10 Reasons Why We Should Fast

 

Fasting is a method used to draw near to God by putting your focus onto Him rather than on food (or something else) here on earth. Let’s look at ten reasons why we should fast.

  1. Strengthen Prayer

  2. Seek God’s Guidance

  3. Express Grief

  4. Seek Deliverance or Protection

  5. Express Repentance or Return to God

  6. Humble Oneself Before God

  7. Express Concern for the Work of God

  8. Minister to the Needs of Others

  9. Overcome Temptation & Dedicate Yourself to God

  10. Express Love and Worship to God

Now that we know the significance of fasting; let’s take a look at the logistics—the how. Did you know that the Bible describes at least seven ways to fast?

  1. Normal Fast—Fasting from food but not from water. This is what Jesus was doing in Matthew 4 when He was faced with temptation in the desert.

  2. Partial Fast—This is a limitation in diet like what Daniel did in Daniel 1 or what John the Baptist did Matthew 3.

  3. Absolute Fast—This is fasting from both food and water. There are examples of this type of fast in the Bible in Ezra 8, Esther 4, Acts 9:9, and 2 Samual 12:15.

  4. Supernatural Fast—This is a fast where you can only survive with God’s intervention such as Deuteronomy 9:9 or 1 Kings 19:8.

  5. Private Fast—This is a fast that you do privately, not sharing the experience with others. See Matthew 6:16.

  6. Congregational Fast—This is a fast that you do corporately by coming together like in Joel 2:15 or Acts 13.

  7. Fast from Something Other than Food. This is a fast from something other than food, such as sex (1 Corinthians 7) or social media.

It is our prayer that your walk with God will strengthen as you spend time fasting for the Lord.

 
 
 
DiscipleshipJonathan CarlFastingComment