What is Fasting?
Esther 4:16 (NKJV)
“Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”
The Hebrew word in this verse for "FAST" is "tsum". It literally means "to cover over (the mouth). To abstain from food". Biblical fasting always involves giving up of food. When we fast, according to the Word of God, it is always pertaining to not eating, whether totally or giving up specific portions of food. Many people will often say "I am going to fast TV", or "I am going to fast my social media accounts for a period of time". Although these are great things to give up, or to "fast", they are not true fasting as outlined in the Word of God.
Even Isaiah 58:1-7 it is related to food. The prophet was being used by the Lord to correct the issues with God’s people and their fasting times. They were presenting fasts (going without food to afflict their souls) but were not walking in that affliction and humility that fasting is supposed to bring to a person's life. They were still exploiting their laborers; they were still treating their fellow brothers with violence. They were not showing love toward others, but instead were treating people badly, all the time while they were supposed to be "fasting", giving up their food and showing humility. The Lord was instruction them that their fasting should be COMPLIMENTED with charitable deeds, such as loosening the bonds of wickedness, treat others with dignity, assisting others to lift their heavy burdens, share the bread and food, that they would have normally been eating, with others instead of hording it and saving it for when they were not fasting. In Isaiah 58:1-7 the Lord is instructing His people how they are NOT to act while fasting, and how they ARE to act WHILE FASTING.
Why is fasting important?
Ezra 8:21 (NKJV)
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.
22 For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.”
23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.
It is a way of humbling yourself before the Lord. It is how we bring our fleshly desires under control and make it submit to our spirit, more importantly to the Spirit of God. Fasting moves our flesh out of the way so that we can be more open to the spiritual realm, which is where God dwells. Fasting opens us up to hear the directions from God. It is design as a way to seek the Lord when we need answers, direction, or help in times of trouble or when we are seeking revelation about a particular topic or situation.
What NEEDS to accompany times of Fasting?
Daniel 9:3 (NKJV)
3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
Fasting must always be accompanied by PRAYER. Fasting without prayer is simply a diet. The whole purpose of fasting is to bring our flesh into submission to our spirit so that we may hear from Heaven. So how do we hear from heaven? Through prayer. Presenting our requests to the Lord then waiting and listening so that we may hear His response. Fasting, even in times of distress or great loss, needs prayer to go with it. Without prayer, there is no spiritual connection and it is in vain. Every time you see fasting in the Word of God it is always accompanied with prayer.
Is fasting for the New Covenant Church of today?
YES!
Acts 13:1-3 (NKJV)
1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
Fasting needs to be as much a part of the church today as presenting praise and worship and our tithes and offerings. Much of the church is missing its full potential, and lack direction, because they do not make fasting an integral part of their ministry. The first century church fasted often. To them it was as second nature as worshipping the Lord.
Is fasting required by believers of Yeshua?
YES!
Mark 2:20 (see also Luke 5:34-38 ) (NKJV)
20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.
In this verse Yeshua is confronting the accusations of the religious leaders about His disciples not fasting according to the "traditions". Yeshua rebukes them by saying that while He is with them, they do not need to be fasting according to the traditions. Yeshua then goes on to tell them that when the Bridegroom, when He Himself, is taken away from them, then they will fast. Yeshua was "taken away" from them when He gave Himself to be crucified and then when He rose again and ascended into heaven. Yeshua is still in Heaven, at the right hand of the Father, and He will one day return. Until He returns for the 2nd time, His bride, the church, and every disciple of His, are to FAST. If you are a believer in Yeshua the Messiah, then you are a disciple of His and are called to fast until He returns. We are living in the time when we are to be fasting more and more until His return.
What are sometimes to Fast according to the Word?
During times of mourning and loss
2 Samuel 1:12 (NKJV)
And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
During times of Affliction for others
Psalm 35:13 (NKJV)
But as for me, when they were sick,
My clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting;
And my prayer would return to my own heart.
This fasting is for someone else. It is for the needs of others, that the Lord would move on their behalf.
When commissioning, or ordaining, people for the work of ministry
Acts 13:3 (NKJV)
Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
During the Confession of sins / repentance. For City-wide and / or National repentance.
Nehemiah 9:1-2 (NKJV)
Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
Daniel 9:3-5 (NKJV)
3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
4 And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,
5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments
During times of Bereavement / At the loss of life
1 Samuel 31:13 (NKJV)
Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
2 Samuel 1:12 (NKJV)
And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
During times of attack from our advisory / Spiritual warfare
1 Kings 19:8 (NKJV)
So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.
Elijah was coming under a very strong attack from Jezebel. She threatened to kill him and had sent men after him. Elijah was also fighting against a strong spirit of discouragement and despair (refer to 1 Kings 19:9-14).
When we need to move into new seasons of ministry, or are about to move into a new level of anointing
Matthew 4:1-3 (NKJV)
1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
This passage also shows us that when we fast we also gain authority over those things that would seek to temp us and move us away from the things of the Lord. Here, Yeshua, was being tempted by the devil to try to get Him to lose His destiny and prophetic journey. Yeshua's fasting gave Him the strength in the spiritual realm to overcome those temptations and gave Him the spiritual wisdom to defeat every lies and tactic of the devil (Read Matthew 4:4-11)
· When we are seeking spiritual wisdom, direction, and / or understanding
Exodus 34:28 (NKJV)
So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
To seek grace, favor, mercy, and the protection of God
Ezra 8:21-23 (NKJV)
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.
22 For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.”
23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.
To open door for evangelism and for Angelic visitations to those who do not know the LORD
Acts 10:30-33 (NKJV)
30 So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.
32 Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.’
33 So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.”
Closing Remarks:
As we can see from the Word of God fasting is Biblical and is a requirement for every believer of Yeshua. There are times to present fasting to the Lord, for many reasons, and we all need to hear the calling in this day to present ourselves to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in humility through fasting and prayer. We pray that this teaching has helped to open your spiritual eyes to see the need for fasting. Maybe you already fast, or even if you have never fasted for the Lord, we want to encourage each of you to go deeper and discover the richness of the Lord released through fasting.
Shalom.