10 things you must never do in a fast number one fasting is not a Christian diet you should not fast to lose weight although weight loss is a natural side effect the world calls not eating dieting and usually does it to lose weight or for health reasons but some go without eating for Spiritual reasons this is referred to in the Bible as fasting fasting is not the same thing as dieting and fasting is not the same thing as eliminating food for health fasting is not a required discipline you don't have to do it where you
alter your diet there are many kinds of fasts for a spiritual reason there are many reasons to fast and accompany the experience with prayer fasting is a Biblical discipline that can help anyone improve their spiritual Fitness and become a prayer Warrior for God number two you do not fast so that others will notice you Matthew 6 17-18 New King James Version but you when you fast anoint your head and wash your face so that you do not appear to men to be fasting but to your father who is in the secret place and your father
who sees in secret will reward you openly Jesus reminded us not to make a show of our religious Devotion to God fasting on the other hand is a personal commitment between you and God fasting can be done privately without telling anyone occasionally you will participate in a public fast with your church or another individual the purpose of fasting is not to show off your profound spirituality to others but to focus on the needs of others when you give up food both enjoyable and necessary you draw God's attention instead of eating you devote yourself to secret
prayer however if your goal in avoiding food is for others to complement you on how spiritual you appear then their approval will be your reward some people are worried about how their friends will perceive them if they fast will my friends think I'm weird if they find out I'm fasting the answer is simple you don't fast to impress your friends and you usually don't even tell them number three not expecting the opposition expect opposition when fasting when you are going into a vast you are opposing your flesh expect some opposition if there is food on
your table when fasting it'll be more difficult do not put on Food Network on your TV you may have to avoid some get-togethers food commercials on television are more appealing than usual the same can be said for drive-through windows at fast food restaurants including places you never considered eating whenever food Temptations arise pray immediately according to contemporary authors praying is like a hacking cough that comes and goes on an irregular basis we should be reminded on a regular basis to pray when you start to feel hungry pray for the reason you're fasting number four Stars
ain't too big start reasonably so if you have never fasted before start with one meal skip fast in the Old Testament Jews were required to fast for one day on Yom Kippur every year a day began at sundown and ended at sundown the following day according to the Jewish calendar God taught the Jews how to count their days start small if this is your first fast God will honor your first step of Faith which may appear small to others but be a giant one for you number five forgetting your heart during a fast god is
also concerned about your heart's response fasting is very much about your attitude just like when a man proposes to a woman it is not the length of his proposal that gets a yes but his heart make sure your relationship with God is in good working order God is aware of everything your sincerity is more important to him than the length of your prayer Genesis 1 5 new King James Version God called the light day and the Darkness he called night so the evening and the morning were the first day number six do not rush you
should start your fast when the Sun goes down or perhaps a little before this means you are going to do without the normal evening meal then skip breakfast and lunch the following day after the sun went down most Jews broke their fast by eating a typical meal number seven always going alone fast with a pound even though private prayer and fasting is the foundation of all intercession if you have never walked this path before you may want to start your fasting Journey with someone else invite someone else to fast and pray with you if you're
praying for a specific answer to a prayer there's strength in numbers Jesus said Matthew 18 18-19 New King James Version assuredly I say to you whatever you bind on Earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you lose on Earth will be loosed in heaven again I say to you that if two of you agree on Earth concerning anything that they ask it will be done for them by my Father in heaven these verses are not just about prayer they are also about the commitment we make in agreement with someone else take this into consideration
when planning a vacation with someone else it is more memorable if you plan dream and share experiences together you probably get more enjoyment from your vacation if you share it with someone else the same is true for fasting when you share the experience of fasting and praying together your prayers are likely to be more focused if fasting scares you the strength of another person can help you get through it you can always call each other for advice and ask how's it going that phone Buzz might give you the inspiration you need to keep going remember
the celebration when you climb the mountain by yourself you are doing so to prove something to yourself and the victory is yours alone in contrast when you climb the hill with others you have many people to celebrate with when you reach the top simply being together makes Victory taste even sweeter number eight going in without a purpose purposeful fasting if you're getting ready to fast ask yourself why you're fasting fasting has numerous benefits you might already have a good reason to fast when young David went out to face Goliath no other Israeli soldier would face
the Colossus they not only refuse to fight Goliath but each gave David a different reason to avoid the battle but David would not be deterred he had a compelling reason to fight this particular Giant and battle it isn't just a matter of praying and fasting we are fasting for a reason are you willing to fast and abandon your pleasure make a list of your cause put it down on paper so you can see it with your own eyes when you keep a cause ramps up in your mind it can become blurred or vague you may
have a general idea about why you should fast right now but take the time to write down your reasoning it will sharpen your focus if you see it written down number nine pick an appropriate fast there is several types of fast and you have to pick yours wisely there is the absolute fast this is a fast where you eliminate all food and water Paul followed this fast for three days after seeing the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus and was struck blind do not follow the absolute fast during your first fast this fast is
intended for those who are deeply distressed or who are fasting to solve a severe problem there is also the normal fast during this fast you avoid all solid foods and drink only liquids usually fasting in the Bible refers to people who do not eat solid food Luke 4 2 new King James Version being tempted for 40 days by the devil and in those days he ate nothing and afterward when they had ended he was hungry there is no mention of Jesus drinking liquids when people fast what do they drink many people cut out enjoyable drink
items like soda and various types of fruit drinks this corresponds to the Old Testament description of them afflicting themselves and fasting Isaiah 58 3. why have we fasted they say and you have not seen why have we Afflicted our souls and you take new notice in fact in the day of your fast you find pleasure and exploit all your labors the partial fast in this fast you eliminate certain liquids or certain solids but not all liquids and solids this is also called the Daniel Fast because he would not eat at the king's table but insisted
Daniel 1 12. please test your servants for 10 days and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink fast did not harm Daniel or his friends at another time Daniel reflected the spirit of the partial fast Daniel 10 3 I ate no Pleasant food no meat or wine came into my mouth nor did I anoint myself at all till three whole weeks were fulfilled this is a partial fast that specifies what Daniel avoided one Pleasant food similar to our Donuts or cakes a dessert fast 2. meat this was a non-meat diet and
three why that which is pleasurable or brings Joy the question is how do you choose a fast when preparing to fast there are several factors to consider consider your specific situation before deciding on the best approach for you here's a few ideas the first fast Factor as mentioned before if this is your first fast I recommend starting with the one day fast if you want to fast for a more extended period to address a severe or ongoing problem fasting one day per week for three weeks is preferable to starting with a free day fast remember
that if this is your first fast you are embarking on an unknown Journey you should proceed with caution because you are learning new skills and attitudes for your body and soul your first fast should be a normal fast in which you eat only liquids for one day next you should try to match the reason for your fast with the type of fast choose a normal fast for a routine request choose a fast with more stringent requirements for a more serious problem there's also the comfort factor you should feel at peace with both the length and
type of fast as you decide what you will eliminate When you pray you should not second guess yourself nor should you feel guilty that you're doing the wrong thing choose a type of fast that allows you to be comfortable with your decision there's also the time Factor obviously a variety of factors influence your decision to fast or the length of your fast you must think about your weekly schedule what days of the week are not suitable for fasting what special event is coming up when fasting is not advised Thanksgiving Christmas weddings and so on never
start a fast with a long fast you have no idea what to expect from your body or how you will react emotionally a one day fast is very simple whatever fast you choose as your first keep in mind that it's a leap of faith God sees your heart and will reward you accordingly number 10. abandoning prayer learning to pray while fasting have you tried and failed to serve God have you ever asked God to do something and he did not respond consider how the disciples felt when they attempted and failed to accomplish something significant Jesus
led three disciples Peter James and John to the Summits of Mount Transfiguration he left nine disciples at the Mountain's base a father brought his son to the nine to have a demon cast out of him because the boy couldn't speak or hear the disciples tried but they were unable to expel the demon can you imagine how humiliating that had to be they were surrounded by a cheering crowd looking for Jesus the crowd the father and the disciples were all disappointed it was a lack of faith on their part however the disciples did not inquire as
to how they could gain more faith at the time they had only inquired as to why they were unable to expel the demon all of their questions were answered by Jesus in one simple statement this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting Matthew 17 14-21 New King James Version and when they had come to the multitude a man came to him kneeling down to him and saying Lord have mercy on my son for he is an epileptic and suffers severely for he often falls into the fire and often into the water so
I brought him to your disciples but they could not cure him then Jesus answered and said o faithless and perverse generation how long shall I be with you how long shall I bear with you bring him here to me and Jesus rebuked the demon and he came out of him and the child was cured from that very hour then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said why could we not cast it out so Jesus said to them because of your unbelief for assuredly I say to you if you have faith as a mustard seed
you will say to this mountain move from here to there and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you however this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting in a nutshell Jesus told them that prayer and fasting yielded results and the prayer and fasting could heal the body perhaps you're fasting because you've been praying but haven't received an answer whatever your motivation fasting will alleviate prayer and Faith to a higher level it'll bring you closer to God just because you're fast does not guarantee that God will hear or answer your
prayers furthermore abstaining from food will not make you more spiritual spirituality is a hard response to God in which you seek his presence and yield to him when you allow the Lord to flow through your life the holy spirit will make you more holy when you are filled with the Holy Spirit you will become more spiritual remember that the most important aspect of fasting is to seek and touch God and to allow him to touch you when to pray there are many times when you will pray while fasting your choice of when to pray during
a fast will be dependent upon your schedule and other factors in your life I'll give you some tips on how to incorporate prayer into your fasting determine the best time for you the following will give you some ideas for how to plan your fasting prayer time praying during Meal Time when you are fasting you can use meal time for praying this gives you three times a day breakfast lunch and dinner that you would not otherwise have to devote to seeking God consider how you could replace a meal with prayer do whatever works best for you
and your schedule one special prayer time attempt to devote special extra time to prayer during your fast this could mean getting up earlier in the morning substituting prayer time for regular daily activities or devoting any downtime you have to prayer praying through your prayer list you may not have made a prayer list if this is your first fast this is an excellent time to begin break it down into several sections and use these sanctions to create a list of things to pray for Circle the most significant answers to prayer in the previous month at the
end of each fast this is a time to rejoice and Express gratitude to God saying thank you God because you still answer my prayers this exercise on the other hand serves a dual purpose some believe that Christians do not require discipline however we build our strength through spiritual exercises we must remember that we are Christ's soldiers a good soldier is well versed in a variety of disciplines fasting is just one of a Christian's many disciplines you can always find a reason not to fast so you have to decide that you're going to do it and
everything else will take care of itself if you decide to set aside the first days of the year for fasting you will set the course for the whole coming year
