Ever wonder what fasting is all about? How to do it? How often to do it? How painful it is? Why you should do it?
Here is a list of just a few facts about fasting that I hope will clarify what fasting is all about and stimulate you to study the Bible on the subject. Get your concordance out and read all the verses that talk about fasting.
What is fasting?
Fasting is a solemn exercise involving denial of comforts for the purpose of entreating the Lord. Most people think of avoiding food.
Fasting is a denial of self in order to please God, to rededicate yourself to God, and to focus on His will for your life.
How long do fasts last?
Fasts in the Bible range from one day to forty days.
Why do people fast?
The granting of some prayer requests for difficult, spiritual challenges requires fasting.
Fasts remind us not to yield to self-indulgence and selfishness. They remind us that God comes first.
Fasts are associated with confession, repentance, prayers, and sometimes symbolic acts of piety.
How often do people fast?
Some fast at regular intervals. Others fast when they think it is needful.
Fasts are conducted as part of religious routine throughout the year as well as for special occasions.
How should we fast?
God wants us to fast with a heart of devotion to Him. The fast itself does not change the heart. It is an expression of the heart already turned to God.
Ultimately,
A life devoted to God is in perpetual fasting. It expresses the qualities of God and conformity to the image of Christ and denies the expression of the flesh.
