is such a rare practice here in America. It is mentioned in the Bible more times than even something as important as baptism (fasting is mentioned 77 times while baptism is mentioned 75 times). I believe the reason we practice fasting as infrequently as we do, is because it cuts so radically against the grain of our fleshly, self-indulgent, lifestyles. We here in America, live far better than most of the rest of the world. Even those who are among the lowest 5% income in America, are richer than 70% of the rest of the world. We are used to having what we want. For people who are used to having what they want, denying themselves anything is difficult. And folks, I am just as guilty as anyone here when it comes to fasting, but by God’s grace, I trust that this will change in 2013.
This morning I want you to look at fasting as another path to get up to the majestic mountain of God’s glory in order to behold Him in His beauty. Jesus is so beautiful, that He is worth any hike up any path to see His glory. If you want to enjoy Jesus in His glory, then you will want to begin to cultivate the spiritual discipline of fasting in your life.
This morning we are going to ask 4 questions:
- What Does the Bible Teach About Various Kinds of Fasts?
- What Does the Bible Teach About How Often We Should Fast?
- What Does the Bible Teach About How Long We Should Fast?
- What Does the Bible Teach About Why We Should Fast?
1. What Does the Bible Teach About Various Kinds of Fasts?
First, let’s begin with a definition. What is fasting? Fasting is a Christian’s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes. Some people speak of fasting from TV, the Internet, or the phone, but in Scripture, fasting always has to do with abstaining from food.
- A Normal Fast: This is a fast where you abstain from all food, but not from water. It appears that this was the kind of fast that Jesus did for 40 days in the wilderness. In Luke 4:2 says, “And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.” Notice that the text says He ate nothing. It doesn’t say anything about Him not drinking anything. Also, at the end of the fast the text says He became hungry, but doesn’t say that He became thirsty. Humans can only survive three to five days without water, so we assume Jesus drank water during His fast.
- An Absolute Fast: This is a fast where you abstain from all food and liquid, including water. When Ezra learned that the Israelites had taken pagan wives for themselves, he fasted by not eating bread nor drinking water (Ezra 10:6). After Haman convinced King Ahasuerus to have all the Jews executed on a particular day, Queen Esther asked her Uncle Mordecai to assemble all the Jews and fast for her. Esther was going to go in to the king and plead with Him to change this decree, but for her to go into the presence of the King unbidden was a criminal law punishable by death. She says, “Fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16).
- A Partial Fast: In Daniel 10, we find Daniel mourning over the sins of the children of Israel. In verse 3 we read that for three entire weeks Daniel did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter his mouth, nor did he use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed. In this case Daniel observed a partial fast. He did not eat meat, or tasty food, or drink wine. Daniel abstained from all of the foods he loved and enjoyed the most. So, if you were to observe a partial fast, you might abstain from all sweets, or from all meat, or maybe both.
- A Supernatural Fast: In Deuteuronomy 9:9 we find Moses saying, “When I went up to the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which the Lord had made with you, then I remained on the mountain forty days and nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water.” This kind of fast is not repeatable apart from the Lord’s specific calling and miraculous provision.
- A Private Fast: This is the kind of fast Jesus was talking about in Mt. 6:16-18, “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” In this kind of fasting, you don’t broadcast to everyone around you, “Look at me! I’m so holy! I’m going without food all day long because I’m such a righteous guy!” No, in a private fast, you don’t let anyone else even know, if you can help it, that you are fasting.
- A Congregational Fast: We have an instance of just such a fast in Joel 2:15-16, “Blow a trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders.” In Acts 13:2 we have an example of a fast in which all the leaders of the church at Antioch participated. This is the kind of fast that we are going to have this coming Wednesday.
- A National Fast: There is an example of this kind of fast over in 2 Chronicles 20. Three nations – the Ammonites, the Moabites and the Meunites – were coming to make war against King Jehoshophat. When the king learned of this invasion “he was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to seek help from the Lord; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord” (2Chron.20:3-4). As a result of the entire nation of Israel calling upon the Lord in fasting and prayer, God routed the enemy, and they ended up fighting each other and destroying one another! Interestingly, during the early days of the United States President John Adams, James Madison, and Abraham Lincoln called the entire nation to fast and pray. If a President were to call a national fast today, the nation would either laugh or just ignore it! That’s how far we have slid downhill morally over the last two centuries.
- A Regular Fast: This is fast which is observed regularly, either weekly, monthly, or annually. In the Old Testament the Israelites fasted annually on the Day of Atonement. In Luke 18 we find a Pharisee boasting that he fasted twice a week. In fact, John Wesley wouldn’t even appoint someone to the Methodist ministry unless they fasted every Wednesday and Friday. This is the kind of fast we are going to initiate at The Bridge. We are going to begin a Regular Congregational Fast on a monthly basis to seek God earnestly about accomplishing the Mission He has called us to.
- An Occasional Fast: This is fast that you observe occasionally as you believe God is leading you.
2. What Does The Bible Teach About How Often We Should Fast?
Whereas in the Old Testament there was an annual fast on the Day of Atonement, in the New Testament there are no prescribed days of fasting. Since the death of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement, the only prescribed fast day has ceased. Thus, today we fast when we feel the need to fast, or when we believe God is directing us to fast.
At this point the question arises whether we are supposed to fast at all now that Jesus has died and risen again. Some people make the argument that fasting was only for Old Testament believers, but now that Jesus has died and risen again, there is no need to fast. Well, let me direct your attention to Matthew 6. In verse 1 Jesus lays down a basic principle, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” Then in verses 2-18, Jesus gives three different examples of how to apply that principle – giving, praying, fasting. In all three examples Jesus emphasizes that we should not observe the righteous practices to be noticed by men. Jesus says in Mt. 6:2-3 “when you give to the poor.” In Mt. 6:5,6,7 Jesus says three times “when you pray.” Then in Mt. 6:16,17 Jesus says, “when you fast.” Now, no Christian has any doubts as to whether he should give or pray. In fact, pastors often use this passage when teaching that praying and giving are expected of believers. Why then, would we come to the conclusion that we are not expected to fast? There is nothing in Scripture telling us we no longer need to fast. Further, we have examples in the Book of Acts where believers did fast. In Acts 13 we find the leaders at Antioch fasting. In Acts 14:23 we find Paul and Barnabus fasting before they appointed elders. Further notice the teaching of Mt. 9:14-15, “Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” I don’t know about you, but in my own life, by and large I have conveniently ignored sayings like this. I suspect this is probably true about you as well. Well, it’s time for us to quit ignoring the clear teaching of Jesus Christ, and begin implementing this spiritual discipline. Remember that this discipline was not given to us in order to make us suffer, but to bring us joy in the presence of Jesus!
3. What Does The Bible Teach About How Long We Should Fast?
In the various fasts mentioned in Scripture, there are many different lengths of time.
- Part Of A Day: We find both in Judges 20:26 and 2 Samuel 1:12 that the people of Israel fasted until evening.
- 1 Day: 1 Samuel 7:6 says, “They gathered to Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day.”
- 3 Days: In Esther 4:16 we find the Jews fasting for three days before Esther went in to the king. In Acts 9:9 we find Saul fasting for three days immediately after his encounter with the risen Christ.
- 7 Days: Upon King Saul’s death the valiant men of Israel fasted seven days. When King David’s son was very sick, he fasted for 7 days until the child died.
- 21 Days: Daniel observed a partial fast for three entire weeks.
- 40 Days: Both Moses and Jesus observed 40 day fasts (Deut. 9:9; Mt. 4:2)
- Unspecified: We are told in Luke 2:37 that the prophetess Anna never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. We are not told how long Anna would fast. The same is true for the fast of the leaders of the church at Antioch in Acts 13:2, and the fast of Paul and Barnabas before they chose elders in Acts 14:23. Thus, a fast can be any length of time we choose from a part of a day to 40 days.
4. What Does The Bible Teach About Why We Should Fast?
- For A Specific Prayer Request: Fasting sharpens the edge of our intercessions and gives earnestness to our supplications. We should never think of fasting as a way to impress God or seek to gain His acceptance. If you are in Christ you are already 100% accepted by God. There is nothing you can do to make God love you any more, and nothing you can ever do to cause Him to love you any less. Fasting is not some kind of spiritual hunger strike that manipulates God into doing our bidding! In Nehemiah 1 we find Nehemiah fasting and praying, because he planned to ask King Artaxerxes to be permitted to return with the exiles to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. In Acts 13, after the Holy Spirit had told the leaders to separate Barnabas and Saul for the work to which He had called them, the rest fasted and prayed and then laid their hands on them and sent them away. In this case, they were fasting and praying for the success of this first missionary venture. In our lives, it might be for the salvation of a loved one, or the success of a new ministry, or God’s blessing on His work. In his journal David Brainerd writes of this kind of a fast, “I set apart this day for secret fasting and prayer, to entreat God to direct and bless me with regard to the great work I have in view, of preaching the gospel…God enabled me to wrestle ardently in intercession for absent friends… The Lord visited me marvelously in prayer; I think my soul never was in such an agony before. I felt no restraint, for the treasures of divine grace were opened to me. I wrestled for absent friends, for the ingathering of souls, for multitudes of poor souls, and for many that I thought were the children of God, personally, in many distant places.”
- To Seek God’s Guidance: Paul and Barnabas prayed with fasting in order to seek God’s guidance as to who should be appointed as elders in every church (Acts 14:23). Although fasting does not ensure the certainty of receiving clear guidance from God, it does make us more receptive to the One who loves to guide us.
- To Express Grief & Repentance For Sin: This is the kind of fast the Ninevites observed, as they fasted, wore sackcloth, and put ashes over their heads as a sign of their grief and repentance. Just as kneeling in prayer can be an outward expression of humility and reverence before god, so fasting can be an outward sign of an inward grief because of our sins. Have you ever fasted as an expression of sorrow for your sins? That would be a perfectly appropriate reason to fast.
- To Seek God’s Deliverance or Protection: This is exactly what we find the children of Israel doing in 2 Chronicles 20:3-4 when the three other nations were coming out to make war with them, and also in Esther 4:16 when the king had decreed to destroy all the Jews in Susa. When we are in a situation in which we desperately need God’s deliverance or protection, fast and pray!
- To Minister To The Needs Of Others: Isaiah 58:6-7 says, “Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” Here is a great reason to fast and pray – social justice. Fast and pray for the poor, the downtrodden, the marginalized of society, the broken, the hurting. You might consider taking the time you would have spent preparing and eating meals on a given day, and instead devote that time to meeting the needs of others. Or, perhaps you might fast, and then take the money you would have spent on those meals and give it to the poor.
- To Prepare Yourself For The Work of God: This is what we see Jesus doing in His 40 day fast in the wilderness. He had already been baptized by John, and the Spirit had descended upon Him, but before He actually began His public ministry He spent time fasting and praying. Do you sense God is moving you into a new phase of ministry? Do you feel the need to be prepared and anointed of the Spirit for this work? Fast and pray!
- To Experience a Deeper Fellowship With God: This, I believe, is what we find in Luke 2:36-38 in the account of Anna the prophetess. Anna had been married for only 7 years before being widowed. Assuming she married as a young lady, this godly woman had devoted herself to at least 50 years, night and day to worship and commune with God, characterized by fasting and prayer. Do you sense a need to draw near to God and have more intimate communion with Him? Fast and pray!
Application:
Here at The Bridge, we want to experience everything that God has for us. One of the spiritual disciplines that will enable us to do that is fasting. Thus, we would like to begin a Regular Congregational fast, once a month to seek God together. Our first fast will be this Wednesday. We will fast and pray during the day, specifically that God would give us success at making disciples, and that we would Love, Reach, Connect and Equip people to do that work. Then we’ll meet up at our Bridge Group and spend the first half of our time together in prayer. Afterwards we’ll break our fast together with a meal. We want to bring people to Christ. We want to see God’s Kingdom advance. We want to see believers grow in ministry and holiness. Well, let’s dedicate this Wednesday to fasting and prayer towards that end!
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