Biblical Fasting
A biblical fast is a spiritual practice that involves abstaining from food or certain items for a specific period of time. Here are some steps to help you with your biblical fast:
1. Decide the type of fast: Determine the type of fast you want to do and for how long. It can be a one meal fast, a 24-hour fast, a three-day fast, or longer, depending on what the Lord leads you to do. You can choose to participate in a corporate fast with others or do an individual fast. There are different types of fasts, such as a regular fast (abstaining from all food and only drinking water), a juice fast (abstaining from food but allowing fruit juices and herbal tea), or a partial fast (restricting certain items or only eating vegetables, for example). The purpose of the fast is to learn to subdue your flesh, resist temptation, and hear God more clearly.
2. Decide the purpose of the fast: Determine the specific purpose or intention for your fast. Find God's promises in the Bible that cover your situation and believe that you will receive what you are seeking from the Lord.
3. Proclaim your fast before the Lord: Open your fast in prayer, dedicating this time to God and expressing your desire to fellowship with Him. Make a firm commitment to stick to your fast and ask for God's help and the ministering of angels during this time.
4. Believe you receive the reward of the fast: The key to a successful fast is to believe that you will receive the reward. Have faith that God will honor your sacrifice and answer your prayers.
5. Minister to the Lord during your fast: Use this time to pray and worship God. Pray from the Psalms, which speak of God's mighty works, and sing with grace in your heart to the Lord. He hears your praise and thanksgiving.
6. Minister to others after the fast: Once your fast is completed, you can use the spiritual power within you to meet the needs of others. As you minister to others, you will see the power of God working through you. You may even receive blessings that you haven't even prayed or asked for. Remember, God will reward you for your obedience and sacrifice during the fast.
May your biblical fast be a time of spiritual growth, intimacy with God, and a manifestation of His power in your life.
Biblical Fasting Outline
1. Decide the type of fast.
a. Decide the type of fast you want to do and for how long.
b. A fast doesn't have to be long. It can be one meal, 24 hours, three days, or longer, as the Lord leads.
c. You may participate in a corporate fast or an individual fast.
d. A regular fast involves abstaining from all food and only drinking water.
e. A juice fast includes abstaining from all food but allows for drinking fruit juices and herbal tea.
f. A partial fast involves fasting particular items, such as coffee and desserts, or restricting your eating to vegetables only, for example.
g. Learning to subdue your flesh, resist temptation, and hear God more clearly.
h. God will give you the grace to overcome the flesh.
2. Decide the purpose of the fast.
a. Find God's promises that cover your situation and believe you receive them before the fast begins.
b. Whatever you are seeking from the Lord, expect to receive it.
3. Proclaim your fast before the Lord.
a. Simply open your fast in prayer—dedicating this time to Him and expressing a desire to fellowship with Him.
b. Make a firm commitment that you will stick by it. Ask, "Father, with You as my Helper and angels of the Lord minister to me, in the Name of Jesus."
4. Believe you receive the reward of the fast.
a. The key is to believe that you receive the reward!
5. Minister to the Lord during your fast.
a. Pray from Psalms, which speak of God's mighty works.
b. "Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
c. He hears your praise and thanksgiving.
d. Pray in the spirit.
e. Witness and pray for others.
6. Minister to others during and after the fast.
a. Now you can use the spiritual power within you to meet the needs of other people.
b. As you minister, you will see that the power of God is great upon you!
c. Things will come to you for which you have not even prayed or asked God. And as with any biblical fast, your Father will reward you!