PRAYER AND FASTING
(Special Note: I would not advise fasting if you suffer from an illness that could be affected by fasting, such as Diabetes. Perhaps you could ask the Lord about substituting with an "Enjoyment Fast", such as giving up an hour of your personal pleasure reading time, or giving up a favorite television program, etc.)
"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit, into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil" (Matthew 4:1)
Just as Jesus was led by the Spirit into His fast, we also need to pray and let the Holy Spirit lead us into our fasting period. God will prepare us first for the fast. We go before God, concerning the request of our prayer, and the need for our fasting.
A man who came to the disciples and asked them to cure his son who was a lunatic (having a mental problem, violently being forced to do things which he had no control over, for he was possessed with a devil). The disciples tried to help this man's son with all they had learned from Jesus up to that point in time; but to no effect. Later, after Jesus rebuked the devil and it departed out of the young man, Jesus taught the disciples that in this case, this kind of devil would not depart except by prayer and fasting, which would have strengthened the faith of the disciples.
Jesus said that when the Bridegroom is with us, we don't have to fast; but when the Bridegroom leaves, we should fast because it will help us live in faith and stay in faith. We are called to fast, on a regular basis, not only when we are in trouble or when we interceed for others. The purpose of fasting is to undo unbelief, and raise us to a higher level of faith. EXAMPLES OF FASTING
1. Elijah went on a fast for 40 days (I Kings 19:8), but God prepared him for it. He was defeated at the time God called him to fast. He had just called down the fire at Mount Carmel and had a tremendous victory. They had killed the prophets of Baal and rolled them down the mountain, and God had opened the heavens in response to Elijah's prayer for rain. Then Elijah ran before Ahab's chariot into Jezreel. He had a supernatural anointing of strength.
When he arrived at Jezreel, Ahab's hateful wife, Jezebel, sent him a message. She wasn't very happy about the fact that Elijah had had all her prophets killed. In fact, she was furious about it. Her message said, "If it is the last thing I ever do, I will kill you." Then, at a weak moment, he became full of fear and ran into the wilderness and said, "... O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers" (I Kings 19:4). Elijah left the revival because of a message from a woman.
Looking at Elijah, I see that God was determined for him to be a winner. I think God is just as determined about you --that you will be a winner. Elijah had blown it, but God did something wonderful for him: He sent an angel to touch him and feed him. Then Elijah went back to sleep after having eaten. Evidently, he really needed rest. Again, the angel touched him and fed him, but this time he said to him, "I want you to go to Horeb, and it is a 40-day trip. You won't have to eat anything, because the food I gave you will sustain you."
Elijah was prepared for his 40-day fast with spiritual preparation. He didn't just decide to fast for 40 days in his own strength; he was prepared by an angel. Remember, he had been depressed. Who wants to fast when they are depressed? That's when you want to "throw in the towel!" However, the angel came to encourage him so that he could fast during that time.
When Elijah went to Horeb, the Lord revealed where he had "missed it". He saw the fire, the wind, the earthquake -- many manifestations of the Lord -- and then heard a still, small voice saying, "Elijah, you missed it because you didn't wait for the leading of My Spirit. You looked at Jezebel and her message and ran away. Wait for the still, small voice. Learn to be led of the Spirit so you won't miss it anymore." He never did from that time on; never again do you read of defeat in his life. Of course, Elijah had a wonderful home-going when he went to Heaven in a whirwind! Here was a man who had been very defeated; yet he was led into a 40-day fast, heard the voice of God, learned how to be led of the Spirit, and was changed and transformed. God will use fasting to lead you.
2. In I Samuel 7, the Philistines were coming against Israel. It was a terrible time, so Samuel called his people to prayer and fasting. God frightened the Philistines with a thunderstorm. They advanced with their big army and their weapons, but when God "thundered", they thought it was the Hebrew army and ran away. Again, fasting and prayer saved the nation.
3. Jehoshaphat, a very wonderful king of Israel, fasted.
Then He gave them the most unusual battle plan ever heard of: Don't take any weapons. Take the choir and the people, go out and march. and praise the Lord all the way. They marched and praised the Lord, and on their way to the battle, the enemy got confused and began to kill each other. When the Israelites arrived, they were already dead! All they had to do was gather up the spoils, which took three days. Then they had a real praise service before the Lord.
Fasting will allow God to move us out of the flesh and into the Spirit, to draw us close to the Heart of God.
Moses had such a compassion for God's people as a result from his fasting and prayer. This is Moses' story ...
Preceding the time of Exodus 32, Moses had been on Mount Sinai, where wonderful things had happened. God had spoken to him and had written the two tablets of stone -- the Ten Commandments. Moses had been gone for 40 days, fasting and enjoying the presence of God. He heard loud noises on his way down the mountain. Aaron and the people had become tired of waiting for him and had melted all their gold together to make a golden calf to worship. The calf was one of the animals worshipped in Egypt. So the Israelites were saying, We will worship the gods of Egypt."
God was upset with these people! If you think God does not have a temper, you are wrong. Pay close attention to the pronouns in this account, and you will find that He definitely has a temper.
Wait a minute! Whose people are these? Are these Moses' people? When Moses was in the wilderness tending sheep and God spoke to him out of a burning bush, these were God's people, not Moses'. God told him then, "I have heard the cry of My people. I've seen their heartache and heartbreak, and I am sending you down because I'm taking them out. They are My people." Then in this case, God said, "That crowd! I can't stand them. They're YOUR people that YOU brought out."
God brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand and many miracles. Then He became so disgusted with them that He wanted to disown them. Listen to what God said:
Does that mean we can change god's mind? God told Moses, "I will make of you a great nation. You're the only one that counts out of this whole crowd." But Moses argued with God, which was exactly what God said not to do.
Why did Moses keep saying YOUR people? He said, "God, if You do that, what do You think the Egyptians will think of You? After You judged all their gods -- their idols-- they'll say, "Look at that God. He took His people into the mountains to kill them. He's not such a great God.'" Moses was saying, "God, You'll hurt Your reputation." That's a good way to argue with God. Then Moses said:
Moses told God, If you do this, You are going back on Your Word." God always wants us to remind Him of His Word. Sometimes you just have to say, "God, Your Word says this, so are You going to stand by it or not? What did God do when Moses argued with Him?
Who won? Moses won, because 40 days of fasting in the presence of God put him in the place of an intercessor. He stood between God and His people and said, "God, they aren't my people; they're Your people. Are You going to wipe them out? You'll hurt Your reputation by going back on Your Word. Is that the kind of God you are?" Then God repented and claimed His people again.
Moses could have said, "Go ahead, wipe them out! I'm the only important one!" However, fasting and prayer will show you how to get out of a selfish attitude. It will get the carnality out of you and put you into the right spiritual place with God.
God was still upset with the Hebrews, but He spared the nation. Then Moses said to God, "Now You have to forgive their sin."
Wow! This is real compassion for the flock! Moses said, "God, I love these people so much that if You are going to wipe them out, wipe me out, too." I don't believe Moses had that in the natural; I believe fasting and prayer put that compassion in him. I believe that , because when Moses was 40 years old, he killed an Egyptian. When the Hebrews asked him if he was going to kill them too, Moses answered, "Don't you know that I am supposed to deliver you?" He was really a big hero in his own eyes at that time. Then he had to run for his life, and God took him into the wilderness for 40 yers before He called him to lead the people out of Egypt. Then Moses said, "Who am I to lead the people out?" Thus, he was ready.
I've watched people with personality problems -- hot tempers, immaturity, etc. I believe a person who is involved in weekly fasting and prayer begins to manifest the fruit of the Spirit, and something spiritual happens to push his old nature down. If you are very impatient, or if you have personality problems, get consistent with your fasting and prayer, and it will change you on the inside. It really changed Moses!
Get really bold with God. When you fast and pray, it undoes unbelief in you and gives you boldness to reach out and take hold of the things of God -- things you never had before!
Some people believe we should not teach fasting to new Christians; however, I think they should be taught fasting right away, because it is good to get started right.
Saul (Paul) was a brand new Christian in this passage. Later, a man laid hands on him. Then the scales fell from his eyes, and he was filled with the Spirit. I believe Saul began his walk with God in fasting and prayer, and this prepared him for the ministry he was to have. Who had a greater ministry than Paul, who wrote the largest portion of the New Testament? Start your spiritual life with fasting and prayer as Paul did. It is important because it can show you God's guidelines all the way through your life.
In Acts 13, Paul was again involved in fasting and prayer. This was also in relationship to his ministry. At this time, a group of believers, prophets, teachers and well-known spiritual ministers were at Antioch.
This call wasn't new to Barnabas and Saul, as it was written in the past tense. We can't call people into the ministry. If someone said to you, "I have a message from the Lord, and you're to go to Africa," and you had never thought of doing it, then don't receive it! Anything a messenger from God brings you is to confirm what you already know, not to tell you what to do. This passage says that God had already called Paul and Barnabas -- past tense. This was a confirmation of that call.
Paul and Barnabas were being prepared to go out on their first missionary trip to the Gentiles, and they fasted and prayed before they went. Fasting and prayer will help you go out in the anointing of God into the ministry He wants you to have.
One time Paul was on a ship that was about to crash. He called all the people on the ship to fast with him, and they were not even believers! Should unsaved people fast? The people of Nineveh fasted, didn't they? The ship's crew and passengers fasted with Paul, and the powers of darkness that could have destroyed them all were broken. These people were not very spiritual; they were just fasting to save themselves -- and it did save them.
Paul said that he fasted often. In II Corinthians 6:5 Paul talked about how he was "...In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; ..." The word "fastings" is plural, so we see that he was involved in fasting. What was the secret to his ministry? Fasting and prayer. He started his ministry with it, and he continued with it. That was the secret of the anointing upon Paul's ministry.
How Long Should You Fast?
If God speaks to you to go on a one-, two- or three-day fast and you have that witness in your spirit, do it! He might just ask that you fast one meal a day.
It is good to be led by the Spirit in fasting, but Jesus talked about our fasting regularly. Fasting and prayer can keep you in a place of victory, so that when crises come, you will be so full of the Word and the Spirit that they won't be crises to you. You will be already prepared.
Ways to Fast
1. You are to fast in secret. Don't run around saying, "I'm fasting, and I just lost five pounds!" (In fact, this is a fast, not a diet. If weightloss is your goal, you've missed the whole reason for fasting).
2. Don't fast for strife. Be sure your motivation is right. Some people say, "I'm going to fast so everyone will see that they are wrong and I'm right." That is wrong motivation (Isaiah 58).
3. You are not to fast for selfish reasons. You could be fasting for something that isn't correct, as David did in II Samuel 12:16, 22. He fasted for his son, who was conceived with Bathsheba in adultry, because the baby was about to die. The child was born very sick, so David fasted and prayed, but the child died because of David's unrepented sin. He didn't repent until Nathan accused him of being both a murderer and an adulterer. If you go into fasting and prayer to get something you want and have unrepented sin, you will not get it. The bottom line in fasting is that you must be honest with God.
4. Some people fast because they feel sorry for themselves. Zechariah 7:5 says that the people fasted and mourned, but it didn't do any good because they hadn't repented. They were just saying, "Poor us. Do something," but they wouldn't get their lives in order. You must have the right motivation.
Types of Fasts
Looking at people in the Old Testament who got in trouble over eating gives insight on the importance of fasting. Consider Adam and Eve. They got in trouble over eating, not fasting. Belshazzar lost his kingdom the night he threw a big feast. Eating can be a very dangerous thing when you never set aside time for fasting.
The Israelites in the wilderness lusted for meat; God gave them meat and made them lean in their souls. Eli and his sons got in trouble over eating. In Noah's day, people were eating, drinking and giving in marriage; the Bible tells us that we will have the same situation in our day. We all must eat, but the overemphasis on eating is not good.
There are three types of fasts in the Word. The first type is Moses' fast. He went without food or water. I would not think of going without water on a fast unless God spoke to me about it. Don't go without food AND water. It could be physically dangerous.
Another type of fast is simply fasting without food, but with water. Fasting is simply not eating. Don't try to put yourself on a big fast until you are ready. Let the Spirit of the Lord lead you. It is much more important that you consistently fast each week, even if it is only one meal which you set aside to fast unto the Lord. Also, make sure you use that time to pray. Whatever time you set aside to fast and pray, I know God will really bless you.
The third type of fast is Daniel's fast. The Word says that "he ate no plesant meat." Some people think that is just giving up baked goodies. It is not known for sure; perhaps it was juices, fruits and vegetables. A vegetable diet could be referred to as a "pleasant-meat fast."
Again, being spiritual does not depend on drinking juice or not drinking it. You need to get the mind of God for your own fasting and prayer life. Just do it consistently, making a dedication and consecretion to the Lord.
Prayer With Fasting
All the men in the Scriptures with tremendous prayer lives prayed early in the morning.
"And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord" (I Samuel 1:19)
Job, who was considered to be an intercessor, prayed for his children early in the morning.
Jesus prayed early in the morning, long before daybreak.
"I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word" (Psalm 119:147)
"Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will away early, I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations" (Psalm 57:8-9)
Why is prayer good early in the morning? Because it gives you a good start. In the morning, you are not yet contaminated with the things of the day. When you go out to meet the day, after having prayed, you are prepared for it.
Early in the morning, there is a special presence of the Lord.
When did the manna come? Early in the morning. By noon it was spoiled with the heat of the day. This is not to say you can't pray in the middle of the day. Daniel and David both prayed three times a day. Do begin your day with prayer, however.
Keep in mind that preventative prayer is always better than repair prayer. Begin your week with fasting and prayer. Make a consecration today about how much you will fast during the next week, then begin. Don't say, "I just lost my job, so I'll fast for ten days!" Perhaps if you had been fasting consistently, you wouldn't be without a job. Put yourself on a schedule, and it will do something for you. Don't tell people about your fasting. No one should know about it but you and God (maybe some of your family will know, but they don't necessarily have to know).
Be consistent in your fasting and prayer. It will keep you in a place of faith. Fasting and prayer are twins. Don't divide them; keep them together, and you will have the most effective prayer life you have ever had.
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