Fasting will put your hunger (physically) and willpower to the test (mentally). It will also put your faith to the test. Fasting is a transformative experience, but it's also shockingly ordinary. There's a good chance you won't hear angels singing or see yourself walking on clouds. Instead, fasting will frequently feel like a chore, with you foregoing one meal after another day after day.
Before You Continue...
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Fasting is a lonely experience. It keeps you away from food and people. Meanwhile, God remains mostly unnoticed and unheard. It's difficult to separate yourself from the physical world in order to enter the spiritual sphere.
You'll ask yourself, “Why am I fasting?” This is insane! What is the goal? I'm ready to give up.
You will be successful as your faith is tried, and you will resolve to keep fighting (yes, it is a fight). Because of your faith in the spiritual work that fasting brings, you will endure (keep reading).
The Spirit is a member of the trinity who lives within us and is always ready and willing to help us. Our intercessor is the Holy Spirit, who connects us and our prayers to God immediately. Because the Spirit is also God, I understand how perplexing it is.
Fasters must assume that when the body and intellect are energized by fasting, God's Spirit is energized as well. It's an intangible dynamic, which necessitates faith.
When you fast, God notices. He understands how much this sacrifice means to you. God notices when we take measures to get closer to Him. God will reward you for fasting, Jesus says in Matthew 6. Even if you don't notice any spiritual or bodily changes (save for weight loss and hunger) or receive a quick answer to prayer, you trust that fasting draws God's attention to your life.
Certain miracles, Jesus taught the disciples, could only be done via prayer and fasting. Some divine deeds necessitate more than just prayer. When you're ready to open your heart and pour out your innermost burdens to God, you fast.
You wish blessings and protection for your children, grandkids, and grandchildren's grandchildren? Fasting has a powerful effect. You want God to anoint your future bride, even if you haven't met her yet? Fast! You want God to release you from addiction and to bind the enemy's hands? Fast.
Or perhaps you simply want to know that God hears your ordinary prayers and that His focus on your life is a little brighter. This is accomplished through fasting.
Fasting is prayer on steroids. Fasting adds kerosene to the fire, raising the level of the prayers from Level 1 to Level 2, 3, 4, and so on.
Fasting raises the prayer dial if there is one. Fasting makes prayers feel like pounds, if prayer is measured in ounces. Fasting increases the power of prayer, regardless of how God measures it.
What happens to your spirit when you fast?
Fasting humiliates our natural inclination to rely on nature and compels us to live from the spiritual. God's voice becomes more audible as a result. Fasting is an excellent technique to obtain insight before making a major decision.
When I read Scripture during a fast, the Word has a lot more power, urgency, and clarity to it. It's as if a veil has been lifted, allowing me to view the intricacies of Scripture with greater clarity than before. As I mentioned in part two of this series, I am constantly learning new things “feed” on the Scriptures (Matthew 4:4) and receive true nourishment from it. I learn to prefer the Living Food to the world's dead food (have you ever noticed that everything you eat is a dead carcass?). (How macabre!).
Fasting makes it simpler to see where and how God is at work. When we practice a spiritual lifestyle, it becomes more natural to live, move, and perceive in the spiritual sphere. Our fleshly nature has been tamed and is no longer a force to be reckoned with “Our spiritual sense is “clouded.”
I've probably only fasted for about 10% of my life, yet I've probably received over 80% of my visions and direct communications from God during or as a result of a fast. I don't want to instill excessive expectations of supernatural occurrences, but there's no denying that fasting increases spiritual sensitivity and obedience. Anyone who has fasted for a long period of time for the Lord will tell you the same thing.
Why do we fast spiritually?
Spiritual fasting improves concentration and awareness. As a result, one of the spiritual benefits of fasting is a heightened sense of one's connectedness to the universe. Fasting spiritually makes you less self-centered. It's a method to break free from the constraints of what you want or believe you require.
How long should you fast for spiritual?
Fasting duration is also determined by personal inclination and ability. Fasting for long periods of time is not possible for certain people due to health issues. Others may fast for several days at a time. Remember, the purpose of fasting is to strengthen your relationship with God. It is not a question of how many days or how long one can fast. Fasting is a very personal experience with the Lord. As a result, there's no need to compare how long you've been fasting to how long others have been fasting.
Before you start fasting, I urge that you pray and ask the Lord how long you should fast for. If you're new to fasting, I recommend beginning with one meal or one day. You can continue for extended lengths of time after you are more conscious of and familiar with the topic. You may decide after the first day that you want to continue for a longer period of time. Keep track of how your body feels if this is the case. You may feel lightheaded and weak if your body isn't used to fasting. Once your body has become accustomed to fasting, you will be able to fast for extended periods of time without experiencing these symptoms.
The length of your fast is also determined by what you're fasting from. You should not fast for longer than two or three days if you are fasting both food and drink. Furthermore, if you are only fasting from food, you can fast for extended periods of time. Some people will abstain from eating and drinking, but will sip juice to stay energized.
Types of Fasting
Abstaining from social media, entertainment, sex, sweet meals, or a variety of other things is another type of fasting. You can fast for substantially longer lengths of time if you choose to fast from the following items. This is due to the fact that these fasts have no negative impact on your health. In fact, they may help you live a healthier life. Fasting from these foods for prolonged lengths of time is something I suggest.
If you're married, make sure you have an agreement on sex abstinence with your partner. “Do not deprive each other except by mutual permission and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer,” Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 7:5. Then get back together so Satan can't tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
What do you do spiritually fast?
So, now that you know what fasting is and why it's important, where do you start? Twenty various recommendations are provided here to assist you get started fasting and stay motivated.
Identify The Purpose
The first step in fasting for any Christian is to figure out why you're fasting. Do you want to empty your stomach through fasting? Do you want to improve your connection with God? Are you fasting to show your support for the poor? It's crucial to understand why you're fasting. It establishes a context for your experience.
Commit to a Time Period
The second stage in fasting is deciding on a certain time period and committing to it. When you're a newbie, it's not a good idea to go for a long period of time without eating or drinking anything.
Try to work out what is realistic, and keep your commitment fresh in your mind.
Find Your Weaknesses
Try to predict your weaknesses, or the times when you will feel the worst or most tempted to eat, before the fast begins. Pray for God to provide you with the strength you require when you require it, and He will.
Tell only a Few People
According to Acts 16, when a believer in Christ fasts in secret, he or she will be blessed. You should just tell two or three people that you're fasting. It doesn't matter if it's a spouse, a sibling, or a friend. They may also serve as a partner in terms of accountability.
What are the consequences of fasting?
Dizziness, headaches, low blood sugar, muscle aches, weakness, and weariness are all side effects of fasting. Fasting for an extended period of time can cause anemia, a weaker immune system, liver and kidney issues, and an erratic heartbeat. Vitamin and mineral shortages, muscular breakdown, and diarrhea are all possible side effects of fasting. There's a higher risk of fluid imbalance and dehydration if you drink laxative concoctions during a fast.
The hazards become more intricate and serious the longer you fast or if you fast frequently.
Is fasting important to God?
Fasting allows God's miraculous power to be released. It's a tool we can utilize when God's will is being thwarted. Nothing pleases Satan more than to sow discord, discouragement, defeat, depression, and uncertainty among us. God has always utilized a combined prayer and fasting effort to give a decisive blow to the enemy!
What is the true meaning of fasting?
Fasting is the practice of abstaining from food or drink for health, ceremonial, religious, or ethical reasons. Abstinence might be whole or partial, long or brief, continuous or intermittent. Fasting has been promoted and practiced by physicians, religious founders and followers, culturally designated individuals (such as hunters or candidates for initiation rites), and individuals or groups as a form of protest against what they believe are violations of social, ethical, or political principles since antiquity.
How do I prepare myself for a spiritual fast?
I don't want to go without saying that fasting with someone is wonderful, but you don't have to do it. Fasting in seclusion with the father is truly commanded in Matthew 6:18. We are not to boast about our fasting or wear a mournful expression to make others feel sorry for us. So, if you're fasting with a group or just one other person, keep it hidden and only think of God.
Decide what Type of Fast you Want to Do
The various sorts of fasts have been explored previously. To summarize, there is a;
- Material Fasting entails avoiding material possessions or activities such as television, social media, and habits.
- A supernatural fast is one that can only be observed when under God's supernatural presence. Consider Moses, who went without sustenance for 40 days and nights.
When it comes to choosing a type of fast, there is no right or wrong answer. If you're new to fasting, I recommend starting modest. Cut out a meal and then fast for the rest of the day the next time. Then progress to three days, then a week. You must begin small and work your way up to strengthen your spiritual muscles.
However, the correct response boils down to one thing. What are you being led to do by the Holy Spirit? When people fasted in the Bible, the number of days they fasted wasn't the most significant factor. They concentrated on the reason for their actions and did what they believed God wanted them to do. So, what are your intentions and what do you feel compelled to do? That is what you should do.
Plan your Meals
For obvious reasons, you can skip this section if you're undertaking a complete or ordinary fast. However, if you're undertaking a partial fast, meal planning is critical to staying on track. Until I went on a fast without a plan, I didn't think it was that significant. You will be hungry and most likely experience little discomfort while fasting. There's nothing worse than getting to mealtime and realizing you don't have anything to eat since you can't just grab something as you normally would. That's a recipe for a hangry person.
Make a meal plan and a grocery list at least a few days before your fast. Get your meals ready ahead of time and out of the way. Fasting is all about focusing your attention on God. So don't let last-minute grocery shopping and dinner preparation consume all of your time. It will simply frustrate you and take you out of the mental condition you were in before to starting the fast.