(Matthew 9:10-16)
What is fasting? : Fasting is restraining ourselves from some things that are part of our physical lives for the purpose of surrendering to God. This practice comes from the understanding that a person is spirit, and sometimes the flesh might take dominion over the spirit if it is fed more than the spirit. With the understanding that God is spirit and you are spirit and God operates with the spirit man, we restrain ourselves from physical things to focus on our spirits. Food fasting is much more popular the other fasts, but one could fast from anything that affects him/her, not just food. For example, sleep, television, sexual intercourse for married people, decorating yourself etc.
Fasting does not change God, or force Him to do something, but it helps a person to be at the right position in his fellowship with God. Fasting goes hand in hand with prayer and devotion to God.
Fasting can help a believer in the following ways:
1) Raise their spiritual level: this helps us to have strong fellowship with God and to understand Him easily.
2) Put the flesh under the subjection of the spirit.
3) Release the power of the Holy Spirit that is resident in our spirits in full so much that we can change all the situations that we have to change (Mark 9:28 and 29).
4) Fasting does not give us power, but it helps us to release the power we have been given by grace. The Holy Spirit is the Power of God in us. This happens in a sense that fasting helps lift our spiritual level, and we are able to release the power of God in its full extent when our spiritual level is raised.
What can a believer fast for?
(1) Fasting is between a believer and God, unless it is fasting with a large group of people.
(2) A believer can fast for whatever reason s/he chooses. It could be strengthening his/her fellowship with God, It could be praying for a certain problem specially, it could be a time of repentance and humility, it could be a time of worship together with fasting (ministering to the Lord) (Acts 13:2-4) or any reason or many reasons at once.
(3) Believers can fast as a group, and pray in unity and agreement, pray for anything that is the will of God.
(4) They can fast as a family, friends, or just two believers or more praying for a certain thing.
Types of food fasting:
(1) Dry fasting: This is where a believer fasts from food and liquids for a certain time. It is dangerous for this type of fasting to exceed three days because after three days the body starts absorbing the water in it and this can weaken the body.
(2) Fasting with the exception of water: This is where a believer fasts from food, but drinking water.
(3) Fasting with the exception of fruits: This is where a believer eats only fruits not meat and other foods.
(4) A believer can create his own type of fasting and its time, this is between God and him/her: Examples: one could use only a drink for three days, one could fast from salt or sugar the whole week, another could just eat vegetables. But fasting has to affect your flesh; you cannot fast from something that does not affect you.
Wisdom in fasting: A believer has to be wise when fasting. He shouldn’t try to fast for long periods of time when s/he is not used to it yet and his/her faith is still weak. He shouldn’t fast while on medication that requires him to eat food. It is better for a believer to consult his pastor or leader when planning to fast a long time, especially if s/he is new to spiritual things, so he gets proper advice. A believer has to choose a time when s/he is not busy so s/he gives himself/herself time with God in his/her fasting with the word and prayer and some other important things that build one’s spirit.
How do we fast (Matthew 6:16-19): fasting is secretive between a believer and God. A believer must be clean and well groomed so it is not obvious that s/he is fasting. It does not mean that it is wrong if people find out that s/he is fasting, but s/he should not boast that s/he is fasting as if s/he is holier than others.
God wants us to live a fasted life: This means that God wants fasting to not be something we rarely do, but we should live with the flesh under subjection to the spirit, by always keeping a life of prayer and the word, the flesh will always be subject to the spirit. It would be wise to fast weekly, even if it is just one day, or a part of a day but some times we must fast for longer periods of time praying and worshiping in a special way. Besides that, we fast when the Holy Spirit leads and guides us. This is the life of fasting. Do not allow any fleshly thing to reign in your life. Live by the spirit, and walk by the spirit.
Prayer, the word and fasting go hand in hand. This is our devotion in the New Testament
A constant life of devotion will cause us to walk with God successfully, to easily operate in the power of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In short, it will enable us to fulfill God`s will for our lives to the maximum degree.