Have you decided to fast this lent season? Do you know why you’re fasting or are you fasting because everyone else is?
What does it mean to fast?
Biblical fasting is going without food. The Hebrew word for fast is “tsom,” which literally means “not to eat.” The Greek word for fast is “nesteia,” which means “no food.”
Fasting is a means to bring the flesh into submission to God so He can strengthen us in mastering ourselves. It makes us stronger to stand against the temptations of the flesh. Temptations very often deal with food.
Adam and Eve fell into sin by not mastering temptation over food (See Genesis 2). The Second Adam, Jesus Christ, mastered the eating temptation by fasting from food for 40 days. Then HE overcame the Devil (see Luke 4).
Fasting implies that we give up something that causes our soul affliction, which is usually food, and replace it with prayer.
In our 21st century lifestyles, our souls have become accustomed to and perhaps even addicted to other things besides food. We may even forget to eat if we’re caught up in our gadgets.
Contemporary forms of fasting may be giving up such things as: entertainment, athletic events, reading materials other than the Bible, computer, phone calls, or social functions, for a period of time to focus on prayer.
Fasting is always accompanied with prayer. Otherwise, it’s not fasting, just affliction.
Let’s examine what fasting is NOT. . .
- a way to manipulate God
- a means of fulfilling selfish goals or desires
- a way to make God feel sorry for us
- a way to get God to love us more (He already loves more than we can comprehend.)
- or a way to pay for our sins (Our debt was paid in full at Calgary.)
Why are you fasting?
There are corporate fasts which is when we come together with other believers and pray and fast for a common purpose. And there is the personal fast, which praying for a personal breakthrough for self and/or family.
Here are a few reasons why you may fast:
- humble and chasten self
- seek God and His way
- confession and repentance of sins
- healing
- petition God to withhold judgment
- prepare to receive a word from God
- spiritual deliverance
- when feeling afraid
- when mourning a loss
- for seeking protection
When we fast, we should always combine it with a time of prayer. During the time we would typically eat or spend time in an activity, we should spend that time reading God’s word and praying His word.
We are not required to fast, but we receive a reward from God when we approach fasting and praying according to the way Jesus taught us to fast.
For more information on prayer, visit ShondaSavage.com