PRAYER & FASTING

PRAYER AS A LIFESTYLE

Prayer is most effective when it isn’t something we do every now and then, but when it’s a lifestyle we cultivate. To understand how to have a lifestyle of prayer, we can look at the example Jesus gave during His life on earth.

HAVE A CERTAIN TIME
Jesus got up early in the morning to spend time with His Father. Make a daily appointment with God – whether it’s first thing in the morning, at lunch, or in the evening – and faithfully keep it.

HAVE A CERTAIN PLACE
Jesus had a specific place He went to pray. Having a designated place to pray helps us remove distractions, and frees us to worship and pray out loud.

HAVE A CERTAIN PLAN
When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He gave them a prayer outline. We call it “The Lord’s Prayer.” It can be found in Matthew 6. As we pray every day, our plans for our prayer time can vary. It may include worship music, Scripture reading, and quiet time to listen to God. It doesn’t have to look the same, but it helps when we have a plan for connecting with God regularly.

WHAT IS FASTING?

Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” - MATTHEW 9:14-17

The goal of fasting is not just to do without food; it is to draw nearer to God. A biblical fast is restricting food for a spiritual purpose. Fasting is not just an exercise for the super spiritual, but it should be a periodic discipline in the life of every believer.

The constant demands and pressures of daily life on your mind, will, and emotions can weigh you down and cause you to lose focus, feel spiritually sluggish, and desensitized. Fasting hits the reset button for your soul and renews you from the inside out.

Fasting is a way for you to celebrate the goodness and mercy of God, and prepare your soul to expand and contain the fresh new purposes and work God desires to bring into your life.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT FAST

Your personal fast should present a level of challenge, but it is important to know your own body, know your options, and, most importantly, seek God in prayer. Then, follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.

NORMAL FAST

A normal fast is when only water is consumed. This would be the type practiced by Elijah (see 1 Kings 19:8) and Jesus (see Matthew 4). They abstained from food for 40 days.

PARTIAL FAST

A partial fast is when some foods are restricted. Two of the most common partial fasts are:

Juice Fast – Consuming vegetable juices, fruit juices, and water instead of solid food. Some include whey protein in their liquid plan as well. This is a popular and effective fast. Substituting liquids for one or two meals is also an alternative.

Daniel Fast – Is based on the fasting principles of the prophet in Daniel 1 and 10. Daniel 1 states that he ate only vegetables and water, and Daniel 10 states that he ate no rich (or choice) foods, as well as no meat or wine. The foundation of the Daniel fast is fruits and vegetables. The website daniel-fast.com is a good source of information about this fast.

Remember, the power of fasting has less to do with food and more to do with setting yourself apart for a specific period of time to focus more on the Lord, prayer, and worship.