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Secret by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free |
As a Christian I learnt about fasting. I knew nothing about this before except that Muslims had Ramadan and Catholics had lent. Once I gave my life to Christ, I understood its importance in my relationship with God. In the first of this series on fasting I answered the question, Why do people fast? and looked at A typical day when fasting. Here I will attempt to give you some guidelines:
1. It is not effective if the fasting is simply not eating food or taking a drink. Fasting is usually preceded by prayer. This is why it is usually called Prayer and Fasting. The emphasis is on the prayer time not on starving oneself. You can drink water or have liquids and you can change your diet or abstain from specific things. Fasting would not be fasting if there was no prayer.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4:6-7
2. It is not for public knowledge. This is especially for personal fasting. In the example of a marriage (borrowing from the previous blog) the time a husband and wife spends in intimacy remains private. Since fasting is spending intimate time with God and reverencing God, it is treated the same way, private and holy. In Matthew 6, Jesus spoke about privacy with God in prayer then He spoke about fasting.
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:16-18
3. Our hearts and mind must be clean and 'circumcised'. Why? Because our God is holy and perfect. We have to be the same.
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:15-16.
Once a friend called me while I was fasting and in chatting an expletive came out my mouth. But the funny thing is I don't curse or use obscene language. Not only did I allow filth in my ears, I allowed it out my lips. I was not guarded.
Now when fasting, I ask The Holy Spirit to be the guard on my heart (Proverbs 4:23, 16:9). I have to be wise in locking myself up keeping away from people who will not respect my standards or my time of prayer and fast. Although we are not supposed to broadcast that we are fasting, generally our lifestyle should reflect our Christian values.
A fast can be broken by anger, cursing, false imaginations, lust, acts of the flesh (sex), gossip, thinking mean things, committing injustices, unforgiveness etc.
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Isaiah 58: 6-7
Avoid, anything that makes you forget to spend time in reverence to God. We have the assurance of God's love for us. Once we keep our part Isaiah 58:8-9 says He will answer our prayer. We cannot doubt His love or His protection. Doubting God is doubting ourself as well. Doubting self is doubting who you are in Christ.
I can do all things through Christ which (who) strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13
Recently I was fasting and on the first day, a relative called me, and even though I was taken by surprise by the accusations I felt disappointed in the relative's behaviour. That led to anger and impatience. I had to literally cut the relative short and repent in prayer to The Lord, start over and re-focus myself. But there was a lesson in this. I had to kill what was 'earthly to me' Colossians 3:5.
Even though the situation threatened to spiral out of control, I had to make a stand to continue the prayer and fast. In order to do that I had to address myself before I could address the situation. Here are the steps I took:
- I looked at my negative emotions. I had to face them and figure out why I felt that way. I was so ashamed as I saw my flaws.
- Immediately I went before God and repented for loosing focus on Him.
- I trusted God to work it out and it did. I did not address it until the prayer and fast was over. I prayed that I would have opportunity to address the situation after. God first.
- Humbled myself and asked God if I could make up for the lost time. Negotiations were in order.
Do you see it now? Romans 12:2 says it is in the testing that we can know the will of God, what is good, what He will accept and what is perfect. When fasting the first act is to go before God with a broken and contrite spirit. Anything that is buried inside the heart will show itself. Even for the best of us.
Since 1994 I have been fasting and I still marvel at the new things I discover about myself. This month I started fasting as is the custom, and started naming my flaws. I asked God to show me the obstacles in my heart. I was in shock for the entire day! I thought I was a good Christian.
I pray you learn more and more about God and I curse every obstacle in your way in the name of Jesus the Christ.
If you have not asked Jesus to be Lord over your life you can pray the following prayer and attend a full gospel church near you:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I ask you to forgive my sins in knowledge or ignorance. Please forgive me. I accept Jesus as my Saviour. I ask that Jesus comes into my life as I live to be a witness for Him. Please change my life and make me into the person you want me to be. Guide me in these times so I can be used by you to help others in Jesus name I pray. Thank you Father.
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